-------------------------------------------
THE LEVISON LETTER
-------------------------------------------
Action Ideas For Better Direct Mail,
E-mail, Web Sites & Advertising
Published by
Ivan Levison, Direct Response Copywriting
October, 2003
Volume: 18 Number: 10
===========================================
Should marketers promote branding or benefits?
===========================================
If you're trying to sell a product or service, there
are
basically two ways to go.
1. You can put your marketing dollars into promoting
your
brand image, OR . . .
2. You can try to convince prospects to purchase your
product by making a rational case citing facts and
benefits.
Let me explain this a little further . . .
When we speak of promoting a" brand," we're
not really
talking about mere products sitting on a shelf. We're
actually referring to a set of beliefs that the prospect
has developed about a product or company over time.
A brand, in other words, is a powerful mental franchise
that stays deeply embedded in the prospect's mind.
For example, the Volvo brand has come to stand for
safety.
The Disney brand stands for wholesome, family
entertainment.
The FedEx brand stands for reliable delivery.
Benefit-oriented marketing, on the other hand, does
not
try to create or sustain a powerful "image." Yes. It
seeks to persuade by using emotion, just as branding
does, but it also uses reason and logic. It does this by
identifying problems that the prospect may be
experiencing, and demonstrating that the product solves
these problems.
Virtually all direct marketing is benefits oriented.
Now comes an important question: Which marketing approach
should YOU pursue? Should you try to build a brand? Or
should you attempt to sell customers with benefits-
oriented arguments?
My answer may surprise you, and I'll put it as bluntly
as
I can . . .
Forget about branding!
Ah, yes. I know that endless books have been written
about the importance of branding. And I know that
business schools enthusiastically present case studies in
branding strategies. And they are right to do so! The
reason I think YOU should stop worrying so much about
branding is that (very possibly), you can't afford it.
That's right. Penetrating a portion of a person's belief
system, embedding an enduring image in a person's gray
matter, costs BIG bucks.
For example, if I ask you to fill in the line: "You
deserve a break today at __________," you'd have to be in
a coma not to know that the answer is "McDonalds."
You came up with the right answer, of course, because
McDonalds has shelled out zillions of dollars in TV,
radio, print, and outdoor media buys to pound the message
home.
To me it is axiomatic that successful branding takes
money that smaller companies just don't have.
This means that you shouldn't spend a fortune on an
expensive logo because it's "expressing your brand." Nor
should you hire "branding consultants" unless you have
the resources to make your message stick!
How then, should you proceed? How can you get the cash
register ringing over the short term, and with just
limited resources?
By creating hard-hitting advertising, direct mail,
collateral, etc., that demonstrates to prospects that you
deeply understand their "pain points." And that your
product or service provides BENEFITS that can make this
pain go away.
It's as easy (and as difficult) as that!
=====================================
How To Get In Touch
=====================================
Ivan Levison
Direct Response Copywriting
14 Los Cerros Drive
Greenbrae, CA 94904
Phone: (415) 461-0672
Fax: (415) 461-7738
E-mail: ivan@levison.com
Web Site: http://www.levison.com
=============================================
How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe
=============================================
SUBSCRIBE FREE to The Levison Letter at
http://www.levison.com
UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a Reply to this message with
just the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
IMPORTANT: Your subscription information will NEVER
be traded, sold, or used by anyone else. That's a personal
promise.
_______________________________________________
Copyright 2005, by Ivan Levison, All Rights Reserved.
Recent Back Issues of The
Levison Letter
