BRANDING

Higher Expectations Than Ever

 

Customers these days are increasingly informed connected and feeling empowered. This translates to escalated expectations. They are more demanding and discerning than they ever were in the history of mankind. This is why, more than ever brand essence is of paramount importance. Without this, a business relies on temporary factors like gimmicks, events, trends and price which make it hard to develop long term relationships or bonds between the brand or product and the consumer

 

Your Brand’s Promise

 

When consumers make a connection with your brand, this is able to generate love for that brand. A combination of experience, innovation, story, strategy and promise matters. The brand promise is its essence and connects consumers first. Everything else feeds off the promise once it is revealed.

 

Example:

FedEx, the promise is ‘dependability,’

Apple it is ‘simplicity’,

Volvo, it is ‘safety.’

Dove, it is  “Cream your skin”.

 

Your brand story and strategy need to deliver these promises. As for experiencing the brand, every employee needs to buy into and live up to the brand essence. Clearly, the success of the brand is embedding the brand promise right into the company’s culture.

 

The 9 Criteria For Brand Essence 

( 2009, Conrad / Phillips / Vutech, Inc )

 

1. Unique

The essence of a brand is how it is different from competitors in the same category.

 

Example: If Apple (and its products) is friendly and approachable, then it is claiming that its competitors (PCs, etc.) are not.

People make decisions based upon how things are unique, not how they are the same. The Essence gives the audience the primary reason to choose a brand over competitors’ brands. Brand positioning is the relative differences between brands as perceived by the audience.

 

Example:

Harley-Davidson = Liberating

3M = Innovative 

Visa = Everywhere 

Jeep = Adventurous

Dove = Moisturizing

 

2. Intangible

One is no more independent on a Harley- Davidson motorcycle than another brand, but somehow one feels like it. Tap into what the audience feels

 

3. Single-minded

One word to describe the essence is ideal. Maybe two. More than two words indicates that the brand has no focus.

 

Example: “Volvo: safe” and, “Nike: Just Do It.”, and Dove “Restoring Femininity”  

 

Basically the essence of your brand severs as your measurement stick for the evaluation of your marketing materials and strategies. The experience of the brand becomes stronger when it gets installed into all your services and products as well as every consumer touching point including your tagline, logo, packaging, employee training and corporate culture. The brand experience becomes weak when it is ignored or used with impatience, half-heartedly, using mixed messages or used inconsistently. Because a brand (by design) delivers an unique experience, having no focus makes for a weak brand.

 

“A brand becomes stronger ...  when you narrow its focus.” - ~Ries & Ries,The 22 Immutable Laws Of Branding

 

4. Experiential

The essence captures what the audience feels during an experience with the brand

 

Example:

“Driving a Volvo makes me feel that my family is safe.”

“Dove creams your skin while you wash”

 

5. Meaningful

There is no point in identifying an essence that is irrelevant to the audience. Essences that don’t connect are the reason behind many failed brands. Research it.

 

6. Consistently delivered

If the proposed essence is not consistently experienced then it isn’t the essence.

 

Example:

If magical is Disney’s essence, then every trip to Disney World must deliver on that promise.

Consistency = “No Surprises”

People seek comfort, stability, and predictability.

The success of all chains is based upon consistency of experience.

(Think McDonald’s.)

Consistency of experience is the basis for brand loyalty.

Maintaining consistency is a major challenge for most organizations.

Can your organization deliver?

“One of the few things worse than no promise is a broken one.” - Scott Davis, Brandweek

 

7. Authentic

The essence must be credible or the brand will be rejected. To find out what the audience believes about your brand, ask them. The essence must be credible or the brand will be rejected. To find out what the audience believes about your brand, ask them.

 

8. Sustainable

A brand’s essence is baked in.  It doesn’t change

 

9. Scalable

Will the essence work for brand extensions?

Will it work as the brand’s opportunity grows?