Puffery Will Derail Your Brand

Self-Promotional Content Turns Off an Audience

The content that we see and hear about a company and its products and services is often an unproven litany of self-testimonials and competitor comparisons.  Anyone can say "we're the leader in the field ..." or “we deliver the highest customer satisfaction”.  These image positioning statements are separate from actual customer experiences and will disable a branding strategy.

Conversely, character expression builds a strong brand identity that is earned through consistent small steps that produce authentic experiences and valid expectations.

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By John Bernardi

I Am Not My Target Market

How Well Do You Understand Your B2B Buyers?

Are Your Messages Aimed at You or your Target Market?

When my clients and I discuss ideas for marketing programs, campaigns and messaging, they often say “I don’t think I would go for that”, or “that doesn’t sound appealing to me”, or “if I were the buyer, this is what I’d want”.

Do you see a problem here?  Is it possible that buyers might want what doesn’t appeal to you or that they don’t love what you love?  Are your decisions based on your personal perceptions rather than the reality of your target audience?  If so, you won’t achieve your goals relative to the product/service that you've designed, the campaign you've launched, the channels you’ve selected, or the price points you've set.

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By John Bernardi

Every Company in Every Industry Has a Walmart Type Competitor

No Need to “Out-Walmart” Your Low-Price Competitors

Walmart type competitors cause a "down economy" for companies that rely on low hanging fruit for their revenue source.  They blame low-price foes for eroding the value that their higher priced products offer.  Not all low-price competitors are as prolific as Walmart, but this type of competitor inspires companies who practice solid marketing principles to thrive while others fall by the wayside.

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By John Bernardi