The Brand ObservatoryWho We Are And What We Do

What We Believe

• Different brands play different roles in people`s lives We do not interact with them in identical

ways• Brand and communication strategy needs to

evolve to reflect these behavioural differences The old “one strategic framework is

appropriate for all brands” model is no longer appropriate

• Acknowledging that people behave differently with different brands (and categories) enables the creation of more relevant and cost-efficient strategy……

Our Vision

“We can see clearly now” We want to help clients develop relevant and cost- effective strategic solutions which are simple to implement and contribute to healthy business growth

To add value through relevant simplification:-

The strategic development process for many brands (and their communication strategies) no longer matches the reality of people`s everyday relationship with the brand

The PROCESS of developing strategy has become increasingly complex and lengthy There is a huge opportunity for RELEVANT SIMPLIFICATION – which can both add value

and reduce inertia

Our Mission

A Fresh Perspective On Brands

Different Relationships With Different Brands…

Breakfast Cereal Sports Car

You don`t feel the same way about (eg) brands of detergent as you feel about (eg) a much loved car or watch……..

……so why do we treat them in the same way when thinking about how best to connect with you as “the consumer”…….?

A Fundamental Truth

A New Way of thinking about Brands

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Everyday Life

SupportInfomotion

Bartering (everyday Services)

Complementarity

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Everyday Life Support

Help us in our everyday lives They are ‘basic essentials’ ( everyday household

goods) but……we cannot live without them We do not actively think and feel about them with any

great degree of emotion most of the time, but…… We need to trust them to do their job/be effective Genuine differentiation within a category is often very

hard to achieve (from a consumer perspective) So SALIENCE and distinctiveness are key to driving

growth

Everyday Life Support Brands

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Bartering (Everyday services)

Many are services that help you travel, look after your finances, help you source the best deal

These brands offer and depend on interaction – whatever claims are made by the brand and its communication, actual service delivery and customer experience of it are critical to business success

Many try to build emotional relationships with users, and often fail to achieve this because….

…ultimately they are judged by customers on how well they deliver their service, how reliable they are and whether they deliver value for money (rather than whether they are your “best friend”)

Transparency, ease of use, customer referrals and trustworthy delivery are keys to success

Bartering Brands

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Infomotion

These brands are characterised by strong information or

technological components but also inspire emotional desire Technological differentiation is often a strong component of the

brand offer Cameras, cars, watches can all sit in this category – as can

cosmeceuticals Many new IT brands begin life here – but can migrate over time

and become more mainstream Life Support brands eg. a basic mobile vs Apple/Samsung

Word of mouth and scarcity value can play a key role in driving business growth vs. more traditional channel choice

Infomotion Brands

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Complementarity

These brands:- have strong emotional relationships with users cross the line between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ functionality may be a part of the offer plus higher

order values – love/status/aspiration/achievement But functionality is not always crucial – many

successful complementarity brands ( particularly in fashion & beauty) are built on style and distinctiveness credentials, rather than any real functional differentiation

Complementarity Brands

make you feel good about yourself – and sometimes others too Whilst many prestige/luxury brands are located here, this space

is not restricted to them ( eg Rimmel London/H&M/ Zara/ Nike) Historically, many brands aim to occupy this territory by

seeking to add “emotional connectivity” to their brand offer. In reality this is difficult for some brands to achieve, as consumers have neither time nor inclination to engage in emotional relationships with every brand they interact with (although this does not preclude the need to create likeable communications to attract and engage attention in the first place….)

Complementarity Brands

A New Taxonomy Of Brands

Everyday life

SupportInfomotion

Bartering (Everyday services)

Complementarity

The old “one model fits all” approach to strategic development is no longer appropriate, as different brands fulfil different needs in people`s lives

There is no “perfect sweetspot” which all brands should aspire to occupy on any given brand map

Each and every brand should seek to maximise its effectiveness and presence within the behavioural territory it occupies with its target consumers

A new way of thinking about brands

Salience often more important than “persuasion”

Engagement and likeability critical for recall Not all brands NEED extensive digital

presence/activity Reach delivered by TV still relevant and cost

effective for many brands Simplification and focus of both messaging

and media selection should be a key objective

Implications for Communication Strategy

Implications for Communication Strategy

Salience is a key requirement for growth

What (if any) is the role of TV?

What form should online activity take? Recognise the power

consumer endorsement What (if any) is the role

of social media?

Life support brands

Implications for Communication Strategy

Transparency is key Reliable & easy to use

online presence critical User experience is huge

opportunity & threat Presence in Search is KEY Social media presence

can be effective – but must be user-led

Bartering brands

Implications for Communication Strategy

Image and perception are key drivers of desireability

3rd party endorsement can be important EG magazine/opinion-leader

Importance of “fame” should not be underestimated

Strong role for social media/PR

Complementarity Brands

Implications for Communication Strategy

Information “rich” content is key

Static media can play strong role

Transparency online important

Social media/PR can make big contribution

Infomotion brands

“I can see clearly now”Added Value From Simplification