Marketing science expert tells brands to forget focus groups as ‘no good will come of it’
Jenni Romaniuk
Marketers must stop asking consumers to help shape key elements of the brand as they will risk losing “distinctive assets” that can make the product stand out in a cluttered market, a conference has heard.
Jenni Romaniuk, research professor and associate director at marketing institute Ehrenberg-Bass, said brands must not get hung up on what a colour means to people, or what is popular, as she argued that “uniqueness” is a critical element of marketing.
Choosing a look, colour and tagline must be based on what will stand out in a sea of product on store shelves, she said, and not necessarily what consumers like.
“Some people still shy away from using the brand name in communications but I’ve looked for evidence, and I’ve yet to find it, of people liking an ad more where there is less branding.”
Agree. Too often I am laughing at the end of the ad or turning to someone else in the room – and completely miss the only brand exposure on the ad. What a waste.
Sensibly inject the brand into the whole ad.