1 PRODUCT BRANDING Present An Image Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada Conference 2007

2 PRODUCT BRANDING Present An Image Dawn Robertson Strategic Change Resources

3 What’s a brand?

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5 What’s a brand? Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus: Brand—noun 1: definition -- kind Synonyms: cast, character, class, description, grade, make quality, sort, species, type, variety Brand—noun 2: definition -- label Synonyms: brand name, emblem, hallmark, heraldry, imprint, logotype, mark, marker, name, sign, stamp, symbol

6 What’s a brand? “A collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer and all other stakeholders. If properly managed these perceptions secure long-term revenue for the business and create lasting value.” Colin Bates Founder, Building Brands, Ltd.

7 Key Tips for Developing Brands Identify your organization’s expertise, because it determines the focus of the brand Build the brand from the outside in—start with the customer Understand the vital stakeholders of your brand Keep the future in mind

8 Why should we care about brands? For purchasers and brand owners, brands can simplify and differentiate the product or service Brands are powerful sources of added value to consumers who embrace a particular and appealing set of values and attributes—both tangible and intangible

9 Why should we care about brands?

10 Brand Value for the Consumer Brand value delivered by the company Results in changes in customer behavior Which secures long term revenues and opportunities for growth And therefore creates business value

11 How do brands work? Creating an emotional response Dividing people into “for me” or not Reassuring Tapping into values Confirming beliefs Bypassing rational scrutiny Raising the bar for competitors Operating differently across the purchase cycle

12 8 Characteristics of Great Brands 1. A great brand is in it for the long haul 2. A great brand can be anything 3. A great brand knows itself 4. A great brand invents or reinvents an entire category 5. A great brand taps into emotions 6. A great brand’s story is never completely told 7. A great brand has design consistency 8. A great brand is relevant

13 Differentiation--Products and Services Goods Easy to evaluate Services Hard to evaluate chinarestaurant mealtech repairs chairlawn fertilizerlegal services carhaircutINSURANCE HIGH IN SEARCH QUALITIES HIGH IN EXPERIENCE QUALITIES HIGH IN CREDENCE QUALITIES

14 Differentiation--Functional and Emotional marketing hypebrand commoditysuperior product Emotionally undifferentiated Emotionally differentiated Functionally undifferentiated Functionally differentiated

15 Components of Brand Identity Positioning Presentation Personality Relationships Staff to stakeholders Brand vision & culture

16 Brand Detractors An inconsistent approach to: Design, i.e., logo, website, signage, premises, stationery or product packaging Communications inside and outside Employee hiring and training Systems and processes Promises and commitments

17 Linking Brands and Customers Focus on what your business/organization achieves for its customers—it has NO value if it doesn’t deliver what customers want and expect Involve employees—make sure that they understand your brand AND believe in it Identify “customer points of contact” AND make sure that what customers experience is what you want your brand to stand for

18 Linking Brands and Customers Create feedback mechanisms AND use these to analyze and measure the success of your brand’s value proposition Design and implement a feedback plan for your customers AND employees Meet and exceed your brand promises Manage your brand

19 Steps for Building a Brand 1. Organize for success 2. Discovering your current brand 3. Defining your desired brand 4. Delivering on the branded experience 5. Keeping on track over time

20 Branding’s Forgotten Element LEADERSHIP “It is our belief that a firm’s brand is sustained and enhanced by leadership, and without that leadership the brand is in danger.” Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood

21 Leadership Responsibility for the Brand Leaders make a difference to brand health by: Providing focus Assessing needs Directing resources Setting targets Supporting changes

22 Leadership Responsibility for the Brand --Where to start? Assemble a wellness team to take the brand’s temperature—  What do we stand for?  How are we doing?  Are we adding the value that our customers expect? Prescribe a brand fitness campaign Determine core exercises and training needs Schedule regular checkups

23 Leadership Responsibility for the Brand --Providing Focus 1. List all your brand’s points of contact – look everywhere—enlist as many functions, groups, teams as possible—get people talking about YOUR brand 2. Prioritize, by importance to building the brand – determine which are MOST important to building the brand—get consensus

24 Leadership Responsibility for the Brand --Providing Focus 3. Test -- look at those same points of contact as in #1 and prioritize by current effort you and your organization spend on each 4. Refocus priorities – these four steps allow you to check your brand management priorities—and where your time, energy and resources are be spent

25 Leadership Responsibility for the Brand --Involving the Organization Start with the people who have immediate contact with customers Ensure that they are clear about what’s expected of them to support and enhance brand building--be specific Build feedback loops for each employee so that he/she can know what’s working and what is not--to reinforce or make corrections Establish forums where people can discuss brand building best practices Create a brand building award program

26 Presenting your BRAND IMAGE requires that you consider more than the slickest brochures, websites and logos—a Brand’s Image starts and ends with a customer’s perception and understanding of your value proposition. Your leadership focus determines whether your brand grows and thrives, languishes or dies. PRODUCT BRANDING Present An Image

27 THANK YOU!!!!! PRODUCT BRANDING Present An Image

28 Q & A PRODUCT BRANDING Present An Image