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​It is increasingly accepted that growth occurs if a brand comes to more people’s minds for a usage context and/or for a wider variety of usage contexts (click here for an explanation if this concept). But what is the best way for a brand to do this? Should it communicate in a scattergun way, trying to be seen as all things to everyone? Or should it focus on owning one usage context initially and build from there? I think this depends on how developed the category is. Coke was a trailblazer with almost free rein to land-grab as many usage contexts as possible over the years. I believe that brands launching into an established category, however, need to be more focussed, at least in their early days (see Red Bull example). Differentiation may be difficult to sustain (given how easy it is for competitors to copy) but it provides a window of opportunity for a brand to establish a foothold in the market.

What to learn more? Try asking Virtual Dan White.