BRAND METHODOLOGY

What is a Brand?

• Your brand is the feeling people get when they think about your company, the sum total of their experience, both positive and negative
• Branding isn't only about data — it's about understanding how people's lives are changing and why, and reacting to those changes
• The best branding captures the essence of the company's differentiator and communicates that difference to customers in a relevant way

We are certain you may have heard this before, but it bears repeating … A brand is not a slogan. It’s not a logo. Nor is it an ad campaign. There are numerous misconceptions surrounding branding and brand terminology, so for clarification, we offer the following definitions which we use to help focus our discussion of branding as we move forward:

Brand – The relationship with your customer articulated through a powerful set of promises to deliver relevant and distinctive value or a set of services.

Brand Essence – The spirit and soul of the brand that transcends time and campaigns, consisting of function, differentiation, image/personality and source of authority.

Brand Identity – The look, feel and tone of the brand, including the name, delivered consistently across all communications.

Brand Strategy – architecture that connects the customer to the brand.

Brand Values – Those durable beliefs held in common throughout the organization that define who it is and what it stands for.

Competency – Organizational ability to capitalize on a brand’s equity or assets in the marketplace.

Equities – Those perceptual assets delivered through a competency of the organization.

Perceptual Assets – Those factors, real and perceived, that work in favor or against a relationship with the brand.

Positioning – Begins with an understanding of the market in which our client competes and the segments they wish to pursue, creating the key messages that will differentiate their product or service.