Snickers turnaround

Here is a YouTube video in which Mark Ritson explains a remarkable turnaround story of the Snicker brand, by focusing on distinctive assets.

“The Lessons

• Differentiation and distinctiveness can exist together… You need both.
• Differentiation comes from the brand position well executed.
• Distinctiveness comes from your brand codes [aka distinctive assets] executed over all possible executions.
• Marketers overstate their brand salience…  If you look at the way brands are… consumed, often with very light attention if at all by consumers, you see the importance of codes signaling to the customer that it’s me here. And remember that, because the first rule of branding: First, they must know that it is me.  If they don’t know that it’s your brand, all bets are off. And codes help us get there.
• Find a short list of brand codes.
• Apply them mercilessly and repeatedly over all your creative work on every possible touch point.
• Playing with codes (once they’ve been established)  is a brilliant way to revitalize and refresh your brand.

Never forget, distinctiveness comes from brand codes.”