brand strategy toolkit

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Everything you need to define a brand in one place


Why A Brand Strategy Toolkit?

Only one fourth of marketing and advertising professionals "...can clearly articulate (their) company's brand position to... clients, customers or prospective clients.“ (2)

Strong brands never happen by accident. Yet only 53% of firms say they have a long term brand strategy in place.(1)

(1) Prophet, Best Practices Survey, 2002

(2) Louws Management Corporation Survey, 2007

Often, what is missing is a shared set of tools for creating and implementing an effective brand strategy.


What is Brand Strategy?

A brand strategy is simply a plan for developing a coherent brand. It provides the means for systematically creating differentiation and consumer appeal by empowering better brand decisions across the organization.

““There is no tool better than the brand for uniting There is no tool better than the brand for uniting the forces and the stakeholders inside and around the forces and the stakeholders inside and around your company.”your company.”Thomas Gad, 4-D Branding: Cracking the Corporate Code of the

Network Economy, 2001

““The role of brands has evolved; brands are now The role of brands has evolved; brands are now company DNA, the spark from which all corporate company DNA, the spark from which all corporate life grows.” life grows.” Will Murray, Brand Storm: A Tale of Passion, Betrayal, and Revenge, 2001

““...ideally, the brand will make black and white decisions ...ideally, the brand will make black and white decisions not just at the top of the house, but also all the way down not just at the top of the house, but also all the way down the line.”the line.”David F. D’Allesandro, Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand, 2001

An effective brand strategy influences the total operation of a business to ensure consistent brand experiences for the customer.


Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy

Brand Strategy is separate from the marketing mix. It guides and inform decisions about product strategy, placement, promotion and pricing.

I. Corporate Objectives & Brand Portfolio

II. Marketing Objectives

III. Brand Strategy

Communications Strategy

Product and Pricing Strategy

Channel and Distribution Strategy

IV. Marketing Execution & Monitoring

Strategic Marketing Process

Brand strategy is an integral part of the overall strategic marketing process. It bridges the gap between business strategy, marketing objectives and marketing strategy.


Brand Strategy Process

Target & Insight

Brand Execution Brand Execution

Brand Elements

Competitive Assessment

Brand Inventory

Equity Pyramid

Positioning

Objectives & Metrics

Personality

CommunicationsStrategy

Brand Experience Map

Brand StrategyBrand Strategy

Brand AuditBrand Audit

CRM &Community

Building

Points of Parity and Difference

The process of creating a brand strategy begins with a brand audit and ends with a plan for executing the brand across all touch points.


Brand Audit

Target & Insight Competitive Assessment

Brand Inventory

Brand AuditBrand Audit



Target Insight

Where to Find Insights

A target insight describes how a meaningful connection can be established between what the brand offers and the target’s explicit or implicit needs.

Trends

Motivations/”Sweet spots”

Decision-making process/criteria

Higher level benefits

Image/Identity gaps

New Segments

Unmet needs


Target Insight: Wine Enthusiasts

Enthusiasts are passionate about the entire wine experience. They enjoy researching what to buy and enjoying wine with friends and family. They like the

whole culture of food, wine and knowing how to get the most out of the experience.

“So much variety to try. I like to look at labels but I also like to look at Wine Spectator. I really like to entertain, tasting wine with friends. It’s the best experience.”


Competitive Assessment

Competitive assessment describes the customers’ perceived consideration set of alternatives and the brand’s advantages and disadvantages within that set.

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Rosa Mexicano Competitors

Steak houses, and high end chains that offer good food in an unpretentious setting.

Rosa’s has no direct Mexican cuisine competitors outside of New York, and very few within New York.



Brand

Strengths

Consumer

Needs

Competitor Strengths

Our

PODs

Potential Brand Differences

POPs• Points of Parity (Category

Benefits)

Vulnerabilities

Their PODs

Wants and Needs

a POD’s analysis is to identify what ideas from our brand and competitive brands are most meaningful and potentially differentiating.

The purpose of a POP’s analysis is to identify which category benefits are critical for establishing credibility.


Points of Parity and Difference: Hardware

BrandStrengths

Consumer Needs

Competitor Strengths

Hardware Store Hardware Store Potential Points of Potential Points of DifferenceDifference

• Knowledgeable Assistance

• Feeling empowered/confident

•Feeling valued, important to Westlake Ace

Hardware StoreHardware StorePoints of ParityPoints of Parity

•Selection – meets requirements - satisfies

• Cost efficient

•Time efficient

VulnerabilitiesVulnerabilities

• Wide and deep selection enables choices

Customer NeedsCustomer Needs

• Minimize time and effort

• Feeling good about the quality of the job


Brand Inventory

Heritage/Historical Positionings (existing products)

Brand Identity logos, icons or symbols

Secondary associations

Gaps between identity and image

Organizational strengths

Brand Values/Vision

Product performance claims, proprietary technology/patents

Third-party ratings or endorsements

Where to Find Assets or Gaps

A brand inventory identifies existing or potential assets that can be leveraged or gaps that need to be addressed to build or create sustainable points of differentiation.


Brand Inventory: Blockbuster

Brand ImageryBrand Imagery

• “Corporate”• “Well-known”• “Familiar”•“Comfortable”

• “Institution”• “Dinosaur”• “Old”• “Dull”

Familiar Comfortable Solid

Selection of movies

EntertainingFamily Fun ExperienceConvenienceEnjoyment Relaxation

Blockbuster is relatively ‘faceless’, with no strong personality, either positive or negative. Its own customers think of it as big and corporate.


Brand Strategy

Equity Pyramid

Positioning

Objectives & Metrics

Personality

Brand StrategyBrand Strategy


Brand Pyramid

Resonance

Consumer Judgments

Consumer Feelings

Brand ImageryBrand Performance

Salience

The brand equity pyramid outlines the basic building blocks of what the brand should stand for – brand vision, brand positioning, and brand personality and brand measurement.

IdentityIdentity

RelationshipRelationship

ResponseResponse

MeaningMeaning

Brand Equity Pyramid Brand Equity Pyramid


Example Brand Pyramid: Ravenswood

ResonanceThe wine I’m

proud to share.

Consumer JudgmentsQuality wineAuthentic, genuine

Consumer FeelingsConfident,

Discerning, savvy

Brand ImageryAccessible, not snooty wine for

discerning wine lovers.

Brand PerformanceQuintessential CA Zinfindel

Soul not overridden by process.

SalienceRavenswood is a high quality Sonoma varietal everyone can enjoy.

IdentityIdentity

RelationshipRelationship

ResponseResponse

MeaningMeaning

Brand Equity Pyramid Brand Equity Pyramid


Brand Positioning Statement

A brand positioning statement describes how the brand will communicate with a specific target group to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

For (Target), (Brand/Company) is the only/best (consumer frame of reference)

that (statement of key benefit or guiding value), because/by (reason to believe, key credibility point).

Evaluation Criteria: Brand Fit, Customer Relevance, Uniqueness, Sustainability, Credibility


Positioning Example: Carhartt

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For hardworking men and women who value doing the job right, Carhartt is the authentic work wear expert

that provides proven, uncompromised performance to support what you do

because

1) Carhartt has continuously innovated to meet worker’s demands for over 100 years

2) Carhartt products have been tested and proven on-the-job with real workers.


Brand Personality

Brand personality describes how a brand behaves --- what it does and how it does it – so that the brand always acts consistent with its values. Brand personality enhances target appeal and provide further differentiation.

What Brand is:

What Brand is NOT:

The FIVE CORE DIMENSIONS OF PERSONALITY

Sincerity (down to earth, honest, real, wholesome, cheerful)Excitement (daring, trendy, spirited, cool, imaginative, up-to-date)Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful, leader, confident)Sophistication (upper class, charming, glamourous, good looking)Ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough, masculine)


What Rosa Mexicano is:Friendly

FunSophisticated & Contemporary

SpiritedAuthentic

What Rosa Mexicano is NOT:Fancy

TraditionalPretentious or stuffy

Take itself too seriously

Brand Personality: Rosa Mexicano


Brand Execution

Brand Execution Brand Execution

Brand Elements

CommunicationsStrategy

Brand Experience Map

CRM &Community

Building


Brand Elements

Brand Name Brand Logos and Icons

• Colors• Symbols• Music/Earcons

Celebrities or Personalities Advertising slogans and jingles Brand Alliances/Secondary Associations

• Co-branding• Licensing• Sponsorship• Event Marketing• Celebrity Endorsement• Third-party Endorsements


Brand Experience Delivery

A brand experience map describes the points of interaction that influence customer behavior and brand perceptions through the customer lifecycle. It helps identify and prioritize high-impact customer touch points, sometimes called ‘moments of truth’.

Customer InitiatedCustomer Initiated

WebStore

Customer Service

Company-InitiatedCompany-Initiated

SignageAdvertising

CRM

UnexpectedUnexpected

Third party endorsementsWord of mouth

News

Intrinsic (Use)Intrinsic (Use)

In the storeAt home


Brand Experience Moments of Truth

Moments of truth represent how the customer evaluates quality and how well their needs are met. They are the experiences that have the greatest impact on satisfaction and future behavior.

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Often, the most effective way to connect customers to the brand is to connect them to each other. ‘Brand communities’ help define user image and distinguish brand users as part of a special group.

Community building tools

• Social networks• Blogs• Refer a friend• Product ratings• Live chat• Events• Panels and surveys

Community Building


Conclusion

Powerful brands built over time through careful strategic management. A clear brand strategy is essential for creating, building and sustaining a powerful brand. Brand strategy requires knowledge of customers’ current understanding of the brand, and a vision of how that understanding needs to evolve in order to meet business goals.

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““A brand is a customer’s A brand is a customer’s understanding about a product, understanding about a product, service, or company. It’s not service, or company. It’s not what you say it is, but what what you say it is, but what THEY say it is.”THEY say it is.”

--Marty Neumeier, author, “Zag”--Marty Neumeier, author, “Zag”

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