A strong product is not created by accident. It is consciously & carefully designed and polished to ensure consumers’ satisfaction. It requires a process of continuous revisions and improvements in order to truly become exceptional.
Our product is the offspring of our Brand and inherits the Brand’s value.
Whether our Brand is a personal or traditional one, it will inevitably affect the product’s value. It has, however, reciprocal effects as the product will also affect the Brand’s value. This exchange of Brand and product value is vital for our success. So we need to consider every aspect when creating our product.
What we offer needs to be as exceptional as our Brand and entirely aligned with it.
How to create a strong product
You don’t necessarily have to invent an entirely new product for it to be exceptional.
But you do need to consider:
Value
Does it add value to people’s lives?
This includes the functional & practical aspect of a product: its quality and how well it performs.
As well as the emotional aspect: how emotionally connected we become and why.
When the value a product claims to offer becomes apparent & indisputable, we are then capable of achieving reliability & integrity of our product and, by extension, of our Brand.
Loyalty
Why would anyone become emotionally connected & loyal to our product?
Loyalty is the ultimate tool for success for any company. It means:
Creating Brand Evangelists
People who will promote the Brand and what it offers to other people with no additional effort.
Recurring customers
Thus recurring sales.
Cross-selling & upselling
Greater opportunities for cross-selling and upselling.
Forgiving
People being more forgiving of the Brand’s & product’s flaws.
Brand switching
Less likely to switch to another Brand.
Consequently, we need to provide the groundwork for people to become loyal to our product in the long-term; through the quality of our product and its alignment to our Brand.
Authenticity
Is it unique in its own way?
Creating an authentic product does not entail inventing a new one. Changing or combining different aspects of existing products can make all the difference, provided that what makes it authentic is aligned with the Brand’s authenticity.
Maintaining consistency between the product and the Brand in terms of uniqueness & authenticity will form the bridge that will connect them at a deeper level. People will start to intuitively recognise new products and instantly associate the Brand with its products.
Should you wish to create a new product which is not aligned to the Brand, then it is far more constructive to alternatively either create a sub-Brand or an entirely new Brand in order to avoid causing a disconnection between the product and the original Brand.
Consumer Oriented
Is the focus on consumers?
In order for your product to become consumer oriented, you basically shift the focus from yourself to consumers. Develop your product according to consumers’ needs & wants and how it can offer optimal value to them.
Remember
It is incredibly rare to create an exceptional product on the first try. They often require consistent improvements and updates. Remember to frequently revise:
