Tuesday, 7 June 2011

3 essential steps to brand engagement

From time to time we see an ad on TV which we really connect with. We watch the ad, we link with the message, we desire the product and our respect for the brand grows. It’s a slam dunk. But behind that 30 seconds of delight will be a brand owner that has invested heavily in the process to ensure the perfect fit between brand and consumer.

I can think of a number of  iconic brands that get this right. What they all have in common is a direct connection between the message they deliver to you through the ad and their brand essence. The brand essence is the heart and soul of the brand, the central nature of what the brand represents to all those who come into contact with it.

For instance, Nike’s essence – “authentic athletic performance” – is translated to the following two slogans “Just do it!” and “I can”. Nike’s ads are created to harness the sentiment of both essence and slogan. 

BMW’s essence is ‘Joy’. It’s reflected in the long established BMW tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” and, in recent ads, through the tagline “Sheer Driving Pleasure.”

Of its brand essence BMW says, “We don’t just build cars, we create emotions. We are guarantors of enthusiasm, fascination and goosebumps. We give you the keys to discover ever-growing and evolving Joy.” You can see how this plays out in their communications.

In (very) simple terms, there are three basic steps in developing effective brand communications. Of course,each of these steps involves a number of tasks, but if you follow the outline below and ensure you take the output of one step into the next you’ll be on the way to effective brand engagement.

Step 1 is the definition of  your brand framework – it’s personality, voice, values, unique attributes and, most importantly, its essence. These are the building blocks from which steps 2 and 3 should evolve. 

Step 2 is the development of your brand identity – its look and feel, visual language, use of imagery, colour palette and sometimes even a new or evolved  brand mark. Once you’ve completed step 1, there could be a number of directions the identity can take. Only one will be absolutely right for your brand.

Step 3 is the creation of a “go-to-market” plan – it defines who you will communicate with, when, where and what you will say. Make sure your communication platform, the idea or the slogan relates to your brand essence. Think online and offline communication channels, internal and external audiences.

At the heart of your marketing decisions should be how well you’ve connected steps 1,2 and 3. It’s the failure to do that properly which lets down so many brands. Don’t get carried away with a ‘big idea’ advertising concept if it has no relevance to your brand and its essence. That error is one of the main reasons ads fail.

At The DM Group we are committed to ensuring all our clients communications are built upon solid brand platforms. If you would like to discuss your brand or to see the work we have done then give us a call.

Malcolm Harvey – Client Services Director.