Making the Uniqueness of your Brand Known

Imagine this; you have finally been called for an interview you have been looking forward to for months. Now is the moment of truth and you do not want to miss any detail;  you bring out the new skirt suit and shoes you have been saving for this special day; all necessary documents set and confidence hoisted;  you are indeed poised and set for action. You get to the organisation’s premises; you are ushered to the waiting room and then boom! It happens; two other candidates, all but their faces, are rocking the same outfit as you are. This was totally unexpected and you do not have any backup plan. What are you going to do? For some people, this will be like the derailing moment of their life or more like the Titanic sinking slowly with just twenty lifeboats onboard. Now the question is; how do you convince your prospective employers that despite wearing the same outfit as the others, you have something unique your fellow applicants do not possess? This is where advertising comes in. You need to create awareness about yourself; enough for your potential employers to take action, in other words, choose you!

Advertising dates back to ancient Egypt, Rome, Pompeii, Greece and China where people used papyrus, rock and wood to communicate or send commercial messages to their target audience. The purpose was to persuade readers, to take action on products, services and ideas they had to offer. As towns and cities developed in the middle ages, it became necessary to replace words like “tailor”, “miller”, “blacksmith” and “cobbler” with an image of their trade since people generally could not read at that time. Items like fruits and vegetables which were sold in the city square from the backs of carts and wagons, were made known as their proprietors used town criers to announce their location for the convenience of the customers.

With time, education became necessary and people learnt to read and write. During this period, print media was also emerging and advertising expanded to include handbills. Advertisements started to appear in weekly newspapers in England. These early print advertisements were used mainly to promote books and newspapers, which were becoming increasingly affordable.

“Advertising as a tool for marketing has been an ancient business practice in Ghana.  It evolved with the growth and development of trade and commerce, where it was used to sell the merchandise that were imported into the country.

In those olden days, advertising was visible in various forms, namely posters, signboards, showcards and other display materials.  Some of these, particularly the metal plates, bearing brand names such as sunflower, Sphinx, Texaco, Hercules and Raleigh bicycles, have stood the test of time.  They are still hanging on the old warehouses and store buildings in Accra, Cape Coast, Winneba, Sekondi, Nsawam, Keta, Axim and Half Assini.  These were the busy trading centres in the colonial days of the Gold Coast which was renamed “Ghana” on the attainment of Independence in 1957” – Advertising Association of Ghana.

Back to 21^st century Ghana and it is evident that brand creators, service providers and product makers have come to appreciate the different platforms for advertising. They are utilizing all the media platforms available to make their presence felt. From traditional media to social media; the audience is being bombarded with different forms of advertisement. The competition has become keener, especially in the telecommunications industry, where service providers are trying to outdo each other in terms of visibility. The statistics on media spend by certain companies have shown an overwhelming increase from 2011 to 2013. The analysis reveals that over GH¢1 billion was spent on advertisement by the various business sectors in a bid to sell their product and services to their target audience.

Why spend so much on advertising, especially the older brands that are already well known? Take Coca Cola for example;

Awareness: Coca Cola is one of the greatest brands of all time. However, Coca Cola needs to advertise to create awareness for its products.  Frequent advertising builds awareness, awareness builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust. It must be noted that today’s advertising influences tomorrow’s buyers. Advertising, in general, is necessary to maintain overall awareness and when done right, over time, consumers develop a positive association with the brand.  It turns wants into needs.

Reach: You do not want your brand to slip off the minds of your customers, do you? Advertising can reach a geographically dispersed target audience at a low cost per exposure. Also, through regular advertisements and the running of special promotions, you can lessen the impact of slow periods.

Thought-Leadership:  A brand must become a thought leader within its industry. Advertising is intended to persuade your audience to take action on a product, service or idea. Combined with PR, speaking engagements, etc, advertising helps create an integrated marketing plan aimed at making a brand the recognised expert in its industry. In the case of Coca Cola, it forces competitors like Pepsi to constantly seek a different approach. Advertising gives Coke the upper hand in continuously promoting itself the way it wants in a consistent fashion and makes them the preferred brand.

Competitive Edge and Market Share: Consumers might not always need your product or services, especially when they are exposed to something similar; however, let them know why you are still relevant!  Leverage on the weaknesses of your competitor to build your strengths and use that as a unique selling point for your product or services through rigorous advertising. Advertising can help a brand beat its competition. For instance, Pepsi Cola emerged 12 years after Coca Cola with the same carbonated soft drink, but the product had some difference. Even though they have the same colour, Pepsi is much sweeter than coke. Also, Pepsi has a bit of a chemical aftertaste because it has more sweeteners in it. In addition, Coke has more of a sharp cola flavor while Pepsi is a bit more fluid and fruity. So even at 42% market share of Carbonated Soft Drinks and Pepsi at 28.1%, Coca Cola still advertises rigorously to avoid its main competitor from taking over its place on the market.

 Return on Investment: Having spent so much money on advertisement, the next thing to expect is returns on investment, right? That means sales; the more people see the product, the more it grows their interest; they buy the product and you get your money back, finished! Of course, a well-executed, targeted campaign can trigger quick sales. However, one thing advertisers must note is that advertising a product does not mean an automatic sale of that product.  Advertisement has a carry-over effect and especially for a new product, it might take some time to get the level of awareness you need. I usually get amused when I hear an advertiser say, “I advertised the first time and I didn’t get any positive response so I won’t advertise again.” Maybe, it is time to reconsider.

So when is it advisable to advertise?

• Advertising is important when a brand is undergoing a major change such as rebranding or establishing its independence from a parent company
• During a recession - Research shows that the best results among competing companies through tough economic times were produced by the organisations that advertised the most
• When you have a new product
• During major events that are likely to receive high attendance, viewership or patronage. Example the World Cup tournament, beauty pageants, Olympics

Now, as a potential job seeker and knowing all these facts about advertising, you are better equipped to beat the competition, whether they are in the same outfit or not. All the best!