Brand Communications

Brand communications
Communication happens when the
consumer meets the brand

Imperative to ensure that every brand
meeting builds the brand

Is it happening?
Brand communications
Consumers are constantly meeting the brand
Through advertising
With editorial mentions
By sponsorships
On the point of purchase materials
Over the supermarket shelves

They often meet our brands, but how often do
they notice them?

The need for communication
The need for impact

The need for an involving, positive
experience

The need to affect behaviour

The need for high payback
Communication imperatives
Communication process begins after
identity process is clearly laid out

Remember, brand communication is just a
reflection of strategy

Put differently, strategy leads creative and
not the other way around
Communication model
Non-receipt of message
Selective Attention
Due to message explosion

Selective Distortion
Receive what fits into their belief systems

Selective Retention
Only a few remain in memory
Effectiveness influencers
The greater the influence of communication
source over recipient, the greater the recipients
change/effect in favour of source

Communication effects are greatest where the
message is in line with the receivers existing
opinion, beliefs and dispositions

Communication can produce the most effective
shifts on unfamiliar, lightly felt, peripheral issues
that do not lie at the core of the recipients value
system
Effectiveness influencers
Communication is more likely to be
effective if the source is believed to have
expertise, high status, objectivity or
likeability

The social context, group, or reference
group will mediate the communication and
influence whether or not the
communication is accepted
The communication process
Communication is not a one-way street anymore

Communication is an interactive dialogue
between the company and its customers
Takes place during the pre-selling, selling, consuming
and post-consuming stages

Companies must ask not only How can we
reach our customers? but also, How can our
customers reach us?
Communication imperative
Managing and coordinating the entire
communications process calls for a
unifying mechanism

Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated marketing communications
IMC is a concept of marketing communication
planning that recognizes the added value of a
comprehensive plan

It evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of
communications disciplines and combines all
these disciplines
To provide clarity, consistency and maximum impact
Through the seamless integration of discrete
messages
Why IMC
Fragmenting mass markets into a
multitude of mini-markets, each requiring
its own approach

Proliferation of new types of media

Growing sophistication of customers
Advantages of IMC
IMC produces stronger message consistency
and greater sales impact

Forces management to think about every way
the customer comes in contact with the company
How positioning is communicated
Importance of each vehicle and timing issues

Assigns responsibility to unify the companys
brand images and messages as they come
through thousands of company activities
In essence
IMC will improve
the companys ability
to reach the right customers
with the right messages
at the right time
and in the right place!
Communication Approach
Communication plan
The communications plan is an investment plan

Establish goals, identify alternative routes, weigh
up the risks, potential benefits and decide which
route is likely to be effective, within your financial
limitations

By using this as a model for investing, in
different channels, brand value can be increased
Hallmark of a good communication plan
A good plan will provide a strategic framework to
identify the different goals for brand
communication
Assign these to channels which will be most effective

Will provide a blueprint against which campaigns
in different channels will be briefed and
evaluated

Will aid priority setting, and a check on how
realistic brand objectives are

Will provide an overall work plan for the
communication team, company and agency
Role for communication
What role would the communication play in the
overall scheme of things?
Introduce the brand
Make Brand TOM
Reinforce attitudes
Claim leadership

Define the role creatively and persuasively
I have to to I want to
Move the brand from the shelf to the hand bag
Communication strategy
What would be the overall communication
strategy?
The strategic route to achieving our intended goals

Some examples
Shift focus from functional to emotional benefits
Increase visibility
Establish brand superiority
Create launch excitement
Taking a creative leap
Vaseline lip guard
Appropriate the property of smile

MasterCard
Give an emotionally bankrupt brand, a heart
Tone of voice
Define the tone and manner of
communication

Some examples
Leadership
Empathy
Humour
News
The 8 Essentials
1. Address the key business issue
Communication to be developed in context of
business goals and brand strategy

In effect, what is required is a clear definition of
the role of our brand communications a need
to be able to answer the questions
What is the purpose of this communication?
How does our Communication fit into the life of the
brand?

The question to ask are:
What is the business-based purpose of the
communication? Why are we doing it?
2. Build consistent long-term Brand Equity
Ensure that all brand communication delivers a
clear, relevant and competitive consumer benefit

Communication should bring consumer close to
brand and enhance the quality status of brand

Need to make people feel that brand is playing a
real role in their lives, and is relevant to them

The question to be asked: Is every
communication derived from and reflective of the
BPS?
3. Be focused on single-minded Strong Idea
A Strong Idea binds all communication together
so that they are cohesive / consistent

What constitutes a Strong Idea?
Must be related to the brand; must involve the brand
Must be related to, or evolved from BPS
Must be involving for the consumer and hold their attention
Should be unique
Is proprietary
Should work across all forms of communication
Should be enduring over time
4. Be highly visible
It costs the same to run a TVC whether it is dull
and boring or whether it is relevant and involving
A good ad is the best media discount possible

Ensure all communication investment is money
well spent, and this means communications
have impact
Impact that is relevant to our brand

Some possible clutter breakers include
Making communication simple
Developing additional communication channels
Being innovative in media
Making better use of sampling and relationship marketing
5. Be locally relevant to core target
Need to catch the eye by planting a
relevant idea in the consumers mind
This is just right for me and the way I live my life

Focus the message / execution on the
core target and not over-worrying about
the alienating effect on others
6. Be likeable
All communication should be likeable
Achieve best scores in tracking research for
likeability of brand vs. competitors

All communication should be
contemporary, both in content and tone
Reflecting life as it is lived today, and
positioning the brand as relevant to todays
way of life
7. Be executionally excellent
Many brands are consumed for pleasure,
enjoyment and indulgence
Consumption shots should realistically communicate
this in a totally credible way

Unique, proprietary product shots and
mouth-watering consumption sequences
appeal to senses
Help create appetite appeal, differentiate our products
and motivate purchase
8. Bring about a sale
Seek to create communications which
have
The consumers interests at heart
That are involving in content and execution
That are original and provocative
That get talked about
Have the must see again factor

To help ring in the cash registers!
Unilever Principles for Great Advertising
(UPGA)
1. Concentrates on one big idea
Brands benefit is conveyed, not just by a
selling message or a series of messages
But single-mindedly, by one big idea

A visual and or aural expression of that
one big concept exclusively linked to the
brand

Example: Dove
2. Promise discriminates brand from competitors
The advertisement must communicate a benefit
But different from competitive brands

The brand must therefore communicate
uniqueness
Uniqueness in physical brand itself or in some other
value inextricably associated with brand

Example: Close Up, Vaseline
3. Involves target consumer
It elicits a favourable emotional response
by appealing to the consumers self
interest
Relating to a known need or problem
Promising satisfaction of that need
Solution to the problem

Example: Surf
4. Establishes relationship with consumer
The ad should induce a strong feeling in
favour of the brand

It should establish a preference for brand,
so consumer feels confident choosing it

Example: Vim, Wheel
5. Its credible / feels genuine
Though manner of presentations may
involve humour/hyperbole, the
fundamental benefit must be obtainable

Example: Bru, Hamam
6. It is simple and clear
The execution should be simple and the
expression unambiguous

It should be clear from the ad what target is
expected to do
This does not mean everything needs to be spelled out

Communication is two-way. The consumer
should participate

Example: Lux
7. Integrates brand name with central idea
The big idea must be inextricably linked
to the brand name

It must be remembered only in
association with the brand

Example: Lifebuoy, Clinic Plus
8. Takes advantage of each medium
Ideally, big idea should find expression in all
media
TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Direct mail

Each medium has its own characteristics,
which offer opportunities for exploitation

The big idea itself is fundamental but the ad
should take maximum advantage of the media
possibilities available

Example: Rin
9. Idea must be campaignable
The big idea will and must endure
It is not a single ad but a campaign
It is not one campaign but a series of campaigns
This is more than simple repetition or even
variations on a theme
The big idea will not only endure, it will grow

Example: Axe
10. Must help build brand personality
Each ad affects consumers perception of the
brand
If any ad conflicts with that perception it will cause a
negative feeling and several such ads will begin to
weaken brand personality

It is vital therefore to ensure consistency
Each ad helps to build or reinforce the desired brand
personality

Example: Ponds DFT, Magic Talc