Before I digress into my findings I would recommend yesterdays reading list, all 250 pages worth.
Top Products Survey 2011: Heroes and Hurdles
Now in its third year, the nationwide consumer study explores which of the UK’s brands are seen to promote and support family values.
Champions of Design - Free Thinking
Back in the day a brand was just a product with a associated name, so that we could distinguish between baked beans, plum tomatoes and suet pudding....not anymore,
The word brand seems to encompass everything you are and do, it has become your entire identity and the personality of that identity. The tone of voice, a catchphrase, the packaging that holds the product. Point of purchase, a logo, a colour or structure.The uniform of the staff members. how they say hello and goodbye. Online presence, your facebook page, what you tweet. Your refund policy, quality control, price point. What your commercials say and do, which famous celeb endorses these commercials, even when you air your commercial. If we take it to the extreme your brand can even own Santa Claus (Coca- Cola), trademark a smell (Chanel No.5) or even invent a new meaning for a word (tweet by Twitter).
So now we know that a brand means more than it used to why not create an acronym of the word to give it greater substance. I thought this would be easy but not all brands wish to be aspirational or desirable which I thought would be nailed on words for A and D respectively...drum roll please
Business, Reputation, Accessibility, Needs, Design, Strategy
Heres my thinking
Business
A brand is now so far reaching and at the forefront of what you do that it has actually become your business. When we talk brand we talk business.
McDonalds simplified their logo, refit their restaurants, created new healthier menu's and produced advertising based on people engaging with them. The purpose to reposition their brand perception amongst the fast food loving community of the great british isles. The sole marketing purpose of changing the fortunes of the UK arm of McDonalds, who have come under stiff competition from the perceived healthier options such as Subway.
Reputation
They take an age to build but a moment to destroy. Premier foods have had a disastrous time of late including a profit warning, Tesco delist, change of directorate, commodity price rises across of the sector and loss of a pie contract to name but a few. As a consumer we don't care, we aren't aware that Premier own Hovis, Mr Kipling and Bisto, why would we? But dare to have a quality issue like they have and serious lasting damage can be caused. When news broke that two children were rushed to hospital due to potential botulism poisoning after eating one of its brands, a Lloyd Grossman curry sauce, Premier were forced at speed to not only save the brand but all 40 within their portfolio. We as a consumer do now take an interest in what brands they make. Quality and reputation go hand in hand and without either you will have no brand, well not one that we will purchase.
Accessibility
It's now more important than ever that you get your consumers to interact with your brand, both socially and economically. Do you have enough presence? can you be seen online? are you targeting the correct demographic? do the right retailers stock your goods? The easier you make it for your consumers to find you the more successful your brand will be. That doesn't mean throw money in the wrong direction, establishing growth in the right markets at the right pace is a trick in itself.
M&S have just rediscovered how to be accessible, they had a good grounding with a store in every town centre but have focussed hard on rediscovering who they are, encompassed by using celebs such as the X-Factor stars, Take That and Twiggy. M&S have finished as the top brand for families in a nationwide survey for 2011, I'd say that was strong recognition for who they are.
Needs
If you're an established brand you must evolve to ensure your are hitting the needs of your consumer in our ever changing modern world. If you are starting out it is imperative that you understand if there is a need for your brand at all. What makes you different, unique and relevant today! If there is no demand then it is pointless creating any kind of supply. Innocent smoothies hit the market at exactly the right time for the health conscious 5 a day society. They are now synonymous with all things smoothie this enables them to price point highly yet remain the leading brand, their reputation proceeds them. NPD and marketing should be at the top of any list to ensure consumers needs are met. A quick look at the Innocent portfolio will show you that this brand has everything covered.
Design
Appeal and recognition are at the heart of every brand on the market, get the design right and the brand has a very strong chance of being successful. Color, structure and content all tell us something about who you are and what you represent. The area between functionality and emotion is now blurring and research will tell you varying facts but what remains true is the consumer wants to feel like you want them to buy your brand and that you will be grateful for their purchase. Experience, engagement, special offers we buy into the whole piece. Great brands stay with you for a lifetime, brands such as Coca-cola, Kodak, Apple and Levi's. I recently saw the below image of big brands paying design homage to a british institution, Selfridges..how inspiring.
Strategy
If the acronym starts with business then it makes sense to end with strategy, given this is what drives your business at any given time. As with reputation, strategy is a potential hot potato that can have wonderful or disastrous results on the brand depending on whether you have it spot on or miles off. Although the beauty of strategy is that you can change it at any given time. Most companies will have a whole array of people who think they know strategy more than the next. The truth is that great brands sell themselves, it's the sub standard brands that need the most strategic input.
I will never forget the ROM bar, a chocolate bar failing in the hearts of the the Romanian public, the marketing strategy - pretend that the Americans have saved the day and rebrand the design to have the stars and stripes of the USA Flag, then when you have a renewed guile of patriotism and national pride change the bar back, then sit back and watch as you brand once again becomes the most popular in the market.
A wonderful piece of engagement strategy is the The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project.
The bold goal of inspiring 10 million people in 50 countries to discover, share and swap their most original nightlife experiences all intertwined with facebook, nightclubs and networking, such a strong brand positioning for an alcoholic brand.
So there is my acronym
BRANDS
Business, Reputation, Accessibility, Needs, Design, Strategy
Do you agree?
Packaged, wrapped and slightly opinionated.
I will never forget the ROM bar, a chocolate bar failing in the hearts of the the Romanian public, the marketing strategy - pretend that the Americans have saved the day and rebrand the design to have the stars and stripes of the USA Flag, then when you have a renewed guile of patriotism and national pride change the bar back, then sit back and watch as you brand once again becomes the most popular in the market.
A wonderful piece of engagement strategy is the The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project.
The bold goal of inspiring 10 million people in 50 countries to discover, share and swap their most original nightlife experiences all intertwined with facebook, nightclubs and networking, such a strong brand positioning for an alcoholic brand.
So there is my acronym
BRANDS
Business, Reputation, Accessibility, Needs, Design, Strategy
Do you agree?
Packaged, wrapped and slightly opinionated.
