Present a 150 word summary stating the authors point and your own views. Three paragraphs: summary > support > critique. NOTE: If you want an A, please add a properly cited opposing view or outside critique which should bring the paper to 200 words. This way you can balance your opinion on two sides and develop your critical thinking skills.
Win the Brand Relevance
Battle and then Build
Competitor Barriers
David A. Aaker
The only way to achieve real growth is to develop offerings so innovative that they create new categories or subcategories making competitors irrelevant because they lack a must have feature or benefitto win the brand
relevance competition. The alternative, engaging in my brand is better than your brand brand preference competition, virtually never works because of market inertia. This article, based in part on hundreds of case studies,
shows how to identify the must haves and discusses barriers to competitors such as going beyond functional benefits, finding shared interests with customers, ongoing innovation, superior execution, scaling the concept, becoming
an exemplar, and branding the innovation. (Keywords: Marketing strategy, Brand management, Strategic management, New product management, Brand equity, Strategic planning, Brand relevance)
