Skip to main content
UploadLanguage (EN)Support
BusinessMobileSocial MediaMarketingTechnologyArt & PhotosCareerDesignEducationPresentations & Public SpeakingGovernment & NonprofitHealthcareInternetLawLeadership & ManagementAutomotiveEngineeringSoftwareRecruiting & HRRetailSalesServicesScienceSmall Business & EntrepreneurshipFoodEnvironmentEconomy & FinanceData & AnalyticsInvestor RelationsSportsSpiritualNews & PoliticsTravelSelf ImprovementReal EstateEntertainment & HumorHealth & MedicineDevices & HardwareLifestyle
Sj -, profile picture
Uploaded bySj -
PPT, PDF96,321 views

Brand Communications

The document discusses brand communications and integrated marketing communications (IMC). It notes that communication is key when consumers interact with a brand and must build the brand. IMC is introduced as a concept that evaluates various communication disciplines to provide consistency, clarity and maximum impact. IMC forces companies to consider how customers interact with the brand across thousands of touchpoints and improves the ability to reach customers with the right messages. An effective communication plan sets goals, considers alternative strategies, and aids in priority setting and evaluation.

Business◦Technology◦
Downloaded 4,454 times
Brand Communications
Brand communications Communication happens when the consumer meets the brand Imperative to ensure that every ‘brand meeting’ builds the brand Is it happening?
Brand communications Consumers are constantly meeting the brand Through advertising With editorial mentions By sponsorships On the point of purchase materials Over the supermarket shelves They often meet our brands, but how often do they notice them?
The need for communication The need for impact The need for an involving, positive experience The need to affect behaviour The need for high payback
Communication imperatives Communication process begins after identity process is clearly laid out Remember, brand communication is just a reflection of strategy Put differently, strategy leads creative and not the other way around
Communication model
Non-receipt of message Selective Attention Due to message explosion Selective Distortion Receive what fits into their belief systems Selective Retention Only a few remain in memory
Effectiveness influencers The greater the influence of communication source over recipient, the greater the recipient’s change/effect in favour of source Communication effects are greatest where the message is in line with the receiver’s existing opinion, beliefs and dispositions Communication can produce the most effective shifts on unfamiliar, lightly felt, peripheral issues that do not lie at the core of the recipient’s value system
Effectiveness influencers Communication is more likely to be effective if the source is believed to have expertise, high status, objectivity or likeability The social context, group, or reference group will mediate the communication and influence whether or not the communication is accepted
The communication process Communication is not a one-way street anymore Communication is an interactive dialogue between the company and its customers Takes place during the pre-selling, selling, consuming and post-consuming stages Companies must ask not only ‘How can we reach our customers?’ but also, ‘How can our customers reach us?’
Communication imperative Managing and coordinating the entire communications process calls for a unifying mechanism Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated marketing communications IMC is a concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan It evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communications disciplines and combines all these disciplines To provide clarity, consistency and maximum impact Through the seamless integration of discrete messages
Why IMC Fragmenting mass markets into a multitude of mini-markets, each requiring its own approach Proliferation of new types of media Growing sophistication of customers
Advantages of IMC IMC produces stronger message consistency and greater sales impact Forces management to think about every way the customer comes in contact with the company How positioning is communicated Importance of each vehicle and timing issues Assigns responsibility to unify the company’s brand images and messages as they come through thousands of company activities
In essence… IMC will improve the company’s ability to reach the right customers with the right messages at the right time and in the right place!
Communication Approach
Communication plan The communications plan is an investment plan Establish goals, identify alternative routes, weigh up the risks, potential benefits and decide which route is likely to be effective, within your financial limitations By using this as a model for investing, in different channels, brand value can be increased
Hallmark of a good communication plan A good plan will provide a strategic framework to identify the different goals for brand communication Assign these to channels which will be most effective Will provide a blueprint against which campaigns in different channels will be briefed and evaluated Will aid priority setting, and a check on how realistic brand objectives are Will provide an overall work plan for the communication team, company and agency
Role for communication What role would the communication play in the overall scheme of things? Introduce the brand Make Brand TOM Reinforce attitudes Claim leadership Define the role creatively and persuasively ‘ I have to’ to ‘I want to’ ‘ Move the brand from the shelf to the hand bag’
Communication strategy What would be the overall communication strategy? The strategic route to achieving our intended goals Some examples… Shift focus from functional to emotional benefits Increase visibility Establish brand superiority Create launch excitement
Taking a creative leap… Vaseline lip guard ‘ Appropriate the property of smile’ MasterCard ‘ Give an emotionally bankrupt brand, a heart’
Tone of voice Define the tone and manner of communication Some examples… Leadership Empathy Humour News
The 8 Essentials
Address the key business issue Communication to be developed in context of business goals and brand strategy In effect, what is required is a clear definition of the role of our brand communications – a need to be able to answer the questions What is the purpose of this communication? How does our Communication fit into the life of the brand? The question to ask are: What is the business-based purpose of the communication? Why are we doing it?
Build consistent long-term Brand Equity Ensure that all brand communication delivers a clear, relevant and competitive consumer benefit Communication should bring consumer close to brand and enhance the quality status of brand Need to make people feel that brand is playing a real role in their lives, and is relevant to them The question to be asked: Is every communication derived from and reflective of the BPS ?
Be focused on single-minded Strong Idea A ‘Strong Idea’ binds all communication together so that they are cohesive / consistent What constitutes a ‘Strong Idea’? Must be related to the brand; must involve the brand Must be related to, or evolved from BPS Must be involving for the consumer and hold their attention Should be unique Is proprietary Should work across all forms of communication Should be enduring over time
Be highly visible It costs the same to run a TVC whether it is dull and boring or whether it is relevant and involving A good ad is the best media discount possible Ensure a ll communication investment is money well spent, and this means communications have impact Impact that is relevant to our brand Some possible ‘clutter breakers’ include… Making communication simple Developing additional communication channels Being innovative in media Making better use of sampling and relationship marketing
Be locally relevant to core target Need to catch the eye by planting a relevant idea in the consumer’s mind ‘ This is just right for me and the way I live my life’ Focus the message / execution on the core target and not over-worrying about the ‘alienating’ effect on others
Be likeable All communication should be likeable Achieve best scores in tracking research for ‘likeability’ of brand vs. competitors All communication should be contemporary, both in content and tone Reflecting life as it is lived today, and positioning the brand as relevant to today’s way of life
Be executionally excellent Many brands are consumed for pleasure, enjoyment and indulgence Consumption shots should realistically communicate this in a totally credible way Unique, proprietary product shots and mouth-watering consumption sequences appeal to senses Help create appetite appeal, differentiate our products and motivate purchase
Bring about a sale Seek to create communications which have… The consumers’ interests at heart That are involving in content and execution That are original and provocative That get talked about Have the ‘must see again’ factor To help ring in the cash registers!
Unilever Principles for Great Advertising (UPGA)
Concentrates on one big idea Brand’s benefit is conveyed, not just by a selling message or a series of messages But single-mindedly, by one big idea A visual and or aural expression of that one big concept exclusively linked to the brand Example: Dove
Promise discriminates brand from competitors The advertisement must communicate a benefit But different from competitive brands The brand must therefore communicate uniqueness Uniqueness in physical brand itself or in some other value inextricably associated with brand Example: Close Up, Vaseline
Involves target consumer It elicits a favourable emotional response by appealing to the consumer’s self interest Relating to a known need or problem Promising satisfaction of that need Solution to the problem Example: Surf
Establishes relationship with consumer The ad should induce a strong feeling in favour of the brand It should establish a preference for brand, so consumer feels confident choosing it Example: Vim, Wheel
It’s credible / feels genuine Though manner of presentations may involve humour/hyperbole, the fundamental benefit must be obtainable Example: Bru, Hamam
It is simple and clear The execution should be simple and the expression unambiguous It should be clear from the ad what target is expected to do This does not mean everything needs to be spelled out Communication is two-way. The consumer should participate Example: Lux
Integrates brand name with central idea The big idea must be inextricably linked to the brand name It must be remembered only in association with the brand Example: Lifebuoy, Clinic Plus
Takes advantage of each medium Ideally, big idea should find expression in all media TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Direct mail Each medium has its own characteristics, which offer opportunities for exploitation The big idea itself is fundamental but the ad should take maximum advantage of the media possibilities available Example: Rin
Idea must be campaignable The big idea will and must endure It is not a single ad but a campaign It is not one campaign but a series of campaigns This is more than simple repetition or even variations on a theme The big idea will not only endure, it will grow Example: Axe
Must help build brand personality Each ad affects consumer’s perception of the brand If any ad conflicts with that perception it will cause a negative feeling and several such ads will begin to weaken brand personality It is vital therefore to ensure consistency Each ad helps to build or reinforce the desired brand personality Example: Pond’s DFT, Magic Talc