If You Happen to Be #1

So, if you are the #1 brand what do you do now?

First: Remember, a successful company is built on a successful product. But, that success doesn’t automatically carry over to new products.

Example: Remember Pibb Xtra and Dr. Pepper? Even with the massively successfully Coca-Cola Consolidated behind it, Pibb Xtra couldn’t overtake Dr. Pepper. Why? Every time you launch a new product, you’re starting from scratch. And, the market already belonged to Dr. Pepper.

Second: Reinforce your roots in the original source and value of your brand.

Example: Coke’s tagline, “It’s the Real Thing” reminded consumers that Coke came first and everything else was an imitation.

Third: Keep launching new products – keep being first.

Example: When a market developed for laundry detergent, Proctor & Gamble didn’t launch one based on the previous success of Ivory soap. They launched a new product: Tide.

“The power of the organization is derived from the power of the product.”

— Al Ries & Jack Trout

Want to know more? Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind is available on Amazon.

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Ries, Al, and Jack Trout. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986. Print.