On October 17, our Director of Strategy, Christina Flavell, was the keynote speaker at “Bridges to Better Business”, a half-day conference offered by the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre. Christina’s presentation focused on Quality Branding, and provided specific recommendations to help small businesses develop quality brands that will help them succeed. The presentation fostered some great discussion about specific examples in the current marketplace, and what business owners can learn from them.

1. Quality Branding –
Excerpts from Presentation October 17, 2012
CHRISTINA FLAVELL
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

2. Quality Branding
• What is a brand?
• What is my brand?
• The importance of branding

3. What is a brand?
• Textbook: The essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced by a
company, product or service
• Simple: The overall identity + impression of a company, product or service (or
person!)

4. What is a brand?
An identity built The sum of the parts – Something fragile
over time more than a name and
logo
A brand is what you control… and what you don’t control
Words – Customer experiences What is said, believed
name, tagline, messages, tone, etc…
Perceptions – true or untrue
Visuals elements –
logo, colours, graphics, style

5. What is my brand?
• Research and prioritize target audiences
• Research your competition
• List your strengths
• Determine the benefit of your strengths to your target audience
• Describe your company in human terms, e.g. bold and honest, or warm and
optimistic

6. What is my brand?
Brand Summary -
My key strengths and values:
How they benefit my customers:
My company in human terms (how do I speak?):
Logo, colours, fonts, graphic elements:
Tagline:
Key Messages:

7. What is my brand?
• Branding guidelines based on current trends
• Keep it clean
• Own it
• Be brief, and back it up
• Give it the “so what” test

8. The Importance of Branding
• A key reference and reality check for:
• All branding elements – from logos to employees
• All marketing activities – from ads to white papers
• Business plans – a valuable tool to ensure you are playing to your strengths
• Quality branding = consistency =trust among target audiences, awareness with new
audiences, and the long term health of your business

9. Christina Flavell
Director of Strategy
Banfield-Seguin Ltd
cflavell@bsl.com
(613) 722-6832 x248
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