The Brand Archeologist: Understand your starting point.

Your first task as a Brand Manager is understanding where your brand stands. There is a huge knowledge hidden in your organization about your brand, and you need to unveil it. Whatever you are thinking of doing, most probably it has already been thought by a previous Brand Manager. Recovering his thoughts might save you some precious time and avoid making the same mistakes! Your first task is being a BRAND ARCHEOLOGIST.

Too often, bad marketing managers hire a third party, a consulting company, or some institute to do the job, and re-invent the wheel.

Take market studies into consideration, but don’t take them as the “Rosetta stone” of your brand.  They are too easy to manipulate... and often consumers only want to look smart, rather than expressing their real thoughts about your brand. Be careful; don’t let them drive you into the easy and obvious paths!

Go see your consumers, go see your shoppers, understand your value chain, do a visit with your distributors, meet your field sales force, go to the factory! These are the things that will help you make yourself a first picture of the situation.

Be CURIOS and trust your gut feelings!

posted by Ignacio Molins