BRAND
DEVELOPMENT
        McBru Defines Brands,
               Positioning and
      Messaging to Give You an
             Unfair Advantage
RESEARCH
McBru researches what the market really
thinks of your brand, and the qualities that
potential customers care about most in
                                               McBru Branding Services
your brand category.                           McClenahan Bruer (McBru) has its own way of doing things,
                                               and that’s true of our brand development services. Based
                                               on our deep understanding of technology and two decades
                                               of experience influencing tech B2B audiences, McBru
BRAND VISION
McBru conducts workshops with your             approaches branding, positioning and messaging as a
senior management to frame a brand             contact sport, where the best and strongest ideas win. And
platform based on your key audience            as a full-service, fully-integrated marketing, social media,
personae. This serves as the roadmap for
                                               advertising and PR agency, McBru has both the scope and
brand implementation.
                                               the focus to help you strategically build your brand and
                                               position your messaging to deliver awareness, preference,
POSITIONING AND MESSAGING
                                               and engagement.
We flesh out a customized positioning
and messaging matrix with “plug-and-
play” messages targeting each audience         In the fiercely competitive technology industry, having the
to ensure consistency and resonance in
                                               right market positioning, compelling key messages, and a
customer communications.
                                               strong, distinctive brand can make the difference between
                                               market leaders and also-rans. McBru, with its exclusive focus
BRAND IMPLEMENTATION                           on technology B2B marketing, has the tools and the smarts to
Our creative group brings your brand to
life: in a visual identity, logo, website,     help you craft and grow brands that get business done.
templates, whatever you need. Plus we can
help you plan and execute a killer brand.




                                                                                                               2
Tech B2B Brand Expertise                                     At McBru, we help technology clients identify what’s
A brand is one of the most strategic assets a business can   best and different about their companies and how their
have, and helping our clients keep their brands fresh and    products or technology bring value to customers. We marry
relevant is one of the most critical – and rewarding – jobs  sophisticated technical knowledge and deep insights
we do here at McBru. We have extensive experience in         into technology audiences with broad-based marketing
the process of developing, refreshing and evolving brands;   experience to create a robust, methodical process of
crafting messages and creative content to convey a brand’s   branding, positioning, and messaging.
promise and value; and designing
logos, web sites and other visual                                                    Defining Your Brand
content to support and enhance                                                       McBru’s brand development process
                                          We marry sophisticated technical
brand identity.                                                                      is dynamic, smart, and research-
                                        knowledge and deep insights into
                                                                                     based. We recommend beginning
                                        technology audiences.
Branding,      positioning,   and                                                    with a competitive analysis, as well as
messaging      for    tech   B2B
audiences is different than
building brands for consumer markets. High tech audiences
are highly educated and skeptical, and have a just-the-
facts-please attitude to most marketing information—they
don’t like to be marketed to. While the general lessons of
marketing still apply to tech B2B audiences, for branding
and marketing to be successful with self-professed geeks
you must apply deep-tech knowledge and smart, persona-
focused messaging.



                                                             Rebranding, new logo, visual identity, website template, and blog.

                                                                                                                                  3
Positioning and Messaging
                                                                     To identify the company’s value propositions and
                                                                     differentiators for each of its key audiences, McBru
                                                                     conducts a second workshop with sales and marketing
                                                                     executives. McBru then develops a positioning
                                                                     and messaging matrix with relevant messages and
                                                                     differentiated positions for these important audiences
                                                                     and perspectives.


                                                                     At McBru, we understand that to build preference,
Rebranding, new logo, visual identity, website template, and blog.   positioning and messaging has to be two deceptively simple
                                                                     things: highly relevant and highly differentiated. Relevant
internal and external audits, to find out what the market really
thinks and how the client’s company is perceived. This data-
driven information is compiled and presented to key client
stakeholders before McBru conducts a Brand Vision workshop
with senior management. This workshop is a dynamic
brainstorming session that fully engages participants in a
series of lively discussions to identify critical elements of the
company brand, plus key audiences and customer challenges
and pain points. The results of this meeting are then compiled
into a Brand Identity Statement.


The McBru process is highly interactive, compelling executives
to think creatively and critically about how customers and key       New logo, visual identity, website, collateral templates.
audiences experience the company at every level.

                                                                                                                                   4
messages tell potential customers how your products and
                            services bring them benefits and value and can solve specific
                            problems they care about. Messages that differentiate
                            tell customers why to choose your products over other
                            alternatives. While these distinctions may seem elemental,
                            they have real dollars-and-cents impact: Relevant messages
                            are what help build sales volume; and differentiation is
                            what makes premium pricing possible, particularly in highly
                                          competitive or crowded markets.


Messages that differentiate tell        Positioning and messaging is one of the most
customers why to choose your            important – and often least appreciated –
                                        forms of marketing, and is the foundation on
products over other alternatives.
                                        which all successful communication is built.
                                        Positioning and messaging can considered a
                            separate and discrete service independent of the larger
                            branding process, and in fact at McBru we suggest
                            reviewing and refreshing your positioning and messaging
                            on an annual basis.


                            Bringing the Brand to Life
                            After arming you with a robust brand identity statement and
                            positioning and messaging matrix, McBru stands ready to
                            develop a new or refreshed visual identity and implement a
                            brand awareness campaign. Our creative group can design
                            everything you might need to bring the new brand to life: a

                                                                                            5
new visual identity, including a new logo and website, plus    •	We know your audiences. Not in some theoretical
branding guidelines, corporate touchpoints, and collateral       sense, but with day-to-day familiarity that allows us to
templates. After re-imaging is complete, McBru can               understand their needs and concerns. We know how to
conduct an internal and external launch of your new brand        finesse messages and positioning to create preference
via brand awareness campaigns and demand generation              and awareness with high-tech audiences.
activities, all supported by an integrated content strategy.   •	McBru has extensive experience in technology branding
You can choose the ideal mix of the following disciplines:       processes. We have developed proprietary, hands-on
influencer relations and social media; demand generation         methodologies that dig deep into your business culture
though advertising, email communication, and events; and         and engage your executive team in the creative and
content development such as case studies, white papers,          challenging work of defining your brand and audiences.
videos, and product briefs.                                    •	McBru’s branding services are not a one-size-fits-
                                                                 all product. While we recommend our full branding
Why McBru                                                        process, which is research-driven and propelled by
•	At McBru, we focus exclusively on high-tech B2B                analytics, we can customize our services to suit your
  marketing. We’re tech experts and have the savvy               specific needs and budget.
  and depth of knowledge to help your company refine           •	McBru is a full-service agency, with in-house creative,
  its brand, hone your positioning, and polish your              writing, and design expertise. We can quickly take
  messaging to reach your chosen audiences.                      your brand and extend it into the marketplace through
•	McBru’s approach is to take best practices from                advertizing, content marketing, influencer relations and
  consumer branding and marketing and refine them for            social media.
  tech B2B, so our branding processes are data-driven,         •	Like everything we do, our branding processes are
  based on the realities of the market, and grounded in          designed with metrics in mind; our reporting and
  knowledge of technology.                                       analysis yield insights about the market’s awareness,
                                                                 engagement, and preference for your brand.




                                                                                                                            6
Elise F. Burke
                Director of Marketing and Sales
                direct: 503.546.1017
                mobile: 503.459.7545
                elise@mcbru.com
                www.mcbru.com




LET’S START SOMETHING.
                   	elise@mcbru.com
                   	www.mcbru.com
                   	www.mcbrublog.com
                   	@mcbru
                   	McClenahan-Bruer
                   	McClenahan-Bruer
                   	McBru
                   	McClenahanBruer
                   	McBru
                   	McClenahanBruer

McBru Branding Services

  • 1.
    BRAND DEVELOPMENT McBru Defines Brands, Positioning and Messaging to Give You an Unfair Advantage
  • 2.
    RESEARCH McBru researches whatthe market really thinks of your brand, and the qualities that potential customers care about most in McBru Branding Services your brand category. McClenahan Bruer (McBru) has its own way of doing things, and that’s true of our brand development services. Based on our deep understanding of technology and two decades of experience influencing tech B2B audiences, McBru BRAND VISION McBru conducts workshops with your approaches branding, positioning and messaging as a senior management to frame a brand contact sport, where the best and strongest ideas win. And platform based on your key audience as a full-service, fully-integrated marketing, social media, personae. This serves as the roadmap for advertising and PR agency, McBru has both the scope and brand implementation. the focus to help you strategically build your brand and position your messaging to deliver awareness, preference, POSITIONING AND MESSAGING and engagement. We flesh out a customized positioning and messaging matrix with “plug-and- play” messages targeting each audience In the fiercely competitive technology industry, having the to ensure consistency and resonance in right market positioning, compelling key messages, and a customer communications. strong, distinctive brand can make the difference between market leaders and also-rans. McBru, with its exclusive focus BRAND IMPLEMENTATION on technology B2B marketing, has the tools and the smarts to Our creative group brings your brand to life: in a visual identity, logo, website, help you craft and grow brands that get business done. templates, whatever you need. Plus we can help you plan and execute a killer brand. 2
  • 3.
    Tech B2B BrandExpertise At McBru, we help technology clients identify what’s A brand is one of the most strategic assets a business can best and different about their companies and how their have, and helping our clients keep their brands fresh and products or technology bring value to customers. We marry relevant is one of the most critical – and rewarding – jobs sophisticated technical knowledge and deep insights we do here at McBru. We have extensive experience in into technology audiences with broad-based marketing the process of developing, refreshing and evolving brands; experience to create a robust, methodical process of crafting messages and creative content to convey a brand’s branding, positioning, and messaging. promise and value; and designing logos, web sites and other visual Defining Your Brand content to support and enhance McBru’s brand development process We marry sophisticated technical brand identity. is dynamic, smart, and research- knowledge and deep insights into based. We recommend beginning technology audiences. Branding, positioning, and with a competitive analysis, as well as messaging for tech B2B audiences is different than building brands for consumer markets. High tech audiences are highly educated and skeptical, and have a just-the- facts-please attitude to most marketing information—they don’t like to be marketed to. While the general lessons of marketing still apply to tech B2B audiences, for branding and marketing to be successful with self-professed geeks you must apply deep-tech knowledge and smart, persona- focused messaging. Rebranding, new logo, visual identity, website template, and blog. 3
  • 4.
    Positioning and Messaging To identify the company’s value propositions and differentiators for each of its key audiences, McBru conducts a second workshop with sales and marketing executives. McBru then develops a positioning and messaging matrix with relevant messages and differentiated positions for these important audiences and perspectives. At McBru, we understand that to build preference, Rebranding, new logo, visual identity, website template, and blog. positioning and messaging has to be two deceptively simple things: highly relevant and highly differentiated. Relevant internal and external audits, to find out what the market really thinks and how the client’s company is perceived. This data- driven information is compiled and presented to key client stakeholders before McBru conducts a Brand Vision workshop with senior management. This workshop is a dynamic brainstorming session that fully engages participants in a series of lively discussions to identify critical elements of the company brand, plus key audiences and customer challenges and pain points. The results of this meeting are then compiled into a Brand Identity Statement. The McBru process is highly interactive, compelling executives to think creatively and critically about how customers and key New logo, visual identity, website, collateral templates. audiences experience the company at every level. 4
  • 5.
    messages tell potentialcustomers how your products and services bring them benefits and value and can solve specific problems they care about. Messages that differentiate tell customers why to choose your products over other alternatives. While these distinctions may seem elemental, they have real dollars-and-cents impact: Relevant messages are what help build sales volume; and differentiation is what makes premium pricing possible, particularly in highly competitive or crowded markets. Messages that differentiate tell Positioning and messaging is one of the most customers why to choose your important – and often least appreciated – forms of marketing, and is the foundation on products over other alternatives. which all successful communication is built. Positioning and messaging can considered a separate and discrete service independent of the larger branding process, and in fact at McBru we suggest reviewing and refreshing your positioning and messaging on an annual basis. Bringing the Brand to Life After arming you with a robust brand identity statement and positioning and messaging matrix, McBru stands ready to develop a new or refreshed visual identity and implement a brand awareness campaign. Our creative group can design everything you might need to bring the new brand to life: a 5
  • 6.
    new visual identity,including a new logo and website, plus • We know your audiences. Not in some theoretical branding guidelines, corporate touchpoints, and collateral sense, but with day-to-day familiarity that allows us to templates. After re-imaging is complete, McBru can understand their needs and concerns. We know how to conduct an internal and external launch of your new brand finesse messages and positioning to create preference via brand awareness campaigns and demand generation and awareness with high-tech audiences. activities, all supported by an integrated content strategy. • McBru has extensive experience in technology branding You can choose the ideal mix of the following disciplines: processes. We have developed proprietary, hands-on influencer relations and social media; demand generation methodologies that dig deep into your business culture though advertising, email communication, and events; and and engage your executive team in the creative and content development such as case studies, white papers, challenging work of defining your brand and audiences. videos, and product briefs. • McBru’s branding services are not a one-size-fits- all product. While we recommend our full branding Why McBru process, which is research-driven and propelled by • At McBru, we focus exclusively on high-tech B2B analytics, we can customize our services to suit your marketing. We’re tech experts and have the savvy specific needs and budget. and depth of knowledge to help your company refine • McBru is a full-service agency, with in-house creative, its brand, hone your positioning, and polish your writing, and design expertise. We can quickly take messaging to reach your chosen audiences. your brand and extend it into the marketplace through • McBru’s approach is to take best practices from advertizing, content marketing, influencer relations and consumer branding and marketing and refine them for social media. tech B2B, so our branding processes are data-driven, • Like everything we do, our branding processes are based on the realities of the market, and grounded in designed with metrics in mind; our reporting and knowledge of technology. analysis yield insights about the market’s awareness, engagement, and preference for your brand. 6
  • 7.
    Elise F. Burke Director of Marketing and Sales direct: 503.546.1017 mobile: 503.459.7545 elise@mcbru.com www.mcbru.com LET’S START SOMETHING. elise@mcbru.com www.mcbru.com www.mcbrublog.com @mcbru McClenahan-Bruer McClenahan-Bruer McBru McClenahanBruer McBru McClenahanBruer