To Heck with Your Product; Do They Like Your Brand

How engaged with your business/you/your brand are your customers. As the market place gets increasingly crowded and brides are looking more toward price points than design our goods and services fall increasingly into the category of commodity. That simple truth makes the perception of your product no different than anyone else’s.  Notice I said perception.

I know you think your product is different, but in today’s market that is not as convincing as it used to be. Neither is it as strong a selling point as it was 5 or 10 years ago. Two examples. Sitting in the front row of the runway shows at Harrogate were people with sketch pads from the Chinese factories. By that night patterns were being cut and I’m willing to bet those knock offs will hit the market before the real thing. If a bride likes a particular wedding gown there is a darn good chance that she can find a reasonable facsimile at every single price point. It won’t be the same gown, but most of these girls don’t care. To her it’s still a strapless mermaid gown with a beaded neckline, ruched bodice and tulle peeking out under the skirt; or what ever it is she fancies. It may look like a cheap copy out of fabric that you or I wouldn’t line our cat box with but she can’t see the difference.

Same with photographers. I can hear the gasps out there now. Yes I know you are creative and can set the shot perfectly but here is the reality. Brides find shots they like and take them to their photography as a ‘must have’ photo. You captured that once in a lifetime image and now everyone and their duck is doing it too. Will the lighting be the same? NO. Will the color be adjusted just so? NO In some case the composition won’t even be good but the bride is still happy: she got her picture of Grandpa on the steps blowing bubbles. Yawn.

Are you starting to see it now? I’m sorry but that is what is happening in the heads of brides. If you are in the wedding industry for artistic excellence and the profits be damned you can stop reading here. If however you are in the wedding industry to make money and grow your business you have to come to terms with these new brides.

You have to engage them on another level. You have to give them another reason  to want to give you their money. ~sigh~ You have to make then want you on a different level.

A lot of that can be done through branding. Let’s look at some famous brands and see what they mean.

• Target Stylist and low cost.
• David’s Low cost, I settled. You can see this in the posts on the forums, they almost apologize for buying at David’s even though the majority of there gowns are not any less expensive than most of what is on the market.
• Vera Wang High price, cutting edge fashion. This one is so well branded that she can now put her name on anything and sell it, just like a certain lady named Stewart.
• Reem Acra High style. This is another one backed up by the chatter, “I’m a Reem bride.”
• Tiffany’s Quality, expensive. This is even though they have many items under $100. Anything in that blue box is perceived to be about 50% more expensive than it is.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond Lots of variety and available nation wide. You can get 90% of the same products at Sears and they’re nation wide but it just doesn’t have the same cachet on a bridal registry.

Do you see how their branding is helping sell their product? You should consider your brand your promise. Last month I talked about how to boil down the essence of what your brand represents. Now you have a clearer understanding of why it may be becoming so very important. Next month will look at some ways on how to use it.

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