The value of a strong brand is it’s persuasive power. Strong brands can ask for more, and get it.
Brand building requires a built-to-last positioning idea. An idea that’s simple enough for the target to recall when they enter the category, and big enough that it can be executed in fresh surprising ways over years and years.
To arrive at a big simple brand idea, I start by getting a clear grasp of:
- the business problem, what’s the from-to shift in commercial metrics the client needs?
- the behaviour required, what do we need people to do in order to shift commercial metrics?
- the prevailing perspective, what’s the current thinking that’s holding back progress?
- the category, what category is the brand in and how do people compare it to competitors?
- the product, price and place; is there any relative differentiation in what we’re selling?
- the target, what’s important to them and how does that align with what we’re selling?
- the cultural context, what influences people’s preferences and where’s this heading next?
- the available media channels, what’s in scope for the budget, what’s owned by the client, what channels could be earned, borrowed or stolen?
Turning over all these stones and following the promising threads is what leads me to finding a potent perspective that shapes a strategic space from which remarkable ideas can grow:
- it could be a remarkably unique selling proposition that will be hard for competitors to match
- it could be a remarkably universal buying reason that competitors have ignored
- it could be a remarkable truth about the audience
- it could be a remarkable new category to claim
- it could be a remarkable new product, service or experience
- it could be a remarkable new media channel or a different context to show up in
It has to be creatively inspiring.
It has to solve the client’s problem in a measurable way.
It has to be built-to-last and campaignable for years. Brand building is a long-term game. It should be as hard as possible for competitors to follow.
Carl Sarney 