If you answered yes, and your list only includes the brands which are in your immediate competitive space (the ones you see year after year at that Vegas trade show) – this is your wakeup call. It’s true, you ultimately will be competing for a sale against like brands, but what happens before a consumer decides to purchase a specific item; let’s say a fishing pole for example. Prior to that decision, a consumer is likely shopping for a form of recreation or entertainment, rather than a brand or product. This effectively increases your brands competitive landscape. You’re now fighting other forms of recreation/entertainment AND their respective brands.

With that said, it’s crucial that you begin looking inside and outside your industries to gain knowledge and insight when establishing your benchmarks. Whether they’re brand, product or service related – the perspective to be gained is invaluable. This will help in developing smarter products/services and ultimately a more compelling brand experience. Unless of course you’re content being the “smart follower” in your industry.

If the notion of more competition is making your stomach turn, rest easy. Here are some tips to help you navigate an ever-evolving brand landscape:

• Look around you and learn from others
• Treat “emotion” as a benchmark
• Know your competition (inside/outside your industry)
• Benchmark all facets of your business (product, brand, service, etc)
• Create great products as well as great brand experiences
• Identify key consumer trends/habits/preferences

You’ll be competing with anyone and everyone, which means you need to keep an eye on anyone and everyone…

Ever wonder about the origins of a product you’re about to purchase? Things like: who made it, where it was produced, environmental or community impact, carbon footprint info, etc.? Wait no more. Those of you who crave info and want to make more eco-informed buying decisions could soon benefit from the output of a emerging consumer trend “(Still) Made Here,” as reported by Trendwatching.com – a favorite haunt of mine.

“(STILL) MADE HERE encompasses new and enduring manufacturers and purveyors of the local. In a world that is seemingly ruled by globalization, mass production and ‘cheapest of the cheapest’, a growing number of consumers are seeking out the local, and thereby the authentic, the storied, the eco-friendly and the obscure.”

It’s early but some well known brands have already experimented with attaching “Life Story Labels” to their products. The information included on these labels range from freshness dates to child labor percentages (let’s assume that manufacturers that employ child labor won’t be adopting Life Story Labels in the near future). Others are taking the opportunity to create new brands/companies around the consumers desire to purchase whatever does the least harm.

Timberland had capitalized on the opportunity in early 2007 by adding a “nutritional label” to each shoebox, educating consumers on where it was made, how it was produced and what effect it had on the environment. They also pose a question to would be consumers by asking “what kind of footprint will you leave?” (more…)