These are the visuals from a presentation I delivered to a group of owners of UK independent financial advice (IFA) practices on 19 November. You'll see that the issue I was invited to address was 'How to build an Independent Financial Advice (IFA) brand' but, soon, the question shifts to 'How to build a brand these days'.

1. How to build an IFA brand

2. OK. It’s not really a question of how to build an IFA brand How to build an IFA brand

3. But any brand How to build an IFA brand

4. So... How to build an IFA brand

5. So... How to build an IFA brand ...let’s think about it this way.

6. And let’s start with Wally Olins

7. And let’s start with Wally Olins In my opinion, Wally Olins is the Godfather of brands...

8. And let’s start with Wally Olins And an exquisite communicator of ideas

9. And let’s start with Wally Olins I’ll share his boiled-down brand model with you in a moment

10. But first let’s make sure you’re clear about the difference between...

11. But first let’s make sure you’re clear about the difference between... Brand

12. But first let’s make sure you’re clear about the difference between... Branding ...and

13. Branding enables people to understand how to navigate your products, services and organisation...

14. Whereas your brand is a consequence of how you go about doing it.

15. Wally Olins reduces the elements of a brand down to a very simple model.

16. What’s the big idea behind your business’s products and services? Core idea

17. What’s the big idea behind your business’s products and services? but from your stakeholders’ point of view and not yours? Core idea

18. Product How’s the big idea expressed in the products or services that your business offers to the outside world? Core idea

19. And how do you enable the outside world to engage with you? Environment Core idea

20. And how do you enable the outside world to engage with you? Environment Core idea For instance via a shop, the web or face-to-face consultation?

21. Core idea And how are stakeholders able to interact with your business? Communication

22. Finally, how do you – and the people working with you – help express the big idea? Behaviour Core idea

23. Product Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication

24. That’s the tried and tested theory that addresses the issue of...

25. That’s the tried and tested theory that addresses the issue of... How to build an IFA brand

26. But thanks to the consequences of innovation in technology... How to build an IFA brand

27. And its effect on peoples’ expectations of how they consume products and services. How to build an IFA brand

28. It’s probably more appropriate to address this issue instead... How to build an IFA brand

29. It’s probably more appropriate to address this issue instead... How to build an IFA brand these days

30. Product Because this model is subtly changing... Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication

31. Product In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication

32. Here Product In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication

33. Here Service design In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication

34. Service design In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea And here Communication

35. Service design In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea And here Conversation

36. Product Service design In two really interesting ways Environment Behaviour Core idea Communication Conversation

37. Product Service design How you enable interaction with consumers of your business’s products and services determines its usefulness Core idea

38. Core idea And its usefulness makes what you offer more interesting for consumers to share with other people Communication Conversation

39. But why’s this happening?

40. Because the mass media model of communication is disintegrating

41. Because the mass media model of communication is disintegrating Brands no longer ‘control’ consumption of messages about their businesses

42. Because the mass media model of communication is disintegrating Brands no longer ‘control’ consumption of messages about their businesses Consumers no longer depend on a small number of media channels

43. Because the mass media model of communication is disintegrating Brands no longer ‘control’ consumption of messages about their businesses Consumers no longer depend on a small number of media channels People create and realise their own networks of individuals and organisations with common interests

44. So to build a successful brand these days means your business must make a positive social contribution wherever people congregate

45. So to build a successful brand these days means your business must make a positive social contribution wherever people congregate Whether that’s individually, in groups, in real-life or online

46. So ask yourself...

47. So ask yourself... How do I engage with my network?

48. So ask yourself... How do I engage with my network? How usable is my service?

49. So ask yourself... How do I engage with my network? How usable is my service? How can I help my customers to help me?

50. Covester.com enables people to congregate and connect around a common interest - investing

51. Covester.com enables people to congregate and connect around a common interest - investing But it also enables them to track and invest in each others portfolios

52. TripAdvisor.com enables people to congregate around a common interest – travel

53. TripAdvisor.com enables people to congregate around a common interest – travel People share their experiences of destinations and, by doing so, create a rich source of valuable travel information for one another

54. Getsatisfaction.com enables businesses to create support communities among customers

55. Getsatisfaction.com enables businesses to create support communities among customers By doing so, brands enable customers to help customers use their products and service AND they gain incredibly valuable insight

56. So back to the original issue How to build an IFA brand

57. Just think about the amount of work it takes to stay in touch with all your existing clients...

58. In fact, they never go away.

59. In fact, they never go away. Until now, you’ve never been able to easily stay connected.

60. In fact, they never go away. Until now, you’ve never been able to easily stay connected. These days, you can with little or no effort at all.

61. So ask yourself...

62. So ask yourself... How can I engage with my network?

63. So ask yourself... How can I engage with my network? How can my service be more usable?

64. So ask yourself... How can I engage with my network? How can my service be more usable? How can I help my customers help me?

65. Because...

66. If you engage with your network

67. If you engage with your network If your service is really usable

68. If you engage with your network If your service is really usable If you let your customers help you help them

69. If you engage with your network If your service is really usable If you let your customers help you help them Then you’ll have a brand

70. www.twitter.com/ianthomas_mrm www.mrm-london.com

71. Sources & Acknowledgements Slide 1 and used throughout: Landscape image of borderland between Tuscany and Lazio used throughout: Storm Crypt's photostream at Flickr.com Slides 10-14: Road-signimage: Splorp's photostream at Flickr.com Slide 16 and used throughout: The brand model referred to throughout can be found in Wally Olins: The Brand Handbook (Thames & Hudson, 2008) available here: Amazon.co.uk Slides 41-50: Screengrab from animation of the new communications landscape created by Bond & Coyne Associates in collaboration with MRM