becoming a leading edge brand consultant

Becoming a Leading Edge

BRAND CONSULTANT

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GAreas of expertise:

•Contact Centre•Customer Service•Sales•Brand Delivery•Leadership and Development•Motivation and Presentation•Behavioral Science

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COMPANIES WE HAVE WORKED WITH

WHAT IS BRAND?

A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan.

WHAT IS BRAND?

“Nothing seems more obvious to me that a product or service only becomes a brand when it is imbued with profound values that translate into fact and feeling that employees can project and customers can embrace.”

Sir Richard Branson

WHAT IS BRAND?

“Vision is perhaps our greatest strength... It has kept us alive to the power and continuity of thought through the centuries, it makes us peer into the future and lends shape to the unknown.”

Li Ka Shing

THE POWER BEHIND BRANDS

WHAT MAKES THEM GREAT?

BRANDING IS A BUSINESS PROCESS

Branding is a business process and one that is planned, strategically-focussed and integrated throughout the organisation. Branding establishes the direction, leadership, clarity of purpose, inspiration and energy for a company’s most important asset – its BRAND. Even the most potentially powerful strategy will fail if not executed effectively and consistently.

BEING A LIVING BRAND ORGANISATION

People within the business must firstly understand the brand promise but then live it.The concept is pretty simple, but it’s all encompassing as the goal should be to turn every company member, product service, piece of communication or interface into a walking, talking, touchable reflections of the brand itself.

A brand strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the starting point.

BRAND ALIVE PROJECT PART 1

You have been now given the brief of a company that your team will be responsible for launching the Taiwanese brand into a foreign market. Take some time with your groups and familiarise yourself with your new company. Feel free to make a few tweaks to the brand values or it mission if you like. Remember this is your chance to GO GLOBAL!

TRADITIONAL ORGANISATIONAL BRANDING VS. GOING GLOBAL?

Similarities?

Differences?

GOING GLOBAL

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING CYCLE

The strategic planning for a brand starts with an understanding of an organisations business strategy.

THE STRATEGIC PLANNING CYCLE

BUSINESS STRATEGY

A Brand is the translation of the business strategy into a consumer experience that brings about a specific consumer behaviour.

It is imperative that the business strategy and brand strategy are aligned in order to create value in new markets.

THREE BASICS BEFORE GOING GLOBAL

OneThe organisation needs to possess a valuable intangible asset (such as technology, patents or strong brand proposition.


TwoThere needs to be sufficient and steady demand in the new markets for the kind of service or products offered.


ThreeThe organisation needs to be able to replicate or establish a local customer experience abroad.

BUSINESS STRATEGY

BRAND EXPRESSION

Brand expression is the brand as defined and articulated by the organisation. This integrates brand strategy and brand identity to express a multi-sensory brand experience through a portfolio of brand signals. These signals manage consumer expectations by carrying and conveying meaning. This makes it easier for people both inside and outside the organisation to understand the brand's core purpose.

BRAND EXPRESSION

ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

• What is the required brand experience that the brand expression is supposed to achieve in the host country?

• Does management in the host country understand the brand the same way management does in the home country?

• What is the role of the brand for the organisation in the host country?

• Does it matter whether the brand expression differs between the home and the host country?

• Do the stages of brand development in the host country warrant a differing brand expression (for the time being)?

MARKETINGTHE BRIDGE 5TH


• How does the brand expression translate into the actual marketing mix in the host market?

• Does local adaptation of the brand expression require an adaptation of the marketing mix?

• Does standardisation of the brand expression lead to a standardisation of the marketing mix?

• Is an adaptation of the marketing mix required?• Should the marketing implementation be transplanted to the

host country?• Should the organisation adapt its operations and customer

interface to ensure that it functions according to the brand expression?

BRAND RECOGNITION

Brand Recognition is the extent to which a brand is recognised for stated brand attributes or communications. In some cases brand recognition is defined as aided recall - and as a subset of brand recall. In the case, brand recognition is the extent to which a brand name is recognized when prompted with the actual name.

• Does the host country already have knowledge of the brand name?• How does the name of the brand translate into

the host countries vocabulary?• Is their any heritage that may exist around

your brand name or slogan?• Is there longevity in your brand and recall

mechanisms?


ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS: INTERNAL


You have been now given the brief to launch your respective brand into either Canada or Brazil. The first step is to conduct your initial due diligence on this location and come up with a list of considerations that you will need to further explore and questions that will need answering prior to moving the brand forward into this market.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Performing customer needs-driven segmentation with perspectives on competition and evolving segmentation economics. This will include segment growth, customer behaviour, price and service requirements.

Building a scenario based planning approach based on needs is likely to give useful direction to where the company can take its brand in the future.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS: EXTERNAL

INSIDE THE MIND OF THE CUSTOMER

Why do customers buy Brands?

The Emotional Drivers of Brands

Self-actualisationPersonal growth and fulfilment

Esteem needsAchievement, status, responsibility, reputation

Belongingness and Love needsFamily, affection, relationships, work group, etc.

Safety needsProtection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

Biological and Physiological needsBasic live needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Interpreting Behaviour According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Biological - health, fitness, energising mind and body, etc

• Safety - order and structure needs met for example by some heavily organised, structural activity

• Belongingness - team sport, club 'family' and relationships

• Esteem - competition, achievement, recognition

• Self-Actualization drivers - challenge, new experiences, love of art, nature, etc

TranscendenceHelping others to self-actualise

Self-actualisationPersonal growth, self-fulfilment

Aesthetic needsBeauty, balance, form, etc.

Cognitive needsKnowledge, meaning, self-awareness


Adapted 8 Level Hierarchy of Needsbased on Maslow’s Theory




IS ECONOMICS THE STUDY OF MONEY OR THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOUR?

Interesting to note that during this last recession well established, high end and luxury brands did much better

than originally forecasted. In such turbulent markets people gravitate toward safety and security.



I HAVE TO HAVE IT !!!


THE DESIRE TO BE PART OF A FAMILY

This is considered to be one of the main driving forces behind brand, the unconscious and somewhat non-logical relationship that people have with their chosen brand. The brand identity allows us to identify others that are similar

to us and join them.


THE WORLD IS CHANGING WITH SYMBOLIC CONSUMPTION

With media, live and on the edge of war, famine, natural disasters, with global warming showing the harm that people are doing to the

planet, with recycling, social responsibility and sustainability all active in the role of brands, consumers are more aware and critical of

a brand movement and social responsibility. As the view of what is expectable changes so will consumers response to their connections

to brands.

CHANGING THE FACE OF AN INDUSTRY

Cognitive needsKnowledge, meaning, self-awareness

TELL ME EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW OR JUST TELL ME YOUR NAME AND I WILL DO THE REST

Brands guide people through the vast number of competitive products and assist individuals to reach faster, more simple, and

personally connected choices when purchasing. They do not need to know all the logistics of the product as the brain has already connected through neuronal association all that is required to

meet the other needs discussed.

THE GESTALT EFFECT

What brand do you really respond to and have high affinity with?

WHY??

THE GESTALT EFFECT

“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts”

IS THIS TWO FACES OR A VASE??

BEST LAID PLANS AND RESOLVED?

Aesthetic needsBeauty, balance, form, etc.

BRANDS EXCITE US

When mastered, brands can attach themselves to pleasure receptors and live very happily there for sometime. ‘I think

this commercial speaks for its self.. Let see and hear and mmm taste.’

NOW THAT IS SPECIAL

Self-actualisationPersonal growth, self-fulfilment

BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE

Brands allow people to dream, they allow us to be part of a world that they may not have access to everyday. They can

also inspire us, drive us and show us a path to self actualisation by offering us mentors and aspirations. Implicit within the images and the lifestyle that brands portray, they

involve a value system that is packaged for consumption.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

TranscendenceHelping others to self-actualise

FROM EMPLOYEE TO LIVING BRAND ADVOCATE

We have now reached the ultimate in Brand Power and this true affinity and connection to the brand values

allows us to stand beside the brand. We can now represent it through passion, belief and the desire to

see others have their required needs meet through it’s brand promise.

BRAND PERSONALITY

A brand personality is developed to enhance the appeal of a brand to consumers. To determine a brands personality one may ask the following question:

What does my brand want to be liked for by my customer?


It is time to start to give your brand some personality. Based on your previous country research and of course the great intuition of a Global Brand Manager, start to develop the personality of your brand. First you must identify your potential target market and customer profile and their traits. What personality and SLOGAN would best match this demographic?

SENSORY BRAND PERSONALITY

BRAND PERCEPTION

The brand perception is defined as the total impression that customers have of the brand, based on their exposure to it. This consist of both the image formed and their experiences with it. This will vary dependant on the brand (i.e. a luxury brand verses a household cleaner)

WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

BRAND PERCEPTION

THE BRAND DOMAIN

The brand domain will have many factors that are affected by the customer considerations. It is defined by what consumers understand the actual offer of the brand to be. In other words, the brand domain consists of…

THE BRAND DOMAIN

• What the brand offers. This concerns the products and services provided under the brand name, including all the product and service attributes.

• How consumers learn about the brand. These are the various forms of media and events employed to communicate about the brand, as well as word of mouth.

• Where the brand can be obtained. This has to do with the distribution channels or outlets that help get the brand into the hands of consumers.

• Which solutions the brand offers to consumers. This involves the way in which a brand resolves problems or deals with inconveniences with which consumers are faced.

THE BRAND REPUTATION

In short – this is what the customers perceive the brand to stand for. A brand reputation provides additional customer connection with its authenticity, credibility and it’s reliability.

Will your brand live up to it’s customer promise?

THREE TYPES OF REPUTATION QUALITIES

• Contextual to the brand. These aspects consist of matters such as the brand’s birthright, its lineage, its past or current locality, and its creator or founder. The importance of such contextual traits rests on their ability to provide legitimacy and assurance to a brand.

• Intrinsic to the brand. These are qualities or strengths that the brand has developed over the years and that form the basis of expectations of – or even outright promises by – a brand.

• Associative to the brand. These are qualities that are attributed to the brand through its association with others, such as experts, famous persons or particular groups of consumers, as well as other brands. Qualities are either sanctioned by or rub off from these third parties on the brand.

BRAND AFFINITY

Brand affinity is a metric that lets market researchers make predictions about how a consumer will behave. Brand affinity also adds a layer of information that is helpful when differentiating among consumers in order to accomplish market segmentation.

BENEFITS OF ACHIEVING AFFINITY

• A likelihood that they will stick with your brand or company as long as the affinity continues.

• A high probability that they will purchase the brand or other products from the brand when given a free choice situation

• A good chance that they will make referrals of your brand to friends and family (free marketing)

• They tend to describe high levels of overall customer satisfaction through continued support.

CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR

THE BRAND PYRAMID

5 LEVELS OF BRAND RECOGNITION

INCENTIVE LOYALTY

• Inertia Loyalty• Lazy Loyalty• Monopoly Loyalty• Price Loyalty• Trend Loyalty


It is time to put your draft marketing, routes to market and launch plan together. Taking into account your desired brand perception, its domain, future reputation and the affinity that you wish to master in the future. You will need to use some of your intuition here but you will be given a chance to test some of your ideas later.

Rising to the ChallengeBridge Rings of Power

REACTIVE

PROACTIVE

THE ACTION BRIDGE

WHAT ARE PEOPLE REALLY SAYING?

Are you a good listener?

The Art of Questioning

THE CONVERSATION CYCLE

The Questioning Funnel

Closed Question

Open Question

TED

Hypothetical / Reflective


Your group will know have the opportunity to run a focus group from your host country. You have 20 minutes to prepare your questions and ideas for the group. This will be a great opportunity to discuss your brand, its personality and verify some of your chosen marketing mediums. Remember this is not a pitch but your opportunity to test some of your ideas.

LIVING BRAND CULTURE

“You cannot be special, distinctive, and compelling in the marketplace unless you create something special, distinctive, and compelling in

the workplace.”

Brand is Culture and Culture is Brand.

THE BRIDGE 5TH

BRIDGE BRAND2LIFE

WHAT IS A LIVING BRAND CULTURE?

Brand Culture

How we do things around here

“A company's culture and its company brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The brand

may lag the culture at first, but eventually it will catch up”

Tony Hseih, Zappos.com

DEVELOP A BRAND PROMISE

A brand is a promise. The basis of any brand is the core promise, the essential idea around which the other components of the brands are built. A promise to achieve certain results, deliver a certain experience, or act in a certain way. But notice something: the word ‘promise’ is a lot more powerful than the word ‘strategy’ or ‘performance’. That’s because strategy and performance are about corporations. Promises are about people.

LIVING THAT BRAND PROMISE

A promise is conveyed by everything people see, hear, touch, taste and smell about your brand. One of your greatest brand legacies can be your people and how they bring to life your brand promise. There are both rational and emotional connections to your brand and through a Brand2Life Programme you can humanise your mission in a way that everyone in the organisation can live and understand.

WHAT MOTIVATES EMPLOYEES IN A VALUE BASED CULTURE?

CONSIDERATIONS UPDATE

• Ubiquity. How widely is something practised by competitors or consumers?

• Uniformity. Does every competitor or consumer behave in exactly the same way or think exactly the same about this matter?

• Stability. Has the consideration changed much over time? Has it begun to show changes recently?

• Significance. Does the consideration have a particular relevance to competitors or consumers? Do they feel that they could do without it?

• Depth. Is the consideration rooted in the fabric of the category or in the society? How valuable do competitors and consumers consider it to be to them?

FLEXIBILITY LIES WITH YOUR LIVING BRAND CULTURE

“As we started to grow, we asked ourselves, how can we sustain this culture? How can we remember it while simultaneously inspiring ourselves for the next year? Our answer was the culture book. It's packed with each employee's idea about our culture, as well as photos, our core values and more.”

The best products, price, packaging and even promotion does not guarantee success unless it in underpinned and supported but a fantastic team of living brand champions.

To keep your brand alive ensure that you develop a strategy plan that embraces the people in the frontline and embodies the brand.


Put together a short people strategy plan to ensure that your people in the host country are connected to the brand values and promise. Also take careful consideration of how you will bring your home and host teams together in order that they both encapsulate the projected personality of the brand.Things to consider:


Now, it is time to bring it all together into one launch strategy. In your groups please prepare a 5 to 10 minute pitch presentation outlining:Your Brand, its vision and value.

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