Brand frame of reference

From: Achieving Brand Preference

Key to communicating this brand position is establishing a frame of reference. In an article published by the Harvard Business Review entitled, "Three Questions You Need To Ask Your Brand," Kevin Lane Keller writes, ”…a frame of reference signals to consumers the goal they can expect to achieve by using a brand.”

Consumers can quickly figure out what the product is and how they should use it. Often, your frame of reference is your competition – other brands that are most likely in the preference set you’ve targeted for your brand.

Here’s an example: When V8 was first introduced there were no other vegetable juices on the market. To give consumers a frame of reference for this new product, V8 went head-to-head with Sacramento Tomato Juice. When V8 implemented their strategy, “I Could Have Had A V8,” they cleverly insinuated that the consumer lost an opportunity to gain valuable nutrients while still satisfying their desire for the taste of tomatoes and salt. The message also suggests that the consumer still has the opportunity to break their tomato juice habit next time around by trying a V8.