Marketing 101 How brands change during times of crisis By Gina Meyers Brand, Product, Product Category, Product Differentiation

Marketing 101

How brands change during times of crisis

By, Gina Meyers

Brand, Product, Product Category, Product Differentiation

A brand is the name or symbol that represents a product. A product category is the generic class to which the brand belongs. The distinction between brand and product category is important for several reasons. First, the product category defines the brand’s competition. Defining the product category broadly or narrowly will therefore affect a brand’s strategy. Secondly, distinction between brand and product category is important is that a company may wish to develop a product line, that is, a line of offerings within a certain product category. PepsiCo developed a line of different flavored drinks under a Slice label, to compete in the fruit-based category. 

Whatever product category the company falls in determines what is the product line that they expand and create. 

Thirdly, a third reason for distinguishing between brand and product category is that, at times, a company may be interested in stimulating demand for the product category as for its brand.

In the time of war, or in the time that we are in, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, you will find many companies who have built their brand based upon specific characteristics and criteria, however, in a time of crisis, they are willing to take their brand and change the product they will create and sell.

Market fluctuations in the demand of specific products in the times of crisis will dictate what the companies decide to manufacture and sell, it will be based upon consumer demand.

This is why you see General Motors and Tesela, both known for manufacturing cars, creating, selling and manufacturing ventilators. Also, breweries and wineries who are capable of producing wine and beer, though there is still demand for their product as they are considered “essential businesses” and do not have to shut down during a time or war, pandameic or crisis, many are also mass producing hand sanitizer as the process is within their capabilities based upon their goods and the available supplies that they already use in their everyday business.

Product Differentiation:

In economics and marketing, product differentiation is the process of distinguishing a product or service from others, to make it more attractive to a particular target market. This involves differentiating it from competitors' products as well as a firm's own products.

Consumer Goods are considered convenience, shopping, and specialty goods. For a company to stay solvent, responsive to consumer needs they must change their marketing model to accommodate the changing needs of the consumer and the world that they do business in.

In the past, small and large businesses could advertise to new and emerging markets based upon consumer interest/demand and company’s desire to produce niche products to their intended users.

Businesses that try to remain solvent in an ever changing volatile situation, such as during a pandemic, must be constantly changing their marketing model to accommodate the dictates and demand of regulatory agencies and end users/ also known as customers. 

In times of crisis, there is no luxury in “doing business as usual”. Even if you have an “essential business”, deemed necessary for the operation and functioning of a society.

Bottom line, if you want to survive, you have to get creative, keep your customers safe, and change with the market.

Helpful Books to heal through the trauma of the corona virus pandemic (published by Serendipity Press, Serendipity Media Group)

As an author and publisher, I have had the opportunity to share other's creative works and have also had the wonderful opportunity of creating book(s) that are enriching, enlightening, informative, and helpful.

Here is a brief list of book(s) that I have collaborated on that can help you to find the change you are looking for in your life and to digest new, positive information on your journey through this crazy, life changing time.

Be well!

My books of inspiration:


Life Lessons Learned Series

Manifesting Magnificence: A Personal Growth Workbook


Manifesting Magnificence: A Personal Growth Workbook, free preview


Attitude of Gratitude, by, Gina Meyers

Life Lessons Learned Through The Seasons of Change

Life Lessons Learned from Oprah

Be Proactiv, Stay Proactive, My Experiences with Judith Light

C'est La Vie, Paris: Life Lessons Learned on Cooking & More

Feng Shui Today




Everyone has taken a flight with some turbulence. And every cloud has a silver lining. In Life Lessons: Living a Life Of Inspiration, you will hear stories of optimism, faith, strength, endurance, compassion, and heart. There is magic in hearing the stories of the lives of others, their obstacles, difficulties and challenges. All of these stories share a common bond, a persistent spirit in the face of adversity. These short stories will help readers find inspiration in many different places. The Bewitched television series has changed people’s lives. Hear the stories of every day people, who have taken a positive attitude to the ups and downs of life, by finding inspiration from the television show Bewitched. Take flight and remember to be grateful and count your blessings as you hear true stories from a new airplane flight attendant and how hard it is to “earn our wings.” Are you so sick of being part of the lonely hearts club? Hear two dating dilemmas in Corporate Toothbrushes and the screen play Jealous Cat. Need a cup of comfort? You will find solace and strength in a short story in memory of a Grandfather, entitled: Souvenirs of Life, Remembering Grandpa Chig and Robert, An Inspirational Life. This small collection of emotional stories will assist a person mourning over the loss of a loved one, a job, an ability, a relationship. Others who have lost will share their stories on what they have gained, offering guidance and hope.
Perhaps some food for thought? Nourishment for the mind, body, and spirit and some scrumptious Italian-Sicilian dishes is on the menu and is served up with humor and compassion with stories that are sure to tug at the heartstrings. Here is your recipe for success, engaging everyday events shared into inspiring stories. Your prescription to health, happiness and well being, a story a day.

Motivating Music through the Corona Virus

Feel Free to start your own song list. Enjoy! During the Corona Virus Pandemic and stay in shelter order, enjoy these songs.

Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun!
Cyndi Lauper

13 Going on 30, Vienna by, Billy Joel

Midnighth Oil, Bed are Burning extended version

Mercy Me Performs Even if with Testimony

Deepeche Mode, Enjoy The Silence

Journey, Don't Stop Believing

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Can't Hold Us Feat.

Right Now, Van Halen

The Inner Waits For You, Reflections, by, Gina Meyers

Reflections….

By, Gina Meyers

"Life is like driving in your car. The windshield is large so you can see where you WANT to go including all 

the hazards, unknowns and Possibilities. The rear-view mirror is like your past. The view is MUCH smaller, you can't do much about it and it's OK to glance into it periodically for guidance, but don’t Stare or you will crash

into your Future!"

You can be better than before.

Resistance and resilience are only a few letters different and yet they mean a world of difference.

Not only can you heal your life, you can overcome your fears which are your biggest setbacks.

If you can be honest with yourself, you can change yourself and the world!

You are way more powerful than you think. 

Dredging upon traumatic memories from the past was not on my plate du jour. As a matter of fact, didn’t want any reminders of what I’ve been through, but that’s the problem with “accidents”, “car accidents”, they have a way of exposing the onion layers all at once.

I’m raw like an onion peel and yet I’m more happy, satisfied, and lucky than I’ve ever felt. Freedom. 

From tragedy to triumph 

When you have a traumatic event that unfolds before your very eyes,

You are forced to relive other tramas in your life regardless of if the actual trauma involved the same 

situation.

For me the symbols and the fear all spelled vehicle or car, for the most part.

Getting involved in a motor vehicle accident, not my fault, so far, cross my fingers, knock on wood, 

every accident I have been involved in has been someone else's fault, that doesn’t make it any better

really, it just gives me a little less guilt and more fear and worry and concern than anything. 

Here is my advice: 

You need to get over trauma as quickly as possible.

You need to regurgitate everything quickly as if you have the flu, then rest, recuperate, 

reflect, self-care, write, journal, paint, sculpt, bake, be quiet. As the song says. 

Billy Joel says it best  in Vienna.

Slow down you crazy child

You are so ambitious for a juvenile

Where is the fire, what’s the hurry about? 

You better cool it off before you burn it out

Truth is… you  can get what you want or you could just get old!

You are gonna kick off before you even get halfway through

When will you realize--the inner waits for you?

Certain people and personalities that you can’t fully trust when you are going through difficult times.

horder, the toxic person, the bully, the competitive spirit. Personalities or character deficits that you 

can partially trust in difficult times, the co-dependent, the know-it-all. These people may tell you “they told you so”, but they will be dependendable in the sense that they be around puffing their chest, 

if you can handle the bravado, then ok. Co-dependents will blame themselves for your problem, 

so if you need a shoulder to cry on, they’ll be crying on yours, but you’ll at least get the 

attention/affection if that’s something you need. People you should steer clear of in good times and 

in bad, the liar, anyone physically, mentally, or emotionally abusive, difficult situations flare up their 

already atrocious personality/character flaws. Also, this isn’t meant to sound manipulative, it’s a fact 

that we are all flawed human beings having a spirit experience. Or some people believe we are spirits having a human experience. 

Gina is the author of numerous unique themed cookbooks and books of inspiration: Purchase her autographed copies here: http://www.ginameyers.com/books2.html