What I have here are ‘The Eight Essentials’ - management tools and criteria to evaluate creative work prior to production. They are also criteria to measure the effectiveness of our brand communications. I know everyone, and his uncle, in the advertising industry knows all these. But I wonder why we still produce advertising that ends up selling only the creative people who worked on it and not the brand it is supposed to sell in the first place! Which means…. we need to revisit these basics once again. The authorship is not mine; they only have my endorsement!
This might be too long for one blog and hence I wish to spread it over three parts. Read the first now and savour it for now. The sequels will be releasing in a PC monitor near you…shortly!
1. Address the Key Business Issue
Before starting to develop a communications strategy, we need to understand the business issues that the brand faces. Our communications can then be developed in the context of our business goals and brand strategy.
In the context of the brand’s long-term performance, we need to isolate the single most important issue. For example, is to build share against competitive brands? Or, in cases where our brand dominates a category, is it to build the total market? Is it to attract new young users? In many markets too much of our communication is directed at reassuring existing users, and too little is directed at recruiting new users.
The definition of the role of the communication will also have a significant influence on the choice of communication vehicle and medium, as well as the level of investment.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. What is the purpose of the communication? Why are we doing it?
2. Does the content of the communication relate to the key business issue?
3. Is the communication medium the right one to address the business issue?
4. Is the investment at the correct level to tackle the business issue?
5. Is this the right brand to tackle the issue?
2. Build Consistent Long-term Brand Equity
For brands to succeed in today’s more competitive environment, it is more necessary than ever before to build consistently powerful brand equity. To do this requires careful management of the way the brand behaves and the way the brand communicates. This is a disciplined, continuous and consistent process of building greater brand salience and greater brand relevance.
The publication of Brand Positioning Statements and Communication Guidelines for each of the major strategic brands provides a focus for all brand communication in all markets. This will ensure consistency and will also ensure that all our brand communication delivers a clear, relevant and competitive consumer benefit.
Our communication should be bringing the consumer closer to our brands and enhancing the quality status of our brands. We want people to feel that our brands are playing a real role in their lives, and are relevant to them. We want them to acknowledge that our brands are of superior quality. By achieving this, our brand equity will be nurtured and strengthened.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. Is every piece of communication derived from and reflective of the Brand Positioning Statement?
2. Is the brand communication strategy locally relevant?
3. Does the communication clearly offer a relevant consumer benefit and enhance perceptions of product quality?
4. Have we the right tracking research in place to monitor our progress in building brand equity?
3. Be Focused on a Single-minded ‘Strong Idea’
A ‘Strong Idea’ helps to make the most of our competitive advantage of having the best marketing communications that are measurably superior to our competitors. A ‘Strong Idea’ binds our communications together so that they are cohesive and consistent. Above all, a ‘Strong Idea’ is proprietary. Strong ideas make brands look strong. Strong Ideas build Strong Brands.
What constitutes a ‘Strong Idea’? First, it must be related to the brand. It must involve the brand, in order to get branded memorability. Second, it must be related to, or evolved from Brand Positioning Statement to get relevant communication that is in line with the brand strategy. Third, it must be involving for the consumer and hold their attention, so that it anchors the brand and brand message in consumers’ minds. Fourth, it should be unique. We need proprietary ideas that we can own. Fifth, our ‘Strong Idea’ should work across all forms of communication; not just all forms of advertising media, but all communication vehicles including sponsorship, events, promotions, sampling and relationship marketing. Sixth, it should be enduring over time.
Having developed a ‘Strong Idea’, the task is to keep it refreshed and relevant. The challenge is to strengthen it with every new piece of communication.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. Is the idea well branded, relevant to the brand and the consumer, involving and proprietary?
2. Does every piece of new communication build on the Idea?
3. Is all the brand communication properly orchestrated around the Idea?
4. Are the research mechanisms in place to evaluate the growing strength of the Idea?
This might be too long for one blog and hence I wish to spread it over three parts. Read the first now and savour it for now. The sequels will be releasing in a PC monitor near you…shortly!
1. Address the Key Business Issue
Before starting to develop a communications strategy, we need to understand the business issues that the brand faces. Our communications can then be developed in the context of our business goals and brand strategy.
In the context of the brand’s long-term performance, we need to isolate the single most important issue. For example, is to build share against competitive brands? Or, in cases where our brand dominates a category, is it to build the total market? Is it to attract new young users? In many markets too much of our communication is directed at reassuring existing users, and too little is directed at recruiting new users.
The definition of the role of the communication will also have a significant influence on the choice of communication vehicle and medium, as well as the level of investment.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. What is the purpose of the communication? Why are we doing it?
2. Does the content of the communication relate to the key business issue?
3. Is the communication medium the right one to address the business issue?
4. Is the investment at the correct level to tackle the business issue?
5. Is this the right brand to tackle the issue?
2. Build Consistent Long-term Brand Equity
For brands to succeed in today’s more competitive environment, it is more necessary than ever before to build consistently powerful brand equity. To do this requires careful management of the way the brand behaves and the way the brand communicates. This is a disciplined, continuous and consistent process of building greater brand salience and greater brand relevance.
The publication of Brand Positioning Statements and Communication Guidelines for each of the major strategic brands provides a focus for all brand communication in all markets. This will ensure consistency and will also ensure that all our brand communication delivers a clear, relevant and competitive consumer benefit.
Our communication should be bringing the consumer closer to our brands and enhancing the quality status of our brands. We want people to feel that our brands are playing a real role in their lives, and are relevant to them. We want them to acknowledge that our brands are of superior quality. By achieving this, our brand equity will be nurtured and strengthened.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. Is every piece of communication derived from and reflective of the Brand Positioning Statement?
2. Is the brand communication strategy locally relevant?
3. Does the communication clearly offer a relevant consumer benefit and enhance perceptions of product quality?
4. Have we the right tracking research in place to monitor our progress in building brand equity?
3. Be Focused on a Single-minded ‘Strong Idea’
A ‘Strong Idea’ helps to make the most of our competitive advantage of having the best marketing communications that are measurably superior to our competitors. A ‘Strong Idea’ binds our communications together so that they are cohesive and consistent. Above all, a ‘Strong Idea’ is proprietary. Strong ideas make brands look strong. Strong Ideas build Strong Brands.
What constitutes a ‘Strong Idea’? First, it must be related to the brand. It must involve the brand, in order to get branded memorability. Second, it must be related to, or evolved from Brand Positioning Statement to get relevant communication that is in line with the brand strategy. Third, it must be involving for the consumer and hold their attention, so that it anchors the brand and brand message in consumers’ minds. Fourth, it should be unique. We need proprietary ideas that we can own. Fifth, our ‘Strong Idea’ should work across all forms of communication; not just all forms of advertising media, but all communication vehicles including sponsorship, events, promotions, sampling and relationship marketing. Sixth, it should be enduring over time.
Having developed a ‘Strong Idea’, the task is to keep it refreshed and relevant. The challenge is to strengthen it with every new piece of communication.
In summary, the questions to ask and answer are:
1. Is the idea well branded, relevant to the brand and the consumer, involving and proprietary?
2. Does every piece of new communication build on the Idea?
3. Is all the brand communication properly orchestrated around the Idea?
4. Are the research mechanisms in place to evaluate the growing strength of the Idea?
