BRAND REPORT CARD (BRC)BRAND PERSONALITY SCALE

(BPS)

Brand Report Card

By Kevin Lane Keller in a HBR article (2000)

Identified 10 characteristics that the world’s strongest brands share and constructed a report card

BRC – 10 attributes

The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire

The brand stays relevant The pricing strategy is based on

consumers’ perceptions of value The brand is properly positioned The brand is consistent

BRC – 10 attributes (contd…) The brand portfolio and hierarchy make

sense The brand makes use of and coordinates

a full range of marketing activities to build equity

The brand’s managers understand what the brand means to consumers

The brand is given proper support and that support is sustained over the long run

The company monitors sources of brand equity

#1 The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire

Why do customers really buy a product?

#1 The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire

‘We treated coffee as a produce, something to be bagged and sent home with the groceries. We stayed one big step away from the heart and soul of what coffee has meant throughout centuries’

The aroma, the taste, the displays, the music and the cozy, clean feel of the furniture

Ave. customer visits a store 18 times a month and spends $3.50 a visit; 50% annual growth rate thru the ‘90s

#2 The brand stays relevant

By contemporarizing … User imagery Usage imagery Brand personality Feelings elicited Type of relationship sought

‘The best a man can get’ – a consistent, intangible sense of product superiority; yet, R&D to be as technologically advanced as possible’

Popcorn – ACT II

#3 The pricing strategy is based on consumers’ perceptions of value

Value pricing should not be adopted at the expense of essential brand-building activities Cascade – automatic-dishwashing

detergent brand – ‘virtually spotless’

#4 The brand is properly positioned

Successful brands create points of parity (thereby neutralizing the competitors’ advantages) and points of difference (thereby achieving advantages over competitors) AmEx Vs Visa: ‘Membership has its

privileges’ Vs. ‘Its everywhere you want to be’

#5 The brand is consistent

Striking the right balance between continuity in marketing activities and the kind of change needed to stay relevant Where you’re going, it’s Michelob Weekends were made for Michelob Put a little weekend in your week The night belongs to Michelob Some days are better than others Some days were made for Michelob

#6 The brand portfolio and hierarchy make sense

Single product lines are often sold under different brand names, and different brands within a company hold different powers

Brand portfolio to provide maximum market coverage and minimum overlap Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy

#7 The brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity

Strong brands mix and match the marketing elements to perform a number of brand-related functions such as enhancing or reinforcing consumer awareness of the brand or its image and helping to protect the brand both competitively and legally Both push and pull functions

#8 The brand’s managers understand what the brand means to consumers

If its clear what customers like and don’t like about a brand, and what core associations are linked to the brand, then it should also be clear whether any given action will reinforce the brand or create friction Bic Vs Gillette Bic heritage – High quality at affordable prices,

convenient to purchase and convenient to use Disposable pens, lighters and razors

Perfumes from Bic - ‘Paris in your pocket’ Bic’s image – a utilitarian, impersonal essence –

which didn’t at all lend itself to perfumes

#9 The brand is given proper support and that support is sustained over the long run A firm foundation for brand equity

requires that consumers have the proper depth and breadth of awareness and strong, favourable and unique associations with the brand in their memory

#10 The company monitors sources of brand equity

Strong brands generally make good and frequent use of in-depth brand audits and ongoing brand-tracking studies Disney

Brand Strategy Process

Target & Insight

Brand Execution

Brand Elements

Competitive Assessment

Brand Inventory

Equity Pyramid

Positioning

Objectives & Metrics

Personality

CommunicationsStrategy

Brand Experience Map

Brand Strategy

Brand Audit

CRM &Community

Building

Points of Parity and Difference

The process of creating a brand strategy begins with a brand audit and ends with a plan for executing the brand across all touch points.

Target Insight

Where to Find Insights

A target insight describes how a meaningful connection can be established between what the brand offers and the target’s explicit or implicit needs.

Trends

Motivations/”Sweet spots”

Decision-making process/criteria

Higher level benefits

Image/Identity gaps

New Segments

Unmet needs

Points of Parity and Difference

Brand

Strengths Consumer

Needs

Competitor Strengths

Our

PODs

Potential Brand Differences

POPs• Points of Parity (Category

Benefits)

Vulnerabilities

Their PODs

Wants and Needs

a POD’s analysis is to identify what ideas from our brand and competitive brands are most meaningful and potentially differentiating.

The purpose of a POP’s analysis is to identify which category benefits are critical for establishing credibility.

Brand Inventory

Heritage/Historical Positionings (existing products)

Brand Identity logos, icons or symbols

Secondary associations

Gaps between identity and image

Organizational strengths

Brand Values/Vision

Product performance claims, proprietary technology/patents

Third-party ratings or endorsements

Where to Find Assets or Gaps

A brand inventory identifies existing or potential assets that can be leveraged or gaps that need to be addressed to build or create sustainable points of differentiation.

Brand Pyramid

Resonance

Consumer Judgments

Consumer Feelings

Brand ImageryBrand Performance

Salience

The brand equity pyramid outlines the basic building blocks of what the brand should stand for – brand vision, brand positioning, and brand personality and brand measurement.

Identity

Relationship

Response

Meaning

Brand Equity Pyramid

Brand Elements

Brand Name Brand Logos and Icons

Colors Symbols Music/Earcons

Celebrities or Personalities Advertising slogans and jingles Brand Alliances/Secondary Associations

Co-branding Licensing Sponsorship Event Marketing Celebrity Endorsement Third-party Endorsements

Brand Experience Delivery

A brand experience map describes the points of interaction that influence customer behavior and brand perceptions through the customer lifecycle. It helps identify and prioritize high-impact customer touch points, sometimes called ‘moments of truth’.

Customer Initiated

WebStore

Customer Service

Company-Initiated

SignageAdvertising

CRM

Unexpected

Third party endorsementsWord of mouth

News

Intrinsic (Use)

In the storeAt home

Often, the most effective way to connect customers to the brand is to connect them to each other. ‘Brand communities’ help define user image and distinguish brand users as part of a special group.

Community building tools

Social networks Blogs Refer a friend Product ratings Live chat Events Panels and surveys

Community Building

Brand Personality framework