This document discusses branding and provides advice on defining a brand. It begins by introducing the author and their experience in marketing and branding. It then explores what a brand is, noting that a brand is more than a slogan or campaign and is the bond that gives people a reason to believe. The document lists the top brands of 2011 and 2001 according to Interbrand and discusses trends in brand ownership, fragmentation, loyalty and engagement. It provides reasons for why branding is important and outlines five steps for branding, including looking around, talking to customers, defining attributes and values, outlining benefits, and wrapping it up clearly and concisely. The document then prompts the reader to try defining their own brand by outlining competitors, customers, attributes

1. Which way did the brand go?
February 2012

2. Who’s this guy?
• Own a marketing and communications
consultancy
– Work with a variety of companies located in Atlantic
Canada, Central/Western Canada and the US
• Before that, worked at large ad agencies in
Halifax and Toronto
– Clients were NSLC, ALC, Toyota, Canon, CIBC,
Kraft, Rogers and Dare Foods
• Work for two of Canada’s top brands – Molson
and Nikon
• Strong experience in a variety of media and
engagement channels

3. What is a ‘brand’?

4. Is it this?

5. This?

6. Or this guy?

7. A brand is…
An
embodiment
of an idea
(In Nike’s case, “Empowerment”)

8. A brand is…

9. A brand is…
More than
a slogan…
…or an ad
campaign

10. A brand is…
Compelling & relevant point of
difference

11. A brand is…
The bond
that gives
people a
reason to
believe

12. The worlds top brands

13. Who do you think are the top 5?

14. Top brands in 2011
Interbrand Top 100

15. Top brands in 2001
Interbrand Top 100

16. What’s happening to today’s
brands?

17. Brand Ownership
Who really owns the brand – the company
or the people using/buying it?

18. Brand Fragmentation
Inconsistency is consistency?

19. Brand Loyalty
Those who like it, like it a lot

20. Brand Engagement
We don’t just call or visit

21. Why ‘brand’?

22. Why Brand?
Reason to choose
Build loyalty
Be different
Grow business

23. Why Brand?
Build a reputation
Support corp. vision
Ensure consistency
Change perceptions

24. Branding Steps
1. Look around
2. Talk to your customers
3. Define who you are (i.e.
attributes and values)
4. Outline ‘why you’ (i.e.
benefits)
5. Wrap it up in something clear
and concise

25. Now it’s your turn

26. Try to define your brand
• Outline your top three
competitors
• Highlight three interesting
things about your customer
• Define five key attributes
and/or values (high the two
most important to you)

27. Try to define your brand
• Define ‘customer’ benefits –
functional and emotional
• See if you can link the two
benefits with something bigger
• Write a ‘rallying cry’ that
includes the top two attributes,
both benefits and the ‘big link’

28. Rallying Cry
Company X is a _______ and _______
organization that offers people
______ and ______ so they can
achieve ________.
Attributes
Benefits
The ‘Ultimate’
Benefit

29. Thank you
sean@williamsmarketing.ca
www.williamsmarketing.ca
@swmgroup
linkedin.com/in/seanwillliams