Brand Key Workshop

Brand Key

The key to unlock brand secrets

A way of expressing brand positioning so that everyone can understand the brand

It establishes a shared framework and common language for all to use

It defines how brand adds value

Brand Key

8. Essence

3. Insight

1. Competitive Environment

2. Target Audience

Its a system that helps guide not only where the brand is today, but also where it should go

It ensures continuity in evolving brands towards a future vision

It shows why someone would want to buy!

In short, the brand key helps unlock growth!

1. Competitive Environment

Competitive environment
The market and alternate choices as seen by the customer and the relative value the brand offers in that market

It describes the choices available to the consumer, with which your brand competes Note, it is not a description of the product category as defined by ourselves

In other words, all those who lose when we win!

What would the consumer consider to be an alternative choice to the brand?

For instance, what would it be for Pepsi?

2. Target

Target
Describes the chooser of the brand
Who may be the buyer or the user

The person for whom the brand is or wants to be the first choice

The chooser should be defined in terms of attitudes, behaviour and values as well as socio-economics Sometimes, it will be helpful to specify the situation in which brand will be the first choice

The tighter the target can be defined, the stronger its appeal can be

Example: McDonald
People who can relate to childhood happiness Parents who want to treat the kids

Kids who want to have fun with their meal

3. Key Insight

Key insight is seeing inside the consumer

Aspect of all you know about the consumer: - which shows how brand can solve a problem - or create an opportunity for them

Insight expresses the totality of all we know from seeing inside the consumer

The insight is specific to the competitive situation and to the target

Key Insight I wish to get married to a handsome prince

Key Insight
Fragrance of my current talc does not last long and I miss opportunities to enjoy life

Key insight: The process

Obtaining information about what people think and do Building understanding about why they do it Achieving insight into what the business can do to satisfy their needs & wants in new ways

Taking action to deliver these solutions in the market

How to get an insight?

What role does category play in consumers lives?
How can the brand improve someones life?

What paradoxes of conflicting needs do people face?

What opportunities are they looking for?

When and why is it important for product to work?

Who will notice?

What is the standard of excellence in the category?

Who do consumers envy?

Keep asking why to find the real need behind an obvious insight

4. Benefits

Benefits
These describe the ways in which the brand solves consumer problems or offers an improvement in some aspect of their life
The reasons to buy

Brand benefits will be functional, emotional and self-expressive

Functional benefits
Benefit based on a product attribute that provides functional utility to the customer
Most visible and common basis for value proposition

Such a benefit will usually relate directly to the functions performed by the product If a brand can dominate a key functional benefit, it can dominate a category
Close up and fresh breath Surf and stain removal

Remains untouched, no matter what.

Emotional benefits
When purchase or use of a brand gives a positive feeling, that brand is providing an emotional benefit Emotional benefit adds richness and depth to the experience of owning and using the brand Most functional benefits will have a corresponding feeling or set of feelings
Freshness and confidence, in the case of DFT

Self-expressive benefits
A brand can provide a self-expressive benefit by providing a way for a customer to communicate his/her self-image

Purchase and use of brands is one way to fulfill the need for self-expression
Feeling smart by buying Surf The can do attitude by wearing a Nike

Self-expressive Vs Emotional benefits

Emotional Benefits
Feelings
Private products viz., books, soaps etc., More transitory Consequence of using the product

Self-expressive Benefits
Self
Public setting / products viz., cars, apparels etc., Permanent, linked to consumers personality Act of using the product

Remember these should work together, one flowing from the other.
E.g., Volvo is a safe car that makes you feel responsible

5. Values and Personality

Values and personality

Values are what the brand stands for and believes in Personality is how the brand behaves

The brands personality is the weighted average of previous impressions

In consumers mind, these impressions merge to form an overall concept of what to expect from the brand

Value and personality traits are what the brand will live and die for!

6. Reason to Believe

Evidence of why the brand is better than alternative brands

Superior product details

Expert endorsements

Emotional reasons related to the values of the brand

Demonstrations

Heritage

7. Discriminator

Discriminator
The single most compelling reason for the consumer to choose the brand Selected from all the elements of Brand Key
But by not using them all

It expresses in one brief sentence what gives the brand its competitive edge

 In choosing a discriminator, the criteria to apply are:

Is it unique and differentiated? Is it really relevant to the consumer insight? Is it consistent with all other elements in the Brand Key even if it does not contain them all?

Make sure the discriminator is important: - to capture attention, - credible enough to be believed - and different enough to be memorable

8. Essence

The distillation of the brands positioning into one clear, defining thought

The discriminator tells what the brand offers thats better than competition.

The essence is what the brand is about.

Of all components of the Brand Key, thisll need several attempts and refinements

Dreams of beauty

Confident closeness

Style statement

Brand Key

8. Essence

3. Insight

1. Competitive Environment

2. Target Audience

Testing the Framework

The Case of Dove Soap

Competitive Environment
Dove bridges soaps and skincare Many women consider it part of their beauty regime It competes directly with premium soaps, such as Lux, Pears, Camay etc.,

Target
Women who want to care for their skin Who want to look and feel their personal best

Aged 35 50
Beginning to feel the effects of dry skin

Key Insight

Soap leaves skin feeling dry and tight

Benefits
Wont dry my skin like soap can Makes my skin soft and smooth

Helps me feel more feminine

Brand Personality
Honesty Purity

Feminity
Optimism Inner confidence

Reason to Believe
Contains th moisturizing cream Recommended by doctors / dermatologists

Indicts other products with clinical proof

Endorsed by users

Discriminator
Dove wont dry my skin like soap can, because it contains th moisturizing cream

Essence

Restoring feminity

Tips: To Write a Good Brand Key

Work with a team!

Build a draft Brand Key, continually challenging the team to make it clearer and more precise

Use simple words that are not ambiguous. Keep searching for a better word to express the same idea

The guiding principle is, less is more!

It really helps to put the Brand Key away and revisit it a few days later

Positioning, like strategy, is about choice and sacrifice.

The fewer the ideas, the fewer the words, the better!

Remember, what we have seen represents just the minimum use for Brand Key.

There is no maximum.

The only limit is your own ingenuity!

Remember, like a computer, a camera, or a musical instrument, Brand Key is a tool, not a substitute for talent!

Assignment: Write a Brand Key for Raymond

Competitive Environment
Suiting and shirting fabric and ready made mens wear from domestic and global brands

Target
Male Sec A and B

Aged 21+
Seeking status and lifestyle enhancement

Key Insight

My attire reflects my persona

Benefits
Rational Style Premium quality Luxurious Perfect fit Emotional Stature Elegance

Brand Personality
Confident Arrived

Sophisticated
Discerning Sensitive

Reason to Believe
Trusted Premium

Lineage

Discriminator
Raymond makes me exude elegance, feel confident and command respect thereby allowing me to be a complete man

Essence

Command respect

Thanx!

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