Brand Matters
Today
“A Mysterious
Power”
Something so powerful……
It enables Coca Cola to outsell Pepsi
2
:
1
Despite………….
In blind tasting...
People prefer Pepsi
A Power that........
Creates perceptions in people’s minds
Controls how we think
Controls how we feel.......
....about a thing
And this mysterious power is of course
Branding
What is a Brand?
A distinguishing mark
0 AD – 1850: Livestock
( or Logo)
Logo types
Various Logo types
Name only =
Distinguishing mark or emblem only =
Both =
Bright colours and
Fonts can play a big
role
Distinguishing marks
....an important part of the logo of a Brand
“they are the Brand's most valuable asset”
Really?
Ok…maybe…
We tend to think of Brands as…..
Consumer goods
Companies
Things…….
Take us as an example
What perceptions do you have of the following?
What does this mean to you?
What’s in a name?
What’s in a name?
Absolutely well-intentioned
Maybe prudent not to tempt fate
Ford Pinto – Launch in Brazil
Ford Pinto – Launch in Brazil
“Pinto” is Portugese slang for a male with small genitals
People are brands too….
Caution
“There’s only one kind of damage that can be done to a Brand…..
Brand....lasting
damage
And what about these?
!!
And tragically, these?
Remember this…1990
But you can recover…..
How the mighty fall!
To illustrate a point, who’s he?
Clue: I.O.D - 1991
Gerald Ratner
“ We also do cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six
glasses on a silver-plated tray that your butler can serve
you drinks on, all for £4.95. People say, "How can you sell
this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's total c*ap".
1991. Ratners Jewellers.
I contest…..
Every adviser should create his/her own Brand
whether part of a larger company, or a sole-trader
But the world has moved on…
A distinguishing mark and a good name have to be
underpinned by something else……
Brand quotes
“A great Brand is a promise kept”
Brand quotes
“A great Brand is a promise kept”
Brand explained
To expand that:
Your brand is your promise to your clients. It tells them what
they can expect from your products and services, and it
differentiates your offering from that of your competitors
It reflects your behaviour
It is a shared set of perceptions of you or your company
But how to develop a Brand
Not just a name or a logo or a slogan
Message to your clients:
• who you are
• who they are
• why deal with you
• what you are selling them (service? advice? product?)
• why you’re different
Consistency through everything you do
Avoid anything that looks and feels like something else
Think about how to differentiate yourself in the market
Elements of a strong Brand
Meaningful
Differentiating
Believable
Sustainable
Clearly articulated
Relevant
Empathetic
Distinctive
Consistent
Engaging
Memorable
Properly positioned
This one sticks out for me
So what is YOUR Brand
Is the client experience / journey consistent across all
clients?
Is there a common expectation of what people will get
when they touch the company / meet you?
What differentiates you from the competition? Find a USP
Do you have a vision statement, mission statement & core
values and does everyone share them?
Vision, Mission & Values
Vision Statement:
Outlines what the organisation / practice wants to be.
Aspirational, motivational, short, punchy
Mission Statement:
Answers the question, "Why do we exist?".
Values:
Beliefs that are shared among the stakeholders of an
organisation
In reality
What is your promise?
What do you / your company want to be regarded as?
What is your claim to fame?
Who’s is this?
"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric
company; to build a place where people can come to find
and discover anything they might want to buy online."
Who’s is this?
"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric
company; to build a place where people can come to find
and discover anything they might want to buy online."
Real life Vision
‘To be recognised and valued as a ‘trusted adviser’ in
respect of all aspects of tax, trusts and investment planning
and to achieve this position through considered, impartial
and expert advice’
An exercise for later…….
Dinner party
“So what do you do for a living”
What’s your answer?
What’s it to be…?
“I’m a financial adviser?”
“I’m a pensions expert?
“I’m a wealth manager”?
A typical response might be:
“I’m a financial adviser?”
“I’m a pensions expert?
“I’m a wealth manager?
When you try it later, make sure you incorporate the following:
• What you do
• Who for
• to what effect
A typical response might be:
“I’m a financial adviser?”
“I’m a pensions expert?
What’s your answer?
When you try it later, make sure you incorporate the following:
•
what you do
•
who for
•
to what effect
“I specialise in creating investment solutions that enable
my clients to maximise the return on their investments in legitimate &
innovative tax structures. Typically, my clients are private individuals
with pension funds and investable assets in excess of (£500,000)”.
A typical response might be:
“I specialise in helping newly appointed
Senior Executives make an instant impact in their new firm
by creating compelling benefits packages for employees”
Consumer Sites – Voucherfor.co.uk
Consumer Sites – Unbiased.co.uk
Lists - You can buy a list of practically anyone!
4 million UK and 28 million European businesses, schools, and
local government
Company directors
• by job title, turnover, date of incorporation; number of employees;
accounting date etc
Directors at home
Millionaires
Theatre-goers (Ticketmaster)
Magazine subscription lists
Lists - You can buy a list of practically anyone!
Shareholder files – of FTSE companies
56,000 Solicitors (from Law Society)
• by age, years in practice, job title, geographic area, legal
specialism, size of firm, type of employer, head or branch office
35 million consumers at 20 million households
• by geography, household finances or composition, interests,
investments, cars driven, charities supported
Council tax band data
Example: shareholder data
Example: CTB
And finally…..
“Branding is what lazy and ineffective marketing people do
to occupy their time and look busy”
David Meerman Scott
Thank you for listening