Strategy is the brain of the brand. This is true for products,

for companies and for people.

One way to discover the best private label strategy is

look at brand strategies from the business world. start by

devouring good books about individual companies and products.

Successful brands always attract analysis. Or read about how

brands develop winning strategies. Once you start studying

the world of commercial branding, you will see how the

Brand strategies and tactics also have lessons for you.

Here are four branding strategies from the business world.

that people have used to build a strong own brand. And there

There’s no reason one can’t work for you too.

Own brand strategy 1: be the first

Everyone knows that being first is an advantage. First

engine usually ends up being the leader in the category and is

often the one we have in mind. And because he is the leader,

everyone believes that it is the best in its category.

Being the first is a great advantage. Michael Dell was the

first direct seller of personal computers and dominates the

business. Jeff Bezos created the first online book and

retail market, and is now number one. and the list

go and go.

You’re probably thinking, “These are

commercial giants, and this kind of achievement would be

Impossible for a mortal mother like me. How can I be the number?

one on something?”

You don’t have to be a brilliant inventor or genius.

to create a first New categories are popping up every

time, as you will see once you start looking. you just need

the right mindset. You can often split the category to

create a new subcategory and be the first in it. Think about it

like carving a new niche out of a category.

The strategy of “being the first” is very successful for entrepreneurs,

but executives can also use it. company employees or

Entrepreneurs often create a new market niche, either

a new type of product, service or customer niche. Thesis

former can end up being enormously profitable for the

company and for the employee’s own brand. And here they are

many different ways to split a category and create a

new area to be the first to enter. If nothing comes to mind, read

The Origin of Brands, by Al Ries and Laura Ries. Yew

you still go blank, rethink the question

before going to sleep, and you will have answers in the

Tomorrow.

Own brand strategy 2. Be the leader

There are many ways to define yourself as a leader. Can

be the leader of your department, your company or your

favorite charity. Or you can be the sales leader in your

company, or sales leader of a market segment.

Many professionals have a claim to leadership and feel they are

doing leadership things, however, they are not perceived as a

Leader. To be perceived as a leader, you must lead with

ideas and lead by example.

As a leader, you have to have to

be able to articulate ideas that are worthy of being

remembered and you have to be able to inspire others.

Ideally, you want to “own” a word or an idea in the mind of

your employees (or whoever is the target audience) so that

will know what your battle cry is. Most importantly, you have

to underline your ideas with actions, preferably in bold

Actions that show what you stand for.

Bianca, had recently been promoted to run a department in

her company Bianca’s first task was to assemble her team under

his leadership. (Bianca had been promoted above them).

articulate a department mission, Bianca created a mantra,

“Full Commitment”. I wanted to introduce a new sense of

“commitment” – a passion for excellence, a focus on customers

and innovation

Bianca asked each of her managers for a five-page memorandum

outline key initiatives, including what the company should

do to get employees more involved with customers and in their

business And she implemented the best suggestions on

“commitment.” His group’s focus on “total engagement” landed

more business and created a dynamic spirit in the company.

And positioned Biana as a leader.

Own brand strategy 3. Be the opposition

As much as leaders are part of the mythology of our

country, so are the underdogs. We have a weakness for

rebel, the loner who defies convention and takes the opposite

path of establishment (the leader).

Volkswagen put the Anti-Leader Position strategy on the map

when he introduced the VW Beetle to the United States in the

late 1960s. The brand positioned itself as the antidote to the

Great car habit with now classic advertising headlines like

“Think Small” and “Lemon”.

That is why being the opposite of the leader can be a good

own brand strategy. Michael Moore is a classic example. His

movies and books change “the establishment,” whether

big industry (Roger and Me), the NRA and the gun lobby

(Bowling for Columbine) or President Bush and the war in

Iraq (Fahrenheit 9/11).

The Anti-position can be very risky, particularly on you.

work in a corporation (although many of them have some

maverick employees riding the Anti-Position horse). Is

a private label strategy adopted mainly by people who are very

confidence in their position or they have nothing to lose.

However, Anti-Stance can be a great stance

strategy for entrepreneurs. You build your point

difference for your company as an antidote against the leader.

You and your company symbolize everything that the leader is not.

You position the strengths of leaders as weaknesses.

So if you like to go against the grain, the Anti-position

maybe for you The strategy is simplicity itself.

Whoever is the leader in your industry or line of work

doing, think about doing the opposite within reason. You could

find a market that is looking for someone like you.

Own brand strategy 4: own an attribute

The most common positioning strategy for brands is to have a

attribute. The Mercedes-Benz brand strategy is based on

prestige, BMW’s is driving performance, Subaru’s is

robustness, and Volvo’s is safety.

For this strategy to work best, you must select the brand

attribute that is believable for you to possess and gives you

Maximum opportunity in its category.

For example, when Pampers first developed the disposable

diaper in the early 1960s, sales were low. marketing

was positioned around convenience, a brand attribute that

it had a clear benefit for busy moms. Moms didn’t have to

disinfect and clean diapers or use a

expensive diaper service. Comfort was especially

beneficial for moms traveling with their babies. they do not

they have to carry stinky cloth diapers with them until

they got home. But that attribute positioning didn’t

resonates with mothers. They felt guilty. Cloth diapers were

better for babies, while paper diapers were better for moms. Then

moms voted with their hearts and sales were poor.

Pampers then changed its brand positioning to “best

absorbency,” which was a benefit to babies. Mothers could

buy the diapers and feel like they were doing the best

for your babies, it’s not what’s best for them. Sales took off and

cloth diapers and diaper services went the way of the stroller

whip.

Each category is associated with attributes that are

important to customers and prospects. And you can cut your

industry, profession or job category to find the best match

for the attribute you want to possess and the category in which

Do you want to do it. This is true regardless of your industry,

be it financial services, manufacturing, marketing,

law, medicine, academia, or whatever.

Your job as your own brand is to claim your right to

attribute that is best for you and is not owned by a

competitor in the arena where it will have the greatest impact.

Benjamin, had just been promoted to president of his

business. The good news: it was a great job. The bad news: it’s

it was a difficult job. Sales revenue was down and your

the industry was in a serious recession. Benjamin’s first task was

to rally the troops and unify the company, particularly the

division chiefs, most of whom were strong personalities with

strong control over their fiefdoms.

We built Benjamin’s personal brand strategy around the

tracking attribute. It was an important attribute.

one that many colleagues and employees associated with him

for his trajectory. Other executives might have

great creative skills or people skills, as Benjamin did, but

none had his sense of responsibility and follow through.

Follow-up was an important attribute for the company in

This crossing. In Benjamin’s opinion, the company

problem was not the lack of innovative ideas but the inability

to follow internally (getting all the various

departments to work together) and with customers (focusing

on being a true business partner, not just closing).

Benjamin wanted to lead by example in terms of

follow-up with colleagues and clients, and also took

positive action to embed the attribute in the company

culture. One of the first things she did was pass on her

management philosophy to all employees. Your war cry

was “Tracked, everywhere, all the time.”