GettinG your brand to awesome

A short guide to brAnd strAtegy in the digitAl Age

Created by @simonpearcelive, Founder of fabricbranding.com

A strAtegy is simply A set oF ACtions And outComes thAt hAve yet to hAppen

the more CleArly A strAtegy tells you WhAt you need to do next, the more useFul it beComes

two common ApproAches to brAnd strAtegy*:

clAims-driven ApproAch purpose-driven ApproAch

the goal is to create a set of beliefs and expectations in customers’ minds. “brand x is the best y because z”. this approach is all about making promises and then looking to provide compelling rational and emotional evidence to back them up. claims are stated and emotional outcomes implied.

the goal is to create a sense of shared identity with customers. “you should identify with brand x becuase of what we are trying to accomplish”. in this approach the “evidence” tends to be how the brand behaves, through product design and experiences.

* in reality, these two concepts are not mutually exclusive: it can often be a question of emphasis

ClAims Are importAnt but they Are simply too limiting to be the FoCus oF your entire brAnd

so why is a purpose-driven approach superior?

You see, it’s not a question of one approach being right & another being wrong

It’s a question

of utility

So brand strategy based on purpose

is more useful?

tell me how!

photo: david Fowler, shutterstock.com

We can

do

better!

there Are severAl reAsons Why thinking in terms oF ClAims CAn limit your brAnd

source: mediapost, march 18th 2013

people tune out When brAnds spend too muCh time tAlking About themselves

80% of all display ads reviewed in a recent survey were rated as “not relevant to me” by customers, despite ever-more sophisticated targeting being employed. (Only 14% could remember who made the last ad they saw).

photo: Claffra, shutterstock.com

source: nielsen “global trust in advertising” study, 2011. n=58,000, 56 countries

to “break through”, actual and implied claims get stretched, and advertising credibility decreases

According to a 2011 study by nielsen, just 47% of people trust tv and print advertising, a decline of over 20% from 2009 levels

Claims (literal or implied) are vulnerable to being judged as false or insincere in the court of public opinion

*In this case, an unsubstantiated claim was punished by a fine; in reality, even an implied exaggeration can cause consumers to get turned off

Can that stuff really melt fat from your thighs?

the desire to “push” your claim can lead to faux pas

claims focus = talking about yourself = #socialmediafail

*don’t worry, i’m pretty sure he gets out in the end!

“hijacking” news stories with inappropriate or irrelevant content

overtly asking customers to talk about how awesome you are and then seeing the opposite happen

securing people’s attention under false pretences only to reveal a celebrity product endorsement (that backfires)

katie price “twitter hacking scandal” revealed to be snickers pr stunt

three reAsons Why A brAnd strAtegygrounded in purpose CAn Work hArder For your business

Firstly, it’s more human. Brands with a broader purpose come across as more authentic (because they are more authentic)

Apple’s brand image is an outgrowth of a design-centric culture, itself grounded in a strong sense of purpose at the company. With such a strong base to build from, a minimalist approach to advertising can work - the marketing department does not have to shout in order to be heard.

seCondly, it’s more ACtionAble

A clear statement of purpose gives employees something to do. it inspires meaningful and creative contributions. it allows brands to continue to reinvent themselves without losing focus.

thirdly, it CAn guide your Whole business.

A purpose is not limited to guiding what a company says, it can guide what that company does: r&d, customer service, product design, digital experiences and employee training.

three reAsons why this mAtters now more thAn ever

source: nielsen “global trust in advertising” study, 2011. n=58,000, 56 countries

#1. in a connected world, what customers say about your brand matters more than what you say about it

74%

92%of people trust word of mouth above all other sources of information (that’s up from 74 percent in 2007)

source: keller Fay group’s talktrack®, July 2008 through June 2009, n=159,182

#2. When people talk about

brands, it’s usually based on

personal experiences

83%of brand mentions involve a direct experience

photo: Jessica grenier

#3. the world is becoming transparent

Companies can no longer afford to have a disconnect between what they say and what they do. the best way to ensure that your organization’s words and deeds match is to better align brand and business strategy.

What next? A few thoughts to consider:

1. Claims are still useful, but the best brands use them tactically, to sell products, not as the basis for the entire brand strategy

2. purpose-driven branding requires commitment. it requires leaders’ involvement across the business

3. your purpose does not have to be world changing, but it does need to be an idea worth caring about, at a minimum

4. every organization must find balance between what’s realistic, what’s aspirational, and what’s meaningful to customers

warning: do not enter into a brand purpose exercise with the intention of treating it as just another pr stunt or marketing campaign. effects of such an approach include consumer backlash, social media flamers or, worse, absolutely no change atall.

We help our clients find their purpose, articulate it internally and externally and create the management tools and creative assets they need to bring it to life. it’s exciting work and we feel privileged to be able to do it. We are cross-disciplinary brand designers. We design physical and digital experiences, objects and spaces.

simon peArCe, FounderFAbriC brAnding

@simonpearcelivesimon.pearce@fabricbranding.com

www.fabricbranding.com