Sharing Community Info

History shows that the disclosure of new and innovative ideas to others can significantly contribute towards advancement in the general economic environment in which the inventor operates, over and above expected benefits for the inventor and his organisation.”
- Business Day 13 September 2004

Therein lies the challenge for all brand managers and marketers in today’s fast paced and highly competitive market place. The question is, what should you share, and what should you protect? It is critical that you look after the intellectual property that supports your business and brand, however, a strict ‘protectionist’ approach can lead to isolation and prevent you from keeping your ear to the proverbial ground.

Every marketer and brand manager has 2 key roles 1) to build the category or market that they operate within and 2) to build their brand within this category or market. This is the key to successful sharing of information. If you can assist in the building of your category or market, yes your competitors benefit from your efforts, but so too will your brand. And if you are brave enough to lead the growth in your market, you will benefit from considerable good will, not only from your customers, but surprisingly, also from your competitors, as they start to see the value of this type of ‘abundant’ thinking.

At the end of the day, it is not information that makes the difference, but rather what you do with it, or in the words of Albert Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Please join the team of the Brands and Branding Community Portal in their quest to grow all consumer markets in SA, by providing us brand and marketing professionals with a wealth of information and insight, that we can use to constantly improve our marketing, branding and innovation efforts.

- Dee Blackie