Telephony TodayOnce Upon A Time: The Importance of Telling Your Brand Story

Brand Stories:Why Have One, and

Who’s Got One Anyway?

the Latest from Epygi

Naming Products With

Consistency: Remaining True to

Your Brand

Summer 2013

2 • Telephony Today

The Importance of Telling Your Story: ▷Green Eggs & Ham: Epygi Style

Products ▷Field Feedback ▷The Quadro Story

Our initial task was to rename your new product. In our previous presentation an important issue was brought to light, that we believe should be addressed in order to efficiently name the new offering. The Quadro products do not have a story. This creates confusion and misunderstanding around the connection between the product and the brand. The essence of the brand story is not about the tan-gibles. Stories are more about relationship and connect-ing with human truths. Creating a scenario around the benefits of a product, and how this fits within a brand’s story. The brand story must follow through to every aspect of the company, especially the product. The Quadro line of products is the offering that the relationship is cen-tered around. You, your resellers, and the end users are all connected by the benefits that the Quadro products provide. With the advancement of the Epygi Quadro4L comes a new outlet for expression of the Epygi brand personality and another chapter to your brand story. In order to better serve your company, we decided to look at brand stories. These stories connect us to prod-

ucts. For example, we took the children’s story Green Eggs and Ham and made it relatable in the telecom world. Now, we are able to view Epygi and how you could rearrange your branding strategy based on some-thing as simple as Dr. Suess.

Green Eggs and Ham is a short children’s story about Sam-I-Am trying to convince the unnamed narrator to try this delicacy. Sam-I-Am suggests various locations and dining partners for him to try this food, but is consistently declined. When you are convinced that this unnamed character is not ever going to eat these green eggs and ham, he succumbs to the persuasion of Sam-I-Am. Once he tries this food, he actually likes it a lot.

In This Issue

Once Upon A Time: The Importance of Telling Your Story

With an exclusive look at the new product line concept!

Competition & Market Insight ▷What others are doing and how to learn and advance

Summer 2013 • 3

Once Upon A Time: The Importance of Telling Your Story

I could not, would not, on a boat.I will not, will not, with a goat.I will not eat them in the rain.I will not eat them on a train.Not in the dark! Not in a tree!

Not in a car! You let me be!I do not like them in a box.

I do not like them with a fox.I will not eat them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them ANYWHERE!

I do not like green eggs and ham!I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.SO you say.

Try them! Try them! And you may.Try them and you may I say.

Sam!If you will let me be,

I will try them. You will see.

Say!I like green eggs and ham!

I do!! I like them, Sam-I-am!And I would eat them in a boat!

And I would eat them with a goat...And I will eat them in the rain.And in the dark. And on a train.

And in a car. And in a tree.They are so good so good you see!

So I will eat them in a box.And I will eat them with a fox.And I will eat them in a house.

And I will eat them with a mouse.And I will eat them here and there.Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so likegreen eggs and ham!

Thank you!Thank you!

I cannot, cannot, in my car.I will not, will not, from afar.

I will not call them from my house.I can’t let them see we’re as small as a mouse.

We cannot fail, please let me be!What we need is power redundancy!

I do not like them, their name is weird.For unfamiliarity is what I’ve feared.

I will not try them, we don’t have the money.We will not use them, so don’t try anything funny!

I will not use it here or there.I will not use it ANYWHERE!

I will not try Quadro and Epygi!I will not try them, Reseller, won’t you see.

You do not like them.SO you say.

Try them! Try them! And you may.Try them and you may I say.

Reseller!If you will let me be,

I will try them.You will see.

Say!I like Quadro & Epygi!

I do!! I like them, Reseller, they’re right for me!And I would use them in a car!

And I could use them from afar...And I will call from my home.

And in the park. And on a train.And in a car. And in a tree.They are so the best, you see!

So I will use Quadro and Epygi.And I will use them for my staff of threeAnd when we grow to 100 and more!

As a plus, people will not hold and bore; Quadro is reliable and not pricey, Say! We go together quite nicely!

I do so likeQuadro and Epygi!

Thank you!Thank you!

Quadro & Epygi Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham

4 • Telephony Today

Creating Your Brand Story& Incorporating Your Products

Some important factors that will help create your brand story are what your resellers are saying, creating a personality for your product and the Quadro line, and looking at what your competition is doing. All of these things will help create a more effective name and relatable story for your product.

After realizing that we needed further insight, we asked a few resellers how Epygi’s relationship with its resellers, prod-ucts, and even Quadro determine the way they sell Epygi. They gave us some advice on how to approach Quadro, and we took that into account when creating the product story. The questions that the resellers were asked are listed below, followed by a summary of their responses.

1) What does Epygi mean to you?

2) What does Quadro mean to you?

3) Compared to previous Epygi products, where do you see improvements in the latest products?

4) Product names: Do the numbers (QX1000) actually mean anything to you as a reseller?

5) Does a consistent product name resonate clearer with you as a reseller?

6) As a reseller, where do you see room for improvement in the relationship between Epygi, Quadro, and the end user?

Epygi to them is a reliable feature rich phone system for business. The name Quadro has no clear definition; it’s just an extension of the brand. Compared to previous Epygi products, resellers have seen improvements in memory and a faster process in the latest products. They all agreed that hav-ing a consistent name is important in building a brand name and feel that Epygi should be the name used in conjunction with Quadro because of the confusion between product and brand name. Looking at some of Epygi’s competitors, we noticed that they didn’t have a story behind their products, product lines, or product names, which is why in order to set Epygi apart, we created a story for the products offered. The main Quadro descriptors are:

▷sleek ▷reliable ▷customizable ▷simplistic

Talking to Quadro’s Best Friends a.k.a. Sam-I-Am

Summer 2013 • 5

Creating Your Brand Story& Incorporating Your Products

Sleek, reliable, and customizable, the Epygi Quadro line gives you a turnkey solution out of the stereotypical box and can deliver integrated IP solutions for your telecommunication needs. Today’s business executive has more important things to deal with than worrying whether a phone system is a help or a hindrance. The technology-for-ward, simplistic design of Quadro takes up no more space than a standard textbook, and provides sophistication to your commu-nication system that may surprise not only

you, but also those you do business with. It’s a personal secretary in a hard case that you can count on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, rain, sleet, or snow, well, you get it. The Quadro line will never call in sick or ask for vacation time - all for a cost that is pennies on the dollar compared to an hourly secretary at minimum wage. Quadro is here for your business today, and with flex-ibility and room for expansion will continue to play a role in your well-deserved success.

Quadro’s Story

6 • Telephony Today

Other Brand Stories

Cisco works very hard to keep their brand humanized. By humanized, meaning that they incorporate human interac-tions into an otherwise faceless corporation. They do this through using conversational language, not marketing lingo, using pictures of real human beings, loosening up the layout and knowing their audience and creating a connection. Their branding is basically defining themselves by their ambitions (They say that they need to define themselves how Intel is to chips, and Microsoft is to software)

▷ What are Epygi’s ambitions.?

They have vivid colors (mainly green) and offers a feeling of simplicity. We have used this word a lot when describing Fonality. It’s not clear what mix of elements offers this feeling but they have consistently stressed simplicity throughout their products, about us, etc. Wherever you search on their website, that is what you see. Epygi can take advantage of a consistent message like this as well. Their blog offers a more human way to interact with the company. Although it is poorly structured, its a great idea. Another refreshing aspect is they show pictures of their staff which reveals a more in-depth view of their staff, giving a name to a faceless corpora-tion (as Cisco would say).

They stress that they offer communications without com-promise. A reseller website comments that Allworx markets itself (products, brand, and all) as “future-proof” to reassure customers that it will change as technology changes

▷ How can Epygi do this?

Their website also states three key differentiators that allow them to stand-alone in the market. Allworx claims to offer the most comprehensive and customizable set of SMB features of any solution out there. Allworx systems and tele-phones support a complete set of phone system features, even features usually associated with large enterprise-class systems. On their website, Allworx offers brochures in multiple languages,user guides, and case studies. We noticed that on their website, there is not much of a brand, just functionality. Potentially, this is how they brand themselves. They focus on showcasing the products, not themselves. While this may be great, they just seem like a very bland company in compari-son.

What About Everyone Else?

Summer 2013 • 7

Epygi’s Story These are questions whose answers could put Epygi at an advantage over the competition.

▷DefinitionWhat are Epygi’s ambitions?▷HumanizingHow can Epygi become a more than just a product?▷ConsistencyIs there a consistent product and brand image?

Epygi has a great product, but because people are un-familiar with it they may be hesitant to try it. In order to generate that likability about the product, we have to give them something they can relate to. Some resellers already use and trust the Epygi brand, but others are curious, and the new product design and launch represents an aperture, a window, during which Epygi can re-capture the attention of its current trade as well as entice potential resellers. Of course, resellers will share the brand story with end users.By humanizing the product and brand, defining target market ambitions, and shepherding a consistent product image, we feel that resellers will be more willing to try this unfamiliar product. To do this, we draw on different resources that will help us in our task. Team Epgyi has made a creative brief. To define Epygi’s ambitions they say, “Epygi is about maximizing and improving the productivi-ty and client perception of small businesses. As they are

expanding their technology and creating a more integrative approach, Epygi’s goal is to make life easier for the reseller – and conequently for the end user.” Team New Product has given you a new consistent product image, the Quadro Line. From Cisco’s brand story, we took away these new ideas to better represent Epygi: “These are the execution-al tools we use to deliver our brand message and brand personality: colors, typefaces, voiceover, logo, layouts, music. They’re the elements that make all our marketing materials uniquely Cisco.” We also think incorporating Epygi’s brand values (service, dependability, economical and technological value, adaptability, forward-thinking, security) into their website and product description will provide the resellers with the correct language to portray Epygi as effectively and precisely as possible. We want to have a product platform to give to resellers so Epygi is represented as a consistent prod-uct to the resellers and end users.

8 • Telephony Today

The Quadro Line from Epygi

Epygi Q M 200

Quadro from Epygi

Important reasoning behind having this product line, including both the Quadro name and Epygi:

▷Bridging Epygi to its products ▷Maintaining the established relationships ▷Eliminating confusion With this new brand story, we suggest a new orga-nization for Quadro,specifically, a new product line. After our research, and talking with resellers, we decided that having a line will not only give Quadro meaning in relation to the products, but portray a consistent image to resellers. The idea is to have a header for all products “The Quadro Line from Epygi” with products having a consistent naming strategy, including the brand name. In inclusion of Epygi in the product name, as well as mak-ing that connection and keeping the established rela-tionship with Quadro’s “Q,” our suggested new product name is below:

Summer 2013 • 9

Resources for Further Information

We would like to thank you for your time today and during this process. Also, thank you for this challenge this semester. It has been a provlege working with you all. We would greatly appreciate any questions or comments.

Trevor Thompson: tathompson@smu.eduSophie Vongsombath: svongsombath@smu.eduAdella Winder: awinder@smu.edu

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

http://steponeportfolio.squarespace.com/storage/Cisco.Roadmap.pdf

Competition Websites ( Allworx & Fonality)