Annual Conference, April 23-24, 2014

Square Up: Telling Your StorySquare Up: Telling Your StoryEric MorgensternMorningstar Communications@emorgenstern

Think Excellence,Not Difference:

Eric M. Morgenstern, APR, Fellow PRSAApril 23, 2014

Sustainable Positioning For Long-Term Success

Four Elements of Building a Successful Brand

Orchestrate Messages

Disseminate your messages

Tell your story in a compelling way

Own a position of excellence

Traditional Marketing Asks...

What’s your niche? What are your points of difference? (POD)

What is your unique selling proposition (USP?)

How are you truly different from your competitors?

Different isn’t better. Different is just different.

Definition of Brand

Your brand lives here

The overall perception of your organization in the minds of your target audience

“Brand” is more than look and feel

We look at eggshells...but what we really care

about is the egg.

The Traditional Standard“Honey, let’s get Italian tonight...”

How was the service?

The “Excellence” Standard

What is the definitionof excellence?

The “Excellence” Standard

Being of the very best quality;

exceptionally good-Funk & Wagnall’s

Dictionary

Surpassing others in some good quality or the sum of great

qualities; of great worth

-Webster’s Dictionary Very good of its kind;eminently good

-Merriam-Webster

Excellence is Not What You Say...

...it’s what your key audiences say about you and your organization.

Making Excellence Work for You

• Clarify their definitions of excellence

• Just ask them!

How do your constituents define excellence?

The Three “Magic” Questions*

• What are we doing that you like?

• What are we doing that you don’t like?

• What do you wish we were doing that we’re not?

* Barnett Helzberg, Jr.

Excellence...One at a Time

• Each individual knows his own definition

• Each customer knows her own definition

• Focus on each person’s “Trigger Point”

Excellence...One at a Time

A thousand starfish...

Here’s How You Answered the Three “Magic” Questions

• U.S.SourceLink reached out to 22 of its affiliates and customers

• 21 affiliates and customers responded and were surveyed via phone

What are We Doing that You Like?

• Easy to work with and incredibly responsive team

• Provides expertise, best practices and knowledge

• Offers national networking and connections

• Comprehensive and simple to navigate technical platforms

What are We Doing that You Don’t Like?

• From the provider’s point-of-view, many folks don’t understand U.S.SourceLink’s value

• Additional training tools

• Small staff limits what U.S.SourceLink can do

What Do You Wish We Were Doing that We’re Not?• Holding more big picture meetings and

providing general insight

• Forming special interest groups for idea sharing

• Highlighting best practices and case studies

• Sharing between affiliate network

Four Elements of Building a Successful Brand

Orchestrate Messages

Disseminate your messages

Tell your story in a compelling way

Own a position of excellence

Communication is about Catching the Ball

Photo credit: Harvard University Gazette

Tell the same story differently, based on the recipient

Employees

Customers

Community

Investors

Simple, every day language

Mark Twain

If I had more timeI would have writtena shorter letter.

K

Four Elements of Building a Successful Brand

Orchestrate Messages

Disseminate your messages

Tell your story in a compelling way

Own a position of excellence

Four-Channel Media Model

EarnedMedia

PRNews

PublicityBylines

PaidMedia

AdsSponsorshipsAdvertorialsTrade Shows

ControlledMedia

CollateralWebsiteEventsBlog

Shared Media

SocialLinkedInFacebookYouTube

Strategic Messaging PlatformStrategic Messaging Platform

Target AudiencesTarget Audiences(The people who matter most)(The people who matter most)

© 2014 Morningstar Communications

Four Elements of Building a Successful Brand

Orchestrate Messages

Disseminate your messages

Tell your story in a compelling way

Own a position of excellence

Message Orchestration

All touchpoints harmonize to deliver a consistent message

Paid mediaEarned media

Shared media Controlledmedia

Moving Forward

Thank You!

© Morningstar Communications 2014

Eric M. Morgenstern, APR, Fellow PRSA

President & CEOMorningstar Communications

12701 Metcalf, Suite 104Overland Park, KS 66213

913-660-9621emorgenstern@morningstarcomm.com

www.morningstarcomm.com