execblueprints-developing your branding strategy

The chief executives from Gearon Hoffman Inc., the GoodnessCompany, and Renard Group Advertising on:

Developing YourBranding Strategy

to Boost SalesDan Gearon

Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

Patrick GoodnessChief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company

Michael P. SmithOwner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising

Abrand is more than just a label. Its the key to making an emo-tional connection between a company and its customers.Because branding in the twenty-first century is all about theemotional connection, the construction of the value proposition is mosteffective when it begins with the customer. When the customers emo-tional needs and wants are established, its then a matter of findingproduct attributes that will make a connection with those needs. Thevalues and qualities associated with the client are, in effect,burned into the minds of its customers, creating a pathway for rela-tionships and loyalty. To be successful, a brand must be integratedthroughout a companyfrom the top-level executives to the customerservice staff to the packaging and handouts at a trade show. Otherwise,all the time and energy spent building the brand will have been wasted.Advertising agencies attract creative people with outgoing personal-ities who think outside the box and can see the possibilities thatlie beyond accepted practices, but often fail to do for themselves whatthey do for clients: advertise to grow their business.

in partnership with Aspatore Books

ExecBlueprintswww.execblueprints.com

Action Points

I. Advertising AdvertisingAdvertising agencies are in the businessof creating brands for their clients butmay shortchange themselves in theprocess.

II. Benefits of BrandingThe creation of a successful brand creates an emotional connectionbetween the needs of the customer andthe attributes of a service or product.

III. Challenges of Branding InitiativesThe greatest challenges for large companies in branding initiatives areintegration and implementation.

IV. Golden Rules of BrandingAdvertising is more art than science, and one size does not fit all.

V. Essential Take-AwaysA brand is more than a symbol. Its anever-evolving relationship between acompany and its customer.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

Dan Gearon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3

Patrick Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.6

Michael P. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.8

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.10

Copyright 2007 Books24x7. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without the prior written permission of the publisher. This ExecBlueprints document was published as part of a subscription based service. ExecBlueprints,a Referenceware collection from Books24x7, provides concise, easy to absorb, practical information to help organizations address pressing strategic issues. For more information about ExecBlueprints, please visit www.execblueprints.com.

Books24x7, 2007 About the Authors ExecBlueprints 2

About the Authors

Dan Gearon formed GearonHoffman Inc. in 1982 with hispartner Bob Hoffman. Previously,Mr. Gearon was part of managementteams at Cunningham & Walsh andBBDO, and he later served as general man-ager of a mid-sized Boston advertisingfirm.

Mr. Gearons prior experience includesstints as a brand manager for StandardBrands and as vice president and accountsupervisor at BBDO/NY, working on suchaccounts as Campbell Soup and HuntWesson. His branding successes includeChunky Soups, Sam Adams, RockportFootwear, Brown & Co., Scottrade, andTufts Health Plan.

Mr. Gearon has a B.S. from theColumbia School of Engineering and anM.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Dan GearonChief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

Read Dans insights on Page 3

Patrick Goodness, a fifteen-year veteran of advertising, marketing,and public relations, founded theGoodness Company in 1994. Prior tolaunching his company, Mr. Goodnessstarted his career with the Leo BurnettCompany in Chicago, working on suchaccounts as Oldsmobile, United Airlines,Nintendo, Tropicana, and Philip MorrisCompanies.

Mr. Goodnesss successful track recordwith client relationships is the primary

reason the Goodness Company has heldtight to valued clientele while most agen-cies experience dramatic annual clientturnover. His ability to drive remarkablelevels of positive publicity and buzzfrom a limited budget is the primary rea-son. The Goodness Company is thesmallest agency in the United States withmultiple Fortune 50 accounts.

Mr. Goodness also has several yearsof international consultation experience,offering consultation services to such

notables as American Airlines and thegovernments of Argentina and CostaRica.


Read Patricks insights on Page 6

Michael P. Smith founded RenardGroup Advertising in 1977,and the firm is now one of thelargest agencies in East Texas. Clientshave included Frito-Lay, UnitedTelephone of Texas, Ferro Corporation,Bryant Beverage, Royal Crown Cola,Tyler Pipe, Trane, Climatic Corporation,the Chambers of Commerce in Tyler, Athens, Corsicana, and Odessa,Texas, and local furniture, financial, real estate, and retail clients.

Mr. Smith has also handled municipalbond elections and political campaigns forlocal, regional, and national candidates.

Client services include full agency servicefor most and specialized services such asvideo, print, and audio for some.

Mr. Smith has a bachelors degree inpublic administration from Texas TechUniversity in Lubbock. He has been hon-ored with Telly Awards, Effie Awards,Addy Awards, and by the InternationalTV and Film Festival of New York. Hehas received certificates of commendationfrom the cities of Lubbock, Austin, andTyler, Texas, and he is listed in WhosWho in American Advertising.

Mr. Smith was a charter member of the Tyler Crimestoppers board of

directors, and he has served on the Cityof Tyler Historic Preservation Board andthe City of Tyler Planning and ZoningCommission. His civic involvement alsoincludes the Red Cross and YMCA.


Read Michaels insights on Page 8

Creating branding initiativesinvolves agency staff in research,account management, and creative.Every agency has a process forbranding. At our agency, we haveused both quantitative and quali-tative research in determining thestrengths, weaknesses, and insightsinto the relevant category. We callit the human experience.

We believe most strongly inqualitative, as opposed to quanti-tative, research. For us, brandinginvolves identifying motivating,functional product attributes andleveraging those attributes into anemotional resonance with the cus-tomer. The goal is to convert atransactional relationship to anemotional relationship with a customer.

Our firm works frequently infinancial services, which is a verylarge, very competitive, commodi-tized industry. Brands in this sectorhave very few distinguishing or dif-ferentiating product attributes. Thebrands are always attempting to differentiate on product attributes.The product attributes for all com-petitive brands are very similar, difficult for consumers to under-stand, and easily copied.

In this environment, we first focusour branding system on investigatingthe emotional wants and needs of the

customer. After clearly and suc-cinctly defining the emotional dimen-sion we wish to brand on, we thenexplore rational product attributesthat best support the brands emo-tional benefit. Our value propositionwill always be based on the emo-tional reward of our brand, not theproduct attributes. This is a very chal-lenging approach, and it requiresexperienced people and a client thatis willing to invest time and productdevelopment into the process. But wehave had great success with it.Brown & Co., OneBeacon Insurance,CGM Funds, and Scottrade have allbenefited from our approach.

It is difficult to estimate theimpact of branding on sales inadvance. There are too many vari-ables to account for with a highdegree of confidence. Nevertheless,there are many forecasting modelsavailable, and they are expensive.The Internet has made it easier andless expensive to do online posi-tional testing. An online trial pre-dictor can provide a metric of theinitial trial and repeat purchase ofa new branding initiative, againstwhich the firm will apply standardbenchmarks. While lacking theimplied precision of algorithmicforecasting models, it is a cost-efficient green light metric forlaunching a market test.

In summary, in developing abranding strategy, it is important toavoid focusing on product attrib-utes. It is more effective to think ofa brand promise that connectsemotionally with a customer. Thetoothpaste brand does not justmake teeth whiter. It makes the cus-tomer feel confident, empowered,and sexy. Southwest Airlines doesnot sell low fares. It sells freedom.

Constructing a BrandingInitiativeThere are two types of branding:initial branding and re-branding, orrepositioning. The mission ofbranding is to identify a perceptualdimension a brand can occupy that

Books24x7, 2007 Dan Gearon ExecBlueprints 3

Dan GearonChief Executive OfficerGearon Hoffman Inc.

Television and radio are still the mosteffective media outlets for establishingan emotional brand value proposition.

Co-founder of Gearon Hoffman Inc.

B.S., Columbia School ofEngineering; M.B.A., ColumbiaBusiness School

Branding successes include ChunkySoups, Sam Adams, and RockportFootwear

Mr. Gearon can be e-mailed [email protected]

Dan GearonChief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

The Internet does offer several distinctadvantages. It has revolutionized database andcustomer relationship management, therebysolidifying the emotional connection between thebrand and the customer and providing a wealthof marketing information about individualcustomers.

Dan Gearon


is meaningful, substantial, and res-onates with prospects. In the past,branding emphasized functionalproduct attributes to provide prod-uct differentiation, notably fea-tures and benefits. While manytechnical and business-to-businessbrands still take this approach, it isless common among consumerproducts. This is an internallydriven model, often preferred bycompanies dominated by engineers,that loops the prospect in at certaincheckpoints. It is product-driven,highly rational, and often easy toreplicate by competitors. It alsosometimes confuses cost of entryproduct attributes with truly motivating attributes.

More current approaches beginwith the consumer, not the product.Agencies identify, through qualita-tive testing and sophisticatedaccount planning techniques, theemotional wants and needs ofprospective consumers and developa brand value proposition to satisfythose needs.

The value proposition alwaysincludes cost of entry productattributes and motivating

product attributes as proof points,but agencies obtain the ultimatebrand leverage by packaging theserational attributes to deliver a ben-efit and a brand personality that res-onates emotionally with prospects.Connecting on an emotional levelelevates the brand from a puretransactional experience to a customer relationship.

The biggest challenges facinglarge companies in branding initia-tives are integration and imple-mentation. Companies are doing apoor job educating and training allemployees, at all touch points,concerning the brands value propo-sition and how it translates to theirindividual performance. Often,companies expend considerabletime and energy on developing aneffective value proposition that isnever distributed or discussed out-side marketing/sales and top man-agement. To be successful, thevalue proposition must be inte-grated into all aspects of marketing,advertising, publicity, promotion,sales, sales support, trade shows,packaging, and customer service.

Large, global corporations alsooften face the challenge of inte-grating and implementing newbranding initiatives into embeddedsilos within the corporation. Seniormanagement must identify changeagents within the corporation andwork with them to break downresistance to new branding programs.

It is easier to create a new brandthan to reposition an old one.Having a clean palette allows firmsto shape the perceptual dimensionwithout regard to any residual per-ceptual baggage an establishedbrand may have. Changing existingperceptions is much harder thanshaping new ones. In re-branding,the firm starts by assembling anaccurate representation of what thebrands existing positioning is, andhow broadly and deeply held theperception is.

For instance, when GearonHoffman repositioned the Grolschbrand for Seagrams Beverages, weheld a series of buddy groups in barsand restaurants nationally. Webrought two or three drinking part-ners together to get a real-lifeunderstanding of the emotionaldynamics taking place when order-ing alcoholic beverages and whereGrolsch fit in that dynamic.

Based on this information, weprojected how much effort, time,and money it would take to movethe Grolsch brand from existingperceptual Point A to desirablePoint B. We then created someaward-winning radio and print adsthat repositioned Grolsch. Withintwo years, follow-up research con-firmed the brand had successfullymigrated to its new positioning.

Another repositioning exampleto think about is how Altoids wasable to brand around a lifestyle.


Dan GearonChief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc. (continued)

CustomersEmotional

Need

SupportingProduct

Attributes

Emotional Reward

Defining the Brand Value Proposition

They segmented the marketplace toappeal to an upscale, hip, cutting-edge lifestyle and created quirky,funny advertising that had little ornothing to do with the product. Thebrand said more about the customerthan the product. It became a hugesuccess.

The InternetThe effect of the Internet on brand-ing and return on investment hasbeen substantial, but few if anybrands have succeeded only fromInternet advertising. Television andradio are still the most effectivemedia outlets for establishing an

emotional brand value proposi-tion. Internet advertising workswell in combination with boththese media, in reinforcing and inte-grating various aspects of the brandvalue proposition, linking with special interests, and extending reach.

The Internet does offer severaldistinct advantages. It has revolu-tionized database and customerrelationship management, therebysolidifying the emotional connec-tion between the brand and the cus-tomer and providing a wealth ofmarketing information about indi-vidual customers. The return oninvestment aspect of the Internetenables chief marketing officers to

better defend their marketing budg-ets to chief financial officers via ahost of metrics that track buyerbehavior on the Internet. Some ofthese data are close to real-timedata, allowing marketers to adjustmessaging and media on a dailybasis. The efficacy of Internet mar-keting varies greatly by product cat-egory and distribution channel. Themore direct the channel, the greaterthe efficacy. For dealer-distributedand packaged goods categories, theefficacy is less.


Dan GearonChief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc. (continued)

It is easier to create a new brand than to reposition an old one. Having aclean palette allows firms to shape the perceptual dimension without regardto any residual perceptual baggage an established brand may have.Changing existing perceptions is much harder than shaping new ones. In re-branding, the firm starts by assembling an accurate representation of whatthe brands existing positioning is, and how broadly and deeply held theperception is.

Dan Gearon


The term branding has a long his-tory that sheds light on our currentusage of the term. From ancienttimes to the present day, brandingdescribed the act of using a searingtool to mark livestock as property.Today, the art and science of brand-ing connotes the act of cognitivelyand emotionally burning ideas,values, and qualities generally asso-ciated with products, services, orcompanies into the minds of con-sumers, creating a conduit for customer relationships and loyalties.

Whether used on an animal oreven a human, a brand has been his-torically implemented for purposesof identification. Modern branding,however, is a quest to convey toconsumers a series of identifiableand even defining attributes thatcreate a consumer-focused rela-tionship with a product, service, orcompany. As such, branding isnow synonymous with the con-sumer science and advertising art ofrelationship-building.

When asked to define the termbrand, many will rudimentarilyassign trademarks, logos, or othergraphical elements as one and thesame. While these graphical repre-sentations are the most clearlyidentifiable visual signifiers ofbrands, they are in fact defined bythe subtext of the relationshipbetween the consumer and theproduct, service, or company.

Branding is a fluid science thatevolves as our relationships evolve.As a company works to market itsproducts to new target segments,the brand itself will change in relation to the targeted consumer.

In the advertising industry, mostbranding initiatives come from thetop down, typically from the chiefexecutive officer, and often involvethe input of creative directors and

the account team. However, the cus-tomer should be the starting pointfor every branding effort. If brand-ing is the art and science of rela-tionship building, we must firstknow the people with whom wedesire a relationship. We cannotimpact or affect their senses anddecisions when we have not takenthe time to understand what makesthem laugh, cry, be angry, or be sad.It is only when we take the time andenergy to listen to and understandour customers that we can discernthe optimal response indicators tocreate branding that elicits thedesired call to action.

In branding, honesty is critical.And customers are as honest as theycome. If customers like your prod-uct and find it useful, theyll buy it.If they dont like it, or if the valueproposition is weak, your sales willreflect this customer disconnect.Often, the best decisions for brand-ing development are derived fromdirect customer conversations andexperiences.

Ad Agency BrandingStrategyAs an advertising agency, it is crit-ical to have your own brandingstrategy. At the Goodness Company,our optimal branding tool is ourcorporate Web site. Our richlyvisual site is thought-provokingand emotive without engaging in

cutting-edge terminology that tendsto be more pretentious than enlight-ening. Rather than including atreatise on branding, we believe itis more important to demonstratehow our agency may be a perfect fitfor a prospective client. More oftenthan not, we can expect that if aprospective client feels a connectionwith our Web site, they will be agood match for our agency. We pre-fer to work with companies thatdesire a long-term agency built onhonesty and integrity. Our Web sitecommunicates this goal effectively,and it consequently attracts thoseclients that value the type of relationship we offer.

The best advertising agenciesgenerally intuit their ideal client typeand create branded materials that

Books24x7, 2007 Patrick Goodness ExecBlueprints 6

Patrick GoodnessChief Executive Officer

The Goodness Company

In branding, honesty is critical.

Fifteen years of advertising, marketing, and public relations experience

Founder of the Goodness Company

Clients include U.S. government,Microsoft, Allstate, and AmericanAirlines

Mr. Goodness can be e-mailed [email protected]


At the GoodnessCompany, our optimalbranding tool is ourcorporate Web site.

Patrick Goodness

Chief Executive OfficerThe Goodness Company

speak to them. The best advice Igive to agency colleagues is to beclear on the clientele you desire. Anadvertising agency, much like aninterior decorator, must chooseclients that reflect its personal style.We cant be a great fit for everyone.And by trying to appeal to every-one, you lose your vision in theprocess and inevitably end up in aquagmire spending the bulk ofyour time appeasing clients who willnever be happy with your valueproposition.

At the inception of our agency,we accepted business from everyclient, regardless of vision and client matches. The bills had tobe paid, and consequently we tookbusiness from every client thatcould help us pay them. We learnedour lesson the hard way. But at leastwe learned. When the time came torevamp our branding, Web site, andprint collateral, we subtly empha-sized our commitment to long-termrelationships with clients. As we

anticipated, we stopped gettingqueries from companies looking forquick and dirty solutions. We nowhave the freedom to create durablepartnerships with our clients that

allow us to invest more of our ener-gies into their continued growth andsuccess. And remarkably, they oftenfeel the same way about us.

Books24x7, 2007 Patrick Goodness ExecBlueprints 7

Patrick GoodnessChief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company (continued)

The best advertising agencies generally intuit their ideal client type andcreate branded materials that speak to them. The best advice I give to agencycolleagues is to be clear on the clientele you desire. An advertising agency, much like an interior decorator, must choose clients that reflect itspersonal style. We cant be a great fit for everyone. And by trying to appealto everyone, you lose your vision in the process and inevitably end up in aquagmire spending the bulk of your time appeasing clients who will neverbe happy with your value proposition.

Patrick Goodness

Chief Executive OfficerThe Goodness Company

Create a Web site that is thought-provoking but not intimidating.

Let the images and words representthe type of client you seek.

Demonstrate how your agency couldbe a perfect fit for that type of client.

Using the Web to Establish Your Niche

Advertising agencies are much likethe mechanics car that never runsright or the barber who alwaysneeds a haircut. Advertising agen-cies typically do very poor publicrelations for themselves and almostnever advertise. Rather, advertisingagencies tend to spend all theirenergy on their clients, losing sightof the need for the agency itself togain new clients.

Many advertising agenciesbelieve, just like a good certifiedpublic accountant or attorney, thatthey should not solicit business ina conventional way, but ratherthat they should rely on word ofmouth. Typically, strong agencies donot enter most competitions,because what good would an ad bethat won an award but lost theclient money? Advertising agenciesare in the business of makingmoney for clients, and that is thesole measurement of success or fail-ure. Sometimes clients call and saythey do not like a particular commercialbut sales are up 15percent, so it clearly works.

While advertising agencies do notadvertise, they will pitch themselvesto particular clients. For instance,my firm once tried to convince a

client that billboards work. To dothat, we bought a billboard and toldeveryone who saw it to call theclient. Eventually, the client calledthe ad agency and was livid becausehis phone was ringing off the hook.We had made our point. But mostmedium-sized, strong advertisingagencies do not like to do specwork. Rather, they use references.

Using Word of MouthCompanies that are competing forbusiness typically list the best-known or most visible clients thathave customer mindshare. In ourcase, we always list our plumbing,heating, and air conditioning client.We outline the work performed,detail the campaign and results, and

provide client testimony regardingsatisfaction.

Training EmployeesTypically, advertising agencies lookfor people with good personalitiesgood people with a gift for gab. Itis also important to be able to thinkoutside the box. Far too much cre-ativity is lost by narrow parametersand accepted practices. In addition,there are numerous little signs thatsomeone is suited for advertising. Iused to tell prospective employeesto feel free to smoke during aninterview. The smart ones lookedaround first to see if there was anashtray, and less successful candi-dates would light up and put theashes in their hands.

Books24x7, 2007 Michael P. Smith ExecBlueprints 8

Michael P. SmithOwner and Principal

Renard Group Advertising

Advertising agencies are in the business of making money for clients,and that is the sole measurement ofsuccess or failure

Founded Renard Group Advertising

Clients include Frito-Lay, RoyalCrown Cola, and Trane

Bachelors degree, Texas TechUniversity

Mr. Smith can be e-mailed [email protected]


An agency can stayopen only as long as itkeeps its employeeshappy and provides aworthwhile service forclients.

Michael P. Smith

Owner and PrincipalRenard Group Advertising

HappyEmployees

WorthwhileService

Ad Agency Success

Keys to Success

When a new employee starts atan agency, most agencies offertraining. At my agency, I tell newemployees that the three mostimportant things in their lives areGod, family, and the firm, not nec-essarily in that order. Next, Iexplain that advertising is the mostfun and exciting job in the worldbecause its always different, andthat it is our job to maintain thatfun and excitement by producingfor our clients. In an ad agency, peo-ple are the primary assets. They arethe heavy machinery. An agency canstay open only as long as it keepsits employees happy and provides aworthwhile service for clients.Unlike most businesses, an adver-tising agencys assets leave eachnight on the elevator.

New employees need to under-stand that client needs, wants, anddesires are paramount. When aclient spends $100,000 on a new ad campaign, the client may be

nervous and need its hand held.That is also part of the agencys job.

In addition, it is part of theagencys job to think outside of the box and come up with innova-tive ideas that are unusual and willbe successful. A Chinese restaurantrun by a couple named Wongasked us to develop an advertisingslogan for their restaurant, and wecame up with the Royal Pagoda,where two Wongs make it right.Many felt it might offend ethnicsensibilities. However, the Wongsloved it and have now used it forsome 20 years.

In another case, my agencyworked with a land bank thatrecently expanded to work with citydwellers, who are typically unawareof land banks. To explain about thisresource, we created a commercialwith a professional couple. The cou-ple, dressed in suits and carryingbriefcases, run into a house. Wehear the door close and see their

clothes scattered along the floor.Then we hear a creaking sound andsee that they are wearing jeans and sitting on rocking chairs look-ing out at the lake. This commer-cial made viewers think of a sexualtrystvery daring for a financialinstitution. It was a tough sale to aconservative, religious ownershipand management. The commercialfit into, and enhanced, the conceptof the desire of city folk to escapetheir pressures and get back to thecountry.

In the end, advertising is reallymore of an art than a science, andit is always difficult to determinewhat works, how well, and why.J.C. Penney used to say he knewthat 50 percent of his advertisingdollars were wasted, but he neverfigured out which 50 percent. I sus-pect that attitude is true for mostpeople. But in the end, if advertis-ing increases sales, it was probablya good investment.

Books24x7, 2007 Michael P. Smith ExecBlueprints 9

Michael P. SmithOwner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising (continued)

It is part of the agencys job to think outside of the box and come up withinnovative ideas that are unusual and will be successful. A Chineserestaurant run by a couple named Wong asked us to develop an advertisingslogan for their restaurant, and we came up with the Royal Pagoda, wheretwo Wongs make it right. Many felt it might offend ethnic sensibilities.However, the Wongs loved it and have now used it for some 20 years.

Michael P. Smith

Owner and PrincipalRenard Group Advertising

I. Advertising AdvertisingAdvertising agencies are in the busi-ness of creating brands for theirclients, but they may shortchangethemselves in the process.

If you are in the business ofbranding, you should have astrong brand of your own.

Like other professionals, somead agencies rely on word ofmouth and references.

An outstanding Web site canshow an agency to its bestadvantage and filter prospective clients by clarifying the companys niche.

II. Benefits of BrandingThe creation of a successful brandcreates an emotional connectionbetween the needs of the customerand the attributes of a service orproduct.

Branding can help a companyfind its niche in the marketplace.

Effective branding creates customer loyalty.

Branding can serve as a kind ofshorthand, letting prospectivecustomers decide if the company is offering what theyneed.

III. Challenges of BrandingInitiativesThe greatest challenges for largecompanies in branding initiativesare integration and implementation.

All employees must understandthe brand and how it relates tothem individually.

Time and energy is wastedwhen the value proposition ofa brand is not effectively integrated throughout the company.

A value proposition must be part of all aspects of marketing, advertising, publicity, promotion, sales,sales support, trade shows,packaging, and customer service.

IV. Golden Rules ofBrandingAdvertising is more art than science,and one size does not fit all.

Like all businesses, ad agenciesmust mine for new business tostay competitive.

Be clear about the clientele youwant to attract.

V. Essential Take-AwaysA brand is more than a symbol. Itsan ever-evolving relationshipbetween a company and its customer.

Trademarks and logos are thegraphical representations of abrand.

As a company targets new segments of the market, abrand will change in relationship to the target customer.

Understanding the customer isparamount, and the Internetcan be a good source for gathering specific and generalinformation about individualsas well as segments of the population.

Books24x7, 2007 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 10

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points

Books24x7, 2007 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 11

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points (continued)

ExecBlueprints is a subscription-based offering from Books24x7, a SkillSoft Company. For more information on subscribing,please visit www.books24x7.com.

10 KEY QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION POINTS

Who drives branding initiatives at your company? Who are the other key players inbranding? Is this arrangement optimal? Why or why not?

How is branding utilized at your company? What percentage of branding initiatives iscompanywide? What percentage of branding initiatives is tailored to a specific productline?

What data do you use to construct benchmarks for branding initiatives? Do you expectthis data to change in the next 12 months?

Could you give an example of a branding strategy that was particularly successful inboosting sales? What made this branding strategy so successful? What learning canbe taken from this experience?

On the flip side, can you give an example of a branding strategy that was not successful in boosting sales? What learning was taken from this experience?

What process is used at your company to develop branding strategies to boost sales?Do you expect this process to change in the next 12 months? Why or why not?

How can you accurately estimate the impact of branding on sales? What steps can betaken if the branding strategy is not achieving the expected results?

How many new branding campaigns do you expect to implement over the next 12months? How does that number compare to last year? What do you hope will be theeffect on sales?

How do you calculate ROI for branding initiatives? How can ROI be improved for theseefforts?

What training is offered to advertising or marketing employees in your company regarding the use of branding to boost sales? In the next 12 months, what percentageof your marketing staff will complete this training?

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