PARADIGM SHIFT FROM PRODUCT-MINDED TO BRAND-MINDED WILL ENABLE TURKISH CORPORATIONS TO SUCCEED

In Turkey branding is a hot topic nowadays and, everybody talks how important it is to become a brand. The problem is nobody is really talking about “What does it mean?” Most companies believe or are pushed to believe that branding is about a new logo and/or a fancy advertising campaign. Once they have these elements, they feel that they can put a check mark on their to do list and declare that they have a Brand. But not so fast! Branding doesn’t start with a logo nor does it end with a fancy advertising campaign. First you need to do a mental shift from product to brand. You need to mentally decide that your brand is the soul of your company. Then you start searching for your Value Position, by asking; who you are, where you want to go, how you want to be perceived by a selective group of people? 

Branding allows you to develop a special relationship with your target audience that they are happy to come back again and again- no matter what! Successful brands build and cultivate these special relationships – Starbucks, Nike, Singapore Airlines are just a few great examples. They all occupy a unique place in the mind of their target audiences, their products and services are of high and consistent quality. There is no doubt they are good, but they are far from being unique compared to other companies. At the end Starbucks sells coffee, Nike sells sport equipment and Singapore Airlines is another airline among many. However they all managed to create that special relationship with their customers. In other words a special brand experience, which is the key for their customers decisions to come back again and again. 

Another misunderstanding about branding is that it is the sole responsibility of the marketing department. This is a mistake. If you want to become a brand minded company you have to accept that Brand is the responsibility of everybody from the CEO to the receptionist. The effort should start and be fully driven by the top management. There should be a visible commitment of the CEO to the brand, both mentally and financially. This is a long journey and it does not come cheap. But it is a very rewarding one because in return you get your customers loyalty, a healthy position in the market and financial rewards from better margins. Once you manage to define the unique value you bring to your customers, you will be surprised how powerful it can be. Think about it, today anything and everything can be branded – products, companies, people, countries and organizations. The brand which is marketed best is also the one selling more. The country that sees itself as a brand and uses every means at its disposal to market itself efficiently pulls in the most tourists and attracts the most investment. 

If you want to start somewhere forget about revising the logo or developing a new advertising campaign. Instead, at the next executive meeting start discussing who you are as a company and what the unique values you are offering to your target audience and define what will make them come back again and again. Once you define these important steps properly, then you can develop a meaningful visual brand identity down to logos and advertising campaigns. The natural step is to communicate this new direction very clearly internally because your employees are the best ambassadors of your brand. If they aren’t fully on board and if they don’t understand the values and what that means to them in the day-to-day work, then you loose the potential power of your brand. As Bob Ayling from BA said “ It only takes one bad experience over the phone to destroy millions of dollars of advertising”. 

When you are assured your brand is lived internally, then can you start thinking about external communications. Once you have a clear direction, it will be easier to choose how to communicate. 

Branding is a long journey and very rewarding if the CEO launches it from the right angle. As Churchill once said “This is not the beginning of an end but it is the end of a beginning!” 

By Sibel Akin
BrandSens General Manager