What is Positioning?(Part 2): How To Get Into Consumer’s Mind By Being First? (Series 4)

Kimberly: Oh by being first, I have launched so many brands by being first.

Eric: Where did you launch these brands?

Kimberly: That’s stupid question! Of course in different marketplaces, shopping centers, outlets, cities and states.

Eric: Listen!

Kimberly: I bought many shelf spaces too! I gave kickbacks and trade discounts to retailers!

Eric: Stop it!

Kimberly: Ok Zip!

Eric: How many brands you launched are still successful?

Kimberly: Some are successful, some are not.

Eric: And you know why?

Kimberly: No! Do you?

Eric: Yes, because you launched the brands in marketplace?

Kimberly: Haha funny! So, where I supposed to launch the brand? At your home?

Eric: Shut up!

Kimberly: Okay

Eric: There are two different ways, launching a brand in the marketplace, and launching the brand in the consumer’s mind.

Eric: When you launched your brands in the marketplace by being first, that’s mean you’re being first to the marketplace, not to the consumer’s mind.

Kimberly: What’s the catch?

Eric: If you want to get into consumer’s mind, you have to launch the brand in the mind of consumer, by being first. And, not by being first to the marketplace, outlets, or shopping centers.

Kimberly: Huh, why do you say that?

Eric: Why? Let’s discuss the importance of being first in the mind. Remember! The first event, person, or thing in your life, to occupy in your mind, is hard to forget.

Take the day, when you learn to ride bike, in your childhood; can you forget your successful first ride of bike?

Kimberly: Oh! That scene is so vivid in my mind! I can never forget that time!

Eric: And, Can you remember the second time, when you ride your bike?

Kimberly: (thinking)

How could I? There are so many memories, I have related to bike. I’m not sure which one was my second time.

Eric: Don’t worry! Nobody remembers!

Ok, try this question, who was the first person to walk on the moon?

Kimberly: Huh, everyone knows him! His name was, Neil Armstrong!

Eric: Good, now who was the second person to walk on the moon?

Kimberly: (thinking)

Who knows?

Eric: Yes, the second one is nowhere! Who cares about the second one anyway?

Let me ask last question, to clarify the importance of being first in the mind.

Remember the day, when someone walked in to your life? What a sweet and beautiful moment it was?

Eric: Who was the first person you fell in love with?

Kimberly: Leave it. I don’t want to remember that moment!

Eric: I can understand. Same goes to the mind of consumer. That’s the right time to get into it. When consumer is not deeply in love with some other brand.

Here’s the lesson, in any category, when there is no brand in the mind of consumer. That’s the right time to get in to the mind, and make your brand a leader.

For example, that’s what Red Bull did. There was no brand in the energy drink. Red Bull created energy drink category by being first to the mind of consumer. Today, it’s a leading brand.

Kimberly: So, that’s the way to get in to the mind of consumer?

Eric: Yes, by creating a new category to get into the mind first. Yet, some marketers think the opposite. They want to get into consumer’s mind, by creating the brand, not category.

Kimberly: But consumer recognize our product through brand, not category

Eric: You see, that’s why we previously learned, marketing is NOT a commonsense. Let’s discuss why category comes first and brand second in the next meeting.

Summary:

1. To become a market leader, get into the mind of consumer by being first. Then, getting into marketplace is easier.

2. The first brand to the category is unforgettable & dominates in the long run.

3. Develop a category & then dominate that category with a new brand.