There is more than one strategy to create a successful brand. Although more and more people today shop online or at least conduct a pre-research online before buying a product or service, a company doesn’t need to focus solely on the web.

Shared ahead are 3 examples of successful branding, each incorporating a different branding strategy. The first example focuses only on online branding, the second one uses a mix of online and offline branding, and the third uses a unique strategy to catch customers’ attention.

Amazon –The most well known web-only brand

Amazon doesn’t have an offline presence, but in the online space, it simply rules. It has created an impressive brand image through online marketing only.

According to a survey, Amazon is UK’s top-ranked retail brand. Also, it is the only web based brand in the list of top 10 retail brands in the UK. Nearly 40 percent of the users voted for Amazon, which nudged past well-known retail big shots like Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Apple, and Asda.

Amazon came on the top because it performed well on not one, but several parameters most important to customers, like:

• More bang for your buck – For majority of the buyers, cost-effectiveness was the number one consideration. Guess what? Amazon ranked ahead of everyone here.

 

• Deals and offers – For nearly 17 percent of Britons, this was the most important parameter. Amazon was ranked fourth on this one.

 

• Reliability – No fewer than 7 percent of users stated that they will not buy an item from a shop, online or offline, if they don’t trust it. Amazon got the second rank on trustworthiness.

 

• Customer Support – For 6 percent of buyers, the most important thing is customer service. Amazon got more points than any retail business on this parameter too.

 

The surveyors asked the participants to rank businesses on ten parameters. Amazon got the highest rank on four parameters and second-highest on three. The results highlight Amazon’s ability to offer users a great overall brand experience. It also underlines the fact that price is not the only thing customers take into account while buying a product a service.

John Lewis – Strong online as well as offline presence

Another research suggests brands with strong online and offline presence attract a lot of traffic online. Two such names are Mark and Spencer and Argos, both reputable brands with strong presence online as well as offline. On the other hand, only having a strong offline presence might not be sufficient. For instance, Comet and HMV both enjoyed great reputation on the high street, but that couldn’t prevent their demise.

John Lewis has executed a brand strategy that focuses equally on the online and offline space. For example, it’s much-appreciated Christmas ad has generated great interest and won rave reviews on YouTube, and it’s mantra of “Never Knowingly Undersold”  has ensured customers get better value at their stores.

John Lewis’ managing director, Andy Street, attributes company’s superlative performance to two things: their impeccable reputation and great customer service.

How strong John Lewis reputation is among consumers can be easily seen from the fact that when asked if they would trust John Lewis if it were a bank, two-thirds of participants replied yes. A strong, trustworthy reputation is critical to success and John Lewis has demonstrated more than once that when it comes to generating interest over new offerings, it performs better than most. What’s more, the retailer backs each offer with an excellent product.

CompareTheMarket – A unique strategy

CompareTheMarket offers a whole new microsite, thanks to its highly popular and admired CompareTheMeerkat ads. CompareTheMarket shows how one can leverage sales handsomely by combining online and offline operations.

The company connects with its customer base across social media through Aleksandr Orlov, star of its ads on TV. The character keeps online users up-to-date on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, facilitating development of personal bond between online users and the brand, besides making customers aware of different customer service options.

As per a survey, no fewer than 24 million buyers check a price-comparison website every month. The popularity of these ads is so high that other players in the insurance niche are being forced to reevaluate their strategy.