Branding through the looking glass

Revealing the secrets of a successful brand

About me…

•  Marketing and brand practitioner

•  10 years experience; B2B, B2C, Public & Private sector

•  Branding Associate with JumpTo: www.jumpto.co.uk

•  Recently set-up my own online planning agency: www.dotbizdigital.com

About you…

Today’s session…

3 Goals…

1.  To introduce key concepts and principles behind brands and branding

2.  To get you thinking about your own brands

3.  To create a simple brand identity statement and visual positioning chart

Agenda

•  Now – 2.15pm: scene setting presentation

•  2.15pm – 3.00pm: interactive exercises

•  3.00pm – 3.30pm: coffee break

•  3.30pm – 4.55pm: interactive exercises

•  5.00pm: close

Quick exercise…

Just what is a brand?

My viewpoint…

It’s NOT a logo…

Source: The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier

It’s NOT an advertising slogan…

It’s NOT a product…

So WHAT is it?

Whatisabrand?

It’s what you stand for in the mind of a customer (or prospect)

Whatisabrand?

Think of it as your image or reputation…

Whatisabrand?

OR…

Just like your personal reputation…

It’s NOT what you say it is…

Whatisabrand?

It’snotwhatyousayitis…

It’s what THEY say it is…

Reputation’s are built on two things:

1. Direct experience: what we know

2. Indirect experience: what we think we

know

How do successful brands build a

strong reputation?

They stand-out!

Successful brands stand for something

in the minds of target customers

At their core is differentiating idea that marks them out

from competitors

Question…

Why didn’t BMW just call the new Mini a BMW 1-Series?

Question…

Why did NEW Coke flop?

Why doesn’t Apple introduce a range of no frills, budget workstations?

Brands go bad when they don’t deliver

what they promise…

Why have brands become so important…

As consumers we use brands to

reinforce our self image

And generate peer group approval

We use brands to fulfill psychological

needs

Rational Reliable Practical

Value for money

Emotional Safe

A family purchase

Rational Engineering

Design Performance

Emotional Kudos

An aspirational purchase

Rational Comfort

Style Luxury

Emotional Recognition

An “I’ve made it” purchase

Take away lessons…

Take away…

•  Your brand is what you stand for in the mind of the customer

•  Think of it as your reputation

•  To build a strong brand you need to stand for something distinctive and different

•  And deliver what you promise

“Products are created in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.” Walter Landor

So what’s branding then…

The whole point of branding is to find a

simple idea that separates you from your

competitors…

Or, to put it another way…

The goal of branding is to differentiate your cow from all the other cows in

the field…

From this…

To this…

Source: Purple Cow, Seth Godin

Why does being different matter?

“Today, we live in an increasingly over-

communicated society. Each year we send out more and receive less.”

Jack Trout

1981…

2010…

“Today’s real competition doesn’t come from direct or even indirect competitors. It

comes from the extreme clutter of the marketplace.”

Marty Neumeier

What is a brand?

The human mind deals with clutter the best way it can – by

blocking it out!

What is a brand?

To build a brand in the mind of your customer you need to cut through the

clutter…

but how…

FOCUS!

Not so focussed brands…

Any ideas what these brands stand

(or stood) for?

What’s the most important question

in branding?

“Why should I care…”

“In a world where everyone is after

your business you must supply your customers with a

compelling reason to buy you instead of your competitor.”

Jack Trout

“If you don’t offer a good reason reason, then you had better have a very

good price!”

What ideas could we use to differentiate this

new sports car?

You might be the… fastest

You might be the… original

You might be the… coolest

You might… offer the most choice

You might be… ethical

You might be the… biggest & loudest

Or, you might be the… safest

You can be anything you want to be…

So long as you stand for something

different

And give your customers a reason to care about you…

Sorry Rick, but nobody cares…

If the point of branding is to find a simple idea that sets

you apart…

The point of marketing is to make your customers aware of this difference…

Whatisabrand?

The trick is selecting the right mix of media and

communications channels…

But that’s another story…

Take away…

•  Branding is all about differentiating your product or service

•  The goal of branding is to establish differentiating idea in the mind of your prospect

•  Today’s customer is information rich and time poor

•  A powerful branding programme starts by narrowing the focus not expanding it – this is the hard part

•  And simplifying the message NOT complicating it

Putting theory into practice…

Branding through the looking glass

Attendee work booklet – 23rd June 2010

Exercise 1: The basics

Brand name:_________________________ i.e. the name ALL of your customers know you by

Brand category:______________________ i.e. the core product/service you provide; car, PC, lawyer, designer etc.

Brand vision: i.e. the passion driving you & your brand

Brand competition: i.e. the top 3-4 companies you’re up against

Exercise 2: What’s your vision?

Exercise 2…

It is five year’s from now and you have recently sold your brand. This success story has been picked up by The Sunday Times who are running a lead feature in the business section of the paper. What would you like this article to say…

1. To get you thinking about your own brands

2. To create a simple brand identity statement and visual positioning chart

Exercise 2…

1.  What’s the headline?

2.  What’s the supporting picture?

3.  What do your peers/customers say about you?

4.  How has your brand revolutionised the market (which competitors has it put out of business)?

5.  How can you success be summarised?

Write-up on flip chart and be ready to present!

10 BUSINESS

Brand X sold to Y organisation for £Z million pounds…

SUNDAY TIMES | 12.07.14

What’s the Headline?

What’s the Supporting Picture?

How can our Success be Summarised?

What would our peers say about us?

Brand name:_________________________ i.e. the name ALL of your customers know you by

Brand category:______________________ i.e. the core product/service you provide; car, PC, lawyer, designer etc.

Brand vision: i.e. the passion driving you & your brand

Brand competition: i.e. the top 3-4 companies you’re up against

Exercise 3: What makes you the

ONLY?

1. CATEGORY: The ONLY motorcycle manufacturer

2. USP: that makes big, loud motorcycles

3. CUSTOMER: for macho guys (macho “wannabees”)

4. NEED: who want to join a gang of cowboys

5. MARKET: mostly in the United States

6. TREND: in an era of decreasing personal freedom

Source: ZAG, Marty Neumeier

Exercise 3…

Using the above headings draft a brand proposition statement for your brand using the flip chart paper provided.

Pay close attention to point 2. If your competitor can also make this claim its not a USP

Once finished, discuss within your groups and be prepared to present

We are the ONLY___________________________

That______________________________________

For________________________________________

Who_______________________________________

In_________________________________________

In an era when____________________________

Brand positioning: i.e. who you are, what you do, and why your customers should care

Exercise 4: How do you

communicate this?

Exercise 4…

•  A good slogan should express a position or differentiating idea

•  It cannot be easily expressed by a competitor

•  It should give you a reason to buy a product or service

•  A good slogan should be obvious!

“The Ultimate Driving Machine”

“The World’s No. 1 Cell Phone”

Source: In Search of the Obvious, Jack Trout

“The World’s Favourite Place to

Eat” Source: In Search of the Obvious, Jack Trout

Our slogan is: i.e. one line that communicates the above to our target customers

Exercise 5: How do you express

this?

5-word creative brief: i.e. 5 keywords that define the aspirational image and personality of our brand

•  ____________ •  ____________ •  ____________ •  ____________ •  ____________

Visual positioning i.e. how we compare against our competitors and bring our creative aspirations to life

Modern

Youthful

Informal

About you

Radical

Modern

Youthful

Informal

About you

Radical

Traditional

Mature

Formal

About us

Conservative

Thank you for listening…

Questions

For more info:

Ben Mumby-Croft

Branding: ben@jumpto.co.uk Digital strategy: ben@dotbizdigital.com

07738 963828

www.slideshare.net/benmumbycroft