CCT Book - Brand Valuescctcreative.co.uk/creative/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/...In a 2013 survey of...

#brandvalues

andy

cogd

on @

cctcr

eativ

e

#brandvalues

What we mean by Brands and Branding

Andy Cogdon

Copyright © Andy Cogdon 2013

4 #Brandvalues | @cctcreative | cctcreative.co.uk

“Despite the ubiquity of brands and branding, and despite all the talk, surprisingly few people seem to understand what they are actually all about. This is partly because branding can encapsulate both the big and important and apparently superficial and trivial issues simultaneously.”

Wally Olins Chairman, Saffron Brand Consultants

Chapter 1: Introduction ____________________ 8

Chapter 2: Visionary _____________________ 12

Chapter 3: Purposeful ____________________ 16

Chapter 4: Sustainable ____________________ 20

Chapter 5: Social ________________________ 24

Chapter 6: Simple _______________________ 28

Chapter 7: Authentic _____________________ 32

#Brandvalues | @cctcreative | cctcreative.co.uk 5

contents

brand is...Brand is your DNA, all the things that make you uniquely you. Your brand identity is the visual representation of intangibles that shape the company you are today and the company you desire to be.

When people encounter your brand, it leaves behind a mark. Branding is our effort to frame those experiences in positive ways, reinforcing your brand promise and leaving a lasting impression.

great brands are

chap

ter 1

We are all brand managers. The way we present ourselves, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the way we speak, the car we drive. They are all designed to tell the world something about who we are.

Your brand is the human dimensions to your company or organisation. Simply put; a brand is any company or organisation which has a personality.

Brands inform our impressions, shape our instincts, and develop our emotional connections to an organisation. It’s how that company makes you feel, and what that company has come to represent. Branding therefore, is our way to influence those perceptions in a positive way. Helping people to understand who you are, what you stand for, and why you matter.


What do we mean when we talk about Brands and Branding?

introduction

People’s buying decisions are becoming more complex every day. Issues such as health and well-being, the environment and global warming, fair trade, human rights and social justice are increasingly influential factors in consumer behaviour. People are making more informed decisions about the places they buy from, and the services they choose.

In a world which is increasingly noisy, it’s harder than ever to be heard. And the things that people remember are not prices and specs - which can change from day to day - but values. They want to know the story behind your brand, and how it aligns with their own personal values and beliefs. This is why communicating your brand story is so important. You have to be really clear on the things you want people to remember you by. These next few pages are about values, and which values can help your brand go from good to great.

Great brands are;

- Visionary, pursuing a big idea against the odds

- Purposeful, working every day to bring about meaningful change

- Sustainable, protecting people and the planet

- Social, valuing the relationships and connections people have with your brand

- Simple, digging through complexity to deliver useful, relevant or entertaining experiences

- Authentic, speaking and acting everyday with purpose and integrity


“a well built brand is the culmination of intangibles that do not directly flow to the revenue or profitability of a company, but contribute to its texture. Forsaking them can take a subtle, collective toll.”

Howard schultz ceo, starbucks

chap

ter 2

Visionary brands help people to imagine a world which does not yet exist, and then bring together all the necessary resources in order to make that vision a reality.

To be a visionary brand, you have to have the courage to ask diffi cult questions, to challenge the conventional wisdom of the day, and to see problems as opportunities for innovation and change.

There is a big difference between leading brands and brands that lead. Having the biggest market share often brings with it a defensive posture, protecting what they have at all costs. Leading brands have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. In contrast however, a brand that leads is able to think beyond the status quo, and has the vision to see possibility in the face of conventional wisdom.

Pursuing a big idea against the odds

visionary


Visionary brands like Virgin have this innate ability to enter entirely new markets and industries they have no experience in, and turn it upside down. How? They have this insatiable desire to challenge the status quo, the vision to re-imagine the world from a fresh perspective, and the necessary resources to take a revolutionary idea and make it a reality.

It’s not just about giving people what they want, but having the foresight to see it before they do. Steve Jobs once said “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

Big ideas change the world. Big ideas invent entirely new industries, or take ageing industries and move them forward. And if someone tells you it can’t be done, you may just be onto something very special. Vision therefore, is the relentless pursuit of a big idea in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.


“screw business as usual.”Richard Branson founder, virgin Group

chap

ter 3

The market is saturated with brands that go bigger, faster, cheaper, slicker. We have been bombarded by adverts that promise ‘X’ will make us more beautiful, successful, and attractive to the opposite sex. The problem is that in the 21st century, this is no longer enough for people to really care about your brand.

In fact, research1 suggests that consumers would not care if 73% of brands were to disappear completely, and that only a fi fth of brands make any meaningful impact on our lives. The desire for more and more stuff is being replaced by a desire for meaningful experiences and connections, which elevate the human experience.

The key to fi nding more meaningful brand expressions is by fi rst defi ning and determining your brand’s purpose.

Working every day to bring about meaningful change

Purposeful


If vision informs us where we are headed, it is purpose that drives and inspires us every day. It’s a sense of calling, a desire to make a difference, to bring about lasting change in the world. Your purpose should be the heartbeat of your brand, the story that unites people, and the cause greater than money. Purpose fulfils the need that is buried deep in the human psyche; that the work of your hands matters.

Purposeful brands are acutely aware – not just of what they do – but why they do it. Their products and services work to fulfil their purpose, not define them.

A great example of a purposeful brand is Nike. They are a commodity brand, and yet they rarely talk about their product lines. Instead, they celebrate those who represent excellence in sports, and inspire others to personal greatness in their striving to be better, fitter, faster, stronger. Nike’s mission statement is not to sell more shoes than anyone else, it’s to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

Their Nike+ and FuelBands are further evidence of this. Developing technology that creates a metric by which people can challenge themselves, compete with their friends, and lead healthier lifestyles.

Purposeful brands matter to people when we can relate to their cause in human terms. We will champion and advocate these brands, because their cause says something about who we are, and what we believe.


1. Havas Media | Meaningful Brands http://www.havasmedia.com/meaningful-brands

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. ”

Simon sinek Author, Start with why

chap

ter 4

Increasingly we are seeing the marginalisation of companies and organisations stuck in the old economic paradigm of ‘profi t at any cost’, operating with the sole purpose of protecting stock prices and maintaining shareholder value.

The Brands of tomorrow are about progress; making this world a better place for everyone. Creating wealth and value for a forward moving society, in ways that protect the environment for future generations; whilst at the same time, generating returns for its investors. These are the brands that people want to invest in!

We’re not talking about token gestures to keep bloggers away, or side projects aimed at alleviating any notions of guilt. It’s about a brand built upon respect; respecting the world we live in, and respecting society. Profi t should not come at the expense of people or the planet, but be intrinsically linked to well-being and sustainability.

Protecting people and the planet

sustainable


The Industrial Age has been about generating wealth by plundering our planet’s natural resources for profit. The average 10 lbs laptop computer requires 40,000 lbs of raw materials to produce. It doesn’t require you to be a genius to see this is not sustainable.

Doing good should not just be seen as the work of charity and not-for-profits. Business can be an incredible force for good, and any plans for a more sustainable and healthy world must have business as part of the answer.

In a 2013 survey of the Best Global Green Brands2, the top three green brands were car manufacturers. Companies and industries which were once perceived to be part of the problem are taking it upon themselves to be part of the solution, taking seriously their responsibility to society and the environment.

Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, it is a core value at the heart of a brand in the 21st century. Any brand which negates its responsibility to society and the environment will find itself left behind.


2. Interbrand | Best Global Green Brands 2013 http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/Best-Global-Green-Brands/2013/Best-Global-Green-Brands-2013.aspx

“we’re not at the top of this little hill called corporate social responsibility, we’re at the bottom of this big mountain called sustainability.”

mike barry head of sustainable business, marks & Spencer

chap

ter 5

Brands by their very defi nition are social; the relationship between your services and the people who use them. To be a socially empowered brand is to place people at the centre of your brand experience. It is the recognition that people’s opinions matter, and that human beings are the most valuable resource your brand has.

People talk. Talk can go further, faster and wider than ever before, with the increasing global capacity of the Internet and the integration of Social Media into our daily lives. In this hyper-connected world, we have a choice; to be the subject of the conversation or the facilitator of the conversation. When people have a strong opinion and feel they aren’t being listened to, it can create a volatile reaction – causing irreparable damage to your brand. But when you become the facilitator of the conversation – when people know

Valuing the relationships and connections people have with your brand

Social


their voices are being heard, valued, and acted upon – that critique can be turned into a constructive and positive contribution, and in turn, convert critics into brand ambassadors.

Innocent Drinks famously started by selling fruit smoothies at a Jazz festival. They posed the question to people; ‘Should we give up our jobs to make these smoothies?’ Once people had finished their drinks, they were asked to place their empty bottles into one of two bins; one bin for YES, another bin for NO. The YES bin overwhelmingly won, and Innocent never looked back.

Innocent are a brand that take social empowerment seriously. They are not afraid to ask people’s opinions, and people are not afraid to give them. This philosophy – that the views of people matter – is one of the central reasons why Innocent isn’t just another drinks company, but one loved by its consumers.

Becoming the facilitator of the conversation may seem like a scary proposition. We may hear something we didn’t anticipate, or we may not like what we hear. But if we are really afraid of what people think of us, then maybe we have more serious problems than we’d like to admit.


“We love our consumers. Without them, we’d just have a very expensive hobby. As such, we want to know what we can do to make ourselves a better company for them. So we do everything we can to keep the dialogue going.”

Richard reed Co-CEO and Brand Director, Innocent Drinks

chap

ter 6

There is a common misconception out there; that simplicity is easy, when in fact it’s really, really hard. It’s much easier to add to what already exists, than it is to start over.

The path towards simplicity starts with empathy. Only by putting ourselves in the shoes of our consumers can we begin to understand what truly adds value, and what just gets in the way. By choosing simplicity, we put the needs of our users before our own ego, digging through complexity to deliver useful, relevant or entertaining experiences.

Simplicity is a highly valuable and desirable brand asset, one that rewards signifi cantly. Studies3 show that brands which score highly for simplicity out-perform the market by 99% with players such as Google, Amazon, Virgin Atlantic and Ikea leading the way.

Digging through complexity to deliver useful, relevant or entertaining experiences

simple


It would be a mistake to confuse simple for basic. People are willing to pay a premium for simplicity and are becoming increasingly frustrated by overly complex experiences and a perceived lack of clarity.

Apple are a brand that have built an empire on the value of simplicity. Their devices have a reputation for being easy to use, and beautifully designed. Yet Apple products are always powerful, smart, sophisticated, and built upon cutting-edge technology. Apple’s obsession with simplicity is often in stark contrast to their rivals - Microsoft, Intel and Dell - and took them from the brink of bankruptcy to the most valuable company in the world.

Simplicity requires focus and commitment to the things that really matter, with a thousand no’s for every yes. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. It takes courage to fight for simplicity when the path of least resistance perpetuates complexity.


3. Siegel+Gale | Global Brand Simplicity Index 2012 http://www.siegelgale.com/white_paper/2012-global-brand-simplicity-index-united-kingdom/

“Simplicity isn’t just a visual style. It’s not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity. To be truly simple, you have to go really deep.”

Jony ive Senior Vice President of Design, apple

100%

chap

ter 7

Authenticity is a commitment and an unwillingness to compromise on the things that truly matter to you. Authenticity puts values before profi ts, and long-term vision before short-term gains. It’s easy to be Authentic in the 99%, when things are going great. But, it’s in the 1% - when things get really tough - that people see what you’re made of.

To be authentic, you fi rst have to understand clearly what your brand purpose is; what you’re here to do, and why you do it. Authenticity is when your purpose drives behaviour, rather than money.

Business is often a relationship of compromises. Therefore, it is vital to decide in advance where you are able to compromise and make concessions, and what are your non-negotiables. Where can you be fl exible in order to do business, and where must you take a stand to defend the integrity of your brand.

Speaking and acting everyday with purpose and integrity

authentic


You cannot departmentalise authenticity. Either your whole organisation is true to your brand values, or it’s not. How can you be unwilling to compromise, and then use suppliers which operate in total conflict with your non-negotiables? The bigger you are, the harder you have to work to protect your authenticity.

Authenticity requires sacrifice. Sometime opportunities are put before us, which look really good on the surface, but come with strings attached. Making short-term decisions that compromise your core values, can have a catastrophic effect on the integrity of your brand. Authenticity is the courage to say ‘No’, because you have already said ‘YES’ to something bigger and truer to the fabric of who you are.

Trust; so hard to build, so quick to go. The cornerstone of a trusting relationship is authenticity. If you’re asking how can we become more authentic in order to get people to trust you, you’re asking the wrong question. Authenticity is not something you can turn on-or-off; it’s a track record, a tradition, a heritage. We can look back at where you’ve come from and see a pattern emerge which is lived out every day.

When we talk about something being authentic, we’re usually talking about something that has been around a long time and has stayed true to its greatness, the thing that makes it special. Its shape may have changed over the years, but the core truth has remained the same; you are buying a legacy. There is enormous value in a brand with legacy. Authenticity is not something you can buy off a shelf, it has to be earned.


“The most authentic companies are those where there is no gap between the purpose of your company and its actions, no gap between what it aspires to be and how it acts every day.”

keith yamashita chairman & Founder, sypartners

creative +

Strategic

For examples of CCT Creative’s work and thinking, visit - cctcreative.co.uk

A graphic design practice and consultancy, specialising in Brand Identity Design

cct creative

CCT Creative has been working closely with brands and leaders since 2005, helping businesses and organisations with a mix of strategic thinking and creative expression through graphic design.

“I believe that creativity and strategy are not opposing forces, but dance partners. When great leaders and great designers come together, it can lead to all sorts of exciting possibilities.

If you have a business or organisation which needs help with its branding or identity, please get it touch; it would be a pleasure to meet you.” Andy Cogdon


helping visionary leaders shape authentic brands with creative ideas

For examples of CCT Creative’s work and thinking, visit - cctcreative.co.uk

#Brandvalues | @cctcreative | cctcreative.co.uk

CCT Book - Brand Valuescctcreative.co.uk/creative/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/...In a 2013 survey of...

Documents

Transcript of CCT Book - Brand Valuescctcreative.co.uk/creative/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/...In a 2013 survey of...