Brand Position

Introduction

This report is a profile of the top one hundred brands of 2013. It is not just a brand position list of the first to the hundredth but it also discusses how the companies built their brands and as such, improved their positions within the market. Apple is the brand that is best ranked. Following this discussion, the report has highlighted 6 basic principles successful brands have been using: anticipate, experience, share, good, truth and living. In anticipation, the report cites successful leaders are never afraid of defining markets, they never simply follow trends by explore what is required then they deliver it.

Leaders who are experienced should always be ready to develop experiences that are meaningful which readily cross all platforms and touch on points such that they are interwoven daily in the daily lives of people. Sharing entails creation of experiences where a company find approaches it can share with users. The next element, good, the report asserts audiences react in a positive manner to companies that craft citizenship which drives core identity not mere add-on. On the same breadth, they also love organizations that live and say the truth. Lastly, brands are also advised to move nimbly through technological and cultural developments.

Section I: Big Picture Trends

Strategies of successful brands in top positions

Brands that are highly successful and regarded have always released and developed products that are innovative which capture the fascination and imagination of users. These products are of creative and brilliant thinking with unparalleled execution. Leading brands also have the reputation of invoking behavior change by periodically remaking services and products as well as reinventing categories that eclipse competition. Such companies hold creativity in high regard above everything else and also employ designers who devise unique products. The company that presently epitomizes innovation is Apple and was named the biggest 2013 brand. To attain this position, the company puts customers at the nexus of everything it undertakes. This means it continually responds to their emerging needs, finds new ways to improve its products while at the same time breaking new ground in product performance and design.

Another element applied by successful brands is known as market research. These companies define possibility in every kind of research and also understand data that can be quantified by degree of impact it has on the lives of people. As a matter of fact, these brands are on the lookout for new needs and ensuring they meet them before their competitors. This makes it possible to enjoy the advantages of the first mover. It is dedication to continuous research that makes it possible for companies such as Coca Cola, IBM, Google and Apple to take leading positions within their industries despite the fact they face immense competition from different companies.

Another strategy these brands use in attempting to make their own rules is staying ahead of competitors. It is not possible for a company to stand out from competitors if it simply follows market rules that are laid down. By doing so, they simply end up being similar to other companies. In the contemporary business atmosphere that is characterized by digital dynamism, mobile and social, these organizations have changed conventional ways of conducting business for purposes of maximizing the potential of new technology. Potential customers in the past lacked much access to product information. As such, they ended up buying products that reached them first. Information technology however, has ensured customers are choosy ad wiser. In order to win them over, brands that are successful come up with products unequaled in a couple of aspects.

Missteps of Failing Brands

Among the biggest mistakes failing brands make is engaging in business practices that are unethical. Nowadays, people have the power to follow everything a company does. As such, if they perceive it engages in practices that are illegal, contribute to degradation of the environment or take advantage of populations that are at risk, they turn against it. Essentially, this is what happened when BP attempted to hide and deny its pipes were spilling oil.

Another common misstep is not recognizing and meeting customer needs. For any individual to buy a product, they should value its usefulness and functionality. Coming up with new products without analyzing the market comprehensively is a wrong move. For example, Microsoft’s Windows 8 flopped since it failed to meet customer needs.

Section II: Comparing Google and Amazon

Positional Strategies

Google established its position as one of the most dominant search engines on the web a decade ago. From that time, it has ventured into other service and product areas. For instance, it has ventured into computer, mobile, car and phone business. The reputation of Google is that of adapting its operations relentlessly. This has made sure it introduces new services and products while phasing out those operations that are not profitable. Its devotion to innovation has proven to be the major driving force.

Apart from excellence in business, Google also has extensive corporate social responsibility program. It has played a crucial role in addressing social needs of majority around the globe. Currently, the company is working on implementing Project Loon which aims to deliver 3G internet to rural regions using balloons that are solar powered in the atmosphere.

Another aspect setting Google apart is the company’s HR practices. For some time, the company has been identified as the best places to work. The employees enjoy a couple of perks that cannot be found in any other company across the globe. Additionally, the company has programs encouraging employees to share and explore innovative ideas. It is these ideas that are used as the driving force for the development of new products.

The best known e-commerce website that boasts of having millions of users as well as overseeing transactions amounting to billions of dollars is Amazon. In the past, it has consolidated its position through acquisition of Goodreads, a social book recommendation to the site, expanded its online book retail business. This has also helped in fostering community bibliographies.

Just like Google, Amazon has ventured into other areas of business to augment its e-retailing operations. In recent past, the company has produced original programs, TV set top boxes as well as 3D smartphones. Additionally, it has launched an online advertising program.

Contrasting Communication and Marketing Strategies of Google and Amazon

Google has managed to attain a dominant presence online thanks to its unparalleled email service and search engine. In recent past, it has created a social network platform that rivals Twitter and Facebook. These services make it possible for it to be in control of a third of its Internet activities. Therefore, it has used its position for purposes of marketing its products online. The company has also customized searches in accordance to a user’s location. What is more, it also has Google Translate service which translates information from one language to another. This means it appeals to all users regardless of their background. In recent past, the company has also ventured into the field of mobile advertising. Its product, AdMob is among popular mobile advertising platforms (Pearce 14). Its Android mobile applications as well provide a profitable platform for marketing. These marketing and communication strategies have made it possible for the company to outperform Amazon by a large margin.

Unlike Google, Amazon has mostly tried to consolidate its online retail business. While it begun as an online bookstore, it has diversified to electronics, furniture, clothing, music and software. The company also mostly advertises on the web (Bali et al.32). In recent past, it introduced Kindle e-book reader and Kindle Fiber tablet computer to expand its territory. Since then, it has followed the lead of Google by developing its own Appstore targeting users of smartphones. The company however needs to increase its mobile presence. The percentage of people with smartphones has significantly risen in the last couple of years. Majority of the leading companies have also taken their marketing campaigns to mobile devise. Amazon Appstore currently targets customers (from UK, Germany and UK) who have used its services already (Mathew 1). To increase revenues, the company needs to market to new customers. Additionally, it should target clients from other countries.

Works Cited

Bali, Rajeev, Nilmini Wickramasinghe, & Brian Lehaney. Knowledge Management Primer. London: Routledge, 2010. Print.

Mathew, Jerin. “Amazon Expands its Own Digital Currency to Android Devices Taking Cues from Bitcoin”. International Business Times, 2o February 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/amazon-expands-its-own-digital-currency-android-devices-taking-cues-bitcoin-1437246>

Pearce, James. Professional Mobile Web Development with WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

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