This document summarizes a presentation on brand research given to charity organizations. It discusses the brand planning cycle and how research fits into each stage. It then provides examples of case studies including researching how to make supporters feel more valued, developing a new advertising campaign for a brand, and conducting research for a charity's new brand identity. The presentation concludes with six tips for maximizing the budget for brand research projects.

1. A W H I S T L E - S T O P T O U R O F
B R A N D R E S E A R C H
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7
THE BRAND BREAKFAST

2. 2
W H A T W E A R E G O I N G T O C O V E R ?
- T h e B r a n d P l a n n i n g C y c l e ; w h e r e r e s e a r c h s i t s / f i t s
- 4 k e y c a s e s t u d i e s ; 3 x c h a r i t y + 1 x c o m m e r c i a l
- S u p e r n o v a ’ s t o p t i p s t o m a x i m i s e t h e r e s e a r c h b u d g e t

3. 3
T H E B R A N D P L A N N I N G C Y C L E : A N O V E R V I E W
1. Where
are we
now?
2. Where
could
we be?
3. How do
we get
there?
4. Are we
getting
there?
1. WHERE ARE WE NOW?
• TRENDS
• INTERNAL DATA
• STAKEHOLDER OPINION
2. WHERE COULD WE BE?
• BRAND POSITIONING
• BRAND EXTENSION
• EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
• CONCEPT TESTING
3. HOW DO WE GET THERE?
• COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
• CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
• MESSSAGE TESTING + DEVELOPMENT
• COPY TESTING
4. ARE WE GETTING THERE?
• BRAND TRACKING
• KPI
• SUPPORTER ENGAGEMENT/
EXPERIENCES

4. 4
T H E B R A N D P L A N N I N G C Y C L E : V S R E S E A R C H M E T H O D O L O G Y
1. Where
are we
now?
2. Where
could
we be?
3. How do
we get
there?
4. Are we
getting
there?
1. WHERE ARE WE NOW?
• DESK RESEARCH
• EXISTING INSIGHT/ HUNCHES
• SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS
2. WHERE COULD WE BE?
• QUALITATIVE
• SEMIO-QUAL
• (QUANTITATIVE)
3. HOW DO WE GET THERE?
• QUALITATIVE
• SEMIO-QUAL
• QUANT:QUAL
4. ARE WE GETTING THERE?
• QUANTATIVE HEARTLAND
• BRAND EVALUATION VIA TRACKING/
KPI’S, ROI

5. 5
S O
W H A T ?
C A S E S T U D Y 1 : H O W T O M A K E S U P P O R T E R S F E E L
M O R E V A L U E D
8 key pillars that are now part of their thanking strategy and are fully
embedded in the organisation (……oh and we won an award!)
THE BRIEF:
• Our client saw a low(ish)
score in their KPI data and
wanted to improve their KPI
score by +5% in 1 year.
• How can we give
supporters a better
supporter experience and
make them feel more
valued and appreciated?
THE CHALLENGES:
• A low-ish budget
• A very brief, brief….but
open
• The unknown/ new ground
(exciting as well as
challenging!)
THE METHODOLOGY:
• (Stage 1) The start point: a
book
• (Stages 1 + 2) Semiotic
analysis
• (Stages 2 + 3) Qualitative
research: 4 x focus groups
• Iterated approach
• (Stage 4): KPI performance

6. 6
S O
W H A T ?
C A S E S T U D Y 2 : A N E W , C O N S U M E R I N S I G H T D R I V E N
A D C A M P A I G N F O R B E T T Y C R O C K E R
The winning insight? The magical part when the cake rises in the oven!
THE BRIEF:
• The ‘licking the bowl ad’
has been really, really
successful. What’s the next
insight to create a new ad
campaign (no pressure!)?
THE CHALLENGES:
• High client expectations
• Children’s research
• Too much cake eating!
THE METHODOLOGY:
• (Stage 1): Ethnography 1-2-
1 sessions: watching (lots of)
mums and daughters bake
cakes together
• (Stage 2 + 3): Focus groups:
to explore creative
concepts
• Workshop inc. video
footage and market data
• (Stage 4): brand tracker

7. 7
S O
W H A T ?
C A S E S T U D Y 3 : A N E W B R A N D I D E N T I T Y F O R A N
I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T C H A R I T Y
A clear decision as to which direction to take…..
THE BRIEF:
• The competition is fierce in
international development.
• Which direction should the
brand take in order to
attract new supporters, and
keep existing supporters
and staff engaged?
THE CHALLENGES:
• Staff dispersed across a
number of countries
• Low(ish) budget
• A need to ensure results
land with impact (robust
sample, a clear consensus
in front of a senior
audience)
THE METHODOLOGY:
• (Stage 1): data mining by
client + comms agency
• (Stage 2) 4 x focus groups
• (Stage 3) 2 x focus groups
• (Stages 2 + 3) Semiotic
analysis
• (Stage 3) global online
forum with staff

8. 8
S O
W H A T ?
C A S E S T U D Y 4 : I N C R E A S I N G L E G A C Y
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
The best legacy advertising results to date!
THE BRIEF:
• Phase 1: To firstly explore
and understand the world
of legacy to inform creative
direction
• Phase 2: Explore and test
the creative prior to launch
THE CHALLENGES:
• To align it to the
Masterbrand
• Finding people to talk
openly about legacy
THE METHODOLOGY:
• (Stages 1-3)
• Phase 1 research:
Homework tasks + 6 x focus
groups + semiotic analysis +
call backs
• Phase 2 research: 10 x
paired depths (some
reconvened respondents)

9. 9
6 T O P T I P S T O M A X I M I S E T H E B U D G E T
1
Ensure there is internal buy in right from the
off…and the brief is clear
2
Always allow breathing time for stimulus changes
in brand research
3
Research/ consumers can often be your stimulus
to decision-making vs. make the decision
4
Ask your supporters to join you on a research
journey
5
Research costs more when the supporter data is
poor
6
The qualitative toolbox is plentiful: think beyond
focus groups

10. 10
If you have any questions, please contact:
A B I
M A R K E Y
T: 07717 723008
E: abi@supernova-insight.co.uk

11. Visit the CharityComms website
to view slides from past events,
see what events we have
coming up and to check out
what else we do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk

12. #brandfast
Brand Breakfast
4 October 2017
Brand evaluation
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