Why you need to know the difference between Category Entry Points and Reasons to Buy

Both Category Entry Points and Reasons To Buy are important building blocks to pay attention to when you want to grow as a brand. But then you have to be able to distinguish between them properly. And we don't always see organizations doing that. Then we instruct them to think about possible CEPs for their brand and then formulate possible reasons to buy their product.

What are Category Entry Points?

CEPs are prompts; specific situations or moments that are recognizable to your target audience in which your category also comes to mind. In communication, CEPs therefore represent situations at the beginning of the buying process that claim your brand. As a result, more people are more likely to think of your brand; you enlarge the start of your marketing funnel for your brand.

What are Reasons to Buy?

RTBs are reasons to buy a product. Those are much further down the buying process, then you are no longer browsing or orienting but maybe already deciding. Then you are talking specifically about the benefits of your product, for example; how high its quality is or its best features.

CEPS are important at the beginning of the buying process

At Blauw, we are firm believers in Byron Sharp's How Brands Grow market philosophy. With this, brands focus on brand growth. After all, as a brand you want to generate as much turnover as possible. To achieve that, you want to reach as many consumers as possible with your product. CEPs are one way to ensure that consumers within your category think of your brand. The more people think of you at the beginning of the buying process, the more people will choose your brand later on and the more revenue you will generate.

Funnel filling versus funnel optimization

Getting as many people as possible at the beginning of your funnel is called funnel filling. If you miss opportunities here, for example by bringing up RTBs while people are just thinking about the category then you are communicating the wrong thing. After all, they are not yet ready to buy something right now. And that would be a shame. After all, most consumers start a buying process based on intuitive and therefore unconscious behavior. That creates a good time to get people thinking about your brand. Only later in the buying process are people often making more rational decisions. Then they look faster at the specifications of a product or the pros and cons compared to various providers. Then you want to be busy with conversion or funnel optimization and RTBs are important.

Boost your brand with Category Entry Points: download our white paper

Of course, there is so much more to say about the importance of Category Entry Points. For example, how do you develop and select them for your brand? This and more branding experts Wilco Wigboldus and Ed Borsboom tell you in our latest white paper: Boost your brand with Category Entry Points.