60-minute brand strategist. the essential brand book for marketing professionals

ContentsIntroduction

Chapter01:AllAboutBrandsABrandIsNot...ABrandIs...BrandTaxonomiesWhyBrandsAreinTrouble?WhatIsaBrand?BrandExtensionsBrandEquityEnhancement(orDilution)Index

Chapter02:BrandinginaPostmodernCultureBrandingGetsMetaphysical

Chapter03:StrategicPerspectivesofBrandingDecisionMapforBrandChoicesDecisionMapforBrandLeveraging“Standforsomethingoryou’llfallforanything!”TheInvolvementGridBrandCustomerInteractionsandRelationshipsMatrix

Chapter04:ManagingBrandValueStartwithBrandStrategyorBusinessStrategy?BrandAwarenessIsNottheSameasBrandDifferentiationIndividualProductsIntegratedMarkets

Chapter05:BrandLeadership

CaseStudy:BrandedHouseversusHouseofBrands

Chapter06:LuxuryBrandMarketingOldLuxuryNewLuxuryWebecomeconsumersofillusions

Chapter07:StrategicBrandingProcess

Chapter08:StrategicBrandingAssessment

Chapter09:StrategicBrandAudit

Glossary

AbouttheAuthor

Index

“Idrishasmanaged tocondenseyearsof intensebrand thinking, innovation,andpractice into thishighlydigestibleandeye-openingbook.Apleasure toabsorbbothvisuallyandintellectually,the60-MinBrandStrategistisaboontoanyoneincontactwiththebrandlevers.”—DaneSolomon,SVP,ExecutiveCreativeDirector,Williams-Sonoma,Inc.

“Cohesivebrandstrategiesareat theheartofeverygreatcompany.Idrishasthis amazing ability to articulate how to get every facet working together,whichiscriticalintoday’severchangingworld.”

—JustinCooke,CMO,TOPSHOP“Idris’s insight, compiled in the 60-Minute Brand Strategist, is a terrificprimer thatcanbeusedtounlockthe“whoamI”questionandservesasanexcellent resource for anybody interested in the intersection of brandmarketingandbusinessstrategy.”

—IanYolles,CMO,Recyclebank“...itpresentsalotofpunchy,inter-connectedidesthatwillputyouthinkingonmarketingandbrands.Althoughit

coversthefamiliartopics,itoftendoessoinoriginalways...”TheGlobeandMail“Customersmustrecognizethatyoustandforsomething.”

—HowardSchultz,Starbucks

Copyright©2013byIdrisMootee.Allrightsreserved.Design:SaliTabacchiInc.PublishedbyJohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,Hoboken,NewJersey.PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada.Nopartof thispublicationmaybe reproduced, stored ina retrieval system,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanning,orotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSection107or108of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior writtenpermissionofthePublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper-copyfeetotheCopyrightClearanceCenter,222RosewoodDrive,Danvers,MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web atwww.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should beaddressed to thePermissionsDepartment, JohnWiley&Sons, Inc., 111RiverStreet,Hoboken,NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online atwww.wiley.com/go/permissions.LimitofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty:Whilethepublisherandauthorhaveused their best efforts in preparing this book, theymakeno representations orwarrantieswith respect to theaccuracyorcompletenessof thecontentsof thisbook and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability orfitnessforaparticularpurpose.Nowarrantymaybecreatedorextendedbysalesrepresentatives or written salesmaterials. The advice and strategies containedherein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with aprofessional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall beliablefordamagesarisingherefrom.Forgeneralinformationaboutourotherproductsandservices,pleasecontactourCustomerCareDepartmentwithintheUnitedStatesat(800)762-2974,outsidetheUnitedStatesat(317)572-3993orfax(317)572-4002.Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand.Somematerial includedwithstandardprintversionsofthisbookmaynotbe included ine-booksor inprint-on-demand. If thisbook refers tomediasuchasaCDorDVDthatisnotincludedintheversionyoupurchased,youmaydownload thismaterial at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more informationaboutWileyproducts,visitwww.wiley.com.LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData:Mootee,Idris,1958—

60-minutebrandstrategist:theessentialbrandbookformarketingprofessionals/IdrisMootee.pagescmIncludesindex.ISBN978-1-118-62516-3(cloth);ISBN978-1-118-65982-3(ebk);ISBN978-1-118-65996-0 (ebk); ISBN978-1-118-65986-1 (ebk)1.Branding (Marketing) I.Title.II.Title:Sixty-minutebrandstrategist.HF5415.1255.M6762013658.8’27—dc23

2013005318

IntroductionThis book is a creative compilation of thoughts, processes, frameworks, andvisualstakenfrommyAdvancedBrandingMasterClass,runningformorethan10yearsinmorethan20countries.Thisbookisforthosewhohaven’tyethadtheopportunitytoattendmyseminars.Everyoneisbusy,withlittletimetoread,so this book is a 60-minute read that could be finished on a flight fromNewYorkCitytoChicago,orfromLondontoParis.Brand is unarguably the most powerful business tool ever invented, after

costing and pricing. There are a lot ofmyths about brand and brand strategy,includingtherightwaytogrowthefinancialandstrategicvalueofabrandandthenotionthatbrandstrategyshouldalwaysalignwithbusinessstrategy.Peopleoftenplacetoomuchvalueinthepowerofalogooraname,butrarelyenoughon their brand strategy. Many also assume that the brand strategy of largercompaniesisalwaysrobust,andonlyaffordablebecauseoftheirsize.Thisisfarfrom the truth; every successful business, largeor small, global or local,musthaveabrandstrategyanditneedn’tbecomplicated.Manyassumeabrand’sopportunityisonlywithinitsproduct/servicecategory

and often forget that the biggest opportunity for growthmay exist outside oradjacent to the current definition of themarket.All brands should be fightingtwo wars at the same time—growing existing market share within a definedproduct category and inventing a new one. The reality is most establishedproductcategoriesbrandmarketshareschangeverylittledespitebigincreasesinmediaspending.Sothequestionis,howcanabrandgenerategrowthandcreateeconomicvalue?For a brand to grow, it requires stepping back from the current situation to

developasystemicwayoflookingatitfromadifferentviewpoint,thenaligningthatwithbusinessstrategyandthecompetitivecontext—arobustbrandstrategy.How can that be used to change the game to your brand’s advantage? Bybringingempathyintotheprocess,understandingthebrand’scoreanditsroleinthe context of business strategy, and discovering how to change the waycustomers/channel partners think about the category, not by fighting forincrementalsharegainwithinthecategory.This littlebookcanhelpanycompanysucceedbyusing thebrand to inspire

and inform a game-changing strategy. Your investment into this book is wellworth60minutes.

Chapter01

AllAboutBrands“IN TECHNOCRATIC AND COLORLESS TIMES, BRANDS BRINGWARMTH,FAMILIARITYANDTRUST.”

—PETERBRABECK,NESTLÉ

WhatIsaBrand?

In a world where brands rule, products are no longer bundles of functionalcharacteristicsbutratherameanstoprovideandenhancecustomerexperiences.ThankstotheInternetandwirelesstechnologies,informationissoabundantthatconsumers are overloaded. They havemore information than they can digest,

use,need,orevenwant.Productproliferationcreatessomanychoicesthatitdiminishesourabilityto

differentiate or choosewhatwe truly value. Brands help us choose. They areinvaluabletoolsthathelpusbreakthroughcluttertomakechoicesbasedonourexperienceofandsatisfactionwithproductsorservices.

“Therewillbeatimeusingalogowillbetheworstthingintheworld.”

—BillBernbach,FounderDDBWe’realonglongwayfromthatday.Thetruthisthatpeoplelikebrands.They

not only simplify choices and guarantee quality, but they also add fun andinterest,provideaspirationsanddreams.Somepeople love them likechildren,whichmightexplainwhyIpersonallyknowofa4-year-oldboynamedNike,an8-year-oldboynamedFerrari,anda12-year-oldgirlnamedHermès.

ABrandIsNot...ATrademark(Thesearelegalproperties.)

AMissionStatement(Thisisareminder.)

ALogoorSlogan(Theseareyoursignatures.)

AProductorService(Thesearejustthetangibles.)

AnAdvertisement(Thesedeliveryourmessages.)

ABrandIs...

APointofViewBrandingisastrategicpointofview,notaselectsetofmarketingactivities.

ACustomerValueBrandingiscentraltocreatingcustomervalue,notjustsoundbitesandimages.

ACompetitiveAdvantageBrandingisakeytoolforcreatingandsustainingcompetitiveadvantages.

EngineeredBrandstrategiesmustbe“engineered”intothestrategicplanningprocess.

AliveBrandsgettheiridentityfrommeanings.Productsandservicesarethebloodofabrand.Yourorganizationalcultureandstandardsforactionaretheheartbeat.

LogicandEmotionBrandingispartscienceandpartart.

Brandshavealmostbecomeideologies.

“Theartofmarketingistheartofbrandbuilding.Ifyouarenotabrand,youare a commodity.Thenprice is everything and the low-cost producer is theonlywinner.”

—PhilipKotler,Kellogg

ABrandIsNot...

“Abrandisthe‘personificationofaproduct,service,orevenentirecompany.’Likeanyperson,abrandhasaphysical ‘body’: inP&G’scase, theproducts

and/orservicesitprovides.Also,likeaperson,abrandhasaname,apersonality,characterandareputation.Likeaperson,youcanrespect,likeandevenloveabrand.Youcanthinkofit

as a deep personal friend, or merely an acquaintance. You can view it asdependable or undependable; principled or opportunistic; caring or capricious.Justasyouliketobearoundcertainpeopleandnotothers,soalsodoyouliketobewithcertainbrandsandnotothers.

Also,likeaperson,abrandmustmatureandchangeitsproductovertime.Butitscharacter,andcorebeliefsshouldn’tchange.Neithershoulditsfundamentalpersonalityandoutlookonlife.People have character . . . so do brands. A person’s character flows from

his/herintegrity:theabilitytodeliverunderpressure,thewillingnesstodowhatisrightratherthanwhatisexpedient.Youjudgeaperson’scharacterbyhis/herpast performance and theway he/she thinks and acts in both good times, andespeciallybad.Thesamearetrueofbrands.”

—RobertBlanchard,formerP&GexecutiveToplanforoneyear,growsales.Toplanforthreeyears,growchannels.Toplanfordecades,growabrand.

BrandPurpose

In today’s hyper-competitive and über-connected world, it is necessary forbrandstohaveaclearpurposeandmeaningforconsumers.Anauthenticbrandcomes from within. It is the exposure of what a company really is. A fewinteractions with the company will quickly reveal if their marketing andbrandingissimplysayingwhattheythinkwillappealratherthanwhattheythinkandbelieve.Brands run intoproblemswithsocialmediawhen there isa lapsebetween what consumers expect, how the company behaves, and what they

promise.“Beyourself;everyoneelseisalreadytaken.”

—OscarWilde,Author&Playwright“TrueculturalconnectionistheHolyGrailforbrandsiftheywanttocreateanenduringemotionalrelationshipwithpeople.”

—AdamChmielowski“Yourvisionwillbecomeclearonlywhenyoulookintoyourheart...Wholooksoutside,dreams.Wholooksinside,awakens.”

—CarlJung

01Whatisthedeepneedthatwesatisfy?Whatisourraisond’être?

02Whatisourcorecompetence?Whatarewereallygoodat?

TheCustomerSatisfactionTreadmill

DanielKahneman of Princeton describes theCustomer SatisfactionTreadmill.Themorewemake,themorewespend,themorewewant.Thefasterwegetit,thefasterwewantit.Themoreconvenientitbecomes,themorewerealizehowconvenient itcouldbe.Themoreourunreasonabledemandsaremet, themoreunreasonabletheybecome.

BrandTaxonomies

BrandMeaning

Inaworldpredisposedtosameness,therearefewthingsinlifemoresatisfyingthan building brands that disrupt predisposition. Brands move market share.Brandsmove advertising-award judges. Brandsmove culture. Some do all ofthese.Brandhasmeaninginpeople’smindsthatexistsbeyondfunctionality.Partart,

part science, brand is the difference between a bottle of soda and a bottle ofCoke,acomputerandaniMac,acupofcoffeeandacupofStarbucks,acarandaMercedes,adesigner’shandbagandaHermèsBirkin.Brandistheintangibleyet visceral impact of a person’s subjective experience with the product, thepersonalmemoriesandculturalassociationsthatorbitaroundit.Brandsarealsoaboutmessages—strong, exciting, distinct, authenticmessages that tell peoplewhoyouare,whatyouthink,andwhyyoudowhatyoudo.

TooMuchAdvertisingwithTooLittleMeaning?

TheMostCommonIssueswithBranding

WhyBrandsAreinTrouble?

WhatIsaBrand?Don’tmakethemistakeoflettingbrandimagetakeoverandbecomebrandidentity.It’sonlypartoftheequation,nottheanswer.

WhatIsaBrand?

A brand is an intangible asset that resides in people’s hearts and minds. It’sdefinedby theexpectationspeoplehaveabout tangibleand intangiblebenefitsthat they develop over time through communications and, more important,actions!Tobuildasuccessfulbrandyoumustdothefollowingfourthings:01Makeapromise02Communicateyourpromise03Keepyourpromise04StrengthenyourpromiseThetangibleaspectofyourbrandisapromise.Whatdoyoudobest?What’sthepayoff?Whatcanyourconsumercounton?Thispromisebecomesan intrinsicpart of your marketing message. In order for you to own it, you mustcommunicate strategicallyandcreativelyacrossabroadmediamix.Bothyourinternalandexternalaudiencesmustbetruebelieversofyourpromise.Theonly

waytomakethemtrulybelieveistobetrueaboutyourpromise.Todayyoumayhaveanameandatrademark,butitwilltaketime(andmuch

more)beforeyouhaveabrand.Brandbuildingisthecreationandmanagementofinwardcashflow,withbrandequityasthesavingsaccount.Managingbrandis about how marketers and consumers collaborate to create meaning. Brandbuilding is not an option. ROI is only relevant when considering alternativemarketingprograms.Brandequityisabigelephant:lookingatfinancialreturnsaloneisunacceptable.Youmustunderstandthewholebeast.

WhatIsaBrand?

The trust-based, value-producing relationship called a brand is proof that thecompanyisorganizationallyalignedtorepeattheprocessandsustainthevalues.

01Findandestablishyourniche.Clarifyyourdistinctability tomakeanimpact.02 Determine the desired relationship between yourcustomers/prospectsandyourproduct.03 Create intangible, emotional bonds through every customerinteraction.04Likepeople,abrandrequiresaname,apersonality,acharacter,andareputation.

Brandmanagementisacrucialelementofcorporatestrategyratherthansolelyamarketing function. It helps a company break away from the pack in creatingshareholdervalue.Brandstrategyistheviableexpressionofbusinessstrategy.

BrandNaming

WhatIsaBrandWorth?

That depends on whom you ask. Two research firms, using less thanscientificmethods, can often come upwith different values. Here are themostrecentbrandvaluesforselectedcompanies.

“The brand image always comes first, and fostering that culture within alabel should be done through trusting, honest relationships within thecompany to ensure everyone is working toward a single vision.Transforming the156-year-oldBritish luxurygoodscompany intoaglobal

digitalstorytellerofthebrandhasrequiredasolidsetofstrategic initiatives, includingcentralizedsupplychain operations to improve product and content distribution agility,reorganization to break down barriers of communication between keyexecutives, and new departments and governance councils to facilitateinnovativecreativethinking.”

—AngelaAhrendts,CEO,Burberry

BrandExtensionsBrandEquityEnhancement(orDilution)Index

MindoverMatter

Psychologicaldifferencesmayseeminsubstantial,butintermsofsustainability,theyareoftenmoreresilientthanfunctionaldifferences.Intangible emotional associations are difficult to copy: Once an emotional

territoryisoccupiedbyawell-knownbrand,itismoredifficulttodisplacethanabrandwithafunctionalassociation.

BuilttoLast

Advantages built on emotional values and brandmeanings (e.g., Levi’s,Nike,Starbucks,Amazon,BMW,Harley-Davidson,Apple,Sony) areoften themostdurable.

Productsvs.Brands

A product is built in a factory . . . A brand is built in trust andrelationshipsAproductiseasilycopiedbyacompetitor.. .AbrandisuniqueAproductisanobject...AbrandisapersonalityAproductissoldbyamerchant . . .AbrandisboughtbyacustomerAproduct isquicklyoutdated...Abrandistimeless

MindoverMatter

Withouttheirbrand,Applewouldhavedied.Thepoweroftheirbrandkeptthemalive during the mid-1990s when their products were lackluster. Their brandboughtthemtimeuntiltheycameoutwiththenextrunawayhit—theiMac.ForApple, the brand is always bigger than the product. It is an ideology, a

valueset.Appleisaboutimagination,innovation,andindividualism.It’s not just about advertising or visual identity. Brands must be built 360

degrees.Brandingmeans that collateral information,meaning, association, andvalue have been spliced into the very DNA of the brand. This has two corecomponents:labelandfable.Labelreferstoallvisualelements,packaging,andtaglines. Fable refers to the extrinsic aspect of branding attached from theoutside,mostoftenfromcustomerexperiences,advertising,corporatetrust,andcustomer relationships. The brand is the totality of what the customerexperiences: the lookandfeelofyouroffice,yourcommunityreputation,your

awningandsignage,your salesandcustomer servicepeople, and thewayyouhandlebusinessconflictsandcustomercomplaints.

BuildingStrongBrands

Brandingisoftenconfusedwithanadvertisingcampaignoracorporateidentity.Companies are still turning to branding as a panacea.Equally problematic arethe self-proclaimed branding experts happy to sell you pricey snake oil. Innovicehands,brandingbecomesawaytoobfuscaterelativesamenessormakepromisesthatcan’tbefulfilled,rather thancommunicatingrelevantuniquenessandbuildingtrustandcredibility.Threekeyrequirementsforbuildingstrongbrands:

01Trustbetweenbrandandconsumer02 Common identity between brand and consumer 03 Point ofdifferencebetweenbrandsinaset

Chapter02

BrandinginaPostmodernCulture

BrandingintheAgeofBrandTransformation

Brands are transforming themselves. Beyondmere ads and products, they arefindingnewwaystogetinsideyourhomeandbeapartofyourlifeasbrandedcontent,brandedentertainment,brandedutilities,andbrandedspace.L’Equipe,theParisian-baseddailysportsnewspaper, inventedtheTourdeFranceforonesimplereason: tosellmorenewspapers,usingbrandedcontentwithapinchofengagement.But customers are transforming brands, too. New cultural modes of

performance are emerging from new network-based social behaviors andconversations.Withmore than50millionpeopleable toshare ideas,opinions,and experiences in a single online space—and generate billions of web pageimpressions every month—these behaviors and conversations are creating aseismic shift in the traditional balance of power that once existed betweencustomersandcompanies.As content is increasinglydeliveredviapersonalized and self-scheduled socialwebs, viewers—not broadcasters—will decide when, how, why, and what isconsumed.Andtheywilldictatewhotheysharethatconsumptionwith.

Thequestionis,whatroleshouldbrandplayinthisageoftransformation?

TransformationIsaProcess,aPerformance

Tomakethestoryofabrandcompleteandmeaningful,itrequiresthatalloftheactors—customersandcompaniesalike—successfullycompletetransitionsfromscene to scene and stage to stage. In today’s script, those transitions read likethis:

Interruptionisthestagewhereoldscriptsgetshredded,rulesgettossedoutthewindow,andtheparadigmswelivedbyarerevealedasobsolete.TheInternetisourInterruption.Ithasforeverrupturedtheoldsystemofbrandcontrolandcommunication.Intrusionisthestagebetweenwhatwasandwhatwillbe.Awildzoneofnewideasandnewrituals, it isalivewithuncertainty,excitement,and

expectation.Thisgestativespacewherecustomersandcompaniescreateandexplorebrandfuturesiswherewearerightnow.Engagementisthecurtaincallofthisperformance.Acelebrationofthenewrealityandtheideasandritualsthatbroughtittolife,brandsthatwill occupy center stage are those that contribute the new ideas, helpfacilitate thenew rituals,meet thenewneeds, and, ultimately, tell thebeststories.Thosewhoignorethisnewrealitydosoattheirownperil.

MindoverMatter

When distribution is trivial, unlimited, and available to all, marketing to acaptiveaudiencesittingonacouchinfrontofatelevisionorradioisathingofthe past. In fact, this kind of old-world marketing has become adversarial tocustomers.Havingadaptedtothemedia-fragmentedandalways-onnewreality,theyseekvaluebysearching,discovering,andsharingtheirverypersonalbrandcaches with peers—not waiting for you to interrupt them with unwantedmessaging.Broadcasting is in trouble, and user-generated videos are just the beginning.

The social-casting of YouTube will evolve and, in the process, so too willconsumerbehavior.Insteadofpassivity,theexperienceflowoftomorrowwillbecharacterized by immediacy, flexibility, portability, permeability, fluidity,interactivity,mashability,andownerability.With the emergence and convergenceof themobile phone, the Internet, and

location-based systems, consumers also have immediate access to co-workers,friends, and family members. Between getting used to and being born into aconnected age, they are naturally and increasingly drawing on participation invariousnetworksforinformation,assistance,support,andrecommendations.Creating great products, services, and content is paramount. Content? Yes,

content.Anintegralpartofanyproductorserviceandtheirrelatedexperiences,customerswill consume onlywhat’s relevant to them,what best serves them,andwhat trulyentertains them—notwhat ismarketed to thembyyou throughrepetition.Engagingthemwill requirebrandedexperiencesrich incontent thatstrengthen contextual involvement and consumer connection. Within suchexperiences,thedensityandintensityofpolysemic,multi-origin,co-created,andfragmented communication will make Baudrillard’s hyper-reality seem asantiquatedasTV.

ContentIsEverything

Great content—the kind that truly engages—helps customers tell a story,performapartoftheirlife,communicatemeaningtoothers,andbeallthattheycanbe.Itis,quitesimply,cultural.Inthepast,theclearestdemonstrationofcontent(andbrands)asculturalwas

inthesubculture.Punks,mods,ravers,skaters,church-goers,artists,bikers,andothers made commodities come to life through performances like no otherconsumersonearth.Today,becauseofthescopeandreachofsocialmedia,weare in an age of the post-subcultural. The Hipster, a mash-up of subculturaltraditions,hasbecometheemblemofinsider-nessmadeaccessibletoallwiththeInternet.Just as subculturalists were the creative class of brand dissemination,

modification, alteration, and transformation, sonoware themillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldwho,throughsocialmedia,haveaccesstoinsiderknowledges,practices,experiences,performances,andcollaborativecommunities.ThisoccursthroughYouTube,Flickr,Twitter,Facebook,andthethousandsof

online advice, support, co-creation, and retail portals. The relentless

virtualization of social life, themarketing of niche-interactions, the sharing ofexperiences,and theoutsourcingofworkmeans that lessand lessofourdailylivesareproducedandconsumedathome.Rather,weareperformingourselvesmore inpublic,morecollaboratively,andmore thanever, through thekindsofsocialnetworksthatonceexistedsolelyinsubcultures.

ThePersonalBrand

IntheageofthePersonalBrand,commoditizationispermeatingeveryaspectofdailylife.Style,taste,identity,andindividualityhavebecomecentraltowhatweexpect from our experiences in health care, learning, dating, news, clothing,food,travel,homefurnishings,communication,sports,entertainment,sexuality,spirituality,birth,marriage,babies,andburials.Twentyyearsago,inthesocialmainstream, this wasn’t the case. Subculturalists were picky about theirpurchases,buttheaverageconsumerhadalessrefinedsenseofassemblingtheirselfthroughproductsandservices.Today, instant communication has blown the doors off the old-worldmedia

and advertising industry. Taste gurus, microbrands, blogs, chatters, Friends,Tweeters,citizenjournalists,andthesearchabilityofstylehaveforeverchangedthehow,what,where,when,andwhyofconsumption.Inthenewfree-for-allofideas, opinions, reviews, and experiences, individuals with greater access toinformationstrivetodefineanddisplaytheirPersonalBrand,nicheisthenorm,cool is hyper-commoditized, and branding becomes as much a bottom-upphenomenonforcustomersasatop-downpriorityforcompanies.One result is that we have become desperate to socialize the profane.

Distractedby thepaceofchange,unfulfilled inourpersonal lives, and feelingdisempoweredbyourwork,manyofusturntocelebrities,rockstars,designers,andbrandstocultivatemoremeaninginlife.Butwhenworkisempoweringandlife ismeaningful, interest andengagement inhigh-consumption lifestyleswillwane.De-marketingwillhappen.Until then,abrand’s role is tohelp tocreatemeaningsineverydaylifethroughcommodities.

WhatIstheProblem?

Many companies are simply not ready to deal with or anticipate identityobsolescence in the sameway they anticipate the obsolescence of products orbusiness models. Despite the best efforts of management teams, many can’tadapttoshiftsinthecompetitiveenvironmentbecausetherequiredbrand-drivenadaptive response is inconsistentwith the company’s core identity.Any brandexercise will only widen the gap between the brand and the corporate coreidentity.“Wespenteightmonthsandalotofmoneyonabrandstrategyandallthat’schangedisthelogoandtagline.”

—CEO,FinancialServicesCompany“We hired a brand consultant and developed a great brand strategy.Our adagencywentontocreateandproduceanadcampaignthatfarexceededourcapability to deliver the brand promise. We ended up with disappointedcustomers,internalconflictsandbrandcredibilityerosion.”

—CEO,Telco

SavingYourZombieBrands

ZombieBrands,DinosaurBrands,GhostBrands,orGraveyardBrandsarewhatpeopleusedtocallbrandsthatcustomershaveeithercompletelyabandonedorthataresimplyhangingonbyathread,usuallyattheDollarStoreoratCostcoina totally unrelated product category. Some have gone through unsuccessfulrevitalization efforts, others exist only in emerging markets, and a few havesimply lost relevance in their coremarket place (Xerox, Oldsmobile) and areused casually on products totally outside their product category (Teac, RCA,Polaroid,etc.).

IfyouhappentoownaZombieBrand,whatcanyoudo?

01Investandattempttorevitalizeit02Milkit03Positionitfortheemergingmarket04Sellitforwhateverit’sworth05Dumpit

Consumers with special relationships with Zombie Brands often havesentimental reasons for continuing to make purchases or giving them asecond chance. But the cost and risk of bringing a brand back to life isenormous.Ifthisisyourchoice,makesurethedecisiontodosoisbasedonsound logic. If you run a large portfolio, the questions will be: Whichbrandsareworththerevitalizationeffort?Andwhy?

ManyB-schoolcasestudieshavechronicledbrandsbroughtbackfromthedead.But for every success, there are hundreds of failures: companies that tried torevitalizeoldbrandsbyhiringnewagencies and throwing endless amounts ofmoneyintoadvertisinginhopesofrebuilding,evenwhentherewasn’tarelevantproduct,orservice,orsoundstrategybehindtheinitialmove.Howbadisyoursituation?Herearethethreemostcommonscenarios:

Mybrandissick.Market changes direction and the brand becomes irrelevant. Everyone(advertising, product design, promotions) used to understand what the brandmeansandtheyallsticktoit,believingitconnectstosomethinglargerandmoreenduring.Butonedaytheywakeupandrealizethereisabigdisconnect.Yourbrandisstuckinthepast.Yourbrandisirrelevant.

Mybrandisdying.The brand is becoming boring. It doesn’t create excitement for customers orevenemployeesanymore.Youngerconsumersthinkofitastheirparents’brand.This is common with brands that have been successful and achieved marketleadership.Infact, it’softentheresultofbeingtoosuccessful.Yoursuccessfulpasthasmadeyoulazy.Yourbrandlackscustomerengagement.

Mybrandhasnovitalsigns.You’veignoredyourbrandfortoolongorsimplyletitridetoexpiry.Everydropofenergyandgoodwillhasbeensqueezedout. Ithas lost itspower tocaptureyourcustomers’(orevenyourown)imaginations.Yourbrandisashell.Ithasbeenreducedtonothingmorethanalogo.

CansocialmediasavetheZombieBrands?TheSocialMediaGenerationhasphenomenalinfluenceoverthefateofbrands.Active,mobile,andvocal, theyshare the joys,angers,andfrustrationsof theirdaily experiences with anybody and everybody. In doing so, their digitalconnectivity becomes the web that weaves Brand Communities. Separated bytheirgeographybutboundby their loveofaparticularbrand,citizensof thesecommunitiescanbeidentifiedbyfourcoremarkers:

01SharedInterests02SharedValues

03SharedRituals04SharedPurposes

Thecommercial,mass-mediatedethosinwhichBrandCommunitiesaresituatedaffectstheircharacterandstructureandgivesrisetotheirparticularities.Fromabrandandmarketingperspective,thisisthemostdisruptivetrend.Itmeansthatsocialmedia, not advertising, has become the conduit for communication, andthatcustomersarethecollectivesourceoftruthforbrands.Giventherightnewcontent,theBrandCommunityisapossiblecurefortheZombieBrand.

BrandEvolution

Sometimessuccessfulrebrandingrequires“evolution”morethan“revolution.”Itiseasiertocontemporizeatiredbrandthantointroduceacompletelynewbranddesign, unless there is a strong reason to do so. It is important to retain thefragileemotionaltiesandcustomerloyaltythathastakenyearstobuild.TheBatmanbrand stands forbrave choices, powerfulwisdom, anda call to

action.WhentheyoungBruceWaynekneelsbyhisbedandprays,“AndIswearbythespiritsofmyparentstoavengetheirdeathsbyspendingtherestofmylifewarringonallcriminals,”heisarticulatingBatman’sbrandpromise.

BrandingGetsMetaphysical

BrandCulture

Your brand is your culture and your culture is your brand. This is how brandequity isbuilt.Brandshavealwayshadclose relationshipswithorganizationalculture. An appropriate and well-aligned culture can provide a brand with asustainablecompetitiveadvantage.It’snotsomuchabouthowcustomersvaluewhat they receive, but how it’s being delivered. Brand-driven organizationalcultureisabouthavingthemotivationandinspirationtobedifferent.“AtZappos, ourbelief is that if youget the culture right,mostof theotherstuff—like great customer service, or building a great long-term brand, orpassionateemployeesandcustomers—willhappennaturallyonitsown.Webelievethatyourcompany’scultureandyourcompany’sbrandarereallyjust two sides of the same coin. The brandmay lag the culture at first, buteventuallyitwillcatchup.Yourcultureisyourbrand.”

—TonyHsieh,CEO,Zappos

Zapposformallydefinedtheirbrandculturein10corevalues:01DeliverWOWThroughService02EmbraceandDriveChange03CreateFunandaLittleWeirdness04BeAdventurous,Creative,andOpen-Minded05PursueGrowthandLearning06BuildOpenandHonestRelationshipswithCommunication07BuildaPositiveTeamandFamilySpirit08DoMorewithLess09BePassionateandDetermined10BeHumble

Chapter03

StrategicPerspectivesofBranding“We have a surplus of similar companies, employing similar people, withsimilar educational backgrounds,working in similar jobs, coming upwithsimilar ideas, producing similar things, with similar prices and similarquality.”

—KjellNordstromandJonasRidderstrale,FunkyBusiness“We also have a surplus of similar brands, having similar attributes, withsimilar marketing messages and slogans, coming up with similar brandclaims,withsimilarquality,sellingatsimilarprices.Welcometothesurpluseconomy!”

—IdrisMootee

BrandAttentionDeficit

Theaverageconsumerisexposedtoasmanyas500to2,000brandedmessagesper day.Multiple studies indicate that less than 10 percent of prime time adshave clear positioning.Between2000 and2010, the number of newpackagedgoods introduced globally increased by more than 20 percent, the largestincreaseinadecade.Mostofthesewere“me-too”productsdestinedtobelostinthecrowdandtoreducesomebrandstoanear-commoditystatus.With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets resulting in explosion in

videoconsumptionwhichisestimatedtogrowatarateof30to40percentoverthe next 5 years.More screens inmore places andmore interactions betweenviewers and brands. Brand marketers understand the need for “emotionalconnection” and “story,” mining so-called trends and the cultural zeitgeist toidentifythatmagicalhookthatwillmakeconsumersremembertheirbrands.Thekey is to deepen the provenance, development, and heritage that defines whopeopleare,wherewebelong,howwebehave,andwhywehavecometovaluethethingswedoandcreatetheworldthewaythatwehave.Inaworldwherebrandsabound,competition is increasingly intenseand the

speedofcompetitiveresponsesisevershorter.Theraceisontoriseabovethethrongofbrands,sustainpresence,andmaintainrelevanceandcustomerloyalty.But all too often, companies fall into the trap of thinking short-term, beingoverlyambitiousforshort-termresultsorlackingarobustbrandstrategy.

BrandingandMcDonaldization

McDonaldization is everywhere. Individualism and diversity are replaced byefficiencyandsocialcontrol.Itistheprocessbywhichtheprinciplesofthefast

food restaurantdominatemore andmore sectorsofour society throughout theworld.McDonald’shas30,000restaurantsin121countries,60percentofwhichare

outside the USA. Shopping centers are everywhere and the shops andmerchandisearemostlythesame.Thistrendisvisibleinmanyotherbusinesses,from toys, auto-repair, convenience stores, and consumer electronics, tobooksand general merchandise. The “control” and “system” components are key.Replacement of human by non-human technology is often oriented towardgreatercontrolandmoreconsistentquality.Thegreatsourceofuncertaintyandunpredictabilityinarationalizingsystemispeople—eitherthepeoplewhoworkwithinthosesystemsorthepeoplewhoareserved.Brandingadvertisingisusedtoputthehumanelementsback.ThewarmandsmilingfacesinTVcommercialsareintendedtoconvincecustomersabout“calculability”*over“individuality.”

EconomicEvolution

In the surplus economy, the marketing battle is a battle of the brands—acompetition for brand dominance.Companieswill recognize that brands are acompany’smost valuable assets and that it ismore important to ownmarketsthanfactories.Brands are blurring the distinction between art, commerce, culture, and life,

and our economy, behaviors, and culture are all threads in the patch-work ofhuman experience. A tweet is an act of expressing, sharing, promoting, andshaping. Social media allow brands to enrich culture, social creativity, andhuman valueswhile social technology can leverage brand heritage to reframeourculturalcontextinintriguingandexcitingnewways.Theonlyway toownmarkets is toownmarket-dominantbrands.Thebrand

battlefield that used to be confined in the world of media advertising is nowfought on new ground where the rules are being redefined. Consumers havegrown wary of advertising because the majority of it lacks credibility andauthenticity. Brands had a poor record of delivering their promises throughadvertising and had been disappointed with reality. There is the overlappingspacebetweentheproducts,service,andtheexperiences,wherethemessagingendsandtheexperiencebegins.

TheBattleofBrands

CustomerRelationships

Mostbusinesseshavearelationshipwiththeircustomersthatisbasedsolelyonprice.That iswhysomanycompaniesarehavingdifficultiesmaintainingtheirmargins. The challenge is to figure out how to extend those transaction-basedrelationships to emotion-based relationships. Professor Susan Fournier atHarvardBusiness School has classified the relationships consumers havewiththeirbrandsintofifteentypesrangingacrossthewholespectrum.Theyinclude:

CommittedPartnershipUsuallylong-termandvoluntaryrelationship:amanissoinvolvedwithhisbrandofbicyclethathebecomesanadvocateofit,singingitspraisestohisfriends.

EnslavementInvoluntary relationship governed exclusively by the partner’s wishes ordesires: a consumer is unhappy with the local cable provider but has noalternativesourcefortheservice.

Fournier’sApproach:

Meetwithconsumers (hundredsofpeopleoverseveralyears) to listen to theirlifestories,discovertheirinterestsandgoals,andhearabouttheupsanddownsof theirdaily lives.Thenaskeachperson todescribehis/her“brandportfolio”andtoexplainwhytheychoosetheproductstheydo.Fournierdrewoutsevenessentialattributesofgoodbrandrelationshipquality:

InterdependenceBrandisinextricablywovenintoconsumers’dailylifeandroutine.

LoveandpassionConsumers feel affection/passion for the products and may experienceseparationanxietyifitisnotavailable.

CommitmentConsumersstickwiththeproductthroughgoodorbadtimeseitherinhisorherlifestyleorintheproduct’slifecycle.

Self-conceptconnectionUsing the brand helps consumers address a life issue, such as a need tobelongorafearofgrowingold.

IntimacyConsumers describe a sense of deep familiarity with the product and anunderstandingofitsattributes.

PartnerqualityConsumers seek certain positive traits in the brand such as dependability,trust,worthiness,andaccountability—thesamequalitiesasonewouldlookforinabestfriend.

NostalgicattachmentBrandbringsbackmemorieseitherbecauseitwasusedatanearliertimeinlifeorbecauseitwasassociatedwithlovedones.

CustomerRelationships

Managing customer relationships has become managing software vendorrelationships. So, what went wrong? Shouldn’t companies be putting theirmoneybackintodevelopingthe“R”of“CRM”?Marketersand“CRM”vendorssetunrealisticallyhighexpectationswhenthey

talkabout“relationships.”Shouldtheybeusingadifferentwordinstead?“Agood relationship isanasset.Wecan invest in relationships,andwecanborrowfromthem.Wealldoitbutalmostnevermanageit.Yetacompany’smostpreciousassetisitsrelationshipwithcustomers.”

—TheodoreLevitt,HarvardBusinessSchool“Traditionally, tactical marketing decisions—regarding packaging andadvertising, for instance—are made by different people or departments. Aholistic understanding of the relationship that consumers havewith a brandcangivedirectiontoacompany’smarketingactivitiesandresultinastrongerbondbetweenconsumerandbrand”

—SusanFournier,HarvardBusinessSchool

RiseandRiseoftheBrand

Thevery technologies thatmake it faster, easier, and cheaper to innovate alsohelp us to imitate. The game switched from innovation to imitation. Theincreasing difficulty in differentiating between products and services, and thespeedwithwhichcompetitorstakeupinnovationswillonlyassistintheriseandrise of the brand.Many of our dreams and desires for a better world are nolonger articulated by John Kennedys or Martin Luther Kings, or generatedthroughpersonalepiphanies—theyarenowthe intellectualcurrencyofbrands.When brands connect to inspiration and epiphany—personal, collective, orconjuredbyleaders—theyenterintoarealmimmunetoimitation.

DecisionMapforBrandChoices

DecisionMapforBrandLeveraging

BrandingChallenges

The challenge for brand management is finding ways of connecting withcustomers thatprovidevalue, substance, significance,meaning, andusefulnessbeyond their current product and service definition and those offeredcompetitively.Thisrequiresdeepunderstandingofpeople’slives.Itmeansbeingsmarter at developing real relationships. It alsomust be a dynamic process inkeepingupwithchangesinever-changingcustomerwantsandneeds.Oneoftherealkeystolong-termbrandsuccessisinvestingsocustomerslikeus,trustus,

value us, keep coming back to us, are willing to pay a premium for us, andchoosetotakeusintotheirlives.For themost part, however, today’s organizations work against this type of

brand success. The designs of most business organizations are disaggregated.Customersdon’t thinkoract inorganizationalsilos,butorganizationsdo.Thisoftenblockstrueunderstanding.Howcanweeverhopetounderstandcustomerswhenweonlyconcernourselveswithasmallpartof their lives,attitudes,andbehaviors (that are defined by our organizational role and responsibilities)?Brandsaregreaterthanthesumoftheirparts—andsotooarecustomers.

WhyInvestinBrands?

Companiesinvestinginbrandbuildingbasicallyhavethreesimplereasonsfor doing so: to drive customer loyalty, tomaintain price premium, or toincrease revenue growth. The real challenge is not just building greatbrandsthatdriverevenuegrowthandloyalty,butbuildingthematalowercostandfasterthanyourcompetition!

BrandingRationale

Thetraditionalthinkingaroundbrandingwastoendowaproductorservicewithuniquecharacteristicsthroughthecreativeuseofname,slogan,packaging,andadvertising. In a world where there is a muddle of images and messages,however, it is increasingly difficult for a brand to rise above the noise to benoticedandremembered.Amoresophisticatedandstrategicconceptofbrandingisneeded.Therationalebehindbrandingisallaboutcreatingdifferentiation.Differentiationleadstopositivediscrimination,andlargeoratleastprofitable

brand share. Brand marketers must deliver tangibles and/or intangibles thatdifferentiateabrand.Thisdifferentiationnotonlyneedstobeperceivedbutalsovalued.Itislogicaltoassumethatthemainobjectiveofbrandingistocreatehigh-involvement situations. If the branding exercise fails to deliver a relevantandvalueddifferentiationtoitstargetedinvolvementsegments,thenareitseffortsunsuccessful?

StrategicConsiderations

If consumers are not prepared to pay for differentiating activity by way ofperceivingorappreciatinganyuniquequalitiesbetweenbrands,therewillbenoeconomic justification for branding exercises. In any product category, ifdifferences are not valued, buyers tend to discriminate between brands on thesolebasisofpriceandavailability.

Thequestionis:Doesitreallymakesensetoinvestinbuildingbrandsinlow-involvementmarkets?Or, is it even possible to generate high brand involvement in the face of lowcategoryinvolvement?

CategoriesTransformation

Agoodbrandingstrategistiscapableofcompletelytransformingcategoriestocreatenewcategoriesorsub-categories.

Personaldiarieswereprobablynotconsidered“expressive”untiltheadventof the Filofax brand. Similarly, owning a TVmight be considered low inself-expression,butan iPhonemakesa statement.Otherexamples includeApple’s iMac,HermanMiller’sAeronchair,aBurberryraincoat,aLouisVuitton bag or an Aston Martin. While credit cards and fine writinginstrumentswereoncestatussymbols,“expressive”itemsarenowreplacedbypersonalelectronicgadgetslikeiPhonesandBlackBerries.

BrandandConsumerPersonality

Brandpersonalitieshelpfirmsdifferentiatetheirproductsfromthecompetitionandbuildbrandequity(value).

“Standforsomethingoryou’llfallforanything!”Consumersdon’tbuyproducts,theybuythepersonalitiesassociatedwiththoseproducts. BigK cola andCoke are equal in taste tests . . . but not inmarketshare.Consumers don’t buy on taste alone. Brand personalities help consumers

definetheirownselfconceptsandexpresstheiridentitiestoothers.Peoplefind

meaningonlythroughthosebrandswithpersonalities,notfromproducts.

TheInvolvementGrid

AdvertisingandBranding

Brand management has been taking place for years without a unified theory.Common sense branding iswidely practiced.There are fundamental questionsaboutitsunderlyingprinciples.Manyequategreatcreativeideasandadvertisingcampaignstosuccessfulbrandbuilding.Theromanticizedviewofadvertisingis that itcanchangewhatpeople think

about your brand. Advertising does not changewhat people think about yourbrand(whichisalwaysdifficult).Itonlyhasthemthinkaboutyourbrand.Despitearecentboominarticlesandbooksonthesubject,brandingremains

anart.Thereareunrealisticexpectations thatmethodologiesorapproachesareouttherethatcanconsistently,repetitively,orsystematicallycreategreatbrands.Wehavesolvedonlyone-thirdofthebrandpuzzle.

WhatMoreCanBeBranded?

Companieshavebeensuccessfulinbrandingbricks,paper,chickens,diamonds,milk, salt, sugar, oranges, bananas, microprocessors, and even air, water, andsand. Universities, cities, charities, and celebrities have been successful inbranding their cultures, causes, streets, and styles. Andwhile the no-brand oranti-brandmovementhassuccessfullymadeitspoint,weallknowthatnologoisstillsomebrand.Sohowmuchistoomuch?Isthereasaturationpointatwhichwe’resopping

wet from toomuch branding, a tipping point wherewe fall into the abyss ofadvertisingandproductidentification?Maybe. Probably not. Actually, only if and when the best brands cease to

engageconsumersonlevelsofsymbolicandsocialinteraction.

TheBrandasaSign

Social and symbolic interaction begins at the level of the sign. Like a sign, abranddoesn’texistwithin theglobalsystemofbrandsexceptbyopposition toand difference from other brands: you need your own signifier (Swoosh) andsignified (victory) to make your brand (Nike) part of the consumer lexicon.Without differentiation, you’re not communicating anything of substance toconsumers.Without substance, theywon’t have any reason to care about you,anythingtosayaboutyouand,mostimportantly,anyreasontomakeyourbrandcometolifebetweenthemselves.Thisisthebusinesscaseforbrands.It’sbothlimitedandlimiting.Itsuggests

that brands exist in a closed system inhabitedonlybyproducts, their creators,andmanagers. For an anthropologist, like the sign, it is a communicative tool

that helps people choreograph consumption, facilitate the flow of socialrelations, and identify the value and appropriateness of our relationships witheachother.

“Thebrandisasetofrelationsbetweenproductsintime.”—CeliaLury,

Brands:TheLogosoftheGlobalEconomy

BrandCustomerInteractionsandRelationshipsMatrix

IsThereaTheory?

Whydoweneedatheoryforstrategicbrandmanagement?Becausetheoryiseminentlypractical.Managersaretheworld’smostvoraciousconsumers of theories. Every time a brand marketing decision is made, it isusuallybasedonsomeimplicitunderstandingofwhatcauseswhatandwhy.Thereal problem is that they often use a one-size-fits-all theory. There are manywaystobuildgreatbrands.Herearethefourbasicapproaches:

01Planning02Imagery03CustomerExperience

04Self-Expression

BrandingbyPlanning

Herebrandingisapproachedaspartofaformalstrategicplanningprocess.Mostofthetimethisoccursinthecontextofstrategicmarketingplanning.Thetypicalapproach uses portfolio and product life cycle concepts together with overallmarketoverviewsandcompetitiveintelligence.Theinformationisdistilledandanalyzedthrougheachindividualbrand’sperformanceintermsofmarketshareandmargincontribution.Theheartof theexercise ispositioningtoensure thatproductscoverallnecessaryprofitableoremergingsegmentsandusebrand toachieve these objectives. Usually, multi-brand organizations and categorymanagers assume the ownership role of the brand portfolio and manage thebrand architecture. The key is to articulate the overall brand strategy and

approach(e.g.,amasterbrandapproachusingtargetedsub-brands).Thisentailsfar more than just organizing the brands as individual performers. To trulyoptimizetheirvaluerequiresadynamicframeworkthatmakesthemostoftheirinterrelationshipsunderasystemofbrandsworkingtogether todriveclarity inthe marketplace and increase synergy and leverage within the company’sportfolio.

BrandingbyImagery

Herebranding is approached inamore functionalmanner.Usuallyadvertisingagenciestakealeadingroleandadvertisingislinkedtobranding.Theleversofbrand building consist mainly of TV commercials, posters, and printadvertisements.Insomecases,afirstshowingofa60-secondTVspotduringtheSuperBowl

isamilestoneofthebrandbuildingeffort.Visuallystunningpostersandadsinnationalmagazines suchasVogueorVanityFair are alsoused.Marketers andagenciescloselylinkthebrandtocreativeadvertisingexecution.Sometimestheburdenisgiventoacelebratedphotographer.TheCalvinKlein

success is hugely indebted to Bruce Weber, and Benetton to Oliver Toscani.Thesephotographersgavethosebrandsmeaning.The risk here is that advertising failure means brand failure. But a great

campaign produces a very desirable brand andmany products and advertisingagenciescametofamewithjustonehighlymemorablecampaign.Themarketercontinuestoenjoythebenefitsforyears.

BrandingbyCustomerExperience

Companiesseecustomerstakingfunctionalbenefits,ahigh-qualityproduct,anda positive brand image as a given.What theywant is products, services, andmarketing communications that dazzle their senses, touch their hearts, andstimulatetheirminds.Herethecustomerbecomesthemostimportantpartofthebrand.Overtheyearsmanybrandshavetransformedthemselvesintoexperiencebrandsbycreatingacompellingcustomerexperience.Starbucks andTheBodyShopdidnotusemass advertising tobuildbrands.

Instead, they put their resources into designing and delivering uniqueexperiences. The Tiffany & Co. experience consists not only of the purchaseexperience, but also the whole experience of giving and receiving somethingspecial. The Tiffany & Co. trademark is inseparably linked to the agelesseleganceandqualitythatdefinethebrand.Theblueboxservesasanidentifierand sensory reminder of this, as does the Hermès online experience byrelentlesslyimprovinguserexperiences.

BrandingbySelf-Expression

Here companies put the role of brand building partially into the hands ofcustomers. This has long been practiced by the luxury and sporting goodsindustries aswell as the fashion industry,where there’s never enough time tobuild a relevant and meaningful brand that keeps pace with fast-changingcustomerneeds.Consumersinthesecategoriesdonotwanttousethebrandtoendorseorreflecttheirpersonality;ratheritcontributestobuildingapersonalorindividualbrand.Inotherwords,strongbrandidentitiesdetercustomersbecausethey dominate. The consumer uses the brand as a tool or status symbol, thenaddsinhisorherownhallmarktoexpresswhotheyare,whotheywantotherstothinktheyare,andhowtheyseetheworldandthings.Thebrandonlyrequires

someassociatedmeaning socustomers canpick,ormixandmatchwithothervalues or uses they identify with as part of building their “Me” brand.Consumersactivelyparticipateincreatingmeaningsforbrands.

Sometimes, they do more than actively participate. By transforming basicproducts into complex signifiers of identity, performance, and socialmembership,consumersoftenoverseesomeofthefinerdetailsofhowabrandis“managed”intherealworld.WithhelpfromMarlonBrandotoDeeDeeRamonetothekidstheystoodfor,

workwear,firstsewnupin19th-centurySanFranciscoandthenrippedaroundtheworld,becametheglobalsignifierofyouthculture.ThankstoearlyB-boysinBaltimore,Philadelphia,andNewYorkCity,a1982

basketballsneakerwithnoadvertisingormarketingbudgetbecameanenduringiconofglobalhiphopculture.AndwithPortlandbikemessengerslatchingontoitsunderdogstatusandbar

discounts, a down-and-out beer became a celebration of American low-brow

culture.

Brandsuccessisacaseofmorethanmeetstheeye.ThatPabstBlueRibbonhasenjoyed increasing sales in a dwindling beer market since 2002, Nike’s AirForce1hasbeenremasteredandsoldoutinmoredesignmanifestationsthananyproduct and, although the last few years haven’t been kind, Levi’s 501s havebeen a fashion staple for more than 50 years is testament to what it is thattransformsproductsintobrands:

UsabilityDoesitworkforme,workwell,andfitintomylife?

Consumability

Doesittastegood?Lookgood?Feelgood?

PerformativityDoesithelpdo/say/be/showsomethingimportant?

DesirabilityIsthereasocial,cultural,orpersonalneeditfulfills?Ofthese,desirabilityiswherebrandingusuallyentersthepicture.ButinthecaseofPabstBlueRibbon,Nike’sAirForce1,andLevi’sjeans,brandingdidn’tenterthe picture untilwell into the success curve of these brands.One day,maybeafter fumbling throughsales reports, someone inanofficewokeup to the factthatkidsonthestreetmadethesebrandshot,notBrandManagersormedia.

DoesthatmeanIcan’tarchitectconsumerattractiontomybrand?No.Whatitmeansisthatconsumerculturesandcommunitiesareoftenbestlefttotheirowndevicestobuildthemselvesfromthegroundupwiththeirownrulesandregulations.Witha little fieldexploration todetermine theboundaries thattheseculturesandcommunitieswishtokeep,permeate,ordissolvebetweenyouandthem—andwithahealthyrespectforthoseboundariesshouldyouwanttomaintain your most loyal consumer base—you might collaborate, nurture, orsimplyhelpperpetuatetheconditionsunderwhichtheywillcontinuetothrive.

* “(calculability) involves an emphasis on things that can be calculated,counted,quantified.Quantificationreferstoatendencytoemphasizequantityrather than quality. This leads to a sense that quality is equal to a certain,usually(butnotalways)largequantityofthings.”

—GeorgeRitzer,TheMcDonaldizationofSociety

Chapter04

ManagingBrandValue

MostCommonConfusions

PeopleoftenconfuseanewnameorlogowithbrandingMany companies have been led to believe that if they get a newbrand name,logo,andmarketingmaterials,they’vesolvedthebrandingproblem.Thisisthenumberonemistakemostcompaniesmakewhenitcomestobranding.Thisisacostly proposition, and the end resultmay not producemeaningful changes tothebottomline.

PeopleoftenconfusecorporateidentitywithcorporatebrandingThe“corporateidentity”approachispreferredbydesignfirmsinthebusinessoflogo and brand name development, letterhead design, stationery and businessforms,uniforms,shop interiors,andsoon.However,brandnameand logoarenot themost importantpartofcorporatebranding.What reallymatters iswhatthe brand name and logo stand for, the trust they have earned (andwill earn)withcustomers.Weshouldallaspiretobuildtrustedbrandsbecausetheyretainloyalcustomersforyears—orevenalifetime.According toWhartonProfessor J.Reibstein, the actualnameof a company

doesn’t make much of a difference. What companies end up doing is asignificantamountofadvertisingandcreatinganimagearoundthename.

BrandBecomesStrategic

Ifacompanywantstoberegardedinacertainway(brandidentity),everythingmustsupportthatdesiredidentity.Does the corporate/business strategy and the company’s execution against it

support that desired identity? If so, then the desired brand identity may beappropriate(obviously,therearealotofotherconsiderations).Ifnot,thebrandidentitywillnotbeattainableuntilalignmentisachieved.Alternatively, it’s appropriate to use the desired brand identity as an “end

state”forcompanymanagementandemployeestovisualize,todrivechangeandsupport the corporate strategy. Establish a strategic process to allow yourcompany to realize that vision over time. The company strategy and brandstrategygrowtogethertowardacommondirection.

StartwithBrandStrategyorBusinessStrategy?

ManagingBrandMeaning

If a brand does not have vital consumer meaning, then it is not worthwhileinvesting financially and organizationally in its leadership. It is not worth thetimeandresourcestopushitor tomakeitarallyingpointfor theskillsof thecompany’speople;norisitworthwhilelivingthevaluerelationshipsthatemergefromthebrandingprocess.Conversely, if a brand does have vital (and self-perpetuating) consumer

meaning, companies discover that there are more significant similarities thandifferences among consumers in their sphere of business as they market abrand’sessencearoundtheworld.Rowntree failed to recognize that an impulse-grabbing concept like “have a

break, have a Kit Kat” could capture consumer imagination and establish aglobal and local “time-out” place in consumer lives. But Nestlé did.Appreciating that Rowntree’s leading brands had enoughmeaning invested inthem tobeworthwhile, theypurchased thecompany.More than justaUS$4.5billionvalue(basedonpastperformance),Nestlé’s1988acquisitionofRowntreewasaboutthefutureadvantagesthatcouldbeconjuredfromthelatentessences

andmeaningsofitsbrands.AlRiesandJackTroutwrotethat“owningawordintheprospect’smind”is

themost powerful concept.This occurswhen the association is so strong thatanyword is immediately linked toabrand.They insisted that “nomatterhowcomplicatedtheproduct,nomatterhowcomplicatedtheneedsofthemarket,it’salwaysbettertofocusononewordorbenefitratherthantwoorthree.”This is often true of a single product or category brand, but today’s brands

have become very sophisticated. Owning category words and benefit-relatedwords are not enough. Competitors will try to undermine this association.Instead, own values beyond the narrow focus of functional benefits. Benefit-relatedwordassociationislesspowerfulwhenquality,service,anddesignareatpar and companies aggressively expand their product range targeting differentsegments.Mercedesownsthewordengineering,BMWperformance,andVolvosafety.YetwhenMercedeslaunchedtheC-seriestoappealtoyoungersegments,BMW launched the 7 series for those who appreciate state-of-the-artengineering, and Volvo revamped its product range with a sportier look tosuggestspeed,thoseassociationsquicklybecamemeaningless.

Brandswithlowerbrandmeaningsimplycannotsupportmanyextensions.Forbrandextensions,answerthesequestions:—Istheextensionconsistentwithyourlonger-termbrandvision?—Doestheextensionactuallyaddvaluetoyourbrand?—Areyouabletodeliveronthebrandedcustomerexperience?—Isthebenefitconsistentwithyourpositioning?—Ifthisextensionfails,isitamajororminorsetbackforyourbrand?

Mostmeaningfulandmostdifficulttoimitate,buthardesttocreate,deliver,andsustain

BrandsandCustomerValue

Whatisthedifferencebetweenabrandpromiseandamissionstatement?The basic difference is one of perspective. A mission statement generallyarticulates an organization’s internal perspective regarding direction andobjectives.On theotherhand, thebrandpromise iswrittenprimarily from thecustomers’ perspective, articulating the essence of the brand’s benefits(functionalandemotional)experiencedthroughabrand’sproductsandservices.

Value’sElusiveMeaningValueisasimplewordwithacomplexmeaning.Valueisdefinedinthemindof

thecustomer.Yetvalue isneitheraconstantnorevenaconsistent impression.Valuedependsbothonsituationandcontext.Acustomer’sperceptionofvaluecanandusuallydoeschangewith timeandcircumstances,oftenunpredictably.Certainattributesofaproductorservicemaybevaluedwhileothersarenot—some featuresmaybevaluednegatively.Alternatives affect valueperceptions,andchoicesareconstantlyexpanding.Changingneedsaffectvalueperceptions,but those needs constantly change too. In spite of the volatility of value’smeaning,mostofthetimepeopleformrelativelystableperceptionsofabrand’simage,reputation,andvaluepromise.Brandmarketing’sroleistobringthetwotogether.

BrandAwarenessIsNottheSameasBrandDifferentiation

WhentoInvestinBrands

Despite the lip service paid to developing brand strategies and investing inbranding efforts,many brands are stillmoving toward commoditization. Theyarebecomingmuchmorewell-knownandyetlessdifferentiatedinthemindsofconsumers.Youmustaskyourself thesequestionsbeforeyouinvestheavily inbuildingyourbrand:

01Whatisthelevelofachievablebranddifferentiationinyourcategoryorindustry?02Do youhave a sound growthplan aswell as a growthmind-set inplace to capitalize on your brand equity as a result of your brandinvestment?03 How will your existing customers respond to your increasedcommoditization?

IsItPriceorIsItBrands?

SOURCE:MARKETFACTS—COPERNICUS2000

RethinkingLoyalty

Manyconsumers tell researchers that theyareperfectlyhappywith thebrandsthey are using, yet jump at the next opportunity to switch brands. Brandawarenessandsatisfactionarepoorpredictorsofhumanbehaviorandweshouldnotbeputtingtoomuchemphasisonthem.

Loyaltyhastwodifferentmeanings:Loyaltyduetoalackofchoiceorpureconvenienceversusloyaltyasaresultofcommitment

BrandMetrics

Metrics provide direction, not control. They monitor progress to success topreventfirmsfromdrivingblindfolded.

TheBrandLoyaltyMyth

MarketLeader=LoyaltyLeader?Ifnot,thenyouneedtodecidewhichoneisyourPrimeBrandingObjective.Inarecentworldwidesurvey,Young&Rubicamsurveyed30,000consumers

and6,000brandsandfoundthatthewaytobuildbrandequitywastofocuson

differentiation,notawareness.TheirresearchfoundthatthetraditionalF.R.E.D.(familiarity, relevance, esteem, and differentiation) approach tomarketingwasnotaseffectiveasastrategythatemphasizeddevelopingproductdifferentiationoverawareness.SOURCE:DONJOHNSON“ARE-EXAMINATIONOFTHEPROCESSOFBRANDING,”HARVARDBUSINESSSCHOOL

Who’sWinning?

“Youcan’tsurvivefloatingonthetide,assessingthecompetition,conductingsurveystofindoutwhatyourcustomerswantrightnow.Whatdoyouwant?Whatdoyouwant to tell theworld in the future?Whatdoesyourcompany

havethatwillenrichtheworld?Youmustbelieveinthat‘it’stronglyenoughtobecomeuniqueatwhatyoudo.”

—JesperKunde,AUniqueMoment“Believeinyour“it”

ProductsversusMarkets

Asproductspacesbecomemodularized,componentized,andcompartmentalizedto address the individual, customized targeted needs of markets, thecorrespondent market space, and the value chains in them become moreintegrated.In a sense, products disintegrate while markets become integrated. This is

forcedontoevermoreexpansivevaluechains.

IndividualProducts

IntegratedMarkets

Thecolonizationofphysicalspaceisnowextendingtothementalspaceandhappeningatanevenfasterpace.

“WHOAREYOU[thesedays]?”andWHATcanyoudoforme?—TomPeters,ManagementGuru

TheRealInnovators’Dilemma

Innovationalonedoesnotcreatevalue.Itsimplyoffersdesignandengineeringfeats,notthingsthatexciterealpeople.Thetrueinnovator’sdilemmaishowtobuild brands that create barriers for competition as innovative products ortechnologiesbecomecommoditized.Innovationaloneisnottheanswer.Youmust get beyond innovation.Youmustmake the connection betweeninnovationandcustomervalue.Theconnectionismadethroughthebrand.

“The idea that business is just a numbers affair has always struck me aspreposterous.Foronething,I’veneverbeenparticularlygoodatnumbers,butIthinkI’vedoneareasonablejobwithfeelings.AndI’mconvincedthatitisfeelings—andfeelingsalone—thataccountforthesuccessoftheVirginbrandinallofitsmyriadforms.”

—SirRichardBranson,VirginGroup

Ifyouwanttobuildacompanythatsustainsgrowthandshareholdervalue,wouldyouratheryourCEOwasaChiefEmotionsOfficeroraChiefNumbersOfficer?

“AschairmanandCEO,myjob is toprovideacorporatestructureandculture

that enablesour castmembers toperpetuate thevalues and traditions that fueltheDisneymagic...Iam,ineffect,thechiefbrandmanager.”“Itakemyresponsibilityasastewardofthebrandveryseriously:toprotectit,

enhanceitandtrytoensurethatitisevenmorevaluableandbelovedinthe21stcentury than it was in the 20th. It’s a responsibility I share with all 120,000Disneycastmembersaroundtheworld.WeallknowthattheDisneybrandisourmostvaluableasset.”

—MichaelEisner,Disney

COMPANIESWILLTHRIVEONTHEBASISOFTHEIRSTORIESANDMYTHS

“We are in the twilight of a society based on data. As information andintelligencebecome thedomainofcomputers, societywillplacemorevalueon the one human ability that cannot be automated: emotion. Imagination,myth, ritual—the rich languageofemotion—willaffecteverything fromourpurchasingdecisions tohowweworkwithothers.Companieswill thriveonthebasisof their storiesandmyths.Companieswillneed tounderstand thattheirproductsarelessimportantthantheirstories.”

—RolfJensen,CopenhagenInstituteforFutureStudies

TrueLoyaltyIsAboutCommitment

EmotionalBranding

“A great brand taps into emotions. Emotions drive most, if not all, of ourdecisions.Abrandreachesoutwithapowerfulconnectingexperience.It’sanemotionalconnectingpointthattranscendstheproduct.”

—ScottBedbury,Nike,Starbucks

“A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. A brand is ametaphorical story that connectswith something very deep—a fundamentalappreciationofmythology.Storiescreatetheemotionalcontextpeopleneedto

locatethemselvesinalargerexperience.”—ScottBedbury,Nike,Starbucks

“Most executives have no idea how to add value to a market in themetaphysicalworld.Butthatiswhatthemarketwillcryoutforinthefuture.Thereisnolackof‘physical’productstochoosebetween.”—JesperKunde,AUniqueMoment[ontheexcellenceofNokia,Nike,Lego,

Virginetal.]

MarketerasHealer

Whatmorecanyoudototoday’sconsumers’alreadybatteredbrain?Morenewproducts,morenewservices,moreoutbounddirectmarketingphonecallsduringdinnertime,andmorestress?Ifothersaresellingstress,thenthemarketisneedofproductsthatheal.

Howaboutthemarketerasmetaphysicianandthebrandasprescription?

What’sYourHealingBenefit?

The new reality formarketers is that only those offerings that go beyond theneed for superior product quality, competitive pricing, and emotionally drivenimage-building communications to deliver some healing benefit beyond thefunctional purpose of the product itself will have enough consumer appeal tobreak through the defense. This will be a new competitive dimension. Fromrecycled to sustainable to CSR and beyond, doing good unto ourselves, ourconsumersandotherswilldifferentiatethepastfromthenewpresent,theleadersfromthefollowers.

TheChallenge

How can you address and fulfill the consumer’s deepest needs and wants—particularlyifyou’renotinthepharma,cosmetics,orentertainmentindustry?It involvesthedeepestunderstandingofwhattheconsumercaresmostabout

andwhat state ofmind they’re in.At the heart of an effective brand strategyphilosophy is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an insight into humannature,what compulsions drive consumers,what instincts inform their actionsand how they perform—even though language so often camouflages realmotivations.

TheSolution

In thespacebetweenbrandsandconsumersexistsacomplexwebofpersonal,social,andculturalrelationships,perceptions,meanings,actions,reactions,andinteractions. Understanding that web and, more importantly, appreciating andcelebrating it for its complexity—and for how every little vibration across it

could signal impendingdoom for your brand—is absolutelykey to cultivatingauthentic, dynamic relationshipswith consumers. So how do you do that?Bynurturing a brand culture that is intensely critical, introspective, and researchcentric.Herearefivewaystogetthatculturestarted.

Chapter05

BrandLeadership

BrandManagementversusBrandLeadership

There are basically two different orientations toward brand: as images and aspromises. It’s not surprising that there are two fundamentally differentapproaches to brand development as well. These two approaches, brandmanagementandbrandleadership,arecodifiedbyDavidAakeranddifferinavarietyofways.Brandmanagement focuseson the short-term. Its primary tool is promotion.

Brandmanagersneverhaveenoughmoneyand seldomhave true controloverthedollarstheydohave.Brandleadershipisaboutthelong-term.Brandleadersunderstandthatbuildingbrandequitytakestime,money,andtalent.Theyknowthat a successful brand is not built in one budget year or one product launch.Brand leadership is based on the premise that brand building not only createsbrand equity, but is also necessary for institutional success. With brandleadership,theinstitution’smostseniorleadersrecognizethatbuildingthebrandresultsinacompetitiveadvantagethatpaysfinancially.Brandmanagementistactical,visual,andreactive.It’spreoccupiedwiththe3

Ls of branding: look, letterhead, and logo. Brand leadership is visionary andpromise-driven. It concentrates on building brand value that translates intoloyaltyandmarketpower.Metricsareinplacetomeasureprogress.Thegoalisbrandequity.Brand management and brand leadership represent two ends of a vast

continuum.Formanymarketers,brandleadershipmightinitiallybeoutofreachand exists only on the company’s annual report. Their quickest gains mightactually be generated by a consistent brand management strategy. To build abrand promise that consumers will value and, in doing so, help build brandequity, it is essential for everyone in that continuum to understand theprogressionofbrandingfrommanagementtoleadership.

TheFiveBrandLeadershipBenchmarks:Asyoulookatthesefivebrandstages,notehowtheyaretiered.Youneedtofirmlyestablishonebeforeyoucanmoveontothenext.

UnderstandingBrandArchitecture

Creatingaclearbrandarchitecturetohelpstructurepositionfortodayandtomorrow helps build that brand by ensuring everyone within anorganizationworkstoacommonandclearlyunderstoodgoal.

P&GandPepsiCohavehundreds,GMhas8brandnames,BMWhas3,IBM has 2, and Starbucks and Apple have 1. Between mergers andacquisitions,aggressivebrandextensions,andtheincreasingcomplexitiesofsub-brands, endorsed brands, and co-brands, it gets more and morecomplicated. Often the task includes a periodic regrouping of multipleproductgroupsandbrandfamilies,repositioningthemtoreflecttheirroleinthemarketandtocreateastructureforimmediatesuccess.Establishingaclearandcoherentbrandarchitecturecreatesstructurewithinwhichvitalday-to-daytacticaldecisionscanbemade.Withoutthisbrandarchitecturein place, these tactical decisions become strategic and long-winded innature.Brandarchitectureisthelogical,strategic,andrelationalstructureforallofthe brands in the organization’s brand portfolio. The objective is tomaximize clarity, synergy, and leverage to maximize customer value andinternalefficiencies.

UnderstandingBrandArchitecture

Advantagesofdevelopingabrandarchitecture:01 It helps everyone in the organization see and understand all theconnectionsbetweencorporatebrands,sub-brands,andmasterbrands.02Itsimplifiesdecisionmakingwhenitcomestoallocatingandsharingmarketingresourcessuchasadvertisingandpromotions.03 It protects brands from becoming over-leveraged and diluted byover-extendingcommunicationsmessagesandgraphicdesignoptions.

UnderstandingArchitectureandPositioning

P&G’sbrandarchitectureeffectivelymanagestherelationshipsbetweenproduct,brands,andmarketsegments.Head&ShouldersdominatesthedandruffcontrolshampoocategoryandPertPlus targets themarket forcombinedshampooandconditioner.Pantene ispositionedasabrandwitha technologicalheritageandthe power to enhance hair vitality. These three brands optimize their brandcoverage by not being merchandised under a P&G product brand name. Thelesson?Avoidabrandassociationthatisincompatiblewithanotherofferingandmayadverselyaffectitsperformance.

UnderstandingBrandArchitecture

Itisverydifficulttoofferageneralizationonhowtoputavastnumberofbrandsincategoriesandwedsetsofthemandtheirrelationshipsintoacompositebrandarchitecture. Each industry and category context is different, as are corporateviews. The tendency is toward having a master brand. Only when there is acompellingneed(andabudget)shouldaseparatebrandbeconsidered.Thebigquestionis:canthebusinesssupportanewbrand?Theneedsusuallyconsistofoneormoreofthefollowing:

01Createandownadifferentsetofassociations02Developatotallynewproductofferingoracategory03Avoidconflictinbrandassociationandidentities04Avoidchannelconflict05Createaprice-drivenlabelforcompetitivereasons06Fulfillneedsfornewgeographiesoruniquecustomersegments

CaseStudy:BrandedHouseversusHouseofBrands

BrandSeparationSpectrum

CaseStudy:SonyBrandArchitecture

Sony chooses a single-minded, powerful, and yet flexible architecture andleveragestheircorporatebrandinmanydifferentways.

Chapter06

LuxuryBrandMarketing

WhatIsaLuxuryBrand?

Whatqualifiesabrandasaluxurybrand?In economic terms, luxury products are those whose price/quality/servicerelationship is the highest on the markets or a product that can consistentlycommandand justify ahigherprice than thosewith comparable functions andsimilar quality. There is always an argument for why some brands qualify asluxuryandothersaresimplywellknown.McKinseydefines luxurybrands as those that “have constantly been able to

justify a high price, i.e. significantly higher than the price of products withcomparabletangiblefunctions.”Thisstricteconomicexplanationdoesnothelpexplainhowwell-knownbrandsaredifferentiatedfromluxurybrands.AJaguarisconsideredlessexpensivethanaPorsche,butintermsofcomparabletangiblefunctions it has amuch stronger luxury brand image than Porsche. For somereason, Porsche is fast and expensive, just not luxury. A Breitling watch isgenerallymoreexpensivethanawatchfromTiffany,Hermès,orGucci,yetitisoftenperceivedasprestigious,notluxurious.

Luxury used to belong to a few privileged few.Not anymore. It’s no longeraboutsimplyfashiongoods,wine,jewelry,handbags,andaccessories.Luxuryistransformingscoresofmarkets. It comes inmany forms,atmanyprice levels,andthroughavarietyofchannels,nolongerconfinedtoafewupscaleshopsonRodeo Drive, Fifth Avenue, or Bond Street. Almost every marketer needs toconsiderwhetherornottheyhavealuxurybrandstrategyinplace.

Thequestionis:Whowillbethefirstonetoeffectivelycapturethissegmentinyourcategory?Luxury hasn’t changed. What’s changing is its definition. Once closelyassociated with high price, prestige, and ostentation, as large segments ofconsumersmove upscale and luxury goodsmove downscale, we’re seeing anexplosivegrowthinwhatisbeingcalledthe“massificationofluxurygoods.”The massification of luxury has been the single most important marketing

phenomenon of modern times. It goes beyond what we see today: marketersconnecting luxury to products thatwere never in that league.Advertising andpackaging common products with words such as gourmet, premium, classic,gold, and platinum means that all consumers, whether they can afford trueluxuryornot,getatasteofthetantalizing.AndthankstoeBay,moreandmorepeoplehaveaccesstothefiner,onceout-of-reachthingsinlifeatanaffordableprice.Ifanyonecanafforditdoesitceasetobeluxury?Theansweris,definitelynot.

It only makes such items that much more desirable. Social philosophers likePierreBourdieu have shown the relationship between consumption, class, andidentity. In creating one’s identity and place in the world, few things in lifeproclaimstatusandsuperioritythanpurchasing,owning,anddisplayingluxurygoods.

OldLuxury

NewLuxury

TheAlternativeViewofMarketing

Marketing is the ultimate social practice of postmodern consumer culture. Itplaysakeyroleingivingmeaningtolifethroughconsumption.

Soismarketingtooimportanttobelefttomarketersalone?

“LIVING ISMOREOF A QUESTIONOFWHATONE SPENDS THANWHATONEMAKES.”

—MARCELDUCHAMP

Fitin.BeCool.

Thestandardofjudgmentbecomestheabilitytointeracteffectivelywithothers,towintheiraffectionandadmiration—tomergewithothersofthesamelifestyle.

Whatisimportant:Canyouconsumetherightbrands?

TheNewValueAddofAdvertising

Asabrandmarketer,yourjobistoconstruct,maintain,andcommunicate

identityandsocialmeaningstoothers.

In the old culture, the limited production capacity of the economy sharplyreduced aspirations to material comfort. Today, much greater materialsatisfactionlieswithinthereachofeventhoseofmodestmeans.

Thusaproducerculturebecomesaconsumerculture.

Whatyoubuyisnowmoreimportantthanwhatyoumake.Luxuryisnotagoalanymore;formanyitisanecessity.It starts with a need and an anxiety to resolve it. The experience ends, if

successful,withafeelingofrelaxationorsatisfaction. If itdoesnotsatisfy theneed,theprocessisrepeated.Wejudgetheactbytheexperience.Wehave gone fromproduct to process, fromproblem resolution to emotion

seeking,fromobjecttoexperience.“Anykindofpossession really functions, in a sense, as anextensionofourpersonalpower.Itservestomakeusfeelstronger...Whenyouwatchasmallchildcling toapieceofclothoradollwithall itspoweryoumaybegin tounderstandthepowerofownership.”

—ErnestDichter,TheSoulofThings

WeNowLiveinConsumptionCommunitiesWe are no longer divided by wealth, birth, or political eminence but byconsumption.Formarketers,brandsandproductsneedtobepositionedtobebought,notmade.

THEMASSIFICATIONANDDEMOCRATIZATIONOFLUXURYHASBEENTHESINGLEMOSTIMPORTANTMARKETINGPHENOMENONOFMODERNTIMES.

TheRealversusTheImaginary

Consumptionsometimesoperatesataleveloftheimaginary,butitcanalsohave“real”effectsinfacilitatingtheconstructionofself-identity.

Luxuryshoppersareledbyrationaldesirestopurchaseitemsofhighvalueandcraftsmanship.Eightofthetentoppurchasemotivatorsareemotionallydriven.Marketers must tap into consumers’ desires for well-being, self-concept, andindulgence. The consumption of symbolic meaning, reinforced throughadvertising,providestheindividualwiththeopportunitytoconstruct,maintain,and communicate identity and social meanings. Victoria’s Secret is a greatexampleofusingtheunobtainable,imaginarydreamsofitsconsumerstodrivesales.Whenbeautifulandperfectlyproportionedmodelsstrutdowntherunway

and grace glossy catalog pages, they say that the company’s products canenhanceoreveninstillsuchglamour.IfVictoria’sSecretproductsarewornbythe beautiful, does the inverse also hold true? Will wearing them make onebeautiful?

Askthisimportantquestion:Whatareyourkeytargetsegments’wildestimaginations?8ofthetop10purchasemotivatorsareemotionallydriven.

TheMaterialversustheSymbolic

Just as a product fulfills its ability to satisfy a physical need, itmust satisfy asymbolicneedtocreateourmeaningsofourselves.

Webecomeconsumersofillusions.DeBeers’slogan,“Adiamondisforever,”hasbeensosuccessfulincreatingtheillusionof eternal love that a diamond is that illusion’smaterial symbol.Now

marketersaretryingtodothesamewithplatinum.

Askthisimportantquestion:Whatillusionsdoesyourproducthelpconsumerstocreateormaintain?

Webecomeconsumersofillusions

TheSocialversustheSelf

The symbolic meanings of products operate in two directions: outward inconstructingthesocialworld,andinwardinconstructingourself-identity.

Productshelpusbecomeourpossibleselves.MostSUVsandsportsbrandimagesarebuilton theverypowerfulconceptofbecomingourselves, just better. SUVs speak to “sporty,” “powerful,” “tough,”and “rugged.” They appeal to men (and some women) who may not travelanywhere more treacherous than the local supermarket. The Hummer sold tociviliansisradicallydifferentfromtheoneusedbythemilitary,yetthebrand’simage, as anenduring, robust all-terrainvehicle remains intact.Expensiveand“cool,” SUVs hold a carpool full of kids and their hockey equipmentwithoutsaddlingtheirupscaleownerswithaminivan.

Askthisimportantquestion:Whatareyourtargetluxurysegments’idealpossibleselves?

DesireversusSatisfaction

Advertisingoftenprovidesgratificationandrecodesacommodityasadesirablepsycho-ideological ideal. In fact, it feeds the desire to achieve the oftenunobtainable unity of the self, using destabilized meanings and images thatseparateproducts from theiroriginal intendeduse andoffer theopportunity toreconstruct a self by purchasing meanings in a do-it-yourself fashion. Desireexistsinthegapbetweenvisuallanguagesandtheunconscious.Desiredoesnotwantsatisfaction.Tothecontrary,desiredesiresdesire.Images

are often so appealing that things cannot satisfy. Some people desiredesirelessnesswithsuchapassionthatitactuallyincreasestheirabilitytodesire.What we dowe become stronger in, and these people yearn somuch and sooftentohavenomoreyearningthattheirabilitytoyearnbecomesastronomical.Postmodern consumption is inextricably linkedwith aspects of sexuality, bothconsciousandsubconscious.Desiresareconstructed through linkagesbetween

consumptionandthehumanbody.Visualscontinuetobethemostpowerfultoolbecausetheyneversatisfy.CalvinKlein,Gucci,andAbercrombie&Fitchbuiltand maintain their brands based entirely on this concept. Meaning is createdthroughacontinuoussearchforlinksbetweenidentity(social)andtheself.

Askthisimportantquestion:Whataretheunobtainabledesiresthatyourbrandsarebasedon?

RationalityversusIrrationality

Theexpansionof“wants”reducesourchoiceto“wantnot”andsometimesmakestheveryideaofrationalchoicemeaningless.We’reintheeraofthe“empty-self,”inwhichalienationcanbesolvedbythe“lifestyle”solution,inwhichweconstructa“self”bypurchasingevenlimitedrationality.

MaterialismversusSpiritualism

Weuseallkindsoftoolseveryday.Wearetoolusersandtoolsarenottheend but the means. So materialism does not crowd out spiritualism;spiritualism ismore likely a substitutewhen objects are scarce.Whenwehavefewerthings,wemakethenextworldluxurious.Whenwehaveplenty,weenchantthoseobjectsaroundus.

QuotesfromparticipantsinIdrisMootee’sAdvancedBrandingMasterclass,2008

If this is the case, then the current weak version of experience co-creation(which is still more like mass configuration at this point, despite its ownprotestationstothecontrary)maygivewaytowhatIhavebeencalling“deepco-creation,”inwhichcustomersnotonlyco-createtheexperienceandsomeof thevalue,but thebusiness itself (and, by extension thebrand).And theywillofcoursedothisasalarge,interconnectedcommunity.Sointhischangedworld,abigpartofpeople’smeaningmightcomefromco-creatingabusinessandseeingitthrive.

—ChristianBriggs“Luxury comes from exclusivity. Individualism equals exclusivity. So bydefinition, every time a brand gives room to consumers to express theirindividualism, it becomes an exclusive, luxurious good. This will lead to afuture of consumers using their self-expression to get the luxury into prettymuchanybrandintheirbrandsphere.”

—BartSuichies

“‘What constitutes luxury becomes a wholly individual and emotionaldecision.’Clearly the rulesof luxury arenot set exclusivelyby a feweducatedmindsanymore.Experienceisluxury.Silenceisluxury.Tosome,notmentioningthewordluxuryisluxury.Veryhuman.Notsoengineer-friendly.”

—FlavioAzeved

Chapter07

StrategicBrandingProcess

Developing a Brand Strategy Building a distinctiveandhigh-performingbrandhasneverbeenasdifficultor resource-consuming as it is today. With theproliferationof technologyand socialmedia, thebarcontinues to rise, and customers are now exposed toeverincreasingnumbersandvarietiesofmessages.Intoday’senvironment,brandstrategycannolongerbecreatedandmanagedsolelybymarketingandbrandmanagers. Go-it-alone brand efforts will likely fail.The whole organization must collaborate fromstrategydevelopmenttoexecution.Thisbookprovidesaprocessforacross-functionalplanningeffort.

Wemust take a fundamentally new approach to brand building in order toclose the gap. An integrated cross-functional approach to brand strategydevelopment that fuses deep customer insights and segmentation, evolvingbusiness economics, and customer experience design capability is required.Companies must direct their resources to these efforts to win in these hyper-competitivemarkets.

BrandingIsaBusinessProcessBrandingisabusinessprocess—one that is planned, strategically focused,andintegratedthroughouttheorganization.Brandingestablishes the direction, leadership, clarity ofpurpose, inspiration, and energy for a company’smost important asset—its brand. Even the mostpowerful strategy will fail if not communicatedeffectivelyandconsistently.Ultimately,howthebrandisinterpretedandexpressedisincustomerexperiencedesign,andallformsofcommunicationwillbringitto

life.Whethercommunicationsareformalorinformal,theobjectiveistospeakwithoneconsistentvoicethatembraces the brand’s essence, which can bemanifested in the customer experience. Tomaximizeits effectiveness, your brandmust be understood bykey audiences: customers, prospects, businesspartners, regulators, analysts, the media, employees,and all other groups that determine the viability ofyour company to do business and can be translatedintoactionbothexternallyandinternally.

Everyonein thecompanymust liveupto thebrandpromise.Thisconcept issimple but it is all-encompassing—it’s about every companymember being awalking,talkingreflectionofthebranditself.Whenclearlyarticulated,abrand’spositionbecomesa rallyingcry foremployeesandhelps themduring timesofchallenge and change. This moves you one step closer to a brand-drivenorganization. Organizations that succeed in building a brand-driven cultureusuallyhave strongmotivation and reward systems inplace tokeepmanagersandfrontlinepeopleinterestedinexploringbetterbranddecisions.

BrandStrategyDevelopment

BeforeYouStart!Abrandstrategy isnot theconsequenceofplanning,but theopposite: it’sthestartingpoint.Herearethethreebasicrequirements:

RequirementOneAclearlyarticulatedbusinessstrategywithaviewofthescaleandscopeofthebusinessandhowyouwanttocompete.

RequirementTwoDeepcustomerinsightsandunderstandingofevolvingbusinesseconomics.Thisrequiresyoutolookattheevolvingnatureofdifferenttargetsegmentsandtheirexistingandpotentialprofitability.

RequirementThreeDetermine the role of branding as perceived by your corporation to helpshapemanystrategicbranddecisionsduringthedevelopmentprocess.

Step01Extract Explicit Short-and Long-Term Business Goals as Drivers ofBrandVisionStep02Conduct Key Stakeholder Analysis to Capture Implicit BrandRequirementsStep03Develop Customer Needs–Driven Segmentation with Perspectives onCompetitionandSegmentEconomicsStep04Develop a Brand Vision Linked to the Corporate or Business UnitBusinessStrategyStep05DevelopaBrandPromiseStep06DevelopBrandPositioningStep07DevelopBrandPersonalityStep08DevelopBrandNarrativeStep09DevelopaBrandIdentitySystemStep10TranslateBrandPromiseintoCustomerExperienceDesign

Step01ExtractExplicitShort-andLong-TermBusinessGoalsasDriversofBrandVisionAcommonpitfallisnottohavealong-termbusinessstrategy.Attheveryleast,you should have an articulated description of the business and know how itcreatesvalueandcompetesinitschosenindustries.Aneffectivestrategyactsasa bridge between the past and the future. It involves judgments and decisionsaboutwhen tocommitandbet,when todelayacommitment,when toabort aplan thatwon’twork,andwhen tochange the rulesof thegame.Strategy isacomplexsystemofactingandtalking,asystemthatoccasionallymanifestsitselfinrationaldesigns.Manybrandstrategydevelopmenteffortsareunintentionallyturned into corporate strategydiscussions.Asa result these efforts areblamed

for not delivering any value. WARNING! You cannot develop a meaningfulbrand strategy in the absenceof abusiness strategy.Youcancreate aname, alogo,taglines,andasetofgraphicelementsforbrandidentificationpurposestodeal with short-term marketing communications needs, but you need a brandstrategyforthelongterm.

Step02ConductKeyStakeholderAnalysistoCaptureImplicitBrandRequirementsStakeholdermanagementisanimportantdisciplinethatsuccessfulmanagersuseto win support from others. A branding project is no different. Stakeholderanalysis is the technique used to identify the key peoplewho have to bewonover.Thefirststepistoidentifywhoyourkeystakeholdersare.ItmightincludetheCEO,CMO,CFO,VPBrand,VPMarketing,VPCustomerExperience,andVPOperations.Thenextstepistoworkoutstakeholderpower,influence,interest,andintent.

The final step is to develop a good understanding of the most importantstakeholderssoyouknowtheirrequirements,andcanwintheirsupport.Recordthisanalysisonastakeholdermap.The benefits of using a stakeholder-based approach is that you can use the

opinionsofthemostpowerfulstakeholderstoshapeyourbrandingprojectsatanearly stage.Notonlydoes thismake itmore likely that theywill supportyou,their inputalso improves thequalityofyourprojectandhelpsyou togain theresourcesneeded.Bycommunicatingwiththemearlyandfrequentlyyouensurethattheyfullyunderstandwhatyouaredoingandtherelatedbenefits.

Step03DevelopCustomerNeeds–DrivenSegmentationwithPerspectivesonCompetitionandSegmentEconomicsMostcompanieshavedevelopedcustomer segmentseitherbyneeds,usage,oraffordability.Often the results are not particularly useful because they are not

economicallyviableoractionable.Segmentationmustbebasedontheexistingor potential profitability of the targeted segments. Companies should segmentcustomerswith the in-depth perspective of future economics of their industry.This may include segment growth, behavior, price, and service requirements.Anytimeacompanytriestolookatfutureeconomics,thereisuncertaintyaboutassumptions. A scenario-based planning approach is likely to create a betterpicture to support decision making. This provides direction as to where thecompanycantakeitsbrandinthefuture.

Step04DevelopaBrandVisionLinkedtotheCorporateorBusinessUnitBusinessStrategyCraftingabrandvisionforcesyoutothinkthroughwhereyouwantthebrandtobe over the longer term to support your corporate strategy. It helps themanagement team achieve consensus on longer-term goals and the level ofbrandingsupportthatisrequiredtoachievethem.Italsoprovidesguidelinestodetermine what kind of research to put in place to monitor brand-buildingprogressandreturnoninvestment.Mostofallitgivesyouastartingpointandamandatetostartdevelopingotherelementstosupportthedeliveryofthebrandpromise.A brand vision statement has no fixed length or style of composition. It is

relevant, and therefore specific to the business and theworldwithinwhich itoperates. A brand vision statement is by definition long-term and transcends

particular products, markets, or even current executive leadership. A brandvision statement should be complementary to the company’s vision statement;sometimes the twoarecombined.Ultimately, it is the interconnectionbetweenaspirations, values, and the brand that is important, not what the statement iscalled. It must be simple enough that your customers understand it, and yourpeoplegetit—andrememberit.

The most trusted technology company in the world, Cisco is a leader indeliveringpersonalandbusinessvideothattransformslife’sexperiences.

AtIKEAourvisionistocreateabettereverydaylifeforthe[sic]manypeople.Ourbusinessideasupportsthisvisionbyofferingawiderangeofwell-designed,functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people aspossiblewillbeabletoaffordthem.

“Inventingthefutureofplay’”We want to pioneer new ways of playing, play materials, and the businessmodelsofplayleveragingglobalisationanddigitalisation...itisnotjustaboutproducts,itisaboutrealisingthehumanpossibility.

AtIBM,westrivetoleadinthecreation,development,andmanufacturingoftheindustry’smostadvancedinformationtechnologies,includingcomputersystems,software, networking systems, storage devices, and microelectronics. Wetranslate these advanced technologies into value for our customers throughprofessionalsolutionsandservicesbusinessesthroughtheworld.

WeHelpDreamersDreamSonyisacompanydevoted to theCELEBRATIONof life. We create things for every kind of IMAGINATION. Products thatstimulatetheSENSESandrefreshthespirit.Ideasthatalwayssurpriseandneverdisappoint. INNOVATIONS that are easy to love, and EFFORTLESS to use,things that are not essential, yet hard to live without.We are not here to belogical.Orpredictable.We’reheretopursueINFINITEpossibilities.WeallowtheBRIGHTESTminds to interact freely, so theUNEXPECTEDcan emerge.We invite new THINKING so even more fantastic ideas can evolve.CREATIVITYisouressence.Wetakechances.WeEXCEEDexpectations.WehelpdreamersDREAM.

Step05DevelopaBrandPromiseThebasisofanybrandis itscorepromise, theessential ideaaroundwhichthecomponents of the brand are built. It is a promise to achieve certain results,deliveracertainexperience,oractinacertainway.Thebrandpromisehastobesomethingthatisrelevanttoyourpayingcustomersandtheyactuallycareabout.It should be clear with no room for misinterpretation, and customers andemployeeshearingorreadingitwill“get”itwithoutexplanation.Thisincludesthe frontline employee who may know little about the brand, to theorganization’s senior management. It needs to be concise in language soeveryonecanrememberit.Butnoticesomething:thewordpromiseisalotmorepowerfulthantheword

strategy or performance. That’s because strategy and performance are aboutcorporations.Promisesareaboutpeople.Apromise isconveyedbyeverythingpeople see, hear, touch, taste, or smell about your business. Industries andcompetitionevolve,butabrandliveson.Yourcompany’sgreatest legacyis its

brand.A brand promise is vital to articulating a higher calling, a crystal-clearpositioning, amagneticpersonality andanaspirationalbrandaffiliation.Theseare the rational and emotional components of a powerful brand promise. Thebrandpromisehumanizesthemissionstatementandmakesiteasyforeveryoneintheorganizationtounderstandhowthecompanycreatesvalueandhowtheyimpact the customer experience directly and indirectly in a way that adds ordetractsvaluefromit.J.WalkerSmith,executivechairmanofTheFuturesCompanyanda leading

consumer trends analyst, identified key trends in the consumer marketplace.Eachstatement refers tobrandsorbrandpromisesdirectlyor indirectly.Resisttheeasytemptationtoover-extendabrandoruseitwhereitcan’tkeepitsvaluepromise. Once a brand’s promise is broken, the trust relationship with itscustomers is damaged, perhaps permanently. Understand the promise a brandmakes,andthenpayfanaticalattentiontokeepingthatpromise.

OldIconsconsumers look for the familiarandcomfortablePlainTalkconsumers want proof, not potential Solidarity relevant themes arestrength,resolve,fairness,andjustice.PolitenessandcourtesymatterFeel-GoodconsumerswantaconnectionbeyondowningandhavingHomeCockpitsfamilyandcommunitytakecenter stage Consumables make it experiential or “more than morestuff.”“Woo”ratherthan“wow”Cloaking people are looking for private satisfaction or inconspicuousconsumption

When customers think of Cisco, they think of a company that brings peopletogether by removing the barriers to communication. By connecting peopleCisco can transform our lives, making us more productive, engaged, andpowerful.

Everyone at HP is united by a single promise wemake to every customer—regardlessofwhotheyare,wheretheyare,orwhattheywanttoachieve:Wecanhelpyoudothat.Whatourbrandpromisemeans:—Webuildtruepartnershipswithcustomers,andourworkalwaysbeginswiththeirgoalsandchallenges.—Wearestraightforwardinallthatwedo,becausewerespectpeopleanddeliverclearvaluetothem.—Webelieveinourcustomers’aspirations,andwe’reconfidentinourabilitytohelpmakethemreal.

Pepsi captures the excitement of now, creating culture and embracingindividuality.Pepsiisbeingopentopossibilities,tryingnewthings,andmakingthemostofthemoment.

Nokia, the trusted brand, creates personalized communication technology thatenablespeopletoshapetheirownmobileworld.Wealsoseemobiletechnologyasanenablertohelpcreateamoreenvironmentallysoundworld.The rise of mobile communications, combined with better product design,

tighter control of production processes, and greater reuse of materials and

recyclingareallhelpingtoreducetheuseofscarcenaturalresources.Manyactivities thatcurrentlyuse largeamountsofenergyandrawmaterials

could be moved into the digital space to greatly reduce their environmentalimpact. Such new opportunities, however, come hand in hand withresponsibility.

ThecorepromiseoftheGEbrandis“betterliving.”Throughitsglobal,human,technical, and financial resources, GE applies the power of the mind and itscreativecapabilitiestoprovideproductsandsolutionsthatmakelifebetter.GEhasconsistentlymade thispromise to its customers fornearlyacentury.

Throughouthistory,GE’smarketingcommunicationsinboththeconsumerandcommercialarenashaveemphasizedhowGE’sproductsmakelifebetter.Ineachcase,thepointisnottheproductsbutthecorepromiseofbetterliving.GE communications are: Not about aircraft engines, but about theway that

they bring together people of all nationalities and walks of life. Not aboutimagingequipment,butabouthowthisequipmentimprovespeople’swellbeing.Not about appliances, but about the convenience they provide and make lifemoreenjoyable.Overall, GE’s core promise has been communicated with remarkable

consistencyanddisciplineforoveracentury.Asaresult,thiscorepromiseholdsconsiderable equity, an equity that offers immense potential for globalextensions.

Step06DevelopBrandPositioningLookatthemeaningofyourbrand.Lookathowitisperceivedinthemindsofconsumers relative to competition and the perceptual difference betweencustomer segments and product categories. Explore the extent to which yourbrand’sperceptionisfavorabletoyourpresentandfuturecustomersegmentsas

wellasitsconsistencywithinproductcategories—upanddownthevaluechain.This analytical process is basedon the following four keyquestions:What isthebrandfor?Themeaningofyourbrand.

Whoisthebrandfor?Yourmostprofitablesegments.

Whenisthebrandfor?Theoccasionwhenthepurchaseorconsumptiontakesplace.

Whoarethebrand’scompetitors?

Who are the direct and indirect competitors that threaten your brand’smind,heart,andmarketshare?

Onceyoudevelopafullunderstandingofwhat’sinyourcustomers’minds,itiseasytoexaminewhathasworkedinthepastandthenevaluatetheeffectivenessofeffortstodifferentiateyourbrandandpositionittotargetdesirablecustomersegments.Twoofthekeydriverstobuildingbrandstrengtharecreatingadistinctbrand

identityanddevelopingauniquebrandpersonalitywiththeirassociatedimages.Unfortunately,semanticsoftenimpedesunderstandingofhowthesetwofactorsinfluencebrandstrategy.Brandidentity,forexample,isoftenusedinalimited,graphic-centricmannerorisusedinterchangeablywithbrandimage.Identityisoften seen as just the graphics, logos, colors, and symbols that make upcorporateidentity.Thoseelementsaretheappearance(whichisveryimportant)butnotthesubstanceofabrand,justastheclothesyouwearareanimportant,evendistinguishing,partofyouridentity,butnotthesubstanceofwhoyouareasaperson.

Step06Anobsessionwithimagetendstoattachgreaterimportancetoappearancethantoinnerreality.Butbrandidentityisaricher,moresubstantiveconcept.Thetwoconceptsarequitedifferent.There’salsoasimplewaytosumupandunderstandthe essence of the two terms: image is how the marketplace perceives you;identityiswhoyoureallyare.Companiesareadvisedtofocusonbuildingbrandidentityasthedrivingbrand-strategycomponent.Brandimageisnotdiminishedatall.Itis,afterall,howacompanyisperceived.Butdon’tmakethemistakeof

thinkingyourbrand image isyour identity.Thechallenge forbrand strategistsand champions is to align image and identity. That happens—and can onlyhappen—through careful, proactive management of your brand identitycomponents.

Step06MountainDewPositioningStatementTo young, active soft-drink consumers (Relevant Market Segments) whohavelittletimeforsleep,MountainDew(Brand)isthesoftdrink(FrameofReference) thatgivesyoumoreenergy(CompetitiveEdge) than any otherbrandbecauseithasthehighestlevelofcaffeine.WithMountainDew,youcanstayalert (CompetitiveEdge) and keep going evenwhen you haven’tbeenabletogetagoodnight’ssleep.

Step06DovePositioningStatementBeauty.It’snotaboutglamourorfame(PointsofDifferentiation).It’saboutevery woman (Relevant Market Segments) and the beauty (Frame ofReference)thatisineachofus.That’swhatDove(Brand)isallabout.Andthat’swhymorewomentrust(CompetitiveEdge)theirskintoDove.

Step07DevelopBrandPersonalityBrand personality is the way a brand expresses, interacts, and behaves withcertainhumanpersonality traits. It’swhenthebrandimageorbrandidentity isexpressed in terms of human traits.Virgin is adventurous, fun, and irreverent;Dove is honest, feminist, and optimist; and Hewlett-Packard representsaccomplishment, reliability, and straightforwardness. Brand personality is thataspect of comprehensive brand that generates its emotional character andassociationsinconsumerminds.Itcreatesengagementbyestablishingasharedaspirationorvaluebetweenyouraudienceandyourbrand. It is reflected fromthetotalityofconsumerexperienceswiththebrand.Itisuniqueandrememberedforalongtime.Onceyouhaveidentifiedyourbrand’spersonalityasitcurrentlyis, you can explore ways to develop the tone of voice that is an appropriateextension of your brand and will reach your audience on a human level,encouragingpositivedialogueandinjectingempathyintothebrand.

Virgin stands for irreverence, individuality, freedom loving, and anti-establishment. Consequently the company seeks out allmarkets in whichthese values are important: as a global brand, Virgin possesses a strongbrandidentitythatcannoteasilybecopied.Virgintargetsmarketsthatarecontrolled cartels and that operate under the pseudo-competitiveenvironment of a duopoly. They see potential profits to bemade in thesemarketsbyanewplayerwhodoesnotplaybytherules.

Step08DevelopBrandNarrativeBrandnarrativesarenotusuallyaformalpartofabrandstrategyandareoftenusedbymarketersunconsciously.Peopleareexposedtobrandnarrativesdaily;itis the story of the ideas, experiences, and values that represent the tangible,authenticdepth,emotionalconnections,andintegrityofthebrand’srelationshipwithitsconsumers,staff,andotherstakeholders.Itispartoftheprocessofbrandstorytelling and can be used by senior executives or brandmanagers to guidestrategyandcreativedevelopment,orinmarketingandcommunicationstobringmeaning and authenticity to a campaign. The brand narrative is a co-creation,startedbythecompanybutultimatelyjoinedandimprovisedbytheconsumersandthebrandcommunities.Your brand narrative is what people say about you, and how they connect

emotionally with your product or service. Social media platforms provide anearly perfect arena for this sort of interactive storytelling. These platformsallowpeopletoconnectwithproductsthatreinforcetheirvaluesoridentity.Theold school ofmarketing uses the oversimplified approach that a brand shouldowna“word.”Theideaisthatabrandcanonlystandforonethinginthemindof themarket.This is irrelevant in today’sworld,as it isbecoming impossibleforabrandtoowna“word.”Volvousedtoowntheword“Safety”andtheyarealso intosports.Porscheused toowntheword“Sports”and theyarealso intofamily cars. Identifying one simplistic position and communicating it in arepetitivemannerisanoutdatedapproach.Positioningcanbeusedtoidentifyapositioninginthemarketplace,butitshouldnotbethesingleguidingfactor.When the CMO of McDonald’s, Larry Light, talked about the newbranding strategy behind McDonald’s incredible turn-around story, hedescribedMcDonald’s’newmarketingapproachas“BrandJournalism.”The brand narrative is the most relevant expression of the brand and

forms the core for trans-media collective storytelling that delivers brand-centric,customer-relevant,humanized,interesting,accessiblecontentinanyformatandatanytimethatyouraudiencewantstoconsumeitthatbuildsabrand.

Step09DevelopaBrandIdentitySystemBrandidentityencompassesallthevisualaspectsthatformtheoverallbrandanditsexpressions.Brandidentitystemsfromtheorganization;itisresponsibleforcreating a distinguished product with unique characteristics. It is how anorganization seeks to identify itself and a graphic manifestation of its brandstrategyandpersonality.Itconsistsofalogothatidentifiesabusinessorproductsystem in its simplest form via the use of a mark or icon and extends intouniforminteriorandinterfaces.Inmostcases,identitydesignisbasedaroundthevisualdevicesusedwithinacompany,usuallyassembledwithinasetofgraphicguidelines, including the use of photography and tone of writing. Theseguidelinesthatmakeupanidentityusuallyadministerhowtheidentityisapplied

throughout different mediums, limiting to an approved color palette system,fonts, layouts, use of space, and so forth. These guidelines ensure that theidentity of the company is kept coherent,which in turn allows the brand as awholetoberecognizable.

Step10TranslateBrandPromiseintoCustomer

ExperienceDesignCompaniesinvestconsiderabletime,money,andenergyintodevelopingabrandpromise that differentiates them from the competition.Yet, if employees can’ttranslatetheresultsintotheircustomerinteractionsorexperiences,thisexerciseis futile. How can companies expect their frontline employees to be brandambassadorsunlesstheyunderstandwhatthepromiseisandhowtodeliverit?Italsoneedstobereflectedincustomerinterfacesaswellasphysicalspacedesign.Additionally,youneedtobehonestaboutwheretheorganizationstands.Donotmakethemistakeofdevelopingagrandiosebrandpromisethatyoucannotkeep.Althoughyoumustcombinevisionwithreality,youshouldnottakeweakness

inanyparticulardimensionasanexcusetodonothing.Nocompanygetsitrightall the time. Indeed, the best brand leaders consider recovery from servicefailures a critical element of the experience they deliver.You cannot translateyourbrandpromise intoaworkingserviceblueprintwithoutworking incross-functional teamsand includingpeople in the field.Thisgives thema senseofownershipandraisestheirlevelofcommitment.Customerexperiencedesignisnot a one-off exercise; it is ongoing and needs to be supported by the rightorganizationalcultureandstructure.

Customer Experience Mapping

Chapter08

StrategicBrandingAssessment

BrandAssessment

Thisquickapproach tobrandassessment isa self-diagnostic tool toallowyoutomakeaquickassessmentofthestrengthofyourbrands.Thescoringandfindingsofthisquickassessmentwillprovideabetterunderstandingofoverall brand strength andwill allow you to devisemore effective brand-building strategiesandprograms.This is clearlynotmeantasameans toevaluate product functions or features. It is meant solely to focus on theissuesthatinfluencetheintangiblevaluesofyourproducts,customers,andmarkets—theissuesthatgenerallyhaveaninfluenceon,andareembeddedin,brands.Inconductingthisexamination, thinkaboutwhereyourbrandstands today. For a department-or company-wide assessment, add up thetotal scoresanddivide themby thenumberofrespondents. I suggest thatyou separate departmental responses to gain a better picture of the gapsbetweendepartmentsorbusinessunits.Ascoringguideisattheendofthequestionnaire.01Clearstatementofcompletebrandpurposeanddirection: Yes 0Notyet 202Brandpersonalityandvaluesknownandunderstood: Yes 0Moreintuitive 1Notreally 203Topmanagementoutsidebrandandmarketingfunctionssupportsthebrand-buildingefforts: Strong 0Adequate 2Prettyshaky 404Internalbrandchampion: Strongchampionwithauthority 0Achampionwithresponsibility 1Unofficialchampion 2Simplydoesnotexist 305Internalplanningpoliciesandprocedures: Strategicanddisciplined 0

Prettystrongoverall 1Needcertainimprovements 2Basicallyadhocandtactical 306Wouldyoudescribeyourcompanyas: Customer-driven 0Brand-driven 0Technology-driven 1Sales-driven 2Competitor-driven 307Doesyourcompanyconsiderbrandbuildingas: Acorebusinessfunction 0Synonymouswithmarketing 1Marcomresponsibility 3Acost 408Integrationofmarketingcommunicationsplans: Planningdonejointly 0Coordinated,notwellintegrated 1Notdone;needsimprovement 309Long-termbrandvision: Clearandemotive 0Visionexistsbutalwaysreferredto 2Identityguidelinesexist 410Explicitbrandpromise: Welldefinedandcrafted 0Welldefined/needssupport 1Existsbutnottoocredible 2Doesnotexist 311Emotivebrandstory: Brandstoryisknownandauthentic 0Goodstorybutlessauthenticity 1Aproductstorymorethanabrandstory 2Nonexistent 412Product/brandsegmentationstrategy: Veryclearandwelldefined 0Yes,butnoteffectively 1Overlyfragmented,toomany 2Doesnotexistatall 313Marketingsupportandcommunicationsbudget: Enoughtodothejob 0Insufficienttoachieveourgoal 1Itcomesandgoes 2Severelyunder-resourced 414BrandmarketinginvestmentROI: Haveaverygoodidea 0Limitedtosoftmeasurement 1Periodicallymeasureresults 2Absolutelynoidea 3

15Allmarketingcommunicationsareintegrated: Overallwellintegrated 0Needsmoreimprovement 1Dependsonvendorsandtiming 2Integrationisnotpossibleatall 316Knowledgeofcustomer: Goodfeedbacksysteminplace 0Adequateresearchdone 1Weshouldbedoingmore 317Committed,profitablecustomers: Strongloyalty,measured 0Competitiveenough 1Whoreallyknows? 318Brandawareness: Highawarenessinkeymarkets 0Okay,butcouldbebetter 1Notatcompetitivelevels 319Brandqualityperceptions: Clearlythebrandqualityleader 0Perceivedasqualitybrand 1Notoneofourstrengths 420Familiarity: Mostofourtargetknowsuswell 0It’sgettingbetter 1Waybelowwhatitshouldbe 321Internalunderstandingofwhatourbrandstandsfor: Moststaffhaveagoodidea 0Onlythemarketingfolksknow 1Nobodyhasanyidea 322Brandimageandpersonality: Haveadesirableimage 0Imagecouldbeintighterfocus 1Notclearorwelldefined 323Associationsattachedtothebrand: Strongassociations 0Differentiatedbutnotstrong 1Undifferentiatedandweak 324Overallcustomerexperiencesarealignedwiththebrand: Customerexperiencereflectsthebrand 0Sometimesbutnotconsistent 1Verydisconnected 325Doesthebrandreflectorganizationalculture: Brandvaluesreflectculture 0Tosomeextentbutnotsure 1Notatall 3

BrandAssessment

Add up your score for each question. If multiple people are taking theassessment, tally the scores and use the average to determinewhere yourbrand or brands fall in the “strength range.” Do not mix the scores ofdifferent functional departments. Comparison can be drawn betweenfunctions as well as between senior management and the marketingdepartment. Be aware, however, that it’s not really the score that’s mosthelpful here; it is amatter of looking at the individual responses to eachquestion, determining themost pressing issues and prioritizing actions totake. True performance comes from a focus on the brand-influencingactivities and actions that are strengthened through consistent andconscientiousworkonanongoingbasis.

StrengthRange

0–19PointsRobust,strong,andmostlikelyenjoyingbrandleadership20–34PointsCommendable performance—but could usemore focusedwork35–49PointsJustgettingby,tooweak—needshelpfromoutside50+PointsFaint, weak brand—brand overhaul and a brand-driven culturaltransformationareneeded

Chapter09

StrategicBrandAudit_______________________BrandName_______________________BrandAuditor_______________________BrandOwner_______________________AuditDate_______________________AuditPeriod

WhatIsaBrandAudit?

Abrandauditprovidesasystematicwayofunderstandingwhatbrandsareandwhataddedvaluestheyoffer,bothtotheconsumerandthecompany.Thefollowingisasimpleandhighlyeffectiveapproachthatcanbeusedtoevaluate the business performance of your brand. The brand audit hasthreecomponents.Thefirstisthebrandinventory,whichisabrand-specificsituationanalysisandadescriptionofallthemarketinginput.Thesecondisbrand exploration, which is a detailed description of the consumerperceptionofthebrand.Thethirdpartisanalysis.Theanalysisisareactionto the first twoparts, essentiallywhat canbe learnedby comparingwhatmanagement has planned, hoped, and done with what consumers feel,believe, and do. The specifics of a brand audit vary; here a generalapproach is provided, which can be used to guide you through a do-it-yourselfbrandaudit.

BrandandCategoryAudit

Marketing managers started doing audits of marketing plans and marketconditionssoonafter themodern-daydisciplineswereestablished in the1950sand 1960s. As the approach to brand strategy and management has evolved,these audits have focused on more detailed measures of brand and categoryvalue,sustainability,andbrandpositionrisk.

FramingaScorecard

Whiletheimportanceofbrandassetvalueandbrandequityiswidelyaccepted,thepracticalmeasuresandoperating issues thatdrive theseend results arenotalwayswelldeveloped.Herewe’veusedfivemeasuresasscorecardfoundationsforbrandandcategorymanagement;othermeasurescanbebuiltonthese:01CategoryRelevanceBrandshavemeaningandvaluewithcustomersinthecontextofamarketcategory.02CompetitiveDifferentiationThebrand’scombinedsenseofadvantageandvaluepropositionthatisrelevanttothecoretargetcustomers.03InvestmentinBrandAssetsThenatureofinvestmentsinproductandcustomerexperiencethataddstobrandequity.04IntegrationofPositioningMakingclearthenatureofthebrand’spurposeandtheassuredcustomerexperience.05ProspectsforBrandEvolutionThenaturaltransformationofbrandsovertimeindifferentmarketconditionsanddegreesofglobalization.

01BrandInventory

Whataretheobjectivesforthebrandandhowhasbrandmanagementperformedtoachievetheseobjectives?

SituationIssues

What is the singlemost important challenge for the brand? Identify thecompetitivebrands.Describeandforecasttheirbrandmarketingstrategies.________________________________

Howhavethecompetitivebrandsevolvedovertime?________________________________

What is thenature andbasis of brand customer relationships if theydoexist?________________________________

Who are the customers? How have customer perceptions changed overtime and what shaped them? Identify any relevant drivers for suppliers,buyers,customers,technology,regulations,orotherenvironmentalfactorsthatmightberelevanttothebrand.________________________________

ProductIssuesWhatproductsbearthebrandname?________________________________

Whatisthenatureandwhatarethequalitiesoftheseproducts?________________________________

Whatarethekeyattributesofthebrandedproducts?________________________________

What is the brand structure? (Family, corporate, umbrella, etc.)________________________________

Whatistheintendedpositioningofthebrandedproductsrelativetotheircompetitors?________________________________

Whatdoesthepricesignalaboutthebrand?________________________________

Whatdothedistributionoutletssignalaboutthebrand?________________________________

CustomerExperienceandCommunicationsIssuesHow has the customer experiencematched the customer perceptions orexpectations?________________________________

Howhasthebrandmanifesteditselfinthedigitalworld?________________________________

Howhastheinterfacereflectedourbrandpersonality?________________________________

Howconsistentarecustomercommunicationsacrossallchannels?________________________________

Howhasthebrandmessagebeencommunicated?________________________________

Whataretheprominentbrandthemesincommunication?________________________________

Whatarethequalitiesofthemediaandmediavehicles?________________________________

Describe themanagement of brand elements—symbols, logos, packages,productdesign,style.________________________________

Sources:—Interviewswithcompanypersonnel.—Interviewswithchannelpartners.—Companydocuments.—Businesspublications,tradejournals.—Expertopinions.— Tangible marketing: products, ads, observations of distribution,promotions,andyourexpertanalysisofthem.

02BrandExploration

Whatistheoveralllikeabilityofthebrand?________________________________

Whatistheoverallbrandawarenesslevel?________________________________

Whatisconsumerresponsetothebrand?________________________________

Whatisthechannelpartnerresponsetothebrand?________________________________

What do they believe about the brand’s claims—its attributes andbenefits?________________________________

Whatotherassociationsdopeoplehavetothebrand?________________________________

Howmuchdoconsumersvaluebrandequity?________________________________

Whatareconsumermotivestowardorawayfromthebrand?________________________________

Consider the competition; what do consumers view as substitutes?Conduct a consumer perceptions analysis, identifying the strengths andweaknessesofthebrand.________________________________

Describe consumerbehaviorwith respect to brand–market share, placeswherethebrandisbought,relevantinformationsources,andusesforthebrand.________________________________

Whatistheperceivedbrandidentity?________________________________

Whatistheperceivedbrandimage/personality?

________________________________

Whatistheimageofusersofthebrand?________________________________

Whatistheimageofthecompanybehindthebrandforcustomers?________________________________

Whatistheimageofthecompanybehindthebrandfromtheperspectivesoftheemployees?________________________________

There are two source types—baseline, or secondary, research sources andprimaryresearchsources.Theformershouldprovidegeneralanswers;thelattershouldbedesignedtoaddressspecificquestionsthatyou(a)thinkareimportantand(b)donotalreadyhavegoodanswersfor.

— Research reports or summaries of past research provided by thecompany.—Businesspublications,tradejournals.—Expertopinionsandyourownexpertanalysis.—Primarydatacollectionpossibilities:

—Awareness(decideontheappropriatemeasures.)—Brandassociations—Imageanalysis/attitudes— Brand purchase motives (various indirect techniques; selectappropriately) — Brand personality (both indirect and directmeasures available) — Brand equity measures (again, severalmeasuresavailable;selectappropriately)

03Analysis

Arebrandmanagementelementsconsistent?________________________________

Doconsumershaveaclearandconsistentimageofthebrand?________________________________

Doemployeesunderstandwhatthebrandmeansandhowitisconnected

tohowtheydothejobonaday-to-daybasis?________________________________

Is the brand being over-extended to different products and is beingdiluted?________________________________

Arewedoingenoughbrand-buildingefforttoensurewearestillbuildingbrandequity?________________________________

Are there any changes in leadership, management structures, ororganizationaldesignthatarechanginghowthebrandbehaves?________________________________

Areconsumersrespondingasmanagementexpected/hoped?Identifyanddiscusstheimportantsuccessesandfailures.________________________________

Make suggestions for changes in brand management, opportunities, orthreats in the marketplace that need to be addressed, opportunities fordeveloping or extending brand equity, and possibilities for brandextensionsornewbrands.________________________________

*Choice of primary data collection: The brand exploration should covereverythingthatispartofconsumerbrandknowledge,butitmustdefinitivelyaddress all the aspects identified in thebrand inventory.For example, if thebrandinventorysuggestsacertainpositioningstrategyorassumesaspecificpurchase frequency, assess consumers’ perceived positions or consumers’purchasefrequency.Or,ifyouidentifyanopportunitythatisnotaddressedinthebrandinventory(e.g.,anuntappedsegment),assessthatpossibility.

*Designofprimarydatacollection:Yourguidelineistoconducttheresearchinthesamewayasthefirm.Acoupleofaspectsareflexible.Oneissamplesize. Aim for a sample of 50, which is far less than practical but probablylargeenoughtoyieldmeaningfulresults.Theotherisdataanalysis.Thereisno need for fancy statistical tests. Frequencies and comparisons of scalemeans should cover everything. Make judgments about differences on the

basisofpractical,not statistical,effect sizes.Note, thatyoushouldmakeaneffort to use an appropriate sample. Asking your fellow colleagues or yourneighbors questionsmaybe just fine forHarvey’s orHershey, but probablynotforHermès.

10

GlossaryArbitraryNameNames that do not bear a relationship to the products, services, or companiestheyidentify.Apple(afruit,notacomputer),Pontiac(anIndianchief,notacar),Kodak (a coined name), and Baby Ruth (a person, not a candy bar) are allexamplesofarbitrarynames.BrandArchitectureThestrategicanalysisanddevelopmentofoptimalrelationshipstructuresamongmultiplelevelsofcompany,brand,product,andfeaturenames.BrandNameA name or symbol used to identify a seller’s goods or services, and todifferentiate them from those of competitors. Because a brand identifies aproduct’s or service’s source, thus protecting against competitors who mayattempt to market similar goods or services, companies have an incentive toinvest in the quality, consistency, and imagery of their brand. Branding datesbacktoancienttimes,whennamesormarksappearedonsuchgoodsasbricks,pots, ointments, and metals. In medieval Europe, trade guilds used brands toprovidequalityassuranceforcustomersandlegalprotectionformanufacturers.Coined/FancifulNameThese include made-up names such as Accenture or Kodak. Also known asneologisms. These names, if truly unique, can offer the strongest possibletrademarksandarefavoredbytrademarkattorneys.ConsonantClusterAseriesofconsonantspronouncedtogether,e.g.,strin“string.”CustomerExperienceIt is the sum of all experiences a customer has with a supplier of goods orservices over the duration of their relationship with that supplier, fromawareness,discovery,attraction,interaction,purchase,use,andadvocacy.Itcanalso be used to mean an individual experience over one transaction; thedistinctionisusuallyclearincontext.DescriptiveName

Anamethatdescribesaproduct,service,orcompany.Descriptivenames,suchasWorkgroupServerandPacificGasandElectric,havecontent,butoftenarenotprotectableandtypicallyarenotfavoredbytrademarkattorneys.DescriptorOftenusedinconjunctionwithacoined/fanciful,arbitrary,orsuggestivename,adescriptor literally describes the product or service being identified. A brandname usedwith a variety of descriptors across a product line is often amoreeconomic strategy than giving every product or service its own proprietaryname.DilutionThelegaldoctrineofdilution,recognizedinthestatutesorcaselawof31states,applies to marks that are highly similar or identical to strong, well-knowntrademarks.Thedoctrine stipulates that theuseof a famous trademarkbyanypartyotherthanitsownerwillresultinlossofthemark’sdistinctiveness—evenwhen the goods or services are not related and there is no likelihood ofconfusion.Somenamesmaybejudgedtobeavailablebecausetheyarealreadydiluted; that is, thename is inusebyanumberofdifferent companies,whichmayormaynotincludeafamoususer.FullLegalSearchTrademarksearchconductedbytrademarkcounsel,andencompassingallclassesandcountriesofinterest.IntrinsicMeaningThecontentornativesenseorsignificanceimpartedbyawordorname.LinguisticsThe study of the structure and development of a particular language and itsrelationshiptootherlanguages.MorphemeIn linguistics, any word or word part that conveys meaning, that cannot bedivided intosmallerelementsconveyingmeaning,and thatusuallyoccurs inavarietyofcontextswithrelativelystablemeaning.NativeSpeakersPanelMaster-McNeil’s group of recently arrived native speakers of a variety oflanguages.Thepanelreviewscandidatenamesforinternationalappropriatenessincluding pronunciation issues, negative meanings, slang uses, and street orevolvinglanguageconcernsinthelanguagesofinteresttotheparticularproject.

NomenclatureSystemA system that specifies and organizes the naming relationships among acompany’sbrands,products,services,divisions,subsidiaries,andsoon.Awell-conceivednomenclaturesystemwillaccommodatecompanygrowthandprovideguidanceforfutureproductandservicenames.Somenomenclaturesystemsarecomprisedofmanylevels,withspecificnamingguidelinesforeach.PhonemeIn linguistics, a set of closely related speech sounds (phones) regarded as asinglesound.Forexample,thesoundofrinred,bring,orroundisaphoneme.

AbouttheAuthor

IdrisMooteeistheCEOofIdeaCouture,aglobalstrategicinnovationfirmwithofficesinNorthAmerica,SouthAmerica,Europe,andAsia.IdeaCoutureworkswith the world’s leading brands to identify their highest-value brand-driveninnovation opportunities, address their most critical challenges, developbreakthroughstrategies,andcreatebrandequities.Mooteeisadesigner,marketer,writer,photographer,publicspeaker,publisher,

business strategist, professor, management consultant, and board advisor. Hismissionistobringtheprinciplesandprocessesofdesignthinkingtoallbusinessdisciplines, from branding and marketing to product development andexperiencedesign.Prior to Idea Couture, Mootee held a number of top strategy positions,

including SVP Global Head of Strategy for Blast Radius (WPP), Head ofStrategy for Organic (OMNI), Head of Strategy N.A. for CBIZ Technologies(CBIZ),andEVPHeadofStrategyforLiveLoweandPartners(IPG).Healsodesigned and taught the Design Thinking for Business Innovation ExecutiveEducationProgramat theHarvardGraduateSchoolofDesignandisavisitingprofessorforanumberofbusinessanddesignschoolsinternationally.Mooteeisa thought-provoking and highly sought-after global speaker on brand-ledstrategicinnovationandnewgamestrategy.HespendsmostofhistimebetweenLondon,SanFrancisco,Toronto,andShanghai.

Index

AAaker,DavidAbercrombie&FitchAbsolutVodkaAccentureAcerAdvancedBrandingMasterclassadvertisingbrandingbyimageryandbrandingvs.brandmeaningin,lackofbrandsvs.advertisementsbroadcastingandmagazineadvertisingoldvs.newapproachesAeronchairagriculturaleconomiesAhrendts,AngelaAllsteelAmazon.comAmericanApparelAmericanExpressAmericanGirlanti-brandmovementApplebrandarchitecturebrandcategorystrategiesbrandingbycustomerexperiencebrandmeaningbrandworthemotionalvaluesandbrandmeaningfittinginandbeingcoolproductsvs.brandsAppleiMacAppleiPadandiPhonearbitrarynamesassessments,brandAstonMartinAT&TAudiRSaudits,brandauthenticity,inbrandingAvedaAzeved,Flavio

BBang&Olufsen(B&O)Barnes&NoblebaselinedatacollectionBatmanBaudrillard,JeanBayer/BayerDTCB-boysBedbury,ScottBenettonBernbach,BillBlackBerryBlahnik,ManoloBlanchard,Robert

BMWbrandarchitecturebrandingbyimagerybrandmeaningemotionalvaluesandbrandmeaningBodyShopBoseBottegaPinkGoldBountypapertowelsBourdieu,PierreBrabeck,Peterbrandandcategoryauditsbrandarchitectureadvantagesofdevelopingbrandedhousevs.houseofbrandscategoriesanddefinedpositioningandSonycasestudyunderstandingbrandassessmentsbrandauditsbrandbuilding,definedbrandcategoriesbrandarchitecturebrandauditsformarketleadersvs.loyaltyleadersrelevancy,importanceoftransformingbrandchoicesdecisionmapBrandCommunitiesbrandculturebrandequityand

companycultureandsupportforcustomerrelationshipsandTransformationAgeandBrandCustomerInteractionsandRelationshipsMatrixbrandedexperiencesbrandequitybrandexploration,inauditsbrandextensionsbrandarchitectureandbrandequityenhancementindexbrandmeaningandchoosingbrandedproductsdecisionmapforleveraging“deepco-creation”brandfactoriesbrandidentitysystemsbrandsvs.brandvalueanddevelopingforstrategicbrandingimagevs.narrowfocusonSeealsologosandtaglinesbrandimage.Seeimage,brandbrandingadvertisingvs.artvs.scienceofmostcommonissueswithtraditionalviewsofSeealsostrategicbrandingbrandinventoryauditsbrandleadershipbenchmarksandbrandstagesbrandmanagementvs.brandleveragingdecisionmapbrandloyaltymythbrandmanagementbrandmarketingbrandmeaningaboutmanagingvalueandPersonalBrandsandpositioningstrategiesandproductsvs.marketsandbrandmetricsbrandnamingbrandnarrativesBrando,Marlonbrandpersonalityconsistencyinconsumerpersonalityanddevelopingforstrategicbrandingimportanceofproductsvs.brandsandbrandpositioning.Seepositioningbrandpromisebrandleadershipandintocustomerexperiencemappingdevelopingforstrategicbrandingimportanceofmissionstatementsvs.brandpurposebrands

brandpurposebuildingstrongbrandsCustomerSatisfactionTreadmillanddefinedemotionalvaluesandbrandmeaningemotionalvs.functionalaspectsofasideologiesplanningprocessforproductsvs.whatbrandsarenotbrands,investinginbrandingissueswithbrandvalueandforcustomerloyaltyforrevenuegrowthZombieBrandsbrandtaxonomiesbrandvaluebrandmeaningandbusinessstrategyforconsumerneedsdataforcorporateidentityvs.corporatebrandingcustomerloyaltyandemotionalcommunicationandbrandingexamplesofbrandworthhealingbenefitsandinnovationandcustomervalueinvestinginbrandsandmarketeconomiesandmarketleadersvs.loyaltyleadersmetaphysicalvs.physicalmetricsformeasuringmissionstatementandpromiseforplanningprocessforpricevs.brandsproductsvs.marketsuniquenessandvalue,definedbrandvisionbrandmeaninganddevelopingforstrategicbrandingorganizationalsupportforbrandvisionstatementsBranson,SirRichardBrawnypapertowelsBreitlingBriggs,ChristianbroadcastingBuickLesabreBurberrybusinessstrategiesandprocessesarticulating for strategicbrandingbrandingas

Ccalculabilityvs.individualityCalvinKleinCanadaDryChanelCharlesSchwabChmielowski,Adam

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