Brand Communication Workshop

August 2007

science+art=emotion
 What is a Brand?

The brand is all that is communicated visually

and otherwise to portray the personality of
the organisation, it’s products and services.
And, as such, strong brands are enormously
powerful business tools.

It is not simply a logo. An organisations logo

stands as an emblem for all that their brand
encompasses.

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 Brand Building

Science + Art = Emotion

The Strategic Approach (The Science) When we approach branding, we recognise it is

a business challenge which requires the implementation of a robust strategy to improve
the chances of success. To be successful a company’s brand must fit congruently with its
products, services and the markets. Good branding takes all the parts into consideration,
from the way the company behaves (Brand Personality) to the way it looks (The Visual
Identity).

The Visual Identity (The Art) is the visual representation of the brand. This visual language
gets represented on all marketing collateral such as sales literature, websites, signage etc.
and will effect the way the organisation is perceived.

RA ND
L LB
RA
VE TITY
DEN
LI
O

UA
VIS

NAME &
LOGO
CHARITIES
SPONSORED PARTNER
PROGRAMMES

QUALITY EVENTS
PREMISES
PERCEPTION
DIRECT
MAIL

PR ADVERTISING
ON-LINE SERVICE
OFFER

SALESMAN’S
COPY CARS
STYLE SALES
IN MEDIA ONLINE
THE NAME NEEDS
MAIL LITERATURE
TO BE DISTINCTIVE
IN ITS MARKET,
POSITIONING IDEALLY UNIQUE SALESMAN’S
SUITS

OFFICES THE LOGO IS A TAG

SHORTHAND FOR
POWERPOINT
PRES. THE BRAND WEBSITE

PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF

SHOWROOMS
DISPLAY SIGNAGE

INTERNAL
CORPORATE AND EXTERNAL
LITERATURE POLICIES
AWARDS PRICE
VALUE PERCEPTION
PERCEPTION

STRATEGIES
GREEN POLICIES
OTHER COMMUNITY
PROGRAMMES

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 Why Examine Your Brand?

Their are many reasons why organisations reassess their brand

• the products and services they offer change
• their markets needs and requirements change
• their target audiences change
• their corporate structures change
• their brand is tired and/or has been overtaken in the marketplace
• their brand is dissipated through inconsistent use

Solution : assess current brand, create , drive and direct

new brand

To progress future marketing and communications effectively

• research the competition
• undertake a brand communications workshop (to develop brand values)
• create a new brand identity (only change if deemed necessary from brand workshop)
• develop brand identity guidelines (even if logo has not changed)
• create a marketing strategy for the coming year

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 Why Brand Values?

Brand Values

• brand values define the personality of a company, its products and its services

• they are guidelines used to control consistency of the brand message,

both internally and externally

• once established they are referred to in the creation of all marketing

and communication briefs

• all marketing and communication solutions can be measured

against the values

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

The Brand Workshop
 Brand Workshop Objectives

Aims of the BRAND Workshop

• to create a consensus amongst all parties responsible for delivering
the Client brand message
• to define Client core values and strengths
• provide an opportunity for the key decision makers to help define the Client brand
• use the groups combined knowledge, experience and creativity to generate
new marketing / communication ideas
• to finalise a set of core brand values that can be carried forward into
all Client marketing and communication material

The workshop will not only define the Client brand, but will also highlight where
guidelines are needed for future communications materials (e.g. website, sales
marketing literature).

These tools can then be produced with confidence knowing that the content is
consistent with the agreed brand guidelines.

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 1 - Define the NEW target audience

• who are the Client audience ?
• is there more than one target audience ?
• categorise into primary and secondary targets
• describe their needs, characteristics, demographics

what you
G what
Client want to
project
A they
perceive
AUDIENCE

P
COMMUNICATION GAP

This exercise will outline what Client is marketing, to whom,

and what the desired response should be.

Exercise time 10am: 60 mins - private/corporate - take us till 11am

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 2 - Brand exploration - car/animal

Through other brand association

• look at brands and describe the qualities and values associated with them.
• then if Client was a car -what would it be and why (traditional/modern, flexible etc).

Through emotive association

• explore other non-branded associations

This exercise is to aid Client in understanding the ideas / values that are behind
some major brands, and to examine the ideas / values that lie behind their own.

Exercise time 11am: car 30 mins - animal 30 mins - take us till 12pm

 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008

 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 3 - Visualise the Client brand - Pick an advert

Think about the Client look and feel then using the magazines provided:
• pick an advert, an image, a phrase or word which would be right for Client
• think about the emotion we want to generate in the mind of the audience
• the explanation of why the image/word has been selected is as important
as the image itself

Look for
• a look that fits your image (now and in the future)
• an overall message that is similar to your own
• aimed at the same audience
• from a company/body with similar values

This exercise is to create a visual direction for the Client brand

Exercise time 1pm: 15 mins to find adverts - 30 mins to discuss - take us till 2pm

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 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 4 - Assess & Agree the features and benefits

1. What are the benefits that Client will offer their core market
• the customer gets…
• the customer can…

2. What are the images/ideas that Client will project to their core market
• the audience sees…
• the audience thinks…
• the audience believes…

3. Not so important...
These benefits and ideas will change depending on who you are talking to…
• existing customers
• potential customers
• the media
• your piers / competitors

This exercise will define what Client customers gets & what the market
perception is

Exercise time 2pm: 45 mins for features & benefits - key 15 mins - take us till 3pm

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 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 5 - Develop a single minded proposition - elevator pitch -

why Client - Vision - Mission

The proposition is a single minded thought / statement that helps define the Client and
forms the basis for developing future communications. It should be supported by key
benefits and differentiators.

To express in short statements, definitions of Client brand. They will typically cover
• this is the sort of company we are (values and beliefs)
• these are the benefits that we offer our customers
• these are the sorts of products we sell
• the statements will then be streamlined to create a short message
that can be used externally.

This exercise will outline ideas, that will ultimately create a statement to be used
internally to position the key proposition in the minds of the staff & directors

Exercise time 3pm: 20 mins for quick and dirty SMP - 20

mins Vision - 20 mins Mission - take us till 4.00pm

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 The Brand Workshop

Exercise 6 - Determine the brand values

• Core Values - the sort of centre that Client will be
• Company Values - how Client will be perceived
• Tonal Values - the way that Client will communicate

Sample Brand map

VALUES
L
NA
TO
UCT
OD
PR
ANY
MP
CO
CORE creAt i ve

innovAtive

viSionAry

intelligence
eS

tA
B g
liS l in
re hed enAB
liA le
Bl iB
ho
e f lex
y
ne dl
St en
fri

This exercise will define how Client will take itself forward to the market

Exercise time 4pm: 20 mins - quick and dirty - take us till 4.20pm

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 Workshop Rules

1. Be positive
• believe anything is possible

2. Be prepared to participate
• everybody’s ideas are of equal worth

3. Be open minded
• postpone and withhold any judgement on ideas

4. Be creative
• encourage radical, lateral and innovative ideas

5. Don’t keep your thoughts to yourself

• share them and build on other ideas put forward

6. Don’t criticise
• your own or anybody else’s ideas

7. Switch off all mobile phones please

8. Have fun

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 Timing

Exercise 1 - Define the NEW target audience

Exercise time 10am: 60 mins - private/corporate - take us till 11am

Exercise 2 - Brand exploration - car/animal/fashion brand (Kookia etc)

Exercise time 11am: car 30 mins - animal 30 mins - - take us till 12am

Exercise 3 - Visualise Client brand - Pick an advert

Exercise time 1pm: 15 mins to find adverts - 15 mins to discuss/maybe 30mins -
take us till 2.00pm

Exercise 4 - Assess & Agree the features and benefits

Exercise time 2pm: 45 mins for features & benefits - key 15 mins - take us till 3.00pm

Exercise 5 - Develop a single minded proposition - elevator pitch - why

Client - Vision - Mission
Exercise time 3pm: 20 mins for quick and dirty SMP - 20mins Vision - 20 mins
Mission - take us till 4.00

Exercise 6 - Determine the brand values

Exercise time 4pm: 20 mins - quick and dirty - take us till 4.20pm

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Brand Workshop Follow Up
 Workshop Follow Up

After the workshop the following will be Delivered to Client

1. direct findings from the workshop
• finalised brand map (see sample attached, created for Actis)
• mood boards (see sample attached, created for Kenetic)
• key insights
• finalised single minded proposition, (sketch vision and mission)

2. competitors analysis
• pull together 6 competitors web screen grabs and evaluate

3. marketing strategy
• make suggestions about the best way forward for marketing

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 Mood Boards

18 science+art=emotion © ignite your brand 2008