Launching a new brand identity can be a fairly complex and time-consuming task. BrandIntellect can assist you in launching the brand to both external and internal audiences.A new brand can create new excitement and enthusiasm within an organization and serve as a unifying element for divergent corporate cultures. Employees will serve as ambassadors able to communicate key messages to external audiences.
Implementation of a new brand should involve many key internal audiences. The objective of the implementation step is to phase in the new brand identity while transitioning out the old identity in the most cost-efficient, time-expedient manner. BrandIntellect will also work with your current advertising and/or public relations agencies to launch your new brand.
What good is an asset if you can't manage it effectively? Your brand identity is one of your most valuable assets and to ensure its value over time you need to ensure that each application complies with a set of predetermined strategies and guidelines. These guidelines ensure the proper sizing, placement, coloring, and staging of your logo. These guidelines also provide the necessary standards for how to stage your logo in combination with various organizational entities, sub-brands, affiliate brands, co-sponsorships, etc. BrandIntellect will customize your standards in a variety of printed formats or an electronic format if you have an internet or intranet system
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Positioning statement development
At the core of a strong, effective brand is a consistent, well-founded brand promise. The brand promise is derived from intimate knowledge about your customer purchase behavior, perceptions, motivations, desires and needs as well as an assessment of your brand's current and desired imagery. It tells your customers what you intend to deliver. It can be the way in which you intend to deliver services. It could be a particular feature or benefit of a product. It can be the way your company or organization performs to meet certain customer expectations and so on.The brand promise is communicated in a specific tone and style that we refer to as the brand personality. The brand personality is translated throughout all visual applications and documented in the identity standards to ensure consistency.
Strategic brand planning
Market intelligence, research, competitive analysis, and internal interviews serve as the foundation for developing brand strategies. Our intent is to identify the most effective strategy for taking your brand to the level of awareness, recognition, and reputation that influences consumer purchases. If a brand doesn't influence behavior and attitudes,then why promote it.
Your brand represents a relationship between your organization, product or service and its key audiences. That relationship is critical to the success of your company. Brand planning takes into account the desired direction of that relationship and plots a road-map to get there. That road-map may involve repositioning, a new name or logo, redesign of your current logo, graphic standards development, creation of a brand architecture strategy, or a combination of these elements.
Your brand represents a relationship between your organization, product or service and its key audiences. That relationship is critical to the success of your company. Brand planning takes into account the desired direction of that relationship and plots a road-map to get there. That road-map may involve repositioning, a new name or logo, redesign of your current logo, graphic standards development, creation of a brand architecture strategy, or a combination of these elements.
Brand Information
1 | Define Your Brand.
You only get one chance to
make a good fi rst impression.
Clearly state who you are, what
you do, why someone should
buy from you and why you’re
different.
2 | Develop a Brand Positioning Statement (in two
sentences or less).
Create a statement that succinctly describes your products
and services as they relate to
your clients’ needs. Refresh
your positioning statement as
needed.
3 | Create a Plan.
Think through the details for
getting your products, services
and business in front of the
right people. Write it down. Refine it over time. This is called a
plan.
4 | Get Feedback from
Customers and Prospects.
How do you find out why your
business isn’t where you want it
to be? Get out and talk to customers. Talk to prospects. Find
out what they need and how
you can fill their needs.
5 | Reinforce Your Message.
It takes at least three impressions for someone to remember
your products and services. Get
the word out about what you
do over and over again using a
variety of media types.
6 | Deliver Benefi ts Which
Customers Really Desire
and Value.
How does a customer know
whether or not your offering
can fix a problem that they
don’t even know they have? Describe benefits: how your product or service uniquely satisfies
a need, fills a void, provides a
solution or identifies a problem.
7 | If It’s Broken, Fix It.
Find ways to constantly improve
your business. If something
isn’t working, be prepared to
change it.
8 | Identify What Your
Brand Means to Customers.
Loyal customers are your greatest asset. Find out just how
loyal your customers are by
asking them to tell you exactly
what makes your offerings valuable to them.
9 | Audit and Track
Your Success.
Use the services of a colleague
or a research firm to perform
quarterly or semiannual audits
to see how satisfied your clients
are or are not. Take action on
the information that you get
from these audits.
10 | Match Your Pricing to
the Value That Your Clients
Get from Your Offerings.
Test different price points for
your products and services.
Research the price points and
pricing models from competitors in your field. Value is in the
eye of the beholder.
11 | Organize Your
Products and Services
in a Logical Way.
Consider your offerings as a
system of products and services
that work together. Be sure that
they are clearly named, priced
and marketed so that clients
can make an informed and
clear buying decision among,
and between, your offerings.
page 1
20 TIPS TO
Market and Brand Your
Struggling Business
from the BLUE SAGE on Business Series
12 | Spend as Much Time
as You Can Getting to Know
Your Customers.
Write down a detailed description of your ideal client. Once
you’ve found them, take the
time to understand their needs,
issues and buying patterns.
13 | Include Your Product
and Company Name on
Everything.
Reinforce your image and brand
by putting it on everything from
email signatures to note cards,
websites, direct mail pieces,
marketing materials and voice-
mail messages.
14 | Tell a Story About Your
Product or Service.
Everyone loves a good story.
Write an account of a how a client found you, a problem that
you solved for them, or the successes that they’ve experienced
with your products or services.
15 | Tell Your Clients’ Stories
Using Their Words.
Testimonials and reference letters are effective ways for your
clients to sing your praises.
Develop a collection of “client
stories” that you can access at a
moment’s notice.
16 | Push for Quality.
Strive to delight your clients by
exceeding their expectations
and meeting your promise for
results.
17 | Speak to Your Clients
in a Language They Can
Understand.
The style, tone and content
of all communications to your
clients should be easy for them
to understand. Avoid acronyms
and technical terms unless
widely understood by your
audience.
18 | Get Out to the Marketplace – No Matter What.
Whether or not your business
takes you beyond hyperspace,
get out and talk to other business owners. Get involved in
industry associations. Attend
conferences and other educational events.
19 | Establish Solid
Business Processes.
Document and update the
basic series of actions that
describe how you run your
business. Include steps for
taking orders, answering customer inquiries, post-sales
interactions with customers
and other aspects of operating
your business.
20 | Stay Relevant.
Businesspeople often “reinvent” themselves. Keep up to
date on issues and developments in your industry that
may affect how (and what and
for how much) you sell your
products and services. Be on
the lookout for opportunities to
meet client needs in a new and
different way.
BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc.
is a SOMWBA-certified
business consulting firm,
established in 1997 to work
with companies to successfully
market and sell their products
and their services.
You only get one chance to
make a good fi rst impression.
Clearly state who you are, what
you do, why someone should
buy from you and why you’re
different.
2 | Develop a Brand Positioning Statement (in two
sentences or less).
Create a statement that succinctly describes your products
and services as they relate to
your clients’ needs. Refresh
your positioning statement as
needed.
3 | Create a Plan.
Think through the details for
getting your products, services
and business in front of the
right people. Write it down. Refine it over time. This is called a
plan.
4 | Get Feedback from
Customers and Prospects.
How do you find out why your
business isn’t where you want it
to be? Get out and talk to customers. Talk to prospects. Find
out what they need and how
you can fill their needs.
5 | Reinforce Your Message.
It takes at least three impressions for someone to remember
your products and services. Get
the word out about what you
do over and over again using a
variety of media types.
6 | Deliver Benefi ts Which
Customers Really Desire
and Value.
How does a customer know
whether or not your offering
can fix a problem that they
don’t even know they have? Describe benefits: how your product or service uniquely satisfies
a need, fills a void, provides a
solution or identifies a problem.
7 | If It’s Broken, Fix It.
Find ways to constantly improve
your business. If something
isn’t working, be prepared to
change it.
8 | Identify What Your
Brand Means to Customers.
Loyal customers are your greatest asset. Find out just how
loyal your customers are by
asking them to tell you exactly
what makes your offerings valuable to them.
9 | Audit and Track
Your Success.
Use the services of a colleague
or a research firm to perform
quarterly or semiannual audits
to see how satisfied your clients
are or are not. Take action on
the information that you get
from these audits.
10 | Match Your Pricing to
the Value That Your Clients
Get from Your Offerings.
Test different price points for
your products and services.
Research the price points and
pricing models from competitors in your field. Value is in the
eye of the beholder.
11 | Organize Your
Products and Services
in a Logical Way.
Consider your offerings as a
system of products and services
that work together. Be sure that
they are clearly named, priced
and marketed so that clients
can make an informed and
clear buying decision among,
and between, your offerings.
page 1
20 TIPS TO
Market and Brand Your
Struggling Business
from the BLUE SAGE on Business Series
12 | Spend as Much Time
as You Can Getting to Know
Your Customers.
Write down a detailed description of your ideal client. Once
you’ve found them, take the
time to understand their needs,
issues and buying patterns.
13 | Include Your Product
and Company Name on
Everything.
Reinforce your image and brand
by putting it on everything from
email signatures to note cards,
websites, direct mail pieces,
marketing materials and voice-
mail messages.
14 | Tell a Story About Your
Product or Service.
Everyone loves a good story.
Write an account of a how a client found you, a problem that
you solved for them, or the successes that they’ve experienced
with your products or services.
15 | Tell Your Clients’ Stories
Using Their Words.
Testimonials and reference letters are effective ways for your
clients to sing your praises.
Develop a collection of “client
stories” that you can access at a
moment’s notice.
16 | Push for Quality.
Strive to delight your clients by
exceeding their expectations
and meeting your promise for
results.
17 | Speak to Your Clients
in a Language They Can
Understand.
The style, tone and content
of all communications to your
clients should be easy for them
to understand. Avoid acronyms
and technical terms unless
widely understood by your
audience.
18 | Get Out to the Marketplace – No Matter What.
Whether or not your business
takes you beyond hyperspace,
get out and talk to other business owners. Get involved in
industry associations. Attend
conferences and other educational events.
19 | Establish Solid
Business Processes.
Document and update the
basic series of actions that
describe how you run your
business. Include steps for
taking orders, answering customer inquiries, post-sales
interactions with customers
and other aspects of operating
your business.
20 | Stay Relevant.
Businesspeople often “reinvent” themselves. Keep up to
date on issues and developments in your industry that
may affect how (and what and
for how much) you sell your
products and services. Be on
the lookout for opportunities to
meet client needs in a new and
different way.
BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc.
is a SOMWBA-certified
business consulting firm,
established in 1997 to work
with companies to successfully
market and sell their products
and their services.
Asia Pacafic
Rapid growth soon necessitated another move in 1974 -- this time to the company's present global headquarters in Oldwick, NJ. With a new wing constructed in 2000, the company doubled in size. To address the increasing globalization of the insurance industry,expanded into a worldwide operation and established Europe Ltd. in London in 1997 and Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong in 2000.
What started out as financial reporting in the early 1900s has grown to more than 50 publications and services that meet the diverse demands of the ever-changing insurance industry. Today, more than 400 analysts, statisticians and editorial personnel are dedicated to providing the insurance industry with the most complete, accurate and up-to-date financial and operating
What started out as financial reporting in the early 1900s has grown to more than 50 publications and services that meet the diverse demands of the ever-changing insurance industry. Today, more than 400 analysts, statisticians and editorial personnel are dedicated to providing the insurance industry with the most complete, accurate and up-to-date financial and operating
Bank Detail
The various banks fill such regional vacancies in different ways. For example, Barclays only has short term contract vacancies, does not advertise these and only recruits via direct applications to the personnel manager in their regional office (PO Box 96, Mortlock House, Histon, Cambridge CB4 4ZX). Lloyds TSB advertises vacancies in the local press and also considers speculative enquiries (to Lloyds TSB Bank plc, Regional Personnel Office, Thames Valley & East, Triangle Business Park, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury HP22 5BJ). NatWest fills all such vacancies via recruitment agencies (Alfred Marks and Manpower). The HSBC recommends a direct approach to one of the branches, asking the area manager about possible current vacancies.
However, it will be worth checking out the current recruitment situation with the manager of your local branch before pursuing these application routes, since several changes are taking place in the banking sector - rationalisation, mergers, mutualisation, etc - and these may drastically affect recruitment situations and policies. Unless you make it clear that you are not enquiring about the graduate recruitment scheme, your enquiry may simply be referred to the head office.
The situation with the recently converted building societies, and other banks is similar, for example: Halifax plc - enquiries for vacancies with branches of
Halifax plc in the region (ie East Anglia, including Herts, Bucks, etc.) should be addressed to: The Recruitment Department, Halifax plc, Eastern Region Office, High Trees, Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 4AY. A CV plus covering letter should be sent in the first instance. The enquiry will be matched against any vacancies there might be in the region.
Abbey National - The regional office (which for East Anglia is also their national HQ: Graduate Recruitment Officer, Abbey House, 201 Grafton Gate East, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK9 1AN) does not accept speculative enquiries for vacancies at branch level within the East Anglia region. Any such vacancies are advertised in the local press.
However, it will be worth checking out the current recruitment situation with the manager of your local branch before pursuing these application routes, since several changes are taking place in the banking sector - rationalisation, mergers, mutualisation, etc - and these may drastically affect recruitment situations and policies. Unless you make it clear that you are not enquiring about the graduate recruitment scheme, your enquiry may simply be referred to the head office.
The situation with the recently converted building societies, and other banks is similar, for example: Halifax plc - enquiries for vacancies with branches of
Halifax plc in the region (ie East Anglia, including Herts, Bucks, etc.) should be addressed to: The Recruitment Department, Halifax plc, Eastern Region Office, High Trees, Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 4AY. A CV plus covering letter should be sent in the first instance. The enquiry will be matched against any vacancies there might be in the region.
Abbey National - The regional office (which for East Anglia is also their national HQ: Graduate Recruitment Officer, Abbey House, 201 Grafton Gate East, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK9 1AN) does not accept speculative enquiries for vacancies at branch level within the East Anglia region. Any such vacancies are advertised in the local press.
Relative Decline
However in the last couple of decades certain signs of relative decline have become apparent, in the financial sector as well as in American industry. Losses estimated by the Brookings Institute as exceeding $100 billion, or $400 per US citizen, were incurred as a result of the numerous failures of Savings and Loan Associations or thrifts in the late 80s. A more insidious relative decline is demonstrated by the fact that in 1970 the ten largest banks in the world were all American but by June 1991 there were no American banks in the top 20.
It is still incredibly incongruous when millions of dollars can instantly be transmitted across the globe by satellite that US banks, the main creators of the country's money, may still not be allowed to open a branch even a few miles away (especially in other States) without quite disproportionate effort. The complexity of the American financial system has provided a paradise for lawyers, while the Byzantine supervisory structure has imposed heavy annual operating costs, currently of over a billion dollars, which have to be carried by banks and their customers, quite apart from the periodic massive reconstruction costs borne impatiently by the US taxpayers.
Although America has officially enjoyed a single currency since 1790 it has not yet achieved a single banking market. It is one of history's exquisite ironies that Europe, or most of it, reached the goal of a single market by 1992 and, despite considerable scepticism, has now achieved its other goal of a single currency. The Euro was adopted by the banking systems of the participating countries in 2001 and although it lost value against the dollar after its launch it nevertheless remains a potential threat to the supremacy of the dollar in the international financial system, despite the interest in dollarization, or the substitution of the US dollar for national currencies, in parts of Latin America.
It is still incredibly incongruous when millions of dollars can instantly be transmitted across the globe by satellite that US banks, the main creators of the country's money, may still not be allowed to open a branch even a few miles away (especially in other States) without quite disproportionate effort. The complexity of the American financial system has provided a paradise for lawyers, while the Byzantine supervisory structure has imposed heavy annual operating costs, currently of over a billion dollars, which have to be carried by banks and their customers, quite apart from the periodic massive reconstruction costs borne impatiently by the US taxpayers.
Although America has officially enjoyed a single currency since 1790 it has not yet achieved a single banking market. It is one of history's exquisite ironies that Europe, or most of it, reached the goal of a single market by 1992 and, despite considerable scepticism, has now achieved its other goal of a single currency. The Euro was adopted by the banking systems of the participating countries in 2001 and although it lost value against the dollar after its launch it nevertheless remains a potential threat to the supremacy of the dollar in the international financial system, despite the interest in dollarization, or the substitution of the US dollar for national currencies, in parts of Latin America.
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