1 Branding with Purpose Ohio Superintendents County Board of MR/DD Conference March 9, 2009 Agenda •Background on Megan and Randy •Why Is Branding Important? •What: Developing a Brand •Who: Defining the Audience •How: Taking Action •Next Steps Megan Moore Senior Research Analyst •Develops strategic digital marketing plans for ConAgra Foods brand and corporate teams. •Leads consumer understanding and program measurement. •5+ years experience in CPG and healthcare marketing research and planning. Randy Limes Client Service Supervisor Leads the large-scale multi-brand and corporate programs for ConAgra Foods Has led nine national award-winning programs for ConAgra Foods Previous clients include Johnson & Johnson, J.M. Smucker Company, and P&G Digital advertising agency with a focus on consumer relationship marketing. What We Do: 208 people including Creative, Technology, Project Management, Research, Strategy, and Client Service Who We Are: Cincinnati, Ohio Headquarters: 1979 Founded: Bridge Worldwide Top 25 Best Small Companies to Work For in America (2006, 2007, and 2008) Some of our Clients
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Branding with Purpose
Ohio Superintendents County Board of MR/DD Conference
March 9, 2009
Agenda
• Background on Megan and Randy • Why Is Branding Important? • What: Developing a Brand • Who: Defining the Audience • How: Taking Action • Next Steps
Megan Moore
Senior Research Analyst
• Develops strategic digital marketing plans for ConAgra Foods brand and corporate teams.
• Leads consumer understanding and program measurement.
• 5+ years experience in CPG and healthcare marketing research and planning.
Randy Limes
Client Service Supervisor
Leads the large-scale multi-brand and corporate programs for ConAgra Foods
Has led nine national award-winning programs for ConAgra Foods
Previous clients include Johnson & Johnson, J.M. Smucker Company, and P&G
Digital advertising agency with a focus on consumer relationship marketing.
What We Do:
208 people including Creative, Technology, Project Management, Research, Strategy, and Client Service
Who We Are:
Cincinnati, Ohio
Headquarters:
1979 Founded:
Bridge Worldwide
Top 25 Best Small Companies to Work For in America (2006, 2007, and 2008)
Some of our Clients
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Our Culture is Important to Us… First, a few questions…
What is your perception of marketing?
How do you use marketing now?
Why Is Branding Important?
Can you name these brands?
Brand and Branding: Official Definitions
A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually marketed.
Branding is the process of creating and disseminating the brand name and brand identity.
Said another way…
A brand is what people collectively say, feel & think about your product, service
or organization
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A brand should…
• Arouse Emotion • Ignite Passion • Create Credibility • Have Meaning
Most brands are seeking purpose…
“Purpose-based branding is having an inspirational, motivational reason for being for your brand. Its a brand that shares values with consumers, it’s a
brand that has an agenda, that is trying to make a powerful impact for good”
- Jim Stengal, Former Chief Marketing Officer, P&G
…MR/DD is a purpose seeking a brand
Most companies have their brands and seek to add purpose to make them
relevant to their consumers.
MR/DD has a clear, meaningful purpose…Now it’s time to build a
brand.
Why do products need branding?
1. Consumers face a dizzying array of choices.
2. A brand differentiates the product from similar offerings, and makes it top of mind.
3. And a strong brand gives employees focus and a sense of purpose.
The reasons for MR/DD to establish a brand are virtually the same….with
a few modifications.
Why does MR/DD need branding?
1. Voters face a dizzying array of choices.
2. A brand differentiates the organization and its message, and makes it top of mind.
3. And a strong brand gives employees focus and a sense of purpose.
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So….how do you get started?
The WHAT: WHO: HOW approach
Marketing
WHAT Does your brand
stand for?
HOW Will you
reach them?
WHO Are you talking
to?
What is the biggest challenge you face when passing a levy?
How do you think the name change affect your awareness levels?
Awareness Education Action Advocacy
Have they heard of you?
Do they know what you do
and what you stand for?
Will they do what you want
them to?
Will they be an advocate?
WHAT Defining Your Brand
“It is easy to decide what you are going to do. The hard thing is to decide what you are NOT
going to do.” - Michael Dell
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What Constitutes a Brand?
• Name • Brand Identity • Physical Elements
- Logo, Colors, Tagline
What brand is this?
How did you know?
What Constitutes a Brand?
• Name: Coca-Cola
• Physical Elements - Color Red - Scripted “Coca-Cola” - Old-style bottle
• Brand Identity - Coca-Cola Makes You Happy
Think of a brand as a person.
• Is it? - Who you are, what you think?
• Or is it? - How others view you?
It’s Both
What Defines YOUR Identity?
Brand Identity is the same thing.
If your brand were a person, what type of person would they be?
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Apple
Thinking Differently
Nike
Just do it
Kashi
WholesomewithaMission
American Red Cross
Compassionate Relief
So….how do you get started?
Start to define the MR/DD brand identity…using a framework like the
Brand Identity Pyramid
Brand Identity Pyramid
• What is it? - A visual reference of the internal strategic choices that the brand is making, from attributes to Overall Identity
• Why is it important? - Centralizes brand qualities - Forces the brand to make decisions about what the brand is and is not.
- A roadmap for all message development
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Let’s look at some examples.
Bridge Worldwide:
Brand Identity Pyramid
Ten Thousand Villages Stores Ten Thousand Villages
Brand Identity Pyramid
Exercise: Beginning the Pyramid
Assignment 1. Begin to develop the pyramid for
your MR/DD 2. For each level, jot down the first
words/phrases that come to mind.
Time: 10 minutes
ATTRIBUTES
BENEFITS
VALUES
CHARACTER
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Building a
Brand Identity Pyramid
Exercise
Attributes How would you describe this brand to someone who’s never heard of it?
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Attributes: Examples
• Schools • Services to individuals and families with disabilities.
ATTRIBUTES
BENEFITS
VALUES
CHARACTER
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Building a
Brand Identity Pyramid Benefits This section describes how the attributes impact the community.
Benefits: Examples
• Helping people with disabilities achieve what is important. • Supporting individuals with disabilities and their families.
ATTRIBUTES
BENEFITS
VALUES
CHARACTER
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Building a
Brand Identity Pyramid Values
This section illustrates what the brand stands for and finds
value in.
Example Values What qualities are most important?
Individualism
Altruism
Determination
Empowerment
Benevolence Individualism ATTRIBUTES
BENEFITS
VALUES
CHARACTER
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Building a
Brand Identity Pyramid Character
This section describes the brand as if it were a person.
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Character
A series of choices between two positive opposites
Innovative? or Tried & True?
Facilitator? or Provider?
Compassionate? or Sympathetic?
ATTRIBUTES
BENEFITS
VALUES
CHARACTER
IDENTITY STATEMENT
Building a
Brand Identity Pyramid Equity Statement This statement should be the culmination of the lower levels of the pyramid. A simple statement that embodies the brand.
WHAT: Next Steps
• Spend a day developing the brand identity for your organization.
• Invite the key players to take an ownership role.
• Make it feel official – create copies for everyone in the office.
• Learn it, know it, live it.
Once you have established WHAT your brand stands for, think about WHO you are talking to.
WHAT Does your
brand stand for?
HOW
Will you reach them?
WHO Are you
talking to?
WHO Defining the Target Audience
“Know Thyself” - Socrates
“Know Thy Audience” -Every Successful Marketer
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Defining Target Audience
If you don’t know who you’re talking to, how will you know what
to say, and how to say it?
Defining the Target Audience
1. Identify Them 2. Understand Them 3. Find Them
1. Identify
• Voters who voted for the last levy • Voters who voted against • New Voters • Beneficiaries of MR/DD services • Corporate contributors • Others?
2. Understand
• For each target audience, discern: • What they think, feel, & do • Their perception of MR/DD • What barriers do you need them to overcome?
• The best way to do this is by listening to the audience, but some is based on your gut.
Let’s look at some examples.
Simple & Delicious Website
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US Bank Website
2. Understanding: Head Heart Hands Exercise
Assignment 1. Choose one of your audiences. 2. Put yourself in their shoes.
- HEAD: What do they THINK? - HEART: What do they FEEL? - HANDS: What do they DO? - What do they know about MR/DD?
• What is their perception?
Time: 10 minutes
3. Find Them
• When and where will your audience be most receptive to your message
- Media: Newspapers, Word of Mouth - Resources: Website, pamphlets - Intercepts: Yard Signs, Voting locations, Community events
WHO: Next Steps
• Spend some time identifying your MR/DD target audiences.
• Interview people in each target audience group to understand.
• Develop profiles to help guide the message development.
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Finally, it’s think about HOW to talk to the different audiences.
WHAT Does your
brand stand for?
HOW
Will you reach them?
WHO Are you
talking to?
HOW Getting the Message Out
“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting
to look at. Make it fun to read.”
- Leo Burnett (Pioneer of U.S. advertising, 1891-1971)
Get the Message Out
• Develop messages for each target audience. • In order to resonate, it must answer the question “What’s in it for me?” • Create the elevator pitch.
- The single most important thing you’d want to communicate to spread the word
The Elevator Pitch: Exercise
Assignment: 1. Imagine you’re on an
elevator in a high-rise with someone who has never heard of MR/DD.
2. What is the most important thing you can tell them about the organization from the time it takes to get from the bottom floor to the 25th floor?
Time: 5 minutes
And now…a potentially controversial thought.
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Stop Campaigning. Start Committing.
Campaigning = Marketing for short term gains
Committing = Creating an evolving collection of brand ideas and experiences over time.
The Challenge
What can you do on an everyday basis to spread awareness and
education of the MR/DD?
If the community as a whole gains an understanding and awareness of the MR/DD, won’t it be much easier
come levy time?
Listen and Respond
Marketing is an iterative process.
Always listen to the community response and adapt the message accordingly.
…Without compromising your brand identity
What Next?
Start to work on WHAT, WHO, HOW
Marketing
WHAT Establish Brand
Identity
HOW
Develop messaging
WHO Define the audiences
You don’t have to have an MBA to develop branding and smart marketing
materials…
In fact, no one is more qualified than YOU to develop a brand for YOUR
organization...
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Next Steps
1. Develop your Brand identity
2. Define (and prioritize) your target audiences
3. Develop messaging that speaks directly to their belief and what you want them to do.
“Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.”
