How to develop your brand?
On the Internet and books on marketing (and branding) there are a lot of different brand building schemes: “wheel”, “pyramid”, etc. If you wish, you can find a detailed description of each of them (with real and, as a rule, the same cases), only the sequence of work on creating your own brand is not properly described.
Another important point is that the models of various authors (Aaker, Lindstrom, etc.) often take into account various aspects of the interaction between the brand and the consumer. And at the same time, all of them are interesting in their own way, so choosing one model is to refuse the advantages of the other.
We worked with many of these brand schemes and as a result came to a certain sequence of actions, with the help of which, without going into the wilds, you can develop your own brand, combining the best features of each of the schemes. This is a “synthetic” model, where we tried to take into account the maximum of important information and cut off everything that can be done without.
The most important step is the preparation and collection of information. The analysis is often dropped or taken out of the scope of branding. Nevertheless, it depends on the quality of the source data how relevant your brand goals will be to your goals. It is necessary to pay attention here to at least 2 factors - the environment (the market) and the audience (the consumer).
Studying competitors, it is necessary to take into account communications (logos, design, advertising), trade offers (range of services, their cost, features of the service) and features of the target audience (who they are targeting, who they turn to). Convenient and effective is the construction of tables, where the names of competitors are marked horizontally, and columns with properties of interest are marked vertically.
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In the audience, the most important thing is its needs (in the spectrum of your product or service): satisfied (which, how and by whom they are satisfied), unmet (the audience speaks about them, but does not know the corresponding solutions) and unconscious (this is the area of innovation - that still does not understand and does not feel, as it was with personal computers). The widespread approach of segmentation of the audience by socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, income) is in most cases useless and does not justify itself. The fact is that people identify and behave in accordance with their values and hobbies. It is on the basis of hobbies that social groups and subcultures are formed. If a product appeals to the strong and widespread interests of the audience, then it can form adherents and a special culture around itself.
It is also worth paying attention to the motivation of the audience. Why they behave this way and not otherwise is no less important than what they do.
Building a brand scheme is not a linear process, as you constantly have to go back to the beginning and scroll through the whole chain. But the approach from the general to the particular and from the simple to the complex here is more than justified. Starting with general ideas, you need to constantly work out the details of their implementation, adjusting along the wording and direction of the development of thought.
Here you need to be sincere in front of you and write everything as it is. First of all, you should fix those values and ideas that are meaningful to you, and then see if you can take something from the values of the audience. Here are the answers to the questions: “Why does a company exist?” “How does a company want to change the world around it?”. The essence of the section is to clearly define what else (besides profit) your business should achieve.
In this section, you must describe the brand as a product (what kind of product do you offer, what are its properties and features, where does it apply, where does it come from). It is better to focus on the properties that are significant for the market and the audience, so that the brand reflects the actual needs. Usually, the description of this item is given to most companies (and brand developers) the easiest.
A brand should offer its consumers 3 types of benefits (ideally): rational, emotional and benefits of self-expression (self-identification). Everything is clear with the first ones - these are directly benefits when using the product. The second is what the product should give in emotional terms (what moods and experiences the brand should carry to consumers). The benefits of self-expression are that the consumer can use the product to tell about his surroundings (“I am risky”, “I understand modern art”, “I am independent”, etc.).
In order to describe the character of the brand, you need to talk about it as a living person with individual traits (“persistence”, “daydreaming”, “short temper”, etc.). It is the nature of the brand that largely determines the ideas of advertising communications, since they can be used to recreate the emotional image of the brand.
The cultural code of the brand includes legends, traditions and rituals associated with it. This is one of the largest gaps in most brand schemes (a pleasant exception, perhaps, are coffee, tea and beer brands), since introducing the consumer to some mystery only enhances his commitment. You can, of course, wait until the consumers themselves come up with the rituals, but it is better to invent them and dissolve them in the form of a word of mouth. Think about how a ritual or tradition will help the consumer to enjoy the product more or become more meaningful in their surroundings?
This model was first proposed by Lindstrom (it is a pity that his books are not read by other branding gurus). In addition to visual metaphors and images (which almost all companies use), your brand may be associated (albeit not immediately, but over time, when the budget allows) with tactile sensations (smooth and heavy Bang and Olufsen control panels), taste symbols (special taste of sweets at the reception and in the meeting room), sound symbols (unforgettable fanfare XX century Fox or Intel jingle) and olfactory symbols (a special smell in the car or office salon or from the new box with the product). These seemingly trivial things are capable of creating incredibly stable and strong emotional associations with the brand.
At this stage, after repeated rechecking of the previous ones, it is necessary to work with designers, copywriters and composers. Work in order of priority (with equal importance): name, logo, slogan, jingle (sound logo).
Mindmepping can help here. We take a piece of paper and try to remember all the participants in your business (customers, vendors, dealers, accountants, couriers). After that we put down the interrelations of various types (meeting, call, letter, e-mail, etc.) and write out a list of what is needed for this (letterheads, envelopes, packaging, cars, etc.). Now you know exactly what you need for your brand book.
At this stage, it is impossible to do without a competent designer, but it is better to spend a little on the image at the beginning, so that you do not spend even more on trying to change it or attract attention without a distinct image. As required (depending on the product and the way it is sold) you need to do: Guide book (fonts, printing, company colors, branding of all communications, etc.), Sales guide and Cut guide.
Before you draw up the document in the final form, you should check everything again. You should not treat the brand book as ideas carved in stone. As necessary, you can correct, complement and improve something - after all, a good story always evolves. A good brand is first of all an interesting story.
If you approach the process not formally, but with interest and a creative look at the problem, then you can better understand your own business and see its prospects. So, in addition to the brand book, the result will be many other profits.
This document does not need to be posted on the website or attached to the text of booklets and catalogs. He is not for prying eyes. But, having with you a detailed concept of a brand, you will never think whether these promotion methods, products or employees are suitable for you - you will clearly know this. "The thinker is clear - it is clear."
Another important point is that the models of various authors (Aaker, Lindstrom, etc.) often take into account various aspects of the interaction between the brand and the consumer. And at the same time, all of them are interesting in their own way, so choosing one model is to refuse the advantages of the other.
We worked with many of these brand schemes and as a result came to a certain sequence of actions, with the help of which, without going into the wilds, you can develop your own brand, combining the best features of each of the schemes. This is a “synthetic” model, where we tried to take into account the maximum of important information and cut off everything that can be done without.
Analysis
The most important step is the preparation and collection of information. The analysis is often dropped or taken out of the scope of branding. Nevertheless, it depends on the quality of the source data how relevant your brand goals will be to your goals. It is necessary to pay attention here to at least 2 factors - the environment (the market) and the audience (the consumer).
Market research (competitive environment)
Studying competitors, it is necessary to take into account communications (logos, design, advertising), trade offers (range of services, their cost, features of the service) and features of the target audience (who they are targeting, who they turn to). Convenient and effective is the construction of tables, where the names of competitors are marked horizontally, and columns with properties of interest are marked vertically.
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Audience study
In the audience, the most important thing is its needs (in the spectrum of your product or service): satisfied (which, how and by whom they are satisfied), unmet (the audience speaks about them, but does not know the corresponding solutions) and unconscious (this is the area of innovation - that still does not understand and does not feel, as it was with personal computers). The widespread approach of segmentation of the audience by socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, income) is in most cases useless and does not justify itself. The fact is that people identify and behave in accordance with their values and hobbies. It is on the basis of hobbies that social groups and subcultures are formed. If a product appeals to the strong and widespread interests of the audience, then it can form adherents and a special culture around itself.
It is also worth paying attention to the motivation of the audience. Why they behave this way and not otherwise is no less important than what they do.
Brand identity system development
Building a brand scheme is not a linear process, as you constantly have to go back to the beginning and scroll through the whole chain. But the approach from the general to the particular and from the simple to the complex here is more than justified. Starting with general ideas, you need to constantly work out the details of their implementation, adjusting along the wording and direction of the development of thought.
Ideas and values of the company
Here you need to be sincere in front of you and write everything as it is. First of all, you should fix those values and ideas that are meaningful to you, and then see if you can take something from the values of the audience. Here are the answers to the questions: “Why does a company exist?” “How does a company want to change the world around it?”. The essence of the section is to clearly define what else (besides profit) your business should achieve.
Brand product features
In this section, you must describe the brand as a product (what kind of product do you offer, what are its properties and features, where does it apply, where does it come from). It is better to focus on the properties that are significant for the market and the audience, so that the brand reflects the actual needs. Usually, the description of this item is given to most companies (and brand developers) the easiest.
Benefits
A brand should offer its consumers 3 types of benefits (ideally): rational, emotional and benefits of self-expression (self-identification). Everything is clear with the first ones - these are directly benefits when using the product. The second is what the product should give in emotional terms (what moods and experiences the brand should carry to consumers). The benefits of self-expression are that the consumer can use the product to tell about his surroundings (“I am risky”, “I understand modern art”, “I am independent”, etc.).
Brand character
In order to describe the character of the brand, you need to talk about it as a living person with individual traits (“persistence”, “daydreaming”, “short temper”, etc.). It is the nature of the brand that largely determines the ideas of advertising communications, since they can be used to recreate the emotional image of the brand.
Cultural code
The cultural code of the brand includes legends, traditions and rituals associated with it. This is one of the largest gaps in most brand schemes (a pleasant exception, perhaps, are coffee, tea and beer brands), since introducing the consumer to some mystery only enhances his commitment. You can, of course, wait until the consumers themselves come up with the rituals, but it is better to invent them and dissolve them in the form of a word of mouth. Think about how a ritual or tradition will help the consumer to enjoy the product more or become more meaningful in their surroundings?
Brand Touch Model
This model was first proposed by Lindstrom (it is a pity that his books are not read by other branding gurus). In addition to visual metaphors and images (which almost all companies use), your brand may be associated (albeit not immediately, but over time, when the budget allows) with tactile sensations (smooth and heavy Bang and Olufsen control panels), taste symbols (special taste of sweets at the reception and in the meeting room), sound symbols (unforgettable fanfare XX century Fox or Intel jingle) and olfactory symbols (a special smell in the car or office salon or from the new box with the product). These seemingly trivial things are capable of creating incredibly stable and strong emotional associations with the brand.
Identification elements
At this stage, after repeated rechecking of the previous ones, it is necessary to work with designers, copywriters and composers. Work in order of priority (with equal importance): name, logo, slogan, jingle (sound logo).
Development of a map of points of contact with the brand
Mindmepping can help here. We take a piece of paper and try to remember all the participants in your business (customers, vendors, dealers, accountants, couriers). After that we put down the interrelations of various types (meeting, call, letter, e-mail, etc.) and write out a list of what is needed for this (letterheads, envelopes, packaging, cars, etc.). Now you know exactly what you need for your brand book.
Guideline development
At this stage, it is impossible to do without a competent designer, but it is better to spend a little on the image at the beginning, so that you do not spend even more on trying to change it or attract attention without a distinct image. As required (depending on the product and the way it is sold) you need to do: Guide book (fonts, printing, company colors, branding of all communications, etc.), Sales guide and Cut guide.
Brandbook design
Before you draw up the document in the final form, you should check everything again. You should not treat the brand book as ideas carved in stone. As necessary, you can correct, complement and improve something - after all, a good story always evolves. A good brand is first of all an interesting story.
If you approach the process not formally, but with interest and a creative look at the problem, then you can better understand your own business and see its prospects. So, in addition to the brand book, the result will be many other profits.
This document does not need to be posted on the website or attached to the text of booklets and catalogs. He is not for prying eyes. But, having with you a detailed concept of a brand, you will never think whether these promotion methods, products or employees are suitable for you - you will clearly know this. "The thinker is clear - it is clear."
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/123356/
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