This 4-part formula used by a 20th-century master marketer will transform your business into the biggest selling brand in your industry…
Being the most recognizable brand in your industry is the holy grail of marketing. Many companies have achieved it by simply being the first to market. Even with a head start, competition eventually creeps up and threatens your position.
Having a recognizable brand that’s cemented in your customer’s hearts and minds is akin to a medieval castle moat. And it’s your loyal customers standing at the gate, protecting you from invasion.
One of the greatest brand builders of the 20th century was David Ogilvy. His work at the advertising firm Ogilvy & Mather transformed many struggling businesses into blockbuster household names.
How did he do it? Here’s his 4 part formula…
1- Research
Ogilvy began his career in the U.S. at the Gallup research agency. When David left Gallup and started his own firm, he used his research experience to find hidden benefits and differentiators that would resonate with his clients’ customers. His research process involved gathering tons of information on products, competitors, and customers.
2 – Positioning
“What the product does, and who it is for.” Pretty simple, right?
Today, most businesses miss the mark, or worse, don’t even ponder the question. But research and positioning were at the core of everything Ogilvy did. His work with Dove still stands the test of time.
Most soap was marketed as a detergent for men with dirty hands. Ogilvy positioned Dove as a moisturizing beauty bar for women with dry skin. Through his research on the bar’s ingredients, Ogilvy learned that it contains moisturizing cream. Up until then, no one had thought to use that fact to their advantage.
3 – Brand Image
“Products, like people, have personalities”.
Would you rather hang out with someone with no personality or someone that’s lively, makes you happy, and shares common interests? Easy choice for most of us. The same thing goes for products.
People don’t buy products, they buy how they make them feel. Ogilvy created brand images that resonated with customers. That they could identify with.
People identify with Jack Daniels. All of the imagery they use, from the logo, to photographs, and commercials, appeal to how one specific group of people sees themselves. Hard-working, country, down-to-earth, authentic. Nothing fancy, but all about American quality.
4 – A Big Idea
“Merrill Lynch is bullish on America”. The researchers at Ogilvy & Mather weren’t the first to make the association between bulls and rising stock prices. They mainly uncovered the historical association and popularized it.
The TV ads featured bulls parading through Wall Street. This big idea connected Merrill Lynch and bullish sentiment, and it remained in the minds of consumers for decades.
Ogilvy believed big ideas come from the subconscious. That the best way to come up with a big idea is to do tons of research and then let go. He’d go for a long walk, take a hot bath, or have a few drinks. Then he’d let the idea or vision bubble up to the surface, based on the extensive research he had performed.
One great example of this is the branding for Pepperidge Farms cookies. While dreaming, he came up with the idea of the horse pulling a baker’s delivery wagon.
It was the big idea of getting delicious cookies, baked fresh in a small town in America, delivered in an authentic, old-fashioned way. It set them apart and created a story that resonated with their consumers. It was impossible to forget.
There were many more components that attributed to Ogilvy’s success and the success of his clients. But those 4 were at the core of everything he did.