FAQs

Q Why is "brand" such an important business concept?

A When 64% of the market value of the world's most valuable brand (Coca-Cola) is intangible - shown on the balance sheet as $67 billion* in "Brand Value" - there's something very important here. Think about it - $67 billion in real dollar value - not for bricks and mortar, inventory or equipment - but rather for the economic power of the Coca-Cola name and what it stands for - the power to influence selection of one sugary liquid over others. WOW!

The total intangible Brand Value on the balance sheets of the companies that own the world's top 100 brands is more than $1 trillion!* Another WOW! But this is not just about megacompanies. This is about building intangible Brand Value in any-size company or organization - building the power to differentiate your brand with such clarity of competitive value that selecting your brand over others is an easy choice.

Anyone who can help you position your brand to influence selection with such power is a valuable asset. This is what Certified Brand Strategists do, and why a CBS on your team can make such a difference in your success.

Q How is this brand development process different from others?

A Two primary reasons:

• Most brand development processes look outward - to assess customer, prospect, channel partner and public perceptions of what the essence of the brand is or should be - integrate it with executive and employee perceptions - and then formulate a "brand promise" that communicates the brand's differentiation.
  
  Trouble is, companies in the same industry are doing the same interviews, getting the same answers and making the same adjustments. The result: a sameness in brands that leads to selection on the basis of price as the defining criteria.
  
  Our brand development process looks inward to unearth the true essence of a brand - to discover, by this proprietary process, not only your most strategically competitive Claim of Distinction, but also to identify the evidence that makes your claim credible and gives it the power to influence choice.
  
  
• Brand development as a business process is very new - becoming "mainstream' only within the last 5-7 years. Our trademarked "Turning the Telescope" brand discovery process has been in use since 1985 - long before brand development became "hot." So this process has had more than 20 years of refining through hundreds of sessions to become a proven tool that is consistently effective.

Q People use "branding" and "brand development" as if they have the same meaning? Are they the same?

A No. Brand development is a process to translate your Business Strategy into a Brand Strategy. Together we identify your Claim of Distinction and the compelling evidence that will clearly differentiate you from competitors and influence selection. That process can include, in addition to Brand Discovery, a wide range of tools - from research to ROI metrics - to optimize the brand strategy.

Branding is tactics - creating a marketing plan to translate the brand strategy into communication that will influence choice - ads, website, sales promotion, PR, etc. These tactics can change with the next campaign and are not the ultimate reason for selecting your product or service. The ultimate influencer is what the prospect thinks and feels about you - the value perception - what you stand for that they value relative to competitors, based on evidence they deem credible. Ultimately, it is your brand's core truth, well presented, that must carry the day.

Q Why is it so important that brand development be considered a corporate initiative rather than as a marketing initiative?

A Over the 20+ years that this process has been implemented, it has become clearly evident that a total commitment and support at the top is absolutely essential. Without it, this is an exercise in futility. The essence of your brand must be discovered and adopted from the top down with full participation and support by the CEO and C-level executives. The entire staff must feel their commitment or they will not buy in at the level needed to deliver the differentiating excellence needed in today's highly competitive world.

Q Why is it more important to brand the company rather than the product?

A What motivates people to pay $20 for a tee shirt with Armani on it, but only $8 if it's plain? And that same name on a suit or on a handbag or on a perfume carries a 200% premium compared to the same product without the name on it? "Inferred" Brand Value is a powerful force that can dramatically affect the bottom line. Brand the company and build an "S.C. Johnson - a family company" power into your brand strategy.

*Source: Interbrand Top 100 Global Brands - published in Business Week July 2005