Brand strategy is the process of identifying your brand’s most compelling unique attributes and combining them into a unique promise. A strong brand stands out from its category. It’s relevant to those who come into contact with it. And it’s believable, because it’s built on credibility and a compelling truth.
Whether the task at hand is brand creation for a new company, such as a spin-off, or rebranding a global company due to a change in business conditions, we employ a process that’s proven and comprehensive.
Research
Depending on your challenges, we can employ an array of qualitative and quantitative research strategies and methodologies:
• Segmentation studies
• Brand image assessment
• Competitive analysis
• Web site usability
• Ad tracking and ROI metrics
• Name testing and validation
In addition, RiechesBaird has developed our own Strategic Brand Assessment—an online tool that enables us to assess the strength and value of your internal brand. Unlike traditional research methods that look at the brand from the “outside in” by measuring consumer attitudes, the Strategic Brand Assessment fills another critical need by looking at the brand from the “inside out” using the perspectives of company management, employees, and distribution channels. This tool uncovers underlying business or marketing issues that may be undermining the success of the brand, shows cultural alignment or the lack thereof, and recommends ways to improve marketing communications in order for the brand to reach its potential.
Touchpoint Mapping is another valuable research tool we use to define and illustrate every potential point of contact between your brand and its many audiences. By outlining your brand touchpoints, you can implement the right practices and processes to ensure that customers and other audiences have consistently positive experiences.
Brand Architecture
Brand architecture is the hierarchical structure by which brands, products, services and subsidiaries are managed on a relative basis to each other within an organizational entity. For example, is your organization’s brand architecture a Branded House, emphasizing the corporate brand, or a House of Brands, with individually branded products or divisions?
Brand architecture also involves the development of nomenclature systems and sometimes a Brand Decision Tree to determine the function and role of Parent Brands (think Procter & Gamble), Endorsed Brands (Stainmaster by Dupont), Ingredient Brands (“Intel inside”) and Stand-Alone Brands (did you know the Ritz-Carlton brand belongs to Marriott?).
RiechesBaird can help you identify the appropriate brand architecture for your organization—and implement it—so that the structure and its benefits are clearly defined, accepted and understood.
Brand Creation
We thrive on the opportunity to create a brand from the ground up. In order to give it life, we identify the organization’s core attributes, conduct extensive internal and competitive research, and develop the foundational positioning—all of which set the stage for the creative process that follows:
• Naming/Renaming
• Brand identity
• Tagline development
• Brand expression (look and feel, visual and verbal elements, sample applications)
• Brand guidelines
• Graphic standards
Brand Positioning
A brand position must be relevant, believable and defendable to thrive. A strong brand stands for something. The most compelling brands claim the highest ground—they own a mindset. Volvo and safety. Nike and performance. Harley-Davidson and freedom. Energizer and longevity. So what’s your brand position? Is there one word you can own?
We use brand mapping—the process of identifying your organization’s unique attributes, surveying the competitive brand positions and analyzing opportunities—to stake out an area that is unique to your company and compelling to your internal and external audiences.
Once we have identified, substantiated and detailed your brand pillars, we combine them to express their cumulative benefit—your brand position. We identify the brand’s guiding principles and values, and craft an elevator statement so that everyone in your organization can explain the brand and its positioning clearly and consistently. We then define the brand personality to guide its vocabulary and visual expression.
In any given industry or category, we create brand positions that clearly differentiate our clients’ companies from their competition—and also carry high growth potential.