Textile Insight

I n a time of omnichannel hyper-com- petition, slowing consumption and the temptation to jump on the "sustain- able" bandwagon it seems safe to rely on marketing that's in lock step with the competition. is is a bad idea. Fortunately, there is a way to create interest in your products. A way to connect with consumers based on what your product does and why your product provides value, solutions or benefits. It's called your EDGE. e EDGE is the articulation of a distinct advantage your product or service has over the competition. Your EDGE must be viewed as desirable by your customers. In other words, the EDGE is defined by what you do well, why you do that and who would benefit from your hard work. Leveraging your EDGE is imperative if you want to stand out from your competitors while attracting consumers simultaneously. To clarify, what I've just described is a high-level introduction intended to raise awareness – not a formula or plan to apply to your brand. The goal of finding your EDGE is to discover competitive and lucrative ways to monetize your products' assets. While it's natural to believe that's what your marketing is for… don't be fooled. e EDGE drives marketing. ink of it this way: If your marketing messaging is not driven by your EDGE, you are probably wasting money and, perhaps more critically, the consumers attention. This chart highlights the connection between your EDGE and marketing and illustrates how your EDGE is the definitive foundation for all marketing strategies. It's important to understand what your EDGE is not; Price is not an EDGE. As a young product merchant, I pre- sented to management a very successful product with a retail price of $69.50. e new head of merchandising challenged my pricing strategy by making the point that a ferocious competitor had a similar product priced at $69.00. Fortunately, the company founder stepped in saying, "What happens when they lower their retail price to $65.00?" He went further to say that competing on price is a race to the bottom. With that, the conversation turned back to true EDGE attributes, such as component fabrics, construction, etc. Perhaps it's time to discover your prod- ucts' EDGE before more marketing dollars are spent. n Next up: How to Find Your EDGE Defining the EDGE On a Mission to Mow Down Marketing Mediocrity. By Mavrick IN THE MARKET / BRANDING 12 • Textile Insight ~ Winter 2023 textileinsight.com Mavrick is a life-long merchant/ marketer who can be found in the basement at R2 Branding or rambling about the Rockies with a fly rod or skis depending on the season. He can be reached at mavrick@r2branding.com Edge is Why Edge is Vision Edge Looks Inward Edge Defines Differentiation Edge is Relevance Edge Wins EDGE Marketing is How Marketing is a Story Marketing Looks Outward Marketing Amplifies Differentiation Marketing Creates Response Marketing Competes MARKETING

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