Building a kick-ass brand that wins

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BUILDING A KICK-ASS BRAND THAT WINS

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AGENDA

Branding basics Brand value pyramid methodology Creating emotional bonds Brand swagger Putting it all together: The Anti-Elevator Pitch

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What is a brand?

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The collective emotional response to your product or service

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Expectations

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Memories

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Stories

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A relationship

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Differentiation that’s meaningful to

customers, partners, vendors, employees

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An intangible asset

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A financial asset

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HOW DOES A BRAND GET INCLUDED IN THAT LIST?

Profits

Demand

Bonds

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WHY BRANDING?

Avoid fatal conceit

Your product is NOT your message

There are other people and products that do EXACTLY what you do

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Start thinking of your business

as a brand

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Start thinking of your brand as an

experience

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Functional Benefits and Attributes

Emotional Benefits

Self-expressive benefits,

beliefs and values addressed

Hardest to deliver Hardest to imitate

Most differentiating and defining Longest shelf-life

Key element of emotional brand

BRAND VALUE PYRAMID

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Today’s options packages are tomorrow’s standard equipment

We can’t control the brand image – only the identity

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BUILDING EMOTIONAL BONDS

•  Traditional consumer branding: rooted in theory of rational choices and cognitive and sequential in nature

•  Modern branding: brand become part of a person’s self-concept

•  It’s not enough to connect emotionally; you must deliver on your brand promise

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BRAND SWAGGER QUESTIONS

What does it say about a person that they hire/use your brand?

What is the singular benefit customers get from you

they can’t get from anyone else?

How do you make your customer a hero in his/her own story?

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

•  Your brand story – brand narrative … the “anti-elevator pitch”

•  Elevator pitch: a one-way delivery system for getting your core message across

•  The brand narrative: an offer of something compelling to start a conversation

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BRAND NARRATIVE

•  You are NOT your website •  It’s about why you do what you do – not what you

do •  It’s an opportunity to invite others to engage and

collaborate in your success •  Persuade, don’t educate •  Connect with empathy •  Raise eyebrows!

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BRAND NARRATIVES THAT CONNECT

•  One-word: Google = search, Mastercard = priceless

•  Question: “What if I told you that you’d never have to search for an email again?”

•  Subject line: “Fifteen minutes could save you 15 percent on your car insurance”

•  Story form: “One day, when _________ is successful, every __________ will be able to ___________.”

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WHEN BRAND?

•  When you’ve established a product – market fit •  When customers begin to experience your

brand •  When you’re raising money •  Focus on the things that matter

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10 ACTIONS FOR BUILDING AND SUSTAINING BRANDS •  Innovate and delight

•  Be meaningfully different

•  Stand for a purpose

•  Walk the talk

•  Build and maintain trust

•  Renew and improve the brand experience

•  Rely on consumer insights

•  Think holistically

•  Get noticed

•  Keep changing

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LET’S START

SOMETHING 512.445.4807 info@solmarketing.com 4807 Spicewood Springs Rd. Building 2, Suite 200 Austin, Texas 78759