5 Signs of a Sticky Brand

Apr 11, 2013 | Branding Strategies

A lot of compelling brand stories are written in hindsight. But as the singer Eddie Cantor famously said, “It takes 20 years to become an overnight success.”

It’s the work that gets done day-after-day that leads to the growth of remarkable businesses and sticky brands.

There are 5 common signs that a business will grow into a sticky brand:

1. Work differently

A sticky brand doesn’t follow the trends and copy what everyone else is doing. It commits to cutting its own path, and delivering value in distinctive ways.

Delivering value is more than taglines, marketing copy and slick salesmen. Delivering value starts from the inside out.

Sticky brands work differently. Their operations, management systems and approach to business are all tuned towards their purpose and customers.

2. Customers absolutely adore you

Sticky brands have repeat customers, but it’s more than that.

Customers adore them, and non-customers can’t understand why anybody would buy from them. People love them, or they don’t get them. Sticky brands have very little grey area.

Sticky brands are polarizing. It doesn’t matter what the competition is doing, companies with sticky brands make their products and services ideal for their clients, and don’t try to please everyone else.

3. Competitors avoid you

It’s hard to attack a sticky brand. How do you engage and sell to a prospect who is absolutely committed to the competitors’ brand? The short answer is you don’t.

Companies with a sticky brand benefit from less direct competition. It’s easier for the competitors to attack one another, but not the sticky brand. A strong brand is a powerful deterrent.

4. More resources to invest

One of the key advantages for a company with a sticky brand is higher profits compared to their competitors. Sticky brands don’t feel the same price pressures, and can run their businesses more effectively.

More profit means more resources. This is a key advantage for the first sign, “Work differently.” The additional resources enable sticky brands to reinvest in their operations and to stay ahead of their competitors.

5. Customers look to you for innovation

Companies with sticky brands are natural innovators.

Their higher profit levels, commitment to a targeted client base, and strong operations enable them to deliver more innovations. This comes out in new products and services, new communication channels, and new service models.

More importantly, customers look to sticky brands for innovations. These brands are based on relationships of trust. Customers accept their new ideas, because there’s less perceived risk in buying innovations from a company they believe in.

How does your company stack up?

Is your company on the path to growing a sticky brand? Take a look at the 5 signs for your business, and then compare them with your competitors.

What steps do you need to take to stand out, attract customers and grow a sticky brand?

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Jeremy Miller

Top 30 Brand Guru

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