9 tactics to reinforce your brand when battling unfair competition
Like most business owners, I follow many varied groups on social media, and one post, in particular, caught my eye this week. To paraphrase the post, it went something like this:
“A competitor has used my business name and registered it on Companies House. I have already trademarked it but am a sole trader, is there anything I can do?”
The responses in the comments were discussing legal issues, contacting trademark lawyers etc., and mine initially was pointing this particular business owner towards a trusted firm we use in Sheffield, and quite rightly so. But, my thoughts drifted to projects we’d executed for clients in the UK and abroad where similar issues had occurred. For example, cheap imports of copycat products, reinforcement of products that have fallen out of patent, and the most common an evolved business with irrelevant and often poor or aged branding competing against new competitors who are directly targeting customers. So here are some ideas to consider that will help reinforce your brand to battle unfair competitors.
Firstly ask, why?
Why are your competitors doing whatever it is that they are doing to counter your business activity? First, take time to evaluate and strategise a suitable response. Then, research, plan and plot a path forward, their act is an opportunity for you to do better business.
Reinforce your heritage
Look at what you’ve built up over your years in business and exploit your heritage to address current issues. For example, if your product is proprietary, then authenticate this, ensure customers know it’s the original. Build your back story to strengthen core facts and the benefits of your business, products and service. Build brand believability using established history is always an excellent start to refute competitors’ claims.
Review your messaging
Time will take its toll on your message. If you’ve not changed what you say and how you say it for a very long time, your customers could well be ‘bored of your brand’ and take your business for granted. When a pro-active new competitor comes along it’s always time to shake things up a bit. Industries and businesses need to constantly evolve, and if a new competitor is wading in on your customers, they’ll be shiny, fresh, and exciting. There’s no reason why you can’t be as well, and with reinforcement from your heritage, you can reinvigorate your brand and authenticity by making some simple changes to the way you talk about your business.
Repetition of a consistent message and branding reinforces recognition of your business, enhances your reputation and reaps the rewards.
Batten down your brand’s identity
Like your messaging, if your brand needs tidying up, now’s the time to do it. First, look at your communication materials. Are they consistent? Is your logo the same everywhere. Repetition of a consistent message and branding reinforces recognition of your business, enhances your reputation and reaps the rewards.
Refresh to retaliate
Look at all your communication materials and channels. Audit your website, fix any issues, refresh content, check your URL ownership, and buy any available URLs that prevent competitors from using them. Revitalise your social media, explore various new ways of telling your story. Do your marketing materials need an update, new copy, fresh images and product photography? Next, consider rewriting product descriptors, even evaluating product portfolios; for example, if you have old but established products maybe tie these in with your heritage and create a ‘classic’ range. Now is the time to cull communication materials and freshen up your look.
Repeat your core message of authenticity at every customer touch-point…
Attack with authenticity
If you’re saying you are the authentic, original brand, then be authentic in the way you deliver your service. Tell a transparent story, and follow this through your customer journey; ensure there’s a smiling voice that answers the phone, a can-do attitude to problem-solving, a sincere thank you note with deliveries. Repeat your core message of authenticity at every customer touch-point and create a script for your team to follow when they engage with your customers.
Question your Qualities
Add more value to your business by making simple changes to the quality of your business, explore the qualities of your service, products, delivery and customer care. For example, recognise treasured customers by rewarding them with a bonus on their next order, and introduce a tiered value-reward system for your more extensive orders. I’m not talking about a discount, instead, consider adding value, for example, what takeaways do when customers order over a certain amount, they provide a complimentary bottle of Cola; it costs less than knocking money off the order and quenches customers’ thirst, often making the meal more enjoyable. Along with this, evaluate the quality of your product and service offering and, if necessary, cull some products that don’t fit with the way you now present your business and introduce new products that do.
Ally with your advocates
Advocacy marketing is, in all intents, word-of-mouth. Still, with the advent of the internet and social media, there are far more opportunities for customers to let others know how they feel about your business than simply telling friends in the street. Encourage support through advocacy by inviting happy customers to give you great reviews; they will do this if they are satisfied with your business, they just need to be asked. Do not offer a reward for good reviews; this is disingenuous and not authentic. If you get bad reviews, reply and address the problem politely and professionally. Ensure you cover all review channels, such as Facebook, Linked In, Google, trade-checking websites, and publications. Finally, talk to your existing customers, reinforce relationships and trust, let them know they are valued.
Take time to reflect and consider whether ‘airing your dirty laundry in public’ is acceptable…
Finally, tell the truth, and shame the devil.
Telling the truth may be controversial for some of you, but going head to head with your competition could be a customer expectation in certain businesses — for example, detergents, personal care, and most famously, Coca-Cola versus Pepsi. Independent comparison websites or consumer organisations also lead the fray; ensure you find all their reviews of your products or service and address any issues. Finally, if your competitors have done something that, even if entirely legal, raises a moral issue that would resonate strongly in your favour, be very careful, don’t let your heart rule your head. Take time to reflect and consider whether ‘airing your dirty laundry in public’ is acceptable for your type of business. There are many more ways to present your business in a positive light than trying to gain trust through complaining about competitors.
Competition should always be healthy and can, in some positive cases, create opportunities for collaboration and growth, but when it’s an unfair competitor using underhand tactics it’s more difficult to address when you’re the business owner. Remember, it’s not a personal attack on you, so don’t take it this way, and don’t react, instead reflect. In my experience, ramping up your brand and the way you do business is a far better solution for countering any harmful competition, look inwards first before looking outwards and strengthen your business. These are only a few ideas and are very generic, but hopefully, they should give you a headstart in implementing similar principles into your business.
If you’d like to discuss your thoughts on this article in more detail, you can either comment or drop me an email.
Until next week, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Mike
Mike Marshall is Managing Director of eatsleepthink, an award-winning strategic branding and digital agency based in Chesterfield, UK.
You can contact Mike by email: mike@eatsleepthink.com
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