Brand definition workshop

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Question - who should define my brand?

Answer - your brand is primarily defined by your customer. Whatever is in her/his head is what your brand is about. However, you can influence those thoughts with the messages you communicate and with your behaviour. When everyone who plays a part in delivering your brand understands what it is all about, there is more chance of your brand being delivered consistently, and of your customers seeing your brand the same way as you do.

Key action points

A fresh, compelling proposition

At the heart of any successful brand strategy lies a fresh, compelling brand proposition that you can uniquely own.

that appeals to emotions

This proposition must be more than a rational description of what you do. It must step beyond the features, advantages and benefits of your products or services.

It must appeal to the emotions of your target audience, either by offering hope or reducing fear.

It should also hitch a ride on an eternal value – love, hate, friendship, courage, strength, wisdom, endurance, belonging, glamour (and 50 to 60 more).

that offers your target audience what it wants

What does your customers want to happen in their wildest imagination when they buy your products or services? Do they want to avoid costly mistakes or, more importantly, avoid being blamed for costly mistakes (the “No-one ever got sacked for buying IBM” strategy)? Do they want to feel appreciated (“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”)? Do they want to feel powerful (BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine”)? Do they want the right to spend more money than they can possibly justify to Daddy (L’Oreal’s “Because I am worth it”)?

Follow the adage: "Don't sell your products to the customer, sell your customer to your customer." If your potential customers can recognise an improved version of themselves in what you offer them, you have an exceedingly powerful proposition.

that you can own

Then, can you own it?

This does not mean that do you whatever you claim to do the best. Many of the world’s leading brands are second-rate. Pepsi always out-performs Coke in blind tastings. Sony’s Betamax was always better than JVC’s VHS. Nescafe Gold Blend is not the best coffee in the world. A BMW is no match for a Porsche or a Ferrari in terms of driving performance

It means you can credibly claim it – that people will want to think it is true. This usually means proclaiming it long and loudly first, with some simple evidence.

The end result must be that when you ask your target audience who owns your proposition, they more-or-less unanimously say that you do.

Focus on one brand to deliver one message

Finally, clear the decks and leave a clear line of sight to your brand. Don’t have fifteen different brands all claiming, in essence, the same thing. Define all your brands, stick the definitions up on a wall, and cross out any word that appears in two or more definitions. How many brands do you have left?

Our brand definition workshop will lead you step-by-step through this process.

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