Trigger 4

Bran identity & image

(PBL session 5, closing trigger 4. 24.9.2014)


“Personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

In the same way, a brand is the result of an unbroken series of consistent gestures, encompassing both what it does and how it does it. (C. Phillips & J. Hopelain. 2012)


Brand identity
  
Brand identity is a set of strategic associations that the brand creates and tries to maintains. The identity explains how the brand supports the organisation's overall missions and objectives and what is the promise to the customers.

For the first time, brand identity as a concept was mentioned and specified by J. Kapferer in 1986. According to Kapferer the brand identity allows the brand to express why it is recognisable or different from the other brands. He divides it into six dimensions; physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture and self image. (L. Kobsch. 2012) 


 

L. Kobsch. Heineken prism. 2012

Brand image 

Brand image on the other hand is the customers' perception of the brand whereas the identity was the organisation's. The image is a set of beliefs and images that reflects how a customer sees the brand. It's the expectations and experiences of the brand. A brand image is not created, and it cannot be, but it is automatically formed by the customers in their minds. It includes the appeal of the product/service, ease of use, functionality, fame and overall value.  (Management Study Guide. 2013)

vs.

Management Study Guide

Brand mantras (K. Keller)

Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance
Disney: Fun Family Entertainment
Ritz-Carlton: Ladies & Gentlemen Serving Ladies & Gentlemen
BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine



Rebranding 

"Don’t change just for change’s sake, but keep your brand fresh. Your business depends on it."

Unless there's a very good reason, the brand should think twice before changing a well-known identity system. The main challenge with rebranding is trying to maintain familiarity and consistency so that the customers remember the brand. On the other hand brand updates can be crucial in order to keep the brand relevant to the consumers. 

Long-term, if the target audience changes, the markets evolve or the products and services change, it may the be the time for rebranding.

Changing a brand identity is risky because it has the potential to reduce brand recognition, recall and key associations, and because it could cause customer dissatisfaction. For example, Gap changed its logo back to the original one after so much consumer dissatisfaction with the new logo. Many other brands such as Kodak, Starbucks and Xerox changed their identities to some consumer push-back at first but in the end, people adapted to the new identities.  

Brand Strategy Insider, Starbucks. 2011

Rebooting your brand 

by M. Mcneilly (2013)

1. Tie the update to real change
 - Strongest brand updates are the ones that communicate the real change in the brand's strategy and experience

2. Nail the "right time"
 - Timing is everything. A possible need for update "if consumer feedback is inconsistent with your brand vision and aspiration."

3. Build on brand equities on your own - in customers' minds
 - Keep the attributes and graphic elements which resonates most strongly with consumers and which the brand still deliver well. Then think how to do them in a fresher way. 

4. Less is really more
 - Simplify. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" (Leonardo da Vinci)

5. Don't try to be trendy 
 - Think ahead

6.Provide an "Easter egg"
 - Hidden meaning in the design, only if it's meaningful

7. Test it in context
 - Something might look great on a white paper but work totally different on a bilboard or at the side of a van

8. Be able to explain it
 - Give a reason to the rebranding

9. Judge success by how it supports your objectives long-term
 - Stand firm and think long-term

Sources 

Daye, D. Business Strategy Insider, New Starbucks logo: a bad idea? 6.1.2011. Accessed: 17.9.2014

Kobsch, L. Forget milk, got beer?, Kapferer's brand identity prism. 23.11.2012. Accessed: 23.9.2014 

Lamson, G. Creative Market, Designing a brand identity. 23.7.2013. Accessed: 17.9.2014 2. http://www.managementstudyguide.com/brand-image.htm

Larsen, Brand identity: When should you refresh? 2014. Accessed: 17.9.2014

Management Study Guide, Brand identity vs brand image. 2013. Accessed: 17.9.2014

Management Study Guide, Brand image. 2013. Accessed: 17.9.2014

Mcneilly, M. Fastcompany, Time to reboot your brand? 4.10.2014. Accessed 23.9.2014

Philips, C. & Hopelain, J. Brand Strategy Insider, Brand identity defined. 15.8.2012. Accessed: 17.9.2014    





VanAuken, B. Branding Strategy Insider, The risk of brand identity change. 11.1.2012. Accessed: 17.9.2012

Trigger 3

Visual Brand Identity

(PBL session 4, closing trigger 3. 17.9.2014)


We started by looking through a case study "Steep this" and how their logo and the visual brand was developing. There were several different steps starting from inspiration boards and sketching ending up with the finalised logo and visual brand. 


1. What are the elements of visual branding? 

Overall, branding creates credibility, consistency, trust and familiarity for the stakeholders. Visual branding is a big part of how a organisation presents itself to the employees and customers. The brand defines what people most commonly associate with an organisation.

"Great brands find relevant ways to tap the emotional drivers that already reside deep within us. A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep - a fundamental appreciation of mythology. Stories create the emotional context need to locate themselves in a larger experience." (Scott Bedbury, A New Brand World)

The elements that create a visual brand are; logo, websites, store signage, business cards, flyers, marketing materials, social media profiles and product photos. In more detail; the graphic design, the colour scheme, typography and the pictures used etc. Basically, everything that could be seen by the audience; the stakeholders. 

The Miniml

2. The importance of visual branding

It is important to stand out visually, as it's so easy to get lost in the crowd, and the content, colours and images of your brand are often the first things the audience will see and notice.  

The visual part of the brand is a reflection of the organisation is all about; uniqueness, differentiation and values. It has to present the same factors as in text, audio and/or video. If it doesn't match it'll lead to inconsistencies in the communication. (Artversion, 2014) 

How to integrate company's values/identity into visual branding?

Companies, especially small and medium-sized who might not have the resources should think about investing in a graphic designer/ outsourcing the creation of the visual brand to a PR/advertisement agency.

The Miniml

 
3. How to use visual branding effectively?

5 easy tips for visual branding in social media (The Next Web, E. Futterman. 2014) 

-Keep it consistent across all platforms used. 

-Be aware of the best practices for each platform.
 videos in Youtube, pictures in Instagram etc. 

-Simple and consistent profile picture
 The most visible part of the social media profile

-Keep the profile fresh 
 Old information gives a bad impression

-Use space creatively 

The Miniml

 


What aspects to consider when creating a visual brand identity?

5 key aspects of visual brand identity (Wave, G. Hardy. 2012) 

- Choose the right brand name 
Should sound and look nice

-  Create a consistent visual style 
Overall brand identity should be uniform, expectations can be done in individual advertising campaign

- Develop a compelling logo
"The flagship" 

- Pay attention to color 
Influences emotions and differentiates from competitors 

- Select appropriate typography 
Playful fonts don't work for serious businesses and the other way around, can affect whether the right message gets through



+ Failed 

Ikea Saudi Arabia 

Adweek

"The furniture retailer took some heat in September after Ikea Saudi Arabia decided to use Photoshop to remove all the women from its catalog. Ikea later apologized, saying, "We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog is in conflict with the Ikea Group values." (Adweek, 2012)

Sources

Adweek, 20 biggest brand fails 2012. 2012. Accessed: 16.9.2014

Artversion, Visual branding and brand development. 2014. Accessed: 16.9.2014

Big Ideas Blog, S. Payton, How to build a strong visual brand. 26.62014. Accessed: 15.9.2014  

Slideshare, A. Pavkov, Visual Branding. 5.3.2012. Accessed: 16.9.2014 

The Miniml, Perfect visual brand identity examples. 30.3.2013. Accessed: 16.9.2014

The Next Web, E. Futterman, blog post: 5 easy tips for visual branding in social media. 26.6.2014. Accessed: 15.9.2014

Wave, G. Hardy, blog post: 5 key aspects of visual brand identity. 27.7.2012. Accessed: 16.9.2014

Trigger 2

Integrated Marketing Communication

(PBL session 3, closing trigger 2. 10.9.2014)

We read a case of a company trying to change consumers' perceptions on value and found out a problem and some learning objectives. 

How to implement Integrated Marketing Communication

1. What is IMC?

Integrated marketing strategies (Twylyfte)

"An approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign, through well coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to reinforce each other."  (Business dictionary)

      What is the purpose?

IMC is "a management concept that is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication ... work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation". (about.com)

So, the purpose of IMC is to connect the different communication channels together and make the message clear, consistent and credible for the customer. Consistent images and relevant, useful, messages help nurture the long term relationships with customers. A good IMC plan can create competitive advantage, boost sales and profits, while saving money, time and stress. 

2. How does a company use IMC?

      What are the tools they use?

IMC

There are several different tools for IMC, including advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing. The tools used can be anything from traditional media, print, TV and radio; to social media or outdoor promoting.
      
    What challenges do they face? 

Even though there are great benefits of IMC there are also some challanges. The resistance to change and problems with communication to several different target groups are not the only problems; functional silos, stifled creativity, time scale conflicts and lack of management know-how can be obstacles which restrict IMC, too.  

The structure of a organisation can be a barrier to IMC; if the sales department is not connected with PR department the communication is not consistent trough all the channels. IMC can also restrict creativity; the wild and wacky sales promotions  are restricted if the overall marketing communications strategy fights against that. Long-term strategies can also conflict with a short-term campaign which is created to boost quartely sales, for example.  (MMC learning, 2009)

Golden rules (MMC learning, 2009)

1.  Get Senior Management Support for the initiative by ensuring they understand the benefits of IMC.
(2) Integrate At Different Levels of management.

(3) Ensure the Design Manual is used to maintain common visual standards for the use of logos, type faces, colours and so on. 

(4) Focus on a clear marketing communications strategy. 

(5) Start from scratch. Build a new communications plan. Specify what you need to do in order to achieve your objectives.

(6) Think Customers First. 

(7) Build Relationships and Brand Values. All communications should help to develop stronger and stronger relationships with customers. 

(8) Develop a Good Marketing Information System which defines who needs what information when. 

(9) Share Artwork and Other Media. 

(10) Be prepared to change it all. Learn from experience.  
 

Sources 

About.com, About money, IMC definition. Accessed 8.9.2014

Business dictionary, IMC definition. Accessed: 8.9.2014 

MMC learning, Marketing communications - What is IMC? 2009.Accessed 9.9.2014

Trigger 1

                                                                     

Storytelling and corporate communication 

(PBL session 2, closing trigger 1. 3.9.2014)

 After watching an example video about storytelling in marketing and corporate communication, (Google search reunion), the team came up with learning objectives to discuss in the trigger closing session.

 Learning objectives

 1. What is corporate communication?

   Why is it important?

    "Corporate communication is a management function that offers framework for the effective coordination of all external and internal communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable with stakeholder groups upon witch the organisation is dependent."
    "... an instrument of management by means which all consciously used forms of internal and external communication are harmonised as effectively and efficiently as possible." (Cornelissen, J. 2014.)

Focal areas in online corporate communication (Jungle Minds, 2009)

Corporate communication is essential to all organisations, of all sizes, operating in different sectors and societies, as they must find ways to successfully establish and nurture relationships with their stakeholders, to which they're economically and/or socially dependent on. This covers both external and internal stakeholders.

2. Who are the stakeholders?

  How to differentiate them?

     An organisations's primary stakeholders are the shareholders and investors, employees and customers, suppliers, government agencies, communities and other special groups that have some kind of stake of the organisation's merchandise, operations, markets or other areas of intrest. The special interest groups and the media that also help influence the operation of a company without direct economic exchange are called secondary stakeholders.

3. How to communicate with stakeholders?

 How to attract stakeholders?

"Don’t just talk to your audience — listen. Do it often, do it consistently and do it thoughtfully." (L. Phillips. 2013)

DOs & DON'Ts of communications strategy (S. Girvetz. 2013)

DO:
Be transparent. Celebrate successes, but also acknowledge failures and areas for improvement.
Set the context. Provide an honest assessment — are scores going up or down? What needs to change?
Be human. Step outside metrics and put a face on your stories. 
Tie back to the business strategy. Why is it important for the company to engage on these issues?
Provide a call to action. How can employees play a role in advancing the company’s corporate responsibility agenda?
DON’T:
Leave people hanging. If you do a survey, report the results. If you include a “stay tuned for more information” message, follow up with more information.
Relay on a single vehicle. Pull together a mix of communications tools — the intranet might be a great place for employee communication, while social media can provide a personal perspective on a story for the customers. 
Forget to acknowledge your internal partners.


10 tips to effectively communicate with stakeholders: (Varner, M. 2014)

1. Pique their interest: An agenda is always a good idea, but a brief summary of what will be discussed is even better.
2. Don’t assume they know their job as stakeholder: They might understand the high-level view, but you will probably need to fill in the details.
3. Keep it simple: Give them the situation in straightforward terms. Don’t overwhelm them with information.
4. Use numbers and pictures: PowerPoint is a great tool for presenting graphics and numbers to stakeholders.
5. Sometimes you have to use logic: Accept the fact that there might not always be data to support a particular situation. 
6. Waiting is never a good option: Don’t wait until a problem is obvious—it’s often more difficult to solve the issue at that point.
7. Always offer a solution: If you are going to bring up a problem without offering a potential solution, you might as well tell the stakeholders, “Fire me now.” Finding solutions is part of your job as project manager.
8. Specify the actions required of them: If stakeholders need to take action, don’t assume it will be obvious to them. Restate—in list form—what actions need to be taken and when.
9. Always say “yes,” but make sure they understand how much “yes” costs: Sponsors and stakeholders don’t like to be told “no,” so don’t do it. Just make sure they understand the cost of their request, so they can judge for themselves whether or not “yes” is worth it.
10. Don’t stop reporting status because stakeholders stop requiring it: Perception is reality. If stakeholders perceive that you aren’t doing anything—your not. Don’t let your head be the next one on the chopping block.

Keywords

stakeholders, corporate communication, storytelling, corporate story, tools/techniques 
 

Sources 

Cornelissen, J. Corporate communication. A guide to theory and practice. 2014. Accessed: 2.9.2014.

Girvetz, S. Speaking AND listening: The key to effective stakeholder communications. 1.5.2013. Accessed: 2.9.2014.

Mayr's Organizational Management. Stakeholders and stakeholder orientation.10.6.2013. Accessed: 2.9.2014. 

Varner, M. AtTask. 10 tips to effectively communicate with stakeholders. 1.1.2014. Accessed: 2.9.2014.