Know-How Exchange : Branding

90% of branding is internal (actually not sure on that figure but its pretty high), and most of the successfully branded companies EVER, has had a huge culture change internally to achieve this.

There is a huge need, as you rightly say to get everyone instantly on the same page.

Tone, image, messages etc need to be consistent.

Traditional reasons for failed branding are:

1. Little funding, interest and support from senior managers.
2. Short timeframes to develop strategy, plans and execution.
3. Confusion in teh market (with clients and prospects)
4. Lack of a dynamic and consistant approach to marketing

Some useful resources:
o https://www.promotenews.com/2003/0617.html
o https://adtimes.nstp.com.my/archive/2001/jun10.htm
o https://www.copernicusmarketing.com/about/mzine/monthlyeds/march01.html
o https://www.bbj.hu/?module=displaystory&story_id=184215&edition_id=1475&for...
o https://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=76
o https://www.telecom.sk/En/Default.aspx?CatID=33
o https://www.atme.org/pubs/members/75_307_1301.cfm
o https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/webdav/servlet/XRM?Page/@id=6048&Session/@...
o https://www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp?bs_id=81
o https://www.prophet.com/knowledge/articles/downloads/DavisDunn_BrandingInsi...
o https://www.prophet.com/knowledge/articles/downloads/Creating%20the%20Brand...

Not sure how else we can help you directly!

Good Luck

Take the temperature of the top management, beginning with the CEO. If they are on board, emphatically, enthusiastically, intuitively, etc., etc., then you need to start there:
. Understand your mission, vision, values, etc., as things that set you apart from every other consultant on the block.
. Define what you do and what you don't do; said another way, specifically describe what business you're willing to walk away from.
. Identify common touchpoints that embody your new brand -- from the easy stuff like logos and website home page to the hard stuff like how you communicate with customers, how you spell out your consulting engagement flow to clients. Branding is more than your ad copy -- it needs to be your DNA. If you're bolting on a 'new brand image' that isn't coming from your DNA, you're not going to make it stick.

Now, if your CEO thinks this sounds fine and let's you run with it and isn't a) jumping out of his or her chair, b) interrupting you with his/her thoughts on how to do this even better, and c) not offering, but telling you, that they will champion this, then your efforts -- while well-intentioned -- will fail.

If your CEO gets it and is willing to crack heads to see it done right, you're in good shape. Otherwise, don't waste your time. I've been here and done this on both sides of the ball, once winning and once losing.

Good luck!

You might start by talking about all the customer touchpoints and how they all affect the company's image or brand.

Make a list of the touchpoints and meet with key managers in each area to see how they manage the touchpoints that are relevant to their area of responsibility. Use this as both a learning experience and a teaching opportunity. You can learn what they're doing and why; they can learn how important it is that everyone view and treat the brand the same way.

It's unlikely you'll be able to change the culture singlehandedly in a short timeframe, but you can start "dripping truth" on key people one at a time.

If the CEO is on board with what you're trying to accomplish, tell him/her about your strategy, and see if you can get him/her to say a few words of endorsement at the next management meeting.

Good luck.

Your problem is actually more common than you imagine. The truth is there are many companies in exactly the same situation.
I suggest you begin by finding the few things everyone can agree with. Begin the process of having the CEO state this mini-branding message as often as possible. This provides you with a test of the CEO's metal. Then begin to add small pieces to the message. The point here isnt to abruptly change direction, but rather to slowly heard the group into a more narrowly defined brand. A year of this will put you well on your way to branding, and will be easier for the company to digest.

Hi Dana,

“My question is: does any one have any advice on how to PROVE that a clear and cohesive brand messaging WILL have a positive impact on generating new business?”

You have received some terrific input from the KHEers above. I didn’t see any specific input about an examination of your competitors. I understand that you are looking to “brand from the inside out”, and that begs the question; Do your competitors brand from the inside out? If yes, how are they doing it? Do they also rely on a new business referral model? Is that common to your industry? Do they go outside “the network”? Who is growing their marketshare? Who is shrinking their marketshare?

A “brand from the inside out” approach doesn’t mean you are an island. If you can find examples of competitors that are successfully going outside of the network starting with strong inside out branding initiatives, then you will have more ammo to take your case to management.

Hope this helps,

Steve

Been there, done that.

The biggest problem is securing the hearts and minds of the disparate team members and managers - right now these people are the most important key stakeholder group you have.

Unfortunately Richard Nixon's well-worn quote on the subject of "hearts and minds" doesn't quite work for the person charged with creating a cohesive brand image.

Randall (WMMA) identified the radio station your internal team is tuned to: W-IIFM. So, what IS in it for them?

You say the company is successful because it is getting "referral" business from its network. But the CEO wants to create new business from outside the existing network. Wonder why... Because he has much bigger growth plans than the referral network can support, perhaps?

Maybe getting everyone on the same page, with a strong, cohesive brand will help create this required "step change".

A Mission Statement and set of core values are a start, but even if they are very good, they can only go so far, and if they're not very good, well, you know what they say: "A mission statement is defined as "a long, awkward sentence that demonstrates management's inability to think clearly." - And all good companies have one.

Did you involve these key stakeholders in developing the Mission Statement and Core Values? If not, how can you involve them to get their buy-in?

Frankly, I think if you didn't, you should get them together and workshop through it to get it modified so they will buy-in, or get them to agree what you've drafted is fine... Call this Workshop One...

So, assuming they buy the MS and CV, next step, how can you PROVE that a clear and cohesive brand messaging WILL have a positive impact on generating new business? Workshop Two coming up...

WS2: Why not float the company's brand image issues with physical examples of disparity, discontinuity, gaps and glaring horror stories, put it all p around the room and ask the stakeholders for their views. Contrast your brand image with that of your major competitors and ask how they feel about it. Eventually you'll get a grudging admission that there IS a problem, at which point you have to indulge in what I call "Selling Tactics". Involve the CEO in all this - get CEO buy-in well before this workshop and make sure you get their full support through the workshop too.

Ask the stakeholders what the extent of the brand-image problem is. What will happen if it doesn't get fixed, and what happens if the competitors DO get their brand image better than yours... Keep pressing the point of pain and put all the pain-points up on the white board.

At this point you've probably fully highlighted the problem, why it's a problem, and why it needs t be addressed. Send them all away and ask them to come to workshop Three with their thinking caps because they are going t help you solve the problem.

WS3: Ask them how they see the problem getting fixed.