Brand strategy & building tool kit

BrandAmplitude, LLC All Rights Reserved 2007
Brand Strategy Toolkit
Everything you need to define a brand in one place

2
Overview
 Only 53% of firms say they have a long-
term brand strategy in place.(1)
 While 80% of advertising and marketing
professionals say they are strongly
aware of their company's brand
positioning, only one fourth of them
"...can clearly articulate (their)
company's brand position to... clients,
customers or prospective clients.“ (2)
Strong brands never happen by accident. Yet many companies do
not take a disciplined approach to brand planning and execution.
(1) Prophet, Best Practices Survey, 2002
(2) Louws Management Corporation Survey, 2007

3
Purpose
 The need for brand building is widely
accepted. What is missing is a shared set of
tools for creating and implementing an
effective brand strategy.
This toolkit is designed to be a step-by-step template for marketers and marketing students
who understand the importance and principles of branding, but need a common language to
implement the process in their organization.

4
Brand Strategy Defined
The purpose of a brand strategy is to provide a plan for the systematic development of a
strong coherent brand in order to enhance revenue and profits. The strategy should be
driven by the principles of differentiation and sustained consumer appeal.
““There is no tool better than the brand for uniting the forcesThere is no tool better than the brand for uniting the forces
and the stakeholders inside and around your company.”and the stakeholders inside and around your company.”
Thomas Gad, 4-D Branding: Cracking the Corporate Code of the
Network Economy, 2001
““The role of brands has evolved; brands are now companyThe role of brands has evolved; brands are now company
DNA, the spark from which all corporate life grows.”DNA, the spark from which all corporate life grows.”
Will Murray, Brand Storm: A Tale of Passion, Betrayal, and Revenge, 2001
““...ideally, the brand will make black and white decisions not...ideally, the brand will make black and white decisions not
just at the top of the house, but also all the way down the line.”just at the top of the house, but also all the way down the line.”
David F. D’Allesandro, Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand, 2001
 The brand strategy should
influence the total operation of a
business to ensure consistent
brand behavior in the
marketplace and consistent brand
experiences for the customer.

5
Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy
 Brand Strategy is separate from
the 4P’s. It guides and inform
decisions about every aspect of
the marketing mix.
I. Corporate Objectives & Brand Portfolio
II. Marketing Objectives
III. Brand Strategy
Communications Strategy
Product and Pricing Strategy
Channel and Distribution Strategy
IV. Marketing Execution & Monitoring
Strategic Marketing Process
Brand Strategy is an integral part of the overall strategic marketing process. It
helps to bridge the gap between business strategy and marketing strategy.

6
Brand Strategy Process
Target & Insight
Brand ExecutionBrand Execution
Brand
Elements
Competitive
Assessment
Brand
Inventory
Equity
Pyramid
Positioning
Objectives & Metrics
Personality
Communications
Strategy
Brand Experience Map
Brand StrategyBrand Strategy
Brand AuditBrand Audit
CRM &
Community
Building
Points of Parity and Difference
The process of creating a brand strategy begins with a brand audit and ends with a plan
for executing the brand across all touch points. It can be generally thought of as having
three stages..

7
Brand Audit

8
Target Matrix
Current Brand
Users
Competitive Brand
Users
Category non-
users
Lapsed Users
Size/Profile
Decision Criteria or
Motivators
Usage Behavior
Decision Process
Barriers/Concerns
Key Influences
Brand Importance
Role of price
Satisfaction
The purpose of the target matrix is to identify and evaluate alternative candidates for equity
building in order to ensure the brand focuses on the customers and prospects that offer the
greatest potential for increased revenue and profitability.

9
Decision-Drivers
The purpose of laddering is to identify key emotional and rational decision-making variables
and their relationship to key benefits and consumer values in order to identify the most relevant
ideas to consumers.

10
Target Insight
Where to Find Insights
The purpose of a target insight is to describe how a meaningful connection can be
established between what the brand offers and the target’s explicit or implicit needs in
order to help identify a relevant brand promise.
Trends
Motivations/”Sweet spots”
Decision-making process/criteria
Higher level benefits
Image/Identity gaps
New Segments
Unmet needs

11
Insights Examples
 Mastercard “Priceless” campaign
• “What we found was that people buy things because of how
those things make them feel… So the idea is that the item allows
you to get to some other place in your life that makes you feel
good.”
 National Youth Anti-Drug Program “Above the
Influence” campaign
• “We wanted to elevate the conversation to make it more ‘pro-
me’ than anti-drug. We know teens are very sensitive to
influences, positive and negative, from peers and the media.
That’s why we positioned it so teens would see influence as the
enemy and marijuana as one of the influences that gets in their
way. It’s a way of empowering them so they can stand on their
own at a key moment of choice – seeing that they could be above
the influence.”

12
Brand Inventory
Heritage/Historical Positionings (existing products)
Brand Identity logos, icons or symbols
Secondary associations
Gaps between identity and image
Organizational strengths
Brand Values/Vision
Product performance claims, proprietary technology/patents
Third-party ratings or endorsements
Where to Find
Assets or Gaps
The purpose of the brand inventory is to identify existing or potential assets that can be
leveraged or gaps that need to be addressed in order to build on or create sustainable
points of differentiation.

13
Points of Parity and Difference
Brand
Consumers
Competition
Our
PODs
Potential Brand Differences
POPs
• Points of Parity (Category
Benefits)
Competitive Brand
Differences
Their
PODs
Wants and Needs
The purpose of a POD’s
analysis is to identify what ideas
from our brand and competitive
brands are most meaningful and
potentially differentiating.
The purpose of a POP’s
analysis is to identify which
category benefits are critical for
establishing credibility.

14
Brand Strategy

15
Brand Pyramid
Resonance
Consumer
Judgments
Consumer
Feelings
Brand ImageryBrand Performance
Salience
The purpose of the brand equity pyramid is to outline the basic building blocks of a what the brand should
stand for in order to guide the process of building brand equity. It is the basis for determining key
elements of the brand strategy – brand vision, brand positioning, and brand personality and brand
measurement.
Identity
Relationship
Response
Meaning
Brand Equity PyramidBrand Equity Pyramid
The model was developed by Kevin Keller, professor
of brand strategy at Dartmouth, based on his
‘Customer Based Brand Equity Model’ (CBBE).
Keller is the author of two definitive texts on brand
building. The pyramid is just one of 4-5 leading
representations of the components of brand equity.
Other models include Y&R’s Brand Asset Valuator,
Millward Brown’s BrandDynamics model, etc. While
each model has its adherents, upon closer scrutiny,
they are all very similar in their content and purpose.
Whichever is selected, what is important is that it
provide a shared basis for understanding what is
meant by ‘brand equity’ and how this construct
applies to your brand.

16
Brand Positioning
The purpose of brand positioning is to explain how the brand will create a sustainable competitive advantage
in the minds of prospects & customers in order to win loyal customers and ensure revenue and profits.
For (Target), (Brand/Company) is the only/best (consumer frame of
reference) that (statement of key benefit or guiding value),
because/by (reason to believe, key credibility point).
Evaluation Criteria: Brand Fit, Customer Relevance, Uniqueness, Sustainability, Credibility

17
Positioning Building Blocks
SUPPORT
TARGET
FRAMEOF
REFERENCE
BENEFIT

Category definition

Need state or problem

Product quality or value

Most Reputable Company

Service or delivery difference

Homeowners/Business owners

Adults 35+; HHI $50,000+

Aware of ------

Experiencing -----

18
Positioning Examples
For women concerned about perspiration wetness, Secret is
the one brand of antiperspirant that is strong enough for a
man but gentle enough for a woman.
For adults concerned about oral hygiene, Listerine is the one
brand of mouthwash that not only stops bad breath but also
helps prevent gum disease.
For adult cold suffers, Nyquil is the one brand of cold remedy
that effectively prevents cold symptoms at night so one can
sleep.
For financially constrained college intenders, PNC is the only
university in NW IN that provides both a prestigious,
marketable degree and a more authentic, “real college”
experience.

19
Brand Personality
The purpose of brand personality is to ensure a brand behaves in a way that is consistent with its values in
order to increase its appeal and create greater affinity with its target. Brand personality can also help to
differentiate a brand’s imagery relative to competitors.
What Brand is:
What Brand is NOT:

20
Brand Execution

21
Brand Elements
 Brand Name
 Brand Logos and Icons
• Colors
• Symbols
• Music/Earcons
 Celebrities or Personalities
 Advertising slogans and jingles
 Brand Alliances/Secondary Associations
• Co-branding
• Licensing
• Sponsorship
• Event Marketing
• Celebrity Endorsement
• Third-party Endorsements

22
Integrated Communications Strategy
Current Beliefs
Current Actions
Message
Desired Belief
Desired Actions
The purpose of a communications strategy is to ensure all communications are unified around a compelling
brand idea in order maximize the consistency and efficiency of brand building communications.

23
IMC Strategy Example
Current Actions
Buy whichever
sport drink is on
sale
Message
Gatorade is
the only
sports drink
that is
backed by
years of
research
Desired Belief
Gatorade is better
than other sports
drinks
Desired Actions
Buy Gatorade
even when other
brands are on
sale
Current Beliefs
All sport drinks
are the same
Target: Moms with kids 8-17 who purchase sports drinks at supermarkets

24
Post
Usage
Pre-Purchase
Experience
Usage Experience
Brand-Customer
Relationship
The purpose of the Brand Experience Touchpoint Cycle is to map the points of
interaction that influence customer behavior and brand perceptions through
the customer lifecycle in order to identify and optimize high-impact customer
touchpoints.
Brand Experience
Brand Experience and
Touch Point Cycle

25
 The smartest marketers have realized that it is
possible for communities to be formed around brands
and are helping nurture the process.
 A whole new way to sell things that is beyond both
mass marketing or narrowcast, one-to-one strategies.
Requires “supporting”, “nurturing”, “listening” and
“validating” the group that is participating in your
brand.
Community Building

Brand strategy & building tool kit

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