Which are you?
Brand Builder? Or Product Pusher?
When you ask this question to owners and marketers, they all want to say, Brand Builder. It’s the more noble option in their minds.
Just like a used car salesman doesn’t like the reputation that goes with their job, marketers want to be associated with brand building and not pushing products onto consumers.
The truth is, not every business needs a Brand Building strategy. Most should, but not all.
More interestingly, owners and marketers don’t usually realize when they’re operating like a Product Pusher.
What is a Product Pusher?
A “Product Pusher” is profit-focused, prioritizing short-term revenue and quick sales. They cater to consumer wants, rely on gut feelings, and use tactics to drive immediate awareness, often changing their purpose to fit the product.
What is the definition of a Brand Builder?
A “Brand Builder” is all about being purpose-driven, focusing on long-term equity and loyalty. Brand Builders aim to meet consumer needs, invest time in understanding their customers, and use tactics that create brand advocates.
Brand Builder vs. Product Pusher
Here’s how to know the difference between the two styles:
| Brand Builder | Product Pusher |
| Purpose Driven | Profit Focused |
| Would change the product to meet its purpose | Change their purpose to match the product |
| Provides solutions to consumer needs | Provides solutions to consumer wants |
| Long-term equity-building | Short-term revenue gains |
| Focused on loyalty | Focused on trial |
| Invest in knowing their customer | Implementing on gut feel |
| Tactics build advocates | Tactics drive awareness |
Why should businesses avoid relying on Product Pushing strategies long-term?
There are some cases where Product Pushing strategies are needed, but these should be for specific short-term objectives and shouldn’t be relied on to achieve long-term results.
The need for short-term results can often cloud decision making. Marketers and owners can fall into the trap of being driven by the demands of retailers, distributors, sales teams or brokers who want immediate sales.
The addiction to the Push strategy can be difficult to break too if you start to build capabilities to a specific volume amount. Once this occurs, price discounting, deeper feature prices and coupon activity start to become regular tactics.
These decisions don’t reflect negatively in the short-term and so the erosion of brand equity and brand affinity with consumers is not usually noticed.
Crew's CEO, Braden Douglas, says "I remember at Frito Lay when “3 for $5” deals on Lay’s chips were like crack to the sales team and retailer. They loved the burst in volume, but it started to devalue the brand and train consumers to only buy when it was on a deal. Breaking that habit took a lot of courage and some pain but the stronger brand position and emphasis on long-term profitability was much better for the company."
How can you tell when a Brand Building strategy is effective?
You know when a Brand Building strategy is working when demand is sustained and growing while price remains stable or even when prices rise.
Word-of-mouth and referrals become the dominant source of leads and new customer acquisition. You also start to see consumers using your brand and wanting to be associated with it, typically through social media. Authentic and organic market demand is the holy grail of marketing.
Being a Brand Builder takes an intentional strategy that needs buy-in from all major stakeholders within the firm. It’s a longer-term strategy to build equity that creates organizational value and will enable new products to have a greater chance of success.
Product Pushing can be fine for some but just know the trade-offs you’re making.
Talk to us if you want to go deeper on Brand Building strategies. It’s what we love.