Seven 2010 Brand Success Trends

In a country where there is not yet a “normal”, dictating evaluations based on probable circumstances is impossible.

At this moment, Romania is entirely experimental.

Romanian branding is little more than guesswork. Universities teach out of date ideas borrowed from other cultures. Inexperienced graduates apply foreign principals that won’t work here - because here is evolving differently.

At year’s end it is the usual practice to review spectacular successes and phenomenal failures. As though the successful needed any more accolades or the fallen need further humiliation. But now, here, that won’t offer any useful insights.

So let me instead offer up interesting indicators for 2010. These are spotted trends that I do believe have branding relevance here.

1. Price Is Down. Value is Up. Romanians have recently had the euphoria of enough money and shelves full of what to buy. It’s an addicting habit that can’t survive the Crisis. Not that Romanians have stopped shopping. But the new discovery is getting their money’s worth.

2. “Try Anything. Buy Anything” is so over.

As too many generically equivalent products flood the market, the Brand Values communicated will serve as a consumer shortcut. What customers think about your brand will out-weigh nearly everything else in making value-purchase decisions. These choices will become their future standards.

3. “What’s So Different” will win. It will no longer be enough just to be on the shelves.Being meaningfully, positively different and communicating that difference will be the difference between live brands and closed doors.

4. If it isn’t in the product, don’t put it in the brand. Too many brands, in the hands of inexperienced marketing departments, have made claims that can’t be supported. As piata-savvy Romanians apply these skills in hypermarkets, discernable brand values must actually exist. Just because I said so, will in the future, just work with two year olds, not consumers.

5. Don’t Brand Global. Brand Local. Too many foreign companies are still shipping in their worldwide strategies. Romania is just learning consumerism. They don’t know yet how they are supposed to react. So any branding that doesn’t revise for the local experience and inexperience is risking it all on a questionable bet.

6. The “Tweet” and Twitter Can Kill The Brand. As Romanians embrace social networking and flock to FaceBook, the neighbors’ recommendation is replaced with online experience-sharing. Both Value and Hype are quickly communicated. If your product’s Brand Promise doesn’t measure up, fix the product before you invade the internet.

7. Everybody Says “I Love You.” There was a time, now over, when tugging at emotions would win. Now consumers only want to know who to believe. Who makes a good product? Who delivers on what they say? Who satisfies my family’s needs? And who can be trusted tomorrow?Set the emotional approaches aside and brand on value.

Only seven? Surely there are more!

Of course there are. But, with limited space, start with these. We’ll add new ones through the year. For now, examine your company practices and promises against these seven trends.

2010 could be a phenomenal set-up to success if the company is prepared, purposeful and trustworthy. Romanians are smarter than you probably give them credit for. They will see through exaggerations, misrepresentations and boasting. They have had years of practice seeing through to the real truth.