Brand Design and Management Plan

Paulina Jaswiec & Martina Dudicova

Strategic Brand Creation & Management

Mk 526

Table of Contents

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1. Introduction.................................................................................................................3

2. Brand Design...............................................................................................................42.1 Key marketing activities......................................................................................................42.2 Support of the design process..............................................................................................5

3. Brand Marketing........................................................................................................63.1 Brand Positioning:................................................................................................................63.2 Mental Map...........................................................................................................................63.3 Points of Parity and Points of Difference...........................................................................73.4 Opportunities........................................................................................................................9

4. Brand Growth and Equity..........................................................................................104.1 Building Brand resonance.................................................................................................104.2 Advertising and promotion strategies (marketing program).........................................134.3 Assessing the value of the brand to the company............................................................144.4 Brand’s architecture, hierarchy, & brand portfolio.......................................................15

5. Brand Management.....................................................................................................165.1 Performance assessment....................................................................................................165.2 Growth Strategy.................................................................................................................17

1. Introduction

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Responsibilities and deadlines in our lives are just like ticking bombs waiting to explode

if we don’t take action. Time is the only valuable concept that we cannot change and

influence, however we can only attempt to manage tasks to the best of our abilities.

The energy drink brand Xplosion, in shape of a grenade bomb, is the first product to

enter the market with a brand promise to make the consumer stronger, faster and more

efficient. Xplosion’s first target is the corporate world, because it is the most dynamic

ever-changing environment where time means everything.

The poisoning strategy is to create an image in the minds of consumers that drinking

Xplosion will make you focused quickly, give you a boost of energy, and make you

efficient. Our scientists have researched and tested for over 15 years to finally create a

new vitamin ingredient that lowers the calorie content of the beverage while maximizing

energy level in the body. We have patented this vitamin, which is what makes Xplosion

unique and different from our competitors.

After establishing strong brand awareness, the diversification of our brand portfolio

allows for further opportunities in enhancing our positioning to college students, clubs

and even sporting events. We will continue to reinforce the brand and what it stands for,

be consistent with our brand mantra, and measure the brand performance across all

markets that we hope to enter.

2. Brand Design

Brand name: Xplosion is a new brand of beverage. It is seen as a ‘liquid weapon,’

energy stimulating substance aimed at the highly dynamic corporate world.

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Image: Power, Efficiency, Time, Performance, Bomb, And Liquid Weapon

Slogans and external messages:

“The one and only liquid weapon, because life is too short to run on empty.

“Time is ticking – don’t waste it, manage it”

Packaging: Associations to packaged- bomb being an explosive weapon (brand name)

Packaging Association- since naturally a real bomb has extremely sudden & violet

release of energy, when seeing Xplosion products consumers will in vision and directly

link that: if you drink this product you make have sudden burst of extreme energy.

Rich feeling: plastic material resembling glass (glass is too expensive), shiny metal like

material around brand name, option of having color for future and further development of

packaging from bomb (round like) to hand grenade.

Symbol/logo:

Look to Appendix: A

2.2 Key marketing activities

Unlike most of our competition whose key marketing activities to support their brand is

through clubs and sporting events, Xplosion focuses on its direct entry to barrier through

the corporate world (then in the future followed by academia).

Corporate adrenaline is what Xplosion is aiming for. The first key marketing activity

would be going to Google headquarters and giving away free samples of the first new

branded product “Xplosion”. Another activity would be to be highly interconnected on

future corporate events such as high decision making meetings, tax season deadlines,

forecast reports, industry audits.. anything involving deadline and ‘crunch time.’ The

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product wouldn't yet be for sale, and our approach would not involve ‘pitching,’ or

soliciting. Instead we provide a notepad introducing the workforce on special ingredient

in our product, and expose a link to an APP.

2.3 Support of the design process

According to (Keller 2008), brand elements must be meaningful, memorable, likeable,

transferable, adaptable, and protectable. The brand name is descriptive and it was chosen

because it fulfills most if not all the necessary criteria. The concept of time is linked to

the brand image in a sense that one can easily associate the word “explosion” with a

“bomb” and our drink symbolizes the ticking bomb which all of us have experienced.

The ticking bomb is a metaphor for all the things that we know we should get done but

haven’t done yet. Anything from pro longing the visit to your dentist until you get the

cavity, procrastinating on your school project, procrastinating until the final day to start

the report for your boss or whatever it may be, we face ticking bombs in our daily lives.

To encourage word-of-mouth exposure, we have chosen Xplosion as it is a brand name

that is easy to pronounce, it has a clear meaning and it is understandable.

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3 Brand Marketing

3.1 Brand Positioning:

In terms of branding, positioning is seen as a matter of communication. It is the ability to

command a position in consumers’ minds, distinct from the competition (Gelder 2003).

Positioning in branding is relative, not absolute, and our goal is to create a distinctive

space that our brand will occupy in our customers minds. To start the launch of the brand,

we propose usage-based positioning as the primary brand positioning to connect with our

customers. Brands apply usage-based positioning to link themselves to a specific time of

time of day, location, event or a specific use (Gelder, 2003). The original Xplosion brand

is used when you are running low on energy & need a boost/ recharge to get things done.

Start-up headline Nothing is worse then knowing a deadline for a major

project is coming, you know you procrastinated, and now you need to be focused,

energetic and efficient. No better time than that to pull open the Xplosion.

Usage-based positioning is the first strategy that we believe would get the strong brand

awareness we are hoping for.

3.3 Mental Map

Figure 1: displays a brand association mental map. This map visualizes words that we

want our target customers to associate Xplosion within 2 major categories: Image, and

Performance.

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Figure 1

3.3 Points of Parity and Points of Difference

Category Points of Parity In an energy drink product category, Xplosion

does the minimal expectation of providing you with promised energy.

Competitive Points of Parity While most energy drinks contain high

sugar amount, Xplosion has created a healthy substitute for sugar, which has proven to

minimize health risks. It is an organic vitamin substance that has been researched and

tested for over 15 years before entering the market in our Xplosion beverage. This

ingredient lowers the calorie content of our beverage while maximizing energy level in

the body. We have patented the right to this ingredient and therefore no other energy

drink will offer the amount of healthy energy to boost your immune system in order for

you to function effectively.

Points of Difference According to (Keller, 2008), points of difference

must be relevant, distinctive and believable.

Xplosion

Image- Grenate bomb- Time- Fiction of power

Performance

- fast

- active

- strong

- efficient

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o Relevant – There is a clear association between the name and the function of

the product. It stands for what it means. Xplosion explodes energy and

strength into your body while minimizing health problems and allowing you

to work effectively.

o Distinctive - Unlike other energy drinks, not only does our packaging offer

significant distinctiveness, but the patented ingredient can thus far be found

only in Xplosion.

o Believable – Our goal is not to create persuasive advertising commercials to

make our target audience believe our energy drink is better, we are going

straight to busy people, offices, and corporate centers to offer free samples

and let the positive word-of mouth spread. With consent, we will provide

video feedback on the Internet – YouTube, Facebook, and twitter to make the

world believe.

Brand Mantra Power - Speed – Efficiency

Brand Mantra is the brand essence of the brand. Not only does our brand mantra help

guide us to present a consistent image, it signals meaning and importance within the

company. Its purpose is to align all the employees on the same level. From our top

management, to middle management, to our scientists, designers, and sales people, the

brand mantra connects us and symbolizes the internal message of our company and what

the Xplosion brand stands for.

Emotional Modifier Power symbolizes the feel of strength,

confidence and stamina one achieves while drinking Xplosion

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Brand Function Modifier Speed symbolizes the promise of being able

to utilize the amount of energy in a given time period while actively consuming

Xplosion.

Descriptive Modifier Efficiency symbolizes effectiveness of output

quality and performance when relating to accomplishment of indented tasks.

Brand Promise Our brand promise is derived from our brand mantra:

putting it all together, drinking Xplosion promises strong and long lasting performance in

a short amount of time.

3.4 Opportunities

High Schools and Universities - High schools and universities lie to further enhance the

poisoning of our brand. It is no secret that students procrastinate on important projects

and pull sleepless nights just to get the job done, and that is why we believe the trend

from the successful corporate world will trail down to students.

Nightclubs & Sporting Events - Another opportunity to further enhance our positioning

by entering different target market (like the examples). With an extended brand portfolio

line, we can offer different sub-brands of Xplosion drinks with alcohol for clubs, and

enhanced vitamin content with hydration support for athletes. Possibilities for Xplosion

to enter different markets are endless once the brand resonance has been reached.

External Social Corporate Responsibility - Xplosion collaborates with (depending on

the market here are some examples with whom we will directly be involved with, in order

to promote positive social image of our brand) the National Centre for Health, FDA and

Ministry of Health.

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4. Brand Growth and Equity

Sources of Brand Equity - Xplosion aims to create strong, favorable and unique

associations with its brand in order to create brand awareness and build the customer

based brand equity. In order to first create brand awareness, the brand must be easily

recognized and recalled. We plan to increase brand awareness by constant exposure,

viral marketing and internal business events located internally- headquarters of important

companies starting with Google. The name itself is strong, and the goal is to create a

favorable association with the name and strong association with big companies who

consume the product. By giving out samples, and posting testimonies, we hope to raise

such brand awareness.

4.1 Building Brand resonance

Building brand resonance is one of the most difficult tasks in establishing customer based

brand equity.

Step 1 Identity Brand Salience The branding objective is to establish deep

broad brand awareness. In brand salience, the customers should be able to identify the

product category and be satisfied with consuming. We believe that Xplosion will be a

highly salient brand in that it will have both depth and breadth of brand awareness,

meaning customers will make frequent purchases and will be able to recall and

distinguish from other brands in the product category. The brand plan mentioned

activities that will be undertaken in order to make the brand highly salient.

Step 2 Meaning Performance and Imagery The branding objective is to

establish points of parity and difference. Section 3.3 outlines the POP and POD.

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o Performance - Performance touches the rational side of purchasing the brand.

Customers may view performance based on reliability, durability, service

efficiency and effectiveness, design and style, pricing and so on. For our purpose,

the Xplosion is above average price in the energy drinks category, however it is

compensated with the functional primary ingredients, which allow for long hours

of energy in a minimal amount of time. Performance may also depend on sensory

aspects such as how a product looks, feels (Keller, 2008). Apart from just the

functionality of the product, its size, shape, color and material is often taken into

consideration when it comes to building a strong, favorable and unique brand.

Taking this visual sensory into consideration, the shape of the bomb suggests the

performance caliber.

o Imagery - Imagery describes the way people think about the brand abstractly

rather than functionally, thus it refers to the intangible aspects of the brand

(Keller, 2008). Xplosion aims to build its brand personality around time and

energy. Time and energy are intangible concepts that everyone cannot get enough

of. Although we cannot add more than 24 hours to a day, we brand ourselves as a

beverage that allows for the maximum efficiency to manage time and give you

energy to do so. Consumers who buy our brand look for an efficient, effective,

strong and in control life. By targeting the ambitious audience, we aim to present

the image of success, strength and power.

Step 3 Response --> Judgments and feelings The branding objective is to

establish positive and accessible reactions.

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o Judgments - Judgments, like performance are on the rational side of the pyramid

and represent customer’s personal opinions about the brand (Keller, 2008). In

order to create opinions, customers evaluate the imagery and performance.

According to Keller, Customers can make all types of judgments about a brand,

but the most important judgments are about: quality, credibility, consideration and

superiority. Among all these, we strongly believe that Xplosion brand is of high

quality due to the ingredients as well as superior in comparison with other energy

drinks. The nature of our uniqueness is key to building intense and active

relationships with our customers.

o Feelings - Brand feelings are customer’s emotional responses to the brand. By

our marketing program, we want to evoke intense feelings of strength, and

superiority. Among the six major brand feelings, Xplosion would fit into the

category of Excitement and Self-Respect.

Excitement - Our brand should make consumers feel energized, upbeat

and alive

Self- Respect - After drinking Xplosion, our customers should feel a sense

of accomplishment, because the main reason to drink it is to get things

done with positive energy

Step 4 Relationship -->Resonance The final step on the top of the CBBE

pyramid is to establish Brand resonance. Here the final branding objective is to maintain

relationship by having our customers be intensely and actively loyal. Resonance is

characterized in terms of the depth of the psychological bond the customer has with the

brand. In order to measure whether our brand is highly resonant, we can measure

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behavioral loyalty in terms of repeat purchases and strong attachment. Our customers

who have a strong attachment to the brand would be willing to go elsewhere if the

product is not available where they currently are. Because we are focusing on a specific

target market, we don’t need 100,000 customers who will only purchase once, we are

comfortable with starting off with only 100 customers, but those who are loyal enough

that they will make repeat purchases because they know the quality of our product. To

make our brands exclusive and unique, our channel management plan will consider only

specific distribution channels. Xplosion can be bought only at Pharmacies, Sports shops,

and healthy living retail shops, smoothie shops. etc. We believe this form of exclusivity

and uniqueness will convey a sense of community between customers, company, and

partners.

Since our product isn't the cheapest on the market, and not available everywhere,

we can hope that finally our customers will truly be engaged with us because they are

obviously willing to invest time, energy and money to buy the Xplosion.

Intensity - > measures strength of the attitudinal attachment and sense of community

Activity -> measures how frequently the customer buys the product as well as how often

they engage in other activities not related to the consumption (our website tracks the

activity of our customers). We can see when they blog, offer insight, create their own

Xplosions, and share stories. These stories are what makes us, and helps us better to

engage and understand our customers. Our website is more engaging and personal than

the Facebook and twitter.

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4.2 Advertising and promotion strategies (marketing program)

1. Messages

“The one and only liquid weapon” “Life is too short to run on empty”

“Time is ticking – don’t waste it, manage it” “It’s time to pull”

2. Advertisement/ Promo/ Media

Commercial A: A business man running out of gas, steps out to fills Xplosion in car, &

gets there before the meeting ready to go. “Time is Ticking”

Commercial B: Every worker in the office is dragging with low energy on Monday,

knowing it is the most demanding day of the week, sleepy they sit waiting for the

craziness to begin, bet before they clock in they decide to crack open a bomb, next thing

you know people are running around office like animals. “It’s a sleepy world out there be

ready for the war, grab a bomb”

5. Notepads- These are for the corporate world to sit on desk, as a daily visual reminder

and stimulus to go purchase a bomb.

6. Samples- Handed out to major corporate giants- to help promote

4.3 Assessing the value of the brand to the company

Into. We will use the brand value chain structure to assets the future value. Our

marketing program is the first investment that contributes to the brand value

development. We can measure the success of our marketing program based on clarity,

relevance, distinctiveness and consistency. "Got bombed"

Next value stage is the customer mind-set, which shows how our customer’s

minds have been changed, or altered as a result of our marketing program. As mentioned

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in the CBBE pyramid, brand awareness is the key for customers to recall and recognize

the brand. We can measure the consumer’s awareness based on the level of purchasing

frequency. We can also measure it on brand activity which is the extent that our

customers talk to other about our brand, seek brand information and share stories via

social networks and our website.

Next value stage is market performance, where we can measure how our

customers respond to price premiums and elasticity’s. Once our customers have

experienced Xplosion we forecast inelastic responses to price increases.

The final stage in the brand value chain is the financial outcome of the three

previous value stages. The reason being, the shareholder value gives us a measurable,

concrete figure in order to assess the value of our brand, such as: stock price, P/E ratio,

market growth, profit margin, ROA, & Market Book Value.

4.4 Brand’s architecture, hierarchy, & brand portfolio

Brand name: Xplosion

In order to maximize brand equity we plan to expand out brand portfolio and maximize

out channel distribution strategy.

Hierarchy: Xplosive Brand

The basic principle in designing a brand portfolio is to maximize market coverage so that

no potential customers are being ignored, but minimize brand overlap so that brands

aren’t competing amongst themselves to gain the same customers approval. Each brand

should have a distinct target market and positioning.

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1. Line: TNT Rejuvenation fruity, healthy, balance with minerals & vitamins

O-Bomb (orange), Passion Bomb (passion fruit), Lemon Bomb, Cherry Bomb

2. Line: TNT Performance build on many levels of strength

Low Fusion, High Fusion, Violent Fusion, Nuclear Fusion

3. Line: TNT Liquid Weapon Mixology specials with alcohols (vodka/ malt)

Hand Grenade, Shooter, Mine Bomb, Booby Trap, Locked & Loaded, Bomb Tini

CHANNELS EXPANSION TO OTHER Packaging can be humorous- as in “warning

if drunken may lead to supper strength” Marketing to UFC fights

CHANNELS POINT OF DIFFERENCE A workshops would be ran by Xplosion

representatives who will explain the benefits, and how it can help “people like them”

further succeed. The first message, of our new brand would be: “Your time is valuable,

so don’t waste it, manage it with Xplosion”.

CHANNELS CO- BRANDING With other alcohol distributers such, the brand

Absolute, to create a new ABSOLUTE BOMB. Bottle would change, ect .

5. Brand Management

5.1 Performance assessment

One way we plan to measure our brands performance is based on Positivity and

Strength:

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Positive

Ideal place

Weak Strong

Negative

Under the STRENGTH measure, we consider the following weak factors that would

place Xplosion on the weak axis:

If after half a year of exposure on the market a few people know about it

If people cannot recall the name

If people have mixed ideas/ messages about what the brand purpose is

The opposite of the above-mentioned weak factors would place Xplosion on the strong

axis.

Under the POSITIVITY measure, we consider the following negative factors that would

place Xplosion on the negative axis:

If people are more inclined to complain rather than praise (negative WOM)

If they focus more on what’s wrong rather than what is good about the brand

If advertising campaigns don’t help

The opposite of the above-mentioned negative factors would place Xplosion on the

positive axis.

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5.2 Growth Strategy

1. WOM/ Testimonies on Website

‘Xplosive Innovation Lab’ people can comment on existing & add their own

input on future development

‘Bomb of the Day’ Online customers can share their experiences, and that

helped them achieve a specific task, find out about other corporate events held by the

company, see the apps that simplify the lifestyle for the working world and making time

management an easy to do.

2. External Events

‘Bomb Challenge’ Vegas/ Big city event showcasing mixology winners and

new recipes

‘Corporate Xdrenaline’ Corporate event that highlights up-and- coming

companies, exceptional new techniques, highly usable Apps, and the importance of

(mineral, vitamin, & sleep) rejuvenation for corporate efficiency and productivity.

‘Xplosive Bar’ Corporate evening event that is executed by a corporate

entity, however Xplosion partly sponsor

6. Appendix APACKAGING: Creation Ideas

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LOGO- Creation Examples

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Idea 1& 2 (above) Logo & Topography (below)

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