The next big broadband frontier is clearly the mobile broadband market. The transformation of cell phones into complete consumer electronic devices, coupled with the rapid raise of high-speed wireless data networks, is opening up a wide array of new services that create value for consumers.

Globally, the mobile broadband market is already well advanced. Japan has about 89 million telephone subscribers, 77 million of which have data service accounts, and Europe is only slightly behind. North America, however, lags way behind, with only 12 percent of subscribers downloading content. And most of that is ring tones and simple graphics.

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Posted by Rod Whitson at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In the world of search engines, Google is easily the 800-lb. gorilla.

According to SearchEngineWatch.com, in November 2005 Google captured 46.3 percent of all searches. Yahoo came in second, with 23.4 percent, less than half of Google’s share. And MSN came in third with a paltry 11.4 percent.

The pie chart below illustrates an interesting pattern. In many markets, the dominant competitor holds about a 50 percent market share, the number two competitor manages to squeeze out 25 percent of the market, and all the other competitors fight over the remaining 25 percent.

This pattern repeats itself in so many markets it’s almost as dependable as the law of gravity. Even more important is the fact that almost all of the industry’ profits go to the top competitors. That’s why Jack Welch’s now infamous strategy at GE of becoming the number one or number two competitor or else exiting the market has proven to be so powerful.

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Posted by Rod Whitson at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the simplest ways to build a strong brand is to make sure that every point of contact that prospects and customers have with your company reinforces the brand promise. Although relatively simple in theory, “touch-point alignment” often proves difficult in practice. Consistently reinforcing your brand requires discipline, focus and commitment.

When asked to identify a company’s brand touch points, most people point to the obvious, such as logos and advertisements. In fact, people often think of the logo as the brand and advertising as the primary way to build the brand. In reality, the concept of brand touch points encompasses far more than these basic visual cues. Every point of contact your prospects and customers have with your company and its products and services provides an opportunity to build your brand – or weaken it. How you manage those points of contact determines the relative strength or weakness of your brand.

Every company has an internal and external brand experience, and each plays an important role in developing your overall brand. Picture a massive iceberg floating in the Northern Atlantic. The visible portion poking its head above the ocean’s surface represents a small fraction of the iceberg’s full mass. Similarly, only a small portion of your company’s brand experience – the external part - is highly visible. Much more of your brand lies below the surface and is not as easily recognizable.

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Posted by Rod Whitson at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

A great deal of information (and misinformation) exists around the notion of brands and branding, but I have found that the essence of a brand can be distilled down to three simple concepts. Understand these concepts and you’ll become a branding expert. Consistently reinforce them throughout your organization and you’ll build a powerful brand.

1. The Brand Promise is a commitment you make to prospects and customers. It answers the question on every customer’s mind: “If I engage in a relationship with you, your product or your company, what can I expect?” The answer to this question must address the big problem solved or the compelling need fulfilled -- in other words, the primary benefit of your product or service. Companies with the clearest brand promises have the strongest brands. And the simplest idea is often the most powerful.

2. The Brand Attributes include all the unique ways you deliver your brand promise. These comprise the feature set that describes the customer’s experience with your company. Common attributes might include your unique versions of quality, customer service, innovation and flexibility.

3. The Brand Personality describes the human characteristics people experience when they encounter your brand. It has by far the strongest influence on the emotional connection people feel toward your brand. Often a company’s brand personality matches the customer’s self-perception of their own personality or a personality they aspire to. Common brand personalities include ruggedness, sophistication, excitement, competence or sincerity.

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Posted by Rod Whitson at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)