Design: How to sell less for more

There are many basics which need to be in place to ensure success, including design of the product or service, your distribution, culture and support. 

But the starting point,which you have to work on very hard, is your point of difference. Initially, it is an intellectual process. It is a process of self-discovery. The best person to do it is you. I think the most common reason for the failure of brands is having no point of difference.

Develop culture

A definition of a good brand is the unsolicited extras, such as the knowledgeable shop assistant, the courteous receptionist and the well handled enquiry. Singapore Airlines continues to delight with little surprises; its in-flight culture is as important as the entertainment technology or the seating. The crewing system of teaming for one year with the same personnel seems eminently more sensible than meeting a new workmate on each shift. Think about branding in terms of culture.

Investment in design

Design spans all dimensions of branding – the way the product or service looks and feels, the design of the organisation and its culture and how the unique story is told through architecture, moving image, product design, graphics and the written word. These are the elements that you are investing in, so you need time and patience and a very steady hand together with the confidence that you will reach a premium. Many New Zealand brands live in states of neglect and disrepair. The same companies are the ones that slug it out with their competitors in pricing battles. Price-value perception by customers is then the only focal point on which a company does its business.

Measure it

Even for the tiniest start-up clients we prescribe an accounting model from the outset which allows us to build the brand investment costs in order to measure the returns. Since brand reinvigoration is a constant process, it is so important to measure the ‘bang’ in terms of premiums and the ‘buck’ in terms of the return on investment. You need these measurements to give you faith and to give your management and board a sense of confidence.

Why invest in brands?

• To achieve a price premium
• To create a valuable asset
• To empower your consumers in terms of their love of you and your product
• To unite your own culture
• To create a wonderful exit strategy