18 July 2008
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Briefly, positioning is about creating a perception in the mind of the consumer that takes into consideration not only the strengths and weaknesses of a brand - a country, product or service - but also those of its competitors as well. Positioning also tries to provide an answer to the problem of getting a strong and focused communication across to consumers in an often noisy and "overcommunicated" marketplace. And one more thing - to achieve any degree of success it is vitally important that a brand owns a word or phrase not used by any of its rivals.
"A good slogan should never be changed," Al told me before providing a few examples that have stood the test of time. "The DeBeers slogan, "A diamond is forever", is 60 years old. The BMW slogan, "The ultimate driving machine", is 33 years old."
Al offered some other examples of successful conceptual longevity: "Volvo has been selling safety for 32 years. And the Marlboro cowboy is 55 years old." Al's overall message is that it would be very unwise to change these positions just for the sake of it. "Some of the most successful advertising programmes have been the ones that have run for decades, not years," he emphasised.
Al then went on to make a point about the dangers of employing a strategy in which constantly switching campaign themes can have an adverse impact on the credibility of a brand.
"The current slogan used to promote Mauritius - "an unforgettable experience" - has little or no value because it was so unmemorable. The phrase "an unforgettable experience" is just not in the same league as "the Emerald Isle" tagline, which has been instrumental in underpinning the Republic of Ireland's economic renaissance."
"Take the US presidential elections," he explained. "Barack Obama launched his campaign with the slogan, "Change we can believe in", which was brilliant in capturing the mood of the American public. Hillary Clinton started with "Experience" which was not a bad idea. Then she shifted to "Change." Then she shifted to "Solutions". The result? She came across as someone without a strong conceptual position."
It's a point well made. It prompted me to ask Al how he thought the Republicans were doing from a marketing point of view. "Good question," he replied. "What does John McCain stand for? Nothing that I know of. My prediction: Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States."
So on to the big question: what conceptual position did Al think was right for the new Mauritius? "I think the Mark Twain quote is perfect," he replied without hesitation.
And what about the small matter that Mark Twain was actually quoting somebody else in the famous line linking Mauritius and heaven? "I think it would matter if the quote hadn't been used previously," answered Al. "But since the quote has had extensive use, it has become part of the legend of Mauritius."
And to make the slogan even more effective - I forgot to mention that he was in advertising before he got into marketing - Al recommended that it should be shortened to read: "Mauritius was made first, and then heaven" - Mark Twain.
So there you have it - a prediction and a recommendation from marketing guru, Al Ries: Barack Obama will become the 39th president of the United States and Mark Twain should make a come-back in support of Brand Mauritius.
Two for the price of one. Actually, now that I think about it, two for the price of nothing. Now, that's what I call a bargain.
Sean Carey Research Fellow at CRONEM, Roehampton University.
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