Articles by Brad VanAuken

brad vanauken has written 413 articles for AdTalk

Brad VanAuken

Twenty Research-Based Findings Regarding Brands

by Brad VanAuken

I have drawn these findings from a variety of research studies. Most are outlined in my Brand Aid book.The five drivers of customer brand insistence are awareness, relevant differentiation, value, accessibility and emotional connection.Brand familiarity and knowledge are the most important components of brand equity, leading to liking, acquisition, retention and profitability. A brand’s relevant differentiation is […]

The Relationship Between CMO and CIO

by Brad VanAuken

Because the brand is ultimately about the consumer experience, I have spoken about the cooperation that needs to happen between CMO and HR VP, but equally importantly in today’s digitized world, there needs to be a close working relationship between the CMO and the CIO.Consider the impact of the online banking software and its functionality […]

What Brand Equity Studies Can Reveal

by Brad VanAuken

I have conducted brand equity studies for hundreds of brands over the past twenty years. In doing so, I have identified some patterns that tend to occur throughout the studies, patterns that it would be helpful for brand managers to understand. Here are some of the insights from those studies:Brands often have lower unaided awareness […]

Customer Purchase Patterns

by Brad VanAuken

Do you fully understand your customers’ purchase patterns? Do you know how often they buy? Do you know what puts them in a ready state to buy? Do their purchases follow a regular pattern? Are they seasonal? Do you know what events or stimuli can trigger a purchase? Are their purchases  sensitive to pricing or […]

Market Segmentation

by Brad VanAuken

Market segmentation is often necessary to effectively meet the needs of different customer groups. Different segments will value different aspects of your products, services, and brands differently. You should have a good understanding of the following dimensions of each market segment:Its overall size and its growth rateIts price sensitivityThe benefits that are most and least […]

Most Desirable Brand Personality Traits

by Brad VanAuken

When considering brands, customers value some personality traits more than others. Below is a rank ordered list of desired personality traits. I have derived this list from numerous sources over the past thirty years.Tier 1TrustworthyWarm/FriendlyResponsiveIntelligent/SmartReliable/DependableTier 2Honest/Possesses integrityAuthentic/RealKnowledgeableCustomer-service orientedEasy to work withCreative/InnovativeResourcefulAgile/FlexibleCompassionate/KindTakes responsibilityHard workingHas a sense of humor/FunnyTier 3ProfessionalWell-organizedAttention to detailStrategic/Big picture thinkingGood listenerLearns from mistakesYou […]

Marketing Fundamentals

by Brad VanAuken

In the age of social media marketing, mobile marketing, search engine optimization, geofencing and big data analytics it is easy to lose sight of some of the fundamental and timeless aspects of marketing. In this post, I intend to re-anchor us in those marketing basics. Here we go.People buy stuff. This includes products, services and […]

18 Interesting Marketing Blog Posts

by Brad VanAuken

Before there were blogs, I published a weekly brand newsletter via email. When blogs came into existence, I published the #2 branding blog with a business partner to which I added hundreds of blog posts. Since then, I have published 550 new blog posts through this blog, www.BrandingStrategySource.com. Here is an eclectic mix of some […]

The Clash of Cost Savings and Brand Delivery

by Brad VanAuken

This was a battle that I fought when I was responsible for the Hallmark brand. Do we put different brand names on the same products to save money? Do we license our brand identity to a reading glasses company to make some quick cash? The answer to both questions was “No, we don’t.” At one point […]

Airports and Place Branding

by Brad VanAuken

Airports are the primary transportation hubs of the twenty-first century, at least in the US, and in many other places as well. Most travel between countries and distant cities occurs by air today. Airports are the first things that travelers see when they arrive in a new place. And they are the first things that […]

Airports and Place Branding

by Brad VanAuken

Airports are the primary transportation hubs of the twenty-first century, at least in the US, and in many other places as well. Most travel between countries and distant cities occurs by air today. Airports are the first things that travelers see when they arrive in a new place. And they are the first things that […]

Brand Consistency, But at What Cost?

by Brad VanAuken

It is important for a brand to be consistent so that people know what to expect and so that they are not disappointed. Having said that, what if the only way to be consistent across thousands of locations in countries throughout the world is to offer a consistent mediocre product?I will take Starbucks as an […]

A Brand is Not Just One Thing

by Brad VanAuken

If a brand is owned in the minds of its target audiences, and it is, then it may have as many different meanings and positionings as there are people who perceive it. Marketers talk as if there is only one brand positioning for each brand, and perhaps there is only one intended brand positioning, but […]

Marketing Needs Survey

by Brad VanAuken

We are conducting a study of organization marketing needs. If you are a marketer working for an organization, please take five minutes to complete this survey. We will report the results here when our data collection and analysis is complete.Here is the link to the survey: MARKETING NEEDS SURVEYPS – At the end of the […]

39 Marketing Tactics that Work – Part 3

by Brad VanAuken

ADVERTISING is usually the most important element in any brand marketing plan, but many companies are finding that other approaches are also effective. Some have pursued these approaches out of necessity, being unable to support national advertising campaigns, while others are just more innovative than most in developing their marketing repertoires.Following are some examples of nontraditional marketing techniques:Word-of-Mouth, Folklore, Testimonials, […]

39 Marketing Tactics that Work – Part 2

by Brad VanAuken

ADVERTISING is usually the most important element in any brand marketing plan, but many companies are finding that other approaches are also effective. Some have pursued these approaches out of necessity, being unable to support national advertising campaigns, while others are just more innovative than most in developing their marketing repertoires.Following are some examples of nontraditional […]

39 Marketing Tactics That Work – Part 1

by Brad VanAuken

ADVERTISING is usually the most important element in any brand marketing plan, but many companies are finding that other approaches are also effective. Some have pursued these approaches out of necessity, being unable to support national advertising campaigns, while others are just more innovative than most in developing their marketing repertoires.Following are some examples of nontraditional […]

Using 1-800 Numbers in Marketing Campaigns

by Brad VanAuken

Have you heard of the J. G. Wentworth brand? You might have if you need cash now (or even if you don’t). The brand’s television commercials featuring its operatic jingle are difficult to forget, especially the jingle’s refrain of “Call J. G. Wentworth 877-CASH-NOW.” Click here to view the latest J. G. Wentworth television ad. […]

Targeting Children to Create Early Brand Loyalty

by Brad VanAuken

Studies have shown that children are expressing brand awareness as early as age two and that the average three year old in the US can recognize 100 different brands. Young children cannot distinguish between fact and fantasy so many consumer packaged goods companies target children when they are most susceptible to marketing messages. In fact, many […]

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