An idea is what it's all about

Martin Puris, of Ammirati Puris once said that ’80% of all advertising fails because it is not based on a strong idea.’

Martin knows a thing or two about ideas. He’s come up with quite a few in his lifetime. Including BMW, ‘the ultimate driving machine’ and Club Med -‘the antidote to civilization.’  

What these ideas were successful in doing was position the brands that held them successfully against their competitors carving a unique niche for themselves in the process.  

Other brands that also developed clear ideas for themselves were POSB - ‘neighbours first, banker’s second.’ Absolutely brilliant. Hasbro - ‘the family is together again.’ And Disney - ‘magical experiences.’ 

What makes each of these ideas special? Again, they vocalize a belief or point of view that competitive brands don’t and create a unique and resonant position for themselves.

O,k so a few brands have created a clear idea for themselves. Why is defining this idea so important however? The reason is this - a clear idea gives a brand focus. And in doing so keeps not only communication but also products, people and investments on track. 

The trouble with brands today?

Not enough time is spent defining the core idea on which they will be based. The result is logic that’s fuzzy, and advertising and customer perception that invariably is too. 

The process of developing an idea for one’s brand is quite straightforward really. It starts with a look at the category in which the brand operates, the brand itself and the consumers it serves. Usually, I’ve found, an opportunity will reveal itself once the 3 key areas (category, consumer and brand) are put underneath the microscope. 

From this point on, a creative leap is required however to turn an opportunity into a genuinely strong and resonant idea.  It’s a lot of work to do this, but the result - a much sharper focus for your brand - is well worth the trouble and effort. 

The Planning Agency has a number of tools to help clients define the core idea their brand stands for. To find out more, call us on 9386 8678 or e-mail patrick@theplannignagency.com.,sg