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BONDING AND BEYOND - making your brand more
Today’s consumers are overwhelmed by choice. Where once there was a state telephone monopoly now there are hundreds of phone companies to choose from. Gas, water and electricity can be bought from many different suppliers and the average supermarket sells about 30,000 different products.
So how do consumers choose between forty kinds of washing powder, dozens of different personal computers and a vast array of bank accounts when the products on offer are all pretty much the same in terms of function and price?
The answer is branding. Products and services are no longer what differentiate a company. It is the brand that sets it apart from its competitors.
But a strong brand isn’t just about a logo. It is the culmination of a range of different tangible and intangible elements, of ideas, proposition, personality and values, that make a product stand out and transforms it into something that consumers can respond to emotionally and then choose to buy into or reject.
Building a brand is an expensive business. If you get it wrong then you are simply throwing money away. One of the most vital components in developing and evolving a brand is choosing the right people to work with. A healthy client/consultancy relationship is essential.
There are very many different branding and design consultancies around but they often use similar processes and systems. It can be difficult to differentiate between them. So how do you pick the right one for your brand?
Look for an agency that listens as much as it talks – many have preconceived ideas about where a brand should be going and the kind of approach that should be taken. But you, the client, should have a wealth of knowledge about your brand and ideas on how to move it forward.
That’s not to say you should work with a consultancy that doesn’t challenge the way you think and the way your business operates. But challenging and questioning should be a two way process. Many of the world’s most successful brands have been built by pushing the boundaries; taking risks and ignoring established thinking.
Iomega Corporation asked us to develop a strategy to reposition the brand and change perceptions of the data storage market. We gave the brand a personality, demystified the technology and created a sense of fun - unique in this market. We made the whole concept of data storage easier for a new breed of non-technical consumers to understand and as a result, Iomega is now market leader.
We use trends analysis to help us think the unthinkable and highlight changes in consumer behaviour and the world at large. It helps our clients to spot new opportunities and identify the things that will have an impact on their brands in the next five to ten years.
Having chosen an agency, what are the key factors for managing a brand programme, whether for a one-off project or for long term brand guardianship? Branding is now a boardroom issue because brands are a hugely valuable asset from which maximum value can be extracted. You need to make sure someone within your organisation is owning the role looking after your brand – it is not a part-time job. All the most successful brands have someone within the client-side who takes daily responsibility for nurturing, championing and celebrating that brand within the organisation.
Managing the relationship between the consultancy and the client can sometimes be difficult. Problems can arise over strategy, budgets, or through a clash of personalities, or a simple misunderstanding. There is no substitute for talking things over, being upfront and being honest. Any relationship needs work from both partners to keep it on track - this one is no exception. A strong client/consultancy relationship based on mutual respect can help build a healthy brand that will ultimately have an impact on the bottom line.
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