A Creative Communications Agency

Adage.com has posted an article explaining how companies should think category first and brand second. The article references the change in business and revenue for Kodak. The Kodak brand has taken a hit in the 21st century and the article states that the most important thing is to focus on category over brand. I have to say we disagree with that.

We focus our clients marketing communications on a unique creative promise. Brands and even categories have limits. A unique promise communicates through all of your materials that you are going to be the best at …, you choose. That promise is taken all the way from internal communications and strategies to all the marketing communications that are available to the public. From marketing class we were told to be able to define your business in one word. Gerber’s one word was baby. Baby was their one word but it also was a promise, a promise to focus on things for babies. Not only does Gerber make baby food, which they are well know for, but they also have life insurance. To say your company is going to be the best in the category of baby food is limiting yourself, and Gerber knew that.

Yes, it is difficult to expand your unique promise across multiple product and industry categories but it has been done. If one can do it so can others. The limits of a company are set by your vision, the best VCR or the best home entertainment provider?