The document provides information on developing an effective brand strategy, including defining what a brand is, understanding the importance of vision and mission statements, developing brand positioning, and creating a brand strategy roadmap. It discusses key concepts like primary vs secondary research, qualitative vs quantitative research, SWOT analysis, brand values, and formatting an effective positioning statement. The overall aim is to help readers understand the necessary steps and frameworks for establishing a strong brand identity and strategy.

1. Laura Moffat
Brand Strategy Consultant
lauramoffat@gmail.com

2. OBJECTIVES
• Understand what makes a strong and enduring brand!
• Review case studies and best practices from successful
brands!
• Identify the key characteristics of your business that make it
brand worthy and what differentiates it from your
competitors!
• Establish your core customer insights and brand positioning !
• Develop a brand strategy that fits your current business and
aspirations!

3. WHAT THE HECK IS A BRAND?
There are thousands of definitions for a brand!
A couple of simple definitions:
“A brand is a person’s gut, feeling about a product, service or
company” - Marty Neumeir author of The Brand Gap & Zag
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and
relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision
to choose one product or service over another.”!
– Seth Godin marketing guru
!

4. “Products are made in a factory.
Brands are made in the mind.”
– Walter Landor
Consumers pay a premium for brands because they
have formed an emotional connection with that brand

5. Once consumers are !
emotionally invested

6. That sounds great!

7. BRAND DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP
Discovery &
Analysis
Brand
Strategy
Implementation
• Brand Identity
• Communication & Messaging
• Distribution & Sales
• Online/Offline Marketing Tactics
• Metrics & Analytics
• Vision & Mission
• Values
• Brand Positioning
• Brand Personality
• Strategic Goals & Objectives
• Primary and Secondary
Customer Research
• Competitive Research
• Market Trends
• SWOT

8. DISCOVERY & ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK
Customer
Brand
Competition Market
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Before you can build your brand strategy, you need a robust understanding of the
customer, competition, market and your brand.

9. PRIMARY VS SECONDARY RESEARCH
Primary Secondary
Definition • Originated by a researcher for the
specific purpose of answering a
question; done from scratch,
without using any information
that is already available (e.g.
focus groups with customers)!
• Does not aim to gather
information from scratch but
relies on already available
information from multiple
sources. (e.g. obtained from public
sources)!
Pros • Deep and specific understanding
of an area!
• Can control the quality of the
information!
• Provides fresh/more current
perspective!
• Good preparation for primary
research!
• Provides a broad understanding!
• Less expensive as already
gathered and often publicly
available!
Cons • More expensive as will often have
to pay participants or researchers!
• Data can be old !
• May not be specific enough for
your actual problem or question!
• Cannot control the quality !

10. QUAL VS QUANT RESEARCH
Qualitative Quantitative
Definition • Gives an in-depth exploration of
what people think, feel or do and,
crucially, why. (e.g. face to face
interviews)!
• Provides a measure of how many
people think, feel or behave in a
certain way and uses statistical
analysis to determine the results !
(e.g. questionnaire)!
Pros • Allows for deep analysis—can
understand the “whys” behind
peoples behaviors!
• Provides face to face nonverbal
indicators!
• Statistically robust findings—
often used for decision making!
• Large quantity of data!
• Objective data (e.g. how much,
how many, etc)!
Cons • Does not give statistically robust
findings!
• Small quantity of data!
• Subjective data!
• Does not provide “whys” behind
the data!
• Generally more expensive and
time consuming!

11. MARKET RESEARCH ON A SHOESTRING
Market research can be expensive, but there are lots of ways you can understand
your customer with little investment.
Primary
Market
Research
• Free
survey
tools
(e.g.
SurveyMonkey):
create
a
list
of
poten=al
customers
from
friends/family
and
friends
and
friends,
etc,
and
gain
some
preliminary
insight
into
your
audience
• Hit
the
streets:
do
it
the
old-­‐fashioned
way
and
go
to
places
you
know
your
customers
will
be
and
talk
to
them!
Secondary
Market
Research
• Blogs/Social
Media:
many
customers
are
ac=ve
online;
make
sure
you
deep
dive
your
customers
online
behavior
and
content
• Compe;tors:
other
brands
may
have
already
done
customer
research;
make
sure
you
know
the
ins
and
outs
of
their
customers
• Free
Research
Reports:
many
consul=ng
and
research
companies
(e.g.
McKinsey,
PWC,
Bain,
etc)
publish
reports,
so
dig
around
online
and
see
if
your
customer
is
represented

12. COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
Promotion/Communication
• Ads/Promotions!
• Website/Mobile Site!
• Social Media!
• Press/Media!
Product
• Features/Attributes!
• Design!
• Benefits!
Branding
• Logo!
• Color!
• Font!
• Photography!
Business Model
• Business model/sales strategy!
• Management!
• Investors!
• Analyst Reports! Target Audience! Positioning!
SWOT!
Competitors Hypothesized Brand Strategy

13. DEVELOP A SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS:
Internal attributes and
resources that support a
successful outcome, e.g.
better design!
WEAKNESSES:
Internal attributes and
resources that work
against a successful
outcome, e.g. lack of
product differentiation!
OPPORTUNITIES:
External factors the brand
can capitalize on or use to
its advantage, e.g. market
trends!
THREATS:
External factors that could
jeopardize the brand, e.g.
competitors!

14. Vision: Where do we want to go?
Mission: Why do we exist? What is our
purpose?
Values: What do we stand for? What is our
belief system?
Positioning: What is the space we want to own
in the customers mind relative to competitors?
Personality: What is the outward expression of
the brand?
BRAND STRATEGY FRAMEWORK
Discovery &
Analysis

15. What are they? Why are they important? !
How do I develop them?

16. VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of your company in the
future but it’s so much more than that. Your vision statement is your
inspiration, the framework for all your strategic planning. A vision statement
may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that company.
Whether for all or part of an organization, the vision statement answers the
question, "Where do we want to go?”
A mission statement is a brief description of a company's or divisions
fundamental purpose. It answers the question, !
"Why do we exist?” The mission statement articulates the company's/
divisions purpose both for those in the organization and for the public.!
!
The difference between a mission statement and a vision statement is that a
mission statement focuses on the present state while a vision statement
focuses on the future.
!
!

17. VISION EXAMPLES
“Our vision is to be the earth’s most customer centric company; to
build a place where people can come to find and discover anything
they might want to buy online”
“Our Vision is a world without Alzheimer’s disease.”
“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”
“We envision a future where car-sharing members outnumber car
owners in major cities around the globe”
“To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”

18. CREATING AN INSPIRING VISION
A vision statement should answer the
following questions:
• What are you ultimately trying to do?!
• How would you describe your long-term
goal?!
• Where is your business going to be 5-10
years from now? !
• What will you have accomplished?!
!
A well stated vision statement is inspiring
and challenging for future achievement

19. MISSION EXAMPLES
“To organize the world‘s information and make it universally
accessible and useful”
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and
one neighborhood at a time”
“To refresh the world…To inspire moments of optimism and
happiness… To create value and make a difference.”
“To embrace the human spirit and let it fly.”
“To give people the power to share and make the world more open
and connected”

20. MISSION EXERCISE: START WITH WHY
http://www.ted.com/talks/
simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?
language=en
WATCH VIDEO

21. MISSION EXERCISE: START WITH WHY
Apple’s Golden Circle
Why: Purpose, Cause or Belief
• Everything we do, we believe in
challenging the status quo. We
believe in thinking differently
How: Differentiating benefit, or
unique selling proposition
• The way we challenge the status
quo is by making our products
beautifully designed, simple to
use, and user-friendly.!
What: Job function (eg, the
product or service a company
sells)
• And we happen to make great
computers.!

22. “People don’t buy what you do,
“The goal is not to do business with everybody
who needs what you have.

23. EXERCISE: WHAT IS YOUR WHY
If you have a business idea or brand, use your own
business for the exercise
OR
If you don’t have your own business or idea, investigate
one the following brands and determine their “why”

24. A QUICK WORD ON VALUES
Core values are the deeply ingrained principles that
guide all of a company’s actions; they serve as its
cultural cornerstones.
They define your company culture.
vs.
Dedication to every client's success Working at Google is fun

25. EXAMPLE: ZAPPOS
Zappos collated responses from all its employees to develop it’s 10 core values:

26. CREATING YOUR CORE VALUES
• What does your company stand for? !
• What values do your employees embody? !
• What are commonly-held beliefs and
commitments?!
Use these questions to develop a list of 5-10 agreed upon
core values. And then….

27. from the crowd &
from competitors!
So you’ve figured out….
….NOW you need to position your product to:
• Where you are going? !
• Why you exist?!
• What you stand for? !

28. What is brand positioning? Why is it
important? How do you develop it?

29. The space (perceptions, thoughts, feelings) you
want to own within your customer’s mind versus
competition.
BRAND POSITIONING IS:

30. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
• Positioning enables you to stand out from the crowd
and differentiate from competitors!
• It inspires and guides all brand communications
and experiences, both internal and external—it is
your north star!
• If you don’t assert your position, customers and
competitors will be happy to do it for you, and you
may not like it!

31. Brand
Positioning
Communications
It is the marketing communications and tactics that will
serve to bring the brand positioning to life for consumers
POSITIONING IS INTERNAL
Customers will never actually see your positioning statement

33. You cannot be all things to all people and
still have a powerful position.
MAKE SACRAFICES

34. Try to select a position that no one else has !
a firm grip on. Then guard it with your life!
OWN SOMETHING

35. The trick is to be different in a way that creates
competitive advantage.
BE DIFFERENT

36. Know what your audience needs and satisfy that
better than the competition.
LEVERAGE A CUSTOMER INSIGHT
hJps://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Nf6Mm__M5RU
WATCH VIDEO

37. If you want people to love you, you have to
accept that some may hate you.
HAVE A STRONG POINT OF VIEW

38. Brand positioning is not what the brand is, but
what you want the brand to be. Just make sure
you can back it up with real evidence.
BE ASPIRATIONAL

39. Okay I know what great "
looks like…

40. THE POSITIONING STATEMENT
To
(Target Audience)
because
(Reasons to Believe)
is the
(Market Definition/ Competitive Frame of Reference)
that
(Brand Promise/Differentiated Core Benefit)
BRAND
A concise summary of the attitudinal and demographic description of the
target group of customers your brand is attempting to appeal to and attract
The category your brand is competing in and what context !
your brand has relevance to your customers
The most compelling (emotional/rational) benefit to your target customers
that your brand can own relative to your competition
The most compelling evidence that your brand delivers on its brand promise

41. OTHER FORMATS
There are a few other positioning formats!
For (target customers)!
Who (have the following problem)!
Our product is a (describe the product
or solution)!
That provides (cite the breakthrough
capability)!
Unlike (reference competition),!
Our product/solution (describe the key
point of competitive differentiation)!
For (target customers)!
Who (have the following problem)!
Our product is a (describe the
product or solution)!
That provides (cite rational benefit)!
Because (reasons to believe)!
So (cite emotional benefit)!

42. CLARIFYING POSITIONING JARGON
• Brand Promise
• Differentiated Core Benefit
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Point of Difference
}
• Brand Essence
• Brand Mantra
All very similar in meaning: essentially what
you uniquely offer to customers and why it
matters to them (internally facing)
3-5 word shorthand encapsulation of your brand position
(internally facing)
“Authentic Athletic Performance”
}
“To Bring Inspiration And Innovation To The Athlete In All Of Us”
• Brand Tagline
• Brand Slogan
“Just Do it”
Short set of words or phrase that a business uses to make its
brand stick in consumers minds (consumer facing)}

43. NEEDS & BENEFITS
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Sample Benefits Hierarchy
"
Self-Expression
Benefits
Belonging
Emotional Benefits
I feel more comfortable
and safe when traveling
to a new place
Functional/Rational Benefits
More homely and unique option
compared to a hotel
Features/Attributes
Wide range of rental properties across the world!
Benefits pay off needs, so emotional needs are the highest-order needs
and therefore emotional benefits are the highest-order benefits.

44. POSITIONING STRATEGIES
There are many ways to skin this cat!!
• Product Benefit!
• Price/Quality!
• Use/Application!
• Product User/Customer!
• Product Class!
• Competitor!
• Cultural Symbols!
• ……….!
Look at your product, the competition and your customer to figure
out the best approach to make your brand stand out.

45. POSITIONING EXAMPLES
Feature/Attribute
“Quietest Dishwasher” “Better Sleep”
Functional Benefit
“Belong Anywhere”
Emotional Benefit
PersonalityTarget Audience Price/Value
“Coolness/Independence” “Shave Time. Shave Money”“After-Hours Athlete”

46. POSITIONING EXAMPLES
Experiential
“What Happens In Vegas #
Stays In Vegas” “7-UP: The Uncola”
Competitive
CauseUse/Application Customer Service
“One for One” “Delivering Happiness”
Problem/Solution
Dyson: The Vacuum That Never Clogs
“Night Time Cold Medicine”

47. POSITIONING EXAMPLES
“Method: People Against Dirty”
Environment/Green
HeritageEndorsement/Celebrity
Ingredient
“Levi’s Invented The First
Blue Jean in 1873”
“Natural Sweetener From Stevia Leaf”
“Rolex Live For Greatness”

48. Developing Your

49. • Target Customer: What is a concise summary of the attitudinal and
demographic description of the target group of customers your brand is
attempting to appeal to and attract?
• Market Definition/Competitive Frame of Reference: What category is your
brand competing in and in what context does your brand have relevance to
your customers?
• Brand Promise: What is the most compelling (emotional/rational) benefit to
your target customers that your brand can own relative to your competition?
• Reason to Believe: What is the most compelling evidence that your brand
delivers on its brand promise?
4 KEY QUESTIONS
1
2
3
4

50. EXERCISES: POSITIONING
If you have a business idea or brand, use your own
business for the exercises
OR
If you don’t have your own business or idea, use the still
bottled water market as a case study

51. STILL BOTTLED WATER MARKET
• In 2014 the total volume of bottled water
consumed in the United States was 11
billion gallons, a 7.4% increase from 2013. !
• Nearly all of the bottled water sold in the
U.S. is sourced domestically. Imported
bottled water accounts for only 1.5% of the
U.S. market. !
• Brands mostly differentiate on price,
process and source of the water (either
purified or spring)!
• Environmental positioning is no longer a
nice to have, but a need to have!
• Increasing threats such as tap water,
sparkling and flavored water!

52. AQUAFINA
PURITY
“Our
7-­‐step
purifica0on
system
takes
out
the
stuff
other
bo9led
waters
leave
in”

53. FIJI
UNTOUCHED BY MAN
“Earth’s
finest
water.
Bo9led
at
the
source,
untouched
by
man”

54. DASANI
REFRESHING TASTE
“Refreshment
redefined—the
pure,
delicious
taste
of
DASANI
Water”.

55. POLAND SPRING
ALL NATURAL
“Water
is
sourced
only
from
carefully
selected
springs,
and
contains
naturally
occurring
minerals
for
a
crisp,
clean
taste”

56. SMART WATER
SMART PROCESS
“Vapor
dis0lled.
Inspired
by
the
way
nature
purifies
water”

57. PURE LIFE
HEALTHY FAMILY HYDRATION
“To
ensure
purity,
every
drop
in
every
bo9le
of
Nestlé®
Pure
Life®
is
filtered
through
a
12-­‐step
quality
process.
And
to
ensure
great
taste,
we
enhance
our
water
with
a
unique
blend
of
minerals”

58. EXERCISE: POSITION BOXED WATER
Key Features
• Donates 1% of revenue to
world water relief,
reforestation, and
environmental protection
projects!
• 5 step filtration process!
• Box is made of a paper, a
renewable resource!
• More efficient shipping
process reduces carbon
footprint !
!

59. PAINT A PICTURE OF YOUR CUSTOMER
Demographics
Psychographics
Behaviors
Needs
Age, gender, marital status, occupation,
income, location, education, etc!
Purchasing, shopping, technology,
social media, online, etc !
Rational (e.g. lose weight), emotional
(e.g. desire to fit in) !
Beliefs, morals, values, opinions, attitudes,
lifestyle, interests, hobbies, personality, etc!

60. IDENTIFY YOUR CUSTOMER INSIGHT
An insight is a “deep truth about
the customer, based on their
behavior, experiences, beliefs,
needs or desires that is relevant to
the tasks or issue and rings bells
with target people”

61. FACT VS OBERVATION VS INSIGHT
FACT: People tend to feed their pets twice a day!
!
OBSERVATION: They tend to feed them at breakfast
time and dinner time!
!
INSIGHT: People feel guilty about eating in front of
their pets!
hJps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuucbQQYw-­‐0
Video provides further
information

62. EXERCISE: BUILD A CUSTOMER PROFILE
Exercise: create a customer profile for the your brand and then identify the key
customer insight(s) that you will leverage in your brand positioning.
Demographics
Psychographics
Behaviors
Needs
Customer Insight(s)!

63. Once you have analyzed your customer and competition, you need to
define the category you plan to compete in.
COMPETITIVE FRAME OF REFERENCE
Supporting reference article: http://darkmattermatters.com/2009/07/11/brand-positioning-tip-2-the-competitive-frame-of-reference/!
What market does Starbucks compete in?
• In the coffee market, price, taste, and convenience are all very important, but
Starbucks is not overly differentiated in the coffee market. Yet Starbucks has
more than 16,000 stores in 50+ countries around the world.!
• Howard Schultz has been known to say that
Starbucks is competing to be your "third
place.”!
• In the competitive frame of reference of
third places, Starbucks has a whole
different set of competitors, only some of
which are coffee shops!
• Starbucks differentiates itself not just on its
coffee, but also on the experience and
environment it creates!

64. EXERCISE: FIND THE WINNING ZONE
Source: http://beloved-brands.com/!

65. The brand benefit ladder connects the product attributes with the
functional and emotional benefits of the brand.
CREATE A BENEFIT LADDER
By “laddering up” you can get beyond your product features and get to
what really matters to the customer.

66. Product
Features:
Liquid
Wide-­‐mouth
jar
7%
electrolyte
formula=on
Endorsed
by
all
professional
sports
organiza=ons
Product
Benefit:
Replenishes
lost
fluids
and
minerals
Customer
Benefit:
Enables
me
to
play
harder,
longer
Emo;onal
Benefit:
Makes
me
feel
like
I
have
a
compe==ve
advantage
and
I’m
a
winner
EXAMPLE: GATORADE

67. EXERCISE: BRAND BENEFIT LADDER
What
they
buy
Why
they
buy
Func%onal
Benefits
Unique/
Differen%a%ng
Features
and
Product
A:ributes
Emo%onal
Benefits

68. CREATE DISTINCT POSITIONING AREAS
FUNCTIONAL
EMOTIONAL
Reduces Carbon
Footprint
Protects The Earth
Protects Your
Family
These are just some examples. Try to come up with additional ideas.

69. POSITIONING FILTERS
Once you have identified your positioning areas, run them through the
positioning filters to identify the best possible positioning.
Single-Minded?
Clear Target Audience?
Differentiated From Competition?
Derived From A Customer Insight?
Aspirational, Yet Believable?
Positioning Filters

70. PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
To
(Target Audience)
because
(Reasons to Believe)
is the
(Market Definition/ Competitive Frame of
Reference)
that
(Brand Promise/Differentiated Core
Benefit)
Hypothesized Amazon (early days) Positioning Statement:
For World Wide Web users who enjoy books !
retail bookseller !
provides instant access to over 1.1 million books !
Unlike traditional book retailers, Amazon.com provides a combination
of extraordinary convenience, low prices, and comprehensive selection !

71. EXERCISE: THE POSITIONING STATEMENT
To
(Target Audience)
because
(Reasons to Believe) #
- derived from Strengths in SWOT or Features/Attributes in the Benefit Ladder
is the
(Market Definition/ Competitive Frame of Reference)
that
(Brand Promise/Differentiated Core Benefit)
BRAND

72. What is brand personality? Why is it
important? How do you develop it?

73. “The human characteristics associated with your
brand, ie, the voice and character of the brand, how it
looks, feels and behaves.”
BRAND PERSONALITY IS:

74. BRAND IDENTITY….
!
It encompasses all the visual aspects of the brand:
• Name!
• Logos!
• Color!
• Type/Font!
• Information Design!
• Photography!
• Other sensory, verbal, and visual assets!

75. BRAND PERSONALITY EXAMPLE
Approachable, Witty, Practical Rebellious, Cool, Weird
hJps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=kHUMWxdBWVI
hJps://vimeo.com/66913182
Videos provide further
information

76. BRAND ARCHETYPES
hJps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbmW0U7SY0M
Psychologist, Carl Jung, defined 12 primary archetypes that symbolize basic
human motivations. These can be used to define brand motivations too.
/Pioneer
/Rebel
/Seducer
/Entertainer
/Straight
Shooter
Protector/
Purist/
Source/
Imagineer/
Dreamer/
Emperor/
Leader/
/Conqueror
/Wizard/
Catalyst
Control
Video provides further
information

77. moffat_0108.jpg
BRAND ARCHETYPES
Source:
hJp://visual.ly/what-­‐does-­‐your-­‐brand-­‐stand

78. moffat_0108.jpg
BRAND ARCHETYPES

79. moffat_0108.jpg
BRAND ARCHETYPES

80. moffat_0108.jpg
BRAND ARCHETYPES

81. Now think about your brand
as a person
that best represent your brand

82. RECAP
Vision: Where do we want to go?
Mission: Why do we exist? #
What is our purpose?
Values: What do we stand for? #
What is our belief system?
Positioning: What is the space we want to own #
in the customers mind relative to competitors?
Personality: What is the outward #
expression of the brand?
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Discovery &
Analysis
✓

83. BRAND STRATEGY BOOKS
Brand Positioning
Competition Consumer Behavior Brand Personality/Identity

84. ?

85. E-mail: lauramoffat@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/laura-moffat-phd/3/156/57a