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“9 Criteria for Brand Essence” Deck
Uncovering & Articulating Essence
- 9 criteria for brand essence
- Why “trusted” isn’t the brand essence
- 7 common branding workshop pitfalls
- Patagonia: They also sell clothes.
- Why so few brands get it right
- Why intangibles are the more sustainable competitive advantages
- To inspire loyalty, ask why, not how.
- You say tomato. I say Fox’s Fine Gourmet Ketchup.
- Warning: Your brand is being commoditized!
- Brand essence by every other name
- For brand authenticity, look inside.
- Table-stake attributes do not differentiate brands.
Simplicity & Effectiveness of Messaging
Other Popular Posts
- What every non-marketer should know about branding
- When to hire vs. when to outsource
- Do artisan brands lose their fans when sold to conglomerates?
- So who is “the world’s greatest insurance spokesperson in the world?”
- Does Geico’s multi-concept strategy work?
- BMW uncovers its brand essence: joy
- P&G brands … itself?
Industry News
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Category Archives: budgeting
Patagonia: They also sell clothes
There are brands and then there are affinity brands. The difference? Community. You don’t just experience an affinity brand. Your identity is enmeshed with it. You are a proud member of the club. “Cult Brands aren’t just companies with products or services to sell,” says BJ Bueno, co-author of The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers. “To many of their followers, they are a living, breathing surrogate family filled with like-minded individuals.” Few brands exemplify affinity branding as well as Patagonia. Patagonia makes outdoor apparel for climbing, surfing, skiing, and other low-impact sports. … Continue reading
Posted in brand essence, budgeting, cause marketing, loyalty, mass media, promotion, retail, social media
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CFOs vs. CMOs: Where’s the ROI?
Suppose that in 2008 you invested in a barrel of crude oil. And why wouldn’t you? Every year from 2002 to 2008 the annual average price per barrel has gone up, from $23 to $91. As an investment, it’s a no-brainer. Unfortunately, today your investment is worth $66 (date of post), down 27%. Obviously, a poor ROI. What caused the drop? Supply and demand. OPEC. War in the Middle East. Hurricane Katrina. The recession. Staycations. In other words, variables outside of your control. Investments in marketing are no different. Consider the retailer who places advertising to promote a weekend sale. … Continue reading
Posted in budgeting, roi
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Integration vs. specialization: Who wants the hot seat?
How do you decide between working with a full-service, integrated marketing firm or an array of specialists? (See recent post on the meaning of the terms full-service, integrated, channel-neutral and hybrid.) Consider the difference between a department store, such as Macy’s or Walmart, and a specialty store such as Best Buy or Lowe’s. You go to the department store for convenience, everything under one roof. You go to the specialty store for greater expertise and selection within the category. CMOs must make a similar decision. Hire a generalist firm or an army of specialists in research, strategy, creative, media-buying, web … Continue reading
Posted in budgeting, client-agency relationships, management, strategy
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For smarter strategy, share the budget upfront
Ask any project manager: Knowing the availability of resources is critical to achieving the desired outcome. Money is, of course, the resource, and while zero-base budgeting is a nice idea, unlimited budgets are practically non-existent in the real world. So, when requesting proposals from marketing consultants, why don’t CMOs save everyone a lot of trouble and share the budget upfront? Apparent reasons for not doing so are: Reason: If the budget is revealed, the consultant will find a way to spend all of it whether the project warrants it or not. Reality: There is never enough budget to do the … Continue reading
Posted in budgeting, new business, strategy
1 Comment
12 things to do before the upturn
Sales are flat. Travel is canceled. Your budget has been cut. It’s a good time to do some housekeeping. With an eye toward the eventual upturn, here are 12 tips to get your strategic marketing plan ready: Take the time to retreat with senior leadership and strategize now. Think long-term. Audit your competitors. Talk to your customers. Conduct a satisfaction survey. Review your customer relationship management (CRM) program. Rebuild your database. Ask for email addresses and mobile numbers. You’ll need them soon. Update your brand positioning and message strategies. Review and update your advertising and sales materials. Or at least … Continue reading
Posted in advertising, budgeting, interactive marketing, mass media, research, social media, strategy
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Setting social media up for failure: Don’t advertise
I’m pleased to share the following guest post by Gary Moneysmith. At the time of this posting, Gary was the Interactive Strategy Director and social media guru at Conrad | Phillips | Vutech (where I work). Be sure to visit his blog, Social Media @ Work & Play, for more insights. Dear Marketers: You can’t do it all with social media. There, I said it. I know marketing budgets have been slashed and management is clamoring to use those free, newfangled web 2.0 tools. But you can’t turn to social media to save the day. It sucks, I know. Social … Continue reading
Posted in advertising, budgeting, guest posts, mass media, social media
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