HCC Branding

1

BRANDING• H U N T E R C A T T L E •

• H A N D B O O K •

4

A BRAND IS A PERSON’S GUT FEELING ABOUT A PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR COMPANY. Marty Neumeier

5

Everyone has a brand. From individuals to multi-national corporations, from chari-ties to gangs, from restaurants to farms, everyone has a reputation that inspires some feelings in others. The management of this perception and the creation of ideal per-ceptions, ones that align with our internal desires and goals, is a critical component of company growth and sustainable success.

Brand is not just about customer service and quality products, though both are import-ant elements. Brand is the sum of all interactions with everyone. That includes cus-tomers, clients, partners, and staff. Every contact with a potential customer creates an impression, which in turn reflects on the brand image. These impressions form the reputation of a company.

On the following pages, the branding process used to evaluate and define Hunter Cattle as a brand is broken down into simple building blocks. These components can be understood separately, but come together to form a complete picture of the company.

INTRODUCTION TO BRANDING

6

BRAND STRUCTURE

Brand is about relationships. It is about the way that people interact with each other, spaces, and services; the push and pull between expectations, needs, and capabilities. The essence of a brand is formed through the connection between peo-ple’s motivations and the business’ response.

As a family farm, Hunter Cattle is built on a relational model; connecting with like-minded companies and community members through participation in farmer’s markets and other outreach efforts. As we unpack what it means to shepherd and develop a brand, it is important to recognize that the relationships are what really matter.

Expression of those relationships, in the way that they are exposed to the outside world, is of equal importance to the relationships themselves. There are three sim-ple elements that formulate the essence of brand creation, and these core elements DNA, Personality, and Brandscape will guide the rest of this document.

7

Competitor’s Analysis

PersonalityArchetypes

PersonalityAnalysis

BrandVoice

BrandPersonality Brandscape USPBrand DNA

Company Heritage

Driving Forces Attributes

Mission and Vision

Brand Personality Assesment

BRAND STRUCTURE

8

Brand DNA

The first step of the branding process is aimed to define and express the core values of the company. Defining the Brand DNA provides the foundation while creating a nucleus from which all else builds upon.

Brand DNA

Company Heritage

Driving Forces Attributes

Mission and Vision

9

BRAND DNA

Alarmed by trends in commercial food production, the

Ferguson family transformed their lives by creating a farm

dedicated to sustainable and humane agricultural prac-

tices. This focus quickly attracted the attention of friends,

neighbors and the community who shared the Fergusons’

concerns about the impact of grain-fed meat on animals,

the environment and people. The farm continues to grow

by partnering with local restaurants and businesses to

drive grass-fed beef, free range chicken, pastured pork,

and other products into the local community.

Hunter Cattle farm produces a range of products that

meet both environmental, health and social demands. The

Ferguson family welcomes the community to experience

their family farm lifestyle and join in their mission to pro-

mote healthy living and food through ease-of-access and

example.

Brand Origins & Heritage

Del Ferguson Debra Ferguson Kristan Fretwell Anthony Ferguson

10

BRAND DNA

Local Animal Welfare SustainableAgriculture

Family-runBusiness

Hunter Cattle was founded on the relational values of

a caring family. Through trial and error and burgeoning

experience, the farm has been able to create and nur-

ture a superior product that is both humane and environ-

mentally sensitive. While many elements of the farm’s

existence and subsistence exist for practical need-based

reasons, it is important to note that they are also a part

of a set of growing social trends, and that the recognition

and exploitation of these trends can help to drive sus-

tainable business practices.

An awareness of external forces and the impact that

these forces have on the way that business is conducted

and presented is vital to a successful enterprise. Using a

framework developed by Marty Neumeier, these forces

have been broken into three essential components: focus,

difference, and trend.

Isolating and segmenting these external agents allows

for an evaluation of what they are about (focus), what

makes them important and unique when compared to

other forces (difference) and how they directly impact

Hunter Cattle’s decision making process, both internally

and externally.

Driving Forces

11

BRAND DNA

Local

Regional system for food production and distribution within

a reach that considers resources, distances, markets, and

consumers.

Its goals are towards community sustainability.

Consumers value a better understanding of the source of

their food products, and a connection with the producers

of those goods.

Animal Welfare

Measures on-farm operations that consider physical and

psychological well-being of animals in their raising meth-

ods from birth to slaughter.

Animals are raised outdoors on pasture, their diet corre-

sponds to healthy growth goals and their lives are not lim-

ited to time spent at the farm.

Public opposition to commercial methods like battery cage

raised chickens is on the rise. Organizations and public

opinion agree on eliminating cruel practices exercised in

the name of more efficient production.

Sustainable Agriculture

Integrated production system which practices are respon-

sible with natural and human resources. Three goals are

integrated in the practices: environmental health, economic

profitability, and social equity.

Sustainable livestock farming based on a pastured system

allows animals to eat what they are naturally supposed to,

which improves animal welfare, and benefits the environ-

ment by letting the animal feed itself and spread its manure.

The food movement, as a series of organized small mobi-

lizations is centered in pleasure and health, and moves

towards achieving environmental goals.

Family-run Business

Family-run organizations and businesses create value that

directly contributes to the well-being of the family.

In this type of company, the customer can establish a close

relationship based on trust. Interactions are very personal,

which adds value to the customer experience.

Businesses want to build closer relationships with con-

sumers. While these relationships are based on trust, the

value is created through each intimate experience.

f f

f

d

d

d

t

t

t

t: trendd: differencef: focus

f

d

t

12

BRAND DNA

Relational

To do business with Hunter Cattle is to be friends with

them. From interactions with new visitors to the farm

to business relationships with local restaurants or dis-

tributors, personal relationships and interactions are

incredibly important to the culture of Hunter Cattle.

Authentic

In a world marked by fast and processed foods shipped

around the world, in a society that lives on imported pro-

duce and meats, Hunter Cattle recalls the way that things

used to be–local, native, fresh, and natural. This back-to-

basics mentality is reflected in the authenticity and trans-

parency with which day-to-day affairs are conducted,

both on and off the farm.

Attentive

Driven by their relational nature, Hunter Cattle is con-

stantly reacting to the needs of their clients and cus-

tomers, doing everything in their power to ensure that

orders are fulfilled, and that guests leave the farm edu-

cated about the Hunter Cattle difference.

Fair Caring Enabling

Fair

Hunter Cattle Farm gives the best care to the animals

they raise and this is expressed in the quality of the

products they offer to the community.

Caring

It is that simple. Hunter Cattle started by caring about

the food the family was consuming, and extended that

care to the community and the animals. From the way

the animals are treated to the promise that nothing arti-

ficial is involved in the creation of their products, Hunter

Cattle’s sense of caring for the well-being of their cus-

tomers and animals is deep-seated.

Enabling

The best motives and practices in the world are lost if

there isn’t an opportunity for others to become part of

the story. Enabling local community members and busi-

nesses to have access to both authentically cared for

livestock and the education that surrounds these inten-

tional consumer practices is a critical part of the Hunter

Cattle mandate.

Relational Authentic Attentive

Rat

ion

al

Em

oti

on

al

Brand Attributes

Hunter Cattle thrives on building community through their family values by emphasizing health, environment, and edu-

cation. These values can be expressed into brand attributes that will serve as brand pillars. These attributes are divided

into rational and emotional.

13

Relational

Authentic

Attentive

Rational

BRAND DNA

14

BRAND DNA

Emotional

Fair

Caring

Enabling

15

Brand Attributes Mission

Hunter Cattle exists to be an advocate for healthy living through authentic animal husbandry and environmentally sensitive agricultural practices. By serving as a bea-con for the promotion of healthy living, Hunter Cattle can build a strong network of like-minded businesses and community members, diffusing the farm’s beliefs and practices into common usage and valuation.

Vision

Hunter Cattle’s vision is to drive transparent and open business practices in order to translate their honest and authentic beliefs about food and responsibility into sus-tainable community value.

16

Brand Personality

PersonalityArchetypes

PersonalityAnalysis

BrandVoice

BrandPersonality


17

Brand personality builds upon the brand DNA by attributing a series of human char-acteristics to a brand. Personifying the brand allows for an easier understanding of the nature of the brand through metaphors.

A brand is useless if it doesn’t empathize with its users. By personifying the idea of a brand, we enable empathy for the customer through customer-facing communica-tions and allow the customer to easily engage with the company.

Formulating a brand personality also creates a decision-making platform by estab-lishing a set of metrics that strategic decisions can be evaluated against.

BRAND PERSONALITY

18

15 Archetypes

Brand Myth

Supply NurtureBelongingNourishmentMotherlyCompassionateGenerous

PowerCourageFightVictoryTriumphConquestStrengthStrong ToughManly

DiscoverySelf- DiscoveryTrialFreedomQuestChallengeFreeIndependentAdventurous

Creative ActionFunTeasing SurpriseOriginalImaginativeIrreverentYouthfulEccentric

WittyHumorousEnergetic

WisdomKnowledgeDestinyAsceticismScholarEnlightenmentIntellectualDeepProfoundSpiritual

CalmBrilliantIsolatedScientific

ChangingEmpowermentMiracle

BraveForcefulAggressive

Self ConfidentEnthusiasticLearning

ProtectionControlMentoringOrganizedSystematicConservative

CreationCreativeOriginalArtisticExpressiveNewBeginningImaginationInspiration

ControlAuthorityOrderRule Role ModelResponsibilityIndisputable

LoveRomanticGlamourBeautyAestheticIntimacyGraceful

BelieveVisionImmortalityLegendMajestySuperiorityNobleVictor

IntelligentExtraordinaryHonorableTranscendenceRighteousCapableDistinctiveObsessive

FriendshipHelpAssociationTrustEmpathySociabilitySupport

PleasureSensualityPassionCharmSexyDesirableTemptingIndulgence

BelongBlendFit inRealisticEmpatheticEasy GoingFriendly

Willing to be abusedin order to be oneof a gang

FairDecisiveMajesticLeading

VirginityPurityCleanSimple

GentlenessSincereIncomplexUnselfish

FranknessOptimisticLivelyInnocence

SoftCherishableAffectionTender

ComfortingCaringRelaxed

CleverGiftMagical

DelightEvolvingTactful

SAGE

GUARDIAN

JESTERMAGICIAN

WARRIOR EXPLORER

LOVER

COMPANION

SEDUCER

RULER

INNOCENT

NURTURER

CREATOR

REGULAR GUY

HERO

70%15%

15%

Relational

Authentic

Attentive

Fair

Caring

Enabling

Brand

Attributes

BRAND PERSONALITY

Personality Archetypes

An archetype is a generic personality built on classic

behaviors and motivations. Borrowed from literature,

archetypes allow brand owners to quickly get a feel for

the way their brand relates to the world, what its moti-

vations are, and how it behaves in times of conflict; all

traditional elements of engaging storytelling.

By using archetypes that are culturally familiar (the Hero,

the Peacemaker, etc.), we pave the way for communicat-

ing the brand essence to a broader audience and aligning

all the brand assets in a single direction.

To define the appropriate archetypes for Hunter Cattle

we conducted an exercise of mapping Hunter Cattle attri-

butes into a matrix that has fifteen classic archetypes

proven to translate into branding in compelling ways.

No brand is ever fully one archetype, but instead is an

amalgamation of multiple archetypes, each to varying

degrees (which can be given percentages and weights).

The same is true of Hunter Cattle. The primary archetype

for Hunter Cattle is the Nurturer, followed by Guardian

and Companion.

19

Nurturer

Guardian

Companion 70%

15%

15%

Foundation and reference to align

brand activities and behaviors to

build brand value

Nurturer

Guardian

acts

advocates

vindicates

sheperds

is strong

is always there

is organized

cares

educates

provides

fosters

is kind

is warm

is generous

Companion

helps

co-works

complements

guides

is a friend

is an ally

is available

BRAND PERSONALITY

Behaviors

Attitudes

Once the constituents archetypes have been identified and blended,

their implications, in terms of actions and behaviors can be used to help

outline the brand scope and guidelines.

Brand Personality Analysis

20

Hunter Cattle is like a modern young mom who cares for and protects her children. This care and protection is not stifling or constricting, but freeing, connective and honest. Her relationships are deep-rooted, genuine, and friendly.

She believes that good nutrition is the base for happy children. She wants her chil-dren to be able to make informed and conscious decisions, and to recognize that they don’t live in isolation, but in community.

Her goal is independence: freedom from the restriction of the way things are, and a drive to constantly search for the way they should be. Her dream is to raise healthy and happy children, and to enjoy her relationships with them as they grow and dis-cover together.

Brand Personality Story Tale

22

Business Development | A new partner Product Offering | A new product Company Image | A new blog post

Nurturer

• Is this business decision

fostering strong relationships

with the customers?

Companion

• Do the values of this new

partner complement HC mission

and vision?

• Is the role of HC clear in this

new relationship?

Guardian

• Can HC advocate its values

through/with this partner?

Nurturer

• Is HC providing education on the

appropriate use of the product?

• How is this product fostering the

understanding about the value of

HC’s mission?

Companion

• Does the product complement other

HC offerings?

• How can the new product help

spread the value of previous or new

offerings?

Guardian

• Does the product support the values

of HC through its proposition?

Nurturer

• Through this information is

HC showing its involvement in

education efforts?

Companion

• Can the customer use the

information to guide their

decisions about HC products?

Guardian

• Is this information supporting

and validating the value of HC

offering?

BRAND PERSONALITY

All of these personality-creation exercises are valuable

from an understanding perspective, but they are worth-

less if inactionable. It is important to take the concept of

the archetype and translate it into tools that impact the

way that Hunter Cattle carries out their day-to-day work

and assists strategic decision-making. The below exam-

ples show a series of questions that act as a guide for how

to use the archetypes for evaluating opportunities.

Brand Personality as an Evaluation Tool

23

• A friend offering advice

• Honest and matter-of-fact

• First person only

• As a part of the family; an equal

• Simple vocabulary

• Never assuming people know the terminology

Brand Voice

BRAND PERSONALITY

Language carries both incredible potential and responsi-

bility. It can distance, or draw in. It can promote, or detract.

It can create friends and relationships. It can communi-

cate, or confuse. Because of this potential, and the impli-

cation couched around language, it is vital that Hunter

Cattle carries a consistent tone of voice throughout their

communications.

The communication with customers (both clients and

direct) is the primary way Hunter Cattle is known in the

community. If one tone of voice is used in one channel,

and a different one in another, they cancel each other out

leaving the customer confused about the message.

The tone of voice is a direct reflection of the attributes of

the brand– relational, authentic, attentive, fair, caring, and

enabling.

Every communication is an opportunity to drive under-

standing of the brand; whether it’s an email, a poster, a

blog post, or tour and event. Because of the significance of

these opportunities, it’s important to remember the core

elements of the brand tone, and be mindful of these ele-

ments in any format.

Hunter Cattle’s voice is defined by the following characteristics:

24


Until now, we’ve been able to understand Hunter Cattle’s

ideal brand, how it behaves, what its character is, and

how we can describe and foster it. Now we need to exam-

ine how this ideal brand matches up to the existing brand

through an audit. This auditing process was accomplished

by mapping the current brand personality into a matrix

that shows a comprehensive range of personality traits

and comparing it against the “desired” brand personality.

Hunter Cattle’s positioning was informed by the research,

observation and analysis the team had conducted on

Hunter Cattle’s business.

Personality Traits

Today Tomorrowsweet

sunny

cute

pretty

childlikecheerful

happy

festive

bright

dazzling

enjoyablefriendly

lighthearted

pleasant

generous

intimategentle

charming amiable

softromantic

innocent

supple dreamy

plaincitrus

light neat

clear

pure

fresh and young

clean

crystalline

refreshing

clean and fresh

simple

speedy

agile

smart

western

sporty

progressive

modernintellectual

distinguished

composedurban

quiet

noble and elegantchic

Japanese

soberelegant

rustic

mellow

decorative

luxurious

gorgeous

extravagant

tasteful

complex

old-fashioned

traditional

conservative

classic

stylish

cultivated precise

simple,quiet

modestinteresting

mysterious

provincial

mature

aromatic alluring

fascinatingbrilliant

abundant

rich

provocative

hotlively

tropical

showy vivid

flamboyant colorful

deliciousamusing

merry

open

mild

calm

graceful

elegant

sleek

sedate

polished

young

steady

youthful

fresh

tranquil

peaceful wholesome

femininecultured

delicate

natural

dry

emotionaldomestic

smooth

healthy

restfulfree

sweet-sour

tender

simple and appealing

pure andsimple

fashionablenoble

refined

subtle

pure and elegant

genial and elegant

nostalgic

vigorous

forceful bold

active

fiery

intense

striking

wild

ethnic

robust

untamedelaborate

heavy and deep

sturdyserious

strong and robustdignified

majestic

solemn

authoritative

soundpractical

formal

precious

dapperplacid

bitter aristocratic

quiet and sophisticated

diligentsubtle and mysterious

eminent

earnest

sublime

masculine

rationalexact sharp

propermetallic

dynamic and active

substantial glossy

agreeable to the touchsweet and dreamy

01

1

1

2

3

2

3

12 23 3

PRETTY

CASUAL

GORGEOUS

DYNAMIC

CLASSIC

DANDY FORMAL

CHIC

NEAT CASUAL

CLEAR

ROMANTIC

NATURAL

ELEGANT

MODERN

ETHNIC

(WILD)

Too Casual

Implicit Information

Disperate Brand Speech

Weak Visual Presentation

Industry Newbie

Improvised Reactions

Informed Casual

Explicit Information

Consolidated Brand Speech

Enduring Visuals

Field Knowledge

Structured & Organized Actions

BRAND PERSONALITY

Source: Shigenobu Kobayashi “Color image scale” (1992) Publisher: Kodasha, USA

26

BrandscapeThe final dimension of the branding process, Brandscape, is used to gain an under-standing of market and competitor characteristics. This dimension creates aware-ness within market niches, leading to more intentional business decisions.

Competitor’s Analysis

Brandscape

27

BRANDSCAPE

Competitors Analysis

Every organization has competitors. They can be tangential,

negligible, strong, weak, indifferent, or even friendly, but

they exist, and acknowledging the existence of competition

is something every business must do. Tools can be used to

rationally plot and compare HC to those who have shared

customers and market value. One tool uses four important

organizing elements for comparision while the second tool

uses the five Ps.

From these comparisons, potential opportunities to shift

HC to a strong market position can be identified.

DiverseServices

FocusedServices

HigherQuality

LowerQuality

Strong VisualCommunication

Weak VisualCommunication

Revival Foods

Savannah River Farms

Hunter Cattle

Georgia Buffalo

Service Variety

Quality Perception

Presentation Emphasis

_ _ _ o +++

Market Placement

In brandOff brand

DiverseServices

FocusedServices

HigherQuality

LowerQuality



Revival Foods


Hunter Cattle

Georgia Buffalo

Service Variety

Quality Perception


_ _ _ o +++

Market Placement

In brandOff brand

28

BRANDSCAPE

Product Price Place Promotion People

Beef, Pork, Poultry, Sausage, Eggs,

Beef, Pork, Poultry, Sausage, Lamb

Bison Meat

Beef, Poultry, Eggs

National, Regional Sales, Gourmet, Restaurant, National distributors

Website, Visits, PressHarris family

Beef, Pork, Lamb Sausage, Poultry

Green Truck Pub - Heirloom Book Com-pany, and online

Websites, Packaging, Press, events

Bradley Taylor and Cat Compton

Farm, Farmer’s market, Delivery to near by store

Publication, Social media, Field trips, Recipe (web), website, TV, Magazine, News, Nutrition comparison, Cooking Competition

FarmFarmer’s MarketRestaurants

Web Site, Brochure,Social Media, Speak to customerdirectly

Ben and Kellie Deen,

Troy Bivens

Farm, Moo Ma’s Store,Farmer’s Market,Restaurants,Local Grocery

Barn Loft, Tours,Parties, Events, Publication, Website,Recipe (web), Social Media

Ferguson family$$$

$$$Equal to HC

$$lower that HC

$$Lower than HC

$$$$higher than HC

This competitor is used as a reference for best practices.

29

BRANDSCAPE

Product

Beef, Pork, Poultry, Sausage, Eggs,

Beef, Pork, Poultry, Sausage, Lamb

Bison Meat

Beef, Pork, Lamb Sausage, Poultry

Beef, Poultry, Eggs

Integrate in the HC brand discourse highlights about the ele-ments that make their products different from the competi-tion and the variety offered by HC which puts it on top of other local offering.

Hunter Cattle must address the competition which is inherently present in all segments of their offering

DiverseServices

FocusedServices

Service Variety

Price

$$$

$$$Equal to Hunter Cattle

$$lower that HC

$$Lower than HC

$$$$higher than HC

HigherQuality

LowerQuality

Quality Perception

Communicate the differentiation of the product through written and visual explanation as quality and price is tied to how the product looks.

Hunter Cattle offers a higher quality product for a higher price.

DiverseServices

FocusedServices

HigherQuality

LowerQuality



Revival Foods


Hunter Cattle

Georgia Buffalo

Service Variety

Quality Perception


_ _ _ o +++

Market Placement

In brandOff brand

30

BRANDSCAPE

Place

National, Regional Sales, Gourmet, Restaurant, National distributors

Green Truck Pub - Heirloom Book Company, and online

Farm, Farmer’s market, Delivery to near by store

FarmFarmer’s MarketRestaurants

Farm, Moma Store,Farmer’s Market,Restaurants,Local Grocery

Hunter Cattle products represent what the brands stands for and so should the locations where it is sold at. Different business partnerships require more or less branding efforts according to what the customer reach might become. When adding a new market place consider customer segmenta-tion to determine the appropriate approach.

Hunter Cattle products are not just meat, they also represent family and farming values.

Market Placement

In brandOff brand

Promotion

Website, Visits, Press

Websites, Packaging, Press, events

Publication, Social media, Field trips, Recipe (web), website, TV, Magazine, News, Nutrition comparison, Cooking Competition

Web Site, Brochure,Social Media, Speak to customerdirectly

Barn Loft, Tours,Parties, Events, Publication, Website,Recipe (web), Social Media




Hunter Cattle should express in all their channels the value of their products through all channels so there is a reason behind the price.

Product packaging currently does not reflect Hunter Cattle values

DiverseServices

FocusedServices

HigherQuality

LowerQuality



Revival Foods


Hunter Cattle

Georgia Buffalo

Service Variety

Quality Perception


_ _ _ o +++

Market Placement

In brandOff brand

32

Unique Selling proposition

for Hunter Cattle Company

Hunter Cattle is the local family-owned farm that

by a responsive attitude shares a sustainable life-

style with the local community in Georgia; in an era

where fast food and industrial food production is

affecting people’s wellbeing.

34

CONTENT CREATED, DEVELOPED AND COMPILED BY:

DMGT 720 Spring 2013Design Innovation Development and Marketing Strategies

Atthaves Borriraklert

Laura Campos

Michael Denman

Phillip Evans

Alexandra Jackson

Liu Xin

Carol Lora

JaKenna Martin

Priscila Mendoza

Mariana Ortiz Reyes

Lauren Peters

Diane Seaver

Bhavika Shah

Sun Tianjie

Nathan Sundberg

Wang You

Zhang Haoting

ProfessorVerena Paepcke-Hjeltness

Courtesy of the School of DesignSavannah College of Art and Design

HCC Branding

Business

Transcript of HCC Branding