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