Brand is Not a Logo: How to Communicate Your True Brand

Preview:

DESCRIPTION

You spend lots of time and energy (and dollars) on creating the perfect look for your organization. Now what? Just because you have a fancy logo doesn’t mean others are listening! Your organization’s brand must be a package deal – looks, communication and measurement. Learn the importance of identifying your brand voice and engaging others in your conversation. Learn the dos and dont's of brand strategy and how to answer the “what next?” question after your look is set. Get everyone in your organization on board with what you stand for as a company, as a brand. Get real strategies, real examples, real tips to implement in your own organization.

Citation preview

Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference

Session 38: “Brand is Not a Logo: How to Communicate Your True Brand”

Monday, June 11, 3:45 p.m. – 5:25 p.m.Melissa Harrison, CEO, Allée

Melissa Harrison is founder and CEO of Allée, a strategic marketing, PR and branding firm in the Twin Cities. She has more than a decade of experience delivering strategic marketing solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, member-based organizations and nonprofits. Melissa’s areas of expertise include content management and strategy, branding, graphic design, PR and social media. She has a passion for driving results and creating meaningful messages.

Melissa’s recent eBook, Stop Selling: A Content Marketing Guide was published in 2011 as a starter guide for organizations to kick-off their content marketing strategies and promote their brands through engagement and conversation. Melissa is a former Board member for Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications, the community manager for LinkedMinnesota’s B2B Subgroup on LinkedIn and a guest brand and marketing blogger for Patch.com. Follow Melissa on Twitter @alleecreative.

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Do you consider a logo to be the main focus of a company brand?• 37% of small to medium sized businesses answered “yes”• 32% see branding as only relevant to large businesses

The Importance of Branding

Sample pie chart – 3D Pie

37%

Source: Tomorrow People, LinkedIn survey

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Brand is MUCH more than a logo

We’re a visual society

We’re also critical and apprehensive about “shiny objects”

Think strategy first, design second• Link your brand and design to overall value proposition• Always remember your business strategy and goals

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Remember: It’s What’s Inside that Counts

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Project-Based Branding Wastes Time, Money and Resources

Challenges:• One-off design• Design before strategy• Design before content• Missed consistency• Confusion to clients and

customers

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Developing Brand Strategy

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Develop the Answers to the Following:

Culture

People

Service

Value Proposition

**Know when it’s truly time for a change vs. being too close to the “inside” to acknowledge when things are/are not working.

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Examples

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Examples

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Establishing Your Brand

Who are you today?

What is your value?

What is your mission?

Who are your customers?

Activity:Branding Questionnaire

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Brand Voice and Brand Statements

The Association for Accounting Marketing

What is a Brand Statement or Brand Voice?

Tone

Personality

Confidence

Trust

Value

“Identity, persona, essence and promise, are the new kings and queens of the branding kingdom, thanks to technology and the deeper connections it opens up between brands and consumers.”

- Brian Solis

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Example

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Creating Your Message

Consistency

Client needs

Solution to problem

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Mini Case Study Example

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Activity: What is your brand voice?

Think: Tone and Personality

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Tools

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Offline• Brand ambassadors• Newsletters• Events• Networking• Customer Service

Online• Brand ambassadors• Social media• Website• Blogs• Video• E-newsletters• Surveys• Apps

Using a Full Integration of Tools to Communicate Your Brand

Activity:Tools Wish List

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Brand Measurement

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Tools for Measurement and Consistency

Google Alerts

Google Analytics

Third-Party Monitoring Services

SproutSocial

SocialMention

Radian6

Organic Search

Content Calendars

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Content Calendars

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Mini Case Study Example

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Protecting Your Reputation

Monitor

Respond

Personalize

The Association for Accounting Marketing

The Future of Branding

User Interface

User Experience

Analytics

Relevancy

Differentiation

It’s Anyone’s Game

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Consider the Following:

Does your company’s branding fit with your overall marketing strategies?• Are you stuck behind a so-so logo, website or other visual materials

that aren’t reaching the right audience? Do you have a set value proposition and brand voice? If asked, could you talk about your brand statement and goals?

Is your current visual brand identity (logo, website, social media sites) created for ROI?• Your visual branding should be appealing to your customer base; it

shouldn’t be designed for you. Evaluate your brand’s look and assess if it’s “speaking” for you and attracting the right clients.

What can you do (or do you want to do) to gain more from your company’s current brand?• Your brand should be working for you to bring in new business and

foster current relationships.

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Resources

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Questions and Discussion

The Association for Accounting Marketing

Thank You!

Connect with me:

melissa@alleecreative.com

www.alleecreative.com

(612) 964-7144

facebook.com/alleecreative

twitter.com/alleecreative

alleecreative.com/blog

Recommended