Marketer – what else can you compete with when in price or domesticity 

Does the brand matter at this particular time? What are consumers not prepared to give up? What can a marketer compete with if it is not possible to compete on domestic origin or price? How can we create habitual habits when there are so many options? What to do when your brand no longer protects you as everything changes around you? Dagmar’s Maiju Tunturi, Marjo Salomaa and Outi Hämäläinen shared their views. 

Does the brand matter at this particular time? 

Marjo: Now more than ever, brand matters! Strong brands bear fruit in difficult times. We are loyal to them, they provide security and reduce the risk of failure. 

Outi: That’s right, a  brand position is created in a person’s mind, and it doesn’t change very easily. It is important to keep this position strong even in difficult times. Even when consumers are temporarily willing to compromise or compromise. 

Maiju: A brand that has succeeded in creating added value will stay in your mind and in your shopping cart in the future. Think carefully about the added value that your brand adds to people – is it pleasure, emotion or ease? Make sure you know your business potential and that the value your brand adds resonates with your potential. 

What are consumers not prepared to give up? 

Maiju: Good customer experience. Once you’ve created a good shopping experience, the customer will continue to be your friend. So make sure that you know exactly the entire customer journey and that all parts of the path build a good experience. 

Marjo: The importance of one’s own home also seems to be emphasised at this time. Our homes have become an increasingly important hub for home life and work. The hottest renovation and nest building boom may already be over, but a home can still be an everyday experience centre. According to our research, consumers have, for example, reduced their use of restaurant and café services, but on the other hand, home cooking is more popular than before the pandemic. 

Outi: Your own well-being and that of your loved ones is certainly the last thing you want to compromise on. The wellness trend has been strong for a very long time. Of course, the ways of producing well-being may change. 

What can a marketer compete with if it is not possible to compete on domestic origin or price? 

Outi: For example, with a superior product or customer experience. For example, in service brands, few prefer primarily domestic or cheapest alternatives. However, no one or anything remains superior on its own. Continuous development and keeping up with the customer’s pulse play a key role here as well. 

Maiju: The most important thing is to find relevant and differentiating competitive advantages in your own competitive field. And so really in the moment, relevant to the potential of the moment, not assumed competitive advantages. Get help from your partners, break all the marketing P’s and start over. 

Marjo: Concrete product or service  features and usage benefits are often easy to identify, but it is more important to understand what brings emotional benefits to the consumer – why the product or service is important to me at this moment. Does the service or product support, for example, the consumer’s values, belonging to a group or the desired emotional state? When you are able to identify the deeper meaning behind product features, you are a winner. 

How can we create habitual habits when there are so many options? 

Outi: Creating new routines is really hard. Here, too, I would turn my attention to the product or customer experience. They must exceed expectations to the extent that customers start recommending the product or service to others. The trial must be easy and the availability must be in order. 

Marjo: Everything in the world has already been invented. The winners are those who are able to improve the customer experience or take it to a whole new level – and thus convince them that breaking routines is worthwhile. 

Maiju: Identify even lukewarm potentials and build inspiring treatment models that get the customer attached to your product/service right from the start – and leave data for further use. When the entire purchase path goes smoothly and surprises positively, the probability of repeat purchases is high. 

What to do when your brand no longer protects you as everything changes around you? 

Maiju: Renew! Boost your brand, product, service and innovate new perspectives that resonate with this time and situation. Your brand is more flexible than you think, so don’t stick to the framework that worked before. 

Outi: If a brand no longer protects, it hasn’t been taken care of – in other words, it’s not strong enough. As Maiju said, renew yourself and look at the customers first. Is there enough customer understanding? What is the position of the brand in relation to competitors? What do customers or consumers expect? Are we meeting expectations? What should I do with the product? Where is our greatest potential? What interests our target group? What messages do we get their attention with?… 

Marjo: The importance of customer understanding cannot be underestimated. So don’t be left alone in the midst of change, but ask and listen to the customer. Find out why your brand resonates or doesn’t resonate in this time. 

WRITTEN BY

Maiju Tunturi

Business Director

maiju.tunturi@dagmar.fi

+358505955440

Marjo Salomaa

Business Director

marjo.salomaa@dagmar.fi

+358414680704

Outi Hämäläinen

Strategy Director, Brand Communication and Media

outi.hamalainen@dagmar.fi

+358405509988