Here in Jamaica we are all very proud of our home-grown giants GraceKennedy, WISYNCO, Jamaica Broilers Group, JPS, National Commercial Bank, JN Bank, and others — but how many of them do you think would qualify for the Forbes 1,000 list? Our reality is that, although we are punching way above our weight, Jamaica is still a nation of small businesses with limited resources and budgets.

BRAND AND BRAND POSITIONING

BRAND AND BRAND POSITIONING

Building brands is a challenge for small businesses with limited resources and budgets. Nevertheless, numerous success stories exist of individuals and companies, in addition to the above mentioned, who have built their brands up essentially from scratch to become power house brands right here in Jamaica.

SEVEN BRANDING GUIDELINES

SEVEN BRANDING GUIDELINES

When resources are limited, focus and consistency in marketing programmes become critically important. Creativity is also paramount — finding new ways to market new ideas about products to consumers. Here are seven specific branding guidelines for small businesses:

1. Find a compelling product or service performance advantage.

As for any brand, demonstrable, meaningful differences in product or service performance can be the key to success. In this age of product parity this may be extremely difficult, but if your target market sees no major difference in your product, then you are just another ‘me-too’ that is forced to compete on price.

2. Focus on building one or two strong brands based on one or two key associations.

Small businesses often must rely on only one or two brands and key associations as points of difference for them. These associations must be consistently reinforced across the marketing programme and over time. So what happens when you carry a variety of brands in a small business? With limited marketing resources you could end up all over the place — just barely keeping your head above water, as the saying goes.

3. Encourage product or service trial in any way possible.

A successful small business has to distinguish itself in ways consumers can learn about and experience. One way is to encourage trial through sampling, demonstrations, or any means to engage consumers with the brand. Over most weekends, supermarkets in Kingston are filled with promoters who are always enticing you to taste something, and then offering a discounted price on your initial purchase. Does it work? Not every time; but very often it does!

4. Develop cohesive digital strategy to make the brand “bigger and better”.

One advantage of the Internet is that it allows small firms to have a larger profile than they might otherwise. Digital communications are the future, but never rely exclusively on a digital platform. It is great for creating awareness, but far less effective at moving customers into action. It must therefore be integrated with personal communications.

5. Create buzz and a loyal brand community.

Small businesses often must rely on word of mouth to establish their positioning, but they can find public relations, social networking, and low-cost promotions and sponsorship to be inexpensive alternatives. Creating a vibrant brand community among current and prospective customers can also be a cost-effective way to reinforce loyalty and help spread the word to new prospects. On a personal note, over a decade after graduating I still refer everyone who asks to the MBA programme at the Mona School of Business and Management.

6. Employ a well-integrated set of brand elements — brand names, logos, packaging — that enhances both brand awareness and brand image. Brand elements should be memorable and meaningful, with as much creative potential as possible. Innovative packaging can substitute for ad campaigns by capturing attention at the point of purchase. Beware of family names. They often characterise small businesses and may provide some distinctiveness, but can suffer in terms of pronounceability, meaningfulness, memorability, or other branding considerations. One notable exception is Smuckers who famously claim, ‘With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good.”

7. Leverage as many secondary associations as possible. Secondary associations — any people, places, or things with potentially relevant associations — are often a cost-effective shortcut to build brand equity, especially those that help to signal quality or credibility. A great Jamaican example is Catherine’s Peak bottled water, which associates itself with Jamaica’s majestic Blue Mountains.

I promised you seven steps, but wait! There is one more — research! Though research can be expensive, small businesses must, yes, must find creative ways of conducting low-cost market research. The benefits of collaboration with a community college or other pre-university institutions may be surprising. And then there are always online options.

Herman D Alvaranga FCIM, MBA, is president of the Caribbean School of Sales Management (CSSM), the region’s first specialist sales, marketing and brand management college. E-mail hdalvaranga@cssm.edu.jm

Herman D Alvaranga FCIM, MBA, is president of the Caribbean School of Sales Management (CSSM), the region’s first specialist sales, marketing and brand management college. E-mail hdalvaranga@cssm.edu.jm