- A definition of the company's brand equity – a starting point to developing the company's brand strategy.
- A positioning statement – the basis for all corporate communication activities (will include the company's unique selling proposition).
- An outline for a marketing communications plan – and much of the content (or the basis for modifications to an existing marketing plan).
- An action item list of projects (with responsibility assigned) as well as additional research needed based on session discussions.
Prior to the workshop, a series of audits are conducted:
Competitive Audit
A competitive audit is designed to understand category landscapes and to determine how competitors organize their brands and express their equities across varying points of customer interaction. This will include careful analysis of such applications as web sites, advertising and promotional material, products, engineering and technologies, etc. In this way, we can identify opportunities for your company to distinguish itself in its brand expression.
Brand Audit
We will assess the current range of brand expression to better understand the brand’s current equity and image sources. Further, this audit will help us analyze the company’s brand architecture and communication system. We will review the current expression of the brand at all potential points of interaction with customers (retail stores, customer interfaces, websites, suppliers, etc.) and other key constituencies. These interaction points include components of brand expression and brand communications (packaging, customer service, advertising, direct marketing, promotions, etc.).
Management Audit
A management questionnaire will be administered and analyzed in advance of the workshop to ensure the time is spent in the areas that need the most attention. We strongly believe that the long-term ambition of the brand is significantly influenced by the vision and "will power" of the brand owners – the company’s senior management team. The brand strategy must target a real customer or segment need, but the commitment of members of management to allocating the resources and "piloting the ship" are critical in making the brand positioning document more than simply words on a piece of paper. We wish to determine how management would like to see the brand stretch, understand the current business dynamics, and most importantly, to understand their view of the future. We also need to understand what core competencies currently exist, are in development, and are contemplated/planned in order to continue to compete successfully.
Trade Channel Audit
We will conduct interviews with key individuals from current, past and potential company clients to gain further insight into the marketplace and to better understand their perception of your brand. We will also interview consumers in your target market and conduct a store audit to see how the brand is being presented and understood on the retail sales floor (if applicable).
Workshop Deliverables
Once the audits are complete, we will be ready for your Branding Positioning Workshop. We will clearly define all of the elements of a marketing communications plan and key drivers for the overall brand strategy in the workshop. This information can be used to write or refine your company’s strategic marketing plan. At the conclusion of the workshop, you will be given documentation of the entire process and the end results including:
- Company Vision
- Company Mission
- Core Values
- Brand Positioning
- Brand Equity Diagram
- Messaging Recommendations
- Recommended Marketing Tactics
- Additional Research/Projects List
- Assignments/Responsibilities
- Summary of Audit Results
