Marketers losing brand control where it counts: why marketers are entering the channel debate
More and more marketers are cottoning on: distribution channels are not just sales turf, according to Norrelle Goldring, Principal of Moxie Market Strategy.
“Traditionally channel strategy has been seen as a function of sales because it is distribution based. However, as a marketer, do you want to relinquish control of your brand where it counts – at the coalface?” Goldring says.
“Brands, not just products, are in channels. More and more marketers are realising they need to be in control of how their brand is represented at every consumer touch point.”
Goldring, who has worked with global and national brands including Coca Cola, Nestle, Bundaberg Rum, Vodafone, Volvo and Keno, says the big brands are stepping up channel-specific brand execution.
“It’s just not a one size fits all. Would you execute your brand the same way in a supermarket as you would in a pharmacy despite the fact that people are shopping them very differently? Smart companies are tailoring according to shopper behaviour.
“Look around you; you’ll start to see coffee and cold beverage companies are offering cafes and bistros more subtle in-store branding than what is in supermarkets or convenience stores - to fit in with the ambience of their venue and the fact that their patrons don’t want to be beaten over the head with a brand while they are dining.
“It’s about putting yourself in the shoes of your shoppers, and also your trading partners or retailers, and really thinking about how to be most relevant to their needs.”
According to Goldring, some of the factors for consideration include:
• Consumers versus shoppers (not necessarily the same) – who is interacting with your brand in which channel? How are they interacting with your brand?
• How are the channels you are in segmented? Channels have segments, and often different target markets shop them differently. Brand execution needs to be tailored accordingly to stay relevant.
• How the consumer purchase drivers differ by channel (how shoppers shop cafes is vastly different from how they shop department stores, for instance)
• The role of marketing versus sales people in the channel debate, and the need to work collaboratively to ensure that ‘on brand’ execution is meaningful and effective at every consumer touch point.
• The case for ‘channel brand identity’ where appropriate to increase relevance to shoppers in specific channels.
“Ultimately, channel branding strategy will play an increasing role in marketing in the future, as marketers take a more proactive approach to how their brand is perceived (or not) at the coalface, where the shopper is,” Goldring says.
