Page 263 - (DK) The Business Book

SUCCESSFUL SELLING 261

See also: Finding a profitable niche 22–23 ■ Stand out in the market 28–31 ■ Understanding the market 234–41 ■ Make
your customers love you 264–267 ■ Generating buzz 274–75 ■ Feedback and innovation 312–13

The “easy” brand began as an airline,
but its brand essence—“more value for
less!”—has been successfully applied
to more than a dozen businesses, from
pizza delivery to office-space rental.

first. With the rise in self-service
stores and supermarkets, brands
had to catch the consumer’s eye on
the shelf and also appeal on an
emotional level. Persil, for example,
played on a housewife’s pride in the
whiteness of her laundry with the
slogan: “Get your whites right.”

Creating a brand
Today, a brand is more than just a
logo or attractive packaging. Brand
creation has to start with an idea,
and the idea is more likely to be
successful if it is different than the members of that group. The most for example, was a simple idea.
competition’s. Typically, it starts powerful brands even have Company founder Sir Stelios Haji-
with the customer and what they identifiable ”nonbelievers”—think Ioannou wanted to make air travel
want or need. It might also be based Coke vs. Pepsi, or Mac vs. PC. The easy, cheap, and different than the
on the way the new company or sense of belonging to a group that large airline approach. The “easy”
product is fulfilling a gap in the seems to share your own values is brand, which started in the UK
market. Pret A Manger, for example, a key part of consumer loyalty. with the launch of an airline in
launched its healthy fast-food cafés 1995, is now used by more than a
as an alternative to the ubiquitous Translatable brands dozen different businesses all over
burger chains. The brand revolves It is often hard to tell whether the the world. The “easy” idea had
around the concept of fresh, additive- product makes the brand, or the many different elements that
free food prepared daily at every brand makes the product. EasyJet, brought it to life—from the way
branch. Alternatively, a new product people book their tickets online
might be something that improves to the no-frills service onboard—
on the existing technology through but the essential idea of selling a
new and innovative design, such as basic service at an affordable price
Dyson’s bagless vacuum cleaners. Or was translatable to many other
the idea might be something that no A product can be quickly forms of business.
one has thought of before, and did outdated; a successful
not even know they wanted, like the brand is timeless. Vision and values
iPad, which has become Stephen King The different elements that make
indispensible to millions. up a company’s vision and values
UK advertising executive
One of the key things about a are integrated to create a brand’s
(1931–2006)
successful brand, such as Apple or personality. Companies look to this
Dyson, is that they build an “personality” to provide the Unique
affiliated community—people who Selling Proposition (USP) that will
like iPads or prefer Dysons, and are make their product or service stand
happy to be identified with the other out from the competition, while ❯❯