The Other
Blokes Blog

Given renewed discussion on Brand Montreal, some question the need for a brand. Why should Montreal need a brand to help tourism, as they do for tissue paper or photocopiers? I guess it all depends what you think a brand means.

A view put forward by George Whitfield, a co-founder with Harry Yates of the group Brand Chasm is helpful. His definition of brand runs as follows:

A brand should serve to differentiate itself from its competitors in an attractive, memorable, relevant and compelling way. .. A brand says to the user: “here is what the brand will deliver to you; this is why it meets your needs; this is why it is better than the others.”

Harry Yates was also the ghostwriter of a book on “Emotional Branding“, authored by Daryl Travis, the head of Brandtrust Consultants of Chicago. Brand encourages a feel-right decision, rather than just relying on logic.

This view of brand sounds remarkably similar to the USP concept that Rosser Reeves put forward 45 years ago. A Unique Selling Proposition can be simplified to three characteristics:

• Desirable Benefit
• You can only get it here
• It’s Irresistible

Different groups might nominate different important benefits since Montreal has many. However for any target audience, the USP Montreal shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out.

Related links: The NUB Of Your Marketing Strategy – that’s niche, USP and bottom line.

Tags: brand, Montr?al, USP