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Brand Positioning, Product Development and Business Growth
Brand Positioning, Product Development and Business Growth
Brand Positioning: The Typical Processes
Problem StatementProcess OverviewReview of definitionsBrand Exercises: Visual and Verbal MetaphorsBrainStorming / Ideation GenerationIllustration / VisualizationRole Playing: Script WritingScenario PlayConceptingDocumentationStorytelling
Why do this? Clarity.
Two companies with different focuses and expertise coming together to compete with others for market share in product development must differentiate itself and be perceived that way by potential customers.
Answering questions:who we are, who do we want to be and who can we bewho we are perceived to bewhat does the market want
Declare who we will be.Define a strategy to get there.Execute a plan to achieve it.
In today’s increasingly competitive global market,
building effective and meaningful brands is
essential for business success. Yet branding
efforts that are based primarily on logical, verbal
messages are increasingly ineffective in reaching
a consumer population grown skeptical of new
claims. A more powerful approach to establishing
brand perceptions is required – one that
automatically triggers perceptions that are
relevant to target customers, true to the brand
identity and differentiated from the competition.
Brand Positioning provides a systematic method
for adding further definition to a brand’s identity
and determining the visual signals that will
establish brand perceptions at all points of
contact with customers.
What is a Brand?A person’s perception of a product, service, experience or organization
What is a Brand Attribute?A distinctive feature of that product, service, company or brand: porsche = classic
What do we mean by Brand Intention and Brand Meaning?
Brand Positioning (Identity) informs how we build the User Experience and therefore involves Industrial Design, Information Design & Architecture, Graphic Design and Packaging. Our Intent as a brand.
Brand Perception (Image) focuses on the way consumers interpret signals created by a company through it’s products, services and communication. What BSi means to our clients.
The psychic distance between the intended message and the consumers actual interpretation represents a “brand gap”. This can be problematic if the gap is wide.
Qua
ntita
tive
Iden
tity
Ele
me
nts
Qua
litat
ive
Va
lue
Pro
posi
tion
Meat Ball
Color
Tag Lines
Name
Iconic
Successful
I like to explore
Problem solving is why I’m here
Talent
Technical Experience
Skill Base
BSi
Bold
Out of Box Thinker
Energetic
Fun
Committed to Excellence
Creative Atmosphere
Common Purpose
Fits My Lifestyle
Relaxed
Brand Wheel
Identity components
Heritage (e.g. Apple) provides confidence or positive feelings based on the reputation and actions of the brand.
Personality (e.g. Swatch) projects human character traits to the brand that will be meaningful to customers and help establish emotional links.
Visual Assets (e.g. Joe Camel) are images that immediately trigger the brand name and key perceptions that resonate with the target market.(What happened to Joe?)
Emotional Benefits (e.g. Prius) allow the customers to perceive positive feelings and personal rewards created through experiences with the brand.
Functional Benefits (e.g. thenorthface) are tangible benefits relating to experiences and/or the relationship with the brand.
Self-Expressive Benefits (e.g. PRADA) allow customers to outwardly express who they are or who they would like to be through the brands they use and associate.
Value Proposition components
Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Does It Matter?
Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Does It Matter? BrooksStevens, Inc. today (BSi interpretation)
Verbal Comments
Problem Solver
Functional
Sound
Mass Appeal
Solid
Refined
Authentic
Honest
Orange
Visual Description
Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Does It Matter? BrooksStevens, Inc. today (Ingenium interpretation)
Verbal Comments
Legacy
Clean
Classic
Comfortable
Modernism
Potential Innovation
Sophisticated
Artistic
Visual Description
Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Does It Matter? BrooksStevens, Inc…aspirationally
Verbal Comments
Process Expert
Sophisticated
Legitimate
User Centric
Embraces New Technology
In Touch
Passionate
Connected
Bold
Performance Minded
Deep and Wide
Daring
Solid
Responsible
Visual Description
Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Does It Matter? The Competition
Raised on pop culture
Innovation Consultancy
Signature Design Aesthetic
Who Are They? What Do They Do? Why Do They Matter?
Innovation Consultancy
Astro Studios: “A crew of uniquely talented designers. We live at the epicenter of American lifestyle, technology and design.”Product & Brand Strategy, Industrial Design, Graphic Design *Network: Market Research, Electrical&Mechanical Engineering, Interaction&Interface Design, Varied Brand Development Specialists, Contract Sourcing&Manufacturing
BlueMapDesign: “A multi-disciplinary product design firm based in New York City, the firm has gained international acclaim for it’s signature design aesthetic utilizing simplicity relative to form and function.”Product Design, Branding, Environmental, Furniture, Structural Packaging
Continuum: “A design and innovation consultancy. We are a group of design strategy, brand experience and product innovation experts helping companies build design solutions.”Strategy, Product Design, Brand Experience
Desgrippes Gobe: “A operate in cross-functional teams of brand strategists, graphic designers, interactive designers, writers, architects and industrial designers so we can create end-to-end solutions for any branding challenge.”Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Product Innovation, Retail Experience
The Competition
Who Are They? What Do They Do? Why Do They Matter?
Innovation Consultancy
Insight: “…designs meaningful products and experiences. From design strategy through development we align user needs with business goals to ensure market success.”Strategy, Innovation, Experiences, Development
RKS Design: “A fusion of Science, Experience, and Design.”Research, Strategy, Branding, Innovation, Industrial Design, User Interface, Engineering, Prototyping, Graphics, “Psycho-Aesthetics”
IDEO: “IDEO helps organizations innovate through design.”Strategic Service: Explorations, Service Design, Transformation Design Services: Environments, Digital Experience, Product Development
IngeniumPD: “…has evolved from an engineering background into a full service, highly creative firm. We provide industrial design, engineering and prototyping… necessary components of a turnkey product development company.”Brainstorming, Feasibillity Studies, 2D Concept Renderings, 3D Concept Renderings, Digital Animation, Ergonomic Analysis, Color Studies, Design Specifications, Material&Process Selection, Aesthetic Prototypes
The Competition
Who Are They? What Do They Do? Why Do They Matter?
Innovation Consultancy
Priority: “…is a leading industrial design and product development firm. Soft goods. Our services include...”Research, Strategy, Design, Engineering, Prototyping, Brand Support
Radius: “Innovation Realized…Globally.” “Radius is an award-winning product design and development firm that collaborates with international clients in the consumer and healthcare industries to create inspired solutions that drive business success.”Discovery, Concept, Development, Implementation
The Competition
ASPIRATIONAL BRAND PERCEPTIONS from the workshop
Process Experts, Playful, Sophisticated, User Centric, In Touch, Passionate, Connected, Bold, Eccentric, Legitimate, Deep and Wide, Solid, Responsible, Daring, Performance Minded, Technology Embracing, Smart, Relevant, Grounded, Quality Work…
Beginning with words
Playful
Daring
Smart, Responsible, Relevant
Process Experts, Technology Experts
User-Centric, Grounded
Passionate, Performance Minded
Playful, Eccentric
Bold, Daring
Sophisticated, Smart, Legitimate, Responsible, Relevant
Process Expert, Technology Embracing, Quality Work,
Deep & Wide
User-Centric, In Touch, Connected, Grounded
Passionate, Performance Minded
Playful
Smart
Experts
User-Centric
Passionate
Playful, Daring
Smart, Responsible, Relevant
Process, Technology Experts
User-Centric, Grounded
Passionate, Performance Minded
Brooks Stevens: playful, smart, user-centric, passionate experts
STRATEGIC BRAND DIMENSION
Energetic:Playful
Energy is a key component of the BSi brand. Energy describes the personality and self-expressive nature of the BSi organization. With a foundation in the identity, emotional benefits and personality of the brand profile, the concept of energy conveys the vibrant spirit of the BSi brand. Consumers can trust BSi to design and develop expressive and successful products because we are!
STRATEGIC BRAND DIMENSION
Smart
Smart is a key component of the BSi brand. Smart describes the technical knowledge of the BSi team. With a foundation in the heritage, identity and personality of the brand profile, the concept of “smart” conveys the depth of experience behind the BSi brand. Clients are confident that BSi will deliver beyond expectations.
STRATEGIC BRAND DIMENSION
User-Centric
BSi is User-Centric in all aspects of design and engineering. Grounded in the personality, functional and self-expressive components of the brand profile, User-Centric personifies the focus on solving problems with tangible and differentiating benefits to consumers and clients alike.
STRATEGIC BRAND DIMENSION
Passionate Experts
Passionate Experts defines the BSi brand by describing benchmark level competencies in human-centric design and engineering. With roots in the heritage, identity and personality components of the brand profile, “Passionate Experts” defines the beliefs, commitment and expertise with which each BSi colleague approaches design innovation.
---- improve ---------- evolve ---------- invent ---------- transform ----
Invent new product solution
Products that transform the market or the organization
Improve efficiency & profitability of existing product
Evolve the product to a new level of performance
The Innovation Continuum
---- improve ---------- evolve ---------- invent ---------- transform ----
Hyper Design
• Accelerated• Focused• Risk of missing the window is greater than an imperfect product
Improve efficiency & profitability of existing product
Evolve the product to a new level of performance
“Time to market is everything, and we have no time, and even less budget.
Get it roughly right.”
Invent new product solution
Products that transform the market or the organization
---- improve ---------- evolve ---------- invent ---------- transform ----
Invent new product solution
Products that transform the market or the organization
Design Optimization
• Efficient tactical development• Choose the best places to apply resources, take some short cuts
Improve efficiency & profitability of existing product
Evolve the product to a new level of performance
“We know what to do, let’s do it efficiently, balancing time and budget
trade-offs”
---- improve ---------- evolve ---------- invent ---------- transform ----
• Heavy discovery phase• Significant rigor• Attempting a breakthrough• Strategic investment of time & $
Improve efficiency & profitability of existing product
Evolve the product to a new level of performance
“Let’s do this right, let’s go where no one has gone before, let’s change the
rules of the game, let’s create our future”
Invent new product solution
Products that transform the market or the organization
The Deep Dive
The Big Opportunity
Business Week estimates of only single digit
innovation success rates begs the question:
What makes the cultures of large corporations
so successful at squeezing profit from the
manufacturing and marketing of products and
so inept at inventing them?
Once the brand positioning baseline has been approved,
it will become a basis from which to evaluate ourselves
over time. Brand Dimensions can also be used as a
metric in perceptual mapping.
Brooks Stevens, Inc., through it’s vision and the very
visual nature of the work we produce and the results we
bring to our clients, can create a very strong and
recognizable identity, verbally, visually and perceptually if
managed correctly.
The key element to being a good brand steward is
ensuring that all our outbound communications: website,
collateral, presentations communicate a consistent
message and one that differentiates BSi in a positive light
from the competition.
