BRAND POSITIONING

Close new business. Set the stage with effective

Presented by Jennifer Larsen Morrow Creative Company, Inc.

Track 1: Building Bridges

If someone is looking for what you offer,

where are they looking?

Brand positioning

If they find you, what will they see?

Will they understand why they should

choose you?

Brand positioning

What do they want from you?

A surprise … quick, simple, easy …

information… answer my questions … talk to

me …WIIFM

Brand positioning

What’s unexpected?

Surprise me!

It’s just a garbage truck

Or it’s a WOW truck!

Why should I care? How does this work?

I get it!

What’s in it for me? Looks easy, simple!

Make it easy to choose

Good information!

I know what they sell …

And here’s how to buy

Be relevant to your audience

Engage me

See the product in context and understand why it’s better

Architects need information…

Differentiate and communicate …

We live in an overwhelmed, time-starved

culture packed with

too many choices

A well-positioned brand helps your

audiences understand and

choose

What is a brand?

A brand is more than a logo A brand requires a visual and verbal

vocabulary • A distinctive “look and feel”

• A common voice, tone and style • A system of colors and typography • A series of images that build a cohesive whole

What’s a brand?

“REAL Branding is personal. REAL Branding is integrity. REAL Branding is consistency and freshness. REAL Branding is the answer to WHO ARE WE? WHY ARE WE HERE?” Tom Peters, brandpower

“It takes as much time to build a brand as it takes a person to build a reputation. The difficulty is not as much to perfect a strategy as to be focused, differentiated, and consistent everywhere, every time.” The Fundamentals of Branding, Vincent Grimaldi

What builds brands? • Brands are being built with or without

management • Publicity build brands • Blogs, social media, marketing and websites

build brands • Environments build brands • Each contact with the company builds the

brand experience and context

What is a brand?

Perception is reality • Your brand is based on what people

think about your organization • Communicate clearly from the

audience’s point of view • Provide value to those you serve

…a brand is still about people … and perceptions

Perception is reality • Your brand is based on what people think

about your company • Opinions and perceptions are constantly

changing • To be effective you must communicate clearly

from your audience’s point of view

Audiences

A well-positioned brand • Is visually appealing and memorable • Is perceived as unique and distinctive, and

stands out from the competition • Communicates essential messages clearly and

consistently • Focuses on value and benefits to the target

audiences

Brand positioning

Do you know your audiences? • Do you understand everyone you must

connect with to be successful? • Do you know what they expect from you? • You must speak in their language; be clear

and concise (no acronyms!) • Understanding the generations helps you

choose the right channel

Connect with your audiences

each generation is different

Brand positioning

The Generations

Effective marketing requires first understanding the audiences you’re trying to reach. For the first time in history there are four different generations in the workplace, each with different values, perspectives and expectations

Four generations to address

The Silent Generation – 1925 to 1945 The Boomers – 1946 to 1964

Gen X – 1965 to 1987 Gen Y – 1988 to 2000

Four generations to reach

Reliable, formal, low-tech, traditional media, mentoring,

take the time to read and visit

70% of nation’s wealth, time-starved lifestyle, must look and feel good while aging, career-focused

Self-reliant, results instead of process, savvy and cynical

consumers, technology adopters, less career-focused

Smart, tech-savvy, idealistic, girls are equals, want to contribute, multi-taskers, want authenticity, family-oriented

From Inc. magazine November2012

Features vs. Benefits

Be clear about the services or products you’re offering, what are the benefits? How can you frame the benefits to connect with the expectations of each generation and each audience? How does each generation prefer to communicate? (reading vs. watching vs. sharing … online or offline, social or not)

communicate your value

not just what you do

Brand positioning

Think about why instead of what • Why do they need to connect with you? • What purpose do you serve? • Avoid just listing the “stuff” you do • Consider their perspectives – who are they?

How do they communicate or take in information?

• What’s the role in the purchase?

Audiences

Identify how you’re different • What is expected or assumed? • What else is available to your target

audiences? • Avoid the usual “quality” and “service” • What are your “hot buttons”? • Where are the “wow” responses or results?

Differentiate

What value do you provide? • Go beyond the “stuff” • Identify ideas, messages that address “why

should I care?” or • “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) • Where’s the “wow!”?

Define the message

Features vs. Benefits

Features: Here’s what the product does, or what the service is and how it works. Descriptive.

Benefits: Here’s the outcome, what you audience will receive from the product or service. Often emotional or personal.

They’re not buying house plans.

They’re buying ideas, vision, experience and confidence … a dream.

Features vs. Benefits

You will see all the messages and tools, your audiences won’t

• Consistency creates a connection • Visually connect all elements, from website to

mailings to office environment to stationery to displays, Emails and brochures…

• Define messages that are specific and unique to you, that tell a story

• Uncover stories and information to share (social media, blog, website, white papers)

Communicate effectively

Brand building requires focus • Focus on your audiences and the benefits • Branding requires consistency in all

communications, visual and verbal • It’s a long-term program to build recognition

of your brand and positioning

Brand positioning

Cascade Employers Association - Before

Cascade Employers Association – Messaging hierarchy

Cascade Employers Association – Banners

Cascade Employers Association – Business cards

Cascade Employers Association – Website reskin

Where are the contact points? • Where do your audiences connect with you? • At what level, for what purpose? • How are those contact points branded? • Which contacts are critical to the organization,

the points of choice?

Point of choice

Today the buyer is in charge • Explosion of information sources (websites,

blogs, reviews, discussion boards, social) • An era of self-serve information • Talking to a person is a last resort, not first • B2B – 60% of the purchase decision is made

before contacting a sales person • 2010 – 5.3 sources of information needed,

2011 – 10.4 sources needed before making a buying decision

A longer sales cycle

The essential “point of choice”

What is a “point of choice”? A point of choice is the situation where someone will take action, to move to the next step in working with you. The point of choice is focused on immediate response—choosing to take the next step.

Call | Click | Sign-up | Inquire | Refer | Join |

Request | Enroll | Visit | Share

Focus first on the points of choice • You will see a bigger return on your marketing • Your website is an essential point of choice • Build a website that is about the visitor, the

viewer, the potential client • Provide information of value, less “we” and

more “you” • Simple, brief, visual information … to scan, not

read

Point of choice

Johnson Glaze & Co CPAs – Website before

Johnson Glaze & Co CPAs – Messaging

Johnson Glaze & Co CPAs – Website after

Build the brand on a continuum • Consider the sales process, “dating” vs. “let’s

get married” • What information can you provide to help

them choose? (Help vs. sell) • Build a continuum of contact, each with a call

to action, a way to choose • Begin online, build the digital brand

Multiple points of choice

Be relevant and valuable • When you help instead of sell, you make a

customer for life • Discover customer needs first – listen,

research, talk to front line people • What are trends, challenges and issues in

your category? • Integrate offline and online information • Provide resources to inform, educate,

enlighten

Positioning that’s relevant

Build the brand internally, too • Staff, sales team, service people should know

the key messages, understand and support the brand positioning

• Help them build your brand • Provide templates and tools to make it easier • Educate and inform

Positioning that’s relevant

Cascade Employers Association – Messaging posters

Your brand positioning • Reflects where you fit in the market • Separates you from the competition • Clarifies key messages for staff and sales

teams • Establishes the foundation and framework for

ongoing communication • Ties together visual and verbal • Makes it easier to capture new business

Brand positioning

Go forth and brand! • Brand responsibly • Position the brand to be unique • Provide value to your audiences • Connect where they communicate • Build content that builds trust • Integrate online and offline • Evaluate website, mobile, social media Because focused brand positioning = bigger sales

Build your brand

Thank you!

Creative Company, Inc. 726 NE 4th Street McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503.883.4433 Toll-free 866.363.4433 www.creativeco.com Email: jlmorrow@creativeco.com Blog: www.optimizemybrand.com LinkedIn: in/jenniferlarsenmorrow Facebook: /jenniferlarsenmorrow Facebook Company: /creativeco

Give us a call to discuss your brand!