Small Brand vs. Big Brand: Take Your Share

Small Brand vs. Big Brand: Take Your Share

If you’re a modestly-sized, relative unknown vying to make some marketplace noise, fierce competition is your foe. Think of what you’re butting heads with. Basically, you’re pitting scant resources against powerful, cash-chunky, established players – players that likely boast legions of devoted customers. If they’re long-time devotees, which many will be, their loyalty and tenacity will be virtually unshakable. Even if you push yourself out of the crowd and capture their attention, prying loyalists loose from their beloved, highly-touted brand would require favors from Mt. Olympus.

Don’t throw in the towel. You’re an underdog, to be sure. But sometimes underdogs make their mark. And not just in packed movie houses. By employing a generous supply of ingenuity, creativity, and planning, small brands can make inroads in territory ruled by deeply entrenched behemoths.

Consider the customer experience. In this realm, effectiveness requires an in-depth understanding of shoppers. The lesser-known brand should personalize customer messaging, tailoring content to the needs of specific consumer segments. Such personalization can draw attention away from established brands, which often place shoppers in a broad category defined by common characteristics. Social media offers an excellent channel for personalized content that addresses customer diversity.

Equally important is reach. Smaller brands must be brutally realistic on this topic. As an underdog, you lack both deep pockets and extensive resources. Therefore, transmitting a convincing, ongoing message to all corners of the globe is a mission impossible. So why pursue an elusive goal?

Much more productive is an approach that focuses on localized marketing. Target a specific region and concentrate all forces on this market. Demonstrate why your brand is ideally suited to the area. While the big boys stomp unrestrained around the universe, you’ll be catering to a specialized market and becoming the local favorite. Even if it means focusing on a single community, localized marketing is a far more profitable to the underdog than global overreaching.

If you have any questions or comments about marketing for small brands, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.