1. CA$Hing In OnYour Brand! From the Inside Out— A New Imperative for Competitive Advantage Presented by: Carol Chapman & Suzanne Tulien Principals & Co-founders of The Brand Ascension Group®
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3. 100s of local and national firms define, create & build brand experiences
11. POLL #1 Over the last 4 months, are your customers… Buying more products/services Buying lessproducts/services No change
12. Consumer Behavior According to several reports including Wall Street Journal And Bloomberg Business Week… CONSUMER SPENDING UP 1ST QTR 2010 Signs point to impending employment gains and continued increase in consumer confidence
13. Consumer Behavior Retail sales gains March 2010 vs. March 2009 Luxury goods +22.7% Home furnishings, furniture +13.8% Source: SpendingPulse/MasterCardAdvisors THE NEW YORK TIMES
14. The time is NOW to CA$H in on your brand… How? By DEFINING YOUR UNIQUEBRAND ATTRIBUTES AND OUT-BEHAVING YOUR COMPETITORS!
15. Your Brand Is… APERCEPTIONthat lives in theMINDSof your market …Based onEMOTION and defined by theirEXPERIENCEwith you, your employees, products & services.
16. Question #1… What Perception do you want to OWN in the minds of your market? If YOU don’t managethe perception, your CUSTOMERS will!
18. Question #2… What is the distinctive STYLE of your brand? If you were to ask 5 employees in your company, would you get the same answer?
19. What’s Your Brand Style? HUMOR "Positively Outrageous Service" “Our People are our single greatest strength and our most enduring long term competitive advantage.”- Gary Kelly, CEO Southwest Airlines
20. Question #3… What core VALUES guide your behaviors and business practices? (Do all employees in the company live these VALUES?)
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22. Arthur Andersen
23. MCI / Worldcom
24. AIG
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26. A Focus on Values DrivesREAL Bottom-line Results BA Group: Client Case Study Business: Government Contractor Size: $100 Million in revenues; 1000+ employees REAL RESULTS! Realized a 113%increase in their bottom-line within 1 year!
27. What do you think? Poll #2 In a global survey by Booz Allen Hamilton & The Aspen Institute What percent said they rely on explicit CEO (owner) support to reinforce values? 65% 70% 85% 90%
28. And the Answer Is… In a global survey by Booz Allen Hamilton & The Aspen Institute What percent said they rely on explicit CEO (owner) support to reinforce values? 65% 70% 85% 90%
29. Question # 4… What are your unique DIFFERENTIATORS? What key differences make you stand outfrom the crowd? These can enhance your brand’s advantage! #’s & %’s
35. How Nick’s Differentiation Drives Results Employee turnover is 20% compared to 200% industry average Net operating profit runs 14-18% compared to industry average of 6.6%. More volume on a per unit basis (average of $3.5M over past 3 years) than nearly all independent pizza restaurants. On 3 occasions servers received tips of $1,000 Source: Inc. Magazine, Feb 2010
36. Question #5… What STANDARDS of performance excellence will you adhere to? Employees? Customers? Processes? Financial?
40. Empowered employeesFounded in 1999 Grew to $1.2 Billion in revenues in 2009 No. 15 on Fortune’s 2010 100 Best Companies to Work For List 75% of Purchases are from repeat customers
41. Poll #3 What % of your customers WANTto be LOYAL? 35% 18% 72% 94% Source: Zamba Solutions
42. ANSWER What % of your customers WANTto be LOYAL? 18% 35% 72% 94% Don’t give them a reason NOT to! Source: Zamba Solutions
43. Question #6… How will your brand REINFORCE the desired PERCEPTION? …in the minds of your employees and customers.
55. Elevate Your Brand’s Experience Define Your Brand DNA! Style Perception Values Reinforce Perception Differentiators Standards Point of view Brand Promise
56. CA$H Inon Your Brand! Capitalize on the power of a Brand Promise Leverage your true differentiators Company wide clarity on what the brand stands for Behaviors of the company fully support the messaging = better customer experience Increased ROI on marketing investments Complete clarity in your marketing message Greater customer loyalty – through emotion benefits Out-behave yourcompetition More referrals/testimonials from customers
57. THANK YOU! Q&A Visit www.BrandAscension.com click on Free Resources for your complimentary downloads.Check out our new book, Brand DNA, Uncover Your Organization’s Genetic Code for Competitive Advantage. Now accepting pre-orders GOT BRAND DNA? Get it here. DEFINE. CREATE. GROW. PROFIT. 719.265.1707 | 719.748.2290 Carol Chapman, Principal Suzanne Tulien, Principal
Editor's Notes
CC: Thank you for the introduction Simone. It’s a pleasure to be here and present to each of you today. We are excited to share with you can Cash in On Your Brand through a unique approach to defining and building your brand from the INSIDE OUT.We are delighted to have the opportunity to share with everyone how you can build your brand for competitive advantage – in any economy. We guarantee you will walk away with some thought provoking and actionable ideas to take back and implement in your business.We also know your time is valuable. So, we’re committed to make this webinar worth every moment of your time.In our session today, we’re going to cover 8 key questions (around your unique Brand DNA) that we want you to give careful thought to. In fact, we’d like you to grab a piece of a paper and pen as we review each key question, we want you to write it down. Writing it down imprints more in your mind. We’ll have a variety of examples and case studies to share both from some of our clients and some other great brands in the market today.Let’s get started…Every business has a brand. It doesn’t matter whether small or large; start-up or well-established; B2B or B2C. You have a unique Brand. Before you can really build and leverage your brand, you need to define it. Has your business dug deep, to define what makes you unique and different? Well, now is the time to do it. These 8 key questions we’ll be sharing with you today will really kick-start in defining your brand.Before we get started, let’s briefly share a bit more information about us --The Brand Ascension Group. Suzanne…
CC: Simone – let’s open our poll to find out a bit more about what’s happening in our participants businesses today.It’s amazing the number of businesses, industries and individuals that have been impacted by our economy over the last 18 months. We want to know how has your business fared within the last 4 months of 2010.Simone opens the poll and repeats the question and options…Most businesses we talk to have been affected by changes in the economy. One thing we know for sure is likely to recover. Irrespective of the outcome, we all need to ensure we have a solid infrastructure to deliver on our brands consistently to weather any economy.Do we have the poll results in? Review the poll. Thanks. Simone. Well, the results show…. Thank you everyone for responding to this poll.Let’s take a look at some recent economic information that may or may not be surprising to any of us. Suzanne...next slide
ST:Recent indicators are showing that our economy is improving! I can almost hear the ‘HALELUIAH’ from our audience! Recent reports in late April from The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg Business Week indicate that consumer spending is on the rise. And all signs are pointing to improvement in the unemployment numbers and continued increase in consumer confidence. Consumer confidence is so important to not only our economy, but in building a successful brand. Let’s take a look…(Next slide…)
ST: Here are some STATS showing that our economy is improving compared to LAST March.Purchases of home furnishings ARE UP 13.8% and luxury goods are up 22.7%. This is good news and we hope the trend continues. Irrespective of what is happening in our economy, and there may still be some rocky roads ahead of us, we all have an opportunity to leverage the uniqueness of our brand. So now let’s get into the ‘how’s’ of it all!(Next slide…)
ST: So, WHAT CAN you do cash in on your brand? Well, that’s why we’re here today. We want to share some key questions you can answer and action to cash in on your brand right now.Our answer to the question of ‘HOW’ is …By defining your distinctive brand and putting strategies in place that will enable you to OUT-behave your competition! In fact, we challenge everyone to start focusing inward, and take a deep dive inside your business, rather than looking outward by increasing your marketing efforts. Our challenge for you is to focus more on working ON your business to elevate your brand’s experience, consistently and distinctively. Elevating your brand’s experience starts by defining the distinctive key attributes of your brand. So, in the next 45 minutes or so, we will propose to you 8 key questions to answer and action within your business, and in doing so, you’ll create a true competitive advantage. Actioning your answers will enable you to ‘out-behave’ your competition and create memorable experiences like no other!Before we get into the questions, we want to make sure we all understand what a brand is and what it’s not! Carol, let’s talk about that a bit…(Next slide)
CC: We all know that Perception is Reality. So, a great question to ask is and PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN…[CLICK] What PERCEPTION do you want to create in the minds of your market? Have you ever asked this question? If you were to ask 5 customers what ONE or TWO words would they use to describe your brand, would you get the same response? We can only stress that consistency in the perception can make the difference in whether your customers continue to buy from you or go to a competitor. [CLICK] And think about this if you don’t manage the perception, others will particularly your customers. Right?This question could be worth $Thousands or $Millions of dollars and for some of you it could be $Billions dollars depending on the size of your businesses. Defining and managing your brand to a consistent perception can enable you to realize significant benefits – increased revenues, demand for your brand, more customers and more referrals.Next Slide
CC: We know a lot of brands are affected by the changes that have occurred in our economy. In fact, most businesses are affected in some way, however, take a look at some of these brands.[CLICK] Each of them over the years have been very consistent in defining and managing the perception customers have of their brands and they have weathered many economic environments because they’ve done a great job managing the perception. If the perception others have of your brand isn’t consistent, then you will have a difficult time in any economy, because your customers won’t trust you. And when your customers don’t trust you, they’re likely to look elsewhere. Right?We all know Disney. [CLICK] Even if we haven’t been there like me, I know all about it from my friends and colleagues and their kids who have been there. Right Suzanne??? You’ve been there several times. Why do you go back?Disney is consistently perceived as fun and magical place for family entertainment.What about FedEx? They continually strive to be the best at on-time overnight delivery; Volvo for Safety; Southwest for their humor and we could go on about each of these brands.There aren’t many truly GREAT brands out there when you realize how many businesses are in existence. The reason these brands have grown and been extraordinarily successful is because they focus on managing perception and elevating their brand’s experience, first, through the eyes of their employees, then through the eyes of the customers. And that brings us to the next key question to answer and action…Suzanne Next slide
ST: Remember to WRITE THIS DOWN…andAsk yourself….’Does your company have a unique STYLE or PERSONALITY?’If you were to ask 5 employees in different areas of your company would you get the same response? What do we mean by STYLE? Your Brand Style comes through in HOW YOU DELIVER what you sell, but not just in the product or service itself, but within every facet of the business. Is your brand eclectic and bold, simple and pure, or sophisticated and savvy. Any of these combinations of terms form a unique interpretation in the minds of your customers. If you have 5 employees and they are each showing up in a different way– which is more true to your brand? And how will your customers feel about the sense of inconsistency in their experience? Probably confused a bit. Why is consistency important – because CONSISTENCY BUILDS TRUST.When your entire team is ‘on the same page’ in knowing exactly what the brand stands for – the power of synergy takes over and creates an amazing ‘way of being’ that is memorable in the minds of your customers.Let’s take a look at how that works with a BUSINESS that exemplifies a recognizable BRAND STYLE…
CC: A large part of corporate synergy comes out of a common set of core values. [CLICK] So, the 3rd essential question is… and PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN…What core values guide your behaviors and business practices? Values give meaning to how we operate as a business. If we are true to them, we can create enormous good will with our customers an employees.Ask yourself….If you do have a set of core values, are they more than words on paper? [CLICK] Do your employees recognize, understand, and live these core values consciously on a day to day basis? And are you living up to them with your customers? Next Slide…
CC:HMY would consider working with a company who’s core values were: [CLICK] Customer-focus and Integrity? I am sure most of you would prefer to work with businesses who consistently demonstrate these sorts of values…but guess what? These values came directly from the websites of some of the company’s listed here.Again, it is important that your company values not be just words on paper – but actioned and lived in every facet of the business – every department, every employee, and exemplified in every customer experience. [CLICK] Not living your values can have devastating implicationsfrom complete annihilation of a business to severely tarnished images. Great brands keep their core values at the forefront of their decision-making, their behaviors, and how they treat their employees, how they package and deliver products, engage and reward their employees, service their customers and run their businesses. Perception is everything! Holding true and living up to your values will only enhance the perception of your brand.Let’s take a look at one of our Clients who had gone through our Brand-defining (Brand DNA)process and how they realized and actioned some very important brand-building steps to ensure they lived up to their values. NEXT SLIDE…
CC: In a global study that was conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton & the Aspen Institute on the value of corporate values in business,…They surveyed 365 global companies spanning 30 countries on their values. They were asked a series of questions on values in business…one in particularly was, If you have a set of values, do you rely on explicit CEO support to reinforce your values? Go ahead tell us what you think thesecompanies reported. The results they tallied from the responses were quite interesting.Simone…Do we have the responses in? Well, what they found was…(next slide)…
CC: (CLICK) 85% of companies reported they rely on explicit CEO support to reinforce values. Is this surprising? Not really! People have a tendency sometimes to model others – particularlytheir bosses behaviors! And when the CEO says it’s important, they listen. If you were reaffirm to your employees, what’s important, they are more likely to listen.Think about this…CORE VALUES need no rational or external justification, nor should they sway with the trends and fads of the day, nor should they shift in response to changing market conditions, but rather they are truly ENDURING. When businesses live by their values, they certainly show up more authentic and consistent, and they build goodwill for their brand in the market. Let’s move on to our 4th essential question. Suzanne… (next slide)
ST: Great – I love this question because the answers are can help create a brand’s blue ocean! We we have seen so many major ‘aha’s come out of this particular exercise in our Brand DNA program. So here it is…PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN…is ‘What are your unique differentiators?’These are those specific attributes that set you about from your competitors. [CLICK] Think about how your differentiators not only can be about your specific product or service, but in the way you provide the service, the behaviors and actions your organization takes to create memorable experience for your customers and truly stand out from your competitors.It is important, in this area of brand differentiation, to get as specific as possible in identifying your differentiators and backing them up with numbers and statistics. Consider such things as your point of difference, perhaps you have proprietary processes, or maybe it’s the intellectual capital within your business, or the unique behavioral actions of your employees – as is the case with Southwest, or perhaps your service delivery. Maybe you have a unique heritage to your brand that you can leverage as a point of difference, or awards, credentials. We take our clients through a series of 13 topics of differentiation to consider in our Brand DNA program and at least 4 or 5 truly powerful ones flush out for them to leverage.Let’s take a look at an excellent example from a highly successful small business brand known for it’s differentiation in its industry… (NEXT SLIDE)
ST: If you haven’t heard of a small restaurant called ‘Nick’s Pizza & Pub’ –in Northwestern Illinois, you should. They generated more than $7 Million in sales in 2009 with just 2 stores! How did that happen? By differentiating themselves with a hyper-focus on their employee culture. [CLICK] The first secret of Nick’s Pizza & Pub’s culture is characterized as ‘trust and track’. It involves educating employees about what it takes for the company to be successful and then empowering and trusting them to act accordingly. They also track every key business metric down to the 10th of a percent. [CLICK] The second secret is they only hire the best talent. It’s a very rigorous process where just 1 of 12 applicants gets hired. It involves two extensive interviews with 3 managers.The carefully crafted questions used in the interview process ensuresthe applicant will fit into the culture.[CLICK]The third secret is in their comprehensive2-day orientation and extended training. Orientation includes role playing and discussion on company’s values, purpose and culture,training in the kitchen, and certification for specific jobs. Some of the training can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Higher certifications achieved provide more benefits, higher salaries, profit sharing, and preference scheduling. Training alsoincludes communication and leadership courses.Feedback is also taken seriously,especially from new recruits.[CLICK] And finally, they’ve created well thought-throughsystems and processes for just about everything, that help streamline the tasks and even the behaviors on how to greet and interact with a customer and at every touch-point. All their systems are designed to create and reinforce a culture of trust and consistent on-brand behavior. So how does all this detail affect the bottom-line? (Next)
ST:Get a load of these results…..Employee turnover is only 20% compared to a 200% industry averageTheirnet operating profit runs 14-18% compared to the industry average of 6.6%.They deliver more volume on a per unit basis than nearly all independent pizza restaurants And Customers are very appreciative! …On 3 occasions servers have received tips of $1,000 – WOW! …they’ve got to be delivering a differentiating experience to get tips like that.The learning point here is that their unique “trust and track” philosophy has allowed Nick’s to be nimble, flexible, and productive in both good and not so good economic times. They made a commitment about what their brand stood for and it lives through their employees and proccesses!
CC: Q. #5… PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN. [CLICK] What standards of performance excellence will you adhere to in each of the following areas: employees, customers, processes, financial… Why ask this question? Standards are key to ensuring a level of performance consistency. You need to start with defining the standards and then put in motion the actions to adhere to the standards –through training, measuring and reporting, and setting improvement targets when you don’t hit the standard.Next slide…
ST: Thanks Carol, I bet we have a lot of participants feeling their cog wheels turning with ideas!PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN! [CLICK] This next oneis a very thought-provoking question that has the potential to engage your entire leadership and employees into very valuable discussions. When you ask the question: ‘HOW WILL YOUR BRAND REINFORCE THE DESIRED PERCEPTION?’ …it provokes ideas that will help YOU think about your current processes, actions, and your behaviors at every customer touch-point. Then what happens is that you will wonder how each of those truly represent your brand and re-affirm the desired perception in the minds of your employees and customers.This is the point where your internal Brand Strategy gets developed and implemented to create culture, leadership and behavioral change that establishes a highly brand-conscious approach to furthering the growth goals of the organization.Let’s take a look at an example of how this has worked with one of our Brand DNA clients….(Next slide)
CC: Great, thanks Suzanne… PLEASE WRITE THIS DOWN… [CLICK] Does your brand have a strong point of view?This question when answered and actioned will really help you hone in on what your brand really stands for in a nutshell![CLICK] Take a look at the Harley Davidson brand. They have consistently worked to establish their product with the emotional element of FREEDOM. Everything they portray in their brand expresses the feeling of their product’s ‘leave-behind’ with their customers. This brand has been able to establish a powerful cult-following like no other and it’s due to the clarity of what they promise to deliver to their customers.It is interesting to note that this brand started in 1901 with a 21 year old named William S. Harley, who created a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. Their entire brand story is illustrated on the site year-by-year – a great tactic to build an emotional bond with their past, current, and potential riders….(next slide)
CC: If you haven’t been to their web site – we encourage you to take a look – with your brand manager’s lens – and experience all the many elements that tie into the spirit of the Harley Davidson brand very consistently. Over the years they have done a great job in incorporating the senses into their web-site experience with videos, music, factory tours, a peak into the Harley Davidson museum and more. [CLICK] An authentic example of how the brand caters to its followers– they use phrases like “Join the Family”. This encourages customers to become a part of a membership of Harley Owners Group riders, where they receive a special magazine, a roadside assistance program, a touring handbook, and an invitation to special members-only events.…and take a look at the ‘Express Yourself’ phrases – again reinforcing the emotion of personal FREEDOM. They’re really focusing on women now. In fact, they have increased the number of women buyers from 4% to 12% over the last 20 years. One of there strategies as a brand is to continue to invest in the brand and stay true to what they stand for – that strong point of view of FREEDOM.So, again, ask yourself the question: Does your brand have a strong point of view? And if so, how are you expressing and acting on it?Suzanne, let’s introduce the 8th and final question next…
ST: Of course! You know this final question will be instrumental in defining what your brand commits to deliver day in and day out. So, ‘What is your Brand’s Promise?’ In other words, what is your distinct value proposition. Your answer should permeate both internal and external levels of your business. So not only do you look at what your brand delivers in the way of experience to your customers, but you must consider the promise you deliver to your employees and all stakeholders within the organization. Consistency through every facet of your business is critical for YOUR brand to gain credibility and sustain the momentum towards brand enhancement and trust. When you take the time to compose a succinct, and clearly articulated brand promise – it will pave the way for you to operate with a laser-like focus like a compass in steering your brand’s actions and behaviors to be more and more congruent with who you are.Over time, the results are exponential…take our next example…(Next)
ST: We are going back once again toStarbucks because their story is so compelling. Established in 1971, it took them years to develop and implement specific brand attributes, starting with core values, then evolving into a brand style that dictated their authentic differentiators. They capitalized on those differentiators through their standard levels of performance which were all based on one powerful Brand Promise: ‘Daily Inspiration.’ For those of you who have experienced this brand directly, they are committed to deliver inspiration one customer at a time, consistently. The level of attention and training they put into their employees – whom they refer to as ‘Partner’s’, is impressive. Each ‘partner’ employee is taken through an entire brand-relevant orientation program focusing on living and embodying the brand in every facet of the business – truly taking ownership in the commitment to deliver DAILY INSPIRATION.In fact, this model was so powerful in building their customer following, it is reported that within the first 12 years after Howard Schultz took over, Starbucks spent less than 1% of their revenues in external marketing efforts. Still to this day, you rarely see a Starbucks advertisement. That is a powerful business case for the time and attention to internal brand definition and development to walk the brand talk.Even in tough economic times, Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks) has been quoted…”Our focus on delivering value while staying true to the premium quality and values of the brand, is paying off.” Starbucks has focused on managing costs and introducing customer-facing initiatives to reinforce the values of the brand and what they stand for. – daily inspiration! …A great vindication for this thought-provoking webinar!Carol, how about you round up this presentation with a quick review?
CC: Absolutely, Suzanne –Again, we hope these questions we presented have created some direction and focus in how you and your leadership teams can approach your own organization’s brand development at the internal level. You can see how important the internal strategy is to expressing your brand consistently externally and being able to sustain that perception throughout every customer touch point.Take the time to really think through and decide how you will action the answers to these 8 key questions. A quick review…What perception do you want to own in the minds of your market?What is your distinctive style or personality as a brand?What are the core values that guide your actions?What are you key differentiators?What standards of performance will you adhere to across 4 areas: employees, customers, processes, financialHow will you reinforce the desired perception?Do you have a strong point of view? What is it?What is your Brand’s Promise? – the distinct value proposition you commit to deliver to your customers and employees.We recommend taking the appropriate amount of time to fully flush out all the possibilities of your answers and hone in on what is truly authentic to your unique brand. Suzanne, let’s share the benefits to Cashing in on Your Brand– What’s in for me? Next slide…
ST: And here’s the WIIFM– Take a look at what Brand Definition and Implementation can do for your business..Capitalize on the power of a Brand PromiseLeverage your true differentiatorsCompany wide clarity on what the brand stands forBehaviors of the company fully support the messaging = better customer experienceIncreased ROI on marketing investmentsComplete clarity in your marketing messageGreater customer loyalty – through emotion benefitsOut-behave yourcompetitionMore referrals/testimonials from customersAnd there are more than just what’s here….Cash in on Your Brand. By asking and actioning these 8 essential questions you will understand what your brand stands for and how to create the culture and processes that support it todeliver consistently. Right now, every investment your organization makes has to be a good one! Now you are aware – so take action!(Next)
ST: We want to thank you for your time and interest in Cashing In On Your Brand. It is truly a different way of thinking about how you can take your business to the next level without the primary focus being marketing.We invite you to peruse our website at www.brandascension.com. We have a number of complimentary downloads at the bottom of our home page. Just click on the link to free resources and download a multi-sensory exercise, a brand behavioral assessment and free chapters of our ebooks. We are also excited to announce our new book, Brand DNA, Uncover Your Organization’s Genetic Code to Competitive Advantage – go to www.branddnabook.com. And please be sure check to out our Brand DNA process also on our home page – delivered on-site for larger businesses, and a self-paced, do-it-yourself version for small businesses. You can find Brand Ascension on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter too!We are happy to take any questions you may have and would entertain any inquiries into our services. Thanks again for participating!
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