Professional services firms are not well served with tailored content on marketing. As an antidote, it is helpful to explore consumer marketing content and draw inspiration from it. With some tailoring, nuance and imagination it can offer insights drawing on consumer marketing successes.
The professional services sector primarily offers intangible services provided by highly qualified individuals. Businesses using them need specialised expertise and a personalised approach. Building long-term trust-based relationships is crucial, and sales cycles are long. The decision-making process around engaging professional services firms is consultative. Success is often measured by client satisfaction, client retention and the depth of client relationships.
So what does this have in common with a chocolate bar you might ask?
KitKat has been a successful brand since 1935, outlasting several alternatives to become a mainstay in many markets, building strong associations wherever it is sold. It has done this because it has achieved distinctiveness and relative differentiation. There is an explanation of these concepts provided by Mark Ritson, a professor and consultant in branding, marketing strategy and consumer behaviour, taken from his article on KitKat’s success in Marketing Week 20 February 2024.
So, let’s discuss what professional services firms can learn from KitKat’s success.
Respect your brand legacy
For most firms, their legacy will be embedded in what they want to be known for. Professional services marketers need to define these attributes simply and strongly, and then consistently reflect them in their content, thought leadership and campaigns whether they are focused on promoting individuals, practices, sectors or the entire firm. Look to what KitKat did with its brand palette, slogan and messaging around the idea of taking a break.
Exercise restraint in positioning
It can be overlooked, but it is important that firms conduct research to understand clients’ needs and use its findings to position their firms accordingly. Research makes it easier to focus on how to add value by delivering what clients want compared to competitors. It is important to avoid overcomplicate positioning. Try to keep it clear, concise and aligned with clients’ expectations. When Nestlé acquired KitKat from Rowntree it ran consumer research and, based on those findings, maintained KitKat’s positioning.
Develop distinctive assets
“Have a Break, Have a KitKat” was first used in 1957 with the red and white packaging adopted in 1935. In professional services firms, distinctive assets will not be colourful packaging, but we do have rich content and thought leadership used in campaigns. An annual survey report on sustainability goals, an often-updated index on Foreign Direct Investment, a Chatham House rules-based networking group, can have great impact if consistently repeated. Crafting a memorable strapline that resonates with clients and is identifiable with your firm can also be valuable. Define your distinctive assets and invest in developing and using them effectively.
Value repetition and evolution
Repetition is essential for individual, practice, sector and firm recall. Evolve and rerun successful content, thought leadership and campaigns reinforcing your distinctive assets and positioning. This repetition will build and maintain a consistent and recognisable brand over time.
Invest long-term in your brand
It is tempting to put the majority of the marketing budget towards short-term activities as they seem more likely to drive sales. However, it is good to understand the balance between long-term brand building and short-term sales activation. Les Binet and Peter Field have run research on this around advertising campaigns, and whilst outside of the professional services sector research, there is much we can learn. Coincidentally, Mark Ritson believes it takes 40 years to build a brand.
Achieving balance
Just as KitKat has maintained its relevance over decades through consistent branding and messaging, professional services firms can leverage their legacy, client insights and distinctive assets to carve out a unique position in the market. By respecting their brand legacy, exercising restraint in positioning and developing memorable assets, such as thought leadership and campaigns, firms can strengthen their brand identity and foster long-term client relationships.
Furthermore, the importance of repetition and evolution cannot be overstated. I would go so far as to say repetition is a skill marketers need to cultivate. By consistently reinforcing their distinctive attributes and adapting to changing market dynamics, professional services firms can ensure sustained brand recognition and relevance.
Ultimately, achieving the delicate balance between distinctiveness and differentiation requires a strategic approach that aligns with the firm’s values and client expectations.
By following the outlined principles and maintaining a focus on long-term brand building, professional services firms can emulate and unwrap KitKat’s enduring success.
Drawing inspiration from KitKat, professional services firms can achieve a balance between distinctiveness and differentiation by:
• Recognising that differentiation does not necessarily mean uniqueness, especially in crowded sectors. Instead, focus on relative differentiation by offering more perceived value than other firms. Concentrate marketing resources on a select few associations or attributes to establish a clear and memorable brand.
• Choosing specific attributes, values or benefits to emphasise as part of the firm’s positioning. These can include visual elements, messaging styles, content or thought leadership formats. Opt for a single, tightly worded concept to concentrate marketing efforts and establish a clear and memorable position.
• Respecting the existing brand strategy and avoiding unnecessary changes or over complications. As the business landscape evolves, maintain a consistent brand identity that clients recognise and associate with the firm’s values.
Go on and give yourself a break.
I have referred to Mark Ritson’s article (Marketing Week, 20 February 2024) which discusses KitKat’s history and branding approach from 1935 to the present. How KitKat has navigated distinctiveness and differentiation is at the heart of his article. Here is Ritson’s definition, which I have applied to professional services firms.
Distinctiveness refers to the recognisable attributes or characteristics that set a brand apart from competitors. KitKat’s distinctiveness encompasses elements like its brand palette (logo, packaging, colours), its slogan (‘Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat’) and its consistent messaging around the idea of taking a break. These features make KitKat recognisable and memorable to consumers, contributing to its brand identity and market presence.
Differentiation involves the strategic positioning of a brand in the marketplace to set it apart from competitors. KitKat’s differentiation is discussed in terms of relative differentiation, which emphasises the importance of focusing on a few key associations or attributes that make the brand stand out in comparison to alternatives. KitKat achieves differentiation by emphasising its association with breaks and positioning itself as the go-to snack for moments of relaxation and indulgence. This relative differentiation allows KitKat to carve out a distinct place in consumers’ minds and maintain relevance in a crowded market.
Anne Blackman is an experienced marketing communications leader who has worked for a number of the world’s leading consulting and legal firms including McKinsey & Company, Freshfields and Linklaters.
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