You might have an innovative product, a moving story, spot-on pricing, the perfect channel, but if you don’t have the right timing, then you ain’t got squat.
Timing is a critical part of branding that rarely ever gets mentioned in branding books, probably because brand gurus don’t want to talk about something that they can’t precisely control … that might make them appear less of an expert. Yes, you can influence a brand’s timing somewhat, but the game you play with timing is often more reactive than proactive.
For instance, when and how forcefully you respond to a competitor’s move is a timing issue that many businesses face. In some scenarios you may be better off making small improvements and getting something to market faster, while other occasions may call for waiting to release a massive new product that blows everyone away. It depends on the economic climate, the customer base, the competitor’s position, and a number of other factors you must consider.
Even small timing scenarios can make a big difference. You may only have 1.5 seconds to get someone’s attention in a retail setting, so that timing directly influences how you design your packaging and purchase shelf space. The events that trigger when customers will need your product or service is also a timing issue that must play into how you build your brand and where people encounter it. Plumbers, electricians and locksmiths have always bought big ads in the yellow pages because they knew that’s where people would turn for their services; people don’t have time to call their friends for a referral when it’s 2 am and their ceiling is sagging with water. That’s timing. (Now people are going online for this information, probably because the Web is faster than the yellow pages, which itself is a sort of timing issue.)
So how have you built timing into your brand paradigm and your marketing plan? It’s probably in there, buried in the logic, but I’d suggest sitting down, creating a list of your critical timing junctures and identifying specifically how your brand will address each one. This way you can put timing on your side (sorry … couldn’t resist the bad pun).
