Brand Cascading - How to Stay True to Your Brand

Brand Cascading
www.six-degrees.com
Frank R. Schab

The knowledge, perceptions and feelings associated with something that has been given an identity (e.g., a name, look & feel)
So, a brand can be a…
Product Company Currency
Service Group Activity
Person Character Location
Country Building Etc.

Differentiate from competitors
Create preference for your offering
Convey quality/trust
Escape pressure to compete on price
Identify ownership
Prove authenticity
Build economic value

A price premium for branded products compared with the price of an unbranded equivalent
Future cashflows attributable to the brand alone
The premium achieved in M&A
A stock price premium due to the brand

Highly simplified, you identify a set of attributes to own in the hearts and minds of your target customers, making sure those attributes meet at least these 3 criteria:

Then, you determine the best brand name, graphical identity and key messaging for those attributes
And finally, you strive to consistently convey those attributes to your target customers

But, step 3 is where brands often fall short of their potential, because…

Think of it this way:
Market communications (e.g., ads, brochures, etc.) set expectations about what the experience of owning and using the brand will be like
But, if during the purchase process or ownership period the experience doesn’t match the promise, customers will be disappointed and less likely to repurchase or recommend the brand to others

“ Live” the brand attributes
The best brands…

How do you “live” the brand

Recognize that your employees are your greatest asset
Educate your employees on the value of the brand and their role in that value
Train them on what the brand stands for and what it promises to customers
Brainstorm with them on what they can do in their respective areas of responsibility to bring the brand attributes/promise to life
Institutionalize that process

We have found the following 5 step process to be effective at brand cascading:

1-day interactive workshop with the brand owners/senior executives responsible for the franchise:
Identify optimal 3-4 brand attributes, or perceptions to create around the brand, considering personality, heritage, sensory assets, functional benefits, emotional benefits and self-expressive benefits
Determine the most compelling, differentiated and credible brand promise

Because every organization is different, a tailored cascading plan must be developed for each organization
Identify how many cascading workshops should be done and in what order
Determine whether cascading workshops are best conducted by functional activity, geography, business unit, etc.
Decide whether all employees will participate
Finalize agenda & leaders for cascading meetings
Note: in larger organizations, cascading meetings usually operate on a “train-the-trainer” principle, where the first generation of sessions leaders trains the next generation (one reason for naming this process “cascading”).

Although agenda’s differ somewhat by organization, the following is a fairly typical workshop agenda:
Introduction by senior executive
Short primer on what a brand is and isn’t
Value of the brand to the organization and role played by all employees
Perceptions and promise of our brand and what that means to customers
Brainstorming session on how to deliver and “live” the brand perceptions/promise at all levels of the organization
Collective evaluation of all generated ideas on key criteria

Review all generated ideas with management
Evaluate feasibility of ideas and prioritize
Develop roll-out plan
Implementation schedule
Communications plan
Designated champions
Assessment approach

Follow the measurement plan and report findings to management and all employees
Adjust program as necessary
Repeat some cascading sessions as necessary, but no less than every 3 years

Brand Cascading - How to Stay True to Your Brand

by Six Degrees on Mar 03, 2009

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Brand Cascading - How to Stay True to Your Brand — Presentation Transcript