Brand launching is not the same as product or service launching. Products change but a brand is to stay. Brand launch is a long-term project unlike product launch.
When a brand launches a product say P, and advertises for it, the competitors copy it after some time. Since all products go obsolete after some time, the brand chooses to replace the product P with some new product NewP, advocating its benefits and upgrading its quality to the consumer. This NewP often gets the benefit of the previous known product P. This is how a brand comes into life.
From this point onwards, the products under the brand are sold by brand itself and not by mere advertising. Here, the product name (common noun) becomes a brand name (Proper noun). Over a time, brand gets more unique, builds its way of communication, and develops a rich meaning. Thus, a brand starts with a product and continues growing with multiple products.
This was all about how a new product is converted to a brand. But launching a new brand is different.
A successful brand launching needs treating a brand as a large entity than as a product. Right from the start, a new brand is considered as a complete entity in itself endowed with functional and non-functional values and presenting as if it is well-established.
Steps for Launching a New Brand
Take the following steps while launching a new brand in the market −
Step 1 − Draft the brand program. Try to get the answers for the following questions −
● Existence − Why is the brand necessary? What will the consumers miss if the brand does not exist?
● Vision − What is brand’s vision in some X product category?
● Ambition − What does the brand want to change in its consumer’s life?
● Values − What will the brand never compromise on?
● Know-How − What are brand’s capabilities?
● Territory − Where is the brand providing its lawful benefits? What are its product categories?
● Style, Tone, and Language − How a brand is going to communicate?
● Reflection − What image the brand wants its consumers to render about itself?
Step 2 − Define brand identity prism.
Step 3 − Create brand positioning.
● Identify potential added values for the brand based on its image, identity, and heritage.
● Explore four major scenarios: Why? Against whom? For whom? When?
● Test the above scenarios, redefine or eliminate them if required. Conduct consumer studies, ideas and formulations.
● Conduct strategic evaluation of potential sales and profits in the marketspace.
Step 4 − Determine flagship product of the brand. Carefully choose which product or service you think you should introduce as a first campaign. This star product is going to form the brand’s identity subsequently.
Step 5 − Choose a strong brand name. Choose it by estimating the future changes the brand can undergo. Look for meaningful, short, and easy to pronounce names. Do not choose a deceptive or descriptive name.
Step 6 − Create brand slogan and jingle that is easy, meaningful, and memorable by consumers.
Step 7 − Reach out to opinion leaders (people who are influencers) and conduct brand advertisements in various media to create awareness among the consumers.
