1. Product, Service and Brand Strategy
Dr. Ajay K. Sirsi

2. Source: Marketing: A Roadmap to Success by Ajay Sirsi

3. To Build A Strong Brand Ask “What business are we in?”
Build brand identity
Position the brand for competitive differentiation
Refresh the brand

4. Why is it important to ask: “What business are we in?”

5. Would you say a hotel and an airline are competitors?

6. Would you say Marriott and The Home Depot are competitors?

7. “We are in the hotel business”

8. “We design and maintain living spaces”

9. Proper Business Definition Allows You to Innovate
Hotels
Resorts
Golf courses
Retirement villages
Facilities management

10. Defining what business you are in enables you to build a strong brand, decommoditize your business, and beat the competition

11. To define what business you are in, you must distinguish between what you are selling and what the customer is buying

12. Creating Value For The Customer
Potential Product
Augmented Product
Functional Product
Core Product
Source: Marketing: A Roadmap to Success by Ajay Sirsi

13. Rolex is in the watch business
[ ] True
[ ] False

14. Branding Lessons Customers buy expectations, not things
B2B customers buy relationships, not products
Do not fall into the attribute trap
Over time all core products become commodities
Potential product = differentiation
Differentiation = price premiums
Focus on core product
Puts on blinders
Makes you myopic
Cannot focus on customer needs

15. The Potential Product
Strong brands understand the customer’s “true” needs
How do we understand our customer’s needs = Where we can create value?
Ask the customer?
Customers do not know what their needs are
Do not ask customers, tell them

16. Core and Potential Products
Industrial gloves
Corporate housing
Liquid industrial gas
Shopping mall
Executive search
Coffee
Postal business ?

17. To Build a Strong Brand Ask “What business are we in?”
Build brand identity
Position the brand for competitive differentiation
Refresh the brand

18. McDonald’s Brand Associations
Friendly/
Warm
McDonald’s Dolls
and Toys
Ronald
McDonald
Egg McMuffin
Fun
Kids
Family
Birthday
Parties
Brands
Big Mac
McDonald’s
Golden Arches
Playground
McDonald’s
Charities
Social
Involvement
Meals
Consistent
Culture
Inner City
Programs
Clean
Hassle
Free
Service
Ronald
McDonald
House
Risk taking
Flexible
Convenient
Fast

19. To Build A Strong Brand Ask “What business are we in?”
Build brand identity
Position the brand for competitive differentiation
Refresh the brand

20. Yogurt Market before Danone Actimel
Sweet
Kids Yogurts
Health
Treat
Health Yogurt
Chilled Desserts
Fruit Yogurt
Health segment was regarded as a small niche, predominantly providing products for adults
Plain

21. High in health benefits
Finding the Gap C A
High in taste
Low in Health Benefits
Tasty B
High in health benefits
Low in taste
Previously yogurt brands were positioned in either Area A or B, Danone Actimel created a new market with a brand combining health benefits and taste ( Area C)
Healthy

22. Danone Capitalizes on the Yogurt Market
Sweet
Kids Yogurts
Health
Treat
Fruit Yogurt
Chilled Desserts
Health segment has increased in size as a new market has been developed since the introduction of
Danone Actimel
Plain

23. To Build A Strong Brand Ask “What business are we in?”
Build brand identity
Position the brand for competitive differentiation
Refresh the brand

24. NOISE Brand Identity Brand Concept
Brand Identity Implementation Marketing Mix
Strategy
Brand Identity Brand Concept
As intended
Brand Image Brand Concept As Received
NOISE
Brand Analysis Marketing
Research
Brand Action Customer Response
Brand Repositioning

25. In Chapter 5 - I show you how to build a strong brand
In Chapter 5 - I show you how to build a strong brand. I show you how to brand sand. If you can brand sand, you can brand anything.