| Pub. Date | : | Dec, 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Product Name | : | The IUP Journal of Brand Management |
| Product Type | : | Article |
| Product Code | : | IJBRM011222 |
| Author Name | : | Philippe Mihailovich and Caroline Taylor |
| Availability | : | YES |
| Subject/Domain | : | Marketing |
| Download Format | : | PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : | 26 |
The paper aims at understanding to what extent consultant Brad VanAuken's claim that "Category of One" is a unique brand category could be true. Examples he offers, such as Uber, Netflix, Hallmark and Cirque de Soleil, need no supporting arguments. We can also recognize that creating a new category also creates a first-mover advantage, and depending on how fast one can scale up, may provide significant economies of scale and network effects. This creates tremendous financial advantages for the "category of one" brand and barriers to entry for me-too brands and other subsequent competitors", he argues. Perhaps, these thoughts represent an unspoken truth in branding, however, the authors set out to ascertain this "truth" by examining some strong, some weak, the old and the very new, one of which we are actually testing out in the real world, notably, the world of natural diamonds (natural commodities are not easy to brand).
To become a "category of one" brand is the holy grail of branding. What does it mean to become a "category of one" brand? It means that no other brand is even in the same category as your brand. Your brand has created a new category-one that matters to people.
- Brad VanAuken,1 Strategic Brand Consultant, New York
If "Category of One" branding is truly the holy grail, why are not all brands doing it? Is it certain that a brand will have a major competitive advantage or is the risk of failure even greater? Is it not obvious that should a Category of One-which we will refer to as CatO1-brand show instant success, it is unlikely to remain a CatO1 for very long. "Business executives from every kind of company maintain, almost without exception, that early entry into a new industry or product category gives any firm an almost insuperable head start," state Suarez and Lanzolla (2005). "But for every academic study