What is the »digital brand / product gap«?
Brand and product managers can learn from each other.
In this series of articles, Maximilian Friedrichs, our Executive Strategy Director, sheds light on the causes of the so-called ‘brand/product gap’, which stem from different definitions, goals and success metrics. How can all parties improve their understanding of each other to achieve better results together? Read more:
Two teams - one goal
In many tech companies, marketing owns the brand and the UX/UI team owns the product. The challenge is that some want maximum brand recognition and emotional depth. The latter focuses on usability, clarity, and functionality.
Both sides are right. They don’t clash because of their egos, but because they work with different definitions and measure success differently. Read here to find out which three disruptive factors need to be eliminated.
The brand's work needs to be relevant in practice.
Creating brand strategy is anything but simple and before you know it, brand people start talking in abstract, lofty terms. Visions, values, purposes, positionings, and propositions, often flying around in slightly different meanings than originally intended. They sound great, but it’s not always clear what they mean in practice – especially for pragmatic product people.
What can we do better?
A brand mindset is essential for product managers.
The assumption that the best product will automatically win is widespread, but it is incorrect. People don’t choose the objectively best product; they choose the one they remember. So why should product teams think more about branding? Because a brand is not created through advertising, but through everyday use of the product. What are some other reasons?