The Third Angle Of Brand Strategy

This is the best era. Our generation has participated in and witnessed the growth of China as a world economic power in the process of black hair becoming white. We know that a growing China needs a generation to pay extra, so the same generation of my generation is "bee generation", and the next generation is "eating honey generation". A grand rift, which is willing to be busy, willing to enjoy, not interfering with each other and enjoying each other, is created in a wonderful era. This is also the worst time. The Internet has crushed the world and has broken the basic belief that our generation will win if we love to fight. Most of us rely on the growth pattern of "primary school education + hard work", but the shock wave of the Big Bang is approaching our home. Will it win?

In such an era, growing enterprises are at the juncture of life and death choices. In the process of enterprise upgrading and transformation, the resource radius of small and medium-sized enterprises is too small. Besides talent, capital, technology and market, they need to cross the mountain of brand building. To make brand resources is not enough, not to be a brand is to wait for death. How should enterprises take the road that is neither strange nor crowded?

Rational choice of guide

Because of the strangeness of the brand road, the growth enterprises need to guide people, so McKinsey has come across the sea to China. Perhaps the Chinese enterprises' "physique" is not suitable. The McKinsey's western medicine has accelerated the condition of some enterprises. For these enterprises, McKinsey has become the pronoun of the enterprise's danger, and has become the brake pad of the fast growing enterprises.

In April 1998, he spent 12 million yuan on strategic consultancy with foreign consultant McKinsey. At this time, Le Baishi is at the peak of development: sales growth in 1997 has reached 85.3%, and pure water is leading the country. He Boquan, the head of the company, wanted to develop carbonated drinks, and even remembered his name. McKinsey sent 4 experts to Le Baishi, which took 4 months to produce a nearly 300 page consultation report. Its core idea is "to create a leader in the non carbonated beverage market". McKinsey is based on "in-depth investigation and research" and "massive data analysis" to advise him not to enter the field of carbonated drinks. Thus, a great brand imagines that today's Cola is aborted. Meanwhile, Vahaha, an old rival, launched the "very coke" in the same year and achieved great success. McKinsey made 1998 a turning point in the competition between the two giants.

The encounter did not stop Chinese entrepreneurs from pursuing McKinsey's enthusiasm. In 2000, Konka chose to cooperate with McKinsey and got an analysis report of three bricks. Today, GREE, Haier, Lenovo, Chunlan and the United States, which are all in keeping with Konka, have developed into giant companies. Konka has not yet fully recovered from the side effects of "western medicine" given by McKinsey. When the bright dairy industry asked McKinsey, Mengniu was still struggling to start a business in the prairie. Now Mengniu has become "the fastest cattle in the world" while the light is growing dim.

After years of observation and reflection, I think this is not caused by the inadaptability of Chinese enterprises' physique, but the result of "acclimatization" of multinational consulting companies. Compared with the developed countries such as the United States, China's market environment is not mature enough, and the degree of market development in different regions is quite different. Compared with consumers in developed countries, Chinese consumers are not rational and mature. Growth enterprises should not blindly believe in "foreign consultants". They should rationally choose their own brand leaders according to the stage of enterprise development and the market and competition situation they are faced with.

Be alert to the "spiral of silence"

Is quantitative analysis more reliable than qualitative analysis? What are the perceptual elements of experience, intuition, and digital statements?

In the 80s of last century, Coca-Cola used millions of dollars to deal with Pepsi Cola and tested 200 thousand new people in 13 cities in the United States. 60% of consumers think that the New Cola is better than the old cola, so Coca Cola Co can confidently promote the New Cola. But the launch of new coke immediately aroused the anger of many Americans. Many people think that Coca-Cola represents the spirit and culture of the United States, is the real cola, the formula is to betray the nation and the nation, and that will not buy Coca-Cola later. Under the pressure of the outside world, Coca Cola Co had to change the reservation plan immediately and reintroduce the classic taste of Coca-Cola.

Why do most people's opinions in market research do not represent "public opinion"? This is because there is a phenomenon called "spiral of silence" in research: in order to prevent being punished for being very few, everyone must first observe the four weeks before making his position clear. When he found himself in a majority position, he thought he gained the advantage of position and was inclined to show his opinion boldly. Otherwise, he will turn to silence or echo. Moreover, when the mass media openly reminds us of certain opinions, communication studies mean that once the valve of public opinion is opened, it is easy to regard people as the majority of the dominant position. In the spiral expansion of "inferior opinion silence" and "superiority opinion being shouted", the overwhelming majority opinion (so-called public opinion) was created.

Does this mean that entrepreneurs can not do market research and data analysis in decision-making, but only believe in experience, intuition and other perceptual judgments? The answer is No.

Whole brain thinking and five force model

In the decision maker's brain, the ability of data analysis and rational thinking comes from the left brain, and the ability of experience intuition and perceptual judgment comes from the right brain. In the process of strategic choice of enterprises, decision makers should come out from the two element thinking dilemma of rationality and sensibility, and find out "quick and good" solutions through the whole brain thinking. {page_break}

How to carry out the whole brain thinking? The thinking model that controls the whole brain operation is the five rule of value innovation based on customer and market, that is, the five force model I call: 1., to satisfy customer needs (data analysis). Quantitative research based on Market Research and database analysis is not the basis for decision making, but the first step on the basis. It is rational cognition before decision making. 2. create customer value (perceptual judgment). Intuitive judgment is the most important and differentiated characteristic of an entrepreneur. This power is crucial to the brand's sense of value in the eyes of customers, because entrepreneurs and consumers are familiar with the sense of product value. 3. break the boundaries of customers. The importance of the opinion of a few people has made modern marketing enter the fast lane of innovation. The whims of a few people have always been the source of innovation, and can help enterprises find the potential consumer demand of customers. 4. innovate product value (let products communicate with customers). After the first three rounds of rational and emotional thinking and the future trend of consumers' consumption, the outline of new products has become clearer and clearer. The new product plan has been formed in the minds of policymakers. As long as it is described to engineers, after a stability and safety experiment, a perfect new product plan is completed. 5. expand sales radius (achieve brand profit). Because of the new products, the acceptance of new products is not necessarily high. The high cost of traditional channels will also hinder the birth of new products. Therefore, we should synchronously think about the new channel plan that is compatible with new products.

The whole brain thinking and five force model is the way of thinking and operation that I have spent more than ten years in completing consulting cases for many enterprises. It will not only reduce the failure decision of enterprises, but also accurately calculate the manpower, material and financial resources that enterprises need to invest in brand building, so that enterprises can occupy the market before the bullets are destroyed. In this sense, the five force model is fine fighting tactics.

Guangxi sleeping treasure group is the representative of the recent five force model. Guangxi sleep Bao is one of the largest manufacturers of elastic mesh mattress in China. In 2010, the brand of "sleeping brand" was named "China well known trademark". However, the market reaction has been very good in the past 20 years, because the cost performance of its products is relatively high, and the contribution rate of the sleep brand to the enterprise is not large. Sleeping treasure wants to maintain the market position of the existing brand middle price, and wants to break into the high-end blue ocean market. As a result, Tan Shiping, chairman of sleep Po, launched the "HISLEEP Hass wave" high-end sleeps Bao brand in 2011 using the five force model.

Brand upgrading needs support from product value innovation. Besides the product's attribute value and functional value, sleep Po also innovating product value from the customer's interest value: the sleep Po Hass wave product is related to many subjects such as ergonomics, meridian physiology, physiology and health science, so as to find a theoretical basis for the functional needs and interests of customers. The success of sleep treasure confirms our view that products that are able to communicate with customers are products that customers need, and brands that can resonate with consumers' inner values are truly competitive brands.

The rise of brand is the only way for an economic power. Facing the confusion of choice, it is necessary for small and medium-sized enterprises to find a third way suitable for the brand building of China's small and medium sized enterprises in the two opposites between reason and sensibility. After all, the coin has its sides besides the front and the back.