Building Strong Brands Book
Laura N Gerard
Strong, successful brands have a defined purpose; a set of defined values, a philosophy, a guiding principle and/or a mantra that appeals to those who share these. Fundamental questions to ask yourself in the context of building your new brand should include things like:
These are vision/mission kinds of questions and transcend detailed features and benefits of your product or service, but they are critical in giving your target audience(s) reason to buy your brand over similar products and/or services.
Gaining an understanding of what your competitors are doing and saying in the marketplace is important as you are building your brand, and will continue to stay important over the life of your brand. In order to differentiate yourself effectively from those competitors, you need to know what perceptions they own in the minds of your target audience(s).
Five Psycho-Sensory Brand-Building Tools Psycho-Sensory Brand-Building Tools Psycho-sensory brand-building tools are an essential element in determining the success of your brand. Think about...
Storytelling is powerful because it has been the primary method of connecting people with ideas and knowledge since time immemorial. Stories do more than communicate, they build familiarity and trust. They elicit emotion. And, they are surprisingly efficient at conveying complex and abstract ideas. People understand stories easily and remember them better than general or abstracted information. People retell stories more readily and easily than reciting other learned information. Accordingly, the strongest and most successful brands are good at telling compelling and interesting stories that bestow meaning and relevance upon those brands.
In the case of our brand, prospects may or may not remember the description of Six Degrees as a psycho-sensory brand-building agency that applies findings from psychology, neuroscience and behavioral economics about how people process information/make decisions and then applies proven sensory techniques to trigger the desired perceptions and emotions in the minds of each specific target audience across all marketing materials.
But, what we hear people remember about us are the stories of our work. Like how our approach enabled Viagra to reduce the taboo around erectile dysfunction and bring ED treatment into medical and public discourse, helping to create a billion-dollar brand in the process.
In two words: research and alignment. If a brand is to thrive, it must be grounded in research and aligned with business strategy. The best way to build (and keep) a strong brand is from the inside out, and that starts with enterprise-level marketing research. When executed adeptly, research uncovers insights about customers and employees that businesses can leverage to form meaningful connections with consumers.
There comes a point in the life cycle of nearly every business where leadership realizes a need to rebrand. It could be lagging sales or declining market share. At times, new competitors enter the market, providing an opportunity for legacy brands to reexamine what makes them distinct. At still other times, a period of expansion by mergers and acquisitions creates the need to redefine the brand.
The client, which has weathered change in the travel industry for 73 years, has adapted and evolved to stay relevant and successful. A leader in modern-day travel, the company is making strategic investments in talent, technology and companies that position it to gain market share and expand its capabilities without degrading its commitment to delivering exemplary customer service.
The tried-and-true culture and approach to business that had made the company so successful needed to be integrated and ingrained into all locations and employees if the company was going to realize its full potential.
One of the critical ways that this client, as well as other companies going through a rebrand effort, can ensure success is by making a conscientious choice to act upon the insights gained through brand research exercises.
After rebrand research data is analyzed, it is essential to craft marketing and communication strategies from the data. Develop brand architecture and messaging that reflects who you are and not just what you do. All of the following familiar elements should express your unique identity:
Even elements that are primarily visual in nature (as opposed to verbal) can and should tell your ideal audiences who you are and what you value. Messaging focused on that truth will connect your brand with prospects and customers in meaningful ways.
Finally, with refreshed brand guidelines firmly in place, move strategy into action with campaigns and go-to-market plans that transform your new brand messaging into stories that capture the attention of your ideal audiences.
Although the attributes that matter most about a brand have changed, brands matter more today than ever before. Thirty years ago, a brand symbolized a sense of quality and consistency. Today, a brand must do that and also provide a link to something more.
Brands are now synonymous with their overall experience. Strong brands understand their identity is less about products and services and more about the experience the brand provides around the product. Knowing what you stand for is essential if you want your brand to break through.
As executives in a wide range of industries seek to prevent their products and services from becoming commodities, they are recommitting themselves to brands as a foundation of business strategy. This new work will be essential reading for the battle-ready.
David Aaker, is the author of over one hundred articles and 18 books on marketing, business strategy, and branding that have sold over one million copies. A recognized authority on branding, he has developed concepts and methods on brand building that are used by organizations around the world.
There's no doubt that digital is all the rage for marketing executives and their teams today. It feels like a hot new social media channel will pop up at any moment and tout itself as the next big thing. Undoubtedly, new digital channels have opened up exciting and opportunities for brands to engage with ever more connected consumers. However, spending so much time, effort and energy on digital channel selection and execution runs the risk of neglecting fundamentals of brand strategy.
For brands without a compelling, coherent strategy to inspire and guide effective marketing across all channels, neglecting brand strategy raises the risk of diluting brand equity over time as the brand message and experience get fragmented across an ever-increasing number of channels.
All companies need a strong brand and branding is a relevant process for an organization to incorporate in every facet of their business. With so many channels, options, and distractions for consumers today, brand-building must be approached differently than it was in the past.
It can help you build trust with customers, increase your market share, and drive sales. A strong brand can also improve your company's overall value, attract top talent, and create a sense of unity among your employees.
In this article, we'll explore seven major benefits of having a strong brand and explain why it's crucial for your business's success. Whether you're a small startup or an established enterprise, understanding the value of branding can take your business to the next level.
Two of the biggest motivating factors for customers to stay loyal to a brand are good customer service and products that work for them. A strong brand continuously works on improving the customer experience and anticipates customer needs with its products.
Advertising effectiveness refers to the measure of how likely it is that your customer will purchase your product after seeing your advertisement. The higher your advertising effectiveness is, the more likely your customer is to purchase your product.
You want your employees to be happy where they work, and with the work your company does. Happy employees prove to be more engaged, and engaged employees stay at companies longer, are more productive, and are 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are very valuable to your company.
A strong brand invests in the careers and success of its people, which helps keep employees engaged. Some of the strongest brands are increasing employee motivation by putting more focus on culture and a positive work environment. A positive culture and environment can help contribute to happy employees who feel engaged with your brand.
Building Strong Brands
Learn the unique role of brands as a marketing tool. It delineates the differences between product and brand management, examines the ways in which brands create market value, and presents the concepts of brand equity and brand power.
Designing the Brand
Understand key brand attributes and core principles in designing the brand, including: defining the brand name, designing the brand logo and soundmark, creating the brand motto and character, and crafting the product design and packaging.
Communicating the Brand
Explore key principles in developing a successful brand communication campaign, including: brand-building focus, visionary approach, authentic message, impactful design, and ethical implementation.
Crafting the Brand Architecture
Unpack the concept of brand architecture and addressed the issues involved in designing and managing brand portfolios and cobranding. Specific topics include: managing brand and product portfolios, defining the brand hierarchy, cobranding as a tool for creating market value, developing a viable cobranding strategy, and managing private label brand architecture.
Managing Brand Dynamics
Discover how to best manage brands over time, including: the essence of brand extensions, vertical and horizontal brand extensions, brand repositioning, brand realignment, and brand licensing.