THE A-Z OF
FRAMEWORKS
PLANNING TOOLBOX
Created by Baiba Matisone
BRAND BUILDING
BRAND
PURPOSE
This model is a blend of Brand Purpose-driven frameworks. It's a compilation of the most important aspects of brand building.
In the center of the model, you can see a big question of “WHY” or need to define the purpose of the brand which is the central theme in the whole brand building process. Knowing your “why” — and having integrity — is where authenticity has to start.
The “why/how/ what” questions are adapted from Simon Senek's “The golden circle” model.
Source: David J Carr
WHY/PURPOSE
Clarity: why you choose to exist, beyond financial gain
VISION: The difference you'll
create in customers' lives or the larger
world when you ultimately
realize your Purpose
HOW: Discipline: Specific actions that are taken to realise the WHY
WHAT: Consistency: Tangible proof and manifestations of the Why
MISSION: An ambitious yet achievable position in the market or in your customers' lives
VALUES: The principles and values that will accelerate your progress together
BELIEF: What do we hold to be true? What are the core beliefs of our brand?
MEASURES: Things that you can observe that indicate progress
ACTIVATION: What way do we bring it to life?
Additional information:
BRAND
IDENTITY
The set of associations and principles that brand management aspires to create and maintain. These associations imply a promise to customers from the organisation, its product/services and its staff members.
Source: David J Carr
Positioning
places a brand into a market and articulate its role in people's lives. And at best it differentiate that brand by describing something that it does for people. But it's not the whole story.
Raising
personality to
the level of positioning - people can't differentiate brands (too complex) but personality is instantly understood and distinctive. People will make decisions based on trust and our personality comes not just from our attitude but the heritage
of the brand.
BRAN IDEA
A brand idea sits at the heart of everything a brand does and is the anchor and point of consistency for all communications and marketing. It must be ownable, resonate with customers and drive the value proposition.
Reasons to believe/Proof Points/Discriminator
Compelling reasons for the target customer to choose our brand over the competition. What makes us unique, useful, usable and delightful?
VALUES
A set of values that sum to the personality phrase
DELIVERY / EXPERIENCE
HOW BRANDS
PROVIDE VALUE
Commercial Value
Social Value
short term
PROFIT
long term PROSPECTS FOR GROWTH
short term USEFULNESS + HAPPINESS
long term SUSTAINABILITY
revenue up
costs down
opportunities up
risk down
benefit up
harm down
resource creation up
resource destruction down
makes people want to buy
creates drive internally
speeds up innovation
keeps people committed
gives you something good
holds company to account
builds human and natural resources
encourages re-use and sharing
A GOOD BRAND...
This matrix helps you understand the link between what brands do and the social or commercial value they generate.
Source: Wolff Olins Blog
BRAND
RESONANCE MODEL (a.k.a. CBBE MODEL)
by K. L. Keller
To build a strong brand you must shape how customers think and feel about your product.
Within the pyramid model, four key levels are highlighted that you can work through to create a successful brand.
These are identity, meaning, response and relationships. Your objective on each level should be: ensure broad awareness, define points of parity and difference, provide positive, accessible reactions and build intense, active loyalty..
Source: Keller, L. K., Strategic Brand Management. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education Publishing Ltd
RESONANCE
JUDGMENTS
FEELINGS
PERFORMANCE
IMAGERY
SALIENCE
BRAND
PLATFORM
POSITION
What is our intended position in the market and in the hearts and minds of key customers and other stakeholders?
COMPETENCES
What are we particularly good at, and what makes us better than the competition?
CULTURE
What are our attitudes, and how do we work and behave?
BRAND CORE
What do we promise, and what are the core values that sum up what our brand stands for?
MISSION AND VISION
What engages us (mission)? What is our direction and inspiration (vision)?
EXPRESSION
What is distinctive about the way we communicate and express ourselves and makes it possible to recognise us at a distance?
VALUE PROPOSITION
What are our key offerings, and how do we want them to appeal to customers and other stakeholders?
RELATIONSHIPS
What should be the nature of our relationships with key customers and other stakeholders?
PERSONALITY
What combination of human characteristics or qualities forms our corporate character?
INTERNAL
INTERNAL / EXTERNAL
EXTERNAL
The Corporate Brand Identity Matrix helps to define what does the company’s name really stand for, and how is it perceived and leveraged in the marketplace and within the company itself. It also serves as a north star, providing direction and purpose.
A corporation’s identity is made up of nine interrelated components. By examining each one and how it relates to the others, an organisation can build a stronger brand.
Source: What Does Your Corporate Brand Stand for?” Harvard Business Review, January-February 2019 by Stephen A Greyser and Mats Urde
BRAND
EQUITY
Brand Equity is a marketing term used to describe the commercial value derived from consumer perception of a brand name, rather than the product or service it provides.
Brand Equity can be determined by measuring seven key aspects of how a brand is perceived by consumers.
BRAND EQUITY
Availability
Loyalty
Familiarity
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd
Image
&
Personality
Awareness
Preferences
Associations
BRAND
EQUITY
PYRAMID
Brand Equity Pyramid describes the product part of the Brand Core.
It starts with product attributes and transform it into brand benefits with the Benefit Ladder tool. Then it describes the personality of the brand based on the Censydiam or Archetypes model. Then it goes to the upper level and describes values the brand stands for or would like to be associated with based on its attributes (reasons to believe) and benefits it provides.
VALUES
PERSONALITY
BENEFITS
REASONS TO BELIEVE
Source: Strategy Deck
BRAND
EQUITY
SANDGLASS
Brand Equity Sandglass is another way to describe the brand model.
Like all models it says that brand promise lies at the point where brand essence meets target insights.
Look into Brand Equity Pyramid and Consumer Pyramid for details.
BRAND PROMISE
VALUES
ESSENCE
INSIGHT
TARGET
CONSUMER
BRAND
Source: Strategy Deck
“NIELSEN”
BRAND
EQUITY
INDEX
Directly correlating a proprietary measure of brand equity with market share and customer loyalty.
Source: Nielsen
EMOTIONAL EQUITY
Brand love: A stronger emotional connection with one brand than all others
BEHAVIOURAL EQUITY
Brand Preference: A desire to choose one brand over all others
AFFIRMATION EQUITY
Brand Affirmation: The willingness to recommend one brand over all others
BRAND EQUITY IS...
BRAND
DYNAMICS
PYRAMID
This tool show how many consumers have a relationship with the brand at five key stages. From weak relationship and low share of category expenditure to strong relationship and high share.
From simple awareness Presence level (Do I know it?) through personal Relevance (Does it offer me something?) and good enough Performance (Can it deliver?), to the proportion recognising a clear competitive Advantage (Does it offer something better than others?) and finally those who are closely Bonded with the brand (Nothing else beats it).
PRESENCE
RELEVANCE
PERFORMANCE
ADVANTAGE
BONDING
Source: Strategy Deck
BRAND
HEALTH
PYRAMID
At any one time, every person could be linked to one level of relationship with a brand: awareness, familiarity, preference or best choice.
The important thing is conversion between the levels. Low awareness means no-one knows your brand. A low conversion rate to familiarity tells us people have heard about you don't really know what you have promised them. A low conversion rate to preference means that what you are saying is not interesting to your audience. A low conversion rate to loyalty means you don't provide an extra reason to stick with you.
AWARENESS
FAMILIARITY
PREFERENCE
BEST CHOICE
100% TA
Source: Strategy Deck
SWOT
ANALYSIS
SWOT analysis is a technique that can be used to evaluate any product, service, company or brand.
Firstly the objective or aim has to be defined (SMART), and then the factors that are favourable or unfavourable to achieving that aim are identified. This type of analysis is useful because it enables to not only identify a brand's unique selling point but also any existing threats to the brand.
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
SWOT
STRENGTH
Staff
Customer base
Market position
Financial resource
Sales channels
Product or service
Profitable
Growing
WEAKNESS
Staff
Profit margins too low
Financial resources
Competitive vulnerability
Market research
Sales channels
OPPORTUNITY
New complimentary market
Strategic alliance
Market poised for growth
Competition weakness
THREAT
Economy
Loss of key staff
Cash flow
New technology
Increased competition
Falling sales
Decreasing profits
Lack of financial resource
BRAND
VALUE
CLUSTERS
There are various techniques that can be used to find brand values. What seems to work is to take interviewees' responses from the interviews and “cluster” the values, in the manner of diagram.
Source: Cluster created by Johnson Banks, UK, 2012
NEEDED | SPIRIT | TOGETHERNESS |
Saving lives, quickly Emotional need to give In times of greatest need No time to waste | “National treasure” Galvanising the nation Giving as one Resolve Mettie Unique National pride | Collaborative Connected Fellowship Together(not apart) All working as one As great as the sum of its parts |
UNWAVERING | IMMEDIACY | RELIABLE |
Trusted Integrity Dependable Determined Reassuring Authority Honesty Respected | Action Enabling Urgency Dynamic Vital Decisive Encouraging Fixing/solving | Cost-effective? Transparent Open-ness Neutral Pragmatic Assurance No frills Easy way to give Helicopter view |
BRAND
CORE
Brand Core is one of the tools designed to describe the brand model.
The essence of the brand lies in the intersection of three factors:
Look into Brand Equities for more details.
Brand Essence
Audience Insights
Brand
Equities
Brand Vision
Source: Strategy Deck
BRAND
KEY
This model is originally created for Unilever's brand-planning - now universally used in academic practice. It's different from other brand frameworks by three main points:
Essence
Values & personality
Reasons to
believe
Benefits
Discriminator
Insight
Competitive environment
Target group
Root strengths
Source: Strategy Deck
LIST OF
AUDITS
FOR A
BRAND
Before any useful branding discussions can start it is vital to open everyone's eyes to the position of the product in the market. This is where the role of research and audits becomes crucial, especially if key players and senior management aren't completely aware of the challenge they are facing.
Source: Branding in 5 and half steps by Michael Johnson
A VISUAL AUDIT - particularly for brands already in existence; it helped all parties to “see” where they are and to appreciate and highlight issued.
A VERBAL AUDIT - the words and phrases a brand/company/organization uses; these can either act as a stepping stone to improve the language used or to trigger a complete change of tack.
A BEHAVIOURAL AUDIT - useful for brands interfacing directly with their consumers; this looks at how employees speak and talk and interact, including the messages and signals they give off about a brand (consciously and unconsciously).
A COMPETITION AUDIT - this would normally take all the factors above - visual, verbal and behavioural - across the key competition.
A PEER AUDIT - not an audit of direct competition, but a look at the kind of organization that a company might aspire to, or benchmark against, often across multiple sectors.
BRAND
CHOICE:
SYSTEM 1
& 2
Our brains have two different ways of processing data and making decisions. Both play their part in determining the products we buy, and the brands we choose. Here's the guide to what Daniel Kahneman calls “Thinking Fast” (System 1) and “Thinking Slow” (System 2).
Source: Binet, L., How to not plan, Matador
SYSTEM 1 | SYSTEM 2 |
Dominant mode of thought > 95% of brain activity Fast and powerful Honed by millions of years of evolution Effortless Always on Scans all sensory inputs But can be primed by System 2 to watch out for things of interest Unconscious & automatic responses Associative & heuristic processing. Experienced as feeling, intuitions & habits. Primary decision-making mechanism Strong influence on System 2. Can be influenced by System 2. | Secondary mode of thoughts < 5% of brain activity Slow and limited A more recent addition Effortful Hard to sustain Selective attention Guided by System 1 feelings, associations & intuitions Conscious & deliberate thought Can follow learned rules of thought, eg maths, logic & legal reasoning Secondary cross-checking mechanism Mostly post-rationalises System 1 decisions. Can sometimes overrule System 1. |
Additional information:
BRAND
CHOICE:
SYSTEM 1
& 2
Source: Binet, L., How to not plan, Matador
SYSTEM 1 | SYSTEM 2 |
Vast memory capacity Durable memories. Long-term influence on behaviour. | Limited memory capacity Quickly overwritten. Short-term influence on behaviour. |
Buying implications | |
Does most of brand choices work. Not logical or rational. Brands just feel more attractive. Make purchase decisions seamless & automatic. Choosing your brand should be a no-brainer | Only kick in close to point of purchase. More likely to prevent buying than stimulate it. Be wary about trying to make people think; they don't like it & won't thank you for it |
Comms implications | |
Trained, not taught. Brand building is about creating associations, feelings & habits through repeated exposure | Influenced by messages, arguments & information, but only late in decision-making process |
Research implications | |
Hard to research. System 1 dominates, but we're mostly unaware of its influence | Research exaggerates importance. We mistakenly attribute actions to System 2 - because it's what we're conscious of |
MARKETING
FUNNEL
The marketing funnel is a visualization for understanding the process of turning leads into customers, as understood from a marketing (and sales) perspective. The idea is that, like a funnel, marketers cast a broad net to capture as many leads as possible, and then slowly nurture prospective customers through the purchasing decision, narrowing down these candidates in each stage of the funnel.
It’s important to note that there is not a single agreed upon version of the funnel; some have many “stages” while others have few, with different names and actions taken by the business and consumer for each. .
Awareness
Interest
Desire
Action
(Retention)
BRAND (ATTITUDINAL) METRICS
ENGAGEMENT METRICS & SALES
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS
Connecting the brand building and sales activation funnels.
A long-term outward focus brings broader and bigger effects.
Long-term prospects
Immediate
prospects
Existing
customers
Brand building
Sales activation
Long term
Short term
Broad but slower effects, big paybacks
Narrower but earlier effects, smaller paybacks
ATTENTION
FUNNEL
This tool is more know as AIDA. As it has been around a long time, it has undeservedly lost some respect.
AIDA is perfect for evaluating your execution. Whatever you do, you should check whether it attracts attention (will your banner be visible on the page). Will it cause interest? Because attention alone is not enough. It's a pity, but today there is a lot of creativity that works just on these 2 levels. The most important objective to achieve is to create desire which leads to further action: not just obligatory purchase but also digging for information, etc.
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
COGNITIVE STAGE
AFFECTIVE STAGE
BEHAVIOR STAGE
Source: Strategy Deck
PURCHASE
FUNNEL
The purchase funnel describes the consumer's path leading to a purchase.
The most important point of the tool is consideration. To get onto a consideration list we need to create an awareness of our product and make sure the audience is familiar with our brand/product promise.
Awareness
Familiarity
Consideration
Purchase
Loyalty
Source: Strategy Deck
DERIVE
PROPOSITIONS
FOR
PRODUCTS
The proposition is an easy-to-understand reason why a customer should buy a product or service from that particular business. A value proposition should clearly explain how a product fills a need, communicate the specifics of its added benefit, and state the reason why it's better than similar products on the market
Emotional Benefits
How does that makes them feel?
Rational Benefits
What do consumers get?
Brand Features
What does your brand do?
Target and insights
What do consumers want?
3. Rational Benefits
2. Product Features
4. Emotional Benefits
1. Define Consumer
Source: WARC Webinar
REBRANDING
(research)
A successful rebranding should be part of a new overall brand strategy for a product or service. This may involve radical changes to the brand's logo, brand name, image, marketing strategy and advertising themes, typically aimed at repositioning the brand.
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
BRAND HISTORY
Find out as much as you can about your brand. Where was it first produced? By whom? Where was it sold?
BRAND ANALYSIS HISTORY
How has the brand changed through time? Create a visual timeline with any images you can find of the brand, along with the dates of the design.
MARKET ANALYSIS
How is the brand positioned currently? Who is the consumer? What is the market? What do people think of the brand? (You can ask them!)
BRAND VISUAL ANALYSIS
Deconstruct each element of the current design to identify the graphic communication tools used, such as colour, font, design of logo, style. What are the strengths and weakness of the current design?
REBRANDING
(strategy)
You can now start to consider how you might rebrand through repositioning and redesigning the identity to help it communicate more effectively to the consumers. The following questions may help by giving your strategy a direction:
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
Could the brand be targeted at a new consumer?
Could the brand be target at a new market, for example, repositioned as a luxury or everyday essential product or service?
Could the brand be recreated with an updated name? (This is not absolutely necessary, but if the name is completely wrong then this could be a consideration.)
Could a new strapline aid in the brand comms?
REBRANDING
(conclusions)
In addition to your research findings, the answers to these questions will help you develop a rebranding strategy to direct, guide and support the creative process:
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
Who is your chosen consumer?
Why would they use the service or but the products they sell?
What tone of voice/personality will your new refreshed brand have?
Where will you position it in the market?
Who will be its main brand competition, and how will you make yours stand out from the crowd?
What will be the brand's new unique selling point?
BRAND
IDENTITY
The set of associations and principles that brand management aspires to create and maintain. These associations imply a promise to customers from the organisation, its product/services and its staff members. Be mindful of Huntingdon's 4 key characteristics of successful brands and any challenger status:
Source: David J Carr
BRAND AS PRODUCT
Brands are more than products attributes delivering functional benefits. It includes key characteristics and builds on them
Product scope
Product attributes
Quality/value
Uses/Users
Origins
BRAND AS SYMBOL
A symbol can be elevated to the level of strategy. It can provide cohesion and structure (e.g. Nike's Swoosh or Apple's aesthetic)
Visual image
Metaphors
Brand heritage
BRAND AS ORGANISATION
Most relevant for technology brands where there is a direct relationship with customer. Firms with a reputation for being innovative, socially responsible or concerned about the customer's life can resist competitors with more transitory advantages.
Organisation attributes (e.g. innovation)
Local versus global
Reputation/trust
BRAND AS LIVING SYSTEM
Brand & Technology in the service of humanity using the feedback principles of biology but powered by Machine Intelligence. Laddering to social balance, economic prosperity and a healthy environment as the ultimate goal of brand-enabled collaborative nudges.
Human-centered business model
Data Analysis & Capture
Software & Hardware creation
Brand APIs
BRAND AS PERSON
Personality can make as brand memorable but it can also help define a brand's role, behavior and relationship.
Personality (e.g. genuine)
Customer/brand relationships
BRAND ARCHETYPES
A popular tool taken from Mark & Pearson's book “The Hero & the Outlaw” and used to describe the personality of brands. Each of the 12 personalities can be described by its core desire, goal, fear, strategy and gift.
GLOBAL
BRAND
Global brands tend to operate higher up Maslow's hierarchy, dealing with human dreams or truths. If it is a “brand as product” then it will tend to operate at a category benefit level. The questions to ask when considering “going global” with a brand are:
Source: David J Carr
VOLCANO
Highly centralised
Brand positioning centralised
Advertising centralised
Creative exec. Centralised
Local market translates
Any local input a brief stage
PERCEPTION
Central brand positioning
Central advertising idea
Local consumer insights
Local executions for cultural diffs.
THUNDER
Central brand positioning
Local advertising idea
Other markets adopt successes
Central team encourage adoption
LIGHTNING
Possible central brand dev.
Locally developed advertising
All local execution
Central team shares learning
APPROACHES
BRAND
ECOSYSTEM
In general terms, it refers to how a brand with its various interconnected products and services creates a seamless consumer experience. The idea is to simply engage the customer at various touch-points to create a sense of loyalty, therefore, causing customer retention.
Site
Mobile site
Mobile app
Youtube
TV
Radio
Online display
Online search
PLANNING COMMS
THE PLANNING
& EVALUATION
PROCESS
To better review the whole communication planning process, it's good to keep in mind all the steps in the process.
Source: IPA
Additional information:
Brief/
Task
Insight
Strategy
Ideas
Plan
Integrate
Imple-
ment
Measure & Evaluate
Who is the most valuable consumer?
What is the audience behavior?
Uncovering insight, mapping the journey and identifying roles for communication
To justify & resonate an idea
How we use channels (receptivity moments)?
Looking at the specifics of each channel
What is the combined reach?
COMMUNICATIONS
FRAMEWORK
DATA SOURCE
The goal of communications planning comes down to translates business goals into communication tasks. To better define the role of comms and make more focused media choices, this comms framework lay the groundwork for marketing planning.
Source: Chris Huebner
Additional information:
BRAND PLATFORM
MARKETING OBJECTIVES
ROLE FOR COMMS
CAMPAIGN PLATFORM
What is the customer doing/ thinking/feeling at this point?
What is the customer doing/ thinking/feeling at this point?
What is the key customer barrier that will keep us from effectively communicating?
What is the key customer barrier that will keep us from effectively communicating?
How do we overcome this barrier?
How do we overcome this barrier?
What reason does the consumer have to believe this message?
What reason does the consumer have to believe this message?
How will we measure success?
How will we measure success?
What data do we need and how often should it be reported?
What data do we need and how often should it be reported?
CUSTOMER JOURNEY
KEY COMMS BARRIER
COMMS TASK
REASON TO BELIEVE
KPIs
It should lay the foundation for consistency in messaging and determining what needs to be measured at each stage.
What is the customer doing/ thinking/feeling at this point?
What is the key customer barrier that will keep us from effectively communicating?
How do we overcome this barrier?
What reason does the consumer have to believe this message?
How will we measure success?
What data do we need and how often should it be reported?
THE BASIS
FOR COMMS
PLANNING
The communications planning process concerns defining the context where the information will be received and the contact who will receive it. These two aspects together create the content or the message that the consumer will receive.
CONTEXT
CONTACT
CONTENT
CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
Understanding what the consumer is doing, how they make decisions and the stimuli around them
ROLE FOR COMMS/
KEY CHANNELS
What people need to experience to spur action and the best touch-points to engage them
THE RIGHT MESSAGE, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME
Messaging designing for specific stages of the consumer journey, and/for specific touch-points
Source: WARC Webinar
Additional information:
Stephen King's
PLANNING
CYCLE
(1968)
The best way to understand the communication planning process is to start with the account plannings godfather, Stephen King's planning cycle model.
These are the 5 main questions of strategy you should ask yourself repeatedly until you will get a clear vision of the new-state, barriers, business opportunities, wise goals and a reasonable plan to achieve it.
Where
are
we?
Why
are we here?
Where could we be?
How
can we get
there?
Are we getting there?
Source: JWT Planning guide
COMMUNICATION
CYCLE
Evaluate
Plan
Execute
Implement
Planning is essential. Just keep in mind it's not a plan you need, it's results.
So, strategy should be implemented in a list of specific action steps.
Action have be executed. Place your ads, launch the campaign. Whatever.
Here comes the interesting part. Evaluate the results. Did your actions bring your closer to your goal? What was good? What went wrong?
Do you still have money and believe in a bright future? Go for another round.
Source: Strategy Deck
PLANNING
TOOL
This is a very simple tool to define the problem and the desired future state. On the third step, you will recheck the combination of the current problem with the desired.
Source: WARC Webinar
STEP ONE | STEP TWO | STEP THREE |
State the problem Does/does not Who What Where How Re-state the problem | Desired future state Does/does not Who What Where How Re-state the desired problem | Re-state the problem combining the current state & the desired state
|
MODEL
OF
NEEDS
A good comms strategy starts by marrying the needs of the business and the audience, and that means getting away from your desk to find out exactly what those needs are.
Whether that’s through formal channels like meetings and emails, or by stalking your boss in the kitchen while they make their morning coffee, don’t just assume you know what’s motivating people to do stuff or holding them back. Ask them directly.
Source: Charity comms
AUDIENCE NEEDS
BUSINESS NEEDS
COMMS
STRATEGY
STARTS
HERE
APG:
12 STEPS
TO A
STRATEGY
APG offers another way on how to define the problem and find a solution.
Source: APG
DEFINING THE PROBLEM |
|
IDENTIFYING A SOLUTION |
|
Miami Ad
School:
PLANNING
FRAMEWORK
Another way on how to look at planning process.
Client briefing
Asking the right questions
Exploring the broad market/business dynamics
Conducting a thorough brand audit
Establishing target audience segments and consumer purchasing dynamics
Defining the role of advertising and what models of advertising are applicable
Carrying out a competitive analysis on the category
Source: Miami Ad School
TO…
BY…
MODEL
TO
To increase sales volume…
To maintain sales volume...
To generate sales leads…
To enhance brand reputation…
To consolidate loyal users…
To recruit new users…
To bring the brand to their
attention…
To remind them of the benefits…
To correct the negative perception...
BY
..by recruiting new users
..by consolidating loyal users
..by enhancing brand reputation
..by correcting a negative perception
..by reminding them of the brand's
benefits
..by bringing the brand to their attention
..by dramatising the benefit
..by doing a side-by-side comparison
..by electing an “expert” spokesperson
BUSINESS
MARKETING
COMMS
If you can construct a sentence that states your aim (i.e. “to do X”) and then follow up with a way of getting there (i.e. “by doing Y”), then you're halfway to having a strategy.
Source: WARC
STRATEGY
DEVELOPMENT
TEMPLATE
What we're looking for is a proposition that is true to the product and motivating to the consumer and distinctive from the competition.
Source: Butterfield, L., Excellence in Advertising. England: Butterworth-Heinemann
Product interrogation
Proposition
Target audience understanding
Competitive analysis
True to the product
Motivating
to the consumer
Distinctive
from the competition
RESEARCH PROCESS MAP
A step by step framework for the research process in brand and comms development.
Source: Baiba Matisone
Question
Find the problem
Determine Research Strategy
Primary Research
Secondary Research
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Text, Data and Image
Analysis and Evolution
Analysis and Evaluation
MESSAGING
“MATRIX”
By mapping a brand's purpose, personality and tone of voice onto different customers and audiences, it should be possible to build a messaging “matrix”. Here is a diagram of how to approach this.
Source: Johnson Banks, UK, 2006
PROPOSITIONS | PROOF POINTS | PERSONAL STORIES |
WHAT'S THE ISSUE? A simple articulation of the problem or issue | Statistics and memorable facts to support the propositions | ...that illustrate the human truths behind the issue |
WHY DOES IT MATTER? To create salience, urgency or reason to engage | Facts to emphasize the urgency and seriousness of the issue | ...that illustrate how it's affecting people |
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? To position the organization and establish its right to talk about the issue | Information about the organization's programme, campaign and fundraising work | ...that demonstrate how the organization is helping people and bringing about change in their lives |
WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? Calls-to-action | Information about why action is needed and evidence that it works | ...that show how supporter actions can help individuals |
COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS
There are 4 main channels that form a person's opinion of a product or a company. These channels differ according to personal perception and influences.
Advertising - everything that is recognized as an advertisement.
Information - mass media messages that are not recognized as advertising.
Feedback - other people's opinions on products or companies.
Experience - a personal experience of a product or communication.
Advertising
Information
Experience
Personal perception
Feedback
Source: Strategy Deck
CONSUMER ANALYSIS
TARGET
GROUPS
A simple but important point: there are actually several types of target audiences.
Consumer pool is all potential consumers. But you can't talk with everyone. Target audience is media target - that audience you targeted in your media coverage, which is usually wider than the brand core.
Brand core is the audience you describe in your creative brief and address your message to. It's not all of your consumers but it's the group that others are inspired by.
Core
Target Audience
Consumer Pool
Message Target
Media Target
Potential buyers
Source: Strategy Deck
CONSUMER
ANALYSIS
Getting beyond what customers say, to what they actually do and what really motivates them. It is about “Deep understanding of a customer's needs and behaviors that the customer can identify, and the latent needs that they cannot.
Source: Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria
TRENDS |
MOTIVATION |
UNMET NEEDS |
SEGMENTATION To acquire To bond To learn To defend To feel |
CONSUMER
PYRAMID
Consumer Pyramid describes the consumer part of brand essence.
It starts with a description of the target consumer (prime prospect). Then it tells us about occasions of brand/product usage and the needs that refer to them. That leads to the consumer insight which serves as a base for the brand statement.
Source: Strategy Deck
Insights
Needs
Occasions
Target consumer
5Ws
FRAMEWORK
5Ws Frameworks is useful to describe your consumer. It's also good to start thinking about segmentation first of all.
The WHO - consumer insights
The WHAT - brand, product and portfolio strategy
The WHEN - occasions-based marketing
The WHERE - market opportunity landscape, locations of purchase and use
The WHY and The WHY NOT - drivers and barriers to consumer choice
WHO?
WHEN?
WHAT?
WHY?
(Why not?)
WHERE?
Source: Strategy Deck
CONSUMER
SPLIT
This is a powerful segmentation tool that divides the target audience by its consumer behavior.
Rows represent three levels of relationship with a brand: loyal consumers (our brand is the nr.1 choice), switchers (buy us sometimes) and non-buyers (don't buy us).
Columns stand for consumption habits: heavy and light category users.
The volume and impact of every consumer type on the brand profit can be revealed by a corresponding research.
Brand/Category
| |
| |
| |
Heavy-users
Light-users
Loyal
Switchers
Non-buyers
Source: Strategy Deck
HIERARCHY
OF NEEDS
The diagram represents Maslow's hierarchy of needs arranged as a pyramid. Maslow used his “categories of need” to describe the path that human motivations generally move through, starting with the most basic needs represented at the bottom, and finishing with the highest desire - self-actualization, or “reaching one's potential” - at the top.
Self-
actualization
Esteem
Love/belonging
Safety
Physiological
Being (growth) Needs
Deficiency
Needs
Motivation increases as needs are met
Motivation decreases as needs are met
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
BELIEF
MAP
In order to change people's behavior you need to change their beliefs first.
Belief map is establishing the connection between consumers' beliefs and actions, current and desired.
Current Belief
Desired Behavior
Desired Belief
Communication
Current Behavior
Source: Strategy Deck
BEHAVIOR
CHANGE FUNNEL
All smokers
Smokers who want to quit
Smokers trying to quit
Smokers who quit with support
Smokers who succeed
Drive motivation
Trigger action
Provide support
Prevent relapse
Showcase success stories
Role of Communications
If you're aiming to change behavior, consider how many hoops you need to get people to jump through, and therefore the role of communication at each stage.
Source: APG
Additional information:
MARKETING AROUND NEW NEEDS
This model shows how new needs can be applied to marketing goals. This particular example is about changes in human behavior during CV19.
Source: BBH Labs
Exercise & Wellbeing
Entertainment
Food and food ideas
Learning
Home maintenance/ improvement
Productivity
Connection
Watch, Tablet, TV
TV, VR, Board games
New cooking equipment
Phones, Tablets, Monitors, VR
Furniture and interior design
Monitors, Earbuds, Chargers
Phone & Tablets
Connecting to personal trainer and yoga teacher
Bundling netflix free
10 minute recipes
Downtime being learning time, partnership with Masterclass
VR mom planners or curated “cleaning influencers”
Working from home kit
Getting the elderly set up with tech support
CONTENT
ADVERTS
ACTS
Step 4. Create the marketing assets to shine a light on these
Step 3. The value can add through highlighting certain benefits, introducing deals, utility or reassurance
Step 2. How your products or services could address those
Step 1. Establish new needs
THE COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE MODEL
There is often a big gap between what we think and what we do when we do something despite knowing it to be immoral, wrong or stupid, we have a bad conscience. The psychologist Leon Festinger used the term “cognitive dissonance” to describe our state of mind when our actions are not consistent with our beliefs - for example, when we make a decision that proves to be wrong, but we don't want to admit it.
How can we overcome dissonance? Either by changing our behaviour or our attitude.
Source: Krogerus, M., Tschappeler, R., The Decision Book, Profile books
ATTITUDE
“Smoking is unhealthy but it helps to relax!”
BEHAVIOUR
“I smoke!”
COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE
ATTITUDE
“Smoking is unhealthy”
CONSISTENCY
BEHAVIOUR
“I smoke!”
PAST,
PRESENCE,
FUTURE
MODEL
One of the best ways to assess where an organization could, or should, go next is to interview key staff and ideally consumers in key target markets, peers and influencers, in order to et an internal and external perspective. This could take the form of a day's interviews at HQ, or a month-long series of meetings, plus online staff surveys.
Source: Model by Johnson Banks, UK, 2012
Perceptions in the past
Present perceptions
Perceptions in the future
Engaged
Pioneers
Single-issue
Risk-takers
Small
Intellectual
Known, but not loved
Mission drift
Multi-issue
“Feels dated”
Old school
The experts
Visible
Household name
Coherent
Global
Sector pioneers
Loved
Guilt-
Based
Single country origin
Professional
Respected
CENSYDIAM
MODEL
Censydiam is a “human compass” that guides you around the world of human motivations. There are 8 motivations aligned in a circle, driven by 2 dimensions - personal and social.
This tool could be used to redefine the category based on the needs that your product fulfills, to create the positioning to establish a much deeper connection with your consumers, to manage a brand portfolio by motivational segmentation or to stay ahead of the competition and find new opportunities for growth.
Vitality
Enjoyment
Conviviality
Power
Recognition
Control
Security
Belonging
release
control
self
others
Source: Strategy Deck
CUSTOMER
VALUE
PROPOSITION
A Customer Value Proposition (CVP) is a promise of potential value that an organisation delivers to its customers and stimulates customer engagement.
In marketing, the term “value proposition” is elucidated from different angles. From the angle of an organization, this term focuses on creating an extra value, which is linked to the product and/or service as part of the unique selling propositions (USP). From the (potential) customer’s perception, the term focuses on the extra value that a product and/ or service represents, as a result of which the customer’s needs are responded to and the customer will respond by making a purchase.
Source: ToolShero
Value for the customer
End value
Economical value
Emotional value
Functional value
Symbolic value
CROSS CULTURAL CONSUMER CHARACTERISATION
Maslow's research into human motivation was the inspiration behind the advertising agency Y&R "Cross-Cultural Consumer Characterisation" model (the 4Cs). This model characterizes people into recognizable stereotypes that reflect 7 human motivations:
From these core values, a set of relatively stable lifestyle profiles have been created.
Additional information:
SEGMENT | DESCRIPTION |
The Resigned | Predominantly an older demographic. They have built up their value system over time, making them rigid, strict and authoritarian. Personally oriented to the past, they value survival, respect institutions and play traditional roles within society. |
The Struggler | Living in the moment with little consideration of the future. With often limited resources and capabilities they are often perceived as disorganized and aimless. Relying on their physical skills they find achievement difficult, and are often alienated from mainstream society. |
The Mainstreamer | Tend to be conventional, conformist, passive and risk-averse, living in the everyday world of domesticity. They focus their choices on the family rather than the individual. Represent the majority view. |
The Aspirer | Tend to be younger, materialistic and acquisitive. Concerned with status, material possessions, appearance, image and fashion, they are driven by others' perceptions of them rather than their own values. |
The Succeeder | Self-confident and accomplished, they are organized and in control. They have a strong work ethic, and tend to occupy positions of responsibility in society. Goals and leadership are high on their agenda. They will seek out the best as they believe they deserve it. |
The Explorer | Characterized by a desire to challenge themselves and find new frontiers. Driven by a need to discover. Young at heart, they are often the first to try out new ideas and experiences. |
The Reformer | Focused on enlightenment, personal growth and freedom of thought. Intellectually driven, they pride themselves on their social awareness and tolerance. |
HOW TO
USE
CONSUMER
JOURNEYS
Key to improving brand loyalty is an appreciation of the emotions evoked by consumer's contact with a brand. Companies must ensure that all these points of interaction (touchpoints) are monitored so that the consumer experience is as fulfilling as possible.
Understanding the reality of people's lives
Designing and overhauling systems and processes
Facilitating cross-department working
Making decisions
Starting with what consumer are DOING, versus what we want to SAY
Source: WARC
HOW TO USE
CONSUMER JOURNEYS
We’ve built our own model by classifying and grouping the things that people regard as universal human truths. We’ve contextualized these by exploring the digital, social and economic shifts that inform these truths today.
We asked people to rate a number of statements about humanity and a number rose to the top as being more universal. For instance, 77% of people agree that everyone wants their children to be more successful than they are themselves, and 62% believe that no one wants to be alone.
Taking the truths as a whole, this analysis identified five fundamental values.
The way people express these values differs, however, by market.
Each value is associated with different modes of being, doing, setting and having in different markets.
HUMAN TRUTHS
CONNECTION
Being
Doing
Setting
Having
LOVE
Being
Doing
Setting
Having
DISCOVERY
Being
Doing
Setting
Having
PURPOSE
Being
Doing
Setting
Having
SUCCESS
Being
Doing
Setting
Having
Source: McCANN Worldwide
Additional information: McCANN “Truth about global brands”
EXPERIENCE
MAPPING
Human experience is complex, and mostly intangible. Yet the challenge of experience mapping is to uncover, little by little, critical information about your customers' experiences.
The key building blocks are Doing, Thinking, and Feeling, but to understand the full context of customer experience, you need to take into account also Place, Time, Devices, and Relationships + Channels and Touchpoints.
Research
Discovery
Qualitative
Quantitative
Quantitative
Qualitative
DOING
THINKING
FEELING
DEVICES
RELATIONSHIPS
PLACE
TIME
TOUCHPOINTS
Doing: What actions are customers taking to meet their needs? What are their key behaviors?
Thinking: How do people frame and evaluate their experience? What do they expect?
Feeling: What emotions do people have along their journey? What are the highs? The lows?
Source: “Adaptive path's guide to Experience Mapping” by Adaptive Path
Building blocks
UNIQUE
CULTURAL
PROBLEM (UCP)
The Cultural Disruption model defines and solves what is called a brand’s Unique Cultural Problem (UCP).
A UCP must fulfil three criteria:
Source: Brands Against Culture
CULTURE
(Relevance)
CATEGORY
(Differentiation)
COMPANY
(Credibility)
IDENTIFYING
CONNECTIONS
BARRIERS
With this framework, you can play around with a brand's actions and consumer behavior. And how they supplement and interact with each other.
Source: xx
Actions
Consumer Behaviour
Connection Barrier
(i.e. what's stopping us from achieving what we need to do?)
(i.e. their behaviour / thoughts relevant to the pillar)
(i.e. what we need to achieve?)
+
=
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
PORTER's
FIVE FORCES
Porter's Five Forces Framework is a method for analyzing competition of a business. It draws from industrial organization economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and, therefore, the attractiveness of an industry in terms of its profitability.
Porter's 5 Forces
Bargaining power of buyers
Threat of New Entrants
Supplier Bargaining Power
Internal Competition (Rivalry)
Threats of Substitutes
Source: Visual Paradigm
COMPETITOR
ANALYSIS
Analysing the current and potential competition to ensure the brand can break away from the clutter and position itself clearly and successfully. The unconscious pre-selection of brands is often assumed to be a fundamental cognitive step leading to choice. Direct competitors sell products that compete with ours.
Source: David J Carr
Experiential Competitors
Sell experiences that replace ours. Can include brands that are in associated categories (e.g. Oil & Automotive, Pharma & fitness)
Perceptual Competitors
Change expectations customers have. They include disruptive innovators in unconnected categories (e.g. Uberfication)
COMPETITOR
ANALYSIS
An additional but more simplified model on how to do a competitor analysis.
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
1. Who is the competition?
2. What are their strengths?
3. What are their weakness?
4. What are they key message?
5. Who are they targeting?
6. What price point are they at?
7. What is their market share/how big are they?
8. How do they position themselves?
COMPETITOR
AUDIT
Developing a successful brand strategy depends on gaining as many insight into the competition as possible. This can be used as a tool to measure the success of the final strategy, concept or design.
Key questions used to guide the research process are:
1. Who is the competition?
2. Who is their target consumer/audience?
3. What market do they serve - luxury, economy or niche?
4. What is their price point? What is their market share? How popular are they?
5. What does their brand stand for? What is their key messages?
6. What is their unique selling point?
7. What are their strengths?
8. How do they position themselves?
9. What are their strategies across all consumer touchpoints (consumer journey)?
10. What does their brand look like?
11. What emotional message does it communicate?
12. What is the brand's tone of voice?
Source: Slade-Brooking, C., Creating a Brand Identity, Laurence King Publishing, 2016, UK
INSIGHT
INSIGHT
PROCESS
Insights starts with an observation: either in data or in real life. But the result of research is not a real insight. Understand your consumer's behavior and motivation. Answer the “Why”. Reframe your vision to get the big picture.
Evaluate your insight. There are 3 levels of insights KPIs (according to InSites Consulting):
Relevance - identification, frequency, endurance; recognition; thought of before
Differentiation - solution awareness, likelihood or solution finding
Actionability - clarity, importance of resolving, context fit, target group fit, brand fit
Information - WHAT?
facts, data, observation, focus groups, measures
Understanding - WHY?
Interpretation, hypothesis, meanings, motivations
Insight - SO WHAT?
Opportunity, positioning, strategy, competitive advantage
Actions - Do that…
Relevant creativity, media choices, new products
Source: Strategy Deck
INSIGHT
TYPES
This matrix represents the multitude of different types of insight that exist.
Actually, the author of the tool, Simon Law, says he is not really sure if he agrees with the concept of insight types overall. Therefore this list may not even be exhaustive and definitely contains some areas that don't make for particularly good types of insight. Despite that fact, it could be a good start for understanding the nature of insights, or as a map for digging further into the subject.
Consumer Cultural Future
Product Brand Market
Purchase Usage Owner
Source: Strategy Deck
STORYTELLING
NARRATIVE ARCH:
Freytag's PYRAMID
Narrative arc is a term that describes a story's full progression. It visually evokes the idea that every story has a relatively calm beginning, a middle where tension, character conflict, and narrative momentum builds to a peak, and an end where the conflict is resolved.
You may already be familiar with one classic example of the story arc: boy meets girl, boy fails girl, boy gets girl again. This may sound oversimplified, and it is. Adding complexity to a basic story arc is part of what differentiates one story from another, even when they’re ostensibly dealing with the same ideas.
Source: Gustav Freytag
Climax: The most suspenseful part of the plot. The turning point of the protagonist's character
Falling Action: Events that unravel the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist that lead to the resolution
Resolution: The conflict is resolved and the we discover whether the protagonist achieves their goal or not
Denouement: The “Tying up of loose ends”
Exposition: Background information of the plot that includes characters and setting
Initial Incident: The very 1st conflict that occurs in the plot
Rising Action: Three major events that add suspense or tension to the plot that lead to the climax
CULTURAL
NARRATIVE
These are stories that help a community structure and assign meaning to its history and existence.
Cultural narratives include creation stories, which tell a story about the community's origins, and fables, which help teach moral values and ethical behavior.
Source: Gustav Freytag
VISION
FUTURE SUCCESS
THE PRESENT
FUTURE FAILURE
WHAT IS OUR DESTINY?
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST THREATS?
HOPE
FEAR
What must be done to get there?
What are the biggest threats?
Beemgee
PLOT
TOOL
A story’s events may be arranged as chronology or narrative. That’s why there is a switch between the two in the Beemgee plot tool.
STORY
PLOT
CHARACTERS
CHRONO-
LOGY
NARRATIVE
ALLY
OPPONENT
LOVER/
MATE
CENTRAL
PLOT
SUBPLOTS
EVENTS
RELATIONSHIPS
STORYLINES
Source: Beemgee