Killer Brands by Frank Lane is a very insightful book for any marketer. The author talks about how a brand can be created such that it rules the market, and how it leverages the brand equity to an advantageous position in the market. This book is very relevant for both novices as well as experts in marketing. It dives deep into the chasms of marketing practices and shows the importance of creating a compelling and differentiated expectation. And if someone really wants his products and services to be the number one choice for his customers then this book will be more than helpful for him.
The book is divided into 5 parts. And throughout the book the author focuses on a three-step technique viz. Focus, Alignment and Linkage. All these three parts are like the three sides of a triangle which give meaning to the whole concept. The author tries his best to bring forward arguments and examples from the real world to make the reader pretty much aware of all the nuggets of branding and positioning.
This book focus primarily on the American markets and the whole idea is how a marketer can break the barriers of a me-too product, with no way to compete in the market except the price. And how can he make a product which is differentiated from the rest and recognised as something which people can associate themselves with and make people ask for the product even if it is priced a little higher. The author further points out that the task of creating a ‘killer brand’ is as difficult and equally as easy. And he shows in this book how with the use of his three-step techniques anyone can make a ‘killer brand’ and bask in its success!
Here the author talks about the differences and similarities between dominant and killer brands. He takes an example of Nike as a dominant brand which is not a killer brand, whereas Air Jordans from Nike is a killer brand. Here the whole ideology is that owning a brand which is not dominant can be equally valuable as that of a dominant brand.
The book has been made very practical with numerous examples from the author’s real life where explains the nuggets that he discusses in the book. He has used the example of how the Janitor in a Drum and Spanx became leading brands even when they were products from very small companies.
The author has laid stress on the importance of strong focus in a business. He says that when it comes to creating a killer brand, the first principle of focus asserts that no matter how many strong selling points or expectations might exist, it is wise choosing one and making it the sole focus of the brand! The author further points out to a very basic fact that mere focus won’t help a brand get the killer status, the brand’s expectations needs to be compelling and differentiated from other brands that offer similar expectations. It’s not easy to learn this art in the long learn and one needs to practice this right from scratch and slowly build on the expectations. Unless a brand does exactly that, it becomes just like other me-too brands that are in galore!
The author, Frank Lane, very rightly mentions in his book about the compelling power of expectations and the other basic nuggets that really matters. Multiplying the focus without actually changing the focus is another very useful insight that the author has touched upon in this amazing book. He talks about the power of alignment whose purpose is to create coordination which in turn multiplies the power of focus. Creating the brand’s backbone with strategies that feed each other is another interesting valuable insight for the readers.
The next step of the three step process of making a brand a Killer Brand is Linkage. It aims to make your Killer Brand synonymous with the product in the marketplace, so the consumer thinks only of your brand when the need arises. Linkage is said to be a fairly simpler process as compared to the previous two steps and has been described as the glamour part of the business. The book describes various ways in which the Linkage can be created for your Killer Brand. One is to have a memorable slogan for your brand which the consumer can recollect very clearly. Also, the advertisements of your brand should be consistent with the product and in the right context and it is expected that effective ads create the right linkage. The author also says that the message that your brand should give should be simple and clear so that it doesn’t create unnecessary confusion in the minds of the consumer. And finally, the author says that the Linkage should be a continuous process and needs to be reinforced time and again. The author also gives substantial examples to justify the importance of Linkage in the success of the Brand. The process of Linkage is stated and described to be the simplest but is indeed the most difficult and complicated process.
There are many factors that affect consumer decisions rather than simply linkage and this includes the changing needs of the consumers. The process described in the book cannot be generalised to all products and many other factors should be considered to ensure the successful Brand equity.
The various examples from the day to day life at the end of the book are really catchy, though some examples may sound familiar but they are projected in a totally new light and the reader significantly relates to the theories that have been mentioned in the book. The book is a very handy guide for any marketer or a layman who is interested in knowing brands and how to make a brand really stand out and be successful in this huge competition in the market. We recommend people who are really interested in marketing to definitely go through the book as it will be a great and interesting read. Lots of fundas will be created and lots of concepts will be cleared.
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