It would be a Las Vegas sure-shot bet that the vast majority of you reading this have likely never heard of ‘Hydrox’. In fact, if you had, this topic would be completely irrelevant. Since 1908 Hydrox has been making the household mainstay that is chocolate cookies sandwiching a center of vanilla cream. The majority of us however, would know this delectable treat by the name ‘Oreo’. So it begs the question, if Hydrox has been making these for over a hundred years, why do all of us identify this cookie by the name Oreo? It almost seems too easy to say ‘branding’, considering the title of this blog, but it can’t be denied.

Any company could boast a product that is far superior to all others on the market, but if the branding is not of the same superiority, its competitive advantage will be severely diminished. Effective branding can literally sell products of little to no value simply by the proliferation of name and angle of approach.

Not a believer? You may have heard of these products:

• The Snuggie
• The Pet Rock
• The Selfie Stick

The revenue achieved from the above products would quite literally boggle your mind. However, the proof is in the pudding as they say. These 3 products had interesting and engaging angles of branding that suited the market at which they were aimed. Successful branding is entirely dependent on understanding the buying mentality, customer personas, and one niche aspect that piques customer interest.

In the case of Hydrox vs Oreo – How has Oreo Been So Dominant?

A myriad of identity-bolstering taglines:

• For the Kid in All of Us
• Oh Oh Oreo
• The One & Only
• Who’s the Kid with the Oreo Cookie
• Oreo – the Original Twister
• Milk’s Favourite Cookie

A properly positioned brand can sell virtually anything. Here are the keys to remember when identifying and proliferating a brand:

• A tagline that delivers without ambiguity
• A competitive advantage from which to base the brand platform
• A clearly identified segment to target
• Targeting one specific lapse common to the competition

Establishment of a brand requires a clearly defined approach to one’s target audience. Identify an issue, provide a solution, cater the solution to the target consumer, create accessibility, and remove all barriers of purchase. Most important though? You must know your brand before it can be offered to the world!

See ya next time,