{"version":"https:\/\/jsonfeed.org\/version\/1","title":"Good Journal - Brand thinking","description":"No fluff, just straight-talking insights. Our Journal is where we share honest takes on branding, backed by years of experience. If you\u2019re after real-world thinking that cuts through the noise, you\u2019re in the right place.","home_page_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/journal\/feed.json","feed_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/journal\/feed.json","favicon":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/sites\/default\/files\/favicon_0.ico","items":[{"id":"5908","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-most-b2b-websites-dont-work","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Your B2B Website Redesign Feels Weird","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost B2B websites describe the business to the people who already understand it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProduct pages use the language of the product team. Service pages use the language of the service. The about page tells the history of the company to people who don\u0027t know the company and don\u0027t yet care about its history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people who need the website most are the ones it\u0027s least equipped to help: the prospective buyer who isn\u0027t sure yet, the committee member doing pre-meeting research, the CFO being asked to approve a vendor they\u0027ve never heard of.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt gets treated as a web design problem. It\u0027s a clarity problem, handed to the web team to solve on their own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink about what the website actually is. It\u0027s the one salesperson in the business who is always available, never off-message, and never has a bad day. It\u0027s also, for most companies, the one that would be fired fastest if it were a person.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason is simple. The website can\u0027t fix a brand problem. It can only reflect one. If the brand hasn\u0027t answered the question, why this company and not the one with the same homepage in a different shade of blue, the website has nothing to work with. It will describe the company accurately and say nothing useful. A website redesign without a brand rethink is an expensive way to produce a prettier version of the same confusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd it keeps happening for a reason that has nothing to do with talent. Websites are built by web teams. Web teams think in pages and user journeys. They\u0027re very good at making content findable. Deciding what to say isn\u0027t their job.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo the content comes from the people who know the business: the product team, the marketing team, the leadership team. Those people describe the business from the inside out. They know every feature, every service, every point of difference. They write about it in the language that makes the most sense to them. Which is usually the language of people who already understand the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the customer arrives with a problem they\u0027re trying to solve and a shortlist they\u0027re building. They need to understand quickly: is this company for people like me, and is it clearly better than the alternative? Most B2B websites answer neither question on the homepage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo the website needs a point of view before it needs a design. A point of view on who the customer is and what they need to believe before they\u0027ll buy. Not a tagline, a point of view.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s not a web brief. It\u0027s a brand brief. And it has to be written before anyone talks to a web agency, picks a CMS, or debates the navigation structure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe businesses whose websites work, the ones that convert and shorten the sales cycle and help buying committees agree, have usually done this work first. Not explicitly, often. Not always through a formal brand process. But someone, at some point, forced the clarity: this is who we\u0027re for, this is the one thing we need them to understand, this is why they should trust us enough to have a conversation. Everything else is design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0027s a simple test for whether you\u0027ve got it. Ask someone who\u0027s never heard of the company to spend 60 seconds on the homepage. Then ask them two questions: who is this for, and what do they get from it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf they can answer both, clearly, without prompting, the website is working. If they can\u0027t, the problem isn\u0027t the website.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMost B2B websites describe the business to the people who already understand it. \nProduct pages use the language of the product team. Service pages use the language of the service. The about page tells the history of the company to people who don\u0027t know the company and don\u0027t yet care about its history.The people who need the website most are the ones it\u0027s least equipped to help: the prospective buyer who isn\u0027t sure yet, the committee member doing pre-meeting research, the CFO being asked to approve a vendor they\u0027ve never heard of.It gets treated as a web design problem. It\u0027s a clarity problem, handed to the web team to solve on their own.Think about what the website actually is. It\u0027s the one salesperson in the business who is always available, never off-message, and never has a bad day. It\u0027s also, for most companies, the one that would be fired fastest if it were a person.The reason is simple. The website can\u0027t fix a brand problem. It can only reflect one. If the brand hasn\u0027t answered the question, why this company and not the one with the same homepage in a different shade of blue, the website has nothing to work with. It will describe the company accurately and say nothing useful. A website redesign without a brand rethink is an expensive way to produce a prettier version of the same confusion.And it keeps happening for a reason that has nothing to do with talent. Websites are built by web teams. Web teams think in pages and user journeys. They\u0027re very good at making content findable. Deciding what to say isn\u0027t their job.So the content comes from the people who know the business: the product team, the marketing team, the leadership team. Those people describe the business from the inside out. They know every feature, every service, every point of difference. They write about it in the language that makes the most sense to them. Which is usually the language of people who already understand the business.But the customer arrives with a problem they\u0027re trying to solve and a shortlist they\u0027re building. They need to understand quickly: is this company for people like me, and is it clearly better than the alternative? Most B2B websites answer neither question on the homepage.So the website needs a point of view before it needs a design. A point of view on who the customer is and what they need to believe before they\u0027ll buy. Not a tagline, a point of view.It\u0027s not a web brief. It\u0027s a brand brief. And it has to be written before anyone talks to a web agency, picks a CMS, or debates the navigation structure.The businesses whose websites work, the ones that convert and shorten the sales cycle and help buying committees agree, have usually done this work first. Not explicitly, often. Not always through a formal brand process. But someone, at some point, forced the clarity: this is who we\u0027re for, this is the one thing we need them to understand, this is why they should trust us enough to have a conversation. Everything else is design.There\u0027s a simple test for whether you\u0027ve got it. Ask someone who\u0027s never heard of the company to spend 60 seconds on the homepage. Then ask them two questions: who is this for, and what do they get from it?If they can answer both, clearly, without prompting, the website is working. If they can\u0027t, the problem isn\u0027t the website.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Most B2B websites describe the business to the people who already understand it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-07-13T15:22:41+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5907","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-does-good-ai-look","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What Does Good AI Look Like?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone has the same AI now. What stops it from sounding like everyone else is brand. The part you decide before the machine ever starts. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, welcome to my \u201cAI in Agencies\u201d TED talk. You\u2019ll be sick to the back teeth reading about how AI is changing everything, everywhere, all at once; I get it. But, since 2022, the use of AI in agencies and with clients has been a bit of a dirty secret. Each side warily protects its process instead of being upfront. Clients feed the brief straight into AI and skip the agency. And why wouldn\u2019t they? The AI doesn\u2019t push back. It just does it, and it\u2019s easier to give feedback to ChatGPT than to client services. And agencies? Low-level copy gets knocked up and out in no time. It doesn\u2019t even need to hit a creative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut we\u2019re not sharing our reality with each other, which I think is a shame, as we have a lot to learn from each other as we navigate this brave, scary, uncertain, and at times pretty stupid new world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, because we\u2019re all grown-ups here, I want to be open with you about how we\u2019re using AI today. And how we see that affecting clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOut of the box, AI is trained on the whole world. Every blog post, every press release, every LinkedIn think-piece ever written. Ask it to write something, and it hands you the middle of all that. The average. That\u0027s the problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ve felt this even if you can\u0027t name it. The work slop. The copy that\u0027s well written, structured, grammatical, and somehow says nothing. It reads as competent, which is exactly what makes it dangerous. It tricks you. It looks like value because it\u0027s polished, but there\u0027s no one in it. No taste, no point of view, no business behind it. It\u0027s the average of everyone, which means it\u0027s no one.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd it\u0027s starting to cost. Klaviyo surveyed 8,000 people across 8 countries this year. Even the ones who like AI and use it daily said they hit \u0022AI slop\u0022 from brands multiple times a week. Spot AI in a brand\u0027s marketing and people are 4 times more likely to trust it less, not more. The polish that fools you doesn\u0027t fool them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople are drowning in work that\u0027s technically fine and completely forgettable. Most organisations are responding by making more of it, faster. Playing with AI. Generating more. Going broader.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve gone the other way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEveryone at Good is on the same tools now. Claude, installed on every machine, everyone working in the same way, all of it tied to one central source of knowledge. Good knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat last part is the whole game. We are not asking AI to go out into the world and fetch what it thinks is relevant. We\u0027ve removed that. The knowledge it draws on is curated by us, end to end.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s in there? Our services. Every piece we\u0027ve written for the Journal. Our definitions, the ones we actually argue about: what we mean by brand, what we mean by vision, mission and values, what we mean by product positioning. The distinctions that matter to us and that get blurred everywhere else. We\u0027ve put the specific, hard-won version of how Good thinks into the machine, so the AI isn\u0027t reaching for the average definition of brand it scraped off the internet. It\u0027s reaching for ours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s the move. You\u0027re training it on the best of your business. AI gives you the average of everyone; we pull it back to the sharpest version of us.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re a client-side leader, this is the most important part to understand. The value of AI in your organisation isn\u0027t the model. Everyone has the same model. The value is what you point it at. Most companies point it at the entire internet and wonder why the output sounds like the entire internet. The ones getting something useful out of it have done the unglamorous work first: deciding what their knowledge actually is, writing it down, and feeding the machine that instead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next layer is more ambitious, and we\u0027re early in it, so I\u0027ll be honest about where we are rather than sell you the finished thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re building our own brand into a machine-readable format. Not a PDF of guidelines that sits in a folder. A structured version that the AI can actually read and act on. Right now, it\u0027s foundations, and we\u2019re continually working on this, but it\u2019s worth sharing to see what an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/good-brand-kit.vercel.app\u0022\u003EAI-readable format looks like\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe design team started this with a simple, awkward question. How do you turn brand guidelines into something an AI can build from? And once you start pulling that thread, you realise it can\u0027t just be the colour palette and the logo. That\u0027s the easy 10%. The real foundation is everything underneath: tone of voice, the do\u0027s and don\u0027ts, the customer groups, the strategy behind the business. All of it goes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe point is that the foundation of anything the AI makes, visually or in words, comes from the brand. The machine understands the business and knows how to act on it. So it doesn\u0027t just look right, it sounds right, and it\u0027s built on the actual thinking, not a vibe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis matters beyond design. Once your brand exists in a form a machine can read, the AI can do almost anything with it and stay on-brand while it does. That\u0027s a different proposition from \u0022we used AI to make a thing.\u0022 It\u0027s \u0022the thing it made was ours from the ground up.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderneath all of this sit two central bodies of content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne is about Good. What we believe, our values, our definitions, our ways of working. The other is client information, an easily updatable wiki of who we\u0027re working with and what we\u0027ve done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth have to be maintained. This is the part people skip, and it\u0027s the part that decides whether any of this works. A knowledge base that nobody tends becomes a graveyard. You\u0027ve seen it. Every company has the intranet that went stale in 2019, the shared drive nobody trusts, the wiki that\u0027s wrong more often than it\u0027s right. The reason is always the same: keeping it current is somebody\u0027s job, and it\u0027s nobody\u0027s favourite job, so it doesn\u0027t get done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s where AI changes the shape of the problem, and it\u0027s subtle. We\u0027re building it so the system can prompt the update rather than wait for one. You finish a piece of work, and instead of the knowledge just living in your head or your sent folder, the AI can flag it: this is new, should we put this in? Should the team have this? It turns maintenance from a chore somebody has to remember into a question the system asks you at the moment you\u0027ve actually got something worth saving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat shift sounds small. It isn\u0027t. It\u0027s the difference between a library and a graveyard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first payoff has been onboarding. Someone new starts, and instead of three weeks of asking colleagues the same questions, we can say: go to the AI. Ask it about the client, about the work we\u0027ve done, about how we think. It\u0027ll get you most of the way. Anything important, come to us. The knowledge is there, it\u0027s current, and it\u0027s not trapped in one person\u0027s memory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet me be clear about the thing everyone\u0027s actually worried about, because dodging it would be its own kind of slop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re not using this to take people out. Nobody at Good is being replaced by a machine, and that\u0027s not coming. What AI clears is the tedious stuff. Call it 25% of the work that has to happen but that nobody\u0027s telling their mum about. The daft, repetitive, time-eating tasks that sit between you and the actual thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClearing that 25% doesn\u0027t make us want to produce 25% more. That\u0027s the trap, and it\u0027s worth being clear-eyed about it. We could churn out 7 or 8 concepts for a client now instead of 3. Quicker through the conceptual stage, more options on the table. And it would be worse. More concepts, less depth in any of them. The average problem again, just with our name on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo we spend the time we\u0027ve saved going deeper. The same 3 concepts, but properly chewed on. More thinking per idea. AI gets us to the starting line faster; the value is what our people do once they\u0027re there, which is the part a machine can\u0027t do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause everything goes out to a human. We are not handing tasks to a machine to finish on its own. Nothing autonomous, nothing unchecked. AI clears the ground; the work still passes through people with taste and judgement. That\u0027s the point. The machine raises the floor. The humans set the ceiling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorth saying plainly: we don\u0027t have all the answers. We\u0027re feeling our way through this, like everyone else.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen is it right to use AI-generated images, and when isn\u0027t it? What belongs in our AI privacy policy, and what client data should never go near a model? When does using AI need to be declared, and to whom? We\u0027ve got firm positions on some of these and open questions on others. Anyone who tells you they\u0027ve got it all settled is either selling something or not paying attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo we\u0027ll keep working it out, and we\u0027ll keep being open about where we\u0027ve got to.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBack to that dirty secret. Everyone\u0027s using AI. Nobody will say so. In a relationship built on trust, that\u0027s daft. So we\u0027re saying it. We use AI. Here\u0027s roughly how. We won\u0027t walk you through every prompt, partly because this is an article and not a manual, but mostly because the how matters less than the why. We\u0027re telling you because we think it gets you better work. Not quicker work. Better work. AI clears the tedious so our people can go deeper. It never touches the judgement you\u0027re paying us for.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ll see it in the work. Three concepts chewed properly rather than eight churned out. That\u0027s what we do with the time AI gives back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re looking for an AI strategy, then start with a brand good enough to hand to a machine.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nEveryone has the same AI now. What stops it from sounding like everyone else is brand. The part you decide before the machine ever starts. \nYes, welcome to my \u201cAI in Agencies\u201d TED talk. You\u2019ll be sick to the back teeth reading about how AI is changing everything, everywhere, all at once; I get it. But, since 2022, the use of AI in agencies and with clients has been a bit of a dirty secret. Each side warily protects its process instead of being upfront. Clients feed the brief straight into AI and skip the agency. And why wouldn\u2019t they? The AI doesn\u2019t push back. It just does it, and it\u2019s easier to give feedback to ChatGPT than to client services. And agencies? Low-level copy gets knocked up and out in no time. It doesn\u2019t even need to hit a creative.But we\u2019re not sharing our reality with each other, which I think is a shame, as we have a lot to learn from each other as we navigate this brave, scary, uncertain, and at times pretty stupid new world.So, because we\u2019re all grown-ups here, I want to be open with you about how we\u2019re using AI today. And how we see that affecting clients.Out of the box, AI is trained on the whole world. Every blog post, every press release, every LinkedIn think-piece ever written. Ask it to write something, and it hands you the middle of all that. The average. That\u0027s the problem.You\u0027ve felt this even if you can\u0027t name it. The work slop. The copy that\u0027s well written, structured, grammatical, and somehow says nothing. It reads as competent, which is exactly what makes it dangerous. It tricks you. It looks like value because it\u0027s polished, but there\u0027s no one in it. No taste, no point of view, no business behind it. It\u0027s the average of everyone, which means it\u0027s no one.And it\u0027s starting to cost. Klaviyo surveyed 8,000 people across 8 countries this year. Even the ones who like AI and use it daily said they hit \u0022AI slop\u0022 from brands multiple times a week. Spot AI in a brand\u0027s marketing and people are 4 times more likely to trust it less, not more. The polish that fools you doesn\u0027t fool them.People are drowning in work that\u0027s technically fine and completely forgettable. Most organisations are responding by making more of it, faster. Playing with AI. Generating more. Going broader.We\u0027ve gone the other way.Everyone at Good is on the same tools now. Claude, installed on every machine, everyone working in the same way, all of it tied to one central source of knowledge. Good knowledge.That last part is the whole game. We are not asking AI to go out into the world and fetch what it thinks is relevant. We\u0027ve removed that. The knowledge it draws on is curated by us, end to end.What\u0027s in there? Our services. Every piece we\u0027ve written for the Journal. Our definitions, the ones we actually argue about: what we mean by brand, what we mean by vision, mission and values, what we mean by product positioning. The distinctions that matter to us and that get blurred everywhere else. We\u0027ve put the specific, hard-won version of how Good thinks into the machine, so the AI isn\u0027t reaching for the average definition of brand it scraped off the internet. It\u0027s reaching for ours.That\u0027s the move. You\u0027re training it on the best of your business. AI gives you the average of everyone; we pull it back to the sharpest version of us.If you\u0027re a client-side leader, this is the most important part to understand. The value of AI in your organisation isn\u0027t the model. Everyone has the same model. The value is what you point it at. Most companies point it at the entire internet and wonder why the output sounds like the entire internet. The ones getting something useful out of it have done the unglamorous work first: deciding what their knowledge actually is, writing it down, and feeding the machine that instead.The next layer is more ambitious, and we\u0027re early in it, so I\u0027ll be honest about where we are rather than sell you the finished thing.We\u0027re building our own brand into a machine-readable format. Not a PDF of guidelines that sits in a folder. A structured version that the AI can actually read and act on. Right now, it\u0027s foundations, and we\u2019re continually working on this, but it\u2019s worth sharing to see what an AI-readable format looks like.The design team started this with a simple, awkward question. How do you turn brand guidelines into something an AI can build from? And once you start pulling that thread, you realise it can\u0027t just be the colour palette and the logo. That\u0027s the easy 10%. The real foundation is everything underneath: tone of voice, the do\u0027s and don\u0027ts, the customer groups, the strategy behind the business. All of it goes in.The point is that the foundation of anything the AI makes, visually or in words, comes from the brand. The machine understands the business and knows how to act on it. So it doesn\u0027t just look right, it sounds right, and it\u0027s built on the actual thinking, not a vibe.This matters beyond design. Once your brand exists in a form a machine can read, the AI can do almost anything with it and stay on-brand while it does. That\u0027s a different proposition from \u0022we used AI to make a thing.\u0022 It\u0027s \u0022the thing it made was ours from the ground up.\u0022Underneath all of this sit two central bodies of content.One is about Good. What we believe, our values, our definitions, our ways of working. The other is client information, an easily updatable wiki of who we\u0027re working with and what we\u0027ve done.Both have to be maintained. This is the part people skip, and it\u0027s the part that decides whether any of this works. A knowledge base that nobody tends becomes a graveyard. You\u0027ve seen it. Every company has the intranet that went stale in 2019, the shared drive nobody trusts, the wiki that\u0027s wrong more often than it\u0027s right. The reason is always the same: keeping it current is somebody\u0027s job, and it\u0027s nobody\u0027s favourite job, so it doesn\u0027t get done.Here\u0027s where AI changes the shape of the problem, and it\u0027s subtle. We\u0027re building it so the system can prompt the update rather than wait for one. You finish a piece of work, and instead of the knowledge just living in your head or your sent folder, the AI can flag it: this is new, should we put this in? Should the team have this? It turns maintenance from a chore somebody has to remember into a question the system asks you at the moment you\u0027ve actually got something worth saving.That shift sounds small. It isn\u0027t. It\u0027s the difference between a library and a graveyard.The first payoff has been onboarding. Someone new starts, and instead of three weeks of asking colleagues the same questions, we can say: go to the AI. Ask it about the client, about the work we\u0027ve done, about how we think. It\u0027ll get you most of the way. Anything important, come to us. The knowledge is there, it\u0027s current, and it\u0027s not trapped in one person\u0027s memory.Let me be clear about the thing everyone\u0027s actually worried about, because dodging it would be its own kind of slop.We\u0027re not using this to take people out. Nobody at Good is being replaced by a machine, and that\u0027s not coming. What AI clears is the tedious stuff. Call it 25% of the work that has to happen but that nobody\u0027s telling their mum about. The daft, repetitive, time-eating tasks that sit between you and the actual thinking.Clearing that 25% doesn\u0027t make us want to produce 25% more. That\u0027s the trap, and it\u0027s worth being clear-eyed about it. We could churn out 7 or 8 concepts for a client now instead of 3. Quicker through the conceptual stage, more options on the table. And it would be worse. More concepts, less depth in any of them. The average problem again, just with our name on it.So we spend the time we\u0027ve saved going deeper. The same 3 concepts, but properly chewed on. More thinking per idea. AI gets us to the starting line faster; the value is what our people do once they\u0027re there, which is the part a machine can\u0027t do.Because everything goes out to a human. We are not handing tasks to a machine to finish on its own. Nothing autonomous, nothing unchecked. AI clears the ground; the work still passes through people with taste and judgement. That\u0027s the point. The machine raises the floor. The humans set the ceiling.Worth saying plainly: we don\u0027t have all the answers. We\u0027re feeling our way through this, like everyone else.When is it right to use AI-generated images, and when isn\u0027t it? What belongs in our AI privacy policy, and what client data should never go near a model? When does using AI need to be declared, and to whom? We\u0027ve got firm positions on some of these and open questions on others. Anyone who tells you they\u0027ve got it all settled is either selling something or not paying attention.So we\u0027ll keep working it out, and we\u0027ll keep being open about where we\u0027ve got to.Back to that dirty secret. Everyone\u0027s using AI. Nobody will say so. In a relationship built on trust, that\u0027s daft. So we\u0027re saying it. We use AI. Here\u0027s roughly how. We won\u0027t walk you through every prompt, partly because this is an article and not a manual, but mostly because the how matters less than the why. We\u0027re telling you because we think it gets you better work. Not quicker work. Better work. AI clears the tedious so our people can go deeper. It never touches the judgement you\u0027re paying us for.You\u0027ll see it in the work. Three concepts chewed properly rather than eight churned out. That\u0027s what we do with the time AI gives back.If you\u0027re looking for an AI strategy, then start with a brand good enough to hand to a machine.  ","summary":"Everyone has the same AI now. What stops it from sounding like everyone else is brand. The part you decide before the machine ever starts.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-06-30T17:56:49+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5905","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/private-equity-pays-brand-so-why-doesnt-it-manage-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Private equity pays for brand. So why doesn\u0026#039;t it manage it?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EPrivate equity understands value better than almost anyone. So why is one of the most valuable assets in the business still treated as a marketing issue? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EThree years ago I wrote a piece asking a simple question.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf private equity understands value better than almost anyone, why doesn\u0027t it understand the role brand plays in creating it?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI had hunches, not an answer. It nagged at me on enough flights home from enough meetings that I put it out there, half expecting to be told I was being na\u00efve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen Benedict Johnson, Ian Whittaker and Rory Sutherland published Goodwill Isn\u0027t a Rounding Error. It\u0027s the most rigorous account I\u0027ve read of why brand goes missing from the value creation plan, and it answers the question I couldn\u0027t. If you have twenty minutes, read theirs first.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat follows builds on their work, but through the lens of what we\u0027ve seen inside PE-backed businesses over the last decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe asset everyone pays for and nobody manages\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStart with their numbers, because they\u2019re hard to argue with.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntangibles now make up around 92% of S\u0026amp;P 500 market value (Ocean Tomo, 2025). PE is paying record entry multiples, 11.8x EBITDA in 2025 (McKinsey), for businesses whose worth sits mostly in things you can\u2019t touch: trust, reputation, pricing power, the position a business holds in a buyer\u2019s mind. Then, having paid for those assets, almost all the post-deal attention goes to the operational tenth that\u2019s easy to measure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhittaker puts the mechanism better than I can. Brand \u201cis not ignored. It is unmodelled.\u201d It lands in the accounts as a cost the year you spend it. The return shows up three to five years later, in pricing power and lower acquisition costs, in places the model doesn\u2019t reach and often after the hold has ended. So the spreadsheet does what spreadsheets do. It rewards the cut that lands this quarter and quietly defers the investment that compounds. Sutherland\u2019s verdict: a category error wearing a spreadsheet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s the gap. And it\u2019s worth real money. Ferrari trades at 25.8x EBITDA. Aston Martin at 2.9x. Same cars, same heritage, same wealthy customers. One held its identity and discipline. The other got sold and rescued more times than is dignified to mention. The market priced the difference, and brand is the variable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat it looks like from where we sit\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve watched this from the inside for over a decade, on more than 10 PE-backed projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pattern barely changes. We\u2019re called in late, with a scope too narrow to fix the actual problem. The business has grown by acquisition, top and bottom line climbing nicely, and every deal bolts on another layer of products, names and stories. The balloon fills with air until it bursts. Sales teams can\u2019t navigate their own portfolio. And if they can\u2019t, the customer has no chance, so the customer goes somewhere easier to deal with.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s a business problem, not a comms tidy-up for the data room. A company that\u2019s hard to understand is hard to buy, hard to sell and hard to value. Brand, done properly, is the discipline that keeps a fast-growing business legible: the architecture, the naming, the positioning, the story a buyer can believe. That\u2019s why we keep saying brand strategy is business strategy. We mean it literally. It\u2019s a description of where the value leaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOne of our own examples\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn ten years I can point to one that did. EWOS, the aquaculture nutrition business, ran a brand architecture and naming programme before going to market. Years of decentralised marketing had left a fragmented portfolio, so we consolidated it into a single branded house, simplified the offer and aligned the global teams behind it. In 2015 its private equity owners, Altor and Bain Capital, sold it to Cargill for around $1.5 billion, roughly double its 2013 value. The client\u2019s own view, not ours, was that the clarity contributed meaningfully to that outcome. It made the business easier to understand and easier to buy, and that changed the conversation a strategic buyer was willing to have. Johnson tells the same story on The i newspaper (\u00a324m to \u00a349.6m in three years) and on Refinitiv ($20bn to $27bn). Same data, engineers and customers. The difference sat in how the business was understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat to do about it\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fix is simple enough. It\u2019s just earlier than the current playbook allows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBring brand in at diligence, not as a coat of paint before exit. Johnson, Whittaker and Sutherland call it brand due diligence, and they\u2019re right. Price what the brand is worth in pricing power and ease of acquisition before the deal closes, and you stop overpaying for an asset that\u2019s already eroding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreat brand investment as a capital allocation decision with a projected return, not a marketing line to be trimmed when times are tight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrack the things that actually signal it through the hold. Realised price against the category. Acquisition cost on branded versus unbranded channels. Whether your own people can explain the portfolio in a sentence. Most portfolio companies could produce those numbers within a quarter. Almost none do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd build the exit story from day one. The brand a strategic buyer pays a premium for can\u2019t be assembled in the data room. It has to have reached its audience by then.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe point\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe trajectory is set during the hold, and the next buyer pays for the trajectory. Brand is the lever that\u2019s been sitting in the room the whole time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re holding a business that grew by acquisition and is getting harder to explain to its own sales team, that\u2019s not a tidy-up job for later. That\u2019s where the value is leaking now. It\u2019s the kind of thing worth a conversation early, while there\u2019s still time for it to compound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s the conversation we\u2019d like to have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFurther reading\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis article builds on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ahapartners.co\/thinking\/goodwill-isnt-a-rounding-error\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGoodwill Isn\u0027t a Rounding Error\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E by Benedict Johnson, Ian Whittaker and Rory Sutherland (Aha Partners).\u003Cbr\u003EYou may also be interested in our earlier article, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-do-private-equity-firms-ignore-role-brand-creating-value\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy doesn\u0027t private equity value brand?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, which first explored many of the questions discussed here.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nPrivate equity understands value better than almost anyone. So why is one of the most valuable assets in the business still treated as a marketing issue? \nThree years ago I wrote a piece asking a simple question.If private equity understands value better than almost anyone, why doesn\u0027t it understand the role brand plays in creating it?\u0026nbsp;I had hunches, not an answer. It nagged at me on enough flights home from enough meetings that I put it out there, half expecting to be told I was being na\u00efve.\u0026nbsp;Then Benedict Johnson, Ian Whittaker and Rory Sutherland published Goodwill Isn\u0027t a Rounding Error. It\u0027s the most rigorous account I\u0027ve read of why brand goes missing from the value creation plan, and it answers the question I couldn\u0027t. If you have twenty minutes, read theirs first.\u0026nbsp;What follows builds on their work, but through the lens of what we\u0027ve seen inside PE-backed businesses over the last decade.The asset everyone pays for and nobody managesStart with their numbers, because they\u2019re hard to argue with.Intangibles now make up around 92% of S\u0026amp;P 500 market value (Ocean Tomo, 2025). PE is paying record entry multiples, 11.8x EBITDA in 2025 (McKinsey), for businesses whose worth sits mostly in things you can\u2019t touch: trust, reputation, pricing power, the position a business holds in a buyer\u2019s mind. Then, having paid for those assets, almost all the post-deal attention goes to the operational tenth that\u2019s easy to measure.Whittaker puts the mechanism better than I can. Brand \u201cis not ignored. It is unmodelled.\u201d It lands in the accounts as a cost the year you spend it. The return shows up three to five years later, in pricing power and lower acquisition costs, in places the model doesn\u2019t reach and often after the hold has ended. So the spreadsheet does what spreadsheets do. It rewards the cut that lands this quarter and quietly defers the investment that compounds. Sutherland\u2019s verdict: a category error wearing a spreadsheet.That\u2019s the gap. And it\u2019s worth real money. Ferrari trades at 25.8x EBITDA. Aston Martin at 2.9x. Same cars, same heritage, same wealthy customers. One held its identity and discipline. The other got sold and rescued more times than is dignified to mention. The market priced the difference, and brand is the variable.What it looks like from where we sitWe\u2019ve watched this from the inside for over a decade, on more than 10 PE-backed projects.The pattern barely changes. We\u2019re called in late, with a scope too narrow to fix the actual problem. The business has grown by acquisition, top and bottom line climbing nicely, and every deal bolts on another layer of products, names and stories. The balloon fills with air until it bursts. Sales teams can\u2019t navigate their own portfolio. And if they can\u2019t, the customer has no chance, so the customer goes somewhere easier to deal with.That\u2019s a business problem, not a comms tidy-up for the data room. A company that\u2019s hard to understand is hard to buy, hard to sell and hard to value. Brand, done properly, is the discipline that keeps a fast-growing business legible: the architecture, the naming, the positioning, the story a buyer can believe. That\u2019s why we keep saying brand strategy is business strategy. We mean it literally. It\u2019s a description of where the value leaks.One of our own examplesIn ten years I can point to one that did. EWOS, the aquaculture nutrition business, ran a brand architecture and naming programme before going to market. Years of decentralised marketing had left a fragmented portfolio, so we consolidated it into a single branded house, simplified the offer and aligned the global teams behind it. In 2015 its private equity owners, Altor and Bain Capital, sold it to Cargill for around $1.5 billion, roughly double its 2013 value. The client\u2019s own view, not ours, was that the clarity contributed meaningfully to that outcome. It made the business easier to understand and easier to buy, and that changed the conversation a strategic buyer was willing to have. Johnson tells the same story on The i newspaper (\u00a324m to \u00a349.6m in three years) and on Refinitiv ($20bn to $27bn). Same data, engineers and customers. The difference sat in how the business was understood.What to do about itThe fix is simple enough. It\u2019s just earlier than the current playbook allows.Bring brand in at diligence, not as a coat of paint before exit. Johnson, Whittaker and Sutherland call it brand due diligence, and they\u2019re right. Price what the brand is worth in pricing power and ease of acquisition before the deal closes, and you stop overpaying for an asset that\u2019s already eroding.Treat brand investment as a capital allocation decision with a projected return, not a marketing line to be trimmed when times are tight.Track the things that actually signal it through the hold. Realised price against the category. Acquisition cost on branded versus unbranded channels. Whether your own people can explain the portfolio in a sentence. Most portfolio companies could produce those numbers within a quarter. Almost none do.And build the exit story from day one. The brand a strategic buyer pays a premium for can\u2019t be assembled in the data room. It has to have reached its audience by then.The pointThe trajectory is set during the hold, and the next buyer pays for the trajectory. Brand is the lever that\u2019s been sitting in the room the whole time.If you\u2019re holding a business that grew by acquisition and is getting harder to explain to its own sales team, that\u2019s not a tidy-up job for later. That\u2019s where the value is leaking now. It\u2019s the kind of thing worth a conversation early, while there\u2019s still time for it to compound.That\u2019s the conversation we\u2019d like to have.Further readingThis article builds on Goodwill Isn\u0027t a Rounding Error by Benedict Johnson, Ian Whittaker and Rory Sutherland (Aha Partners).You may also be interested in our earlier article, Why doesn\u0027t private equity value brand?, which first explored many of the questions discussed here.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Private equity understands value better than almost anyone. So why is one of the most valuable assets in the business still treated as a marketing issue?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-06-25T10:30:57+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5901","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-differentiation-age-ai-content","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Differentiation in the Age of AI Content","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMarketers have been told to become publishers for the best part of a decade. Most of\r\nthem did it: editorial calendars, content strategies, dedicated teams. The brief was always\r\nthe same: more content, more often, on more channels. Then AI arrived and removed the last\r\nexcuse not to produce. We now have more content than ever, and most of it sounds like it\r\nwas written by nobody in particular. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s not an AI problem. It\u0027s a \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/content-vs-brand\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022b15056f7-2c4e-4a1e-94bf-a30af9f11166\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Content vs. Brand\u0022\u003Ebrand problem\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe instinct is to use AI for speed, and that\u0027s understandable. It\u0027s also where most teams go wrong. Generate more, publish more, fill the calendar. Most marketing teams, under pressure to show output, are doing exactly that. But audiences were never short of content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question was always the same: what are you actually saying? Not how often you\u0027re publishing, or on what platform. What\u0027s the point you\u0027re making, and what\u0027s the take that nobody else has? The challenge is that poor \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/why-content-more-important-brand\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00222d3f9d48-fbad-453d-8847-447638582861\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Why content is more important than brand.\u0022\u003Econtent\u003C\/a\u003E usually doesn\u0027t answer that. It describes the problem, lists the services, and explains the offering. All the words are correct, and none of it lands. Again, AI didn\u0027t invent that problem. What AI can allow you to do, though, is help you produce more poor content faster than ever before. The content problem has always been a quality problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what makes content quality? It\u0027s not the format or the frequency. It\u0027s not even the \u0022craft\u0022. You can have a beautifully written piece that says nothing worth reading. Quality in content comes from \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/what-brand\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002249d0c742-a65e-4b47-86f4-d9308a657b81\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022What is Brand?\u0022\u003Ebrand\u003C\/a\u003E: the full picture of who you are, why you\u0027re in business, and what you actually believe. Your vision, mission, and values. A \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/talking-talk-five-ways-nail-your-brands-tone-voice\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002214bd6298-0087-45c7-86be-af1594f5be16\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Talking the talk. Five ways to nail your brand\u2019s tone of voice.\u0022\u003Etone of voice\u003C\/a\u003E that\u0027s recognisably yours and nobody else\u0027s. A point of view that gives the reader something to agree with, push back on, or chew over.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeed these foundational aspects of your brand into AI, and what comes out sounds like you. Leave them undefined, and the content ends up sounding like anyone. Without that strong brand, you\u0027re not using AI as a tool. You\u0027re using it as a replacement for having something to say.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is what people mean when they talk about AI slop. Not that it\u0027s poorly written. The grammar is fine, and the structure is there. It just doesn\u0027t feel like it comes from anywhere, and content that doesn\u0027t come from anywhere doesn\u0027t go anywhere either. You end up saying a lot and not saying anything.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe opportunity AI offers isn\u0027t just speed. It\u0027s what speed makes possible. When production time drops, something else opens up: the space to say the thing you usually run out of time for, to push an idea further than you\u0027d normally manage, to make the argument richer rather than just faster. The \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/ai-branding-moving-beyond-buzz\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022f2749676-a31a-49df-9871-f4aa21e6d91a\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022AI in Branding: Moving Beyond the Buzz\u0022\u003Ebusinesses that will get somewhere with AI\u003C\/a\u003E are the ones using their brand as a lens for their content. The tool is neutral. What you put into it isn\u0027t. When you run AI through a brand that knows what it is, the result doesn\u0027t read like AI. It reads like you. That\u0027s a brand goal rather than a technical achievement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou won\u0027t win the content game by producing the most. You\u0027ll win by having the most to say. And in a market where your competitors have the same tools, the same channels, and possibly a weaker product, that\u0027s not optional. It\u0027s the whole game. AI made production cheap. It didn\u0027t make having something to say any easier. That part is still on you, and it always started with your \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022b0eb0e7e-c927-4154-a477-cbb6adba4468\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Brand Strategy is Business Strategy\u0022\u003Ebrand\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGet your \u003Ca href=\u0022\/brand-strategy-services\u0022\u003Ebrand right first\u003C\/a\u003E. The rest follows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re reading this and something\u0027s ringing true, if the content feels like it\u0027s going out and landing nowhere, \u003Ca href=\u0022\/brand-strategy-services\u0022\u003Ethat\u0027s worth a conversation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMarketers have been told to become publishers for the best part of a decade. Most of\r\nthem did it: editorial calendars, content strategies, dedicated teams. The brief was always\r\nthe same: more content, more often, on more channels. Then AI arrived and removed the last\r\nexcuse not to produce. We now have more content than ever, and most of it sounds like it\r\nwas written by nobody in particular. \nThat\u0027s not an AI problem. It\u0027s a brand problem.The instinct is to use AI for speed, and that\u0027s understandable. It\u0027s also where most teams go wrong. Generate more, publish more, fill the calendar. Most marketing teams, under pressure to show output, are doing exactly that. But audiences were never short of content.The question was always the same: what are you actually saying? Not how often you\u0027re publishing, or on what platform. What\u0027s the point you\u0027re making, and what\u0027s the take that nobody else has? The challenge is that poor content usually doesn\u0027t answer that. It describes the problem, lists the services, and explains the offering. All the words are correct, and none of it lands. Again, AI didn\u0027t invent that problem. What AI can allow you to do, though, is help you produce more poor content faster than ever before. The content problem has always been a quality problem.So, what makes content quality? It\u0027s not the format or the frequency. It\u0027s not even the \u0022craft\u0022. You can have a beautifully written piece that says nothing worth reading. Quality in content comes from brand: the full picture of who you are, why you\u0027re in business, and what you actually believe. Your vision, mission, and values. A tone of voice that\u0027s recognisably yours and nobody else\u0027s. A point of view that gives the reader something to agree with, push back on, or chew over.\u0026nbsp;Feed these foundational aspects of your brand into AI, and what comes out sounds like you. Leave them undefined, and the content ends up sounding like anyone. Without that strong brand, you\u0027re not using AI as a tool. You\u0027re using it as a replacement for having something to say.This is what people mean when they talk about AI slop. Not that it\u0027s poorly written. The grammar is fine, and the structure is there. It just doesn\u0027t feel like it comes from anywhere, and content that doesn\u0027t come from anywhere doesn\u0027t go anywhere either. You end up saying a lot and not saying anything.The opportunity AI offers isn\u0027t just speed. It\u0027s what speed makes possible. When production time drops, something else opens up: the space to say the thing you usually run out of time for, to push an idea further than you\u0027d normally manage, to make the argument richer rather than just faster. The businesses that will get somewhere with AI are the ones using their brand as a lens for their content. The tool is neutral. What you put into it isn\u0027t. When you run AI through a brand that knows what it is, the result doesn\u0027t read like AI. It reads like you. That\u0027s a brand goal rather than a technical achievement.You won\u0027t win the content game by producing the most. You\u0027ll win by having the most to say. And in a market where your competitors have the same tools, the same channels, and possibly a weaker product, that\u0027s not optional. It\u0027s the whole game. AI made production cheap. It didn\u0027t make having something to say any easier. That part is still on you, and it always started with your brand.Get your brand right first. The rest follows.If you\u0027re reading this and something\u0027s ringing true, if the content feels like it\u0027s going out and landing nowhere, that\u0027s worth a conversation.  ","summary":"Marketers have been told to become publishers for the best part of a decade. Most of\nthem did it: editorial calendars, content strategies, dedicated teams. The brief was always\nthe same: more content, more often, on more channels. Then AI arrived and removed the last\nexcuse not to produce. We now have more content than ever, and most of it sounds like it\nwas written by nobody in particular.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-04-14T17:00:05+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5895","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-isnt-our-b2b-brand-generating-leads","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Isn\u0026#039;t Our B2B Brand Generating Leads?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf your B2B brand isn\u0026#039;t generating leads, the problem is almost certainly not your sales process, your pricing, or your product. It\u0026#039;s your brand. Specifically, the way your company is understood, remembered, and chosen by prospects before they ever speak to your sales team. The five most common reasons are: unclear positioning, inward-facing messaging, visual and verbal sameness, inconsistency across touchpoints, and simple invisibility. Fix those, and the pipeline moves. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe instinct when leads stall is to interrogate the business \u2014 pricing, product, go-to-market. Sometimes that\u0027s right. But more often, the business is sound, and the brand is the bottleneck. Research shows the average B2B buying decision involves five or more people, and more than half of buying journeys end in no decision at all. Not because the offer wasn\u0027t good enough, but because buyers couldn\u0027t make sense of what was being sold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s a brand problem, not a sales problem. Here are the five we see most often.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E1. Your positioning doesn\u0027t actually position you\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPositioning answers one question: why should a prospect choose you over the alternatives? Not why you\u0027re good, why you\u0027re different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost B2B companies answer with something like \u0022innovative solutions that drive business growth.\u0022 That\u0027s furniture. It sits there, and nobody notices it. If a prospect can\u0027t quickly understand what makes you different and why that difference matters to them, they default to the safest or cheapest option.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fix isn\u0027t better copywriting. It\u0027s making harder strategic choices:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Who specifically are you for (and who are you not for)?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- What space do you want to own (and what will you cede)?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- What do you emphasise (and what do you deliberately leave out)?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPositioning that tries to appeal to everyone appeals to no one. And in B2B, where your biggest competitor is often the status quo, prospects choosing to do nothing, weak positioning doesn\u0027t just lose you deals to competitors. It loses you deals to inaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. You\u0027re speaking to yourselves, not your buyers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B companies love talking about what they do: capabilities, process, technology stack, methodology. The problem is that your buyers don\u0027t care about any of that, at least not yet. They care about their problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where the brand\/business confusion causes real damage. Internally, you think about your business \u2014 what you\u0027ve built, what you offer, how you deliver. But your brand has to start with the buyer: what they\u0027re struggling with, what outcome they need, and why they should trust you to get them there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your website reads like a capability brochure, you\u0027re creating friction at exactly the moment you need to create a connection. The burden shifts to the customer to work out which of your features applies to them, how it might help, and what that help is worth. Most won\u0027t bother.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe test:\u003C\/strong\u003E Read your homepage out loud. If it could belong to any of your competitors with a logo swap, your messaging is inward-facing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. You look and sound like everyone else\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOpen five B2B websites in your sector. Same stock imagery. Same blue-and-grey palette. Same bland corporate tone, written by committee and approved by no one who would actually read it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen everything looks the same, nothing stands out. This isn\u0027t about being radical for its own sake \u2014 it\u0027s about having a point of view and expressing it with confidence. Your business might be genuinely distinct, but if the brand doesn\u0027t communicate that at first glance, the business never gets a chance to prove it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe commercial cost:\u003C\/strong\u003E When buyers can\u0027t see a meaningful difference, they compete with you on price. You end up in a race to the bottom that has nothing to do with the quality of your work.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4. Your brand is inconsistent across touchpoints\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA prospect reads your LinkedIn post. Clicks through to your website. Downloads a PDF. Gets an email from sales. Sees a presentation. If the messaging, visual style, or tone shifts between those interactions, trust quietly collapses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn B2B, where purchase decisions involve multiple stakeholders over long cycles, consistency is what builds the familiarity that earns you a shortlist. Without it, you\u0027re invisible even to people who\u0027ve heard of you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA well-positioned brand operates on a natural messaging hierarchy:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cstrong\u003ETier 1 (Brand-level):\u003C\/strong\u003E Aspirational, awareness-building. What you stand for at the highest level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cstrong\u003ETier 2 (Product\/campaign-level):\u003C\/strong\u003E Specific launches or initiatives, endorsed by the brand position.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- \u003Cstrong\u003ETier 3 (Tactical):\u003C\/strong\u003E Operational content - emails, event invitations, service details. Still consistent with the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the brand position is clear, you don\u0027t reinvent the wheel at each tier. The position flexes to accommodate everything from thought leadership to product specs, without confusion or contradiction. Internal boredom with the messaging is usually a sign you\u0027re doing it right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E5. You\u0027ve built something nobody knows about\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the hardest one to accept. Your positioning is sharp, your messaging is buyer-led, your identity is distinctive. Doesn\u0027t matter if nobody\u0027s seeing it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B buyers build their shortlist early, most of it is populated with companies they already knew before the search began. This what\u0027s called \u0022mental availability\u0022: the probability that your brand comes to mind when a buyer has a need. If you\u0027re not in the consideration set before the brief goes out, you\u0027re not in the running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe only route in is to show up before you\u0027re needed: publishing useful thinking, being visible in the right conversations, building a reputation that precedes the sales pitch. You don\u0027t need a massive media budget. You need to stop being absent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhat a lead-generating brand actually looks like\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the brand is working, you feel it in how the business operates:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Sales needs fewer slides to explain what you do\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Deals move faster with less internal reassurance required\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- You hold price because the value feels obvious to buyers\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Prospects stop asking \u0022so what do you actually do?\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Customers repeat your story back to you in their own words\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Inbound enquiries are from the right people, not just any people\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese aren\u0027t vanity metrics. They\u0027re operational indicators of a brand that\u0027s reducing the cost of doing business and generating leads that actually convert.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKey takeaways\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- When leads stall, the brand is usually the bottleneck, not pricing, product, or sales process. The brand faces outward; it either pulls people toward you or it doesn\u0027t.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- The five most common brand failures that kill lead generation: unclear positioning, inward-facing messaging, visual sameness, inconsistency, and invisibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- More than half of B2B buying journeys end in no decision. Weak branding doesn\u0027t just lose you deals to competitors \u2014 it loses you deals to inaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Fix diagnosis: if your homepage could belong to any competitor with a logo swap, your brand isn\u0027t doing its job.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- A lead-generating brand doesn\u0027t just increase volume. It improves quality. Prospects who already understand what you do, why it matters, and why you\u0027re the right fit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhere to go next\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- If the problem is \u003Cstrong\u003Epositioning\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/what-does-brand-positioning-really-mean\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00225ae8c347-c7bd-4eca-940b-48f8e853be64\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022What Does Brand Positioning Really Mean?\u0022\u003EWhat Does Brand Positioning Really Mean?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- If the problem is \u003Cstrong\u003Edifferentiation\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/b2b-tech-firms-must-dig-deeper-differentiate\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022c7ea1038-bbf4-4ec2-809a-6969167158f6\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022B2B Tech Firms must dig deeper to differentiate\u0022\u003EB2B Tech Firms Must Dig Deeper to Differentiate\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- If the problem is \u003Cstrong\u003Econsistency\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/aligning-brand-consistency-across-channels\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022e6f916d3-9007-444d-82f1-a844efed4597\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Aligning Brand Consistency Across Channels\u0022\u003EAligning Brand Consistency Across Channels\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- If the problem is \u003Cstrong\u003Emeasurement\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/how-do-you-measure-brand-value-b2b\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002224731c55-88da-4cfb-8336-f4d1de6c7a32\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022How Do You Measure Brand Value in B2B?\u0022\u003EHow Do You Measure Brand Value in B2B?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- If the problem is \u003Cstrong\u003Eall of the above\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/brand-mistakes-made-b2b-tech-firms\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002259fed086-69a2-4103-bf3e-9a527794c91c\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Brand mistakes made by B2B Tech firms\u0022\u003EBrand Mistakes Made by B2B Tech Firms\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIf your B2B brand isn\u0026#039;t generating leads, the problem is almost certainly not your sales process, your pricing, or your product. It\u0026#039;s your brand. Specifically, the way your company is understood, remembered, and chosen by prospects before they ever speak to your sales team. The five most common reasons are: unclear positioning, inward-facing messaging, visual and verbal sameness, inconsistency across touchpoints, and simple invisibility. Fix those, and the pipeline moves. \nThe instinct when leads stall is to interrogate the business \u2014 pricing, product, go-to-market. Sometimes that\u0027s right. But more often, the business is sound, and the brand is the bottleneck. Research shows the average B2B buying decision involves five or more people, and more than half of buying journeys end in no decision at all. Not because the offer wasn\u0027t good enough, but because buyers couldn\u0027t make sense of what was being sold.That\u0027s a brand problem, not a sales problem. Here are the five we see most often.1. Your positioning doesn\u0027t actually position youPositioning answers one question: why should a prospect choose you over the alternatives? Not why you\u0027re good, why you\u0027re different.Most B2B companies answer with something like \u0022innovative solutions that drive business growth.\u0022 That\u0027s furniture. It sits there, and nobody notices it. If a prospect can\u0027t quickly understand what makes you different and why that difference matters to them, they default to the safest or cheapest option.The fix isn\u0027t better copywriting. It\u0027s making harder strategic choices:- Who specifically are you for (and who are you not for)?- What space do you want to own (and what will you cede)?- What do you emphasise (and what do you deliberately leave out)?Positioning that tries to appeal to everyone appeals to no one. And in B2B, where your biggest competitor is often the status quo, prospects choosing to do nothing, weak positioning doesn\u0027t just lose you deals to competitors. It loses you deals to inaction.\u0026nbsp;2. You\u0027re speaking to yourselves, not your buyersB2B companies love talking about what they do: capabilities, process, technology stack, methodology. The problem is that your buyers don\u0027t care about any of that, at least not yet. They care about their problem.This is where the brand\/business confusion causes real damage. Internally, you think about your business \u2014 what you\u0027ve built, what you offer, how you deliver. But your brand has to start with the buyer: what they\u0027re struggling with, what outcome they need, and why they should trust you to get them there.If your website reads like a capability brochure, you\u0027re creating friction at exactly the moment you need to create a connection. The burden shifts to the customer to work out which of your features applies to them, how it might help, and what that help is worth. Most won\u0027t bother.The test: Read your homepage out loud. If it could belong to any of your competitors with a logo swap, your messaging is inward-facing.\u0026nbsp;3. You look and sound like everyone elseOpen five B2B websites in your sector. Same stock imagery. Same blue-and-grey palette. Same bland corporate tone, written by committee and approved by no one who would actually read it.When everything looks the same, nothing stands out. This isn\u0027t about being radical for its own sake \u2014 it\u0027s about having a point of view and expressing it with confidence. Your business might be genuinely distinct, but if the brand doesn\u0027t communicate that at first glance, the business never gets a chance to prove it.The commercial cost: When buyers can\u0027t see a meaningful difference, they compete with you on price. You end up in a race to the bottom that has nothing to do with the quality of your work.\u0026nbsp;4. Your brand is inconsistent across touchpointsA prospect reads your LinkedIn post. Clicks through to your website. Downloads a PDF. Gets an email from sales. Sees a presentation. If the messaging, visual style, or tone shifts between those interactions, trust quietly collapses.In B2B, where purchase decisions involve multiple stakeholders over long cycles, consistency is what builds the familiarity that earns you a shortlist. Without it, you\u0027re invisible even to people who\u0027ve heard of you.A well-positioned brand operates on a natural messaging hierarchy:- Tier 1 (Brand-level): Aspirational, awareness-building. What you stand for at the highest level.- Tier 2 (Product\/campaign-level): Specific launches or initiatives, endorsed by the brand position.- Tier 3 (Tactical): Operational content - emails, event invitations, service details. Still consistent with the brand.When the brand position is clear, you don\u0027t reinvent the wheel at each tier. The position flexes to accommodate everything from thought leadership to product specs, without confusion or contradiction. Internal boredom with the messaging is usually a sign you\u0027re doing it right.\u0026nbsp;5. You\u0027ve built something nobody knows aboutThis is the hardest one to accept. Your positioning is sharp, your messaging is buyer-led, your identity is distinctive. Doesn\u0027t matter if nobody\u0027s seeing it.B2B buyers build their shortlist early, most of it is populated with companies they already knew before the search began. This what\u0027s called \u0022mental availability\u0022: the probability that your brand comes to mind when a buyer has a need. If you\u0027re not in the consideration set before the brief goes out, you\u0027re not in the running.The only route in is to show up before you\u0027re needed: publishing useful thinking, being visible in the right conversations, building a reputation that precedes the sales pitch. You don\u0027t need a massive media budget. You need to stop being absent.What a lead-generating brand actually looks likeWhen the brand is working, you feel it in how the business operates:- Sales needs fewer slides to explain what you do- Deals move faster with less internal reassurance required- You hold price because the value feels obvious to buyers- Prospects stop asking \u0022so what do you actually do?\u0022- Customers repeat your story back to you in their own words- Inbound enquiries are from the right people, not just any peopleThese aren\u0027t vanity metrics. They\u0027re operational indicators of a brand that\u0027s reducing the cost of doing business and generating leads that actually convert.Key takeaways- When leads stall, the brand is usually the bottleneck, not pricing, product, or sales process. The brand faces outward; it either pulls people toward you or it doesn\u0027t.- The five most common brand failures that kill lead generation: unclear positioning, inward-facing messaging, visual sameness, inconsistency, and invisibility.- More than half of B2B buying journeys end in no decision. Weak branding doesn\u0027t just lose you deals to competitors \u2014 it loses you deals to inaction.- Fix diagnosis: if your homepage could belong to any competitor with a logo swap, your brand isn\u0027t doing its job.- A lead-generating brand doesn\u0027t just increase volume. It improves quality. Prospects who already understand what you do, why it matters, and why you\u0027re the right fit.Where to go next- If the problem is positioning: What Does Brand Positioning Really Mean?- If the problem is differentiation: B2B Tech Firms Must Dig Deeper to Differentiate- If the problem is consistency: Aligning Brand Consistency Across Channels- If the problem is measurement: How Do You Measure Brand Value in B2B?- If the problem is all of the above: Brand Mistakes Made by B2B Tech Firms  ","summary":"If your B2B brand isn\u0027t generating leads, the problem is almost certainly not your sales process, your pricing, or your product. It\u0027s your brand. Specifically, the way your company is understood, remembered, and chosen by prospects before they ever speak to your sales team. The five most common reasons are: unclear positioning, inward-facing messaging, visual and verbal sameness, inconsistency across touchpoints, and simple invisibility. Fix those, and the pipeline moves.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-03-18T11:49:55+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5892","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/when-does-b2b-company-actually-need-rebrand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"When Does a B2B Company Actually Need to Rebrand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u0026#039;rebrand\u0026#039; gets thrown around a lot. A new logo here, a colour refresh there, and suddenly it\u0026#039;s a rebrand. But for B2B companies, a true rebrand is a significant strategic decision. And getting the timing wrong can be costly. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter twenty years of working with B2B businesses on brand strategy, we\u0027ve seen companies rebrand too early, too late, and for the wrong reasons. Here\u0027s how to know when it\u0027s actually time, \u0026nbsp;and when a lighter touch will do.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELet\u0027s start with the basics. A brand refresh updates your visual identity and messaging to feel more current, while keeping your core positioning intact. It\u0027s the old \u0022evolution rather than revolution\u0022 maxim.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA rebrand is more fundamental. It involves rethinking who you are, who you serve, and how you want to be perceived. It could include a new name, an entirely new visual identity, and repositioned messaging. It\u0027s a strategic reset.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost B2B companies that think they need a rebrand actually need a refresh. But some genuinely need to start again. The difference matters because a rebrand costs more, takes longer, and carries more risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESigns you need a rebrand (not just a refresh)\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA full rebrand makes sense when there\u0027s a fundamental disconnect between who your company is today and how your brand represents you. Here are the situations where we typically recommend it:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYour business model has fundamentally changed.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf you\u0027ve pivoted from product to platform, shifted from services to software, or moved into entirely new markets, your existing brand was built for a different company. Trying to stretch it will create confusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u0027re stuck in a category you\u0027ve outgrown.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESome B2B companies find themselves pigeonholed. Prospects see you as \u0027the [narrow thing] company\u0027 when you\u0027ve evolved far beyond that. If your brand anchors you to an outdated perception, a rebrand can help you claim new territory.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA merger or acquisition has created a fragmented identity.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPost-M\u0026amp;A, you often end up with a patchwork of brands, naming conventions, and visual styles. A rebrand creates a unified identity that signals integration to clients and employees alike.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYour name is actively working against you.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPerhaps your name describes a product you no longer sell, limits you to a geography you\u0027ve expanded beyond, or has developed negative associations. If your name is a barrier to growth, it\u0027s rebrand time, baby!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u0027re competing in a completely different space.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf your competitive set has changed dramatically. Perhaps you\u0027re now competing against well-funded tech companies rather than traditional consultancies. Your brand needs to signal that you belong in the new arena.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESigns a refresh is enough\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA brand refresh is usually the right call when your core positioning is still sound, but your execution has become dated or inconsistent. Consider a refresh if:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your visual identity looks dated compared to competitors, but your value proposition is still compelling\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your messaging has become muddled across touchpoints and needs tightening\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You\u0027ve evolved your services incrementally and need your brand to catch up\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Internal teams have drifted from brand guidelines, and consistency has eroded\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You\u0027re still winning work, but feel your brand undersells your capabilities\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA refresh preserves the equity you\u0027ve built while bringing your brand up to standard. It\u0027s faster, less disruptive, and often more appropriate than a full rebrand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe wrong reasons to rebrand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re proud to say that we\u0027ve talked companies out of rebrands more often than we\u0027ve talked them into one. Here are the reasons that don\u0027t hold up:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0022We\u0027re bored of our brand.\u0022 \u003C\/em\u003EInternal fatigue isn\u0027t a reason to rebrand. Your team sees your brand every day; your prospects don\u0027t. If the brand still works in the market, keep it.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0022We have a new CEO\/CMO.\u0022 \u003C\/em\u003ENew leadership often wants to make their mark. A new broom\u0027s got to sweep after all. That\u0027s understandable, but a rebrand should be driven by business strategy, not politics.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0022Our competitor just rebranded.\u0022\u003C\/em\u003E Reactive rebranding rarely works. You risk chasing a direction that may not be right for you. The grass may not be greener on the other side.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0022Sales are down.\u0022\u003C\/em\u003E Brand is rarely the sole cause of declining sales. Before rebranding, make sure you\u0027ve diagnosed the actual problem. It might be product, pricing, market fit, or sales execution. Most of those challenges come down to poor positioning. We can help with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/product-positioning\u0022\u003Edefining product positioning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow to decide\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore committing to either path, get clarity on a few questions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs your overarching positioning still accurate?\u003C\/strong\u003E Does your brand reflect who you are today, who you serve, and why you\u0027re different? If the answer is yes, you probably need a refresh, not a rebrand.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do clients actually think?\u003C\/strong\u003E Internal perception often differs from external reality. Talk to clients before assuming your brand is broken.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u0027s the business case?\u003C\/strong\u003E A rebrand should enable something: entering new markets, commanding premium pricing, attracting different talent. If you can\u0027t articulate the business outcome, reconsider.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDo you have the resources?\u003C\/strong\u003E A rebrand touches everything! Website, sales materials, signage, contracts, email signatures. Be realistic about the investment required to do it properly.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EB2B rebranding in practice: three scenarios\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter twenty years of working with B2B businesses, we\u0027ve seen rebrands that transformed companies and rebrands that wasted a year and a significant chunk of budget. The difference usually comes down to whether the trigger was real.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are three from our own work.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen the brand was anchoring a business to its past\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA B2B tech company came to us still positioned around hardware. The problem: they\u0027d already moved to software. Every conversation with a prospect started from the wrong place. Every piece of collateral told the old story.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe rebrand wasn\u0027t cosmetic. It meant repositioning from the inside out \u2014 clarifying the new offer, consolidating a fragmented portfolio under a Branded House structure, and rebuilding the digital platform to reflect where the business was going. Web enquiries increased by 525%. Conversion rate improved by 80%. And with 15+ acquisitions integrated under one clear brand, the business had a platform to scale from.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe brand was the barrier. Removing it unlocked everything else.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen a business needed to sell, and the brand was in the way\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAn aquaculture business was preparing for sale. The offer was strong. The brand wasn\u0027t. Fragmented across the portfolio, inconsistent globally, and telling a story that didn\u0027t match the business\u0027s actual ambition or scale.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPre-sale brand work clarified the offer, aligned global teams, and simplified the portfolio into something a buyer could actually get their head around. The result was a sale price of $1.5bn, twice the business\u0027s previous valuation. The brand didn\u0027t create that value. But it made it visible.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen a name was quietly killing growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA haircare brand had a loyal customer base, a strong product, and a name that was holding it back. It read as tired, felt niche, and didn\u0027t travel internationally. Nothing else was wrong.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA rename and refresh, no formula change, no fundamental repositioning, turned it into a credible competitor. Sales increased by 105%. Volume up 89%. Unit price up 8%. ROI of 1,285%. All from changing what the product was called and how it looked on shelf.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe bottom line\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA rebrand is a powerful tool when used at the right moment. But it\u0027s not a fix for unclear strategy, sales problems, or internal boredom. For most B2B companies, a focused refresh - tightening the positioning, updating the visual identity, and aligning the messaging - delivers better results with less risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question isn\u0027t \u0022should we rebrand?\u0022 It\u0027s \u0022what\u0027s actually holding our business back?\u0022 Start there, and the right path usually becomes clear.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENot sure whether your brand needs a refresh or something more fundamental? Our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/brand-clarity-report\u0022\u003EBrand Clarity Report\u003C\/a\u003E analyses your brand against competitors across 50+ metrics, giving you an objective view of where you stand and what needs to change. Not ready for that? Have a look at what it\u0027s like to work with a \u003Ca href=\u0022\/b2b-branding-agency\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00224ca4b42b-a93d-4614-85c2-9e2c19ea2a11\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022B2B Branding That Actually Earns Its Place in the Room\u0022\u003EB2B branding agency\u003C\/a\u003E that actually knows the space.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe word \u0026#039;rebrand\u0026#039; gets thrown around a lot. A new logo here, a colour refresh there, and suddenly it\u0026#039;s a rebrand. But for B2B companies, a true rebrand is a significant strategic decision. And getting the timing wrong can be costly. \nAfter twenty years of working with B2B businesses on brand strategy, we\u0027ve seen companies rebrand too early, too late, and for the wrong reasons. Here\u0027s how to know when it\u0027s actually time, \u0026nbsp;and when a lighter touch will do.Let\u0027s start with the basics. A brand refresh updates your visual identity and messaging to feel more current, while keeping your core positioning intact. It\u0027s the old \u0022evolution rather than revolution\u0022 maxim.A rebrand is more fundamental. It involves rethinking who you are, who you serve, and how you want to be perceived. It could include a new name, an entirely new visual identity, and repositioned messaging. It\u0027s a strategic reset.Most B2B companies that think they need a rebrand actually need a refresh. But some genuinely need to start again. The difference matters because a rebrand costs more, takes longer, and carries more risk.Signs you need a rebrand (not just a refresh)A full rebrand makes sense when there\u0027s a fundamental disconnect between who your company is today and how your brand represents you. Here are the situations where we typically recommend it:Your business model has fundamentally changed.If you\u0027ve pivoted from product to platform, shifted from services to software, or moved into entirely new markets, your existing brand was built for a different company. Trying to stretch it will create confusion.You\u0027re stuck in a category you\u0027ve outgrown.Some B2B companies find themselves pigeonholed. Prospects see you as \u0027the [narrow thing] company\u0027 when you\u0027ve evolved far beyond that. If your brand anchors you to an outdated perception, a rebrand can help you claim new territory.A merger or acquisition has created a fragmented identity.Post-M\u0026amp;A, you often end up with a patchwork of brands, naming conventions, and visual styles. A rebrand creates a unified identity that signals integration to clients and employees alike.Your name is actively working against you.Perhaps your name describes a product you no longer sell, limits you to a geography you\u0027ve expanded beyond, or has developed negative associations. If your name is a barrier to growth, it\u0027s rebrand time, baby!You\u0027re competing in a completely different space.If your competitive set has changed dramatically. Perhaps you\u0027re now competing against well-funded tech companies rather than traditional consultancies. Your brand needs to signal that you belong in the new arena.Signs a refresh is enoughA brand refresh is usually the right call when your core positioning is still sound, but your execution has become dated or inconsistent. Consider a refresh if:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your visual identity looks dated compared to competitors, but your value proposition is still compelling\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your messaging has become muddled across touchpoints and needs tightening\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You\u0027ve evolved your services incrementally and need your brand to catch up\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Internal teams have drifted from brand guidelines, and consistency has eroded\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You\u0027re still winning work, but feel your brand undersells your capabilitiesA refresh preserves the equity you\u0027ve built while bringing your brand up to standard. It\u0027s faster, less disruptive, and often more appropriate than a full rebrand.The wrong reasons to rebrandWe\u0027re proud to say that we\u0027ve talked companies out of rebrands more often than we\u0027ve talked them into one. Here are the reasons that don\u0027t hold up:\u0022We\u0027re bored of our brand.\u0022 Internal fatigue isn\u0027t a reason to rebrand. Your team sees your brand every day; your prospects don\u0027t. If the brand still works in the market, keep it.\u0022We have a new CEO\/CMO.\u0022 New leadership often wants to make their mark. A new broom\u0027s got to sweep after all. That\u0027s understandable, but a rebrand should be driven by business strategy, not politics.\u0022Our competitor just rebranded.\u0022 Reactive rebranding rarely works. You risk chasing a direction that may not be right for you. The grass may not be greener on the other side.\u0022Sales are down.\u0022 Brand is rarely the sole cause of declining sales. Before rebranding, make sure you\u0027ve diagnosed the actual problem. It might be product, pricing, market fit, or sales execution. Most of those challenges come down to poor positioning. We can help with defining product positioning.\u0026nbsp;How to decideBefore committing to either path, get clarity on a few questions:Is your overarching positioning still accurate? Does your brand reflect who you are today, who you serve, and why you\u0027re different? If the answer is yes, you probably need a refresh, not a rebrand.What do clients actually think? Internal perception often differs from external reality. Talk to clients before assuming your brand is broken.What\u0027s the business case? A rebrand should enable something: entering new markets, commanding premium pricing, attracting different talent. If you can\u0027t articulate the business outcome, reconsider.Do you have the resources? A rebrand touches everything! Website, sales materials, signage, contracts, email signatures. Be realistic about the investment required to do it properly.B2B rebranding in practice: three scenariosAfter twenty years of working with B2B businesses, we\u0027ve seen rebrands that transformed companies and rebrands that wasted a year and a significant chunk of budget. The difference usually comes down to whether the trigger was real.Here are three from our own work.When the brand was anchoring a business to its pastA B2B tech company came to us still positioned around hardware. The problem: they\u0027d already moved to software. Every conversation with a prospect started from the wrong place. Every piece of collateral told the old story.The rebrand wasn\u0027t cosmetic. It meant repositioning from the inside out \u2014 clarifying the new offer, consolidating a fragmented portfolio under a Branded House structure, and rebuilding the digital platform to reflect where the business was going. Web enquiries increased by 525%. Conversion rate improved by 80%. And with 15+ acquisitions integrated under one clear brand, the business had a platform to scale from.The brand was the barrier. Removing it unlocked everything else.When a business needed to sell, and the brand was in the wayAn aquaculture business was preparing for sale. The offer was strong. The brand wasn\u0027t. Fragmented across the portfolio, inconsistent globally, and telling a story that didn\u0027t match the business\u0027s actual ambition or scale.Pre-sale brand work clarified the offer, aligned global teams, and simplified the portfolio into something a buyer could actually get their head around. The result was a sale price of $1.5bn, twice the business\u0027s previous valuation. The brand didn\u0027t create that value. But it made it visible.When a name was quietly killing growthA haircare brand had a loyal customer base, a strong product, and a name that was holding it back. It read as tired, felt niche, and didn\u0027t travel internationally. Nothing else was wrong.A rename and refresh, no formula change, no fundamental repositioning, turned it into a credible competitor. Sales increased by 105%. Volume up 89%. Unit price up 8%. ROI of 1,285%. All from changing what the product was called and how it looked on shelf.The bottom lineA rebrand is a powerful tool when used at the right moment. But it\u0027s not a fix for unclear strategy, sales problems, or internal boredom. For most B2B companies, a focused refresh - tightening the positioning, updating the visual identity, and aligning the messaging - delivers better results with less risk.The question isn\u0027t \u0022should we rebrand?\u0022 It\u0027s \u0022what\u0027s actually holding our business back?\u0022 Start there, and the right path usually becomes clear.Not sure whether your brand needs a refresh or something more fundamental? Our Brand Clarity Report analyses your brand against competitors across 50+ metrics, giving you an objective view of where you stand and what needs to change. Not ready for that? Have a look at what it\u0027s like to work with a B2B branding agency that actually knows the space.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"The word \u0027rebrand\u0027 gets thrown around a lot. A new logo here, a colour refresh there, and suddenly it\u0027s a rebrand. But for B2B companies, a true rebrand is a significant strategic decision. And getting the timing wrong can be costly.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-02-04T20:08:05+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5891","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-halo-effect-causes-businesses-misread-brand-performance","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How the Halo Effect Causes Businesses to Misread Brand Performance","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBusinesses often judge brand health through short-term performance. That\u2019s a mistake, and it leads to the wrong decisions at the wrong time. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen a business is performing well, we assume everything about it must be working. Strategy. Leadership. Culture. Brand. When performance dips, we assume the opposite.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat instinct is understandable \u2013 but wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been reading \u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Halo Effect\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eby Phil Rosenzweig, which explains how business success creates a kind of glow. Strong results make us tell great stories about why things are working. Weak results do the same, just in reverse. We retrofit explanations based on outcomes, not evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand is especially vulnerable to this kind of misreading. Not because it doesn\u2019t matter \u2013 but because you never see it directly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand is rarely \u201cseen\u201d directly. It shows up sideways, in friction. In how hard the business has to work to be understood, trusted, and chosen. Longer sales cycles. More discounting. More explanation. More internal reassurance. All the cost, none of it labelled \u201cbrand\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhich makes brand dangerously easy to misdiagnose, particularly inside leadership teams looking at short-term performance data and trying to make fast decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tricky part is that brand doesn\u2019t behave like most other business assets. If a factory is failing, you can measure it. If cashflow is broken, you can see it. But when brand is weak, the effects don\u2019t show up as one obvious number \u2013 they show up as drag. Longer sales cycles. More discounting. More explaining. More internal stakeholders needed to sign off the decision. All hidden in different areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd there\u2019s a time delay too. The business results you\u2019re looking at today aren\u2019t a perfect reflection of the brand as it is right now. They\u2019re often a reflection of the brand as it was a couple of years ago \u2013 when customers formed their view, the trust was built (or lost), and your reputation settled into place. Buyers don\u2019t experience your brand in real time the way brand managers do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhich is exactly why the Halo Effect is so seductive. When performance is strong, it\u2019s easy for the business to conclude the brand must be in great shape. And when performance drops, it\u2019s easy to assume the brand must be the problem. Both stories can be wrong because \u003Cstrong\u003Ebrand impact arrives late, and it arrives indirectly.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is why brand is so easy to misread inside organisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost leadership teams are looking at \u201cnow\u201d data: revenue this month, pipeline this quarter, margin this year. It\u2019s immediate and feels objective. It feels like reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut brand is a slow-moving asset. It\u2019s made up of accumulated impressions, remembered experiences, and second-hand opinions. It builds over time, and it decays over time. Which means the business can be riding on old brand equity long after the brand has started drifting \u2013 and it can also be investing in the brand for months without seeing the commercial payback yet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat mismatch creates two common mistakes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes the business is performing well and assumes the brand must be strong, so it stops paying attention. It gets complacent. It keeps adding messages and initiatives because \u201cit\u2019s working\u201d. But what\u2019s really happening is the business is living off momentum \u2013 and quietly increasing friction for the next wave of buyers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther times performance softens and the business panics. Suddenly the brand becomes the culprit. The language gets dramatic: \u201cWe\u2019ve lost relevance.\u201d \u201cWe need a refresh.\u201d \u201cWe need a rebrand.\u201d But often the problem isn\u2019t the brand\u2019s look or tone. It\u2019s the offer. The sales motion. The product experience. The ability to articulate value in a way that makes buying feel safe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand gets blamed because it\u2019s the most editable thing in the room.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd because the effects of brand show up indirectly, it\u2019s easy to treat it like a story you can rewrite and mould, rather than an asset you have to manage with discipline. Reading the book, this really hit me. All of the other business signals show up more immediately and clearly than brand \u2013 which means brand must be managed much more carefully.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what does a good brand guardian do with that reality?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, they stop treating brand like a real-time performance lever.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand isn\u2019t a switch you flick to fix a quarter. It\u2019s more like steering. Small degrees of drift become big problems later, but they\u2019re almost invisible while things are going well. That\u2019s why brand leadership is most valuable when the business doesn\u2019t feel urgent. When revenue is healthy. When the pipeline looks fine. That\u2019s the moment you can still make clean decisions without panic in the room.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecond, they learn to look for brand impact in the right places \u2013 refusing to swap diagnosis for storytelling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot in vanity metrics. Not in internal opinion. Not in whether the CEO \u201clikes the new line\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in friction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand is doing its job, you feel it in commercial efficiency:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sales needs fewer slides to explain what you do.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Deals move with less reassurance and less internal politics.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You hold price because the value feels obvious.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prospects don\u2019t keep asking \u201cso what\u2019s the difference?\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Customers repeat your story back to you in their own words.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Hiring gets easier because people understand what you stand for.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s brand as an asset. It reduces the cost of selling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd it\u2019s why the Halo Effect is so dangerous. When performance is up, it\u2019s easy to tell yourself the brand must be strong. When performance drops, it\u2019s easy to tell yourself the brand must be broken. Both stories can be comforting. Both can be wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe disciplined move is to keep coming back to the same question:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere is friction increasing and what decisions need made to reduce it?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand is the easiest thing to misread because it\u2019s the easiest thing to tell stories about. And everyone\u2019s got an opinion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the business is winning, everyone assumes the brand is strong. When it\u2019s not, everyone wants to \u201cfix the brand\u201d. Both reactions are usually just storytelling, and storytelling is cheaper than decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe real work is less glamorous: spotting friction early, resisting panic moves, and editing the brand before the business is forced into change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s what protects margin. And momentum.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EIf you want an objective view of where your brand actually sits, not the story your recent numbers are telling, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/brand-clarity-report\u0022\u003EBrand Clarity Report\u003C\/a\u003E is a good place to start.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBusinesses often judge brand health through short-term performance. That\u2019s a mistake, and it leads to the wrong decisions at the wrong time. \nWhen a business is performing well, we assume everything about it must be working. Strategy. Leadership. Culture. Brand. When performance dips, we assume the opposite.That instinct is understandable \u2013 but wrong.I\u2019ve been reading The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig, which explains how business success creates a kind of glow. Strong results make us tell great stories about why things are working. Weak results do the same, just in reverse. We retrofit explanations based on outcomes, not evidence.Brand is especially vulnerable to this kind of misreading. Not because it doesn\u2019t matter \u2013 but because you never see it directly.Brand is rarely \u201cseen\u201d directly. It shows up sideways, in friction. In how hard the business has to work to be understood, trusted, and chosen. Longer sales cycles. More discounting. More explanation. More internal reassurance. All the cost, none of it labelled \u201cbrand\u201d.Which makes brand dangerously easy to misdiagnose, particularly inside leadership teams looking at short-term performance data and trying to make fast decisions.The tricky part is that brand doesn\u2019t behave like most other business assets. If a factory is failing, you can measure it. If cashflow is broken, you can see it. But when brand is weak, the effects don\u2019t show up as one obvious number \u2013 they show up as drag. Longer sales cycles. More discounting. More explaining. More internal stakeholders needed to sign off the decision. All hidden in different areas.And there\u2019s a time delay too. The business results you\u2019re looking at today aren\u2019t a perfect reflection of the brand as it is right now. They\u2019re often a reflection of the brand as it was a couple of years ago \u2013 when customers formed their view, the trust was built (or lost), and your reputation settled into place. Buyers don\u2019t experience your brand in real time the way brand managers do.Which is exactly why the Halo Effect is so seductive. When performance is strong, it\u2019s easy for the business to conclude the brand must be in great shape. And when performance drops, it\u2019s easy to assume the brand must be the problem. Both stories can be wrong because brand impact arrives late, and it arrives indirectly.This is why brand is so easy to misread inside organisations.Most leadership teams are looking at \u201cnow\u201d data: revenue this month, pipeline this quarter, margin this year. It\u2019s immediate and feels objective. It feels like reality.But brand is a slow-moving asset. It\u2019s made up of accumulated impressions, remembered experiences, and second-hand opinions. It builds over time, and it decays over time. Which means the business can be riding on old brand equity long after the brand has started drifting \u2013 and it can also be investing in the brand for months without seeing the commercial payback yet.That mismatch creates two common mistakes:Sometimes the business is performing well and assumes the brand must be strong, so it stops paying attention. It gets complacent. It keeps adding messages and initiatives because \u201cit\u2019s working\u201d. But what\u2019s really happening is the business is living off momentum \u2013 and quietly increasing friction for the next wave of buyers.Other times performance softens and the business panics. Suddenly the brand becomes the culprit. The language gets dramatic: \u201cWe\u2019ve lost relevance.\u201d \u201cWe need a refresh.\u201d \u201cWe need a rebrand.\u201d But often the problem isn\u2019t the brand\u2019s look or tone. It\u2019s the offer. The sales motion. The product experience. The ability to articulate value in a way that makes buying feel safe.Brand gets blamed because it\u2019s the most editable thing in the room.And because the effects of brand show up indirectly, it\u2019s easy to treat it like a story you can rewrite and mould, rather than an asset you have to manage with discipline. Reading the book, this really hit me. All of the other business signals show up more immediately and clearly than brand \u2013 which means brand must be managed much more carefully.So, what does a good brand guardian do with that reality?First, they stop treating brand like a real-time performance lever.Brand isn\u2019t a switch you flick to fix a quarter. It\u2019s more like steering. Small degrees of drift become big problems later, but they\u2019re almost invisible while things are going well. That\u2019s why brand leadership is most valuable when the business doesn\u2019t feel urgent. When revenue is healthy. When the pipeline looks fine. That\u2019s the moment you can still make clean decisions without panic in the room.Second, they learn to look for brand impact in the right places \u2013 refusing to swap diagnosis for storytelling.Not in vanity metrics. Not in internal opinion. Not in whether the CEO \u201clikes the new line\u201d.But in friction.If your brand is doing its job, you feel it in commercial efficiency:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sales needs fewer slides to explain what you do.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Deals move with less reassurance and less internal politics.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You hold price because the value feels obvious.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prospects don\u2019t keep asking \u201cso what\u2019s the difference?\u201d\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Customers repeat your story back to you in their own words.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Hiring gets easier because people understand what you stand for.That\u2019s brand as an asset. It reduces the cost of selling.And it\u2019s why the Halo Effect is so dangerous. When performance is up, it\u2019s easy to tell yourself the brand must be strong. When performance drops, it\u2019s easy to tell yourself the brand must be broken. Both stories can be comforting. Both can be wrong.The disciplined move is to keep coming back to the same question:Where is friction increasing and what decisions need made to reduce it?Brand is the easiest thing to misread because it\u2019s the easiest thing to tell stories about. And everyone\u2019s got an opinion.When the business is winning, everyone assumes the brand is strong. When it\u2019s not, everyone wants to \u201cfix the brand\u201d. Both reactions are usually just storytelling, and storytelling is cheaper than decision-making.The real work is less glamorous: spotting friction early, resisting panic moves, and editing the brand before the business is forced into change.That\u2019s what protects margin. And momentum.\u0026nbsp;If you want an objective view of where your brand actually sits, not the story your recent numbers are telling, the Brand Clarity Report is a good place to start.  ","summary":"Businesses often judge brand health through short-term performance. That\u2019s a mistake, and it leads to the wrong decisions at the wrong time.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-01-30T12:09:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5889","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/bursting-ai-powered-bubble","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Bursting the AI Powered Bubble","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, Stewart, Julie, and Chris dive into the pervasive problem of \u0026quot;AI-powered\u0026quot; marketing in 2026. Sparked by observations from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the team discusses how lazy product marketing has reduced AI to a meaningless badge, plastered on everything from battery chargers to computers without explaining actual customer value. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing parallels to the \u0022smart\u0022 and \u0022connected\u0022 buzzwords of 2015-2016, the hosts explore why technology companies struggle to articulate benefits instead of features. They argue that AI actually offers more tangible value than previous tech trends, making it even more frustrating when companies default to shorthand rather than explaining how their products save money, make money, or solve real problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conversation takes a personal turn when Stewart shares his reaction to receiving an AI-generated Christmas card, sparking a broader discussion about authenticity, consumer scepticism, and knowing when AI use matters versus when it doesn\u0027t. The team emphasises the importance of showing the \u0022messiness\u0022 of real progress, admitting mistakes, and being honest about the journey\u2014something AI\u0027s perfectionism often obscures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe episode concludes with reflections on the coming AI backlash and predictions about what next year\u0027s CES might bring (spoiler: it\u0027s robots).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Good, Brand Consultants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGood Brand Consultants helps B2B organisations turn brand strategy into commercial reality. Based in Scotland and working globally, we partner with clients to tackle everything from foundational brand positioning to practical implementation frameworks. If you\u0027re wrestling with brand challenges or want to explore how strategic brand work can deliver real business results, we\u0027d love to hear from you. To learn more about us, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/?utm_source=podcast\u0026amp;utm_medium=pr\u0026amp;utm_campaign=56-organic\u0026amp;utm_content=56\u0022\u003Egoodbrandconsultants.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/4a9b0b2f\/f9a1299f.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode, Stewart, Julie, and Chris dive into the pervasive problem of \u0026quot;AI-powered\u0026quot; marketing in 2026. Sparked by observations from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the team discusses how lazy product marketing has reduced AI to a meaningless badge, plastered on everything from battery chargers to computers without explaining actual customer value. \nDrawing parallels to the \u0022smart\u0022 and \u0022connected\u0022 buzzwords of 2015-2016, the hosts explore why technology companies struggle to articulate benefits instead of features. They argue that AI actually offers more tangible value than previous tech trends, making it even more frustrating when companies default to shorthand rather than explaining how their products save money, make money, or solve real problems.The conversation takes a personal turn when Stewart shares his reaction to receiving an AI-generated Christmas card, sparking a broader discussion about authenticity, consumer scepticism, and knowing when AI use matters versus when it doesn\u0027t. The team emphasises the importance of showing the \u0022messiness\u0022 of real progress, admitting mistakes, and being honest about the journey\u2014something AI\u0027s perfectionism often obscures.The episode concludes with reflections on the coming AI backlash and predictions about what next year\u0027s CES might bring (spoiler: it\u0027s robots).About Good, Brand ConsultantsGood Brand Consultants helps B2B organisations turn brand strategy into commercial reality. Based in Scotland and working globally, we partner with clients to tackle everything from foundational brand positioning to practical implementation frameworks. If you\u0027re wrestling with brand challenges or want to explore how strategic brand work can deliver real business results, we\u0027d love to hear from you. To learn more about us, visit goodbrandconsultants.com.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode, Stewart, Julie, and Chris dive into the pervasive problem of \u0022AI-powered\u0022 marketing in 2026. Sparked by observations from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the team discusses how lazy product marketing has reduced AI to a meaningless badge, plastered on everything from battery chargers to computers without explaining actual customer value.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-01-15T09:27:54+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5888","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/war-games-why-pskys-hostile-bid-brand-disaster","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"War Games: Why PSKY\u2019s Hostile Bid is a Brand Disaster","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat a soap opera. For years, I\u0026#039;ve been enjoying William Cohan\u0026#039;s coverage of the industry over at Puck News. All the struggles, the intrigue, the\u2026 well, nonsense. And now, these giants have given us exactly what we want: A crossover event. To. The. DEATH. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u00227\u0022\u003EFor those who don\u2019t know, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is effectively off the market, having already signed a merger agreement with Netflix. But there is another suitor: Paramount Skydance (PSKY). Despite their offer being rejected, PSKY is going hostile.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u00228\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve been following the trials of PSKY and WBD through Puck News, and it has been a masterclass in clashing egos. The latest \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/puck.news\/latest-sec-filings-reveal-contours-of-wbd-psky-feud\/\u0022\u003EPuck News article by William Cohan\u003C\/a\u003E was excellent and really highlighted the chaos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u00229\u0022\u003EBut beyond the drama, the article highlighted a critical issue: if PSKY manages to acquire WBD, bringing these two brands together will be a nightmare, especially after PSKY has gone litigious to get the deal done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002210\u0022\u003EWhen reading the Puck piece, I was struck by the admittedly obvious point that \u201cthe growing pile of recriminations and negative feelings between WBD and PSKY don\u2019t serve the objectives of either party particularly well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002211\u0022\u003EAt Good, one of the main challenges we\u2019re asked to solve is managing a brand transition when one business acquires another. If PSKY wins, this could be an almighty merger. But that\u2019s winning the battle, not the war.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002212\u0022\u003EWe believe that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/strategic-brand-framework\u0022\u003Ebrand strategy is business strategy\u003C\/a\u003E. You cannot separate the two. The PSKY takeover bid isn\u0027t just financially risky (with its reported $87B debt load); it is a brand disaster in the making. A brand built on hostile litigation and massive leverage is destined to fail because the internal reality will effectively kill the external promise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002213\u0022\u003EHere is what stands in the way of a successful merger:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 data-path-to-node=\u002214\u0022\u003E1. Internal Culture is the First Customer\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002215\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s start with the most obvious and important fallout. The article describes the relationship as deeply fractured, with WBD viewing PSKY as a \u0022litigious counterparty\u0022 and PSKY dismissing WBD\u2019s concerns as \u0022irrelevant.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002216\u0022\u003ESuccessful B2B and corporate brands are built from the inside out. Employees are your primary brand ambassadors. A takeover forced through \u0022pissing matches\u0022 and legal threats creates a toxic Day 1 culture. If the WBD board and employees feel \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ci data-path-to-node=\u002216\u0022 data-index-in-node=\u0022242\u0022\u003Econquered\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E rather than \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ci data-path-to-node=\u002216\u0022 data-index-in-node=\u0022264\u0022\u003Eacquired\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, the internal brand collapses. You cannot \u0022market\u0022 your way out of a merger where one side actively despises the other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002217\u0022\u003ELayoffs are often a consequence of this type of merger, but on Day 1, you need everyone to be with you; you need to feel like one team. Making references in your filings about how the other side is \u0022irrelevant\u0022 does not pave the way for a successful transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 data-path-to-node=\u002218\u0022\u003E2. Financial Shackles Disrupt Brand Strategy\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002219\u0022\u003EThe Puck article highlights that PSKY\u2019s bid is essentially a massive LBO (Leveraged Buyout) with $87 billion in pro forma debt and a 7x leverage ratio.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002220\u0022\u003EIf business strategy is brand strategy, then a business strategy defined by debt service mandates a brand strategy defined by cost-cutting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002221\u0022\u003EA media brand requires investment in risk - new shows, new movies, new formats. An LBO structure requires guaranteed returns to pay lenders. The \u0022Business Strategy\u0022 (debt) will strangle the \u0022Brand Strategy\u0022 (innovation), leading to a hollow brand that stands for nothing but survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002222\u0022\u003EThis looks like an existential crisis for a media brand. It deeply impacts its immediate core constituent: the employees at WBD. Not to mention the external talent that PSKY needs to attract to make world-class entertainment. If the best showrunners and directors fear a debt-ridden, cost-cutting owner, they will simply take their scripts elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 data-path-to-node=\u002223\u0022\u003E3. The Authenticity Gap\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002224\u0022\u003EFinally, we have a topic we\u2019ve been discussing at Good long before this feud: the gap between how a business \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ci data-path-to-node=\u002224\u0022 data-index-in-node=\u0022109\u0022\u003Esays\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E it will behave versus how it \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ci data-path-to-node=\u002224\u0022 data-index-in-node=\u0022143\u0022\u003Eactually\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E does. This is highlighted perfectly as the mud-slinging intensifies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002225\u0022\u003EPSKY claims to offer a \u0022superior\u0022 home for WBD\u2019s legendary creative assets. Yet their behaviour - threatening \u0022DEFCON 1\u0022 litigation, engaging in public insults (calling the Netflix deal \u0022psychedelic antitrust\u0022), and filing aggressive SEC complaints - reveals a culture of hostility, not stewardship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002226\u0022\u003EYou cannot build a brand based on \u0022creativity\u0022 and \u0022partnership\u0022 when your entry strategy relies on legal bullying. The \u0022reality\u0022 of the takeover (hostility) will bleed into the brand. It seems to be centred purely on securing IP, which risks alienating current staff, future talent, and consumers alike.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002228\u0022\u003EThese are just three points that spring to mind, but they are critical. This is warfare - high stakes, billions being sloshed around, monumental egos driving decisions - and the goal right now seems to be dominance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002229\u0022\u003EBut from a brand perspective, I would suggest that someone at PSKY needs to understand that the major objective isn\u2019t just winning the war. It\u0027s securing the peace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp data-path-to-node=\u002230\u0022\u003EGood luck\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhat a soap opera. For years, I\u0026#039;ve been enjoying William Cohan\u0026#039;s coverage of the industry over at Puck News. All the struggles, the intrigue, the\u2026 well, nonsense. And now, these giants have given us exactly what we want: A crossover event. To. The. DEATH. \nFor those who don\u2019t know, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is effectively off the market, having already signed a merger agreement with Netflix. But there is another suitor: Paramount Skydance (PSKY). Despite their offer being rejected, PSKY is going hostile.I\u2019ve been following the trials of PSKY and WBD through Puck News, and it has been a masterclass in clashing egos. The latest Puck News article by William Cohan was excellent and really highlighted the chaos.But beyond the drama, the article highlighted a critical issue: if PSKY manages to acquire WBD, bringing these two brands together will be a nightmare, especially after PSKY has gone litigious to get the deal done.When reading the Puck piece, I was struck by the admittedly obvious point that \u201cthe growing pile of recriminations and negative feelings between WBD and PSKY don\u2019t serve the objectives of either party particularly well.\u201dAt Good, one of the main challenges we\u2019re asked to solve is managing a brand transition when one business acquires another. If PSKY wins, this could be an almighty merger. But that\u2019s winning the battle, not the war.We believe that brand strategy is business strategy. You cannot separate the two. The PSKY takeover bid isn\u0027t just financially risky (with its reported $87B debt load); it is a brand disaster in the making. A brand built on hostile litigation and massive leverage is destined to fail because the internal reality will effectively kill the external promise.Here is what stands in the way of a successful merger:1. Internal Culture is the First CustomerLet\u2019s start with the most obvious and important fallout. The article describes the relationship as deeply fractured, with WBD viewing PSKY as a \u0022litigious counterparty\u0022 and PSKY dismissing WBD\u2019s concerns as \u0022irrelevant.\u0022Successful B2B and corporate brands are built from the inside out. Employees are your primary brand ambassadors. A takeover forced through \u0022pissing matches\u0022 and legal threats creates a toxic Day 1 culture. If the WBD board and employees feel conquered rather than acquired, the internal brand collapses. You cannot \u0022market\u0022 your way out of a merger where one side actively despises the other.Layoffs are often a consequence of this type of merger, but on Day 1, you need everyone to be with you; you need to feel like one team. Making references in your filings about how the other side is \u0022irrelevant\u0022 does not pave the way for a successful transition.2. Financial Shackles Disrupt Brand StrategyThe Puck article highlights that PSKY\u2019s bid is essentially a massive LBO (Leveraged Buyout) with $87 billion in pro forma debt and a 7x leverage ratio.If business strategy is brand strategy, then a business strategy defined by debt service mandates a brand strategy defined by cost-cutting.A media brand requires investment in risk - new shows, new movies, new formats. An LBO structure requires guaranteed returns to pay lenders. The \u0022Business Strategy\u0022 (debt) will strangle the \u0022Brand Strategy\u0022 (innovation), leading to a hollow brand that stands for nothing but survival.This looks like an existential crisis for a media brand. It deeply impacts its immediate core constituent: the employees at WBD. Not to mention the external talent that PSKY needs to attract to make world-class entertainment. If the best showrunners and directors fear a debt-ridden, cost-cutting owner, they will simply take their scripts elsewhere.3. The Authenticity GapFinally, we have a topic we\u2019ve been discussing at Good long before this feud: the gap between how a business says it will behave versus how it actually does. This is highlighted perfectly as the mud-slinging intensifies.PSKY claims to offer a \u0022superior\u0022 home for WBD\u2019s legendary creative assets. Yet their behaviour - threatening \u0022DEFCON 1\u0022 litigation, engaging in public insults (calling the Netflix deal \u0022psychedelic antitrust\u0022), and filing aggressive SEC complaints - reveals a culture of hostility, not stewardship.You cannot build a brand based on \u0022creativity\u0022 and \u0022partnership\u0022 when your entry strategy relies on legal bullying. The \u0022reality\u0022 of the takeover (hostility) will bleed into the brand. It seems to be centred purely on securing IP, which risks alienating current staff, future talent, and consumers alike.\u0026nbsp;These are just three points that spring to mind, but they are critical. This is warfare - high stakes, billions being sloshed around, monumental egos driving decisions - and the goal right now seems to be dominance.But from a brand perspective, I would suggest that someone at PSKY needs to understand that the major objective isn\u2019t just winning the war. It\u0027s securing the peace.Good luck  ","summary":"What a soap opera. For years, I\u0027ve been enjoying William Cohan\u0027s coverage of the industry over at Puck News. All the struggles, the intrigue, the\u2026 well, nonsense. And now, these giants have given us exactly what we want: A crossover event. To. The. DEATH.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-01-13T15:33:55+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5887","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/when-brand-values-are-tested-reality-shows","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"When Brand Values Are Tested, Reality Shows Up","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost brand values work perfectly, right up until the moment they\u2019re tested. And when that moment comes, the gap between what organisations say and what they do becomes very hard to ignore. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost brand values are never meant to be tested.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThey\u2019re written to sound reassuring. They sit comfortably on websites and in annual reports. They\u2019re agreed in workshops where alignment matters more than friction. In good times, they do their job. They signal intent. They create a sense of shared belief.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that\u2019s not when values matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EValues only matter when they collide with something else you want.\u003Cbr\u003EMoney. Speed. Growth. Control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve long been sceptical of what I call McValues. Generic, interchangeable words like integrity, respect, innovation, or people first. They\u2019re easy to agree on precisely because they don\u2019t force difficult choices. They create the illusion of principle without the inconvenience of consequence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen pressure arrives, they tend to fold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been following the news around the backlash to the 2026 World Cup, particularly the reaction to ticket pricing and access. And the more I read, the more it\u2019s reminded me of work I\u2019ve written about before around brand values and how quickly they unravel when they\u2019re put under pressure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s such a clean example because the tension is so obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFIFA talks endlessly about football being \u201cthe world\u2019s game\u201d. Inclusive. For everyone. A unifying force that belongs to ordinary fans as much as it does to sponsors and institutions. But as the next World Cup approaches, those values are being tested in the most tangible way possible: who actually gets to be there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly ticket pricing reportedly pushed towards eye-watering levels. Lower-priced tickets exist, but in limited numbers. Sponsors and corporates are prioritised. The commercial logic is clear, maximise revenue, protect partners, hit ambitious financial targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implication is just as clear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis World Cup is not for everyone. It\u2019s for those who can afford it.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENone of this should surprise us. FIFA is a commercial organisation and the World Cup is big business. But that\u2019s exactly why it\u2019s such a useful example. This is the moment when values are supposed to stop being words and start shaping decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where most organisations get branding wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey define values that are easy to agree on because they never force a difficult conversation. Words like integrity, respect, or putting people first feel solid and uncontroversial. Everyone around the table can nod along. The session ends with a sense of progress and alignment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the real test of a value doesn\u2019t come in a workshop. It comes later, when two things you want can\u2019t both be true.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat happens when fairness comes at the expense of profit?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen access reduces margin?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen doing the \u201cright\u201d thing slows growth or upsets a powerful partner?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnless values have been defined with these tensions in mind, they offer no guidance. They don\u2019t tell you what to protect, what to prioritise, or what you\u2019re willing to give up. So when pressure hits, they go quiet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt that point, decisions don\u2019t stop being made. They just default to whatever is clearest and most enforceable. Revenue targets. Timelines. Commercial influence. Control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot because anyone explicitly rejects the values, but because nothing in those values helps resolve the conflict in front of them. So the organisation does what it always does. It chooses the option that feels safest, fastest, or most financially certain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s how values step aside. Not with a bang, but with a shrug.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem here isn\u2019t hypocrisy. It\u2019s design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost values aren\u2019t built to survive contact with reality. They\u2019re written to describe how an organisation would like to see itself, not how it intends to behave when trade-offs emerge. When they\u2019re finally tested, they don\u2019t break rules. They simply reveal that there were no rules to begin with.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lesson isn\u2019t about football. FIFA is just the evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you want values to mean something, they have to be designed to make decisions harder, not easier.\u003C\/strong\u003E They must force trade-offs. They must occasionally cost you something. Otherwise, they\u2019re just slogans that work when times are good.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd the real risk for organisations isn\u2019t that the outside world spots the contradiction. It\u2019s that internally, everyone already knows.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMost brand values work perfectly, right up until the moment they\u2019re tested. And when that moment comes, the gap between what organisations say and what they do becomes very hard to ignore. \nMost brand values are never meant to be tested.They\u2019re written to sound reassuring. They sit comfortably on websites and in annual reports. They\u2019re agreed in workshops where alignment matters more than friction. In good times, they do their job. They signal intent. They create a sense of shared belief.But that\u2019s not when values matter.Values only matter when they collide with something else you want.Money. Speed. Growth. Control.That\u2019s why I\u2019ve long been sceptical of what I call McValues. Generic, interchangeable words like integrity, respect, innovation, or people first. They\u2019re easy to agree on precisely because they don\u2019t force difficult choices. They create the illusion of principle without the inconvenience of consequence.When pressure arrives, they tend to fold.I\u2019ve been following the news around the backlash to the 2026 World Cup, particularly the reaction to ticket pricing and access. And the more I read, the more it\u2019s reminded me of work I\u2019ve written about before around brand values and how quickly they unravel when they\u2019re put under pressure.It\u2019s such a clean example because the tension is so obvious.FIFA talks endlessly about football being \u201cthe world\u2019s game\u201d. Inclusive. For everyone. A unifying force that belongs to ordinary fans as much as it does to sponsors and institutions. But as the next World Cup approaches, those values are being tested in the most tangible way possible: who actually gets to be there.Early ticket pricing reportedly pushed towards eye-watering levels. Lower-priced tickets exist, but in limited numbers. Sponsors and corporates are prioritised. The commercial logic is clear, maximise revenue, protect partners, hit ambitious financial targets.The implication is just as clear.This World Cup is not for everyone. It\u2019s for those who can afford it.None of this should surprise us. FIFA is a commercial organisation and the World Cup is big business. But that\u2019s exactly why it\u2019s such a useful example. This is the moment when values are supposed to stop being words and start shaping decisions.This is where most organisations get branding wrong.They define values that are easy to agree on because they never force a difficult conversation. Words like integrity, respect, or putting people first feel solid and uncontroversial. Everyone around the table can nod along. The session ends with a sense of progress and alignment.But the real test of a value doesn\u2019t come in a workshop. It comes later, when two things you want can\u2019t both be true.What happens when fairness comes at the expense of profit?When access reduces margin?When doing the \u201cright\u201d thing slows growth or upsets a powerful partner?Unless values have been defined with these tensions in mind, they offer no guidance. They don\u2019t tell you what to protect, what to prioritise, or what you\u2019re willing to give up. So when pressure hits, they go quiet.At that point, decisions don\u2019t stop being made. They just default to whatever is clearest and most enforceable. Revenue targets. Timelines. Commercial influence. Control.Not because anyone explicitly rejects the values, but because nothing in those values helps resolve the conflict in front of them. So the organisation does what it always does. It chooses the option that feels safest, fastest, or most financially certain.That\u2019s how values step aside. Not with a bang, but with a shrug.The problem here isn\u2019t hypocrisy. It\u2019s design.Most values aren\u2019t built to survive contact with reality. They\u2019re written to describe how an organisation would like to see itself, not how it intends to behave when trade-offs emerge. When they\u2019re finally tested, they don\u2019t break rules. They simply reveal that there were no rules to begin with.The lesson isn\u2019t about football. FIFA is just the evidence.If you want values to mean something, they have to be designed to make decisions harder, not easier. They must force trade-offs. They must occasionally cost you something. Otherwise, they\u2019re just slogans that work when times are good.And the real risk for organisations isn\u2019t that the outside world spots the contradiction. It\u2019s that internally, everyone already knows.  ","summary":"Most brand values work perfectly, right up until the moment they\u2019re tested. And when that moment comes, the gap between what organisations say and what they do becomes very hard to ignore.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2026-01-09T13:32:05+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5886","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/win-rate-illusion-brand-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Win Rate Illusion: Why Brand Strategy Should Be Repellent","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe received a brief recently from a great client. It was full of gnarly problems and interesting challenges. The kind of brief you want because the client is genuinely looking for growth.\r\n\r\nThen I looked at the KPIs. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the primary metrics for the project was \u0022Increased Win Rate.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy immediate reaction? \u003Cem\u003EWhat the actual jiggins?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve seen this before, and I\u2019m a big believer that delivering \u2018wins\u2019 is not Brand\u2019s job. That is the Sales Team\u2019s job. To hold the Brand team accountable for the final handshake always feels like a setup.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy? Well, Brand can deliver a perfectly qualified lead. But if the Sales team takes four days to respond, or can\u2019t negotiate the fee, or lacks the soft skills to close, the deal dies. And according to my brief, this is going to be a Brand problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a business point of view, it can\u2019t work like that. If Brand is accountable for the entire chain, it hides where the failure actually lies. Is it the message? Or is it the messenger?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s not to say that Brand doesn\u2019t have an influence on the sales process, it just has to be defined within its sphere of influence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat I do believe is that while Brand cannot sign the contract, it can certainly help dictate the probability of the win. Let\u2019s look at the win rate. Simply put, the win rate is:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeals Won \u00f7 Deals in Pipeline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost companies try to fix the \u003Cem\u003EDeals Won\u003C\/em\u003E part. But Brand should focus on fixing the \u003Cem\u003EPipeline\u003C\/em\u003E part.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe once worked with a client who claimed success because they generated 2,000 leads. But the sales team was miserable. They were sifting through 2,000 bad conversations to find a handful of gold. The volume was high, but the quality was low.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd to nobody\u2019s surprise, when you fill the funnel with garbage, your win rate tanks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd this is where Brand has to play a role. It may seem counterintuitive, but a good brand strategy should serve as a repellent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA strong brand scares people away. It filters out the tyre-kickers and the low-budget distractions before they ever clog up your CRM. It signals clearly: \u003Cem\u003E\u0022We are for this type of client. We are not for everyone. We may not be for you.\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy shrinking the pipeline to only \u0022right-fit\u0022 prospects, Brand forces the win rate up mathematically, even if Sales closes the exact same number of deals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second place Brand impacts the win is Pricing Power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your Sales team is losing deals on price, that is a Brand failure. A strong brand pre-sells the value so that by the time the conversation turns to money, the premium is already justified.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an ideal world, Brand and Sales should work like peanut butter and chocolate, working in partnership to build growth in the business. The roles should be pretty clear:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec80838d38ed5d7d56eee95bb14dcbef3\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand\u003C\/strong\u003E builds trust and authority so the prospect knows exactly who you are before the meeting starts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ef57b22726867e6aad58ec88bdc8816a2\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESales\u003C\/strong\u003E then follows in to do the dirty fighting, inch by inch. Handling objections, negotiating terms, building the relationship, and getting the contract.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut say that you\u2019re boxed in and that you have to accept the \u201cIncrease Win Rate\u201d KPI, what then?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccept \u0022Win Rate\u0022 as a secondary KPI, but only on one condition: Brand Strategy must dictate the Sales Narrative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand cannot just be the department that \u0022colours in\u0022 while Sales tells a completely different story. The narrative must be consistent from the first time a prospect sees an asset on LinkedIn to the moment they sign the contract.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo be clear, I don\u2019t think that Brand should be held responsible for \u201cWin Rate.\u201d But, if it has to, then it should be on the insistence that Brand controls the narrative, and then controls the quality of the pipeline.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding growth in a business is a team sport, and each part of that team should have very distinct roles in delivering that growth and should be measured against those.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe received a brief recently from a great client. It was full of gnarly problems and interesting challenges. The kind of brief you want because the client is genuinely looking for growth.\r\n\r\nThen I looked at the KPIs. \nOne of the primary metrics for the project was \u0022Increased Win Rate.\u0022My immediate reaction? What the actual jiggins?I\u2019ve seen this before, and I\u2019m a big believer that delivering \u2018wins\u2019 is not Brand\u2019s job. That is the Sales Team\u2019s job. To hold the Brand team accountable for the final handshake always feels like a setup.Why? Well, Brand can deliver a perfectly qualified lead. But if the Sales team takes four days to respond, or can\u2019t negotiate the fee, or lacks the soft skills to close, the deal dies. And according to my brief, this is going to be a Brand problem.From a business point of view, it can\u2019t work like that. If Brand is accountable for the entire chain, it hides where the failure actually lies. Is it the message? Or is it the messenger?That\u2019s not to say that Brand doesn\u2019t have an influence on the sales process, it just has to be defined within its sphere of influence.What I do believe is that while Brand cannot sign the contract, it can certainly help dictate the probability of the win. Let\u2019s look at the win rate. Simply put, the win rate is:Deals Won \u00f7 Deals in Pipeline.Most companies try to fix the Deals Won part. But Brand should focus on fixing the Pipeline part.We once worked with a client who claimed success because they generated 2,000 leads. But the sales team was miserable. They were sifting through 2,000 bad conversations to find a handful of gold. The volume was high, but the quality was low.And to nobody\u2019s surprise, when you fill the funnel with garbage, your win rate tanks.And this is where Brand has to play a role. It may seem counterintuitive, but a good brand strategy should serve as a repellent.A strong brand scares people away. It filters out the tyre-kickers and the low-budget distractions before they ever clog up your CRM. It signals clearly: \u0022We are for this type of client. We are not for everyone. We may not be for you.\u201dBy shrinking the pipeline to only \u0022right-fit\u0022 prospects, Brand forces the win rate up mathematically, even if Sales closes the exact same number of deals.The second place Brand impacts the win is Pricing Power.If your Sales team is losing deals on price, that is a Brand failure. A strong brand pre-sells the value so that by the time the conversation turns to money, the premium is already justified.In an ideal world, Brand and Sales should work like peanut butter and chocolate, working in partnership to build growth in the business. The roles should be pretty clear:Brand builds trust and authority so the prospect knows exactly who you are before the meeting starts.Sales then follows in to do the dirty fighting, inch by inch. Handling objections, negotiating terms, building the relationship, and getting the contract.But say that you\u2019re boxed in and that you have to accept the \u201cIncrease Win Rate\u201d KPI, what then?Accept \u0022Win Rate\u0022 as a secondary KPI, but only on one condition: Brand Strategy must dictate the Sales Narrative.Brand cannot just be the department that \u0022colours in\u0022 while Sales tells a completely different story. The narrative must be consistent from the first time a prospect sees an asset on LinkedIn to the moment they sign the contract.To be clear, I don\u2019t think that Brand should be held responsible for \u201cWin Rate.\u201d But, if it has to, then it should be on the insistence that Brand controls the narrative, and then controls the quality of the pipeline.Building growth in a business is a team sport, and each part of that team should have very distinct roles in delivering that growth and should be measured against those.  ","summary":"We received a brief recently from a great client. It was full of gnarly problems and interesting challenges. The kind of brief you want because the client is genuinely looking for growth.\n\nThen I looked at the KPIs.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-27T17:03:44+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5883","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/has-lululemon-lost-its-soul-and-your-brand-next","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Has Lululemon Lost Its Soul (And Is Your Brand Next)?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELululemon built an empire by obsessing over community, culture, and the women they served. Then something changed. The stores lost their personality. The customer workshops disappeared. The soul got diluted. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESound familiar? It should. Because what happened to Lululemon happens to almost every brand that prioritises growth over identity. The investors start calling the shots. The quarterly targets become more important than the customer. And slowly, the thing that made you special becomes the thing you sacrifice first.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, the team at Good unpacks what went wrong at Lululemon\u2014and more importantly, what it teaches us about keeping brand at the centre when everyone\u0027s screaming for more revenue, more stores, more growth. Because here\u0027s the truth: most leadership teams don\u0027t want to hear: your brand foundations should dictate your growth strategy, not the other way around.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand foundations need attention before growth pulls them out of shape, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/total-brand-review\u0022\u003Ethe Total Brand Review is where to start.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/caa16076\/268e2db8.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nLululemon built an empire by obsessing over community, culture, and the women they served. Then something changed. The stores lost their personality. The customer workshops disappeared. The soul got diluted. \nSound familiar? It should. Because what happened to Lululemon happens to almost every brand that prioritises growth over identity. The investors start calling the shots. The quarterly targets become more important than the customer. And slowly, the thing that made you special becomes the thing you sacrifice first.In this episode, the team at Good unpacks what went wrong at Lululemon\u2014and more importantly, what it teaches us about keeping brand at the centre when everyone\u0027s screaming for more revenue, more stores, more growth. Because here\u0027s the truth: most leadership teams don\u0027t want to hear: your brand foundations should dictate your growth strategy, not the other way around.If your brand foundations need attention before growth pulls them out of shape, the Total Brand Review is where to start.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Lululemon built an empire by obsessing over community, culture, and the women they served. Then something changed. The stores lost their personality. The customer workshops disappeared. The soul got diluted.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-25T11:19:39+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5882","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-b2b-brands-mishandle-change-and-what-banks-can-teach-them","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why B2B Brands Mishandle Change (and What Banks Can Teach Them)","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo emails from two banks show how simple, clear communication can turn a moment of change into a trust-building advantage. B2B brands rarely treat change this way, even though they should. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI got an email from Virgin Money telling me they were being folded into Nationwide. The message was clear about what\u2019s happening, when, why it matters, and what I need to do. Nothing dramatic, nothing fluffy, just straightforward communication on the front foot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EI shared it with Julie as an example of best practice. She replied with another email, this time from NatWest, explaining how her Sainsbury\u2019s Bank loan account was being moved across. Same story. Same clarity. Same confidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETwo different banks. Two different situations. The same approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETreat the customer like a grown-up. Tell them what\u2019s changing and what\u2019s not. Remove the fear before it has a chance to grow.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThis is where B2C is miles ahead of B2B.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBanks do this because they have to. Huge customer bases, regulated environments, and a lot at stake. But they also do it because they understand something simple. In moments of change, people pay attention. That makes these moments powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMost B2B brands don\u2019t treat them that way.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a B2B company rebrands, restructures, merges, acquires, or shifts its offer, communication is often treated like an admin task. A tick-box exercise. Something \u201ccomms\u201d or \u201cmarketing\u201d will tidy up after the fact. The internal work takes over, the deadlines slip, and by the time customers hear anything, it\u2019s usually rushed, defensive, or vague.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s a waste.\u003Cbr\u003EBecause when a business is going through change, the change itself becomes the marketing.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELook at the banks\u2019 behaviour.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVirgin Money spells out the court date, the transfer date, what stays the same, how to object, how FSCS protection works, what the next steps are, and what to expect. It anticipates questions before the customer has them. It even warns about fraudsters taking advantage of the situation.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatWest is the same. Dates, downtime, what will and won\u2019t be available, what to download, how Direct Debits will be handled, what support is in place, and what to do if you need extra help. No drama. No panic. No mixed messages.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClear. Calm. Reassuring.\u003Cbr\u003EThat\u2019s called leadership. And in a moment of change, leadership builds trust faster than anything else.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B brands rarely behave like this, even though the stakes are just as high. In many cases, the stakes are higher. When you\u2019re selling multi-year contracts, technical systems, and long-term partnerships, showing confidence through change should be a basic requirement.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, most companies go quiet.\u003Cbr\u003EOr worse, they pretend the change is so small it\u2019s not worth talking about.\u003Cbr\u003EThat silence creates anxiety, confusion, and speculation. All avoidable.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re going through a brand change, here\u2019s the truth.\u003Cbr\u003EHow you explain the change shapes how people judge your brand.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt signals how organised you are.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt signals how well you know your customers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt signals whether you\u2019re thinking about impact, not just operations.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIt signals whether you\u2019re in control.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EYou can get a positive halo from these moments if you lean into them. Treat the communication as part of the brand, not a leftover from the project. A chance to show clarity, conviction, and confidence.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe banks get this.\u003Cbr\u003EB2B brands need to catch up.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo if your business is about to take customers through a change, ask yourself a simple question.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWill your communication build trust, or erode it? That answer tells you everything about how seriously you\u2019re taking your brand.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nTwo emails from two banks show how simple, clear communication can turn a moment of change into a trust-building advantage. B2B brands rarely treat change this way, even though they should. \nI got an email from Virgin Money telling me they were being folded into Nationwide. The message was clear about what\u2019s happening, when, why it matters, and what I need to do. Nothing dramatic, nothing fluffy, just straightforward communication on the front foot.I shared it with Julie as an example of best practice. She replied with another email, this time from NatWest, explaining how her Sainsbury\u2019s Bank loan account was being moved across. Same story. Same clarity. Same confidence.Two different banks. Two different situations. The same approach.Treat the customer like a grown-up. Tell them what\u2019s changing and what\u2019s not. Remove the fear before it has a chance to grow.\u0026nbsp;This is where B2C is miles ahead of B2B.\u0026nbsp;Banks do this because they have to. Huge customer bases, regulated environments, and a lot at stake. But they also do it because they understand something simple. In moments of change, people pay attention. That makes these moments powerful.Most B2B brands don\u2019t treat them that way.\u0026nbsp;When a B2B company rebrands, restructures, merges, acquires, or shifts its offer, communication is often treated like an admin task. A tick-box exercise. Something \u201ccomms\u201d or \u201cmarketing\u201d will tidy up after the fact. The internal work takes over, the deadlines slip, and by the time customers hear anything, it\u2019s usually rushed, defensive, or vague.\u0026nbsp;And that\u2019s a waste.Because when a business is going through change, the change itself becomes the marketing.\u0026nbsp;Look at the banks\u2019 behaviour.\u0026nbsp;Virgin Money spells out the court date, the transfer date, what stays the same, how to object, how FSCS protection works, what the next steps are, and what to expect. It anticipates questions before the customer has them. It even warns about fraudsters taking advantage of the situation.\u0026nbsp;NatWest is the same. Dates, downtime, what will and won\u2019t be available, what to download, how Direct Debits will be handled, what support is in place, and what to do if you need extra help. No drama. No panic. No mixed messages.\u0026nbsp;Clear. Calm. Reassuring.That\u2019s called leadership. And in a moment of change, leadership builds trust faster than anything else.\u0026nbsp;B2B brands rarely behave like this, even though the stakes are just as high. In many cases, the stakes are higher. When you\u2019re selling multi-year contracts, technical systems, and long-term partnerships, showing confidence through change should be a basic requirement.\u0026nbsp;Instead, most companies go quiet.Or worse, they pretend the change is so small it\u2019s not worth talking about.That silence creates anxiety, confusion, and speculation. All avoidable.\u0026nbsp;If you\u2019re going through a brand change, here\u2019s the truth.How you explain the change shapes how people judge your brand.\u0026nbsp;It signals how organised you are.It signals how well you know your customers.It signals whether you\u2019re thinking about impact, not just operations.It signals whether you\u2019re in control.You can get a positive halo from these moments if you lean into them. Treat the communication as part of the brand, not a leftover from the project. A chance to show clarity, conviction, and confidence.\u0026nbsp;The banks get this.B2B brands need to catch up.\u0026nbsp;So if your business is about to take customers through a change, ask yourself a simple question.Will your communication build trust, or erode it? That answer tells you everything about how seriously you\u2019re taking your brand.  ","summary":"Two emails from two banks show how simple, clear communication can turn a moment of change into a trust-building advantage. B2B brands rarely treat change this way, even though they should.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-24T13:41:25+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression","Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5881","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/pricing-power-vs-volume-addiction-what-your-margins-say-about-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Pricing Power vs. Volume Addiction: What Your Margins Say About Your Brand ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn a grey Thursday afternoon, a CMO and a CFO sit in a glass meeting room, looking at the same chart and seeing two very different stories.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe CMO sees a brand that\u0027s been \u0027premiumised\u0027: new visual identity, tighter positioning, cleaner architecture, big campaigns about trust and long-term value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe CFO sees something else: five years of flat gross margins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERevenue is up. Volume is up. The category looks healthy. But the line that matters, the one that tells you whether the brand is actually earning its keep, has barely moved.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where the conversation usually gets stuck.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing talks about reputation, distinctiveness and loyalty. Finance talks about units, mix and price realisation. They argue about who\u0027s right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u0027re both wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause in the end, there\u0027s only one test that matters for a \u0027value-led\u0027 brand in a complex category:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECan you hold, or grow, margin when the market isn\u0027t doing you any favours?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the answer is no, you don\u0027t have pricing power. You have a volume habit with a better story. And your P\u0026amp;L has been quietly telling you that for years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can learn a lot about a company\u0027s brand by ignoring everything it says about itself.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EForget the guidelines. Forget the manifesto. Forget the \u0027We\u0027re a trusted partner\u0027 copy on the website.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, print the last five years of P\u0026amp;Ls, grab a pen, and look at three relationships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E1. Revenue vs. gross profit\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, put total revenue and gross profit on the same chart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf revenue has grown faster than gross profit, something simple is happening: the company is getting bigger by pushing more units, often with heavier discounting or lower-value mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf gross profit has grown faster than revenue, something harder is happening: the company is improving the economics of what it sells. Better mix. Better price realisation. More of the right kind of business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u0027t need to be an analyst to see which story you\u0027d rather be telling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E2. The direction of gross margin\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, look at gross margin. Not quarter by quarter, over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA line that gently rises, despite macro noise, usually points to genuine pricing power.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA line that flatlines is a red flag. All the noise about \u0027premium\u0027 and \u0027value\u0027 isn\u0027t landing in the economics.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA line that slides is a neon sign: you are training the market to expect a deal.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand story has shifted up-market while your margin line hasn\u0027t moved, the brand hasn\u0027t failed in the guidelines. It\u0027s failed in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E3. The language around the numbers\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen read how leadership explains those numbers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome companies talk endlessly about \u0027units, share, volume, keeping the top line moving.\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOthers talk about \u0027mix, solutions, system value, total cost of ownership.\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne is confessing to a volume mindset, even if the brand deck says \u0027premium\u0027. The other is at least trying to run a value-led play.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe trick is to read the P\u0026amp;L like you\u0027d read any other piece of brand content: what is the behaviour telling you, regardless of the words?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce you start looking at numbers this way, most companies fall into one of three camps. You\u0027ll recognise all of them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. The volume-addicted operator\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ve met this business many times. Targets are set in units and top-line growth. The calendar is built around promotions, rebates and \u0027partner programmes\u0027. There is always a special, a campaign, an incentive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhenever volume softens, the answer is predictable: another deal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are the brands that shout \u0027value\u0027 and whisper \u002750% off\u0027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe P\u0026amp;L tells the story ruthlessly:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERevenue edges up; gross profit follows more slowly. Margin drifts as more of the mix gets pulled into promo. Cost savings are surrendered back to the customer in the next negotiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand, in this world, is essentially a label on a discount engine. Its job is to get more people into the funnel so they can be converted with a better price.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn complex B2B categories, where buying cycles are long, implementation is involved, and switching costs should be high, that\u0027s a bizarre strategy. But it\u0027s common because volume looks good in the short term, and margin damage takes longer to be noticed. Success hides failure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. The value-led brand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen there are the quieter businesses that look unremarkable until you plot their gross margin. Their revenue doesn\u0027t explode. Their brand campaigns aren\u0027t always the loudest. They often describe themselves as \u0027boring\u0027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut their margins tell a different story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, they make a series of unfashionable decisions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey walk away from unprofitable customers, even large ones. They hold the line on list price, knowing it will cost them some volume. They push mix towards higher-value systems and services, even when it makes the sales cycle more complex.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou see the result in a couple of simple places:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGross profit grows faster than revenue. Margin holds or gently improves in tough markets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you dig into why, it\u0027s rarely because their logo is prettier. It\u0027s because they\u0027ve built up advantages that matter:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u0027ve become embedded in how customers actually work. Their offer is integrated in ways that make switching painful. The people who recommend or implement their products trust them to be reliable and supportive. They have data to prove better economics over time, not just better features.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand, here, is not a campaign theme. It\u0027s the sum of a thousand decisions that make customers more reluctant to switch, even when a cheaper option appears.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. The confused majority\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost businesses, if they\u0027re honest, are here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey have a brand platform that talks about \u0027premium solutions\u0027 and \u0027trusted partnership\u0027. They have guidelines, a fresh identity, perhaps even a \u0027purpose\u0027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey also have:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EQuarterly scrambles to hit volume. Undisciplined discounting via channel. Margins that go nowhere over time.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESales know that if they push hard enough, head office will blink and approve an extra rebate.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDistributors know the list price is an opening suggestion.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomers know that waiting pays.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternally, brand loses credibility. Externally, the company looks like just another discounter in nicer clothes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo one set out to build a confused brand. It\u0027s simply the result of strategy that lives in decks, not in the economics of the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo, which one of these are you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you want a painful but useful exercise, put your CMO, CFO and Head of Sales in a room with four things:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFive years of P\u0026amp;Ls. Segment-level profitability, if you have it. A list of your top 20 customers or partners. Your latest brand strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen ask some blunt questions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhat do the numbers say?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHas gross profit kept pace with, or outpaced, revenue?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIs gross margin drifting, flat, or rising over time?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhich segments look like \u0027big revenue, low profit\u0027 traps?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThose high-revenue, low-margin segments are usually where volume addiction lives.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhat does behaviour say?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow often do price increases survive first contact with the field?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow many \u0027one-off exceptions\u0027 to discount policy were signed off last year?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAre sales incentives built on revenue or on profitable mix?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you pay people to chase volume, you\u0027ll get volume.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDoes the brand story match any of this?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake your brand promise and hold it against the numbers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you say you are \u0027value-led\u0027 but your gross margins tell a commodity story, something is off.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIf you say you are \u0027trusted\u0027 but you\u0027re constantly on promotion, what exactly are you training customers to trust?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u0027t about catching anyone out. It\u0027s about agreeing on what kind of business you are actually running.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn complex categories, pricing power looks mysterious from the outside. From the inside, it\u0027s brutally practical.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA brand earns the right to resist discounting because it does a few hard things consistently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt gets embedded in the decision\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe earlier you appear in the buying process, the stronger your position will be. If you\u0027re part of the spec, the standard, the approved list, or the default recommendation from the people customers trust, the conversation shifts from \u0022Can you be cheaper?\u0022 to \u0022How do we make this work?\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand work that reaches specifiers, advisors, and gatekeepers feels unglamorous. But it\u0027s often where your future margin comes from.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt behaves like a system, not a component\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESingle products are easy to substitute. Integrated systems are not.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf what you offer genuinely connects hardware, software, data, and support in a way that works together, it becomes harder for buyers to slice you up and replace parts with cheaper alternatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat doesn\u0027t happen by accident. It\u0027s a choice: to invest in making things work together, to build tools that make customers\u0027 lives easier, to design service models that reduce risk and complexity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe more your offer removes friction, the less you have to argue about price.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt makes partners\u0027 lives easier\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe people who recommend, install, integrate, or resell your products are ruthless pragmatists. They favour brands that are reliable, don\u0027t create problems, are predictable to work with, and stand behind what they sell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand is associated with fewer headaches and faster results, your price premium becomes rational, not charitable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt proves value over time, not just at launch\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost \u0022premium\u0022 stories stop at the product launch. Pricing power comes from what happens after: faster implementation, fewer failures, easier compliance, clearer documentation, simpler upgrades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you can quantify these advantages with real data, you can hold the line on price while competitors race to the bottom on unit cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s brand strategy as economics, not as adjectives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf you recognise your business in the volume-addicted or confused camps, the way out isn\u0027t another campaign.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s a set of decisions that will make you unpopular in the short term and stronger in the long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStart with a list of things you know in your gut:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESKUs that never sell at full price.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomers that are always \u0027strategic\u0027 but never profitable.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChannels that only respond to deeper and deeper deals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen answer the question nobody likes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhat are we prepared to stop doing?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou cannot become value-led while protecting every ounce of volume. Some of it has to go.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs long as the sales team is rewarded mainly for volume, they will behave accordingly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you want a different outcome, you have to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETie incentives to gross profit and mix, not just top line.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPut guardrails around discounting that actually hold.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECelebrate the deals you walk away from, not just the ones you win.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where most \u0027premium\u0027 strategies quietly die: in a compensation plan and a set of approvals that never changed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrice discipline without a stronger value story is just wishful thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand and marketing have to do more than redesign the logo:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBuild the case that justifies holding the line: proof points, data, case studies, tools.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EArm the front line with real arguments: calculators, comparisons, stories that resonate with pros and buyers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnsure every campaign ladders up to a simple point: this is why we are worth what we charge.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe job is not to make the brand more aspirational. It\u0027s to make the pricing feel inevitable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EExpect the dip\u2014and own it\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you reset your approach to volume and price, there will be a dip. Some customers will leave. Some deals will disappear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat isn\u0027t a sign the strategy has failed. It\u0027s the first visible sign that it\u0027s real.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question is whether leadership can calmly explain:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow lower volume and better margins produce a stronger business over 12\u201324 months. Which metrics matter now: gross profit, margin by segment, mix shift, promo dependency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the first wobble sends you running back to rebates and fire-sale deals, the organisation learns the lesson instantly: we don\u0027t actually believe in value; we believe in the quarter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat this means for brand leaders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you work in brand, this can sound like someone else\u0027s problem. It isn\u0027t.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the markets that Good works in, large, complex organisations trying to move from legacy to long-term value, brand strategy and capital strategy are the same conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe uncomfortable implication is this:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you can\u0027t talk about margin, you will be ignored where decisions are made. If your strategy doesn\u0027t show up in the economics, it isn\u0027t a strategy. It\u0027s a story.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe fix is straightforward, if not easy. Sit with finance and understand the last five years of gross margin properly. Map where your strongest brand assets actually sit in the portfolio and which segments they affect. Agree what \u0027value-led\u0027 should mean in numbers, not just in words.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen build brand work that changes behaviour: what you sell, who you sell to, how you price, and what you\u0027re prepared to walk away from.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause in the end, the market doesn\u0027t care what you call yourself. At the end of the year, your brand is not what your guidelines say it is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour brand is what your margins say it is.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nOn a grey Thursday afternoon, a CMO and a CFO sit in a glass meeting room, looking at the same chart and seeing two very different stories.  \nThe CMO sees a brand that\u0027s been \u0027premiumised\u0027: new visual identity, tighter positioning, cleaner architecture, big campaigns about trust and long-term value.The CFO sees something else: five years of flat gross margins.Revenue is up. Volume is up. The category looks healthy. But the line that matters, the one that tells you whether the brand is actually earning its keep, has barely moved.This is where the conversation usually gets stuck.Marketing talks about reputation, distinctiveness and loyalty. Finance talks about units, mix and price realisation. They argue about who\u0027s right.They\u0027re both wrong.Because in the end, there\u0027s only one test that matters for a \u0027value-led\u0027 brand in a complex category:Can you hold, or grow, margin when the market isn\u0027t doing you any favours?If the answer is no, you don\u0027t have pricing power. You have a volume habit with a better story. And your P\u0026amp;L has been quietly telling you that for years.You can learn a lot about a company\u0027s brand by ignoring everything it says about itself.Forget the guidelines. Forget the manifesto. Forget the \u0027We\u0027re a trusted partner\u0027 copy on the website.Instead, print the last five years of P\u0026amp;Ls, grab a pen, and look at three relationships.1. Revenue vs. gross profitFirst, put total revenue and gross profit on the same chart.If revenue has grown faster than gross profit, something simple is happening: the company is getting bigger by pushing more units, often with heavier discounting or lower-value mix.If gross profit has grown faster than revenue, something harder is happening: the company is improving the economics of what it sells. Better mix. Better price realisation. More of the right kind of business.You don\u0027t need to be an analyst to see which story you\u0027d rather be telling.2. The direction of gross marginNext, look at gross margin. Not quarter by quarter, over time.A line that gently rises, despite macro noise, usually points to genuine pricing power.A line that flatlines is a red flag. All the noise about \u0027premium\u0027 and \u0027value\u0027 isn\u0027t landing in the economics.A line that slides is a neon sign: you are training the market to expect a deal.If your brand story has shifted up-market while your margin line hasn\u0027t moved, the brand hasn\u0027t failed in the guidelines. It\u0027s failed in the field.3. The language around the numbersThen read how leadership explains those numbers.Some companies talk endlessly about \u0027units, share, volume, keeping the top line moving.\u0027Others talk about \u0027mix, solutions, system value, total cost of ownership.\u0027One is confessing to a volume mindset, even if the brand deck says \u0027premium\u0027. The other is at least trying to run a value-led play.The trick is to read the P\u0026amp;L like you\u0027d read any other piece of brand content: what is the behaviour telling you, regardless of the words?Once you start looking at numbers this way, most companies fall into one of three camps. You\u0027ll recognise all of them.1. The volume-addicted operatorYou\u0027ve met this business many times. Targets are set in units and top-line growth. The calendar is built around promotions, rebates and \u0027partner programmes\u0027. There is always a special, a campaign, an incentive.Whenever volume softens, the answer is predictable: another deal.These are the brands that shout \u0027value\u0027 and whisper \u002750% off\u0027.The P\u0026amp;L tells the story ruthlessly:Revenue edges up; gross profit follows more slowly. Margin drifts as more of the mix gets pulled into promo. Cost savings are surrendered back to the customer in the next negotiation.Brand, in this world, is essentially a label on a discount engine. Its job is to get more people into the funnel so they can be converted with a better price.In complex B2B categories, where buying cycles are long, implementation is involved, and switching costs should be high, that\u0027s a bizarre strategy. But it\u0027s common because volume looks good in the short term, and margin damage takes longer to be noticed. Success hides failure.\u0026nbsp;2. The value-led brandThen there are the quieter businesses that look unremarkable until you plot their gross margin. Their revenue doesn\u0027t explode. Their brand campaigns aren\u0027t always the loudest. They often describe themselves as \u0027boring\u0027.But their margins tell a different story.Over time, they make a series of unfashionable decisions:They walk away from unprofitable customers, even large ones. They hold the line on list price, knowing it will cost them some volume. They push mix towards higher-value systems and services, even when it makes the sales cycle more complex.You see the result in a couple of simple places:Gross profit grows faster than revenue. Margin holds or gently improves in tough markets.When you dig into why, it\u0027s rarely because their logo is prettier. It\u0027s because they\u0027ve built up advantages that matter:\u0026nbsp;They\u0027ve become embedded in how customers actually work. Their offer is integrated in ways that make switching painful. The people who recommend or implement their products trust them to be reliable and supportive. They have data to prove better economics over time, not just better features.\u0026nbsp;Brand, here, is not a campaign theme. It\u0027s the sum of a thousand decisions that make customers more reluctant to switch, even when a cheaper option appears.3. The confused majorityMost businesses, if they\u0027re honest, are here.They have a brand platform that talks about \u0027premium solutions\u0027 and \u0027trusted partnership\u0027. They have guidelines, a fresh identity, perhaps even a \u0027purpose\u0027.They also have:Quarterly scrambles to hit volume. Undisciplined discounting via channel. Margins that go nowhere over time.Sales know that if they push hard enough, head office will blink and approve an extra rebate.Distributors know the list price is an opening suggestion.Customers know that waiting pays.Internally, brand loses credibility. Externally, the company looks like just another discounter in nicer clothes.No one set out to build a confused brand. It\u0027s simply the result of strategy that lives in decks, not in the economics of the business.So, which one of these are you?If you want a painful but useful exercise, put your CMO, CFO and Head of Sales in a room with four things:Five years of P\u0026amp;Ls. Segment-level profitability, if you have it. A list of your top 20 customers or partners. Your latest brand strategy.Then ask some blunt questions.What do the numbers say?Has gross profit kept pace with, or outpaced, revenue?Is gross margin drifting, flat, or rising over time?Which segments look like \u0027big revenue, low profit\u0027 traps?Those high-revenue, low-margin segments are usually where volume addiction lives.What does behaviour say?How often do price increases survive first contact with the field?How many \u0027one-off exceptions\u0027 to discount policy were signed off last year?Are sales incentives built on revenue or on profitable mix?If you pay people to chase volume, you\u0027ll get volume.Does the brand story match any of this?Take your brand promise and hold it against the numbers.If you say you are \u0027value-led\u0027 but your gross margins tell a commodity story, something is off.If you say you are \u0027trusted\u0027 but you\u0027re constantly on promotion, what exactly are you training customers to trust?This isn\u0027t about catching anyone out. It\u0027s about agreeing on what kind of business you are actually running.In complex categories, pricing power looks mysterious from the outside. From the inside, it\u0027s brutally practical.A brand earns the right to resist discounting because it does a few hard things consistently.It gets embedded in the decisionThe earlier you appear in the buying process, the stronger your position will be. If you\u0027re part of the spec, the standard, the approved list, or the default recommendation from the people customers trust, the conversation shifts from \u0022Can you be cheaper?\u0022 to \u0022How do we make this work?\u0022Brand work that reaches specifiers, advisors, and gatekeepers feels unglamorous. But it\u0027s often where your future margin comes from.It behaves like a system, not a componentSingle products are easy to substitute. Integrated systems are not.If what you offer genuinely connects hardware, software, data, and support in a way that works together, it becomes harder for buyers to slice you up and replace parts with cheaper alternatives.That doesn\u0027t happen by accident. It\u0027s a choice: to invest in making things work together, to build tools that make customers\u0027 lives easier, to design service models that reduce risk and complexity.The more your offer removes friction, the less you have to argue about price.It makes partners\u0027 lives easierThe people who recommend, install, integrate, or resell your products are ruthless pragmatists. They favour brands that are reliable, don\u0027t create problems, are predictable to work with, and stand behind what they sell.If your brand is associated with fewer headaches and faster results, your price premium becomes rational, not charitable.It proves value over time, not just at launchMost \u0022premium\u0022 stories stop at the product launch. Pricing power comes from what happens after: faster implementation, fewer failures, easier compliance, clearer documentation, simpler upgrades.If you can quantify these advantages with real data, you can hold the line on price while competitors race to the bottom on unit cost.That\u0027s brand strategy as economics, not as adjectives.If you recognise your business in the volume-addicted or confused camps, the way out isn\u0027t another campaign.It\u0027s a set of decisions that will make you unpopular in the short term and stronger in the long term.Start with a list of things you know in your gut:SKUs that never sell at full price.Customers that are always \u0027strategic\u0027 but never profitable.Channels that only respond to deeper and deeper deals.Then answer the question nobody likes:What are we prepared to stop doing?You cannot become value-led while protecting every ounce of volume. Some of it has to go.As long as the sales team is rewarded mainly for volume, they will behave accordingly.If you want a different outcome, you have to:Tie incentives to gross profit and mix, not just top line.Put guardrails around discounting that actually hold.Celebrate the deals you walk away from, not just the ones you win.This is where most \u0027premium\u0027 strategies quietly die: in a compensation plan and a set of approvals that never changed.Price discipline without a stronger value story is just wishful thinking.Brand and marketing have to do more than redesign the logo:Build the case that justifies holding the line: proof points, data, case studies, tools.Arm the front line with real arguments: calculators, comparisons, stories that resonate with pros and buyers.Ensure every campaign ladders up to a simple point: this is why we are worth what we charge.The job is not to make the brand more aspirational. It\u0027s to make the pricing feel inevitable.Expect the dip\u2014and own itIf you reset your approach to volume and price, there will be a dip. Some customers will leave. Some deals will disappear.That isn\u0027t a sign the strategy has failed. It\u0027s the first visible sign that it\u0027s real.The question is whether leadership can calmly explain:How lower volume and better margins produce a stronger business over 12\u201324 months. Which metrics matter now: gross profit, margin by segment, mix shift, promo dependency.If the first wobble sends you running back to rebates and fire-sale deals, the organisation learns the lesson instantly: we don\u0027t actually believe in value; we believe in the quarter.What this means for brand leadersIf you work in brand, this can sound like someone else\u0027s problem. It isn\u0027t.In the markets that Good works in, large, complex organisations trying to move from legacy to long-term value, brand strategy and capital strategy are the same conversation.The uncomfortable implication is this:If you can\u0027t talk about margin, you will be ignored where decisions are made. If your strategy doesn\u0027t show up in the economics, it isn\u0027t a strategy. It\u0027s a story.The fix is straightforward, if not easy. Sit with finance and understand the last five years of gross margin properly. Map where your strongest brand assets actually sit in the portfolio and which segments they affect. Agree what \u0027value-led\u0027 should mean in numbers, not just in words.Then build brand work that changes behaviour: what you sell, who you sell to, how you price, and what you\u0027re prepared to walk away from.Because in the end, the market doesn\u0027t care what you call yourself. At the end of the year, your brand is not what your guidelines say it is.Your brand is what your margins say it is.  ","summary":"On a grey Thursday afternoon, a CMO and a CFO sit in a glass meeting room, looking at the same chart and seeing two very different stories. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-11T15:22:27+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5879","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-indecision-silent-killer-branding","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why indecision is the silent killer of branding","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBranding projects rarely fail because of bad ideas \u2013 they fail because no one makes a decision. Indecision creeps in quietly, draining momentum, confidence and belief. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf Armando Iannucci ever wrote The Thick of It for the branding world, it would be a masterclass in indecision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve all been there \u2013 the colour debate that won\u2019t die, the senior stakeholder who swoops in late, the \u201cjust one more round\u201d that everyone knows won\u2019t be the last.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the outside, it\u2019s funny. From the inside, it\u2019s expensive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter years of helping brands define who they are, one pattern keeps reappearing: extraordinary lengths to avoid making a decision. It\u2019s rarely intentional. Often it comes from fear, politics, or simple fatigue. But indecision leaves fingerprints all over a project \u2013 and those marks are easy to spot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E1. The Detail Distraction\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a conversation starts with colourways or brochure finishes, you can sense it: a loss of altitude.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetail feels safe \u2013 it\u2019s tangible, familiar, and everyone has an opinion. Strategy feels risky. So attention drifts toward what can be seen and away from what needs to be decided.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColour debates, font preferences, paper stock discussions \u2013 they\u2019re all easier to talk about than what the brand really stands for. But when teams fixate on surface, progress stalls. Because until you know what story you\u2019re trying to tell, the colour doesn\u2019t matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. The Folklore Rulebook\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe can never use that colour.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t use serif fonts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERules like these often come from nowhere \u2013 or from somewhere irrelevant, like a CEO\u2019s long-held preference or a moment of corporate superstition that hardened into policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019re the ghosts of past decisions still haunting the present. When brand decisions are governed by folklore rather than strategy, creativity becomes compliance. And compliance never builds belief.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. The Frankenstein Fix\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the feedback classic: \u201cCan we take a bit from route A and a bit from route B, just to see how it looks?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOr its cousin: \u201cLet\u2019s rework the copy one more time \u2013 we\u2019re nearly there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth are forms of deferral. They give the illusion of progress while postponing commitment. But branding isn\u2019t a collage exercise. When you stitch together bits from everywhere, you lose the coherence that makes an idea powerful in the first place.\u003Cbr\u003EIt\u2019s creativity by committee \u2013 which is to say, not creativity at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4. The Late Arrival\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA senior stakeholder joins the process late, brimming with questions, energy and opinions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey haven\u2019t seen the journey, only the destination \u2013 and suddenly the whole thing feels up for debate again. It\u2019s often an attempt to reduce risk: \u201cLet\u2019s get someone more senior to sign it off.\u201d But it does the opposite. Late arrivals restart the clock, drain momentum and make the next round of indecision almost inevitable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E5. The Overthink Loop\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis one pretends to be diligence: another workshop, more competitor analysis, a new round of testing. Collaboration, benchmarking and data are all good things \u2013 until they become a way to avoid responsibility. Decision fatigue disguised as consensus-building is still fatigue. And \u201cjust one more round\u201d usually means we\u2019re afraid to say \u201cenough.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E6. The Everything Brand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is what happens when indecision makes it all the way to the strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe brand framework overflows \u2013 values, missions, purposes, visions, beliefs, reasons to believe. Every stakeholder\u2019s word gets a place. Nothing gets left out.\u003Cbr\u003EIt feels inclusive, but it kills clarity. A brand that tries to be everything to everyone quickly becomes nothing to anyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat\u2019s really going on\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of indecision is fear \u2013 fear of getting it wrong, fear of standing out, fear of being blamed. Branding makes things visible, and visibility feels vulnerable. So people delay, dissect or delegate rather than decide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut indecision is a decision too \u2013 just one that costs more and achieves less. Often, indecision points to something deeper: a weak or undefined brand core. When no one\u2019s sure what the brand stands for, every detail feels debatable. Without shared conviction, everything feels risky because nothing feels certain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESo what\u2019s our job in all this?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help clients get over the line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe can\u2019t complain about indecision if we aren\u2019t confident enough to lead. If we keep acquiescing to every new round of tweaks, we\u2019re not brand consultants \u2013 we\u2019re an expensive artwork house.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur role is to guide. To explain why some things work and others don\u2019t. To bring objectivity when internal politics make objectivity impossible. To help teams see when \u201cgood enough\u201d is actually the right call, because progress itself builds belief.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBranding projects rarely fail because of bad ideas \u2013 they fail because no one makes a decision. Indecision creeps in quietly, draining momentum, confidence and belief. \nIf Armando Iannucci ever wrote The Thick of It for the branding world, it would be a masterclass in indecision.We\u2019ve all been there \u2013 the colour debate that won\u2019t die, the senior stakeholder who swoops in late, the \u201cjust one more round\u201d that everyone knows won\u2019t be the last.From the outside, it\u2019s funny. From the inside, it\u2019s expensive.After years of helping brands define who they are, one pattern keeps reappearing: extraordinary lengths to avoid making a decision. It\u2019s rarely intentional. Often it comes from fear, politics, or simple fatigue. But indecision leaves fingerprints all over a project \u2013 and those marks are easy to spot.1. The Detail DistractionWhen a conversation starts with colourways or brochure finishes, you can sense it: a loss of altitude.Detail feels safe \u2013 it\u2019s tangible, familiar, and everyone has an opinion. Strategy feels risky. So attention drifts toward what can be seen and away from what needs to be decided.Colour debates, font preferences, paper stock discussions \u2013 they\u2019re all easier to talk about than what the brand really stands for. But when teams fixate on surface, progress stalls. Because until you know what story you\u2019re trying to tell, the colour doesn\u2019t matter.2. The Folklore Rulebook\u201cWe can never use that colour.\u201d\u201cWe don\u2019t use serif fonts.\u201dRules like these often come from nowhere \u2013 or from somewhere irrelevant, like a CEO\u2019s long-held preference or a moment of corporate superstition that hardened into policy.They\u2019re the ghosts of past decisions still haunting the present. When brand decisions are governed by folklore rather than strategy, creativity becomes compliance. And compliance never builds belief.3. The Frankenstein FixThis is the feedback classic: \u201cCan we take a bit from route A and a bit from route B, just to see how it looks?\u201dOr its cousin: \u201cLet\u2019s rework the copy one more time \u2013 we\u2019re nearly there.\u201dBoth are forms of deferral. They give the illusion of progress while postponing commitment. But branding isn\u2019t a collage exercise. When you stitch together bits from everywhere, you lose the coherence that makes an idea powerful in the first place.It\u2019s creativity by committee \u2013 which is to say, not creativity at all.4. The Late ArrivalA senior stakeholder joins the process late, brimming with questions, energy and opinions.They haven\u2019t seen the journey, only the destination \u2013 and suddenly the whole thing feels up for debate again. It\u2019s often an attempt to reduce risk: \u201cLet\u2019s get someone more senior to sign it off.\u201d But it does the opposite. Late arrivals restart the clock, drain momentum and make the next round of indecision almost inevitable.5. The Overthink LoopThis one pretends to be diligence: another workshop, more competitor analysis, a new round of testing. Collaboration, benchmarking and data are all good things \u2013 until they become a way to avoid responsibility. Decision fatigue disguised as consensus-building is still fatigue. And \u201cjust one more round\u201d usually means we\u2019re afraid to say \u201cenough.\u201d6. The Everything BrandThis is what happens when indecision makes it all the way to the strategy.The brand framework overflows \u2013 values, missions, purposes, visions, beliefs, reasons to believe. Every stakeholder\u2019s word gets a place. Nothing gets left out.It feels inclusive, but it kills clarity. A brand that tries to be everything to everyone quickly becomes nothing to anyone.What\u2019s really going onAt the heart of indecision is fear \u2013 fear of getting it wrong, fear of standing out, fear of being blamed. Branding makes things visible, and visibility feels vulnerable. So people delay, dissect or delegate rather than decide.But indecision is a decision too \u2013 just one that costs more and achieves less. Often, indecision points to something deeper: a weak or undefined brand core. When no one\u2019s sure what the brand stands for, every detail feels debatable. Without shared conviction, everything feels risky because nothing feels certain.So what\u2019s our job in all this?To help clients get over the line.We can\u2019t complain about indecision if we aren\u2019t confident enough to lead. If we keep acquiescing to every new round of tweaks, we\u2019re not brand consultants \u2013 we\u2019re an expensive artwork house.Our role is to guide. To explain why some things work and others don\u2019t. To bring objectivity when internal politics make objectivity impossible. To help teams see when \u201cgood enough\u201d is actually the right call, because progress itself builds belief.  ","summary":"Branding projects rarely fail because of bad ideas \u2013 they fail because no one makes a decision. Indecision creeps in quietly, draining momentum, confidence and belief.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-07T10:30:38+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5876","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/bridge-builders-guide-brand-success","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Bridge Builder\u0026#039;s Guide to Brand Success","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobert shares his powerful \u0022torch and bridge\u0022 analogy that reframes how clients and agencies should work together. While agencies shine the torch to illuminate what\u0027s possible, it\u0027s the client\u0027s responsibility to build the bridge: doing the internal work, securing buy-in, and creating the cultural foundation that turns brand strategy into business results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe explore why brand exercises fail when they\u0027re just \u0022poster campaigns,\u0022 the critical importance of bringing customers into the room during strategy development, and why you should never find yourself in a boardroom discussing fonts. Robert also tackles the eternal tension between marketing and sales, and shares hard-won advice for mid-level marketeers struggling to make an impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a conversation about the unglamorous but essential work that separates brand projects that deliver real commercial results from those that simply look pretty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Good, Brand Consultants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGood Brand Consultants helps B2B organisations turn brand strategy into commercial reality. Based in Scotland and working globally, we partner with clients to tackle everything from foundational brand positioning to practical implementation frameworks. If you\u0027re wrestling with brand challenges or want to explore how strategic brand work can deliver real business results, we\u0027d love to hear from you. To learn more about us, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003Egoodbrandconsultants.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/145ba603\/fcdd82bb.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMost brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord. \nMost brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord.Robert shares his powerful \u0022torch and bridge\u0022 analogy that reframes how clients and agencies should work together. While agencies shine the torch to illuminate what\u0027s possible, it\u0027s the client\u0027s responsibility to build the bridge: doing the internal work, securing buy-in, and creating the cultural foundation that turns brand strategy into business results.We explore why brand exercises fail when they\u0027re just \u0022poster campaigns,\u0022 the critical importance of bringing customers into the room during strategy development, and why you should never find yourself in a boardroom discussing fonts. Robert also tackles the eternal tension between marketing and sales, and shares hard-won advice for mid-level marketeers struggling to make an impact.This is a conversation about the unglamorous but essential work that separates brand projects that deliver real commercial results from those that simply look pretty.About Good, Brand ConsultantsGood Brand Consultants helps B2B organisations turn brand strategy into commercial reality. Based in Scotland and working globally, we partner with clients to tackle everything from foundational brand positioning to practical implementation frameworks. If you\u0027re wrestling with brand challenges or want to explore how strategic brand work can deliver real business results, we\u0027d love to hear from you. To learn more about us, visit goodbrandconsultants.com.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Most brand projects fail not because of bad creative work, but because of poor internal groundwork. In this episode, we sit down with Robert McKechnie, MD of Starrett Europe and a veteran of successful brand transformations at organisations including Core (Scottish Power) and Norbord.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-11-03T08:50:29+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5867","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/5-reasons-internal-brand-understanding-matters-more-you-think","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"5 Reasons Internal Brand Understanding Matters More Than You Think","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost businesses focus on how their brand shows up in the market. But the real test is how well it\u2019s understood inside the organisation. If your people don\u2019t understand, believe in, and know how to use the brand, nothing else will stick \u2013 not campaigns, not culture, not consistency. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your first audience isn\u2019t your customers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost businesses start by thinking about their customer audience. But your first \u2013 and most important \u2013 audience is internal. They\u2019re the ones who carry the message, interpret it in their work, and deliver it to the world every day. If they don\u2019t \u201cget\u201d the brand, no amount of marketing spend can paper over that gap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t a fluffy point about culture or morale \u2013 it\u2019s the foundation for coherence, consistency and credibility.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBrand understanding isn\u2019t an outcome of communication \u2013 it\u2019s the precondition for it.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. The difference between being told and understanding\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany organisations \u201claunch\u201d their brand internally with the best of intentions \u2013 a set of slides, a campaign, maybe even a town hall. But what most people get is information, not understanding. They\u2019ve been told what the brand is, but not how to use it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrue internal alignment is about brand fluency \u2013 the ability to apply the brand naturally in decision-making, conversations, and everyday choices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFluency is when your people can make brand-led decisions without having to check the rulebook.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. The messy truth inside organisations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this is easier said than done. Inside most organisations, people are time-pressured, juggling priorities, firefighting issues. They\u2019re not resisting the brand \u2013 they\u2019re just overwhelmed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe brand\u2019s meaning and language need to be instantly usable. If it takes too long to explain, it won\u2019t survive the day-to-day realities of work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s not that people don\u2019t care about the brand. It\u2019s that the brand has to make it easy for them to care.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4. Why clarity is the real power move\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where so many brands trip up. They overcomplicate, overword, and overthink.\u003Cbr\u003EBut the easier a brand is to understand, the easier it is to believe in \u2013 and that\u2019s when it starts to live in the organisation. Making a brand simple and easy to grasp isn\u2019t dumbing it down \u2013 it\u2019s making it workable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s the only kind of brand that actually travels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClarity isn\u2019t a creative compromise. It\u2019s what gives creativity room to work.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E5. When it works, culture changes itself\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen brand understanding really takes hold, something remarkable happens: people stop having to remember the brand, and start living it. They make decisions, write emails, design presentations, and talk to customers in ways that instinctively align. No brand police. No reminders. No checklists. Just a shared way of thinking that spreads naturally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThat\u2019s when the magic happens \u2013 when brand understanding becomes culture, and culture carries the brand forward without effort.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we\u2019ve seen this happen first-hand. The strongest brands aren\u2019t the ones customers recognise \u2013 they\u2019re the ones employees believe in, use, and pass on effortlessly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThat\u2019s when brand stops being something you say, and starts being something you feel.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E ","content_text":" \nMost businesses focus on how their brand shows up in the market. But the real test is how well it\u2019s understood inside the organisation. If your people don\u2019t understand, believe in, and know how to use the brand, nothing else will stick \u2013 not campaigns, not culture, not consistency. \n1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your first audience isn\u2019t your customersMost businesses start by thinking about their customer audience. But your first \u2013 and most important \u2013 audience is internal. They\u2019re the ones who carry the message, interpret it in their work, and deliver it to the world every day. If they don\u2019t \u201cget\u201d the brand, no amount of marketing spend can paper over that gap.This isn\u2019t a fluffy point about culture or morale \u2013 it\u2019s the foundation for coherence, consistency and credibility.Brand understanding isn\u2019t an outcome of communication \u2013 it\u2019s the precondition for it.2. The difference between being told and understandingMany organisations \u201claunch\u201d their brand internally with the best of intentions \u2013 a set of slides, a campaign, maybe even a town hall. But what most people get is information, not understanding. They\u2019ve been told what the brand is, but not how to use it.True internal alignment is about brand fluency \u2013 the ability to apply the brand naturally in decision-making, conversations, and everyday choices.Fluency is when your people can make brand-led decisions without having to check the rulebook.3. The messy truth inside organisationsOf course, this is easier said than done. Inside most organisations, people are time-pressured, juggling priorities, firefighting issues. They\u2019re not resisting the brand \u2013 they\u2019re just overwhelmed.The brand\u2019s meaning and language need to be instantly usable. If it takes too long to explain, it won\u2019t survive the day-to-day realities of work.It\u2019s not that people don\u2019t care about the brand. It\u2019s that the brand has to make it easy for them to care.4. Why clarity is the real power moveThis is where so many brands trip up. They overcomplicate, overword, and overthink.But the easier a brand is to understand, the easier it is to believe in \u2013 and that\u2019s when it starts to live in the organisation. Making a brand simple and easy to grasp isn\u2019t dumbing it down \u2013 it\u2019s making it workable.And that\u2019s the only kind of brand that actually travels.Clarity isn\u2019t a creative compromise. It\u2019s what gives creativity room to work.5. When it works, culture changes itselfWhen brand understanding really takes hold, something remarkable happens: people stop having to remember the brand, and start living it. They make decisions, write emails, design presentations, and talk to customers in ways that instinctively align. No brand police. No reminders. No checklists. Just a shared way of thinking that spreads naturally.That\u2019s when the magic happens \u2013 when brand understanding becomes culture, and culture carries the brand forward without effort.At Good, we\u2019ve seen this happen first-hand. The strongest brands aren\u2019t the ones customers recognise \u2013 they\u2019re the ones employees believe in, use, and pass on effortlessly.That\u2019s when brand stops being something you say, and starts being something you feel.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Most businesses focus on how their brand shows up in the market. But the real test is how well it\u2019s understood inside the organisation. If your people don\u2019t understand, believe in, and know how to use the brand, nothing else will stick \u2013 not campaigns, not culture, not consistency.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-10-21T09:39:05+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression","Brand Foundations","Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5866","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-happens-when-price-and-quality-dont-differentiate","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What Happens When Price AND Quality Don\u2019t Differentiate?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESomething\u0026#039;s coming over the hill! In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, Stewart sits down with Chris and Julie to tackle a thorny question: what happens when \u201ccheap imports\u201d aren\u2019t cheap or inferior anymore, just good enough, well-priced, and increasingly well-branded?  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing BYD and others as jumping-off points, we dig into how the playbook has shifted (price \u2192 quality \u2192 brand) and what that means for Western B2B manufacturers and tech firms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe talk trust as a real moat (warranties, service, local presence), why heritage helps but won\u2019t save you, and the unsexy truth that brand-building is a continuous practice, not a one-and-done campaign. No silver bullets, just what it takes to be match-fit before market share slips \u201cslowly, then quickly.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-coming-over-hill-it-brand-eating-monster\u0022\u003ETake a look at the original article.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Good\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGood is a brand consultancy, working with ambitious B2B businesses to overcome the problems that hold them back. We believe brand strategy is business strategy, helping companies sharpen their positioning, win customer loyalty, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Got a problem that\u2019s keeping you up at night? We\u2019d love to have a chat to see how we could help. Find out more at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003Egoodbrandconsultants.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/30ce0c44\/d36c635e.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSomething\u0026#039;s coming over the hill! In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, Stewart sits down with Chris and Julie to tackle a thorny question: what happens when \u201ccheap imports\u201d aren\u2019t cheap or inferior anymore, just good enough, well-priced, and increasingly well-branded?  \nUsing BYD and others as jumping-off points, we dig into how the playbook has shifted (price \u2192 quality \u2192 brand) and what that means for Western B2B manufacturers and tech firms.We talk trust as a real moat (warranties, service, local presence), why heritage helps but won\u2019t save you, and the unsexy truth that brand-building is a continuous practice, not a one-and-done campaign. No silver bullets, just what it takes to be match-fit before market share slips \u201cslowly, then quickly.\u201dTake a look at the original article.About GoodGood is a brand consultancy, working with ambitious B2B businesses to overcome the problems that hold them back. We believe brand strategy is business strategy, helping companies sharpen their positioning, win customer loyalty, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Got a problem that\u2019s keeping you up at night? We\u2019d love to have a chat to see how we could help. Find out more at goodbrandconsultants.com.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Something\u0027s coming over the hill! In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, Stewart sits down with Chris and Julie to tackle a thorny question: what happens when \u201ccheap imports\u201d aren\u2019t cheap or inferior anymore, just good enough, well-priced, and increasingly well-branded? ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-10-01T10:41:51+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5864","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-measuring-brand-results-so-hard","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Measuring Brand Results is So Hard","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMeasuring brand should be simple in theory, but in reality, it\u2019s often messy, political, and difficult to pin down. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s so hard \u2013 and why doing something, however imperfect, is always better than nothing. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re honest on our Results page: you can\u2019t always measure brand. That might sound uncomfortable coming from a brand consultancy, but it\u2019s the truth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn theory, every project should have a clean set of baselines and a clear \u201cbefore and after.\u201d In practice, it\u2019s rarely that simple. Inside most organisations, brand measurement collides with the realities of corporate life \u2013 pressure to move fast, legacy systems, competing priorities, politics, and limited resource. From the outside it can look like a lack of interest or effort, but that\u2019s rarely the case. More often it\u2019s the sheer weight of organisational friction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why it\u2019s worth looking at the most common reasons brand measurement doesn\u2019t happen. Not to criticise, but to acknowledge just how hard it really is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETime and priorities\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand projects often move quickly. Teams want to get something into the market but skip the step of setting a baseline. Without that \u201cbefore picture,\u201d the after is impossible to prove.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPolitics and culture\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMeasurement makes you vulnerable. It exposes performance, invites scrutiny, and sometimes stirs up competition between functions. In some organisations, that\u2019s enough reason to avoid it altogether. Others just aren\u2019t incentivised to care. If budgets aren\u2019t linked to outcomes, why bother measuring?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EComplexity and the wrong tools\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome clients want to boil the ocean \u2013 endless dashboards, surveys, KPIs. But when measuring becomes too heavy, it collapses under its own weight. At the other end of the spectrum, projects like vision, mission and values are so foundational that they resist neat quantification. They show their impact indirectly; through the activities they shape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe short-term trap\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand creates value over years, not quarters. But business cycles run short, and the demand for immediate proof means the long-term story is often cut short. Easy-to-grab vanity metrics fill the gap, even if they tell us little about the real impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAttribution fog\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven when the numbers are good, it\u2019s hard to know how much brand has really moved the needle. Sales, retention, recruitment, reputation\u2014they\u2019re all influenced by dozens of factors. Pinning success solely on brand is rarely possible, which makes measurement feel inconclusive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELeading and lagging\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe believe the best way through is to think in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/measuring-brand-leading-and-lagging-indicators\u0022\u003Eleading and lagging indicators\u003C\/a\u003E. Leading indicators are early signals: changes in awareness, reputation, confidence. Lagging indicators take longer: margin, retention, acquisition cost. Both matter. Without early signs, belief dries up before the long-term numbers show up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBetter something than nothing\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerfect measurement doesn\u2019t exist. Brand work is complex and shared across many moving parts. But imperfect is better than nothing. Even a simple benchmark or directional metric helps build the story over time. Every green arrow matters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EOver to you\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery organisation wrestles with brand measurement. What have you found works (or doesn\u2019t) in your business? We\u2019d love to hear.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMeasuring brand should be simple in theory, but in reality, it\u2019s often messy, political, and difficult to pin down. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s so hard \u2013 and why doing something, however imperfect, is always better than nothing. \nWe\u2019re honest on our Results page: you can\u2019t always measure brand. That might sound uncomfortable coming from a brand consultancy, but it\u2019s the truth.In theory, every project should have a clean set of baselines and a clear \u201cbefore and after.\u201d In practice, it\u2019s rarely that simple. Inside most organisations, brand measurement collides with the realities of corporate life \u2013 pressure to move fast, legacy systems, competing priorities, politics, and limited resource. From the outside it can look like a lack of interest or effort, but that\u2019s rarely the case. More often it\u2019s the sheer weight of organisational friction.That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth looking at the most common reasons brand measurement doesn\u2019t happen. Not to criticise, but to acknowledge just how hard it really is.Time and prioritiesBrand projects often move quickly. Teams want to get something into the market but skip the step of setting a baseline. Without that \u201cbefore picture,\u201d the after is impossible to prove.Politics and cultureMeasurement makes you vulnerable. It exposes performance, invites scrutiny, and sometimes stirs up competition between functions. In some organisations, that\u2019s enough reason to avoid it altogether. Others just aren\u2019t incentivised to care. If budgets aren\u2019t linked to outcomes, why bother measuring?Complexity and the wrong toolsSome clients want to boil the ocean \u2013 endless dashboards, surveys, KPIs. But when measuring becomes too heavy, it collapses under its own weight. At the other end of the spectrum, projects like vision, mission and values are so foundational that they resist neat quantification. They show their impact indirectly; through the activities they shape.The short-term trapBrand creates value over years, not quarters. But business cycles run short, and the demand for immediate proof means the long-term story is often cut short. Easy-to-grab vanity metrics fill the gap, even if they tell us little about the real impact.Attribution fogEven when the numbers are good, it\u2019s hard to know how much brand has really moved the needle. Sales, retention, recruitment, reputation\u2014they\u2019re all influenced by dozens of factors. Pinning success solely on brand is rarely possible, which makes measurement feel inconclusive.Leading and laggingWe believe the best way through is to think in leading and lagging indicators. Leading indicators are early signals: changes in awareness, reputation, confidence. Lagging indicators take longer: margin, retention, acquisition cost. Both matter. Without early signs, belief dries up before the long-term numbers show up.Better something than nothingPerfect measurement doesn\u2019t exist. Brand work is complex and shared across many moving parts. But imperfect is better than nothing. Even a simple benchmark or directional metric helps build the story over time. Every green arrow matters.Over to youEvery organisation wrestles with brand measurement. What have you found works (or doesn\u2019t) in your business? We\u2019d love to hear.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Measuring brand should be simple in theory, but in reality, it\u2019s often messy, political, and difficult to pin down. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s so hard \u2013 and why doing something, however imperfect, is always better than nothing.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-09-29T10:35:38+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5863","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-top-why-ceos-cant-ignore-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand at the Top: Why CEOs Can\u2019t Ignore Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Catherine Connolly, Executive Chair of Prime Light Group, to explore how brand shapes boardroom decisions and business strategy.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom her early career in B2B marketing to leading global and mid-sized companies, Catherine shares candid insights on using data to earn credibility at board level, why consistency beats trends, and how brand becomes the anchor for growth. It\u2019s a practical, no-nonsense look at why brand truly belongs on the leadership agenda.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/67494ed1\/2b773a31.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Catherine Connolly, Executive Chair of Prime Light Group, to explore how brand shapes boardroom decisions and business strategy.  \nFrom her early career in B2B marketing to leading global and mid-sized companies, Catherine shares candid insights on using data to earn credibility at board level, why consistency beats trends, and how brand becomes the anchor for growth. It\u2019s a practical, no-nonsense look at why brand truly belongs on the leadership agenda.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Catherine Connolly, Executive Chair of Prime Light Group, to explore how brand shapes boardroom decisions and business strategy. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-09-17T08:35:03+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5862","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-refresh-your-brand-without-losing-what-works","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to Refresh Your Brand Without Losing What Works","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ERefreshing a brand doesn\u2019t always mean starting over. Done well, it\u2019s about subtle evolution \u2013 strengthening what already works while removing the clutter that\u2019s built up over time. In this piece, we look at why boards fear brand change, why that perception is wrong, and how we approach brand refreshes, so they build confidence rather than cause chaos. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EWhy does \u201cbrand\u201d still make so many boardrooms flinch?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause too often, the only brand stories that make the news are disasters. Jaguar\u2019s rebrand fallout. Cracker Barrel\u2019s messy evolution. To the outside world, brand change looks like a high-stakes gamble where the upside is unclear, and the downside is career-ending. No wonder the default reaction is: \u201cWe\u2019re fine just now, thanks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not that boards don\u2019t value brand. They are terrified of it. The industry hasn\u2019t helped. We gossip, pile on hot takes, and critique logos like armchair pundits on a Sunday afternoon. It makes branding look like fashion commentary rather than serious business strategy. If that is the perception, why would a board trust us with their reputation?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe truth is different. For every Jaguar hand grenade, there are thousands of brand evolutions happening quietly and effectively. They refresh and strengthen without throwing away what customers already know and trust. But quiet, responsible work does not trend on LinkedIn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is where our approach at Good comes in. We believe the trick to creative change is to change as little as possible. Most brand assets have lived long enough to carry equity, whether we think they are \u201cgood\u201d or not. Our job is not to bulldoze them. It is to respect them, simplify them, and sharpen them until the brand\u2019s character shines through.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe start with words. Vision, mission, values. Then a language platform, a central organising thought that guides everything. If strong language already exists, we keep it. From there, we audit design elements. What stays, what evolves, and what gets scrapped. The logo is usually \u201cuntouchable,\u201d but evolution beats revolution. Think Coca-Cola: the script has shifted subtly for a century without breaking recognition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rest is careful pruning. Slimming colour palettes. Simplifying type. Defining image styles. Clearing out the debris that accumulates when departments make their own tweaks over time. The effect is cohesion without chaos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe real win is this. When it works, nobody can quite put their finger on what changed. Clients tell us their brand feels more energetic, more dynamic, but they cannot spot the exact shift. That is the goal. Brand evolution is not about fireworks. It is about keeping most things the same, while knowing exactly where to smooth the rough edges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChanging nothing, when done right, changes everything.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nRefreshing a brand doesn\u2019t always mean starting over. Done well, it\u2019s about subtle evolution \u2013 strengthening what already works while removing the clutter that\u2019s built up over time. In this piece, we look at why boards fear brand change, why that perception is wrong, and how we approach brand refreshes, so they build confidence rather than cause chaos. \nWhy does \u201cbrand\u201d still make so many boardrooms flinch?Because too often, the only brand stories that make the news are disasters. Jaguar\u2019s rebrand fallout. Cracker Barrel\u2019s messy evolution. To the outside world, brand change looks like a high-stakes gamble where the upside is unclear, and the downside is career-ending. No wonder the default reaction is: \u201cWe\u2019re fine just now, thanks.\u201dIt\u2019s not that boards don\u2019t value brand. They are terrified of it. The industry hasn\u2019t helped. We gossip, pile on hot takes, and critique logos like armchair pundits on a Sunday afternoon. It makes branding look like fashion commentary rather than serious business strategy. If that is the perception, why would a board trust us with their reputation?The truth is different. For every Jaguar hand grenade, there are thousands of brand evolutions happening quietly and effectively. They refresh and strengthen without throwing away what customers already know and trust. But quiet, responsible work does not trend on LinkedIn.That is where our approach at Good comes in. We believe the trick to creative change is to change as little as possible. Most brand assets have lived long enough to carry equity, whether we think they are \u201cgood\u201d or not. Our job is not to bulldoze them. It is to respect them, simplify them, and sharpen them until the brand\u2019s character shines through.We start with words. Vision, mission, values. Then a language platform, a central organising thought that guides everything. If strong language already exists, we keep it. From there, we audit design elements. What stays, what evolves, and what gets scrapped. The logo is usually \u201cuntouchable,\u201d but evolution beats revolution. Think Coca-Cola: the script has shifted subtly for a century without breaking recognition.The rest is careful pruning. Slimming colour palettes. Simplifying type. Defining image styles. Clearing out the debris that accumulates when departments make their own tweaks over time. The effect is cohesion without chaos.The real win is this. When it works, nobody can quite put their finger on what changed. Clients tell us their brand feels more energetic, more dynamic, but they cannot spot the exact shift. That is the goal. Brand evolution is not about fireworks. It is about keeping most things the same, while knowing exactly where to smooth the rough edges.Changing nothing, when done right, changes everything.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Refreshing a brand doesn\u2019t always mean starting over. Done well, it\u2019s about subtle evolution \u2013 strengthening what already works while removing the clutter that\u2019s built up over time. In this piece, we look at why boards fear brand change, why that perception is wrong, and how we approach brand refreshes, so they build confidence rather than cause chaos.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-09-11T08:36:08+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5797","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/beyond-logo-how-one-business-uses-brand-make-decisions","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Beyond the Logo: How One Business Uses Brand to Make Decisions","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Caroline Jones (CJ), co-director of Anatomical Concepts, a Glasgow-based company providing rehabilitation technology and personalised services for people following life-changing illness or injury. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFive years after working together on a comprehensive rebrand, CJ shares how brand strategy has become the backbone of their business decisions, recruitment process, and daily operations. From using brand values as a strategic filter for new projects to embedding their mission into every client conversation, this conversation reveals how a well-crafted brand can transform not just external perception, but internal culture and business growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECJ discusses the vulnerability required in the brand process, how they\u0027ve maintained authenticity while scaling, and why their brand guidelines live on the front page of every official document rather than gathering dust in a drawer. We love this, a case study in how small businesses can leverage brand as a practical tool for sustainable growth and meaningful impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWant to talk? Have a look at our website, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003EGood Brand Consultants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/a596bcfb\/778e9e43.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Caroline Jones (CJ), co-director of Anatomical Concepts, a Glasgow-based company providing rehabilitation technology and personalised services for people following life-changing illness or injury. \nFive years after working together on a comprehensive rebrand, CJ shares how brand strategy has become the backbone of their business decisions, recruitment process, and daily operations. From using brand values as a strategic filter for new projects to embedding their mission into every client conversation, this conversation reveals how a well-crafted brand can transform not just external perception, but internal culture and business growth.CJ discusses the vulnerability required in the brand process, how they\u0027ve maintained authenticity while scaling, and why their brand guidelines live on the front page of every official document rather than gathering dust in a drawer. We love this, a case study in how small businesses can leverage brand as a practical tool for sustainable growth and meaningful impact.Want to talk? Have a look at our website, Good Brand Consultants.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we sit down with Caroline Jones (CJ), co-director of Anatomical Concepts, a Glasgow-based company providing rehabilitation technology and personalised services for people following life-changing illness or injury.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-08-27T09:20:37+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5796","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-do-you-measure-brand-value-b2b","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How Do You Measure Brand Value in B2B?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou measure brand value in B2B by tracking two things: leading indicators that show early momentum (like share of search, sales confidence, and customer sentiment) and lagging indicators that prove commercial impact over time (like margin uplift, win rate, and customer acquisition cost). The mistake most companies make is waiting for the lagging indicators and measuring nothing in the meantime, then concluding that the brand can\u0026#039;t be measured. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch5\u003EUpdated April 2026. Originally published August 2025.\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand measurement isn\u0027t about proving a clean cause-and-effect relationship between spend and results. At best, investment in brand increases the probability of positive commercial outcomes. That\u0027s a harder sell in a boardroom than \u0022we spent X and got Y back\u0022 \u2014 but it\u0027s honest, and it\u0027s how every serious brand practitioner thinks about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s how to set it up properly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELeading indicators: early signals that brand is working\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading indicators are softer metrics that show momentum before commercial results arrive. They don\u0027t prove the end result, but they build confidence and demonstrate early movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrack these consistently:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShare of search:\u003C\/strong\u003E How often your brand is searched relative to competitors. One of the strongest predictors of market share.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENPS scores:\u003C\/strong\u003E Are customers more likely to recommend you?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESales team confidence: \u003C\/strong\u003EAre reps finding it easier to open conversations and hold price?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmail and content engagement:\u003C\/strong\u003E Are prospects spending time with your thinking?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECustomer and prospect surveys:\u003C\/strong\u003E Are awareness, consideration, and preference shifting?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInbound quality: \u003C\/strong\u003ENot just volume, but are the right prospects coming to you?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese signals are cost-effective to track and can be set up from day one of a brand strategy engagement. They give marketing teams evidence to show the board while the bigger numbers build in the background.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELagging indicators: the commercial proof\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are the metrics that make finance directors pay attention:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMargin uplift:\u003C\/strong\u003E Are you holding or increasing price without losing volume?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWin rate:\u003C\/strong\u003E Are you converting more opportunities?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESales cycle length: \u003C\/strong\u003EAre deals closing faster?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECustomer acquisition cost: I\u003C\/strong\u003Es it getting cheaper to win new business?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECustomer lifetime value: \u003C\/strong\u003EAre customers staying longer and spending more?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarket share: \u003C\/strong\u003EAre you growing faster than the category?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can\u0027t fast-track these. They take time, often 12 to 24 months, for meaningful movement. But companies that invest consistently in brand do eventually move these numbers. This is what Les Binet calls \u0022the long\u0022 in The Long and the Short of It.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe metric most companies miss: friction\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the standard leading and lagging indicators, there\u0027s a more practical way to gauge whether your brand is doing its job. Measure the friction in your commercial process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand is working, you feel it in how efficiently the business operates:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESales needs fewer slides to explain what you do\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeals move with less internal reassurance and fewer sign-offs required\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou hold price because the value feels obvious to buyers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProspects stop asking \u0022so what\u0027s the difference between you and [competitor]?\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomers repeat your story back to you in their own words\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHiring gets easier because people understand what you stand for\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese aren\u0027t vanity metrics. They\u0027re operational indicators of a brand that\u0027s reducing the cost of doing business. And they\u0027re visible to anyone in the organisation, you don\u0027t need a research agency to spot them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe danger is what psychologist Phil Rosenzweig calls the Halo Effect: when the business is performing well, everyone assumes the brand must be strong. When performance dips, everyone wants to \u0022fix the brand.\u0022 Both reactions are usually storytelling, not diagnosis. Brand impact arrives late and arrives indirectly, which means today\u0027s results often reflect the brand as it was a couple of years ago, not as it is now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat Good\u0027s track record shows\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross our Design Effectiveness Award entries, projects where we\u0027ve been able to measure outcomes objectively, the average results are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E+47% impact on client sales\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E+40% performance versus market\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2,888% average return on investment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are from a self-selecting set of projects with clients willing to measure. But they demonstrate what\u0027s possible when brand strategy is executed with discipline and measured properly from the outset.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHow to set up brand measurement from day one\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe practical lesson from twenty years of doing this:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1. \u003Cstrong\u003EDefine what you\u0027ll measure before you start.\u003C\/strong\u003E Don\u0027t retrofit measurement after the strategy is live. Agree on leading and lagging indicators upfront.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E2. \u003Cstrong\u003ESet expectations with the board.\u003C\/strong\u003E Brand impact is probabilistic, not certain. Frame it that way, and you\u0027ll avoid the credibility gap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E3. \u003Cstrong\u003EStart with leading indicators.\u003C\/strong\u003E They\u0027re cheap, fast, and build internal belief while lagging indicators accumulate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E4. \u003Cstrong\u003ETrack friction as a proxy.\u003C\/strong\u003E Ask the sales team, customer success team, and hiring managers whether things are getting easier or harder. That\u0027s brand showing up (or not).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E5. \u003Cstrong\u003EReview quarterly, not monthly.\u003C\/strong\u003E Brand doesn\u0027t move on a monthly cadence. Quarterly reviews prevent false signals and panic decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E6. \u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u0027t ignore non-financial results.\u003C\/strong\u003E Shifts in culture, internal confidence, operational clarity, and employee engagement are real brand outcomes \u2014 even if they don\u0027t appear on a P\u0026amp;L.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EKey takeaways\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMeasure brand through both leading indicators (early signals) and lagging indicators (commercial proof). Don\u0027t wait for lagging indicators and measure nothing.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBrand impact is probabilistic, not causal. Set that expectation with the board from day one.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe most practical measurement is friction: is it getting easier or harder to sell, recruit, and retain?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBeware the Halo Effect - strong business performance doesn\u0027t mean the brand is strong, and weak performance doesn\u0027t mean the brand is broken.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDefine your measurement framework before the strategy starts, not after.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you want an objective view of where your brand actually sits, not the story your recent numbers are telling, the \u003Ca href=\u0022\/brand-clarity-report\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022411aa450-4aef-4d15-a45a-d85e601e223f\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Brand Clarity Report\u0022\u003EBrand Clarity Report \u003C\/a\u003Eis a good place to start.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYou measure brand value in B2B by tracking two things: leading indicators that show early momentum (like share of search, sales confidence, and customer sentiment) and lagging indicators that prove commercial impact over time (like margin uplift, win rate, and customer acquisition cost). The mistake most companies make is waiting for the lagging indicators and measuring nothing in the meantime, then concluding that the brand can\u0026#039;t be measured. \nUpdated April 2026. Originally published August 2025.Brand measurement isn\u0027t about proving a clean cause-and-effect relationship between spend and results. At best, investment in brand increases the probability of positive commercial outcomes. That\u0027s a harder sell in a boardroom than \u0022we spent X and got Y back\u0022 \u2014 but it\u0027s honest, and it\u0027s how every serious brand practitioner thinks about it.Here\u0027s how to set it up properly.Leading indicators: early signals that brand is workingLeading indicators are softer metrics that show momentum before commercial results arrive. They don\u0027t prove the end result, but they build confidence and demonstrate early movement.Track these consistently:Share of search: How often your brand is searched relative to competitors. One of the strongest predictors of market share.NPS scores: Are customers more likely to recommend you?Sales team confidence: Are reps finding it easier to open conversations and hold price?Email and content engagement: Are prospects spending time with your thinking?Customer and prospect surveys: Are awareness, consideration, and preference shifting?Inbound quality: Not just volume, but are the right prospects coming to you?These signals are cost-effective to track and can be set up from day one of a brand strategy engagement. They give marketing teams evidence to show the board while the bigger numbers build in the background.Lagging indicators: the commercial proofThese are the metrics that make finance directors pay attention:Margin uplift: Are you holding or increasing price without losing volume?Win rate: Are you converting more opportunities?Sales cycle length: Are deals closing faster?Customer acquisition cost: Is it getting cheaper to win new business?Customer lifetime value: Are customers staying longer and spending more?Market share: Are you growing faster than the category?You can\u0027t fast-track these. They take time, often 12 to 24 months, for meaningful movement. But companies that invest consistently in brand do eventually move these numbers. This is what Les Binet calls \u0022the long\u0022 in The Long and the Short of It.The metric most companies miss: frictionBeyond the standard leading and lagging indicators, there\u0027s a more practical way to gauge whether your brand is doing its job. Measure the friction in your commercial process.If your brand is working, you feel it in how efficiently the business operates:Sales needs fewer slides to explain what you doDeals move with less internal reassurance and fewer sign-offs requiredYou hold price because the value feels obvious to buyersProspects stop asking \u0022so what\u0027s the difference between you and [competitor]?\u0022Customers repeat your story back to you in their own wordsHiring gets easier because people understand what you stand forThese aren\u0027t vanity metrics. They\u0027re operational indicators of a brand that\u0027s reducing the cost of doing business. And they\u0027re visible to anyone in the organisation, you don\u0027t need a research agency to spot them.The danger is what psychologist Phil Rosenzweig calls the Halo Effect: when the business is performing well, everyone assumes the brand must be strong. When performance dips, everyone wants to \u0022fix the brand.\u0022 Both reactions are usually storytelling, not diagnosis. Brand impact arrives late and arrives indirectly, which means today\u0027s results often reflect the brand as it was a couple of years ago, not as it is now.What Good\u0027s track record showsAcross our Design Effectiveness Award entries, projects where we\u0027ve been able to measure outcomes objectively, the average results are:+47% impact on client sales+40% performance versus market2,888% average return on investmentThese are from a self-selecting set of projects with clients willing to measure. But they demonstrate what\u0027s possible when brand strategy is executed with discipline and measured properly from the outset.How to set up brand measurement from day oneThe practical lesson from twenty years of doing this:1. Define what you\u0027ll measure before you start. Don\u0027t retrofit measurement after the strategy is live. Agree on leading and lagging indicators upfront.2. Set expectations with the board. Brand impact is probabilistic, not certain. Frame it that way, and you\u0027ll avoid the credibility gap.3. Start with leading indicators. They\u0027re cheap, fast, and build internal belief while lagging indicators accumulate.4. Track friction as a proxy. Ask the sales team, customer success team, and hiring managers whether things are getting easier or harder. That\u0027s brand showing up (or not).5. Review quarterly, not monthly. Brand doesn\u0027t move on a monthly cadence. Quarterly reviews prevent false signals and panic decisions.6. Don\u0027t ignore non-financial results. Shifts in culture, internal confidence, operational clarity, and employee engagement are real brand outcomes \u2014 even if they don\u0027t appear on a P\u0026amp;L.Key takeawaysMeasure brand through both leading indicators (early signals) and lagging indicators (commercial proof). Don\u0027t wait for lagging indicators and measure nothing.Brand impact is probabilistic, not causal. Set that expectation with the board from day one.The most practical measurement is friction: is it getting easier or harder to sell, recruit, and retain?Beware the Halo Effect - strong business performance doesn\u0027t mean the brand is strong, and weak performance doesn\u0027t mean the brand is broken.Define your measurement framework before the strategy starts, not after.If you want an objective view of where your brand actually sits, not the story your recent numbers are telling, the Brand Clarity Report is a good place to start.  ","summary":"You measure brand value in B2B by tracking two things: leading indicators that show early momentum (like share of search, sales confidence, and customer sentiment) and lagging indicators that prove commercial impact over time (like margin uplift, win rate, and customer acquisition cost). The mistake most companies make is waiting for the lagging indicators and measuring nothing in the meantime, then concluding that the brand can\u0027t be measured.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-08-26T14:27:47+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5795","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brand-gets-left-behind-b2b-lessons-our-survey","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Brand Gets Left Behind in B2B - Lessons from Our Survey","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we unpack the findings from our latest B2B brand survey \u2014 and they\u2019re telling.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile most businesses invest in defining their brand, too often the strategy gets shelved after launch. Brand is left to play second fiddle to product marketing, rarely given the space or investment to shape business decisions. We discuss why belief in brand fades so quickly, why true brand campaigns are almost non-existent in B2B, and how better measurement,\u0026nbsp; from quick wins to long-term impact, can help brand earn its place at the top table.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at our article, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/you-dont-have-brand-problem-you-have-brand-belief-problem\u0022\u003EYou Don\u2019t Have a Brand Problem. You Have a Brand Belief Problem.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/results\u0022\u003EHave a look at our results.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/288cfc4b\/c3bc1552.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we unpack the findings from our latest B2B brand survey \u2014 and they\u2019re telling.  \nWhile most businesses invest in defining their brand, too often the strategy gets shelved after launch. Brand is left to play second fiddle to product marketing, rarely given the space or investment to shape business decisions. We discuss why belief in brand fades so quickly, why true brand campaigns are almost non-existent in B2B, and how better measurement,\u0026nbsp; from quick wins to long-term impact, can help brand earn its place at the top table.Take a look at our article, You Don\u2019t Have a Brand Problem. You Have a Brand Belief Problem.Have a look at our results.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, we unpack the findings from our latest B2B brand survey \u2014 and they\u2019re telling. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-08-14T08:43:49+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5794","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-coming-over-hill-it-brand-eating-monster","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What\u0026#039;s that coming over the hill? Is it a brand eating monster?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EClients used to talk about \u201ccheap asian imports\u201d as a distraction. They were, as the name implies, cheap. Cheap in cost but also in quality. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut over the past five years, the meaning has shifted. Now, when the phrase comes up, there\u2019s a hesitation. An acknowledgement that in too many categories, these imports are now good enough, and in some cases, better than what\u2019s being produced locally.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EManufacturing parity between East and West has been reached in a vast number of categories. McKinsey has flagged a wave of Chinese brands moving from generic commodity messaging to authentic storytelling and premium positioning, proving that brand-building is their next battleground. In its 2024 China Auto Consumer Insights, McKinsey notes that premium Chinese EV brands have adopted direct-to-consumer models delivering superior customer satisfaction across the entire journey. Harvard Business Review\u2019s \u201cChina\u2019s New Innovation Advantage\u201d adds that China\u2019s hyper-adaptive market absorbs innovation at unmatched speed, enabling local brands to learn and excel quickly in the brand game.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThese imports are building credibility, telling stories, and making it harder for buyers to justify paying a premium simply out of habit.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELook at BYD: once dismissed as a budget EV maker, now reviewed as smart, practical, and well-finished, still priced to hurt rivals. Luckin Coffee: from corporate scandal to overtaking Starbucks in China, then opening in Manhattan 200 feet from Starbucks with a faster, slicker, cheaper offer. Hisense: once a budget TV brand, now a credible mid-market and even premium player, using R\u0026amp;D investment and global sports sponsorships to change perceptions.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThese are not anomalies. They follow a clear playbook: raise quality, undercut price, then use brand to legitimise the offer.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENot every category is facing all three steps yet. Many are still battling on quality and price. But once these brands understand the market, the brand work kicks in, and customer loyalty shifts.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESo, what to do? If your brand strategy is static, you\u2019re already behind. If you\u2019re leaning on heritage, your moat has already been breached. The rules of differentiation have changed. The divide between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d is now level, and in some markets, \u201cthey\u201d are playing better.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOur client conversations aren\u2019t about whether this is a threat; they\u2019re about what to do. So ask yourself this: could you be losing market share to something you\u2019ve already dismissed? Every market share slide starts the same way. With a brand dismissing a threat it didn\u2019t think was real.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nClients used to talk about \u201ccheap asian imports\u201d as a distraction. They were, as the name implies, cheap. Cheap in cost but also in quality. \nBut over the past five years, the meaning has shifted. Now, when the phrase comes up, there\u2019s a hesitation. An acknowledgement that in too many categories, these imports are now good enough, and in some cases, better than what\u2019s being produced locally.Manufacturing parity between East and West has been reached in a vast number of categories. McKinsey has flagged a wave of Chinese brands moving from generic commodity messaging to authentic storytelling and premium positioning, proving that brand-building is their next battleground. In its 2024 China Auto Consumer Insights, McKinsey notes that premium Chinese EV brands have adopted direct-to-consumer models delivering superior customer satisfaction across the entire journey. Harvard Business Review\u2019s \u201cChina\u2019s New Innovation Advantage\u201d adds that China\u2019s hyper-adaptive market absorbs innovation at unmatched speed, enabling local brands to learn and excel quickly in the brand game.These imports are building credibility, telling stories, and making it harder for buyers to justify paying a premium simply out of habit.Look at BYD: once dismissed as a budget EV maker, now reviewed as smart, practical, and well-finished, still priced to hurt rivals. Luckin Coffee: from corporate scandal to overtaking Starbucks in China, then opening in Manhattan 200 feet from Starbucks with a faster, slicker, cheaper offer. Hisense: once a budget TV brand, now a credible mid-market and even premium player, using R\u0026amp;D investment and global sports sponsorships to change perceptions.These are not anomalies. They follow a clear playbook: raise quality, undercut price, then use brand to legitimise the offer.Not every category is facing all three steps yet. Many are still battling on quality and price. But once these brands understand the market, the brand work kicks in, and customer loyalty shifts.So, what to do? If your brand strategy is static, you\u2019re already behind. If you\u2019re leaning on heritage, your moat has already been breached. The rules of differentiation have changed. The divide between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d is now level, and in some markets, \u201cthey\u201d are playing better.Our client conversations aren\u2019t about whether this is a threat; they\u2019re about what to do. So ask yourself this: could you be losing market share to something you\u2019ve already dismissed? Every market share slide starts the same way. With a brand dismissing a threat it didn\u2019t think was real.  ","summary":"Clients used to talk about \u201ccheap asian imports\u201d as a distraction. They were, as the name implies, cheap. Cheap in cost but also in quality.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-08-11T11:47:20+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5793","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/you-dont-have-brand-problem-you-have-brand-belief-problem","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"You Don\u2019t Have a Brand Problem. You Have a Brand Belief Problem.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe asked senior B2B brand leaders where brand breaks down. The issue isn\u2019t strategy \u2013 it\u2019s belief. Most have clear brand foundations, but they\u2019re not being used. This piece explores why brand gets sidelined and what it takes to build belief where it matters most. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe ran a short survey recently asking where brand breaks down in B2B. The response was modest but revealed a pattern that was hard to ignore.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese weren\u2019t flippant answers. They came from senior people in brand-led businesses. Global brand directors. Heads of creative. Marketers in large organisations with strategy in place. Which is why what they said matters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the problem isn\u2019t that these businesses haven\u2019t done branding. It\u2019s that they\u2019ve done it, documented it, and then moved on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the survey told us:\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere\u2019s no lack of strategy.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost respondents had what they considered to be a clear strategy, with clear foundations (e.g. vision, mission and values). And many had a senior figure who champions it all\u2026but the challenge is that it\u2019s not being used to guide day-to-day decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOwnership is unclear.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe asked who owns brand day to day. Answers ranged from CEO to sales, from \u201ceveryone\u201d to \u201cmarketing.\u201d When ownership is that spread, it\u2019s no wonder accountability is vague. And when accountability is vague, things fall through the cracks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlignment is shaky.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E60% said their leadership team \u201csomewhat\u201d agrees on what the brand stands for. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. And a recipe for inconsistency downstream.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundations aren\u2019t the issue. Usage is.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHalf said their brand foundations were clear and embedded. The other half said they were \u201cdefined but not used.\u201d That\u2019s not a gap \u2013 that\u2019s a canyon. Strategy without action is just theatre.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVision and values don\u2019t shape decisions.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnly 40% said these were regularly used. For the rest, they\u2019re just nice words on a wall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe biggest blocker? Belief.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot silos. Not post-acquisition messiness. Not even misalignment between sales and marketing. The top answer by far was this: \u201cBrand is seen as superficial or non-essential.\u201d Even in brand-led businesses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESo, what does that mean?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt means most businesses don\u2019t have a strategy gap. They have a belief gap. Brand isn\u2019t breaking because it\u2019s poorly defined. It\u2019s breaking because people don\u2019t believe in its power to drive the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that belief (or lack of it) affects everything:\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How often the strategy is reviewed. (In many cases, rarely.)\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How decisions get made. (Often by instinct or preference, not principle.)\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Where friction appears. (In M\u0026amp;A, in messaging, in internal comms.)\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How results are measured. (Mostly in silos, rarely as a holistic brand health check.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat businesses need to understand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrong brands aren\u2019t just a set of slides or slogans. They\u2019re operating systems. They shape how teams talk, build, hire, sell, and grow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your foundations exist but aren\u2019t used\u2026\u003Cbr\u003EIf your leadership alignment is polite rather than precise\u2026\u003Cbr\u003EIf your strategy isn\u2019t showing up in sales decks or internal decisions\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen the fix isn\u2019t more strategy. It\u2019s shifting how brand is seen. From cosmetic to commercial. From \u201cowned by marketing\u201d to used by everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESo, what\u2019s the fix?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe need to build belief at the top table. Yes, it\u2019s hard. Proving brand\u2019s value in hard metrics isn\u2019t always possible. But where it is possible, it makes all the difference. It justifies the seat, and the voice, around the boardroom table.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMeasuring brand\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStart by being intentional. Set expectations up front. We find brand impact can be measured, but only if everyone agrees what \u2018impact\u2019 looks like. There are two types of useful metrics:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeading indicators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are soft signals. They show early movement and build confidence while the bigger value builds. Think: NPS scores, share of search, sales team confidence, email engagement and customer surveys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey may not scream ROI, but they give brand and marketing teams green arrows to point to while the compound effect of brand does its thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELagging indicators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are the ones that count in the boardroom: margin uplift, sales value, customer lifetime value, acquisition cost, share increase. But they take time. They\u2019re the reward for doing the right things consistently over years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe have to be honest about that. Brand takes time. You won\u2019t see results overnight. But short-term wins build momentum, and belief.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOur results\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve recently added a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/results\u0022\u003Eresults\u003C\/a\u003E page to our site to show the impact of our work over the years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not perfect. It only captures a fraction of the projects we\u2019ve delivered. But it\u2019s something. And we\u2019re getting better at encouraging clients to set benchmarks \u2013 long-term or short \u2013 so we can prove brand moves the needle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOne final note\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand breaks down where belief breaks down. Not belief in the idea of brand \u2013 most people like the idea. But belief in the discipline. The repetition. The embedding. The follow-through. And the fix is measurement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause belief isn\u2019t built by saying \u201ctrust us.\u201d It\u2019s built by showing it works. Even when the metrics are imperfect. Even when they take time. Every green arrow helps reinforce the value. Every signal of progress earns another conversation. Another opportunity. Another inch of ground. It\u2019s not glamorous. But it\u2019s the grind that separates brand-led businesses from businesses that just have a brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA note on the sample\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis was a small, targeted survey. We\u2019re not claiming statistical certainty. But when senior people across brand-led B2B organisations point to the same issues, it\u2019s worth paying attention. These aren\u2019t outliers. They\u2019re signals.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe asked senior B2B brand leaders where brand breaks down. The issue isn\u2019t strategy \u2013 it\u2019s belief. Most have clear brand foundations, but they\u2019re not being used. This piece explores why brand gets sidelined and what it takes to build belief where it matters most. \nWe ran a short survey recently asking where brand breaks down in B2B. The response was modest but revealed a pattern that was hard to ignore.These weren\u2019t flippant answers. They came from senior people in brand-led businesses. Global brand directors. Heads of creative. Marketers in large organisations with strategy in place. Which is why what they said matters.Because the problem isn\u2019t that these businesses haven\u2019t done branding. It\u2019s that they\u2019ve done it, documented it, and then moved on.What the survey told us:There\u2019s no lack of strategy.Most respondents had what they considered to be a clear strategy, with clear foundations (e.g. vision, mission and values). And many had a senior figure who champions it all\u2026but the challenge is that it\u2019s not being used to guide day-to-day decisions.Ownership is unclear.We asked who owns brand day to day. Answers ranged from CEO to sales, from \u201ceveryone\u201d to \u201cmarketing.\u201d When ownership is that spread, it\u2019s no wonder accountability is vague. And when accountability is vague, things fall through the cracks.Alignment is shaky.60% said their leadership team \u201csomewhat\u201d agrees on what the brand stands for. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. And a recipe for inconsistency downstream.Foundations aren\u2019t the issue. Usage is.Half said their brand foundations were clear and embedded. The other half said they were \u201cdefined but not used.\u201d That\u2019s not a gap \u2013 that\u2019s a canyon. Strategy without action is just theatre.Vision and values don\u2019t shape decisions.Only 40% said these were regularly used. For the rest, they\u2019re just nice words on a wall.The biggest blocker? Belief.Not silos. Not post-acquisition messiness. Not even misalignment between sales and marketing. The top answer by far was this: \u201cBrand is seen as superficial or non-essential.\u201d Even in brand-led businesses.So, what does that mean?It means most businesses don\u2019t have a strategy gap. They have a belief gap. Brand isn\u2019t breaking because it\u2019s poorly defined. It\u2019s breaking because people don\u2019t believe in its power to drive the business.And that belief (or lack of it) affects everything:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How often the strategy is reviewed. (In many cases, rarely.)\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How decisions get made. (Often by instinct or preference, not principle.)\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Where friction appears. (In M\u0026amp;A, in messaging, in internal comms.)\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How results are measured. (Mostly in silos, rarely as a holistic brand health check.)What businesses need to understandStrong brands aren\u2019t just a set of slides or slogans. They\u2019re operating systems. They shape how teams talk, build, hire, sell, and grow.If your foundations exist but aren\u2019t used\u2026If your leadership alignment is polite rather than precise\u2026If your strategy isn\u2019t showing up in sales decks or internal decisions\u2026Then the fix isn\u2019t more strategy. It\u2019s shifting how brand is seen. From cosmetic to commercial. From \u201cowned by marketing\u201d to used by everyone.So, what\u2019s the fix?We need to build belief at the top table. Yes, it\u2019s hard. Proving brand\u2019s value in hard metrics isn\u2019t always possible. But where it is possible, it makes all the difference. It justifies the seat, and the voice, around the boardroom table.Measuring brandStart by being intentional. Set expectations up front. We find brand impact can be measured, but only if everyone agrees what \u2018impact\u2019 looks like. There are two types of useful metrics:Leading indicatorsThese are soft signals. They show early movement and build confidence while the bigger value builds. Think: NPS scores, share of search, sales team confidence, email engagement and customer surveys.They may not scream ROI, but they give brand and marketing teams green arrows to point to while the compound effect of brand does its thing.Lagging indicatorsThese are the ones that count in the boardroom: margin uplift, sales value, customer lifetime value, acquisition cost, share increase. But they take time. They\u2019re the reward for doing the right things consistently over years.We have to be honest about that. Brand takes time. You won\u2019t see results overnight. But short-term wins build momentum, and belief.Our resultsWe\u2019ve recently added a results page to our site to show the impact of our work over the years.It\u2019s not perfect. It only captures a fraction of the projects we\u2019ve delivered. But it\u2019s something. And we\u2019re getting better at encouraging clients to set benchmarks \u2013 long-term or short \u2013 so we can prove brand moves the needle.One final noteBrand breaks down where belief breaks down. Not belief in the idea of brand \u2013 most people like the idea. But belief in the discipline. The repetition. The embedding. The follow-through. And the fix is measurement.Because belief isn\u2019t built by saying \u201ctrust us.\u201d It\u2019s built by showing it works. Even when the metrics are imperfect. Even when they take time. Every green arrow helps reinforce the value. Every signal of progress earns another conversation. Another opportunity. Another inch of ground. It\u2019s not glamorous. But it\u2019s the grind that separates brand-led businesses from businesses that just have a brand.A note on the sampleThis was a small, targeted survey. We\u2019re not claiming statistical certainty. But when senior people across brand-led B2B organisations point to the same issues, it\u2019s worth paying attention. These aren\u2019t outliers. They\u2019re signals.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"We asked senior B2B brand leaders where brand breaks down. The issue isn\u2019t strategy \u2013 it\u2019s belief. Most have clear brand foundations, but they\u2019re not being used. This piece explores why brand gets sidelined and what it takes to build belief where it matters most.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-08-05T14:47:08+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Foundations","Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5791","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-smart-firms-sound-stupid-5-hard-truths-about-branding-professional-service","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Smart Firms Sound Stupid: 5 Hard Truths About Branding in Professional Service","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhy do so many professional services firms,\u00a0 full of smart, capable people, sound like they\u2019re trying to confuse you? In this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy do so many professional services firms,\u0026nbsp; full of smart, capable people, sound like they\u2019re trying to confuse you?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark. From overcomplicated language to legacy baggage, inside-out thinking to same-same design, we unpack the traps firms fall into and why clarity is braver than complexity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExpect straight-talking, zero-fluff takes on:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhy \u003Cem\u003E\u201cyou can\u2019t express what you haven\u2019t defined\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow legacy names can become anchors\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat the \u201cwe-to-you ratio\u201d reveals about customer focus\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhy looking professional doesn\u2019t mean looking the same\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAnd how strategy, not design, sets the foundation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether you\u0027re in B2B tech, law, consultancy, or finance, this one\u2019s for anyone tired of jargon, vague mission statements, and forgettable brands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\ud83d\udd17 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/journal\/podcast\u0022\u003ERead the article\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/journal\/podcast\u0022\u003EMore episodes\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\ud83d\udc4b \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003EWork with us\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/444739d9\/98766118.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhy do so many professional services firms,\u00a0 full of smart, capable people, sound like they\u2019re trying to confuse you? In this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark. \nWhy do so many professional services firms,\u0026nbsp; full of smart, capable people, sound like they\u2019re trying to confuse you?In this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark. From overcomplicated language to legacy baggage, inside-out thinking to same-same design, we unpack the traps firms fall into and why clarity is braver than complexity.Expect straight-talking, zero-fluff takes on:Why \u201cyou can\u2019t express what you haven\u2019t defined\u201dHow legacy names can become anchorsWhat the \u201cwe-to-you ratio\u201d reveals about customer focusWhy looking professional doesn\u2019t mean looking the sameAnd how strategy, not design, sets the foundationWhether you\u0027re in B2B tech, law, consultancy, or finance, this one\u2019s for anyone tired of jargon, vague mission statements, and forgettable brands.\ud83d\udd17 Read the article\u0026nbsp;\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f More episodes\u0026nbsp;\ud83d\udc4b Work with us\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Why do so many professional services firms,\u00a0 full of smart, capable people, sound like they\u2019re trying to confuse you? In this episode, the Good team dives into the five hard truths that explain why professional services branding so often misses the mark.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-07-30T08:07:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5789","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/cfos-guide-when-invest-brand-vs-sales-enablement","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"A CFO\u2019s Guide: When to Invest in Brand vs. Sales Enablement. ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen sales flatten, most CFOs reach for the obvious fix: pour money into sales enablement. More decks, more training, bigger incentives. But here\u0026#039;s another point of view. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf your pipeline\u2019s drying up, the real problem probably isn\u2019t your sales team. It\u2019s your brand. Buyers don\u2019t care because you haven\u2019t given them a reason to.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/services\/consulting\/library\/consumer-intelligence-series\/future-of-customer-experience.html\u0022\u003EPwC\u003C\/a\u003E and LinkedIn B2B Institute data show that B2B companies that neglect their brand lose deals before they\u2019re even in the room. Strong brands get remembered. They get shortlisted. They convert faster. Yet most CFOs still file \u2018brand\u2019 under \u2018nice-to-have\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESure, sales enablement can juice results for a quarter or two. But it\u2019s a sticking plaster. If your story\u2019s wrong, no amount of pitch decks will fix it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink of it like this: brand gets you invited into more rooms. Sales enablement helps you win once you\u2019re there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow can a CFO know if you\u0027ve got a brand problem? All it takes are five simple questions to ask your sales team:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDo your prospects say, \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of you\u201d, even in your core market?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHas the win rate budged despite better sales collateral?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAsk three salespeople their sales pitch. If the message changes every pitch, no one knows your story?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDo customers see you as interchangeable with competitors?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow long is your deal cycle? Does it drag on because buyers need convincing that you\u2019re credible?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, it could be that your brand is doing the job and that the sales enablement needs new life breathed into it. Here\u0027s a quick checklist to help the curious CFO gauge the effectiveness of their sales enablement tools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019re getting strong inbound but losing deals late-stage.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour brand is well-known, but sales teams aren\u2019t telling the story well.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou\u2019ve had high sales team turnover, and new reps need better tools.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour pricing is clear, but you\u0027re losing at the negotiation stage.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomer feedback says they want more detail, not more fluff.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompleting these checklists will help you with some basic buyer journey mapping.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \n  \n\n\n        \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/wysiwyg\/public\/images\/2025-07\/dia-2025-07-16-16.43.15.png.webp?itok=x21OBTJ5\u0022 width=\u00221024\u0022 height=\u00221024\u0022 alt=\u0022Sales Funnel\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAre you having trouble filling the hopper at the Awareness leading into the consideration phase? You got a brand problem, baby. Is the conversion stage leaky? Time to look at the sales enablement tools and make them work harder.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd the numbers back it up. LinkedIn B2B Institute shows that brand investment lifts mental availability by 10\u201320%, translating straight into more leads and faster pipeline. It\u0027s this mental shortcut that builds brands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve seen it first-hand. One B2B tech client, leader in their niche, had flatlined revenue for three years. Sales enablement bought them a sugar high. But the real shift came when we fixed the brand story: clearer proposition, sharper positioning. 18 months later, they broke through their targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe worked with the client to communicate the distinct functional and emotional value that they offer, helping them start to outperform the market. This is the kind of branding, the branding that unlocks your business\u0027s value, that CFOs respect and makes their life easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd yes, you should be suspicious. Brand can be a money pit if you do it half-baked. That\u2019s why we push CFOs to make it practical: more mental availability, more reasons to be recalled, more qualified pipeline. If it doesn\u2019t do that, bin it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re diagnosing a brand problem, don\u0027t reach for a new pitch deck. Get your story straightened out, making prospects lean in to ask, \u0022Tell me more\u0022.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you identify a sales enablement gap, ensure that you equip your reps with the necessary tools, following on from the good work of the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENeed more guidance? We run a 90-minute Growth Health Check for CFOs. No slides, no fluff. Just a straight diagnosis: brand problem, sales problem, or both. Spend your money in the right place, fix the right thing, and unlock growth that sticks. \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003EDrop me a line if you want to know more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhen sales flatten, most CFOs reach for the obvious fix: pour money into sales enablement. More decks, more training, bigger incentives. But here\u0026#039;s another point of view. \nIf your pipeline\u2019s drying up, the real problem probably isn\u2019t your sales team. It\u2019s your brand. Buyers don\u2019t care because you haven\u2019t given them a reason to.PwC and LinkedIn B2B Institute data show that B2B companies that neglect their brand lose deals before they\u2019re even in the room. Strong brands get remembered. They get shortlisted. They convert faster. Yet most CFOs still file \u2018brand\u2019 under \u2018nice-to-have\u2019.Sure, sales enablement can juice results for a quarter or two. But it\u2019s a sticking plaster. If your story\u2019s wrong, no amount of pitch decks will fix it.Think of it like this: brand gets you invited into more rooms. Sales enablement helps you win once you\u2019re there.How can a CFO know if you\u0027ve got a brand problem? All it takes are five simple questions to ask your sales team:Do your prospects say, \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of you\u201d, even in your core market?Has the win rate budged despite better sales collateral?Ask three salespeople their sales pitch. If the message changes every pitch, no one knows your story?Do customers see you as interchangeable with competitors?How long is your deal cycle? Does it drag on because buyers need convincing that you\u2019re credible?Of course, it could be that your brand is doing the job and that the sales enablement needs new life breathed into it. Here\u0027s a quick checklist to help the curious CFO gauge the effectiveness of their sales enablement tools.You\u2019re getting strong inbound but losing deals late-stage.Your brand is well-known, but sales teams aren\u2019t telling the story well.You\u2019ve had high sales team turnover, and new reps need better tools.Your pricing is clear, but you\u0027re losing at the negotiation stage.Customer feedback says they want more detail, not more fluff.Completing these checklists will help you with some basic buyer journey mapping.\n  \n  \n\n\n        \n\n\n\n  \n\nAre you having trouble filling the hopper at the Awareness leading into the consideration phase? You got a brand problem, baby. Is the conversion stage leaky? Time to look at the sales enablement tools and make them work harder.And the numbers back it up. LinkedIn B2B Institute shows that brand investment lifts mental availability by 10\u201320%, translating straight into more leads and faster pipeline. It\u0027s this mental shortcut that builds brands.We\u2019ve seen it first-hand. One B2B tech client, leader in their niche, had flatlined revenue for three years. Sales enablement bought them a sugar high. But the real shift came when we fixed the brand story: clearer proposition, sharper positioning. 18 months later, they broke through their targets.We worked with the client to communicate the distinct functional and emotional value that they offer, helping them start to outperform the market. This is the kind of branding, the branding that unlocks your business\u0027s value, that CFOs respect and makes their life easier.And yes, you should be suspicious. Brand can be a money pit if you do it half-baked. That\u2019s why we push CFOs to make it practical: more mental availability, more reasons to be recalled, more qualified pipeline. If it doesn\u2019t do that, bin it.If you\u0027re diagnosing a brand problem, don\u0027t reach for a new pitch deck. Get your story straightened out, making prospects lean in to ask, \u0022Tell me more\u0022.If you identify a sales enablement gap, ensure that you equip your reps with the necessary tools, following on from the good work of the brand.Need more guidance? We run a 90-minute Growth Health Check for CFOs. No slides, no fluff. Just a straight diagnosis: brand problem, sales problem, or both. Spend your money in the right place, fix the right thing, and unlock growth that sticks. Drop me a line if you want to know more.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"When sales flatten, most CFOs reach for the obvious fix: pour money into sales enablement. More decks, more training, bigger incentives. But here\u0027s another point of view.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-07-16T16:43:30+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5787","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/trillion-left-table-brand-b2b","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"A Trillion Left on the Table: Brand in B2B","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EA trillion-dollar value gap. A C-suite that doesn\u2019t get it. And why \u201cbrand\u201d still feels like a dirty word in B2B. Stewart, Chris, and guest Teri Nicklin get real about why brand is misunderstood, underfunded, and harder than ever to prove. Expect honest takes, stupid questions worth asking, and a push for braver brand thinking. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can find out more about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/teri-nicklin-9365b44a\/\u0022\u003ETeri\u003C\/a\u003E as well as Teri\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/teri-nicklin-9365b44a_b2b-brand-is-a-trillion-dollar-blind-activity-7334160477691793408-bkF6\u0022\u003ELinkedIn post\u003C\/a\u003E that kicked off this whole chat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003EGood\u003C\/a\u003E is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don\u2019t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact,\u0026nbsp; building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/b36a668b\/cc66268a.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nA trillion-dollar value gap. A C-suite that doesn\u2019t get it. And why \u201cbrand\u201d still feels like a dirty word in B2B. Stewart, Chris, and guest Teri Nicklin get real about why brand is misunderstood, underfunded, and harder than ever to prove. Expect honest takes, stupid questions worth asking, and a push for braver brand thinking. \nYou can find out more about Teri as well as Teri\u0027s LinkedIn post that kicked off this whole chat.Good is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don\u2019t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact,\u0026nbsp; building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.comDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"A trillion-dollar value gap. A C-suite that doesn\u2019t get it. And why \u201cbrand\u201d still feels like a dirty word in B2B. Stewart, Chris, and guest Teri Nicklin get real about why brand is misunderstood, underfunded, and harder than ever to prove. Expect honest takes, stupid questions worth asking, and a push for braver brand thinking.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-07-09T08:48:24+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5786","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/professional-services-branding-5-hard-truths-every-firm-needs-hear","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Professional Services Branding: 5 Hard Truths Every Firm Needs to Hear","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EToo many professional services firms confuse complexity with credibility. They sell expertise, but their brands don\u2019t show it. In this piece, we share five hard truths firms need to hear \u2013 from fixing muddled messaging to breaking free from bland, lookalike branding. If your firm is serious about standing out, start here. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we work with B2B tech companies around the world. Businesses selling complex products, often with layers of technical detail, internal legacy and specialist audiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut we also work with professional services firms \u2013 law practices, accountants, consultancies \u2013 and what\u2019s striking is how similar the brand challenges are.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recently published a report on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022\u003Ebranding in B2B tech\u003C\/a\u003E. It was written for a tech audience, but the truth is, much of it applies just as easily to professional services. Because whether you\u2019re selling code or counsel, strategy or software, the same patterns appear: brands that are built on smart thinking, but don\u2019t show it. Brands that confuse more than they clarify. Brands that quietly hold the business back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is what happens when smart people use dumb language.\u003Cbr\u003EWhen firms confuse being complicated with being credible.\u003Cbr\u003EWhen they hide behind jargon and internal process because they\u2019ve never done the hard work of defining what really makes them different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHere are five truths\u003C\/strong\u003E professional services firms need to hear \u2013 especially if you\u2019re serious about standing out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E1. Say what you do \u2013 fast, plain, and in your own voice\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first thing your brand needs to do is say what you do. Clearly. Up front. No padding, no poetry, no vague promises about \u201cnavigating uncertainty\u201d or \u201cpartnering for success.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see far too many firms lead with a mission statement when they should be leading with their offer. Or worse, they assume the audience already knows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut your clients aren\u2019t mind-readers. They\u2019re busy people. And if they don\u2019t get it within seconds, they\u2019re gone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis is the first test of trust.\u003C\/strong\u003E If your brand makes people work hard to understand you, they\u2019ll assume your services will too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFix it:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESay it simply. Use your own voice. Don\u2019t make it a guessing game. And don\u2019t let your homepage become a case study archive with no point of view.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. Legacy names are fine. Legacy thinking isn\u2019t\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lot of professional services firms still carry a founder\u2019s name \u2013 and that\u2019s fine. Those names often come with history, relationships, and reputation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem isn\u2019t the name. It\u2019s what you wrap around it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToo many firms stop at a name and logo and never define what the brand means now. The result? A business that feels stuck in a time warp. Or worse, one that\u2019s become a collection of disconnected services and personalities, all doing their own thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn our Brand Dynamics report, we highlighted the risk of weak brand architecture in B2B tech \u2013 where products and acquisitions are bolted on without strategic coherence. The same thing happens in services. Different teams pull in different directions. Nobody\u2019s really clear what the firm stands for anymore.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETradition might earn you a second look. But clarity and relevance close the deal.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFix it:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKeep the name if it still carries weight. But build something sharper around it \u2013 something that defines what the brand stands for today and gives your team a consistent platform to communicate from.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. Inside-out thinking kills outside interest\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s the big one. And we see it across every sector. Firms writing for themselves, not their audience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey lead with service structures. They use acronyms and jargon that only their peers understand. They talk about \u201capproaches\u201d and \u201cpillars\u201d before ever addressing what the client actually needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022\u003EIn our tech report\u003C\/a\u003E, we called this \u003Cstrong\u003Einside-out bias\u003C\/strong\u003E \u2013 a common outcome when businesses are dominated by technical thinkers who are more comfortable with precision than persuasion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s exactly the same in professional services. Especially when the language is the product. Lawyers, accountants, consultants \u2013 all highly trained, all precise \u2013 but many are blind to how much friction their own words create.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is how smart people end up using dumb language. They forget they\u2019re meant to communicate, not just signal expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf your brand sounds like it was written to impress a committee, don\u2019t be surprised when clients stop listening.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFix it:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBe brave enough to strip away the filler. Cut the jargon. Lead with relevance, not structure. And write like someone who\u2019s actually trying to be understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4. Looking \u201cprofessional\u201d is not the same as looking the same\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost professional services firms look the same. Navy blue logos. Generic straplines. A homepage with a handshake, a skyline, or a suit staring out of a window.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t professionalism. It\u2019s wallpaper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022\u003EIn our report\u003C\/a\u003E, we called out \u201cBuzz Lightyear\u201d copy \u2013 the vague, overblown language that tech brands use when they\u2019ve run out of actual ideas. Professional services do this too, just in a greyer, more cautious way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe issue isn\u2019t a lack of polish. It\u2019s a lack of personality. If your brand doesn\u2019t show what makes you distinctive, then your pitch has to do all the work. And that\u2019s too late.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf we swapped your logo for your competitor\u2019s, and no one noticed \u2013 your brand\u2019s broken.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFix it:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGet specific. Drop the clich\u00e9s. Find a tone and a visual language that reflects your people, your values, and your clients. Don\u2019t settle for looking \u201cserious.\u201d Aim to be remembered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E5. Strategy comes first. Everything else hangs off it\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lot of firms want a rebrand. But what they really need is a rethink.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see this constantly. Businesses that want a new website, or a new identity \u2013 but haven\u2019t done the work to define their offer, sharpen their positioning, or agree on their values.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn tech, this shows up when new products are launched without any sense of how they fit the overall brand. In services, it\u2019s when firms bolt on new departments, hire new partners, or expand into new markets \u2013 but the brand never evolves to match.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can\u2019t express what you haven\u2019t defined.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFix it:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGet your foundations right. What\u2019s your purpose? Who are you for? What do you want to be known for? Nail that down first \u2013 then let everything else flow from it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClosing:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve worked with firms across B2B tech and professional services. And in every case, the same truth holds: if your business is built on expertise, your brand must show it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot just in what you say. But in how clearly, confidently, and consistently you say it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause if your brand can\u2019t speak clearly, why should anyone trust it to think clearly?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nToo many professional services firms confuse complexity with credibility. They sell expertise, but their brands don\u2019t show it. In this piece, we share five hard truths firms need to hear \u2013 from fixing muddled messaging to breaking free from bland, lookalike branding. If your firm is serious about standing out, start here. \nAt Good, we work with B2B tech companies around the world. Businesses selling complex products, often with layers of technical detail, internal legacy and specialist audiences.But we also work with professional services firms \u2013 law practices, accountants, consultancies \u2013 and what\u2019s striking is how similar the brand challenges are.We recently published a report on branding in B2B tech. It was written for a tech audience, but the truth is, much of it applies just as easily to professional services. Because whether you\u2019re selling code or counsel, strategy or software, the same patterns appear: brands that are built on smart thinking, but don\u2019t show it. Brands that confuse more than they clarify. Brands that quietly hold the business back.This is what happens when smart people use dumb language.When firms confuse being complicated with being credible.When they hide behind jargon and internal process because they\u2019ve never done the hard work of defining what really makes them different.Here are five truths professional services firms need to hear \u2013 especially if you\u2019re serious about standing out.1. Say what you do \u2013 fast, plain, and in your own voiceThe first thing your brand needs to do is say what you do. Clearly. Up front. No padding, no poetry, no vague promises about \u201cnavigating uncertainty\u201d or \u201cpartnering for success.\u201dWe see far too many firms lead with a mission statement when they should be leading with their offer. Or worse, they assume the audience already knows.But your clients aren\u2019t mind-readers. They\u2019re busy people. And if they don\u2019t get it within seconds, they\u2019re gone.This is the first test of trust. If your brand makes people work hard to understand you, they\u2019ll assume your services will too.Fix it:Say it simply. Use your own voice. Don\u2019t make it a guessing game. And don\u2019t let your homepage become a case study archive with no point of view.2. Legacy names are fine. Legacy thinking isn\u2019tA lot of professional services firms still carry a founder\u2019s name \u2013 and that\u2019s fine. Those names often come with history, relationships, and reputation.The problem isn\u2019t the name. It\u2019s what you wrap around it.Too many firms stop at a name and logo and never define what the brand means now. The result? A business that feels stuck in a time warp. Or worse, one that\u2019s become a collection of disconnected services and personalities, all doing their own thing.In our Brand Dynamics report, we highlighted the risk of weak brand architecture in B2B tech \u2013 where products and acquisitions are bolted on without strategic coherence. The same thing happens in services. Different teams pull in different directions. Nobody\u2019s really clear what the firm stands for anymore.Tradition might earn you a second look. But clarity and relevance close the deal.Fix it:Keep the name if it still carries weight. But build something sharper around it \u2013 something that defines what the brand stands for today and gives your team a consistent platform to communicate from.3. Inside-out thinking kills outside interestHere\u2019s the big one. And we see it across every sector. Firms writing for themselves, not their audience.They lead with service structures. They use acronyms and jargon that only their peers understand. They talk about \u201capproaches\u201d and \u201cpillars\u201d before ever addressing what the client actually needs.In our tech report, we called this inside-out bias \u2013 a common outcome when businesses are dominated by technical thinkers who are more comfortable with precision than persuasion.It\u2019s exactly the same in professional services. Especially when the language is the product. Lawyers, accountants, consultants \u2013 all highly trained, all precise \u2013 but many are blind to how much friction their own words create.This is how smart people end up using dumb language. They forget they\u2019re meant to communicate, not just signal expertise.If your brand sounds like it was written to impress a committee, don\u2019t be surprised when clients stop listening.Fix it:Be brave enough to strip away the filler. Cut the jargon. Lead with relevance, not structure. And write like someone who\u2019s actually trying to be understood.4. Looking \u201cprofessional\u201d is not the same as looking the sameMost professional services firms look the same. Navy blue logos. Generic straplines. A homepage with a handshake, a skyline, or a suit staring out of a window.This isn\u2019t professionalism. It\u2019s wallpaper.In our report, we called out \u201cBuzz Lightyear\u201d copy \u2013 the vague, overblown language that tech brands use when they\u2019ve run out of actual ideas. Professional services do this too, just in a greyer, more cautious way.The issue isn\u2019t a lack of polish. It\u2019s a lack of personality. If your brand doesn\u2019t show what makes you distinctive, then your pitch has to do all the work. And that\u2019s too late.If we swapped your logo for your competitor\u2019s, and no one noticed \u2013 your brand\u2019s broken.Fix it:Get specific. Drop the clich\u00e9s. Find a tone and a visual language that reflects your people, your values, and your clients. Don\u2019t settle for looking \u201cserious.\u201d Aim to be remembered.5. Strategy comes first. Everything else hangs off itA lot of firms want a rebrand. But what they really need is a rethink.We see this constantly. Businesses that want a new website, or a new identity \u2013 but haven\u2019t done the work to define their offer, sharpen their positioning, or agree on their values.In tech, this shows up when new products are launched without any sense of how they fit the overall brand. In services, it\u2019s when firms bolt on new departments, hire new partners, or expand into new markets \u2013 but the brand never evolves to match.You can\u2019t express what you haven\u2019t defined.Fix it:Get your foundations right. What\u2019s your purpose? Who are you for? What do you want to be known for? Nail that down first \u2013 then let everything else flow from it.Closing:We\u2019ve worked with firms across B2B tech and professional services. And in every case, the same truth holds: if your business is built on expertise, your brand must show it.Not just in what you say. But in how clearly, confidently, and consistently you say it.Because if your brand can\u2019t speak clearly, why should anyone trust it to think clearly?\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Too many professional services firms confuse complexity with credibility. They sell expertise, but their brands don\u2019t show it. In this piece, we share five hard truths firms need to hear \u2013 from fixing muddled messaging to breaking free from bland, lookalike branding. If your firm is serious about standing out, start here.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-06-30T11:12:22+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5785","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-most-agency-strategy-isnt-strategy-all-its-synthesis","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Most Agency Strategy Isn\u2019t Strategy at All \u2013 It\u2019s Synthesis","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAgencies say strategy. What they really mean is synthesis: the skill of turning noise into something clear, useful and true. Let\u2019s call it what it is. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStrategy. Once a useful word, now a catch-all term for anything that isn\u2019t account handling or design. It\u2019s become the junk drawer of agency roles, where you throw anything that feels a bit too thinky to call admin, but not tangible enough to call creative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd I\u2019ll put my hand up. I\u2019ve used the label lazily too. We all have. It\u2019s an easy shorthand. But the more we use it as a vague umbrella, the less it means. And when words lose meaning, they stop being useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo rather than debate what is and isn\u2019t strategy (and fall into a philosophical black hole) I\u2019d rather suggest something simpler: most of what agencies call strategy is actually synthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat We Actually Do\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you strip away the jargon and the slideware, what does strategic work actually involve?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s digging. It\u2019s listening. It\u2019s absorbing. Primary research, interviews, customer journeys, audit decks, competitor scans, positioning exercises - all of it creating noise. Useful noise, but noise nonetheless. You can end up with dozens of presentations, hundreds of pages, walls covered in printouts and Sharpie scrawlings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt feels like one of those hard-boiled detective dramas, the kind with red string and cigarette ash and a murder board in the corner. And honestly, that part of the job is great. It\u2019s messy and absorbing and you need to be curious and obsessed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut at some point, it all needs to be turned into something.\u003Cbr\u003ESomething that makes sense.\u003Cbr\u003ESomething people can act on.\u003Cbr\u003ESomething that still holds the shape of everything that went into it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s not strategy. That\u2019s synthesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Harder, More Valuable Bit\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESynthesis is the real skill. It\u2019s the ability to reduce the volume of input down to something that still represents the whole, without losing clarity or truth. It\u2019s the ability to zoom out and see the big picture, while still remembering what detail matters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat might be shaping a tight, directional brief.\u003Cbr\u003EIt might be pulling out the essence of a brand\u2019s values.\u003Cbr\u003EIt might be unifying opposing stakeholder views into a single compelling line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhatever it is, it takes judgement. It takes time. And it\u2019s not easy. Because synthesis isn\u2019t about adding more layers, it\u2019s about stripping them away \u2013 without dumbing anything down.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Mark Twain said: \u201cI didn\u2019t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe best strategic work reads simply because someone took the time to do the hard bit. Most of the bad work you see \u2013 the waffly, overlong, jargon-thick decks that leave clients saying \u201cbut what does this actually mean?\u201d \u2013 fail because no one made the effort to reduce. Or worse, no one knew how.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EClients Know When It\u0027s Done Well\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the best compliments we\u2019ve had in this agency was from a client who said:\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cYou\u2019ve basically said what we were all thinking, but couldn\u2019t articulate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s synthesis.\u003Cbr\u003EIt\u2019s not about invention. It\u2019s about distillation.\u003Cbr\u003EIt\u2019s helping people see what they already know, more clearly than they ever have.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s what creates momentum. That\u2019s what builds belief.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Team Effect\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is also why experience matters. Over time, you get better at knowing where you need to end up \u2013 and start structuring your input to help you get there faster. A good team, with time together under its belt, knows how each other think. That rhythm helps avoid going down the wrong rabbit holes. It sharpens the output. Like a band that knows how to play without overplaying. The output looks sharper because the thinking underneath is sharper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESo Let\u2019s Call It What It Is\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf we want our work \u2013 and the people who do it \u2013 to be properly valued, we need to name the skill accurately.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGood synthesis is rare. It\u2019s hard. It\u2019s crucial.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo maybe it\u2019s time we stopped lazily calling everything \u2018strategy\u2019\u2026 and started recognising what actually creates clarity, cuts through abstraction, and helps teams move forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELess strategy.\u003Cbr\u003EMore synthesis.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nAgencies say strategy. What they really mean is synthesis: the skill of turning noise into something clear, useful and true. Let\u2019s call it what it is. \nStrategy. Once a useful word, now a catch-all term for anything that isn\u2019t account handling or design. It\u2019s become the junk drawer of agency roles, where you throw anything that feels a bit too thinky to call admin, but not tangible enough to call creative.And I\u2019ll put my hand up. I\u2019ve used the label lazily too. We all have. It\u2019s an easy shorthand. But the more we use it as a vague umbrella, the less it means. And when words lose meaning, they stop being useful.So rather than debate what is and isn\u2019t strategy (and fall into a philosophical black hole) I\u2019d rather suggest something simpler: most of what agencies call strategy is actually synthesis.What We Actually DoWhen you strip away the jargon and the slideware, what does strategic work actually involve?It\u2019s digging. It\u2019s listening. It\u2019s absorbing. Primary research, interviews, customer journeys, audit decks, competitor scans, positioning exercises - all of it creating noise. Useful noise, but noise nonetheless. You can end up with dozens of presentations, hundreds of pages, walls covered in printouts and Sharpie scrawlings.It feels like one of those hard-boiled detective dramas, the kind with red string and cigarette ash and a murder board in the corner. And honestly, that part of the job is great. It\u2019s messy and absorbing and you need to be curious and obsessed.But at some point, it all needs to be turned into something.Something that makes sense.Something people can act on.Something that still holds the shape of everything that went into it.That\u2019s not strategy. That\u2019s synthesis.The Harder, More Valuable BitSynthesis is the real skill. It\u2019s the ability to reduce the volume of input down to something that still represents the whole, without losing clarity or truth. It\u2019s the ability to zoom out and see the big picture, while still remembering what detail matters.That might be shaping a tight, directional brief.It might be pulling out the essence of a brand\u2019s values.It might be unifying opposing stakeholder views into a single compelling line.Whatever it is, it takes judgement. It takes time. And it\u2019s not easy. Because synthesis isn\u2019t about adding more layers, it\u2019s about stripping them away \u2013 without dumbing anything down.As Mark Twain said: \u201cI didn\u2019t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.\u201dThe best strategic work reads simply because someone took the time to do the hard bit. Most of the bad work you see \u2013 the waffly, overlong, jargon-thick decks that leave clients saying \u201cbut what does this actually mean?\u201d \u2013 fail because no one made the effort to reduce. Or worse, no one knew how.Clients Know When It\u0027s Done WellOne of the best compliments we\u2019ve had in this agency was from a client who said:\u201cYou\u2019ve basically said what we were all thinking, but couldn\u2019t articulate.\u201dThat\u2019s synthesis.It\u2019s not about invention. It\u2019s about distillation.It\u2019s helping people see what they already know, more clearly than they ever have.That\u2019s what creates momentum. That\u2019s what builds belief.The Team EffectThis is also why experience matters. Over time, you get better at knowing where you need to end up \u2013 and start structuring your input to help you get there faster. A good team, with time together under its belt, knows how each other think. That rhythm helps avoid going down the wrong rabbit holes. It sharpens the output. Like a band that knows how to play without overplaying. The output looks sharper because the thinking underneath is sharper.So Let\u2019s Call It What It IsIf we want our work \u2013 and the people who do it \u2013 to be properly valued, we need to name the skill accurately.Good synthesis is rare. It\u2019s hard. It\u2019s crucial.So maybe it\u2019s time we stopped lazily calling everything \u2018strategy\u2019\u2026 and started recognising what actually creates clarity, cuts through abstraction, and helps teams move forward.Less strategy.More synthesis.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Agencies say strategy. What they really mean is synthesis: the skill of turning noise into something clear, useful and true. Let\u2019s call it what it is.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-06-25T10:52:35+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5784","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-your-best-work-isnt-winning-podcast","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Your Best Work Isn\u0026#039;t Winning","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, Stewart, Julie and Chris get stuck into the real reason your best work isn\u2019t cutting through. It\u2019s not a branding problem, it\u2019s a business problem. From product-led blind spots to muddled messaging, they unpack the \u0026quot;recognition gap\u0026quot; between what companies think they\u2019re selling and what customers actually value. Expect plain talk on why brand is often misunderstood, why internal bias wrecks clarity, and how to close the gap with positioning that drives real, measurable value. If you\u2019re still leading with technical specs and calling it strategy, this one\u2019s for you. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the original article: https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-your-best-work-isnt-winning\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGood is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don\u2019t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact, building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ehttps:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/4877857b\/57c70dde.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, Stewart, Julie and Chris get stuck into the real reason your best work isn\u2019t cutting through. It\u2019s not a branding problem, it\u2019s a business problem. From product-led blind spots to muddled messaging, they unpack the \u0026quot;recognition gap\u0026quot; between what companies think they\u2019re selling and what customers actually value. Expect plain talk on why brand is often misunderstood, why internal bias wrecks clarity, and how to close the gap with positioning that drives real, measurable value. If you\u2019re still leading with technical specs and calling it strategy, this one\u2019s for you. \nRead the original article: https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-your-best-work-isnt-winningGood is a brand consultancy that helps complex organisations solve business problems through brand. We don\u2019t do fluff, vanity metrics, or vague strategies. We align brand with business to drive real-world impact, building stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and better commercial outcomes.https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode of the Good Brand Podcast, Stewart, Julie and Chris get stuck into the real reason your best work isn\u2019t cutting through. It\u2019s not a branding problem, it\u2019s a business problem. From product-led blind spots to muddled messaging, they unpack the \u0022recognition gap\u0022 between what companies think they\u2019re selling and what customers actually value. Expect plain talk on why brand is often misunderstood, why internal bias wrecks clarity, and how to close the gap with positioning that drives real, measurable value. If you\u2019re still leading with technical specs and calling it strategy, this one\u2019s for you.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-06-23T15:13:45+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5783","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/10-signs-you-might-need-rebrand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"10 Signs You Might Need to Rebrand.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESomething feels off.\r\nThe brand doesn\u2019t quite fit anymore.\r\nYou\u2019re not sure what\u2019s wrong, but you\u2019ve started wondering, do we need to rebrand? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a bit of a circular discussion, but it\u2019s an interesting one to try and nail down the most common reasons we see for clients wanting to take the plunge and go all in for change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERebranding is expensive. Time-consuming. Risky if done without the right intent. Get it wrong and you don\u2019t just waste money. You lose clarity, momentum and trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, let\u2019s strip this back. Before you brief an agency or sketch a new logo on a napkin, here\u2019s the question to ask:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s actually broken?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause sometimes it\u2019s the foundations. Sometimes it\u2019s the execution.\u003Cbr\u003EAnd most of the time, it\u2019s not a rebrand you need - it\u2019s a recalibration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWait - what do we mean by \u2018rebrand\u2019?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s clear something up. When most people say rebrand, they picture the big dramatic moment. New name. New logo. Full identity overhaul and fireworks!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat happens \u2013 but in my experience, it\u2019s extremely rare. In reality, most businesses don\u2019t need to reinvent the brand. They need to \u003Cstrong\u003Eevolve it.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat might mean:\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Reviewing the foundations\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sharpening the story\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Clarifying the offer\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Refreshing the visual identity\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Rebuilding internal alignment\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s about reconnecting the brand with who you are now and where you\u2019re going, not wiping the slate clean. So, whether you\u2019re heading for a reset or a refinement, here\u2019s a checklist we use with clients to figure out what\u2019s really going on - and what kind of change is needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Brutal Brand Health Checklist:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow many of these hit home?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENobody can explain what the business does - in the same way.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESales says one thing. The website says another. HR and recruitment have their own version. If the elevator pitch changes by department, the brand is fragmented.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can\u2019t navigate your own product portfolio.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EToo many product names. Too many sub-brands. Too many exceptions.\u003Cbr\u003EIf even your sales team struggles to explain how it all fits together, what chance does a customer have? When the brand doesn\u2019t provide a clear structure for how products are named, grouped or presented, confusion sets in. Internally and externally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re attracting the wrong kind of work, or the wrong kind of people.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELeads that aren\u2019t a fit. Applicants who don\u2019t align with your culture.\u003Cbr\u003EIf the brand\u2019s pulling in the wrong crowd, something\u2019s off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou look and sound just like everyone else.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBlur out the logos of your top five competitors. If your message, tone and visuals could belong to any of them, you\u0027ve lost distinction, and probably direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019ve outgrown the story you\u2019re telling.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMaybe your offer has evolved. Maybe your market has shifted. Maybe you\u0027re selling to different people in different ways. But the brand hasn\u2019t caught up. And that creates drag.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople inside the business aren\u2019t using the brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETemplates get ignored. Tone of voice is loose at best. People either don\u2019t get it or don\u2019t believe in it. That\u2019s not a visual issue; it\u2019s a foundation problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou hesitate before sending someone to your own website.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis is a big tell. You know it\u2019s out of date. It\u2019s clunky, confusing or off-brand.\u003Cbr\u003EIf you\u2019re cringing, trust your gut, it needs some work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019ve been \u201crefreshing\u201d things for years - but nothing\u2019s improved.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA new logo here. A shinier slide deck there. But the core issues remain.\u003Cbr\u003ETinkering with outputs won\u2019t fix misalignment at the heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe people now driving the business weren\u2019t part of the brand\u2019s creation.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELeadership has changed. The strategy has shifted. But the brand is still built on old decisions. If the people shaping the future weren\u2019t involved in defining the brand, it\u0027s probably not fit for purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou can\u2019t tell if the brand is helping the business grow.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis is the big one. If you don\u2019t know whether the brand is building trust, shortening sales cycles, or driving pricing power then what\u2019s it doing?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESo\u2026 rebrand or evolve?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your brand still holds meaning (if it\u2019s respected, recognisable and rooted in something true) you evolve it. That means making it fit your current strategy, market and ambitions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut if it\u2019s outdated, confused, or actively working against you - you rebuild it.\u003Cbr\u003EEither way, don\u2019t treat it like a design project. Your brand is a business tool. And if it\u0027s not helping the business grow, it\u2019s time to do something about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWant help making the call?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe help B2B businesses figure this stuff out.\u0026nbsp;Quickly, clearly, and without the fluff.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/contact\u0022\u003EGet in touch\u003C\/a\u003E if you want a straight answer.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSomething feels off.\r\nThe brand doesn\u2019t quite fit anymore.\r\nYou\u2019re not sure what\u2019s wrong, but you\u2019ve started wondering, do we need to rebrand? \nThis is a bit of a circular discussion, but it\u2019s an interesting one to try and nail down the most common reasons we see for clients wanting to take the plunge and go all in for change.Rebranding is expensive. Time-consuming. Risky if done without the right intent. Get it wrong and you don\u2019t just waste money. You lose clarity, momentum and trust.So, let\u2019s strip this back. Before you brief an agency or sketch a new logo on a napkin, here\u2019s the question to ask:What\u2019s actually broken?Because sometimes it\u2019s the foundations. Sometimes it\u2019s the execution.And most of the time, it\u2019s not a rebrand you need - it\u2019s a recalibration.Wait - what do we mean by \u2018rebrand\u2019?Let\u2019s clear something up. When most people say rebrand, they picture the big dramatic moment. New name. New logo. Full identity overhaul and fireworks!That happens \u2013 but in my experience, it\u2019s extremely rare. In reality, most businesses don\u2019t need to reinvent the brand. They need to evolve it.That might mean:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Reviewing the foundations\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sharpening the story\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Clarifying the offer\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Refreshing the visual identity\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Rebuilding internal alignmentIt\u2019s about reconnecting the brand with who you are now and where you\u2019re going, not wiping the slate clean. So, whether you\u2019re heading for a reset or a refinement, here\u2019s a checklist we use with clients to figure out what\u2019s really going on - and what kind of change is needed.The Brutal Brand Health Checklist:\u0026nbsp;How many of these hit home?Nobody can explain what the business does - in the same way.Sales says one thing. The website says another. HR and recruitment have their own version. If the elevator pitch changes by department, the brand is fragmented.\u0026nbsp;You can\u2019t navigate your own product portfolio.Too many product names. Too many sub-brands. Too many exceptions.If even your sales team struggles to explain how it all fits together, what chance does a customer have? When the brand doesn\u2019t provide a clear structure for how products are named, grouped or presented, confusion sets in. Internally and externally.\u0026nbsp;You\u2019re attracting the wrong kind of work, or the wrong kind of people.Leads that aren\u2019t a fit. Applicants who don\u2019t align with your culture.If the brand\u2019s pulling in the wrong crowd, something\u2019s off.\u0026nbsp;You look and sound just like everyone else.Blur out the logos of your top five competitors. If your message, tone and visuals could belong to any of them, you\u0027ve lost distinction, and probably direction.\u0026nbsp;You\u2019ve outgrown the story you\u2019re telling.Maybe your offer has evolved. Maybe your market has shifted. Maybe you\u0027re selling to different people in different ways. But the brand hasn\u2019t caught up. And that creates drag.\u0026nbsp;People inside the business aren\u2019t using the brand.Templates get ignored. Tone of voice is loose at best. People either don\u2019t get it or don\u2019t believe in it. That\u2019s not a visual issue; it\u2019s a foundation problem.\u0026nbsp;You hesitate before sending someone to your own website.This is a big tell. You know it\u2019s out of date. It\u2019s clunky, confusing or off-brand.If you\u2019re cringing, trust your gut, it needs some work.\u0026nbsp;You\u2019ve been \u201crefreshing\u201d things for years - but nothing\u2019s improved.A new logo here. A shinier slide deck there. But the core issues remain.Tinkering with outputs won\u2019t fix misalignment at the heart.\u0026nbsp;The people now driving the business weren\u2019t part of the brand\u2019s creation.Leadership has changed. The strategy has shifted. But the brand is still built on old decisions. If the people shaping the future weren\u2019t involved in defining the brand, it\u0027s probably not fit for purpose.\u0026nbsp;You can\u2019t tell if the brand is helping the business grow.This is the big one. If you don\u2019t know whether the brand is building trust, shortening sales cycles, or driving pricing power then what\u2019s it doing?So\u2026 rebrand or evolve?If your brand still holds meaning (if it\u2019s respected, recognisable and rooted in something true) you evolve it. That means making it fit your current strategy, market and ambitions.But if it\u2019s outdated, confused, or actively working against you - you rebuild it.Either way, don\u2019t treat it like a design project. Your brand is a business tool. And if it\u0027s not helping the business grow, it\u2019s time to do something about it.Want help making the call?We help B2B businesses figure this stuff out.\u0026nbsp;Quickly, clearly, and without the fluff.Get in touch if you want a straight answer.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Something feels off.\nThe brand doesn\u2019t quite fit anymore.\nYou\u2019re not sure what\u2019s wrong, but you\u2019ve started wondering, do we need to rebrand?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-06-19T09:32:06+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5782","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brand-kills-conversions","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Brand, Not Sales Tactics, Could Be Killing Your Conversion Rates.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s get one thing straight. Sales performance isn\u2019t just a pipeline problem. Or a training problem. Or even a strategy problem. These things matter, yes, but if your sales team keeps coming up short, chances are the real problem lies elsewhere. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our work with large B2B tech companies, we keep seeing the same issue. One that doesn\u2019t show up on sales dashboards or in HubSpot workflows. Customer confusion. And it\u2019s killing conversions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot confusion about the meeting. Or the sales deck. Confusion about what the business actually sells. What it stands for. How the product range fits together. Why any of it matters to the customer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re asking your customer to navigate a mess, don\u2019t be surprised when they walk away.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EB2B Sales Is Hard Enough Without This\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch shows the average B2B buying decision involves five or more people. More than half of these buying journeys end in no decision at all. Not because the offer wasn\u2019t good enough, but because the buyers couldn\u2019t make sense of what was being sold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see this happen time and again for three avoidable reasons:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe portfolio is a mess.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe brand has no foundations.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe value isn\u2019t clear.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E1. How a Confused Portfolio Destroys B2B Sales Alignment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen businesses grow fast, especially through acquisition, they tend to bolt new products and brands onto the mothership without thinking about how the customer sees the whole. The result? Disjointed brands. Overlapping propositions. Multiple salespeople in the same meeting, sometimes pitching the same thing in different ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternally, it may all hang together. Externally, it\u2019s chaos.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe call this inside-out bias. It\u2019s when internal logic overrides customer logic. And when this happens, businesses tend to misdiagnose the problem as a communications issue. Cue the new sales deck. Cue the internal training.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that won\u2019t fix it, because it\u2019s not a comms problem. It\u2019s a brand problem.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. Why Weak Brand Foundations Sabotage Your Sales Team\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your business can\u2019t say clearly who it is, why it exists, or how it wins, you don\u2019t have a brand. You have noise.\u003Cbr\u003EWithout solid brand foundations, every team does its own thing. Marketing makes up messaging on the fly. Sales leans on personal preferences. Product teams just shout about features. None of it adds up to anything cohesive, which makes buying harder than it needs to be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn B2B, where so many brands are half-baked and undefined, doing this work properly gives you an unfair advantage. It sharpens your messaging, aligns your people, and gives your customer a much clearer reason to say yes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. When Your Value Proposition Isn\u0027t Clear, Customers Walk\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s talk about tech. Especially engineering-led tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s obsessed with features. With long lists of benefits that only make sense to the person who built the product. This often results in what we call laundry list syndrome. Bullet after bullet of technical brilliance, but no clue what any of it means for the customer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo the burden shifts. The customer has to work out which feature applies to them, how it might help, and what that help is worth. Most don\u2019t bother.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you can\u2019t express the commercial value of your offer in a way your best-fit customer can grasp, you\u2019re not ready to sell. It\u2019s not about dumbing it down. It\u2019s about digging deeper to uncover what the product really does for people, and telling that story properly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis Is Brand Work. And It Matters More Than You Think.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re often brought in by leadership, not marketing, because the issue shows up in commercial performance. Not enough traction. Sales teams blaming lead quality. Marketing blaming sales. Everyone spinning in circles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut when we fix the brand - clarify the structure, define the positioning, and articulate the value - things get better. Not overnight, but noticeably. Friction goes down. Customers engage quicker. Sales get simpler. Teams feel more aligned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s hard to get precise attribution (sales teams are rarely keen to show you raw numbers), but the anecdotal feedback is strong. And we\u2019re building case studies that will show what this work really delivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFinal Word\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re struggling to close deals, maybe your sales team isn\u2019t the problem. Maybe the problem is they\u2019ve been sent into the fight with a blunt weapon and asked to land a kill shot. Fix the brand, and you sharpen the blade. Then see what happens.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf your brand is the blunt weapon in this scenario, the \u003Ca href=\u0022\/total-brand-review\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002226383aeb-9b30-4962-8911-39a77809f5fd\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Total Brand Review\u0022\u003ETotal Brand Review\u003C\/a\u003E is where the sharpening starts.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nLet\u2019s get one thing straight. Sales performance isn\u2019t just a pipeline problem. Or a training problem. Or even a strategy problem. These things matter, yes, but if your sales team keeps coming up short, chances are the real problem lies elsewhere. \nIn our work with large B2B tech companies, we keep seeing the same issue. One that doesn\u2019t show up on sales dashboards or in HubSpot workflows. Customer confusion. And it\u2019s killing conversions.Not confusion about the meeting. Or the sales deck. Confusion about what the business actually sells. What it stands for. How the product range fits together. Why any of it matters to the customer.\u0026nbsp;If you\u2019re asking your customer to navigate a mess, don\u2019t be surprised when they walk away.B2B Sales Is Hard Enough Without ThisResearch shows the average B2B buying decision involves five or more people. More than half of these buying journeys end in no decision at all. Not because the offer wasn\u2019t good enough, but because the buyers couldn\u2019t make sense of what was being sold.We see this happen time and again for three avoidable reasons:The portfolio is a mess.The brand has no foundations.The value isn\u2019t clear.1. How a Confused Portfolio Destroys B2B Sales Alignment\u0026nbsp;When businesses grow fast, especially through acquisition, they tend to bolt new products and brands onto the mothership without thinking about how the customer sees the whole. The result? Disjointed brands. Overlapping propositions. Multiple salespeople in the same meeting, sometimes pitching the same thing in different ways.Internally, it may all hang together. Externally, it\u2019s chaos.We call this inside-out bias. It\u2019s when internal logic overrides customer logic. And when this happens, businesses tend to misdiagnose the problem as a communications issue. Cue the new sales deck. Cue the internal training.But that won\u2019t fix it, because it\u2019s not a comms problem. It\u2019s a brand problem.\u0026nbsp;2. Why Weak Brand Foundations Sabotage Your Sales TeamIf your business can\u2019t say clearly who it is, why it exists, or how it wins, you don\u2019t have a brand. You have noise.Without solid brand foundations, every team does its own thing. Marketing makes up messaging on the fly. Sales leans on personal preferences. Product teams just shout about features. None of it adds up to anything cohesive, which makes buying harder than it needs to be.In B2B, where so many brands are half-baked and undefined, doing this work properly gives you an unfair advantage. It sharpens your messaging, aligns your people, and gives your customer a much clearer reason to say yes.3. When Your Value Proposition Isn\u0027t Clear, Customers WalkLet\u2019s talk about tech. Especially engineering-led tech.It\u2019s obsessed with features. With long lists of benefits that only make sense to the person who built the product. This often results in what we call laundry list syndrome. Bullet after bullet of technical brilliance, but no clue what any of it means for the customer.So the burden shifts. The customer has to work out which feature applies to them, how it might help, and what that help is worth. Most don\u2019t bother.If you can\u2019t express the commercial value of your offer in a way your best-fit customer can grasp, you\u2019re not ready to sell. It\u2019s not about dumbing it down. It\u2019s about digging deeper to uncover what the product really does for people, and telling that story properly.This Is Brand Work. And It Matters More Than You Think.We\u2019re often brought in by leadership, not marketing, because the issue shows up in commercial performance. Not enough traction. Sales teams blaming lead quality. Marketing blaming sales. Everyone spinning in circles.But when we fix the brand - clarify the structure, define the positioning, and articulate the value - things get better. Not overnight, but noticeably. Friction goes down. Customers engage quicker. Sales get simpler. Teams feel more aligned.It\u2019s hard to get precise attribution (sales teams are rarely keen to show you raw numbers), but the anecdotal feedback is strong. And we\u2019re building case studies that will show what this work really delivers.Final WordIf you\u2019re struggling to close deals, maybe your sales team isn\u2019t the problem. Maybe the problem is they\u2019ve been sent into the fight with a blunt weapon and asked to land a kill shot. Fix the brand, and you sharpen the blade. Then see what happens.If your brand is the blunt weapon in this scenario, the Total Brand Review is where the sharpening starts.  ","summary":"Let\u2019s get one thing straight. Sales performance isn\u2019t just a pipeline problem. Or a training problem. Or even a strategy problem. These things matter, yes, but if your sales team keeps coming up short, chances are the real problem lies elsewhere.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-05-21T15:22:26+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5781","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/growth-stalling-its-probably-not-market","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Growth stalling? It\u2019s Probably Not The Market","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou know how it goes. When sales slow down, the default diagnosis is always external. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cChina\u2019s cooling off.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cMargins are tightening.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cOur partners just don\u2019t get it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother angle? The business changed, but the brand didn\u2019t. Or it never really existed beyond a slide deck and some half-hearted guidelines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we look at global brands, it\u0027s pretty clear that they aren\u2019t global. They\u2019re just duplicated. Same playbook. Same story. Same toolkit shipped out to every region, slapped on every channel. Then people act surprised when it doesn\u2019t work in Singapore like it does in Stuttgart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not a localisation issue. It\u2019s a leadership one. If your global marketing teams can\u2019t flex your brand without breaking it, you don\u2019t have a brand. You have a template.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGrowth in complex markets, like Asia Pacific, for example, needs clarity, not just at the top but on the ground. Sales teams need to know how to sell the value. Partners need a version of the brand they can actually use. Local marketers need room to adapt without reinventing the wheel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENone of this happens if the brand\u2019s just paintwork. You need foundations\u2014deep ones. Brand as a business tool, not as an identity kit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd before anyone tries to file this under \u201cmarketing stuff,\u201d let\u2019s be clear: this is a strategic issue. It shows up in the product. In the pipeline. In performance. Ignore it, and you\u2019ll waste millions trying to fix what\u2019s actually a clarity problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand strategy - when it\u2019s done properly - is what keeps a business coherent \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E adaptable. It helps you scale with sense. Make sharper bets. Say no to bad ideas faster.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo ask yourself this:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECan your teams explain what you do and why it matters\u2014consistently, confidently, and without the 72-slide deck?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf not, forget market turbulence. Blame the muddle that made it out the door.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYou know how it goes. When sales slow down, the default diagnosis is always external. \n\u201cChina\u2019s cooling off.\u201d\u201cMargins are tightening.\u201d\u201cOur partners just don\u2019t get it.\u201dSure.Another angle? The business changed, but the brand didn\u2019t. Or it never really existed beyond a slide deck and some half-hearted guidelines.When we look at global brands, it\u0027s pretty clear that they aren\u2019t global. They\u2019re just duplicated. Same playbook. Same story. Same toolkit shipped out to every region, slapped on every channel. Then people act surprised when it doesn\u2019t work in Singapore like it does in Stuttgart.It\u2019s not a localisation issue. It\u2019s a leadership one. If your global marketing teams can\u2019t flex your brand without breaking it, you don\u2019t have a brand. You have a template.Growth in complex markets, like Asia Pacific, for example, needs clarity, not just at the top but on the ground. Sales teams need to know how to sell the value. Partners need a version of the brand they can actually use. Local marketers need room to adapt without reinventing the wheel.None of this happens if the brand\u2019s just paintwork. You need foundations\u2014deep ones. Brand as a business tool, not as an identity kit.And before anyone tries to file this under \u201cmarketing stuff,\u201d let\u2019s be clear: this is a strategic issue. It shows up in the product. In the pipeline. In performance. Ignore it, and you\u2019ll waste millions trying to fix what\u2019s actually a clarity problem.Brand strategy - when it\u2019s done properly - is what keeps a business coherent and adaptable. It helps you scale with sense. Make sharper bets. Say no to bad ideas faster.So ask yourself this:Can your teams explain what you do and why it matters\u2014consistently, confidently, and without the 72-slide deck?If not, forget market turbulence. Blame the muddle that made it out the door.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"You know how it goes. When sales slow down, the default diagnosis is always external.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-05-15T10:03:26+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5780","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-your-best-work-isnt-winning","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Your Best Work Isn\u2019t Winning","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve worked with businesses through some of their most demanding product launches. It\u2019s an intense process. Every detail gets scrutinised, from the design studio to the factory floor to the first customer experience. Everyone\u2019s all in. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u0027s what our experience has taught us: technical superiority isn\u2019t enough. If the market can\u2019t see the value you deliver, it won\u2019t pay for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can have the best engineers, the most reliable products, and rock-solid performance, and still lose on margin, market share or deal velocity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery year you fail to make your value clear, you bleed pricing power. And your competitors thank you for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t a branding problem. It\u2019s a business problem. It\u0027s the recognition gap, the space between the value you believe you deliver and the value your customers actually perceive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we work with businesses that acknowledge and take the recognition gap seriously, this is what happens:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAEG Power Tools\u003C\/strong\u003E: Repositioning led to \u003Cstrong\u003E+35% price per tool\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003E+54% sales value\u003C\/strong\u003E, and delivered \u003Cstrong\u003E7,000% ROI\u003C\/strong\u003E on strategic identity work\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E365 Retail Markets\u003C\/strong\u003E: Clearer story drove \u003Cstrong\u003E+525% web enquiries\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003E+80% higher conversion\u003C\/strong\u003E with no extra marketing spend\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevro\u003C\/strong\u003E: Simplified brand architecture cut \u003Cstrong\u003E25% off annual marketing costs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEWOS\u003C\/strong\u003E: Streamlined brand helped support a \u003Cstrong\u003E$1.5B acquisition\u003C\/strong\u003E, up from a $700M valuation just two years earlier\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese aren\u2019t creative awards. They\u2019re commercial outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBain found that industrial companies with stronger brand recognition command 13\u201315% price premiums, even when technical specs are comparable. That\u2019s profit walking out the door if you\u2019re relying on specs alone to carry the weight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven more telling, 74% of B2B buyers do their research online before speaking to a sales rep. If your strategic value isn\u2019t unmistakably clear on your website and in your pitch decks, you\u2019ve already lost the deal before your best people even get involved.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s where things get uncomfortable. The more technical your team, the more likely you\u2019re making this mistake.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re asking buyers to do the translation\u003C\/strong\u003E from features to value. Most won\u2019t bother\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re speaking in specs\u003C\/strong\u003E, while your competitors are telling clear, simple stories\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou\u2019re selling to a buying committee\u003C\/strong\u003E, not just an engineer, and most of them can\u2019t decode your datasheets\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou think your datasheets speak for themselves. They don\u2019t.\u003Cbr\u003EThey make you look like everyone else\u2014and that\u2019s costing you millions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDigital is now twice as important as traditional channels for industrial buyers. If your website reads like an instruction manual, you\u2019re already invisible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrategic clarity makes your value easier to see - and your business easier to run. Efficiency, speed, fewer internal arguments. That\u2019s what clarity unlocks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe companies winning today are the ones who can answer these without hesitation:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat makes us meaningfully different?\u003C\/strong\u003E Not better. Different\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does that difference drive measurable value for the customer?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s the hard proof behind our claims?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does that come through in every interaction\u2014online, in person, post-sale?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your website, pitch deck or product page can\u2019t answer those four questions, don\u2019t change your logo. Change your strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnical excellence might win you the battle of specs. But that\u2019s not the game anymore. Today, the companies that are pulling ahead aren\u2019t just better at making things; they\u2019re better at making those things matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe best product doesn\u2019t always win. The best explained one does.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, where do you go from here?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot to a rebrand. Not to a new logo. But back to the fundamentals\u2014getting clear on the value you already deliver, and why it isn\u2019t being recognised.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the biggest problems industrial businesses face - lost margin, slow sales, price pressure, internal confusion - aren\u2019t marketing problems. They\u2019re clarity problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd when you fix clarity, everything else starts to move.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s what brand strategy, done properly, is really for.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u2019ve worked with businesses through some of their most demanding product launches. It\u2019s an intense process. Every detail gets scrutinised, from the design studio to the factory floor to the first customer experience. Everyone\u2019s all in. \nBut here\u0027s what our experience has taught us: technical superiority isn\u2019t enough. If the market can\u2019t see the value you deliver, it won\u2019t pay for it.You can have the best engineers, the most reliable products, and rock-solid performance, and still lose on margin, market share or deal velocity.Every year you fail to make your value clear, you bleed pricing power. And your competitors thank you for it.This isn\u2019t a branding problem. It\u2019s a business problem. It\u0027s the recognition gap, the space between the value you believe you deliver and the value your customers actually perceive.When we work with businesses that acknowledge and take the recognition gap seriously, this is what happens:AEG Power Tools: Repositioning led to +35% price per tool, +54% sales value, and delivered 7,000% ROI on strategic identity work365 Retail Markets: Clearer story drove +525% web enquiries and +80% higher conversion with no extra marketing spendDevro: Simplified brand architecture cut 25% off annual marketing costsEWOS: Streamlined brand helped support a $1.5B acquisition, up from a $700M valuation just two years earlierThese aren\u2019t creative awards. They\u2019re commercial outcomes.Bain found that industrial companies with stronger brand recognition command 13\u201315% price premiums, even when technical specs are comparable. That\u2019s profit walking out the door if you\u2019re relying on specs alone to carry the weight.Even more telling, 74% of B2B buyers do their research online before speaking to a sales rep. If your strategic value isn\u2019t unmistakably clear on your website and in your pitch decks, you\u2019ve already lost the deal before your best people even get involved.Here\u2019s where things get uncomfortable. The more technical your team, the more likely you\u2019re making this mistake.You\u2019re asking buyers to do the translation from features to value. Most won\u2019t botherYou\u2019re speaking in specs, while your competitors are telling clear, simple storiesYou\u2019re selling to a buying committee, not just an engineer, and most of them can\u2019t decode your datasheetsYou think your datasheets speak for themselves. They don\u2019t.They make you look like everyone else\u2014and that\u2019s costing you millions.Digital is now twice as important as traditional channels for industrial buyers. If your website reads like an instruction manual, you\u2019re already invisible.Strategic clarity makes your value easier to see - and your business easier to run. Efficiency, speed, fewer internal arguments. That\u2019s what clarity unlocks.The companies winning today are the ones who can answer these without hesitation:What makes us meaningfully different? Not better. DifferentHow does that difference drive measurable value for the customer?What\u2019s the hard proof behind our claims?How does that come through in every interaction\u2014online, in person, post-sale?If your website, pitch deck or product page can\u2019t answer those four questions, don\u2019t change your logo. Change your strategy.Technical excellence might win you the battle of specs. But that\u2019s not the game anymore. Today, the companies that are pulling ahead aren\u2019t just better at making things; they\u2019re better at making those things matter.The best product doesn\u2019t always win. The best explained one does.So, where do you go from here?Not to a rebrand. Not to a new logo. But back to the fundamentals\u2014getting clear on the value you already deliver, and why it isn\u2019t being recognised.Because the biggest problems industrial businesses face - lost margin, slow sales, price pressure, internal confusion - aren\u2019t marketing problems. They\u2019re clarity problems.And when you fix clarity, everything else starts to move.That\u2019s what brand strategy, done properly, is really for.  ","summary":"We\u2019ve worked with businesses through some of their most demanding product launches. It\u2019s an intense process. Every detail gets scrutinised, from the design studio to the factory floor to the first customer experience. Everyone\u2019s all in.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-05-09T12:38:23+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5779","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/if-5-1-roi-isnt-enough-what-hope-do-we-have","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"If a 5-to-1 ROI Isn\u2019t Enough, What Hope Do We Have?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI was listening to The Rest Is Politics: US the other day, and they were discussing the latest round of government cuts in America. One point jumped out \u2013 federal funding for R\u0026amp;D is being slashed, despite the fact that for every $1 invested, the return is estimated at $5 or more. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet that sink in. One of the most impressive investment returns going, and they\u2019re cutting it anyway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s not a political comment. It\u2019s an economic one. Because if something with a clearly measurable and positive ROI like R\u0026amp;D isn\u2019t safe, what chance does branding have \u2013 \u0026nbsp;an industry still struggling to prove its value beyond the subjective?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe ROI Double Standard\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a strange double standard at play. In sectors like R\u0026amp;D, ROI is measured in real terms: new patents, technologies, industries. It takes time, but the returns are proven. In branding and design, ROI is less visible, often indirect, and never guaranteed. But here\u2019s the thing: lack of certainty isn\u2019t the same as lack of value. Instead of being viewed as a strategic investment like R\u0026amp;D, brand spend is too often seen as a line-item indulgence. A nice-to-have, not a must-do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t people fighting to change this. Organisations like the Design Business Association (DBA) have long championed the commercial impact of design. Their work (especially through the Design Effectiveness Awards) provides a compelling case for the tangible value great design can deliver. These awards are often strongest when effectiveness is clear-cut, for example, how a new piece of packaging impacts sales. But when the work is more strategic or abstract \u2013 evolving a brand\u2019s architecture, redefining values, or establishing naming conventions \u2013 the proof becomes slower, subtler, and harder to pin down. That doesn\u2019t make it any less valuable. But it does make it harder to sell to the sceptics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EShort-Termism: The Real Enemy\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe deeper issue isn\u2019t branding\u2019s failure to prove its worth. It\u2019s the system\u2019s obsession with short-term results. Even R\u0026amp;D, with its robust metrics, isn\u2019t fast enough to survive quarterly thinking. So what chance do we have in branding, where success can take years to unfold and is rarely credited back to the strategic and creative decisions that made it possible?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe answer might be: not much \u2013 \u003Cstrong\u003Eunless we change the conversation.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EBrand\u2019s ROI Problem Isn\u2019t About Proof. It\u2019s About Belief.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe data does exist. The DBA\u2019s Design Effectiveness Awards prove again and again that when design is done right, and measured properly, it delivers commercial results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, as mentioned earlier, the clearest results often come from the most visible interventions \u2013 things like packaging or design refreshes. But strategic brand work tends to unfold over time and operates at one remove from direct cause and effect.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat makes it harder to measure, but no less important. And that\u2019s where belief becomes critical. Because if you can\u2019t show a chart going up next quarter, you need conviction in the long-term view. You need clients and practitioners who are willing to back a brand strategy like they\u2019d back a good investment: with patience, confidence, and a clear plan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what if the real problem isn\u2019t the data, \u003Cstrong\u003Eit\u2019s that we\u2019ve internalised the doubt?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ESo, What Do We Do?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few thoughts:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWe stop selling magic and start selling method.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand ROI isn\u2019t a mystery, it just needs to be framed like any long-term investment. Clear vision. Solid foundations. Strategic consistency. That\u2019s what pays off, and it can be measured over time if we set the right benchmarks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWe reframe ROI.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf businesses truly believe that brand is just a cost, they\u2019ll treat it like one. Our job is to show how it unlocks value, not just in sales, but in pricing power, employee alignment, innovation, and reputation. These are economic levers, not artistic flourishes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWe push back on impatience.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf even a 5-to-1 return isn\u2019t fast enough for policymakers, we need to teach business leaders the value of compounding. The best brands, like the best investments, accrue power slowly, then suddenly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EClosing: Not Doomed, But Deluded\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo, we\u2019re not doomed. But we are deluded if we think value will be recognised without a fight. If R\u0026amp;D can\u2019t survive without advocacy, branding certainly won\u2019t. It\u2019s time we stopped whispering about value and started shouting about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause in a world where $1 becomes $5 and still gets cut, brand won\u2019t be taken seriously until \u003Cstrong\u003Ewe take ourselves seriously first.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nI was listening to The Rest Is Politics: US the other day, and they were discussing the latest round of government cuts in America. One point jumped out \u2013 federal funding for R\u0026amp;D is being slashed, despite the fact that for every $1 invested, the return is estimated at $5 or more. \nLet that sink in. One of the most impressive investment returns going, and they\u2019re cutting it anyway.That\u2019s not a political comment. It\u2019s an economic one. Because if something with a clearly measurable and positive ROI like R\u0026amp;D isn\u2019t safe, what chance does branding have \u2013 \u0026nbsp;an industry still struggling to prove its value beyond the subjective?The ROI Double StandardThere\u2019s a strange double standard at play. In sectors like R\u0026amp;D, ROI is measured in real terms: new patents, technologies, industries. It takes time, but the returns are proven. In branding and design, ROI is less visible, often indirect, and never guaranteed. But here\u2019s the thing: lack of certainty isn\u2019t the same as lack of value. Instead of being viewed as a strategic investment like R\u0026amp;D, brand spend is too often seen as a line-item indulgence. A nice-to-have, not a must-do.That\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t people fighting to change this. Organisations like the Design Business Association (DBA) have long championed the commercial impact of design. Their work (especially through the Design Effectiveness Awards) provides a compelling case for the tangible value great design can deliver. These awards are often strongest when effectiveness is clear-cut, for example, how a new piece of packaging impacts sales. But when the work is more strategic or abstract \u2013 evolving a brand\u2019s architecture, redefining values, or establishing naming conventions \u2013 the proof becomes slower, subtler, and harder to pin down. That doesn\u2019t make it any less valuable. But it does make it harder to sell to the sceptics.Short-Termism: The Real EnemyThe deeper issue isn\u2019t branding\u2019s failure to prove its worth. It\u2019s the system\u2019s obsession with short-term results. Even R\u0026amp;D, with its robust metrics, isn\u2019t fast enough to survive quarterly thinking. So what chance do we have in branding, where success can take years to unfold and is rarely credited back to the strategic and creative decisions that made it possible?The answer might be: not much \u2013 unless we change the conversation.Brand\u2019s ROI Problem Isn\u2019t About Proof. It\u2019s About Belief.The data does exist. The DBA\u2019s Design Effectiveness Awards prove again and again that when design is done right, and measured properly, it delivers commercial results.Of course, as mentioned earlier, the clearest results often come from the most visible interventions \u2013 things like packaging or design refreshes. But strategic brand work tends to unfold over time and operates at one remove from direct cause and effect.That makes it harder to measure, but no less important. And that\u2019s where belief becomes critical. Because if you can\u2019t show a chart going up next quarter, you need conviction in the long-term view. You need clients and practitioners who are willing to back a brand strategy like they\u2019d back a good investment: with patience, confidence, and a clear plan.But what if the real problem isn\u2019t the data, it\u2019s that we\u2019ve internalised the doubt?So, What Do We Do?A few thoughts:We stop selling magic and start selling method.Brand ROI isn\u2019t a mystery, it just needs to be framed like any long-term investment. Clear vision. Solid foundations. Strategic consistency. That\u2019s what pays off, and it can be measured over time if we set the right benchmarks.We reframe ROI.If businesses truly believe that brand is just a cost, they\u2019ll treat it like one. Our job is to show how it unlocks value, not just in sales, but in pricing power, employee alignment, innovation, and reputation. These are economic levers, not artistic flourishes.We push back on impatience.If even a 5-to-1 return isn\u2019t fast enough for policymakers, we need to teach business leaders the value of compounding. The best brands, like the best investments, accrue power slowly, then suddenly.Closing: Not Doomed, But DeludedNo, we\u2019re not doomed. But we are deluded if we think value will be recognised without a fight. If R\u0026amp;D can\u2019t survive without advocacy, branding certainly won\u2019t. It\u2019s time we stopped whispering about value and started shouting about it.Because in a world where $1 becomes $5 and still gets cut, brand won\u2019t be taken seriously until we take ourselves seriously first.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"I was listening to The Rest Is Politics: US the other day, and they were discussing the latest round of government cuts in America. One point jumped out \u2013 federal funding for R\u0026D is being slashed, despite the fact that for every $1 invested, the return is estimated at $5 or more.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-05-06T14:12:27+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5778","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/if-your-products-are-complex-your-brand-shouldnt-be","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"If Your Products Are Complex, Your Brand Shouldn\u2019t Be","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn B2B tech, complexity is often treated as inevitable\u2014even desirable. The more advanced the product, the more convoluted the brand becomes. But that thinking is flawed. Complexity might be part of what you build, but it shouldn\u2019t be part of how you explain it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYou don\u2019t have a marketing problem. You have a clarity problem.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProduct names that sound like part numbers. Messaging that starts with features instead of problems. Brands that multiply with every acquisition. It may make sense internally, but to your customers, it doesn\u2019t.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat lack of clarity slows deals. It forces your sales team to explain what your website should already make obvious. And it leaves buyers unsure of what you actually do\u2014or who to trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EClear brands don\u2019t just look better. They sell better.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimplifying your brand doesn\u2019t mean making it vague. It means making it easy to understand, easy to trust, and easy to buy from.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s what that looks like:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul data-spread=\u0022false\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOne name, not many.\u003C\/strong\u003E If you\u2019ve acquired businesses, integrate them clearly.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStreamline what you sell.\u003C\/strong\u003E Make it easier for customers to choose.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName products for the buyer, not the engineer.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELead with value.\u003C\/strong\u003E Talk about the problems you solve, not just the tech that powers it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat this means for your business\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your product line is growing, but your story isn\u2019t keeping up, you\u2019re already losing opportunities. Not to competitors\u2014to indecision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ve built something great. But if your market can\u2019t understand it quickly, they\u2019ll move on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re wondering whether this applies to you, ask your team:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul data-spread=\u0022false\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECan a new customer explain what we do after one visit to our site?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAre we naming and organising our offers based on what makes sense to us or to our buyers?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDo we sound different from our competitors\u2014or just as complex?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat working with us looks like\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe help B2B tech companies cut through complexity. That could mean simplifying your product naming, aligning your acquisitions under a single brand, or building clearer value stories across your portfolio. We don\u2019t just tidy things up\u2014we make it easier to sell.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you think your brand might be getting in the way, let\u2019s talk. We\u2019ll show you how to spot the friction and what to do about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClarity isn\u2019t about design. It\u2019s about growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis piece is based on insights from our industry report: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022\u003EBrand Dynamics in B2B Tech\u003C\/a\u003E. It highlights the real-world challenges we see across the sector\u2014from tangled product portfolios to fragmented messaging. You can find the full report here.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn B2B tech, complexity is often treated as inevitable\u2014even desirable. The more advanced the product, the more convoluted the brand becomes. But that thinking is flawed. Complexity might be part of what you build, but it shouldn\u2019t be part of how you explain it. \nYou don\u2019t have a marketing problem. You have a clarity problem.Product names that sound like part numbers. Messaging that starts with features instead of problems. Brands that multiply with every acquisition. It may make sense internally, but to your customers, it doesn\u2019t.That lack of clarity slows deals. It forces your sales team to explain what your website should already make obvious. And it leaves buyers unsure of what you actually do\u2014or who to trust.Clear brands don\u2019t just look better. They sell better.Simplifying your brand doesn\u2019t mean making it vague. It means making it easy to understand, easy to trust, and easy to buy from.Here\u2019s what that looks like:One name, not many. If you\u2019ve acquired businesses, integrate them clearly.Streamline what you sell. Make it easier for customers to choose.Name products for the buyer, not the engineer.Lead with value. Talk about the problems you solve, not just the tech that powers it.What this means for your businessIf your product line is growing, but your story isn\u2019t keeping up, you\u2019re already losing opportunities. Not to competitors\u2014to indecision.You\u2019ve built something great. But if your market can\u2019t understand it quickly, they\u2019ll move on.If you\u2019re wondering whether this applies to you, ask your team:Can a new customer explain what we do after one visit to our site?Are we naming and organising our offers based on what makes sense to us or to our buyers?Do we sound different from our competitors\u2014or just as complex?What working with us looks likeWe help B2B tech companies cut through complexity. That could mean simplifying your product naming, aligning your acquisitions under a single brand, or building clearer value stories across your portfolio. We don\u2019t just tidy things up\u2014we make it easier to sell.If you think your brand might be getting in the way, let\u2019s talk. We\u2019ll show you how to spot the friction and what to do about it.Clarity isn\u2019t about design. It\u2019s about growth.This piece is based on insights from our industry report: Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech. It highlights the real-world challenges we see across the sector\u2014from tangled product portfolios to fragmented messaging. You can find the full report here.  ","summary":"In B2B tech, complexity is often treated as inevitable\u2014even desirable. The more advanced the product, the more convoluted the brand becomes. But that thinking is flawed. Complexity might be part of what you build, but it shouldn\u2019t be part of how you explain it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-04-02T15:33:07+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5777","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-b2b-tech-brands-keep-getting-it-wrong-and-what-do-about-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why B2B Tech Brands Keep Getting It Wrong (And What To Do About It)","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EB2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape - our new report that finally puts it all in one place. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EB2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/b2b-tech-branding-strategies-for-growth\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBrand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E - our new report that finally puts it all in one place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe call out the common traps tech brands fall into, from undervaluing brand to putting creativity in a box. We explain why branding isn\u2019t just about logos and how poor positioning undermines even the best products. Whether you\u2019re trying to launch something new or make sense of stagnation, this one\u2019s for you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022\u003EDownload the report\u003C\/a\u003E. But start here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/d42106f1\/112d543b.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nB2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape - our new report that finally puts it all in one place. \nB2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape - our new report that finally puts it all in one place.We call out the common traps tech brands fall into, from undervaluing brand to putting creativity in a box. We explain why branding isn\u2019t just about logos and how poor positioning undermines even the best products. Whether you\u2019re trying to launch something new or make sense of stagnation, this one\u2019s for you.Download the report. But start here.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"B2B tech is booming. But most of the branding? Dull, confused, and disconnected from what actually drives growth. In this episode, Stewart, Chris, and Julie dig into Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape - our new report that finally puts it all in one place.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-03-31T09:51:56+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5776","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-isnt-about-clean-slate-heres-what-really-works","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Strategy Isn\u2019t About a Clean Slate: Here\u2019s What Really Works","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EStop waiting for perfect conditions to fix your brand. Most branding projects don\u2019t start from scratch. They start in the middle of the mess - while a website is already being built, a marketing campaign is in progress, or a leadership team is debating next steps. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet too many businesses hold off on fixing their brand because they assume they need a \u201cclean slate.\u201d They worry about past decisions, imperfect execution, or the baggage their brand has accumulated over the years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u2019s the reality: branding is never done in ideal conditions. And it doesn\u2019t need to be. The best agencies don\u2019t need a perfect starting point - they just need to get started.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Myth of the Clean Slate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost clients we work with have a nagging fear before they engage us. They worry their brand isn\u2019t in great shape, that things have been neglected, or that they\u2019ve made decisions they\u2019re not proud of. They\u2019re almost embarrassed to show us the reality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u2019s the thing: branding never starts from perfect conditions. That\u2019s a myth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Branding is Always Messy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the theory, case studies, and \u2018awarded\u2019 branding work assumes an ideal world. A world where businesses have time, space, and perfect conditions to overhaul their brand. But in real life, that\u2019s not how it works.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrands evolve while businesses are in flight. They carry baggage - legacy design, past decisions, half-finished projects, and conflicting priorities. It\u2019s never a clean slate, and it doesn\u2019t need to be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Problem with the Branding Industry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur industry has, unfortunately, created a belief that agencies always want to change everything. Clients sometimes hold back from engaging with us because they assume we\u2019ll push for a total reinvention. Many have told us outright: \u201cWe just don\u2019t have the time or energy to fight for massive changes right now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd to be fair, they\u2019re right to think this way. There\u2019s a lot of snobbery in branding - people obsessed with tiny aesthetic details or critiquing new logo rollouts without understanding the business context. This kind of purist thinking can make branding feel exclusionary and impractical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Actually Matters: Getting Stuck In\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor us, branding is about impact, not ideology. The best agencies don\u2019t need a perfect starting point - they just need to get started. Whether the circumstances are ideal or not, we like to think we roll up our sleeves and make it work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe\u2019ve had clients bring us in when:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETheir website project is already underway, but their brand strategy is still unclear.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThey\u2019re running campaigns without a strong brand foundation.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThey\u2019re launching new products without defining their value clearly.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThey\u2019re trying to patchwork solutions without fixing the bigger picture.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s fine. A colleague of mine has a slide in every presentation \u201cThe road to hell is paved with good intentions\u201d, but the road to a better brand starts wherever you are.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Bottom Line\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re waiting for the perfect time to fix your brand, stop waiting. The best branding work happens in the thick of things - not in an ideal world, but in the real one.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nStop waiting for perfect conditions to fix your brand. Most branding projects don\u2019t start from scratch. They start in the middle of the mess - while a website is already being built, a marketing campaign is in progress, or a leadership team is debating next steps. \nYet too many businesses hold off on fixing their brand because they assume they need a \u201cclean slate.\u201d They worry about past decisions, imperfect execution, or the baggage their brand has accumulated over the years.But here\u2019s the reality: branding is never done in ideal conditions. And it doesn\u2019t need to be. The best agencies don\u2019t need a perfect starting point - they just need to get started.The Myth of the Clean SlateMost clients we work with have a nagging fear before they engage us. They worry their brand isn\u2019t in great shape, that things have been neglected, or that they\u2019ve made decisions they\u2019re not proud of. They\u2019re almost embarrassed to show us the reality.But here\u2019s the thing: branding never starts from perfect conditions. That\u2019s a myth.Why Branding is Always MessyMuch of the theory, case studies, and \u2018awarded\u2019 branding work assumes an ideal world. A world where businesses have time, space, and perfect conditions to overhaul their brand. But in real life, that\u2019s not how it works.Brands evolve while businesses are in flight. They carry baggage - legacy design, past decisions, half-finished projects, and conflicting priorities. It\u2019s never a clean slate, and it doesn\u2019t need to be.The Problem with the Branding IndustryOur industry has, unfortunately, created a belief that agencies always want to change everything. Clients sometimes hold back from engaging with us because they assume we\u2019ll push for a total reinvention. Many have told us outright: \u201cWe just don\u2019t have the time or energy to fight for massive changes right now.\u201dAnd to be fair, they\u2019re right to think this way. There\u2019s a lot of snobbery in branding - people obsessed with tiny aesthetic details or critiquing new logo rollouts without understanding the business context. This kind of purist thinking can make branding feel exclusionary and impractical.What Actually Matters: Getting Stuck InFor us, branding is about impact, not ideology. The best agencies don\u2019t need a perfect starting point - they just need to get started. Whether the circumstances are ideal or not, we like to think we roll up our sleeves and make it work.We\u2019ve had clients bring us in when:Their website project is already underway, but their brand strategy is still unclear.They\u2019re running campaigns without a strong brand foundation.They\u2019re launching new products without defining their value clearly.They\u2019re trying to patchwork solutions without fixing the bigger picture.And that\u2019s fine. A colleague of mine has a slide in every presentation \u201cThe road to hell is paved with good intentions\u201d, but the road to a better brand starts wherever you are.The Bottom LineIf you\u2019re waiting for the perfect time to fix your brand, stop waiting. The best branding work happens in the thick of things - not in an ideal world, but in the real one.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Stop waiting for perfect conditions to fix your brand. Most branding projects don\u2019t start from scratch. They start in the middle of the mess - while a website is already being built, a marketing campaign is in progress, or a leadership team is debating next steps.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-03-24T09:14:57+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5775","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-does-brand-positioning-really-mean","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What Does Brand Positioning Really Mean?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand positioning is the process of defining the distinct space your company occupies in customers\u0026#039; minds. What you stand for, how you\u0026#039;re perceived, and why buyers should choose you over alternatives. It\u0026#039;s not a tagline or a messaging exercise. It\u0026#039;s a strategic commitment to owning a specific, defensible position in your market that shapes every decision the business makes. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch5\u003EUpdated April 2026. Originally published February 2025.\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe reason positioning matters is simple: without it, you sound like everyone else. And in B2B, sounding like everyone else means competing on price and features, which is a race to the bottom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat brand positioning is NOT\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore going further, it\u0027s worth clearing up what brand positioning isn\u0027t, because the term gets misused constantly:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u0027s not a tagline.\u003C\/strong\u003E A tagline can express positioning, but it isn\u0027t the positioning itself.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u0027s not messaging\u003C\/strong\u003E. Messaging flows from positioning. If you start with messaging, you\u0027re decorating without foundation\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u0027s not differentiation alone. \u003C\/strong\u003EDifferentiation is a component of positioning, but positioning also includes who you\u0027re for, what you stand for, and where you compete.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u0027s not something you can shortcut.\u003C\/strong\u003E Effective positioning requires choices and sacrifices - the essence of strategy. You can\u0027t be all things to all people, or you fade into background noise.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBrand positioning vs product positioning\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ctable class=\u0022table\u0022\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Positioning\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProduct Positioning\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScope\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe entire company\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EA specific product or service\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime horizon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ELong-term, enduring\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EMedium-term, can shift with market\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilt on\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EVision, mission, and values\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EDifferentiated value for a specific use case\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPurpose\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EDefines who you are and why you matter\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EDefines why this product is the right choice\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanges when\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe business fundamentally changes\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe competitive landscape or buyer needs shift\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExample\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EApple = innovation, design, premium experience\u003C\/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EiPhone = the most personal device, always with you\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand positioning is the strategic foundation. Product positioning sits within it. Every product position should reinforce the brand position. If it doesn\u0027t, you have an architecture problem, not a positioning problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key concept in product positioning is \u003Cstrong\u003Edifferentiated value\u003C\/strong\u003E: not just what your product does (features) or why that matters (benefits), but the specific value it creates that no alternative can match. This is what helps a buyer with a blank slate understand why your approach to their problem is different from every other approach, not just why your features are better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne thing that\u0027s often overlooked: in B2B, your biggest competitor for any considered purchase isn\u0027t another company. It\u0027s the status quo. Research suggests that around 30% of considered B2B purchases end up not happening at all. Your positioning has to overcome \u0022what if we just did nothing?\u0022 before it addresses any named competitor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow to build brand positioning that works\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrong brand positioning starts with foundations, not with wordsmithing. Without a clear definition of who you are, positioning becomes guesswork.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStart with vision, mission, and values:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVision\u003C\/strong\u003E sets the long-term ambition and direction: where you\u0027re heading\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMission\u003C\/strong\u003E defines what you do and why you do it: how you\u0027ll get there\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValues\u003C\/strong\u003E shape how you behave and what you stand for: how you operate daily\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen these elements are clear, positioning becomes an act of clarity and commitment rather than an exercise in spin. The most successful brands build positioning from the inside out, defining who they are first, then ensuring the world sees them that way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThen make the hard choices:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPositioning requires deciding what you will and won\u0027t be. That means:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoosing which customers you\u0027re for (and which you\u0027re not)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoosing which space you want to own (and which you\u0027ll cede to competitors)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoosing what to emphasise (and what to leave out)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese aren\u0027t comfortable decisions, and they rarely happen without an outside perspective to probe and challenge. You can\u0027t both facilitate and participate in a positioning exercise; it needs emotional detachment to ask the obvious questions that get you to the real answers.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat clear positioning actually does for a business\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen positioning is right, everything downstream gets simpler. Think of it as a marketing rudder, it creates coherence that sorts strategic activity from tactical noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA well-positioned brand operates on a natural messaging hierarchy:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 1: Brand-level.\u003C\/strong\u003E Aspirational, awareness-building. Communicates what you stand for at the highest level.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 2: Product\/campaign-level. \u003C\/strong\u003ESpecific launches, initiatives, or offers. Endorsed by the brand position but focused on a particular message.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 3: Tactical. \u003C\/strong\u003EInformational, operational. Event invitations, email nurtures, service details. Still consistent with the brand, but functionally focused.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the brand positioning is clear, you don\u0027t reinvent the wheel at each tier. The position flexes to accommodate everything from high-level thought leadership to detailed product specs \u2014 without confusion or contradiction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe payoff is commercial: clear positioning builds what Byron Sharp calls \u0022mental availability\u0022 \u2014 the probability that your brand comes to mind when a buyer has a need. That mental availability compounds over time, but only if the positioning is consistent. Internal boredom with the messaging is usually a sign you\u0027re doing it right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESigns your positioning needs work\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour sales team tells a different story in every pitch\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProspects keep asking, \u0022So what do you actually do?\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou\u0027re competing on price because buyers see no meaningful difference\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENew marketing campaigns require starting the brand conversation from scratch each time\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour website messaging could belong to any of your competitors\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInternal teams disagree on who your ideal customer is\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EKey takeaways\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBrand positioning defines the space you own in customers\u0027 minds. It\u0027s strategic, long-term, and built on vision, mission, and values.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EProduct positioning is different: it defines the differentiated value of a specific offer for a specific buyer. Both matter, but they operate at different levels.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEffective positioning requires hard choices - who you\u0027re for, what space you own, and what you leave out. You can\u0027t be all things to all people.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClear positioning makes everything downstream simpler: messaging, campaigns, sales conversations, and hiring all become more coherent.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour biggest competitor isn\u0027t another company, it\u0027s the status quo. Positioning has to overcome \u0022do nothing\u0022 before it addresses any named rival.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re struggling to articulate your positioning, the first step isn\u0027t to rewrite your tagline; it\u0027s to go deeper. \u003Ca href=\u0022\/contact\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022dafcd86d-305e-4c80-b55b-93f0eedf8f37\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Contact\u0022\u003ELet\u0027s talk about making your brand positioning work.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBrand positioning is the process of defining the distinct space your company occupies in customers\u0026#039; minds. What you stand for, how you\u0026#039;re perceived, and why buyers should choose you over alternatives. It\u0026#039;s not a tagline or a messaging exercise. It\u0026#039;s a strategic commitment to owning a specific, defensible position in your market that shapes every decision the business makes. \nUpdated April 2026. Originally published February 2025.The reason positioning matters is simple: without it, you sound like everyone else. And in B2B, sounding like everyone else means competing on price and features, which is a race to the bottom.What brand positioning is NOTBefore going further, it\u0027s worth clearing up what brand positioning isn\u0027t, because the term gets misused constantly:It\u0027s not a tagline. A tagline can express positioning, but it isn\u0027t the positioning itself.It\u0027s not messaging. Messaging flows from positioning. If you start with messaging, you\u0027re decorating without foundationIt\u0027s not differentiation alone. Differentiation is a component of positioning, but positioning also includes who you\u0027re for, what you stand for, and where you compete.It\u0027s not something you can shortcut. Effective positioning requires choices and sacrifices - the essence of strategy. You can\u0027t be all things to all people, or you fade into background noise.Brand positioning vs product positioning\u0026nbsp;Brand PositioningProduct PositioningScopeThe entire companyA specific product or serviceTime horizonLong-term, enduringMedium-term, can shift with marketBuilt onVision, mission, and valuesDifferentiated value for a specific use case\u0026nbsp;PurposeDefines who you are and why you matterDefines why this product is the right choiceChanges whenThe business fundamentally changesThe competitive landscape or buyer needs shift\u0026nbsp;ExampleApple = innovation, design, premium experienceiPhone = the most personal device, always with youBrand positioning is the strategic foundation. Product positioning sits within it. Every product position should reinforce the brand position. If it doesn\u0027t, you have an architecture problem, not a positioning problem.The key concept in product positioning is differentiated value: not just what your product does (features) or why that matters (benefits), but the specific value it creates that no alternative can match. This is what helps a buyer with a blank slate understand why your approach to their problem is different from every other approach, not just why your features are better.One thing that\u0027s often overlooked: in B2B, your biggest competitor for any considered purchase isn\u0027t another company. It\u0027s the status quo. Research suggests that around 30% of considered B2B purchases end up not happening at all. Your positioning has to overcome \u0022what if we just did nothing?\u0022 before it addresses any named competitor.How to build brand positioning that worksStrong brand positioning starts with foundations, not with wordsmithing. Without a clear definition of who you are, positioning becomes guesswork.Start with vision, mission, and values:Vision sets the long-term ambition and direction: where you\u0027re headingMission defines what you do and why you do it: how you\u0027ll get thereValues shape how you behave and what you stand for: how you operate dailyWhen these elements are clear, positioning becomes an act of clarity and commitment rather than an exercise in spin. The most successful brands build positioning from the inside out, defining who they are first, then ensuring the world sees them that way.Then make the hard choices:Positioning requires deciding what you will and won\u0027t be. That means:Choosing which customers you\u0027re for (and which you\u0027re not)Choosing which space you want to own (and which you\u0027ll cede to competitors)Choosing what to emphasise (and what to leave out)These aren\u0027t comfortable decisions, and they rarely happen without an outside perspective to probe and challenge. You can\u0027t both facilitate and participate in a positioning exercise; it needs emotional detachment to ask the obvious questions that get you to the real answers.\u0026nbsp;What clear positioning actually does for a businessWhen positioning is right, everything downstream gets simpler. Think of it as a marketing rudder, it creates coherence that sorts strategic activity from tactical noise.A well-positioned brand operates on a natural messaging hierarchy:Tier 1: Brand-level. Aspirational, awareness-building. Communicates what you stand for at the highest level.Tier 2: Product\/campaign-level. Specific launches, initiatives, or offers. Endorsed by the brand position but focused on a particular message.Tier 3: Tactical. Informational, operational. Event invitations, email nurtures, service details. Still consistent with the brand, but functionally focused.When the brand positioning is clear, you don\u0027t reinvent the wheel at each tier. The position flexes to accommodate everything from high-level thought leadership to detailed product specs \u2014 without confusion or contradiction.The payoff is commercial: clear positioning builds what Byron Sharp calls \u0022mental availability\u0022 \u2014 the probability that your brand comes to mind when a buyer has a need. That mental availability compounds over time, but only if the positioning is consistent. Internal boredom with the messaging is usually a sign you\u0027re doing it right.Signs your positioning needs workYour sales team tells a different story in every pitchProspects keep asking, \u0022So what do you actually do?\u0022You\u0027re competing on price because buyers see no meaningful differenceNew marketing campaigns require starting the brand conversation from scratch each timeYour website messaging could belong to any of your competitorsInternal teams disagree on who your ideal customer isKey takeawaysBrand positioning defines the space you own in customers\u0027 minds. It\u0027s strategic, long-term, and built on vision, mission, and values.Product positioning is different: it defines the differentiated value of a specific offer for a specific buyer. Both matter, but they operate at different levels.Effective positioning requires hard choices - who you\u0027re for, what space you own, and what you leave out. You can\u0027t be all things to all people.Clear positioning makes everything downstream simpler: messaging, campaigns, sales conversations, and hiring all become more coherent.Your biggest competitor isn\u0027t another company, it\u0027s the status quo. Positioning has to overcome \u0022do nothing\u0022 before it addresses any named rival.If you\u0027re struggling to articulate your positioning, the first step isn\u0027t to rewrite your tagline; it\u0027s to go deeper. Let\u0027s talk about making your brand positioning work.  ","summary":"Brand positioning is the process of defining the distinct space your company occupies in customers\u0027 minds. What you stand for, how you\u0027re perceived, and why buyers should choose you over alternatives. It\u0027s not a tagline or a messaging exercise. It\u0027s a strategic commitment to owning a specific, defensible position in your market that shapes every decision the business makes.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-02-14T08:50:01+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5773","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-marketing-campaigns-fail","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Marketing Campaigns Fail \u2013 And How to Fix It","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019re pouring money into your marketing, ticking all the right boxes, but the leads just aren\u2019t coming. The campaigns aren\u2019t landing, and the ROI isn\u2019t there. Why do marketing campaigns fail? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a common problem, and businesses often assume it\u2019s tactical - bad ads, wrong channels, poor placement. But in our experience, most failing marketing campaigns are actually brand problems in disguise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Hidden Reason Most Marketing Campaigns Fail\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen clients come to us frustrated with their marketing, the real issue isn\u2019t their ads or media spend.\u003Cstrong\u003E It\u2019s their brand positioning.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo matter how much they tweak their ads, if their positioning is weak, their messaging is forgettable, and their brand lacks differentiation, their marketing effectiveness will be dead on arrival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESymptoms of a Failing Marketing Campaign\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe hear the same frustrations over and over from business leaders:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The ads get clicks, but leads don\u2019t convert.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Website traffic is up, but sales aren\u2019t.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The sales team struggles to explain what makes us different.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Customers don\u2019t really understand what we do.\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;We spent a fortune on marketing activation, but the results are poor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf any of these sound familiar, your marketing isn\u2019t failing - you have a brand problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy Fixing Tactics Won\u2019t Save You\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA typical reaction to a failing campaign? Tweak the tactics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cMaybe we need a new agency.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cLet\u2019s try LinkedIn ads instead of Google.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe should post more on social media.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in our 21 years at this, we\u2019ve seen that fixing tactics alone doesn\u2019t work if the brand positioning is unclear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake one B2B tech company we worked with. They ran web-based campaigns for months but saw low engagement and poor conversion. The issue? Their messaging was full of jargon and focused on internal priorities, not customer needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce we clarified their positioning and rewrote their messaging, engagement shot up - without increasing ad spend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lesson? If your brand isn\u2019t clear, your marketing campaigns will continue to fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThree Fixes for a Stronger Marketing Strategy\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe companies that turn marketing struggles into success tend to fix these three things first:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Positioning: Be Crystal Clear on What Makes You Different\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany businesses struggle because they haven\u2019t defined their brand properly. The strongest brands don\u2019t try to be everything to everyone - they make deliberate choices about who they are, who they serve, and why they\u2019re different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExample:\u003C\/strong\u003E We\u2019ve worked with B2B businesses that sounded just like their competitors. When we refined their positioning, their marketing finally started working.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Messaging: Say Something That Sticks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf your leadership team says one thing and your marketing team says another, your sales team will be lost - and so will your customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve seen companies write messages for themselves, not their audience. When we help them shift to a customer-first perspective, conversions improve instantly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Consistency: Align Everything Across the Business\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToo often, businesses invest in a new ad campaign but forget to update their website, sales decks, or customer emails. The result? Confusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrong brands align their messaging across every touchpoint, creating a clear, friction-free experience that drives trust and conversions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow to Fix Your Failing Marketing Campaigns\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat we tell our clients:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2705\u003Cstrong\u003E Audit Your Brand Messaging.\u003C\/strong\u003E Ask real customers what they think you do. If their answers are unclear, your messaging needs work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2705\u003Cstrong\u003E Simplify Your Positioning.\u003C\/strong\u003E If you can\u2019t explain why a customer should choose you in one or two sentences, your positioning is too vague.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2705 \u003Cstrong\u003EAlign Internally.\u003C\/strong\u003E Leadership teams often assume their company is aligned - until we run brand workshops and uncover wildly different perspectives. Fixing this brings \u003Cstrong\u003Einstant clarity.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EFinal Takeaway: Fix the Brand, Fix the Marketing\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreat marketing starts with\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ea strong brand. If your positioning and messaging aren\u2019t sharp, no campaign will succeed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve helped many B2B companies fix this exact issue. \u003Ca href=\u0022\/contact\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022dafcd86d-305e-4c80-b55b-93f0eedf8f37\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Contact\u0022\u003EIf this sounds familiar, let\u2019s talk\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFixing positioning isn\u2019t a quick edit. But it\u2019s a finite piece of work, and the results show up across everything. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/brand-strategy-services\u0022\u003ESee how we approach brand strategy.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYou\u2019re pouring money into your marketing, ticking all the right boxes, but the leads just aren\u2019t coming. The campaigns aren\u2019t landing, and the ROI isn\u2019t there. Why do marketing campaigns fail? \nIt\u2019s a common problem, and businesses often assume it\u2019s tactical - bad ads, wrong channels, poor placement. But in our experience, most failing marketing campaigns are actually brand problems in disguise.The Hidden Reason Most Marketing Campaigns FailWhen clients come to us frustrated with their marketing, the real issue isn\u2019t their ads or media spend. It\u2019s their brand positioning.No matter how much they tweak their ads, if their positioning is weak, their messaging is forgettable, and their brand lacks differentiation, their marketing effectiveness will be dead on arrival.Symptoms of a Failing Marketing CampaignWe hear the same frustrations over and over from business leaders:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The ads get clicks, but leads don\u2019t convert.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Website traffic is up, but sales aren\u2019t.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The sales team struggles to explain what makes us different.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Customers don\u2019t really understand what we do.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;We spent a fortune on marketing activation, but the results are poor.If any of these sound familiar, your marketing isn\u2019t failing - you have a brand problem.Why Fixing Tactics Won\u2019t Save YouA typical reaction to a failing campaign? Tweak the tactics.\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cMaybe we need a new agency.\u201d\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cLet\u2019s try LinkedIn ads instead of Google.\u201d\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe should post more on social media.\u201dBut in our 21 years at this, we\u2019ve seen that fixing tactics alone doesn\u2019t work if the brand positioning is unclear.Take one B2B tech company we worked with. They ran web-based campaigns for months but saw low engagement and poor conversion. The issue? Their messaging was full of jargon and focused on internal priorities, not customer needs.Once we clarified their positioning and rewrote their messaging, engagement shot up - without increasing ad spend.The lesson? If your brand isn\u2019t clear, your marketing campaigns will continue to fail.Three Fixes for a Stronger Marketing StrategyThe companies that turn marketing struggles into success tend to fix these three things first:1. Positioning: Be Crystal Clear on What Makes You DifferentMany businesses struggle because they haven\u2019t defined their brand properly. The strongest brands don\u2019t try to be everything to everyone - they make deliberate choices about who they are, who they serve, and why they\u2019re different.Example: We\u2019ve worked with B2B businesses that sounded just like their competitors. When we refined their positioning, their marketing finally started working.2. Messaging: Say Something That SticksIf your leadership team says one thing and your marketing team says another, your sales team will be lost - and so will your customers.We\u2019ve seen companies write messages for themselves, not their audience. When we help them shift to a customer-first perspective, conversions improve instantly.3. Consistency: Align Everything Across the BusinessToo often, businesses invest in a new ad campaign but forget to update their website, sales decks, or customer emails. The result? Confusion.Strong brands align their messaging across every touchpoint, creating a clear, friction-free experience that drives trust and conversions.How to Fix Your Failing Marketing CampaignsWhat we tell our clients:\u2705 Audit Your Brand Messaging. Ask real customers what they think you do. If their answers are unclear, your messaging needs work.\u2705 Simplify Your Positioning. If you can\u2019t explain why a customer should choose you in one or two sentences, your positioning is too vague.\u2705 Align Internally. Leadership teams often assume their company is aligned - until we run brand workshops and uncover wildly different perspectives. Fixing this brings instant clarity.Final Takeaway: Fix the Brand, Fix the MarketingGreat marketing starts with a strong brand. If your positioning and messaging aren\u2019t sharp, no campaign will succeed.We\u2019ve helped many B2B companies fix this exact issue. If this sounds familiar, let\u2019s talk.\u0026nbsp;Fixing positioning isn\u2019t a quick edit. But it\u2019s a finite piece of work, and the results show up across everything. See how we approach brand strategy.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"You\u2019re pouring money into your marketing, ticking all the right boxes, but the leads just aren\u2019t coming. The campaigns aren\u2019t landing, and the ROI isn\u2019t there. Why do marketing campaigns fail?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-02-10T12:16:51+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5772","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-brand-consultants-do","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What Do Brand Consultants Actually Do? ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost businesses don\u0026#039;t realise they need brand consultants until facing a brick wall. Maybe growth has flatlined. Perhaps the leadership team is pulling in different directions. Maybe the market has shifted, leaving your brand feeling like yesterday\u0026#039;s news. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the thing: this isn\u0027t about pretty logos or catchy taglines. Brand consultants dive deep into your business\u0027s DNA, untangle what\u0027s broken, and build a strategy that makes everything click-from positioning to messaging to design. No fluff, no jargon, just clarity that connects.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Real Work of Brand Consultants\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re not here to add complexity\u2014we\u0027re here to cut through it. Here\u0027s what that looks like in practice:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFoundational Clarity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EVision, mission, and values aren\u0027t just corporate wallpaper. They need to be living, breathing guidelines that everyone understands and believes in. We make sure yours means something.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECustomer Focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EToo many companies are stuck in the \u0022we do this\u0022 loop instead of the \u0022here\u0027s why it matters to you\u0022 conversation. We flip that script, putting your customer\u0027s needs at the centre of everything.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Positioning\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EYou can\u0027t win every battle, and you shouldn\u0027t try. We help you choose the right ones, focusing your brand\u0027s energy where it matters most.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBusiness Alignment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA brand strategy should guide everything from your marketing to your morning meetings. We make sure everyone\u0027s rowing in the same direction, turning strategy into daily reality.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreative Execution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis is where strategy meets the real world. We transform strategic insights into powerful creative work that cuts through the noise. Not art for art\u0027s sake, but purposeful design and messaging that captures attention and drives action. Every visual, every headline, every touchpoint is crafted to reinforce your strategic position.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EActivation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EStrategy without action is just a PowerPoint deck gathering digital dust. We turn ideas into reality with clear plans that get implemented.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhen to Bring in Brand Consultants\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou know that nagging feeling something\u0027s off with your brand? Here\u0027s when to trust that instinct:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour leadership team can\u0027t agree on what your brand stands for\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour messaging sounds like everyone else in your industry\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGrowth has hit a plateau, and the usual fixes aren\u0027t working\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYou\u0027ve merged with another company, and now everything feels... awkward\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour new product launch is getting crickets instead of customers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYour team gives blank stares when asked about your brand purpose\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EMaking the Next Move: Your Path to Clarity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the thing about brand clarity\u2014the longer you wait, the more opportunities slip away. Every day your brand message isn\u0027t cutting through the noise is a day your competitors are grabbing market share.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThree Ways to Move Forward:\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQuick Call (30 minutes)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDiagnose your biggest brand challenges. Map out immediate next steps. No pitch, no fluff\u2014just straight talk about where you are and where you need to be.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Strategy Workshop (Half-day)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBring your leadership team together, cut through internal debates and align everyone around a clear brand direction.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFull Brand Transformation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EComprehensive brand strategy development, complete messaging and positioning overhaul with an implementation roadmap that drives real business growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETake Action Now\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe market isn\u0027t waiting. Neither should you.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBook a Call:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.app.google\/piCPBkMeLiw69C248\u0022\u003ESchedule Your Session\u003C\/a\u003E, no such thing as a wasted call.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETake a look at our Framework:\u003C\/strong\u003E Want a bit more detail on how we do things? Take a deeper dive on our \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/strategic-brand-framework\u0022\u003Ebrand consultancy framework\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStart a Conversation:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:hello@goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003EDrop us a line\u003C\/a\u003E and let us know what your challenges are and we can arrange a chat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETransform your brand into your biggest business advantage. Let\u0027s build something clear, compelling, and unmistakably you.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMost businesses don\u0026#039;t realise they need brand consultants until facing a brick wall. Maybe growth has flatlined. Perhaps the leadership team is pulling in different directions. Maybe the market has shifted, leaving your brand feeling like yesterday\u0026#039;s news. \nHere\u0027s the thing: this isn\u0027t about pretty logos or catchy taglines. Brand consultants dive deep into your business\u0027s DNA, untangle what\u0027s broken, and build a strategy that makes everything click-from positioning to messaging to design. No fluff, no jargon, just clarity that connects.\u0026nbsp;The Real Work of Brand ConsultantsWe\u0027re not here to add complexity\u2014we\u0027re here to cut through it. Here\u0027s what that looks like in practice:Foundational ClarityVision, mission, and values aren\u0027t just corporate wallpaper. They need to be living, breathing guidelines that everyone understands and believes in. We make sure yours means something.Customer FocusToo many companies are stuck in the \u0022we do this\u0022 loop instead of the \u0022here\u0027s why it matters to you\u0022 conversation. We flip that script, putting your customer\u0027s needs at the centre of everything.Strategic PositioningYou can\u0027t win every battle, and you shouldn\u0027t try. We help you choose the right ones, focusing your brand\u0027s energy where it matters most.Business AlignmentA brand strategy should guide everything from your marketing to your morning meetings. We make sure everyone\u0027s rowing in the same direction, turning strategy into daily reality.Creative ExecutionThis is where strategy meets the real world. We transform strategic insights into powerful creative work that cuts through the noise. Not art for art\u0027s sake, but purposeful design and messaging that captures attention and drives action. Every visual, every headline, every touchpoint is crafted to reinforce your strategic position.ActivationStrategy without action is just a PowerPoint deck gathering digital dust. We turn ideas into reality with clear plans that get implemented.\u0026nbsp;When to Bring in Brand ConsultantsYou know that nagging feeling something\u0027s off with your brand? Here\u0027s when to trust that instinct:Your leadership team can\u0027t agree on what your brand stands forYour messaging sounds like everyone else in your industryGrowth has hit a plateau, and the usual fixes aren\u0027t workingYou\u0027ve merged with another company, and now everything feels... awkwardYour new product launch is getting crickets instead of customersYour team gives blank stares when asked about your brand purpose\u0026nbsp;Making the Next Move: Your Path to ClarityHere\u0027s the thing about brand clarity\u2014the longer you wait, the more opportunities slip away. Every day your brand message isn\u0027t cutting through the noise is a day your competitors are grabbing market share.\u0026nbsp;Three Ways to Move Forward:Quick Call (30 minutes)Diagnose your biggest brand challenges. Map out immediate next steps. No pitch, no fluff\u2014just straight talk about where you are and where you need to be.Brand Strategy Workshop (Half-day)Bring your leadership team together, cut through internal debates and align everyone around a clear brand direction.Full Brand TransformationComprehensive brand strategy development, complete messaging and positioning overhaul with an implementation roadmap that drives real business growth.\u0026nbsp;Take Action NowThe market isn\u0027t waiting. Neither should you.Book a Call: Schedule Your Session, no such thing as a wasted call.\u0026nbsp;Take a look at our Framework: Want a bit more detail on how we do things? Take a deeper dive on our brand consultancy framework.Start a Conversation: Drop us a line and let us know what your challenges are and we can arrange a chat.Transform your brand into your biggest business advantage. Let\u0027s build something clear, compelling, and unmistakably you.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Most businesses don\u0027t realise they need brand consultants until facing a brick wall. Maybe growth has flatlined. Perhaps the leadership team is pulling in different directions. Maybe the market has shifted, leaving your brand feeling like yesterday\u0027s news.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-02-07T14:54:40+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5771","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/b2b-tech-branding-strategies-for-growth","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why B2B Tech Branding is the Key to Unlocking Growth","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the competitive world of B2B tech, branding is often an afterthought. Companies tend to focus on technical features, leaving their brand foundations weak and messaging fragmented. But without a strong foundation in B2B Tech Branding, even the most innovative technologies struggle to resonate with customers and drive growth. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis blog delves into actionable insights from our report, \u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape\u003C\/strong\u003E, highlighting why B2B Tech Branding is essential for success. If you\u2019re ready to elevate your brand, download the full report for deeper insights and strategies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy B2B Tech Branding is Often Overlooked\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany B2B tech companies prioritize product innovation over brand development. This technical mindset often leads to feature-heavy communication that alienates potential customers. Our report identifies this \u0022inside-out bias,\u0022 where companies focus on what they know rather than what customers value, creating a disconnect. For instance, complex product portfolios with confusing names like \u201cPTS-73\/X\u201d often leave customers seeking simpler solutions. This is more than just a branding challenge\u2014it\u2019s a barrier to growth in B2B Tech Branding.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe High Cost of Ignoring Brand Foundations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrong B2B Tech Branding goes beyond logos and colours. It starts with defining your vision, mission, and values\u2014the guiding principles that shape your company\u2019s decisions. Without these, brands risk appearing generic and uninspired. Distinctive and actionable values not only strengthen internal culture but also create a unified and compelling message for external audiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHow B2B Tech Branding Drives Growth\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ESimplifying Product Portfolios\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany B2B tech companies struggle with bloated and overlapping product portfolios. Consolidating sub-brands into a unified structure reduces marketing costs and improves customer clarity. For example, we helped a client integrate 15 businesses under one corporate brand, simplifying their offerings and enhancing customer experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETelling Better Stories\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a technical industry, compelling storytelling sets brands apart. By connecting technology to real-world benefits, brands can engage customers on an emotional level. Our work with Stratasys turned complex technical details into relatable success stories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EEnhancing M\u0026amp;A Success\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe B2B tech sector sees significant merger and acquisition activity, yet many companies fail to integrate new brands effectively. A strong corporate brand strategy ensures smoother transitions and maximizes acquisition value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ECreativity: The Underrated Driver in B2B Tech Branding\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B tech advertising has long been plagued by uninspired creative work. Research shows 77% of B2B ads score poorly in effectiveness. However, brands like Salesforce demonstrate that investing in high-quality creative\u2014beyond clich\u00e9d visuals and buzzwords\u2014can drive exponential growth.\u003Cbr\u003ECreativity isn\u2019t fluff\u2014it\u2019s a strategic lever that differentiates your brand in a crowded marketplace and amplifies the impact of your B2B Tech Branding efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EDownload the Full Report\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReady to take your B2B Tech Branding to the next level? Our report, Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape, offers actionable insights and real-world examples to help you strengthen your brand and drive growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022\/downloads\/Good_Brand_Consultants_Brand_Dynamics_in_B2B_Tech.pdf\u0022 title=\u0022Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape\u0022\u003EDownload Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B Tech Branding isn\u2019t optional\u2014it\u2019s essential. By embedding branding into your core strategy, you can connect with customers, stand out from competitors, and achieve sustained success.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn the competitive world of B2B tech, branding is often an afterthought. Companies tend to focus on technical features, leaving their brand foundations weak and messaging fragmented. But without a strong foundation in B2B Tech Branding, even the most innovative technologies struggle to resonate with customers and drive growth. \nThis blog delves into actionable insights from our report, Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape, highlighting why B2B Tech Branding is essential for success. If you\u2019re ready to elevate your brand, download the full report for deeper insights and strategies.Why B2B Tech Branding is Often OverlookedMany B2B tech companies prioritize product innovation over brand development. This technical mindset often leads to feature-heavy communication that alienates potential customers. Our report identifies this \u0022inside-out bias,\u0022 where companies focus on what they know rather than what customers value, creating a disconnect. For instance, complex product portfolios with confusing names like \u201cPTS-73\/X\u201d often leave customers seeking simpler solutions. This is more than just a branding challenge\u2014it\u2019s a barrier to growth in B2B Tech Branding.The High Cost of Ignoring Brand FoundationsStrong B2B Tech Branding goes beyond logos and colours. It starts with defining your vision, mission, and values\u2014the guiding principles that shape your company\u2019s decisions. Without these, brands risk appearing generic and uninspired. Distinctive and actionable values not only strengthen internal culture but also create a unified and compelling message for external audiences.How B2B Tech Branding Drives GrowthSimplifying Product PortfoliosMany B2B tech companies struggle with bloated and overlapping product portfolios. Consolidating sub-brands into a unified structure reduces marketing costs and improves customer clarity. For example, we helped a client integrate 15 businesses under one corporate brand, simplifying their offerings and enhancing customer experience.Telling Better StoriesIn a technical industry, compelling storytelling sets brands apart. By connecting technology to real-world benefits, brands can engage customers on an emotional level. Our work with Stratasys turned complex technical details into relatable success stories.Enhancing M\u0026amp;A SuccessThe B2B tech sector sees significant merger and acquisition activity, yet many companies fail to integrate new brands effectively. A strong corporate brand strategy ensures smoother transitions and maximizes acquisition value.Creativity: The Underrated Driver in B2B Tech BrandingB2B tech advertising has long been plagued by uninspired creative work. Research shows 77% of B2B ads score poorly in effectiveness. However, brands like Salesforce demonstrate that investing in high-quality creative\u2014beyond clich\u00e9d visuals and buzzwords\u2014can drive exponential growth.Creativity isn\u2019t fluff\u2014it\u2019s a strategic lever that differentiates your brand in a crowded marketplace and amplifies the impact of your B2B Tech Branding efforts.Download the Full ReportReady to take your B2B Tech Branding to the next level? Our report, Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current Landscape, offers actionable insights and real-world examples to help you strengthen your brand and drive growth.Download Brand Dynamics in B2B Tech: The Current LandscapeB2B Tech Branding isn\u2019t optional\u2014it\u2019s essential. By embedding branding into your core strategy, you can connect with customers, stand out from competitors, and achieve sustained success.  ","summary":"In the competitive world of B2B tech, branding is often an afterthought. Companies tend to focus on technical features, leaving their brand foundations weak and messaging fragmented. But without a strong foundation in B2B Tech Branding, even the most innovative technologies struggle to resonate with customers and drive growth.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-01-31T15:00:07+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5768","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/outcomes-branding-beyond-roi","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Outcomes of Branding: Beyond ROI","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn our 20 years of working with B2B brands, we\u2019ve learned a simple truth: branding\u2019s impact is rarely immediate, linear, or easily captured in a spreadsheet.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, branding can and does drive business growth, but the value it creates often lies beyond the hard metric of ROI. And yet, the credibility conversation around branding often defaults to ROI as the sole measure of proof\u2014a mistake that overlooks the full scope of what a brand can do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve seen firsthand how a well-defined and evolved brand transforms organisations, creating outcomes that go far beyond financial metrics. These outcomes are distributed across the business, affecting everything from culture and internal alignment to market credibility and long-term growth. Here, we unpack what those outcomes are and why they\u2019re just as valuable\u2014if not more so\u2014than ROI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Outcomes That Matter\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E1. Brand as a North Star\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA strong brand does more than communicate your value externally; it acts as a guiding force internally. It aligns leadership decisions with the company\u2019s mission and values, ensuring consistency in strategy and execution. This clarity fosters better decision-making, smarter investments, and a sense of shared direction across the organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA brand also provides resilience during times of change. Whether it\u2019s internal restructuring or external disruption, the brand becomes an anchor\u2014a steadying force that maintains continuity and confidence when the stakes are high.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E2. Easier Sales and Stronger Partnerships\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a well-defined and well-positioned brand, sales teams can articulate value with confidence, making it easier to close deals and remove friction in the sales cycle. Customers understand what\u2019s being offered and what the value is to them. But the impact doesn\u2019t stop there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA strong brand builds trust with potential partners. Whether it\u2019s distributors, suppliers, or collaborators, a clear brand identity simplifies relationship-building and sets the stage for more productive and mutually beneficial partnerships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E3. Streamlined Marketing\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimplification is a hallmark of effective branding. In our two decades of B2B branding, we\u2019ve always aimed to make things simpler\u2014not more complicated. Whether it\u2019s consolidating sub-brands, reducing the number of websites, or clarifying product architectures, the goal is always to focus efforts and eliminate waste.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach doesn\u2019t just save time and money; it sharpens marketing efforts, ensuring that every message reinforces the brand and amplifies its impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E4. Rebooted Culture\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA refreshed brand doesn\u2019t just look better on paper\u2014it creates tangible cultural shifts. It reignites energy, inspires teams, and reminds employees of their shared purpose. When employees believe in the brand, collaboration improves, morale rises, and decision-making accelerates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t just a \u201cnice to have.\u201d It\u2019s the foundation for stronger internal alignment, making organisations more resilient, adaptive, and focused.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E5. Vibes (But More Than a Feeling)\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes the most profound effects of branding are the hardest to measure. A refreshed brand creates a renewed sense of momentum, optimism, and pride. It\u2019s a shift you can feel\u2014internally and externally. Employees feel connected, customers feel confident, and partners feel invested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis momentum might be intangible, but it\u2019s transformative. Over time, it reshapes how an organisation is perceived and energizes its relationships at every level.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E6. Improved Internal Communications\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cohesive brand simplifies how organisations communicate internally. It provides a shared language and structure that align teams, reduce confusion, and speed up decision-making. When everyone is working from the same playbook, collaboration improves, and silos start to break down.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact extends to talent retention, too. Employees who feel connected to a brand\u2019s purpose are more likely to stay engaged and invested, helping reduce turnover and strengthen the organisation from within.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E7. Attracting the Right People\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStrong branding doesn\u2019t just retain employees\u2014it attracts the right ones. A clearly defined brand creates an outward-facing appeal that draws in talent aligned with your values and vision. This is more than recruitment; it\u2019s about building a team that\u2019s invested in your mission from the start.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, this alignment leads to a workforce that\u2019s engaged, capable, and ready to drive the brand forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy ROI Isn\u2019t the Only Metric\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn over two decades of experience, we\u2019ve rarely seen branding deliver an immediate ROI unless it\u2019s tied to something narrowly focused, like a packaging refresh or campaign tweak. That\u2019s not a failure of branding; it\u2019s the nature of the work. The effects of branding compound over time, delivering long-term value when the investment is disciplined and consistent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy reframing the conversation around branding to include these alternative outcomes, we can better appreciate its true power: transforming organisations from the inside out, creating value that lasts.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn our 20 years of working with B2B brands, we\u2019ve learned a simple truth: branding\u2019s impact is rarely immediate, linear, or easily captured in a spreadsheet.  \nYes, branding can and does drive business growth, but the value it creates often lies beyond the hard metric of ROI. And yet, the credibility conversation around branding often defaults to ROI as the sole measure of proof\u2014a mistake that overlooks the full scope of what a brand can do.We\u2019ve seen firsthand how a well-defined and evolved brand transforms organisations, creating outcomes that go far beyond financial metrics. These outcomes are distributed across the business, affecting everything from culture and internal alignment to market credibility and long-term growth. Here, we unpack what those outcomes are and why they\u2019re just as valuable\u2014if not more so\u2014than ROI.The Outcomes That Matter1. Brand as a North StarA strong brand does more than communicate your value externally; it acts as a guiding force internally. It aligns leadership decisions with the company\u2019s mission and values, ensuring consistency in strategy and execution. This clarity fosters better decision-making, smarter investments, and a sense of shared direction across the organisation.A brand also provides resilience during times of change. Whether it\u2019s internal restructuring or external disruption, the brand becomes an anchor\u2014a steadying force that maintains continuity and confidence when the stakes are high.2. Easier Sales and Stronger PartnershipsWith a well-defined and well-positioned brand, sales teams can articulate value with confidence, making it easier to close deals and remove friction in the sales cycle. Customers understand what\u2019s being offered and what the value is to them. But the impact doesn\u2019t stop there.A strong brand builds trust with potential partners. Whether it\u2019s distributors, suppliers, or collaborators, a clear brand identity simplifies relationship-building and sets the stage for more productive and mutually beneficial partnerships.3. Streamlined MarketingSimplification is a hallmark of effective branding. In our two decades of B2B branding, we\u2019ve always aimed to make things simpler\u2014not more complicated. Whether it\u2019s consolidating sub-brands, reducing the number of websites, or clarifying product architectures, the goal is always to focus efforts and eliminate waste.This approach doesn\u2019t just save time and money; it sharpens marketing efforts, ensuring that every message reinforces the brand and amplifies its impact.4. Rebooted CultureA refreshed brand doesn\u2019t just look better on paper\u2014it creates tangible cultural shifts. It reignites energy, inspires teams, and reminds employees of their shared purpose. When employees believe in the brand, collaboration improves, morale rises, and decision-making accelerates.This isn\u2019t just a \u201cnice to have.\u201d It\u2019s the foundation for stronger internal alignment, making organisations more resilient, adaptive, and focused.5. Vibes (But More Than a Feeling)Sometimes the most profound effects of branding are the hardest to measure. A refreshed brand creates a renewed sense of momentum, optimism, and pride. It\u2019s a shift you can feel\u2014internally and externally. Employees feel connected, customers feel confident, and partners feel invested.This momentum might be intangible, but it\u2019s transformative. Over time, it reshapes how an organisation is perceived and energizes its relationships at every level.6. Improved Internal CommunicationsA cohesive brand simplifies how organisations communicate internally. It provides a shared language and structure that align teams, reduce confusion, and speed up decision-making. When everyone is working from the same playbook, collaboration improves, and silos start to break down.The impact extends to talent retention, too. Employees who feel connected to a brand\u2019s purpose are more likely to stay engaged and invested, helping reduce turnover and strengthen the organisation from within.7. Attracting the Right PeopleStrong branding doesn\u2019t just retain employees\u2014it attracts the right ones. A clearly defined brand creates an outward-facing appeal that draws in talent aligned with your values and vision. This is more than recruitment; it\u2019s about building a team that\u2019s invested in your mission from the start.Over time, this alignment leads to a workforce that\u2019s engaged, capable, and ready to drive the brand forward.Why ROI Isn\u2019t the Only MetricIn over two decades of experience, we\u2019ve rarely seen branding deliver an immediate ROI unless it\u2019s tied to something narrowly focused, like a packaging refresh or campaign tweak. That\u2019s not a failure of branding; it\u2019s the nature of the work. The effects of branding compound over time, delivering long-term value when the investment is disciplined and consistent.By reframing the conversation around branding to include these alternative outcomes, we can better appreciate its true power: transforming organisations from the inside out, creating value that lasts.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"In our 20 years of working with B2B brands, we\u2019ve learned a simple truth: branding\u2019s impact is rarely immediate, linear, or easily captured in a spreadsheet. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2025-01-21T09:59:24+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5759","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/emotion-b2b-buying","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Emotion in B2B Buying","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEmotion is a word that\u2019s thrown around a lot in branding, often associated with happiness, joy, or love. In B2C, it\u2019s easy to see why. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lot of consumer branding is about rewarding the buyer with those emotions\u2014whether it\u2019s the momentary joy of a chocolate bar or the satisfaction of perfectly crispy oven chips. These emotions are tied to small, everyday decisions that don\u2019t carry much weight. Buy the wrong chocolate, and you\u2019ve lost a pound and maybe some goodwill with your taste buds. But in B2B, the emotional landscape couldn\u2019t be more different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere, branding isn\u2019t about joy or delight. It\u2019s about reassurance. While B2C brands reward the consumer, B2B brands must calm the buyer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Emotional Weight of B2B Decisions\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B purchases are complex. They\u2019re expensive, high-stakes decisions made by groups of people, not individuals. On average, 4.5 stakeholders are involved in a single B2B purchase*. Each of them has their own fears, hesitations, and objectives\u2014and every one of them is trying to avoid being the person who screws up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis fear\u2014the fear of failure\u2014dominates B2B buying decisions. It\u2019s why the sales process takes so long, why so many companies fall back on \u201csafe\u201d choices like IBM or McKinsey, and why, according to Matt Dixon in The Jolt Effect, between 40% and 60% of B2B purchase journeys end in no sale at all. When consensus can\u2019t be reached among stakeholders, fear takes over. Sticking with the status quo feels easier, safer, and less risky than making a bold choice that could backfire. Fear, anxiety, and hesitation aren\u2019t just obstacles in the process\u2014they\u2019re the emotional undercurrents that shape how brands need to communicate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u2019s the nuance: fear isn\u2019t the only emotion at play. While buyers want to avoid disaster, they\u2019re also looking for something more positive. Relief. Confidence. Trust. And maybe, deep down, the quiet satisfaction of making a smart, transformative decision. The tension between these negative and positive emotions is what makes B2B branding so challenging\u2014and so powerful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat This Means for B2B Branding\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf fear is at the forefront, what does this mean for branding? Traditionally, B2B communication focuses on mitigating fear through trust and competency. Case studies, credentials, and technical detail dominate. The message is clear: We\u2019ve done this before. You\u2019re in safe hands. This is why so many B2B brands sound the same\u2014solid, dependable, but ultimately forgettable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while this approach makes sense, it\u2019s not enough. Brands that focus solely on reassurance risk becoming formulaic, verbose, and boring. They tend to take things to extremes, with comms so packed full of technical \u2018showoffery\u2019 the average reader is lost. So, they miss an opportunity to connect on a deeper, more emotional level by acknowledging the buyer\u2019s real thoughts and feelings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA Braver Approach: Embracing Fear\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat if instead of just reassuring buyers, brands leaned into their fears? What if they addressed the doubts and hesitations openly, with confidence and a touch of humour? For example:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe know what you\u2019re thinking. We\u2019re not big enough to handle your business. But here\u2019s the thing: our size means you get personalised service from senior experts who own the business. You won\u2019t be farmed out to the juniors. You\u2019ll get the best because we\u2019re small enough to care.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of honesty is arresting. It reframes potential negatives as positives and shows buyers that the brand truly understands their emotions. It also signals confidence\u2014the kind of confidence that makes people sit up and pay attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Nuance of Positive Emotions\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile fear dominates the early stages of the buying process, it\u2019s not the whole story. B2B buyers also want to feel confident, competent, and relieved by their decision. They want to trust that they\u2019re making the right choice\u2014not just for the organisation but for their own reputation. A great B2B brand knows how to guide buyers through this journey, turning fear into relief and hesitation into confidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake the IBM example. Yes, their brand is safe. But it\u2019s also aspirational. Choosing IBM isn\u2019t just about avoiding risk\u2014it\u2019s about aligning with a brand that feels powerful, innovative, and world-class. This duality is where the magic happens: balancing reassurance with aspiration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhy This Matters\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B branding is often treated as rational, logical, and dry. But people don\u2019t stop being human just because they\u2019re at work. Fear, trust, relief, and even pride all play a role in B2B decisions. Brands that acknowledge these emotions and find ways to speak to both the negative and positive will stand out in a sea of sameness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy being brave, honest, and self-aware, brands can create deeper connections with buyers. They can turn fear into trust and hesitation into confidence\u2014and do so without sacrificing the professionalism and credibility that B2B buyers demand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what\u2019s the takeaway? Understanding your customers\u2019 emotions isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have. It\u2019s the foundation of effective B2B branding. And the brands that get it right are the ones buyers will remember\u2014and choose\u2014when it matters most.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting the emotional register right in B2B is a positioning question before it\u2019s a creative one. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/b2b-branding-agency\u0022\u003EHere\u2019s how we work with B2B businesses on it.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*From The Challenger Customer: Selling to the hidden influencer who can multiply your results. By Adamson, Dixon, Spenner and Toman.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nEmotion is a word that\u2019s thrown around a lot in branding, often associated with happiness, joy, or love. In B2C, it\u2019s easy to see why. \nA lot of consumer branding is about rewarding the buyer with those emotions\u2014whether it\u2019s the momentary joy of a chocolate bar or the satisfaction of perfectly crispy oven chips. These emotions are tied to small, everyday decisions that don\u2019t carry much weight. Buy the wrong chocolate, and you\u2019ve lost a pound and maybe some goodwill with your taste buds. But in B2B, the emotional landscape couldn\u2019t be more different.Here, branding isn\u2019t about joy or delight. It\u2019s about reassurance. While B2C brands reward the consumer, B2B brands must calm the buyer.The Emotional Weight of B2B DecisionsB2B purchases are complex. They\u2019re expensive, high-stakes decisions made by groups of people, not individuals. On average, 4.5 stakeholders are involved in a single B2B purchase*. Each of them has their own fears, hesitations, and objectives\u2014and every one of them is trying to avoid being the person who screws up.This fear\u2014the fear of failure\u2014dominates B2B buying decisions. It\u2019s why the sales process takes so long, why so many companies fall back on \u201csafe\u201d choices like IBM or McKinsey, and why, according to Matt Dixon in The Jolt Effect, between 40% and 60% of B2B purchase journeys end in no sale at all. When consensus can\u2019t be reached among stakeholders, fear takes over. Sticking with the status quo feels easier, safer, and less risky than making a bold choice that could backfire. Fear, anxiety, and hesitation aren\u2019t just obstacles in the process\u2014they\u2019re the emotional undercurrents that shape how brands need to communicate.But here\u2019s the nuance: fear isn\u2019t the only emotion at play. While buyers want to avoid disaster, they\u2019re also looking for something more positive. Relief. Confidence. Trust. And maybe, deep down, the quiet satisfaction of making a smart, transformative decision. The tension between these negative and positive emotions is what makes B2B branding so challenging\u2014and so powerful.What This Means for B2B BrandingIf fear is at the forefront, what does this mean for branding? Traditionally, B2B communication focuses on mitigating fear through trust and competency. Case studies, credentials, and technical detail dominate. The message is clear: We\u2019ve done this before. You\u2019re in safe hands. This is why so many B2B brands sound the same\u2014solid, dependable, but ultimately forgettable.And while this approach makes sense, it\u2019s not enough. Brands that focus solely on reassurance risk becoming formulaic, verbose, and boring. They tend to take things to extremes, with comms so packed full of technical \u2018showoffery\u2019 the average reader is lost. So, they miss an opportunity to connect on a deeper, more emotional level by acknowledging the buyer\u2019s real thoughts and feelings.A Braver Approach: Embracing FearWhat if instead of just reassuring buyers, brands leaned into their fears? What if they addressed the doubts and hesitations openly, with confidence and a touch of humour? For example:\u201cWe know what you\u2019re thinking. We\u2019re not big enough to handle your business. But here\u2019s the thing: our size means you get personalised service from senior experts who own the business. You won\u2019t be farmed out to the juniors. You\u2019ll get the best because we\u2019re small enough to care.\u201dThis kind of honesty is arresting. It reframes potential negatives as positives and shows buyers that the brand truly understands their emotions. It also signals confidence\u2014the kind of confidence that makes people sit up and pay attention.The Nuance of Positive EmotionsWhile fear dominates the early stages of the buying process, it\u2019s not the whole story. B2B buyers also want to feel confident, competent, and relieved by their decision. They want to trust that they\u2019re making the right choice\u2014not just for the organisation but for their own reputation. A great B2B brand knows how to guide buyers through this journey, turning fear into relief and hesitation into confidence.Take the IBM example. Yes, their brand is safe. But it\u2019s also aspirational. Choosing IBM isn\u2019t just about avoiding risk\u2014it\u2019s about aligning with a brand that feels powerful, innovative, and world-class. This duality is where the magic happens: balancing reassurance with aspiration.Why This MattersB2B branding is often treated as rational, logical, and dry. But people don\u2019t stop being human just because they\u2019re at work. Fear, trust, relief, and even pride all play a role in B2B decisions. Brands that acknowledge these emotions and find ways to speak to both the negative and positive will stand out in a sea of sameness.By being brave, honest, and self-aware, brands can create deeper connections with buyers. They can turn fear into trust and hesitation into confidence\u2014and do so without sacrificing the professionalism and credibility that B2B buyers demand.So, what\u2019s the takeaway? Understanding your customers\u2019 emotions isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have. It\u2019s the foundation of effective B2B branding. And the brands that get it right are the ones buyers will remember\u2014and choose\u2014when it matters most.Getting the emotional register right in B2B is a positioning question before it\u2019s a creative one. Here\u2019s how we work with B2B businesses on it.*From The Challenger Customer: Selling to the hidden influencer who can multiply your results. By Adamson, Dixon, Spenner and Toman.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Emotion is a word that\u2019s thrown around a lot in branding, often associated with happiness, joy, or love. In B2C, it\u2019s easy to see why.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-12-11T09:29:25+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5758","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/beyond-buzzwords-when-ai-meets-brand-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Beyond the Buzzwords: When AI Meets Brand Strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Good Brand Consultants team as they tackle the challenging intersection of AI and brand positioning. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe episode dives into why companies rush to label their products as \u0022AI-powered\u0022 and examines more effective ways to communicate technological innovation to customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough practical examples and industry insights, we explore how brands can move beyond superficial tech trends to deliver real customer value. They share experiences from their consulting work, discuss the evolution from Web 2.0 to AI, and highlight successful approaches like Notion\u0027s \u0022talk to your notes\u0022 that effectively communicate complex technology\u0027s benefits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the Good Brand Podcast series, this episode offers essential insights for marketers, brand strategists, and business leaders navigating the AI landscape. Featuring Julie Murdoch and Chris Lumsden alongside Stewart Steel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/ai-branding-moving-beyond-buzz\u0022\u003ETake a look at our original AI article.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/6d9c27aa\/e4d7f58a.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nJoin the Good Brand Consultants team as they tackle the challenging intersection of AI and brand positioning. \nThe episode dives into why companies rush to label their products as \u0022AI-powered\u0022 and examines more effective ways to communicate technological innovation to customers.Through practical examples and industry insights, we explore how brands can move beyond superficial tech trends to deliver real customer value. They share experiences from their consulting work, discuss the evolution from Web 2.0 to AI, and highlight successful approaches like Notion\u0027s \u0022talk to your notes\u0022 that effectively communicate complex technology\u0027s benefits.Part of the Good Brand Podcast series, this episode offers essential insights for marketers, brand strategists, and business leaders navigating the AI landscape. Featuring Julie Murdoch and Chris Lumsden alongside Stewart Steel.Take a look at our original AI article.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Join the Good Brand Consultants team as they tackle the challenging intersection of AI and brand positioning.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-12-03T08:36:10+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5757","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-bike-shedding-why-avoiding-big-brand-questions-costs-you-more","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Bike Shedding: Why Avoiding the Big Brand Questions Costs You More","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBranding often mirrors a curious behavioural quirk in decision-making: Bike Shedding. It\u0026#039;s a term coined by British historian and writer Cyril Northcote Parkinson in his 1957 essay on organisational inefficiency. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe term refers to the tendency of groups to spend disproportionate amounts of time on trivial, low-stakes decisions while neglecting more significant, complex problems. Parkinson illustrated this with a fictional committee tasked with approving a nuclear power plant. Instead of focusing on the intricate and vital aspects of nuclear engineering\u2014where their expertise was limited\u2014they obsess over trivial details, like the colour of the plant\u2019s staff bike shed. Why? Because everyone feels qualified to have an opinion on the bike shed, and discussing it feels safer and more manageable than grappling with the weighty technicalities of nuclear power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis phenomenon stems from two psychological tendencies:\u003Cbr\u003E1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003Cstrong\u003EAvoidance of complexity:\u003C\/strong\u003E We shy away from decisions that feel overwhelming or out of our depth.\u003Cbr\u003E2.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003Cstrong\u003EThe illusion of productivity:\u003C\/strong\u003E Debating something simple gives the appearance of progress without requiring the discomfort of tackling harder issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBike Shedding in Branding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn branding, this behaviour shows up all the time. Teams fixate on surface-level elements, pouring time and money into things that feel tangible and safe, while avoiding the deeper work that could truly transform their brand. Common examples include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Tweaking the logo\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Refreshing brand guidelines\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Launching a flashy new campaign\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Rolling out a redesigned website\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Revamping the employer brand\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Building out a new social media campaign\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014these deliverables have their place. But if the brand lacks clear, strong foundations\u2014what it stands for, why it matters, and how it\u2019s different\u2014then these activities won\u2019t fix the underlying problem. In fact, they often amplify it. A polished website or slick campaign can\u2019t compensate for a brand that\u2019s confused, misaligned, or lacking purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Do We Avoid the Hard Stuff?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tendency to focus on the easy wins is understandable. Redesigning a logo or rolling out a new campaign feels like progress. It makes you look busy and gives a sense of accomplishment. But the bigger issues\u2014the ones that really matter\u2014are harder.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDefining your brand\u2019s foundations requires asking tough questions. It demands clarity on what your business stands for, who it\u2019s for, and what sets it apart. This process brings friction. It invites disagreements, competing perspectives, and even internal resistance. But it\u2019s also the work that creates real impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we work with clients, we often ask: What\u2019s your appetite for change? Are you ready to lean into the discomfort of addressing the foundational issues, or is it easier to settle for the quick fix?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Cost of Avoidance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes, focusing on the quick fix is fine \u2013 and I totally get it. Deadlines loom, targets must be hit, and a shiny new campaign feels like the path of least resistance. But this approach has a shelf life. If you keep avoiding the foundational work, cracks will grow wider, and those surface-level improvements will deliver diminishing returns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWeak foundations lead to fragmented messaging, confused customers, and a brand that struggles to resonate. On the other hand, brands that commit to tackling the hard questions and building a strong foundation are better positioned for long-term success. They attract loyal customers, align teams, and drive sustainable growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStop Bike Shedding. Start Building.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re spending more time debating the metaphorical bike shed\u2014logo tweaks, guidelines, or campaigns\u2014it might be time to step back and ask: What are we avoiding? Are you addressing the real challenges facing your brand, or are you just painting over cracks?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tough questions, the strategic alignment, and the focus on what really matters will pay off. It will create a brand that not only looks good but works hard for your business. So, give up on the shed. Start thinking about the foundations.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBranding often mirrors a curious behavioural quirk in decision-making: Bike Shedding. It\u0026#039;s a term coined by British historian and writer Cyril Northcote Parkinson in his 1957 essay on organisational inefficiency. \nThe term refers to the tendency of groups to spend disproportionate amounts of time on trivial, low-stakes decisions while neglecting more significant, complex problems. Parkinson illustrated this with a fictional committee tasked with approving a nuclear power plant. Instead of focusing on the intricate and vital aspects of nuclear engineering\u2014where their expertise was limited\u2014they obsess over trivial details, like the colour of the plant\u2019s staff bike shed. Why? Because everyone feels qualified to have an opinion on the bike shed, and discussing it feels safer and more manageable than grappling with the weighty technicalities of nuclear power.\u0026nbsp;This phenomenon stems from two psychological tendencies:1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Avoidance of complexity: We shy away from decisions that feel overwhelming or out of our depth.2.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The illusion of productivity: Debating something simple gives the appearance of progress without requiring the discomfort of tackling harder issues.\u0026nbsp;Bike Shedding in BrandingIn branding, this behaviour shows up all the time. Teams fixate on surface-level elements, pouring time and money into things that feel tangible and safe, while avoiding the deeper work that could truly transform their brand. Common examples include:\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Tweaking the logo\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Refreshing brand guidelines\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Launching a flashy new campaign\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Rolling out a redesigned website\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Revamping the employer brand\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Building out a new social media campaignNow, don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014these deliverables have their place. But if the brand lacks clear, strong foundations\u2014what it stands for, why it matters, and how it\u2019s different\u2014then these activities won\u2019t fix the underlying problem. In fact, they often amplify it. A polished website or slick campaign can\u2019t compensate for a brand that\u2019s confused, misaligned, or lacking purpose.\u0026nbsp;Why Do We Avoid the Hard Stuff?The tendency to focus on the easy wins is understandable. Redesigning a logo or rolling out a new campaign feels like progress. It makes you look busy and gives a sense of accomplishment. But the bigger issues\u2014the ones that really matter\u2014are harder.Defining your brand\u2019s foundations requires asking tough questions. It demands clarity on what your business stands for, who it\u2019s for, and what sets it apart. This process brings friction. It invites disagreements, competing perspectives, and even internal resistance. But it\u2019s also the work that creates real impact.When we work with clients, we often ask: What\u2019s your appetite for change? Are you ready to lean into the discomfort of addressing the foundational issues, or is it easier to settle for the quick fix?\u0026nbsp;The Cost of AvoidanceSometimes, focusing on the quick fix is fine \u2013 and I totally get it. Deadlines loom, targets must be hit, and a shiny new campaign feels like the path of least resistance. But this approach has a shelf life. If you keep avoiding the foundational work, cracks will grow wider, and those surface-level improvements will deliver diminishing returns.Weak foundations lead to fragmented messaging, confused customers, and a brand that struggles to resonate. On the other hand, brands that commit to tackling the hard questions and building a strong foundation are better positioned for long-term success. They attract loyal customers, align teams, and drive sustainable growth.\u0026nbsp;Stop Bike Shedding. Start Building.If you\u2019re spending more time debating the metaphorical bike shed\u2014logo tweaks, guidelines, or campaigns\u2014it might be time to step back and ask: What are we avoiding? Are you addressing the real challenges facing your brand, or are you just painting over cracks?The tough questions, the strategic alignment, and the focus on what really matters will pay off. It will create a brand that not only looks good but works hard for your business. So, give up on the shed. Start thinking about the foundations.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Branding often mirrors a curious behavioural quirk in decision-making: Bike Shedding. It\u0027s a term coined by British historian and writer Cyril Northcote Parkinson in his 1957 essay on organisational inefficiency.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-11-26T11:21:58+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5756","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/ai-branding-moving-beyond-buzz","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"AI in Branding: Moving Beyond the Buzz","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAI is everywhere. From marketing to product design, brands are rushing to slap \u201cAI-powered\u201d on their offerings, hoping to ride the wave of technological intrigue. But here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s not enough to say your product uses AI. Customers aren\u2019t dazzled by buzzwords; they\u2019re looking for something far more fundamental\u2014clear, tangible value. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToo many brands are missing the mark in the push to stay relevant. And it\u2019s no surprise. The hype around AI is loud, complex, and often intimidating, even for the people selling it. But for brands to lead in this space, they need to take a step back. They need to stop shouting \u201cAI!\u201d and start answering a simple question: \u003Cem\u003EHow does this help my customers?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s look at Notion, Notion, the all-in-one workspace known for its seamless integration of note-taking, project management, and collaboration. They didn\u2019t slap an \u201cAI-powered\u201d label across their product and call it a day. Instead, they told users something simple: \u003Cem\u003E\u201cTalk to your notes.\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s the value proposition in a nutshell. It\u2019s not about the flashy tech but what the technology enables. Notion makes a daunting concept like AI feel approachable, even obvious. They\u2019ve quietly taken something cutting-edge and made it a natural extension of how we already work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is where brands need to aim: making AI feel less like a novelty and more like a necessity, not by over-explaining or over-hyping but by showing customers how it fits into their world and makes it better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe brands that thrive in this new AI landscape will be the ones that resist the temptation to overcomplicate or overpromise. Instead, they\u2019ll focus on the fundamentals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003ETrust.\u003C\/strong\u003E Don\u2019t over-inflate what AI can do. Show customers the real value, not some sci-fi fantasy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003EClarity.\u003C\/strong\u003E Avoid the jargon. Speak in terms your customers understand, connecting AI\u2019s capabilities to their needs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 \u003Cstrong\u003ERelevance.\u003C\/strong\u003E Make it about your customer. If your AI solves a problem or makes life easier, that\u2019s what your message should highlight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing AI as a badge of innovation is tempting\u2014something to attract headlines or investors. But buzz fades fast, especially when not backed up by substance. What lasts is the trust and connection you build by keeping things grounded in what matters most to your customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs AI becomes an expected part of our digital lives, the novelty of \u201cAI-powered\u201d will wear off. Soon, customers won\u2019t care \u003Cem\u003Ethat\u003C\/em\u003E you use AI; they\u2019ll care \u003Cem\u003Ehow\u003C\/em\u003E it makes their experience better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis shift will challenge brands to lead with purpose and deliver value in ways that feel human, not robotic. The focus needs to be on the outcome, not the technology. AI should fade into the background, quietly powering experiences that feel intuitive and natural.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor brands willing to think critically about their messaging, the opportunity is enormous. AI is no longer a differentiator on its own\u2014it\u2019s a tool. And like any tool, its value lies in how you use it to solve real problems for real people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, instead of asking, \u003Cem\u003EHow can we sell AI?\u003C\/em\u003E the question should be, \u003Cem\u003EHow can we help our customers in ways that happen to use AI?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a subtle shift but an important one. Because, at the end of the day, it\u2019s not about the technology you use. It\u2019s about the difference you make.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nAI is everywhere. From marketing to product design, brands are rushing to slap \u201cAI-powered\u201d on their offerings, hoping to ride the wave of technological intrigue. But here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s not enough to say your product uses AI. Customers aren\u2019t dazzled by buzzwords; they\u2019re looking for something far more fundamental\u2014clear, tangible value. \nToo many brands are missing the mark in the push to stay relevant. And it\u2019s no surprise. The hype around AI is loud, complex, and often intimidating, even for the people selling it. But for brands to lead in this space, they need to take a step back. They need to stop shouting \u201cAI!\u201d and start answering a simple question: How does this help my customers?Let\u2019s look at Notion, Notion, the all-in-one workspace known for its seamless integration of note-taking, project management, and collaboration. They didn\u2019t slap an \u201cAI-powered\u201d label across their product and call it a day. Instead, they told users something simple: \u201cTalk to your notes.\u201dThat\u2019s the value proposition in a nutshell. It\u2019s not about the flashy tech but what the technology enables. Notion makes a daunting concept like AI feel approachable, even obvious. They\u2019ve quietly taken something cutting-edge and made it a natural extension of how we already work.This is where brands need to aim: making AI feel less like a novelty and more like a necessity, not by over-explaining or over-hyping but by showing customers how it fits into their world and makes it better.The brands that thrive in this new AI landscape will be the ones that resist the temptation to overcomplicate or overpromise. Instead, they\u2019ll focus on the fundamentals:\u2022 Trust. Don\u2019t over-inflate what AI can do. Show customers the real value, not some sci-fi fantasy.\u2022 Clarity. Avoid the jargon. Speak in terms your customers understand, connecting AI\u2019s capabilities to their needs.\u2022 Relevance. Make it about your customer. If your AI solves a problem or makes life easier, that\u2019s what your message should highlight.Using AI as a badge of innovation is tempting\u2014something to attract headlines or investors. But buzz fades fast, especially when not backed up by substance. What lasts is the trust and connection you build by keeping things grounded in what matters most to your customers.As AI becomes an expected part of our digital lives, the novelty of \u201cAI-powered\u201d will wear off. Soon, customers won\u2019t care that you use AI; they\u2019ll care how it makes their experience better.This shift will challenge brands to lead with purpose and deliver value in ways that feel human, not robotic. The focus needs to be on the outcome, not the technology. AI should fade into the background, quietly powering experiences that feel intuitive and natural.For brands willing to think critically about their messaging, the opportunity is enormous. AI is no longer a differentiator on its own\u2014it\u2019s a tool. And like any tool, its value lies in how you use it to solve real problems for real people.So, instead of asking, How can we sell AI? the question should be, How can we help our customers in ways that happen to use AI?It\u2019s a subtle shift but an important one. Because, at the end of the day, it\u2019s not about the technology you use. It\u2019s about the difference you make.  ","summary":"AI is everywhere. From marketing to product design, brands are rushing to slap \u201cAI-powered\u201d on their offerings, hoping to ride the wave of technological intrigue. But here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s not enough to say your product uses AI. Customers aren\u2019t dazzled by buzzwords; they\u2019re looking for something far more fundamental\u2014clear, tangible value.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-11-19T10:05:08+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5755","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/beyond-features-how-brand-positioning-drives-b2b-sales-success","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Beyond Features: How Brand Positioning Drives B2B Sales Success","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EShifting from feature-focused sales pitches to value-driven conversations through effective positioning helps B2B companies demonstrate real business benefits to prospects.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, we\u0027re tackling a common challenge faced by B2B companies: why sales prospects often miss the full value of what\u0027s being offered. We break down how to move beyond feature lists to communicate real business value, sharing practical insights into brand positioning and sales effectiveness. Whether you\u0027re in tech, services, or manufacturing, this discussion will help you sharpen your value proposition and connect with decision-makers more effectively. No problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/47a4de3a\/5c3326ce.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nShifting from feature-focused sales pitches to value-driven conversations through effective positioning helps B2B companies demonstrate real business benefits to prospects.  \nIn this episode, we\u0027re tackling a common challenge faced by B2B companies: why sales prospects often miss the full value of what\u0027s being offered. We break down how to move beyond feature lists to communicate real business value, sharing practical insights into brand positioning and sales effectiveness. Whether you\u0027re in tech, services, or manufacturing, this discussion will help you sharpen your value proposition and connect with decision-makers more effectively. No problem.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Shifting from feature-focused sales pitches to value-driven conversations through effective positioning helps B2B companies demonstrate real business benefits to prospects. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-11-05T11:20:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5690","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/81-b2b-ads-fail-heres-how-better-branding-can-fix-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"81% of B2B Ads Fail: Here\u2019s How Better Branding Can Fix It","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent study by the B2B Institute in partnership with MediaScience reveals a shocking truth: only 19% of an ad\u2019s audience can attribute it to the correct brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, 81% of the money spent on B2B advertising fails to achieve one of the most fundamental goals\u2014brand recognition. That\u2019s a staggering amount of waste, considering the billions poured into B2B marketing annually.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt first glance, the numbers point to a simple solution: better branding. The report makes a solid case for how improved branding can unlock more effective advertising, and it offers four clear recommendations to help B2B brands stand out and connect with their audience. But as I read the report, one question kept rising to the surface for me: how many B2B brands are truly ready to implement these strategies?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my experience, many B2B brands are built on shaky foundations\u2014weak, generic brand identities that do little to stand out in the market. While the report offers great advice on how to execute better branding, I believe the real opportunity lies in ensuring these brands have the foundational strength to make those tactics work. Let me explain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Missed Opportunity: Strong Brand Foundations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore we get into the specifics of the report, I want to highlight what I see as a crucial missing piece. Many B2B brands suffer from what I call \u201cMcValues\u201d\u2014generic, overused brand values that do nothing to differentiate the business. In a study I conducted across 35 large B2B tech brands, I found these common values repeated again and again:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntegrity\u003C\/strong\u003E: 18 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPerformance\u003C\/strong\u003E: 16 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInnovation\u003C\/strong\u003E: 15 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeamwork\u003C\/strong\u003E: 15 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafety:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;13 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;10 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECustomers:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;8 times\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese values don\u2019t tell us what makes each business unique. They\u2019re just placeholders, and too often they\u2019re featured prominently on websites and in annual reports as if they\u2019re defining characteristics. But this kind of generic branding does nothing to highlight the distinctive nature of the brand and to drive standout for the customer and the internal audience (e.g. creating a clear culture). Without something more ownable, it\u2019ll be difficult to support the bold, distinctive strategies recommended by the B2B Institute. If a brand doesn\u2019t have a strong, clear identity, even the best advertising tactics will fall flat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Complementary Approach: The Report\u2019s Recommendations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, let\u2019s turn to the B2B Institute\u2019s study. It delivers important insights into how to capture audience attention and improve brand recall in advertising. The report identifies four key recommendations for B2B marketers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECapture attention early\u003C\/strong\u003E: Given that the average viewer pays attention to a B2B ad for just 3.7 seconds, marketers need to make sure those first few seconds count. The brand should be the focus right from the start.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand early and often\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ads that frequently mention the brand name perform better in terms of brand recognition and recall. The report shows that ads with three or more brand mentions significantly improve brand attribution.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUse shorter, focused messages\u003C\/strong\u003E: Simplicity is key. Shorter ads tend to hold attention better, and focused, succinct messaging can make a stronger impact.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeverage distinctive brand assets\u003C\/strong\u003E: Using unique colours, logos, or sounds helps brands stand out. The report emphasizes the importance of consistently using these assets across all brand touchpoints.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese recommendations are spot on. But they work best when the brand already has a strong identity in place. Without that, there\u2019s a risk of applying these strategies to a brand that\u2019s too weak or generic to truly benefit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Strong Brand Foundations Matter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe four recommendations from the report are practical and actionable, but they rely on one assumption: that the brand in question is distinct, clearly defined, and memorable. In my experience, that\u2019s not always the case. Many B2B brands haven\u2019t done the foundational work of defining their identity in a way that truly stands out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we believe that a strong brand is built on\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Ethree\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;essential elements:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVision\u003C\/strong\u003E: What does the brand ultimately aim to achieve? This is the overarching goal that the business is striving toward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMission\u003C\/strong\u003E: How does the brand operate day-to-day to move toward that vision? This is the practical roadmap that guides the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValues\u003C\/strong\u003E: What are the principles that guide every decision and action within the business? And importantly, these values need to be unique, not generic traits like \u201cintegrity\u201d or \u201cinnovation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese foundational elements create a strong, distinct identity that can support the kind of branding tactics outlined in the report. Without them, a brand risks being just another voice in the crowd.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Limitations of Purpose-Driven Branding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last decade, there\u2019s been a trend toward purpose-driven branding - trying to connect the brand to a larger societal mission - rather than doing the hard yards of defining the vision, mission and values. While this works for some companies, it can also lead brands down a path where they lose focus on what they do best.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn B2B, it\u2019s more effective to focus on the brand\u2019s core strengths and the practical value it provides to its customers. Trying to tie an industrial brand to a lofty, unrelated purpose often feels forced and risks diluting the brand\u2019s core message.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConclusion: Branding from the Ground Up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe B2B Institute\u2019s report offers a clear and powerful roadmap for improving the effectiveness of B2B advertising. Its four recommendations\u2014capturing attention early, branding often, using focused messaging, and leveraging distinctive assets\u2014are essential for making ads work harder. But before those strategies can deliver their full potential, brands need to ensure their foundations are solid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA well-defined vision, mission, and set of unique values are the bedrock of any strong brand. Once these are in place, the strategies outlined in the report will help take the brand to the next level. Without them, even the best advertising tactics can\u2019t fix a weak brand identity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a world where 81% of ad dollars are wasted, there\u2019s no room for complacency. Strong branding isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have\u2014it\u2019s the key to maximizing every penny spent on marketing.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nA recent study by the B2B Institute in partnership with MediaScience reveals a shocking truth: only 19% of an ad\u2019s audience can attribute it to the correct brand. \nIn other words, 81% of the money spent on B2B advertising fails to achieve one of the most fundamental goals\u2014brand recognition. That\u2019s a staggering amount of waste, considering the billions poured into B2B marketing annually.At first glance, the numbers point to a simple solution: better branding. The report makes a solid case for how improved branding can unlock more effective advertising, and it offers four clear recommendations to help B2B brands stand out and connect with their audience. But as I read the report, one question kept rising to the surface for me: how many B2B brands are truly ready to implement these strategies?In my experience, many B2B brands are built on shaky foundations\u2014weak, generic brand identities that do little to stand out in the market. While the report offers great advice on how to execute better branding, I believe the real opportunity lies in ensuring these brands have the foundational strength to make those tactics work. Let me explain.The Missed Opportunity: Strong Brand FoundationsBefore we get into the specifics of the report, I want to highlight what I see as a crucial missing piece. Many B2B brands suffer from what I call \u201cMcValues\u201d\u2014generic, overused brand values that do nothing to differentiate the business. In a study I conducted across 35 large B2B tech brands, I found these common values repeated again and again:Integrity: 18 timesPerformance: 16 timesInnovation: 15 timesTeamwork: 15 timesSafety:\u0026nbsp;13 timesPeople:\u0026nbsp;10 timesCustomers:\u0026nbsp;8 timesThese values don\u2019t tell us what makes each business unique. They\u2019re just placeholders, and too often they\u2019re featured prominently on websites and in annual reports as if they\u2019re defining characteristics. But this kind of generic branding does nothing to highlight the distinctive nature of the brand and to drive standout for the customer and the internal audience (e.g. creating a clear culture). Without something more ownable, it\u2019ll be difficult to support the bold, distinctive strategies recommended by the B2B Institute. If a brand doesn\u2019t have a strong, clear identity, even the best advertising tactics will fall flat.A Complementary Approach: The Report\u2019s RecommendationsNow, let\u2019s turn to the B2B Institute\u2019s study. It delivers important insights into how to capture audience attention and improve brand recall in advertising. The report identifies four key recommendations for B2B marketers:Capture attention early: Given that the average viewer pays attention to a B2B ad for just 3.7 seconds, marketers need to make sure those first few seconds count. The brand should be the focus right from the start.Brand early and often: Ads that frequently mention the brand name perform better in terms of brand recognition and recall. The report shows that ads with three or more brand mentions significantly improve brand attribution.Use shorter, focused messages: Simplicity is key. Shorter ads tend to hold attention better, and focused, succinct messaging can make a stronger impact.Leverage distinctive brand assets: Using unique colours, logos, or sounds helps brands stand out. The report emphasizes the importance of consistently using these assets across all brand touchpoints.These recommendations are spot on. But they work best when the brand already has a strong identity in place. Without that, there\u2019s a risk of applying these strategies to a brand that\u2019s too weak or generic to truly benefit.\u0026nbsp;Why Strong Brand Foundations MatterThe four recommendations from the report are practical and actionable, but they rely on one assumption: that the brand in question is distinct, clearly defined, and memorable. In my experience, that\u2019s not always the case. Many B2B brands haven\u2019t done the foundational work of defining their identity in a way that truly stands out.At Good, we believe that a strong brand is built on\u0026nbsp;three\u0026nbsp;essential elements:Vision: What does the brand ultimately aim to achieve? This is the overarching goal that the business is striving toward.Mission: How does the brand operate day-to-day to move toward that vision? This is the practical roadmap that guides the business.Values: What are the principles that guide every decision and action within the business? And importantly, these values need to be unique, not generic traits like \u201cintegrity\u201d or \u201cinnovation.\u201dThese foundational elements create a strong, distinct identity that can support the kind of branding tactics outlined in the report. Without them, a brand risks being just another voice in the crowd.The Limitations of Purpose-Driven BrandingOver the last decade, there\u2019s been a trend toward purpose-driven branding - trying to connect the brand to a larger societal mission - rather than doing the hard yards of defining the vision, mission and values. While this works for some companies, it can also lead brands down a path where they lose focus on what they do best.In B2B, it\u2019s more effective to focus on the brand\u2019s core strengths and the practical value it provides to its customers. Trying to tie an industrial brand to a lofty, unrelated purpose often feels forced and risks diluting the brand\u2019s core message.Conclusion: Branding from the Ground UpThe B2B Institute\u2019s report offers a clear and powerful roadmap for improving the effectiveness of B2B advertising. Its four recommendations\u2014capturing attention early, branding often, using focused messaging, and leveraging distinctive assets\u2014are essential for making ads work harder. But before those strategies can deliver their full potential, brands need to ensure their foundations are solid.A well-defined vision, mission, and set of unique values are the bedrock of any strong brand. Once these are in place, the strategies outlined in the report will help take the brand to the next level. Without them, even the best advertising tactics can\u2019t fix a weak brand identity.In a world where 81% of ad dollars are wasted, there\u2019s no room for complacency. Strong branding isn\u2019t just a nice-to-have\u2014it\u2019s the key to maximizing every penny spent on marketing.  ","summary":"A recent study by the B2B Institute in partnership with MediaScience reveals a shocking truth: only 19% of an ad\u2019s audience can attribute it to the correct brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-10-01T16:35:44+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5712","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/aligning-brand-consistency-across-channels","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Aligning Brand Consistency Across Channels","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EChris, Julie and Stewart dive into one of the most common challenges businesses face: how to communicate their brand consistently across different channels, regions, and markets. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re struggling with presenting a cohesive brand image across various platforms and regions, this episode offers pragmatic advice on navigating these challenges without losing sight of your brand\u2019s core identity. We cover:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInconsistencies in Branding:\u003C\/strong\u003E How inconsistency in messaging and visuals can confuse customers and dilute brand trust.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChallenges with Guidelines:\u003C\/strong\u003E Exploring why brand guidelines often get overlooked and how businesses can maintain discipline to stay consistent.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Impact of Growing Business Complexity:\u003C\/strong\u003E Discussing how brands can adapt to changing landscapes while still maintaining a unified image, especially as they expand into different markets and channels.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECentralised vs. Regional Control:\u003C\/strong\u003E How the degree of autonomy given to regional teams impacts brand consistency.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractical Solutions:\u003C\/strong\u003E Tips on investing in high-quality assets, setting up effective guidelines, and revisiting them regularly to reflect current realities.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave a read at our original article\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/digging-business-trends\u0022\u003Eon Good\u2019s Website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/5bceae10\/c8400a52.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nChris, Julie and Stewart dive into one of the most common challenges businesses face: how to communicate their brand consistently across different channels, regions, and markets. \nIf you\u2019re struggling with presenting a cohesive brand image across various platforms and regions, this episode offers pragmatic advice on navigating these challenges without losing sight of your brand\u2019s core identity. We cover:Inconsistencies in Branding: How inconsistency in messaging and visuals can confuse customers and dilute brand trust.Challenges with Guidelines: Exploring why brand guidelines often get overlooked and how businesses can maintain discipline to stay consistent.The Impact of Growing Business Complexity: Discussing how brands can adapt to changing landscapes while still maintaining a unified image, especially as they expand into different markets and channels.Centralised vs. Regional Control: How the degree of autonomy given to regional teams impacts brand consistency.Practical Solutions: Tips on investing in high-quality assets, setting up effective guidelines, and revisiting them regularly to reflect current realities.Have a read at our original article\u0026nbsp;on Good\u2019s Website.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Chris, Julie and Stewart dive into one of the most common challenges businesses face: how to communicate their brand consistently across different channels, regions, and markets.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-09-30T13:30:12+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5713","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/taming-product-portfolio-beast-simplifying-b2b-offerings","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Taming the Product Portfolio Beast: Simplifying B2B Offerings","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, hosts, Chris Lumsden, and Julie Murdoch and Stewart Steel dive into the challenges of managing complex product portfolios in B2B businesses.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re running through:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe unintentional growth of product ranges and how it leads to confusion\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKey statistics on B2B buying journeys and decision-making processes\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe impact of complicated portfolios on sales and customer experience\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStrategies for simplifying product offerings without alienating existing customers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe role of brand architecture in organising and presenting product lines\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBalancing the needs of different stakeholders when streamlining product ranges\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe importance of focusing on core products and communicating value effectively\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe share insights on how businesses can bring their expanding product ranges under control, improve customer navigation, and optimise their offerings for better sales outcomes. This episode is part of a series discussing common branding challenges, with a focus on B2B tech companies and product-led organisations. You can read the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/digging-business-trends\u0022\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/a\u003E at on the Good website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/d62636a3\/1165707f.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, hosts, Chris Lumsden, and Julie Murdoch and Stewart Steel dive into the challenges of managing complex product portfolios in B2B businesses.  \nWe\u0027re running through:The unintentional growth of product ranges and how it leads to confusionKey statistics on B2B buying journeys and decision-making processesThe impact of complicated portfolios on sales and customer experienceStrategies for simplifying product offerings without alienating existing customersThe role of brand architecture in organising and presenting product linesBalancing the needs of different stakeholders when streamlining product rangesThe importance of focusing on core products and communicating value effectivelyWe share insights on how businesses can bring their expanding product ranges under control, improve customer navigation, and optimise their offerings for better sales outcomes. This episode is part of a series discussing common branding challenges, with a focus on B2B tech companies and product-led organisations. You can read the original article at on the Good website.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode of The Good Brand Podcast, hosts, Chris Lumsden, and Julie Murdoch and Stewart Steel dive into the challenges of managing complex product portfolios in B2B businesses. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-09-11T12:16:57+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5661","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/b2b-branding-what-happened-hello","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"B2B Branding: What Happened to \u201cHello\u201d?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the rush to showcase technical prowess, many B2B brands forget the simple yet powerful act of introducing themselves. Without a proper \u201chello,\u201d even the best products struggle to make an impact. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis thought was triggered by a recent client experience where we were discussing the importance of a \u2018soft landing\u2019 into the brand, rather than jumping straight into a sales message. We were emphasising how crucial it is to introduce the brand in a way that builds connection and trust before diving into the technical details.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe conversation made me reflect that this is a regular occurrence in the world of B2B Tech: too many companies skip the introduction altogether. They jump straight into the hard sell, as if they\u2019re the awkward guest at a party who avoids eye contact and dives into a monologue about their latest project without so much as a \u201chello.\u201d This approach is not only off-putting but also a missed opportunity to create a meaningful connection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe Lost Art of Introduction\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what branding is really about. Many B2B companies are so focused on their products and features that they forget the importance of human interaction. They assume that their audience is solely interested in the technical specs, so they skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. But this approach is flawed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, even in B2B settings, people buy from people. Before they care about what your product can do, they need to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should trust you. That\u2019s where the simple act of saying \u201chello\u201d comes in\u2014it\u2019s the first step in building a relationship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EB2C Brands: Masters of the Introduction\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat puzzles me is that in the world of B2C, brands are experts at introductions. They have to be. In a crowded marketplace where multiple competitors are often jostling for attention on the same shelf, the personality of the brand plays a critical role in creating distinction. Whether it\u2019s through packaging, advertising, or customer experience, B2C brands know that first impressions are everything. They\u2019ve set a high bar for how brands should introduce themselves, and as consumers, we\u2019ve come to expect this level of engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo why is there still such indifference in the world of B2B? Perhaps it\u2019s due to the very strong product-first mindset that dominates the industry. There\u2019s a belief that if the product is good enough, it will sell itself. Or maybe it\u2019s an ambivalence around the importance of brand messaging\u2014an assumption that technical buyers don\u2019t need or care about the softer aspects of branding. But this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. In today\u2019s marketplace, where competition is fierce and differentiation is key, the way a brand introduces itself can be the difference between making a sale and being overlooked.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe Importance of Brand Foundations\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of this issue is a lack of brand clarity. A well-defined brand foundation includes your brand\u2019s vision, mission and values, which extends into a personality and tone of voice. It\u2019s about understanding who you are as a company, what you stand for, and how you want to communicate that to your audience. Without this foundation, it\u2019s difficult to craft messaging that resonates or to present your brand in a way that feels authentic and engaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a brand hasn\u2019t taken the time to build these foundations, it defaults to what it knows best: its products. But leading with products and features is like trying to sell before you\u2019ve even introduced yourself. It\u2019s not just ineffective\u2014it\u2019s counterproductive.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EFinding Your Voice\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur job as brand consultants is to help these brands find their voice. We guide them in developing a strong identity that allows them to confidently introduce themselves and build relationships. This process involves more than just choosing the right words\u2014it\u2019s about creating a consistent and authentic voice that reflects the brand\u2019s true character.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith a clear and compelling voice, a brand can do more than just present its products\u2014it can tell a story, convey its values, and build trust. It can say, \u201cThis is who we are, and this is what we do,\u201d in a way that resonates with its audience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe Power of First Impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn B2B, as in life, first impressions matter. If you can\u2019t even say \u201chello,\u201d how can you expect anyone to listen to what you have to say? By investing in your brand\u2019s foundations and developing a strong tone of voice, you can ensure that your first impression is a positive one\u2014one that opens the door to deeper engagement and lasting relationships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, next time you\u2019re tempted to dive straight into the technical details, pause for a moment. Remember the power of a simple introduction, and take the time to say \u201chello.\u201d It might just be the most important thing you do.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn the rush to showcase technical prowess, many B2B brands forget the simple yet powerful act of introducing themselves. Without a proper \u201chello,\u201d even the best products struggle to make an impact. \nThis thought was triggered by a recent client experience where we were discussing the importance of a \u2018soft landing\u2019 into the brand, rather than jumping straight into a sales message. We were emphasising how crucial it is to introduce the brand in a way that builds connection and trust before diving into the technical details.The conversation made me reflect that this is a regular occurrence in the world of B2B Tech: too many companies skip the introduction altogether. They jump straight into the hard sell, as if they\u2019re the awkward guest at a party who avoids eye contact and dives into a monologue about their latest project without so much as a \u201chello.\u201d This approach is not only off-putting but also a missed opportunity to create a meaningful connection.The Lost Art of IntroductionThe problem stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what branding is really about. Many B2B companies are so focused on their products and features that they forget the importance of human interaction. They assume that their audience is solely interested in the technical specs, so they skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. But this approach is flawed.In reality, even in B2B settings, people buy from people. Before they care about what your product can do, they need to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should trust you. That\u2019s where the simple act of saying \u201chello\u201d comes in\u2014it\u2019s the first step in building a relationship.B2C Brands: Masters of the IntroductionWhat puzzles me is that in the world of B2C, brands are experts at introductions. They have to be. In a crowded marketplace where multiple competitors are often jostling for attention on the same shelf, the personality of the brand plays a critical role in creating distinction. Whether it\u2019s through packaging, advertising, or customer experience, B2C brands know that first impressions are everything. They\u2019ve set a high bar for how brands should introduce themselves, and as consumers, we\u2019ve come to expect this level of engagement.So why is there still such indifference in the world of B2B? Perhaps it\u2019s due to the very strong product-first mindset that dominates the industry. There\u2019s a belief that if the product is good enough, it will sell itself. Or maybe it\u2019s an ambivalence around the importance of brand messaging\u2014an assumption that technical buyers don\u2019t need or care about the softer aspects of branding. But this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth. In today\u2019s marketplace, where competition is fierce and differentiation is key, the way a brand introduces itself can be the difference between making a sale and being overlooked.The Importance of Brand FoundationsAt the heart of this issue is a lack of brand clarity. A well-defined brand foundation includes your brand\u2019s vision, mission and values, which extends into a personality and tone of voice. It\u2019s about understanding who you are as a company, what you stand for, and how you want to communicate that to your audience. Without this foundation, it\u2019s difficult to craft messaging that resonates or to present your brand in a way that feels authentic and engaging.When a brand hasn\u2019t taken the time to build these foundations, it defaults to what it knows best: its products. But leading with products and features is like trying to sell before you\u2019ve even introduced yourself. It\u2019s not just ineffective\u2014it\u2019s counterproductive.Finding Your VoiceOur job as brand consultants is to help these brands find their voice. We guide them in developing a strong identity that allows them to confidently introduce themselves and build relationships. This process involves more than just choosing the right words\u2014it\u2019s about creating a consistent and authentic voice that reflects the brand\u2019s true character.With a clear and compelling voice, a brand can do more than just present its products\u2014it can tell a story, convey its values, and build trust. It can say, \u201cThis is who we are, and this is what we do,\u201d in a way that resonates with its audience.The Power of First ImpressionsIn B2B, as in life, first impressions matter. If you can\u2019t even say \u201chello,\u201d how can you expect anyone to listen to what you have to say? By investing in your brand\u2019s foundations and developing a strong tone of voice, you can ensure that your first impression is a positive one\u2014one that opens the door to deeper engagement and lasting relationships.So, next time you\u2019re tempted to dive straight into the technical details, pause for a moment. Remember the power of a simple introduction, and take the time to say \u201chello.\u201d It might just be the most important thing you do.  ","summary":"In the rush to showcase technical prowess, many B2B brands forget the simple yet powerful act of introducing themselves. Without a proper \u201chello,\u201d even the best products struggle to make an impact.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-08-20T15:15:43+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5714","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-should-you-update-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How Should You Update Your Brand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EGoing through a brand refresh is fraught with challenges. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe talk about what you should and shouldn\u0027t do. This is based on an article that is on our website that talks about some of the enquiries that we get in to the business. You can read more with our article \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/digging-business-trends\u0022\u003EDigging For Business Trends\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/afb5c3e8\/ed8d4ebd.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nGoing through a brand refresh is fraught with challenges. \nWe talk about what you should and shouldn\u0027t do. This is based on an article that is on our website that talks about some of the enquiries that we get in to the business. You can read more with our article Digging For Business Trends.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Going through a brand refresh is fraught with challenges.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-08-01T08:27:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5408","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/importance-storytelling-b2b-tech-brands","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The importance of storytelling for B2B Tech brands","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EB2B Tech brand marketers must learn to step away from a technical features approach and embrace a brand-led storytelling to stand out and differentiate their products. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not a new observation to say that B2B brands tend to get bogged down in the technical product descriptions, rather than focusing on selling benefits or impacts. I think it\u2019s particularly true in B2B tech orgs, in which a product and an engineering mindset tends to dominate. An interaction I had recently with a new business enquiry made me realise that this is even harder for B2B Tech brands that manufacture components for others to create finished products or equipment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe double whammy for these orgs is that with a feature-first mindset, it\u2019s hard enough for them to imagine their product\u2019s holistic use, let alone telling the story of their customers\u2019 products and the real-world impact they make. They\u2019re so far removed from this eventual impact that it\u2019s difficult to join up the dots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn these circumstances, it\u2019s even more important to have a clear sense of brand, to craft a compelling narrative that makes an emotional connection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn most of the B2B tech brand work we do, the brand foundations aren\u2019t solid. They\u2019re generally poorly thought out with an abstracted vision (we call them\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/create-your-brand-vision\u0022\u003EBuzz Lightyear\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;visions) supported by a raft of generic values (and these are called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003EMcValues\u003C\/a\u003E). Sometimes, these have been created internally, and smack of being an isolated \u2018consensus\u2019 exercise, allowing a little bit of something to please everyone involved. The problem is that they end up being completely sanitised and generic, which isn\u2019t a great way to ground your brand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor us, everything tracks back to brand. If your foundations aren\u2019t set, then it\u2019s not a surprise that the brand comms and expression that stem from it are flat, bending towards the technical features, because there\u2019s nothing else to talk about.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what are the steps in how to use brand more effectively in storytelling?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevelop a Compelling Brand Vision and Values\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst things first. Review what lies at the core of the brand and how well it\u2019s articulated. We prefer the vision, mission, values approach, but there are no absolute rights or wrongs here. The most important thing is to create values that are human and resonate emotionally, emphasising things like innovation, trust, and customer success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngage Employees in the Brand Narrative\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s important to bring the business with you, rather than presenting a fait accompli, which is less likely to be accepted. Workshops, or one-to-one sessions, surveys and feedback tools all help. Try to ensure it\u2019s a collaborative effort with cross-functional teams and diverse representation. The deeper you go, the more likely it is that employees will understand and carry the brand\u2019s vision and values.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIdentify the End Users\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstand who is benefiting from the ultimate iteration of the technology and in what way. Interview customers (or ideally, end users) and gather data and anecdotes to create a well-rounded picture. In our experience, talking to clients\u2019 customers always yields valuable info \u2013 because we\u2019re an impartial third party, it\u2019s easier for them to be honest with us.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell Human-Centric Stories (that link back to the brand)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce you\u2019re clear on the impacts on end users, then you can create the stories that highlight the positive impact of the technology on people and communities. Things like testimonials and case studies can drive narratives that emotionally connect with the audience. Where possible, try to link these positive emotions and outcomes back to the core values of the brand, positioning it as a partner in the successful outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand storytelling is not just a marketing tool; it\u2019s a strategic imperative for B2B tech brands looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. While you can attempt to layer storytelling onto an undifferentiated brand, it will only ever be a skin-deep veneer that\u2019s not deeply felt. For us, it\u2019s crucial that the brand underwrites the stories it tells, which is credibly done by developing a compelling brand vision and building the narrative on top. Only then will these companies have a powerful narrative that resonates with their audience and drives a commercial impact. Start today by evaluating your brand\u2019s storytelling potential and see the transformative impact it can have on your business.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nB2B Tech brand marketers must learn to step away from a technical features approach and embrace a brand-led storytelling to stand out and differentiate their products. \nIt\u2019s not a new observation to say that B2B brands tend to get bogged down in the technical product descriptions, rather than focusing on selling benefits or impacts. I think it\u2019s particularly true in B2B tech orgs, in which a product and an engineering mindset tends to dominate. An interaction I had recently with a new business enquiry made me realise that this is even harder for B2B Tech brands that manufacture components for others to create finished products or equipment.The double whammy for these orgs is that with a feature-first mindset, it\u2019s hard enough for them to imagine their product\u2019s holistic use, let alone telling the story of their customers\u2019 products and the real-world impact they make. They\u2019re so far removed from this eventual impact that it\u2019s difficult to join up the dots.In these circumstances, it\u2019s even more important to have a clear sense of brand, to craft a compelling narrative that makes an emotional connection.In most of the B2B tech brand work we do, the brand foundations aren\u2019t solid. They\u2019re generally poorly thought out with an abstracted vision (we call them\u0026nbsp;Buzz Lightyear\u0026nbsp;visions) supported by a raft of generic values (and these are called\u0026nbsp;McValues). Sometimes, these have been created internally, and smack of being an isolated \u2018consensus\u2019 exercise, allowing a little bit of something to please everyone involved. The problem is that they end up being completely sanitised and generic, which isn\u2019t a great way to ground your brand.\u0026nbsp;For us, everything tracks back to brand. If your foundations aren\u2019t set, then it\u2019s not a surprise that the brand comms and expression that stem from it are flat, bending towards the technical features, because there\u2019s nothing else to talk about.So, what are the steps in how to use brand more effectively in storytelling?Develop a Compelling Brand Vision and ValuesFirst things first. Review what lies at the core of the brand and how well it\u2019s articulated. We prefer the vision, mission, values approach, but there are no absolute rights or wrongs here. The most important thing is to create values that are human and resonate emotionally, emphasising things like innovation, trust, and customer success.Engage Employees in the Brand NarrativeIt\u2019s important to bring the business with you, rather than presenting a fait accompli, which is less likely to be accepted. Workshops, or one-to-one sessions, surveys and feedback tools all help. Try to ensure it\u2019s a collaborative effort with cross-functional teams and diverse representation. The deeper you go, the more likely it is that employees will understand and carry the brand\u2019s vision and values.Identify the End UsersUnderstand who is benefiting from the ultimate iteration of the technology and in what way. Interview customers (or ideally, end users) and gather data and anecdotes to create a well-rounded picture. In our experience, talking to clients\u2019 customers always yields valuable info \u2013 because we\u2019re an impartial third party, it\u2019s easier for them to be honest with us.Tell Human-Centric Stories (that link back to the brand)Once you\u2019re clear on the impacts on end users, then you can create the stories that highlight the positive impact of the technology on people and communities. Things like testimonials and case studies can drive narratives that emotionally connect with the audience. Where possible, try to link these positive emotions and outcomes back to the core values of the brand, positioning it as a partner in the successful outcome.Brand storytelling is not just a marketing tool; it\u2019s a strategic imperative for B2B tech brands looking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. While you can attempt to layer storytelling onto an undifferentiated brand, it will only ever be a skin-deep veneer that\u2019s not deeply felt. For us, it\u2019s crucial that the brand underwrites the stories it tells, which is credibly done by developing a compelling brand vision and building the narrative on top. Only then will these companies have a powerful narrative that resonates with their audience and drives a commercial impact. Start today by evaluating your brand\u2019s storytelling potential and see the transformative impact it can have on your business.  ","summary":"B2B Tech brand marketers must learn to step away from a technical features approach and embrace a brand-led storytelling to stand out and differentiate their products.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-07-22T16:20:20+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5409","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/digging-business-trends","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Digging For Business Trends","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ETrends. You can\u0026#039;t escape them, and you are certainly influenced by them. One way we look at trends affecting what we do here at Good is to look at the types of enquiries we\u0026#039;re getting in and see how they change over time. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;We review this every year to see how things are changing. Here are the top five, in no particular order, that we\u0027re getting from new and existing clients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOur look and feel seems outdated compared to where our business is heading. How do we update it without confusing our current customers?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo matter how you feel about the way you face out to customers, what you\u0027ve got has some value to them. The trick is to modernise but not throw the baby out with the bath water. We\u0027ll talk to you about what makes your business valuable to your customers and what your business goals are and look to realign and build on what\u0027s there. We\u0027ll make sure you\u0027re modernised to capitalise on new opportunities while keeping your current customers on board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOur product range has grown and grown over time, but now it feels confusing. We\u0027re worried that we\u0027re losing opportunities because of that. How do we bring it under control?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E57% of the buying journey is done online before you know about the opportunity. When your product range becomes too complicated, it can confuse customers and hurt sales. We focus on your main product line and organise everything around it to fix this. Use clear and descriptive names for your products. This makes it easier for customers to understand your offer and helps you make the most of every opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe\u0027re struggling to communicate our business consistently across different channels. Can you help?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen different parts of a business create their own messages, it can feel disjointed. This leads to added costs as different channels take different visual routes for every execution. Each time you launch a new product, you get a new look. Does your website look different from your sales presentations? That disconnect starts to become expensive to maintain and confusing for your customers. We review your guidelines and core values to ensure everyone is on the same page. This way, your business communicates clearly and consistently everywhere, helping you build a strong, unified image most efficiently and effectively.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOur sales prospects don\u0027t seem to understand the full potential and value of our offering. How can we change this?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECustomers care about how your product benefits them, not just its features. We help you explain how your product or service can make or save money for your customers. By focusing on these benefits, your prospects will quickly see the full value of what you offer, leading to faster sales cycles and higher margins.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWe\u2019re struggling to define what we stand for as a business. How do we get to something that the business will buy into?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDefining your business\u2019s core is crucial but challenging. It is a team sport, involving talking to a wide range of stakeholders. After this deep dive, we bring objectivity to help you uncover your true vision and values. This foundation guides every decision, making your business compelling for your team and enduring for the long term.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf I were to sum up these questions, I\u0027d say that clients are looking to bring clarity to their brand and their offering. As we\u0027ve all gone through difficult trading conditions, the need to focus on how clearly you articulate what you do and clearly define how that adds value to a customer has been paramount.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s changed from this list? A couple of things. ESG-related enquiries have dropped right off the list. Also, questions about purpose have faded away dramatically, too. This means I no longer need to go into \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/do-you-need-brand-purpose\u0022\u003Emy thoughts around purpose\u003C\/a\u003E anymore.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI is nudging up; it\u0027s not on our list yet. It is more of a scratch that some clients have rather than a full-blown enquiry. It feels the same as when we used to get some initial thinking about blockchain ledgers and NFCs. We believe that AI will be more valuable than the promise of Web 3.0 technologies, and we\u0027re using AI now to deliver efficiencies for clients, but at the moment, it feels that clients are just nudging at it. So we\u0026nbsp;see a rise in questions about AI, and we\u0027re sureit\u0027ll be in our top five trends next year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we work every day to help businesses navigate these complex challenges with clear, actionable solutions. If you\u2019re grappling with any of the issues mentioned or have other questions about how to sharpen your business strategy and communication, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out. We\u0027re up for helping you clarify your vision, streamline your offerings, and ensure your message resonates across all channels. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003EContact us today to get started\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nTrends. You can\u0026#039;t escape them, and you are certainly influenced by them. One way we look at trends affecting what we do here at Good is to look at the types of enquiries we\u0026#039;re getting in and see how they change over time. \n\u0026nbsp;We review this every year to see how things are changing. Here are the top five, in no particular order, that we\u0027re getting from new and existing clients.\u0026nbsp;Our look and feel seems outdated compared to where our business is heading. How do we update it without confusing our current customers?No matter how you feel about the way you face out to customers, what you\u0027ve got has some value to them. The trick is to modernise but not throw the baby out with the bath water. We\u0027ll talk to you about what makes your business valuable to your customers and what your business goals are and look to realign and build on what\u0027s there. We\u0027ll make sure you\u0027re modernised to capitalise on new opportunities while keeping your current customers on board.\u0026nbsp;Our product range has grown and grown over time, but now it feels confusing. We\u0027re worried that we\u0027re losing opportunities because of that. How do we bring it under control?57% of the buying journey is done online before you know about the opportunity. When your product range becomes too complicated, it can confuse customers and hurt sales. We focus on your main product line and organise everything around it to fix this. Use clear and descriptive names for your products. This makes it easier for customers to understand your offer and helps you make the most of every opportunity.We\u0027re struggling to communicate our business consistently across different channels. Can you help?When different parts of a business create their own messages, it can feel disjointed. This leads to added costs as different channels take different visual routes for every execution. Each time you launch a new product, you get a new look. Does your website look different from your sales presentations? That disconnect starts to become expensive to maintain and confusing for your customers. We review your guidelines and core values to ensure everyone is on the same page. This way, your business communicates clearly and consistently everywhere, helping you build a strong, unified image most efficiently and effectively.\u0026nbsp;Our sales prospects don\u0027t seem to understand the full potential and value of our offering. How can we change this?Customers care about how your product benefits them, not just its features. We help you explain how your product or service can make or save money for your customers. By focusing on these benefits, your prospects will quickly see the full value of what you offer, leading to faster sales cycles and higher margins.We\u2019re struggling to define what we stand for as a business. How do we get to something that the business will buy into?Defining your business\u2019s core is crucial but challenging. It is a team sport, involving talking to a wide range of stakeholders. After this deep dive, we bring objectivity to help you uncover your true vision and values. This foundation guides every decision, making your business compelling for your team and enduring for the long term.\u0026nbsp;If I were to sum up these questions, I\u0027d say that clients are looking to bring clarity to their brand and their offering. As we\u0027ve all gone through difficult trading conditions, the need to focus on how clearly you articulate what you do and clearly define how that adds value to a customer has been paramount.\u0026nbsp;What\u0027s changed from this list? A couple of things. ESG-related enquiries have dropped right off the list. Also, questions about purpose have faded away dramatically, too. This means I no longer need to go into my thoughts around purpose anymore.\u0026nbsp;AI is nudging up; it\u0027s not on our list yet. It is more of a scratch that some clients have rather than a full-blown enquiry. It feels the same as when we used to get some initial thinking about blockchain ledgers and NFCs. We believe that AI will be more valuable than the promise of Web 3.0 technologies, and we\u0027re using AI now to deliver efficiencies for clients, but at the moment, it feels that clients are just nudging at it. So we\u0026nbsp;see a rise in questions about AI, and we\u0027re sureit\u0027ll be in our top five trends next year.At Good, we work every day to help businesses navigate these complex challenges with clear, actionable solutions. If you\u2019re grappling with any of the issues mentioned or have other questions about how to sharpen your business strategy and communication, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out. We\u0027re up for helping you clarify your vision, streamline your offerings, and ensure your message resonates across all channels. Contact us today to get started.  ","summary":"Trends. You can\u0027t escape them, and you are certainly influenced by them. One way we look at trends affecting what we do here at Good is to look at the types of enquiries we\u0027re getting in and see how they change over time.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-07-12T11:39:02+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Product Positioning","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5715","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/theory-and-practice-brand-architecture","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Theory and Practice of Brand Architecture","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe theory around brand architecture is well documented. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s missing in those discussions is what happens in practice. When you decide that it\u0027s time to restructure your product portfolio, how can you avoid the big mistakes and bring your colleagues with you on the brand architecture journey?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/2cfe023b\/fc82b286.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe theory around brand architecture is well documented. \nWhat\u0027s missing in those discussions is what happens in practice. When you decide that it\u0027s time to restructure your product portfolio, how can you avoid the big mistakes and bring your colleagues with you on the brand architecture journey?Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"The theory around brand architecture is well documented.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-05-20T09:44:51+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5410","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/5-signs-your-brand-needs-simplification-audit","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"5 signs your brand needs a simplification audit. ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn our experience, B2B portfolios are too complex and create a lot of confusion. Here are 5 tell-tale signs that your portfolio needs to be simplified. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis confusion is damaging because it\u0026nbsp;equates to lost revenue. When customers can\u2019t make sense of a company\u2019s product offering, they don\u2019t buy. Or they buy somewhere else.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd two other quick facts* to chuck into the mix\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E1. 37% of all B2B transactions end up in no decision and no sale.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E2. B2B buyers are 57% through their journey to purchase before reaching out to a brand for further information.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiven the unforgiving nature of the B2B purchase, you can see it\u2019s a real problem if brands aren\u2019t presenting their products to the market in a clear, coherent, and navigable manner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the most common tell-tale signs indicating that your brand or brands are too complicated for your customers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E1. Too many brands, too much noise and no golden thread\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo rights or wrongs here, but sometimes you can just tell that there\u2019s too much going on, with nothing coherent running through it. The best test is to create mood board for all this stuff: brands, sub brands, ads, websites, brochures, packaging, social posts etc. Throw it all together to get a sense of how coherent it all feels. You\u2019ll see the friction pretty quickly. This is such an easy, simple and revealing test for any brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E2. Poor or confused foundations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re not grounding all your brand elements with a clear set of foundations (ideally built off a meaningful vision, mission and values) then it\u2019s going to be a challenge to hold it all together. And in this case, it\u2019s more than a visual cue; it\u2019s a sense of the fully rounded character or personality of the brand. Having clarity on your foundations will act as a rudder creating a sense of coherence throughout all marketing activity. It\u2019s what gives your brand a point of view on the world. But remember, your foundations need to be made of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Emore\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;than the usual set of bland and generic values that give the world of branding a bad name.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E3. Overly technical names\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B loves technical. The problem is, the customer probably doesn\u2019t. So, a product called the ZX34-CS1 needs more explanation. If your whole portfolio is made up of what are essentially SKU numbers, then you know it might be time to change up the naming convention. In our time we\u2019ve seen our fair share of B2B organisations who\u2019ve gone to market with product names that were essentially the \u2018project\u2019 names they never got round to changing. Those lucky customers! Unbelievable, but true.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E4. Ask customers if they know the specific sub brand they\u2019re buying\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most common reason given by businesses against product or brand name changes is that their customers would be lost without them. We know this isn\u2019t true because our research over the years tells us that most B2B customers can\u2019t remember the product name and refer generically to the main brand. In B2B the brand equity is almost always with the mother brand, which makes a branded house architecture structure more simple, sensible and affordable. It\u2019s expensive to support and promote a house of brands \u2013 just ask Unilever and P\u0026amp;G.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E5. Reinventing the wheel every time there\u2019s a new product?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI get it. It can be fun tailoring each product launch and it\u2019s certainly more interesting for the marketing department. But it\u2019s also extremely inefficient and ultimately the customer doesn\u2019t care so who are you doing it for? The reality is that there should be a formula for bringing a new product to market, with a playbook that\u2019s been proven: how it\u2019s named, teased, launched, advertised, and promoted. If there\u2019s a different dog and pony show every time there\u2019s a new product, with no discernible upside then it\u2019s time to have a word.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOk, so there\u2019s five signs your brand needs to be simplified. What have I missed? I\u2019m sure there will be others. The bottom line is that when there\u2019s too much noise, too much overlap and a lack of clarity for the customer, then it\u2019s undoubtedly bad news for the business. If I was to describe what we most frequently do for brands to make them better (and driving more value), my response would be \u201cwe make them simpler\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E* Both facts from: The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results, by Dixon, Adamson, Spenner and Toman.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn our experience, B2B portfolios are too complex and create a lot of confusion. Here are 5 tell-tale signs that your portfolio needs to be simplified. \nThis confusion is damaging because it\u0026nbsp;equates to lost revenue. When customers can\u2019t make sense of a company\u2019s product offering, they don\u2019t buy. Or they buy somewhere else.\u0026nbsp;And two other quick facts* to chuck into the mix\u20261. 37% of all B2B transactions end up in no decision and no sale.2. B2B buyers are 57% through their journey to purchase before reaching out to a brand for further information.Given the unforgiving nature of the B2B purchase, you can see it\u2019s a real problem if brands aren\u2019t presenting their products to the market in a clear, coherent, and navigable manner.So, I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the most common tell-tale signs indicating that your brand or brands are too complicated for your customers:1. Too many brands, too much noise and no golden threadNo rights or wrongs here, but sometimes you can just tell that there\u2019s too much going on, with nothing coherent running through it. The best test is to create mood board for all this stuff: brands, sub brands, ads, websites, brochures, packaging, social posts etc. Throw it all together to get a sense of how coherent it all feels. You\u2019ll see the friction pretty quickly. This is such an easy, simple and revealing test for any brand.2. Poor or confused foundationsIf you\u2019re not grounding all your brand elements with a clear set of foundations (ideally built off a meaningful vision, mission and values) then it\u2019s going to be a challenge to hold it all together. And in this case, it\u2019s more than a visual cue; it\u2019s a sense of the fully rounded character or personality of the brand. Having clarity on your foundations will act as a rudder creating a sense of coherence throughout all marketing activity. It\u2019s what gives your brand a point of view on the world. But remember, your foundations need to be made of\u0026nbsp;more\u0026nbsp;than the usual set of bland and generic values that give the world of branding a bad name.\u0026nbsp;3. Overly technical namesB2B loves technical. The problem is, the customer probably doesn\u2019t. So, a product called the ZX34-CS1 needs more explanation. If your whole portfolio is made up of what are essentially SKU numbers, then you know it might be time to change up the naming convention. In our time we\u2019ve seen our fair share of B2B organisations who\u2019ve gone to market with product names that were essentially the \u2018project\u2019 names they never got round to changing. Those lucky customers! Unbelievable, but true.4. Ask customers if they know the specific sub brand they\u2019re buyingThe most common reason given by businesses against product or brand name changes is that their customers would be lost without them. We know this isn\u2019t true because our research over the years tells us that most B2B customers can\u2019t remember the product name and refer generically to the main brand. In B2B the brand equity is almost always with the mother brand, which makes a branded house architecture structure more simple, sensible and affordable. It\u2019s expensive to support and promote a house of brands \u2013 just ask Unilever and P\u0026amp;G.5. Reinventing the wheel every time there\u2019s a new product?I get it. It can be fun tailoring each product launch and it\u2019s certainly more interesting for the marketing department. But it\u2019s also extremely inefficient and ultimately the customer doesn\u2019t care so who are you doing it for? The reality is that there should be a formula for bringing a new product to market, with a playbook that\u2019s been proven: how it\u2019s named, teased, launched, advertised, and promoted. If there\u2019s a different dog and pony show every time there\u2019s a new product, with no discernible upside then it\u2019s time to have a word.Ok, so there\u2019s five signs your brand needs to be simplified. What have I missed? I\u2019m sure there will be others. The bottom line is that when there\u2019s too much noise, too much overlap and a lack of clarity for the customer, then it\u2019s undoubtedly bad news for the business. If I was to describe what we most frequently do for brands to make them better (and driving more value), my response would be \u201cwe make them simpler\u201d.\u0026nbsp;* Both facts from: The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results, by Dixon, Adamson, Spenner and Toman.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"In our experience, B2B portfolios are too complex and create a lot of confusion. Here are 5 tell-tale signs that your portfolio needs to be simplified.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-05-07T10:05:20+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5411","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/practical-side-brand-architecture-what-theory-doesnt-tell-you","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Practical Side of Brand Architecture: What Theory Doesn\u2019t Tell You","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent uptick of enquires around specialist brand architecture projects has prompted me to reflect on the complexities these businesses face and how theoretical understanding impacts practical application. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EThe Theory Part\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, let\u2019s define what we mean by \u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Architecture\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote id=\u0022ember1881\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe process of defining the structural relationships and naming conventions between brands, products and services.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1883\u0022\u003EUnderstanding this definition is crucial because the field of branding can often be frustrating; it\u0027s rife with multiple terms for similar concepts and suffers from very poor definitions. With so much written on the theory\u2014much of which I\u2019ve contributed to myself\u2014you\u2019ll find a plethora of thoughts and theories on the topic if you simply Google it. The lack of absolute rights and wrongs creates a diverse body of opinion, which can be problematic as it feeds into the somewhat woolly nature of this subject matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy challenge is that much of it is relatively skin-deep theory and it gets side-tracked into discussion about executional outputs (logos) rather than the deeper-seated problems that successful Brand Architecture strategies can help solve. This is traditionally how many of the brand architecture projects present to us. They\u2019re either talked about generally as a comms challenge, or more specifically as a sub-brand creation task which may well be part of the solution but tend to fall short of the real Brand Architecture problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1886\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s understandable because these challenges creep up slowly on businesses and the problem isn\u2019t immediately visible, which means it\u2019s easily misdiagnosed. However, if the underlying challenge isn\u2019t identified, then you end up treating the symptoms, not the cause. This is why so many of these problems are treated in silos as design and logo creation projects, rather than seen as broader business challenges which have a real impact on the bottom line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EIn Practice\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1891\u0022\u003EIn our experience the difference is in the doing. There\u2019s a build-up of know-how gathered from years of applying knowledge and expertise to similar problems, and then driving this to a defined output that creates value for the organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1893\u0022\u003EAt its heart, decisions around Brand Architecture are strategic plays. It involves making an integrated set of choices that help address a gnarly business problem which contribute to a wider strategy around how the business is going to win. Some of these choices are difficult. For example: killing off one brand, consolidating two into one or implementing a new naming convention are not easy things to do; but they can deliver huge value in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1895\u0022\u003EIn 20 years doing this, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s incredibly challenging working with a business that\u2019s not fully invested in understanding they have a brand problem (and see it as a design issue). It\u2019s not our job to convince the board that they need to spend money on brand to fix their problem. For us to work well together, they must acknowledge there\u2019s a problem in the first place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1897\u0022\u003EBecause it\u2019s hard enough as it is. These problems tend to be deep seated and opaque in how they present. We need to work hard to get people to come together and reach a consensus. And, even when there\u2019s an acknowledgment that \u2018we\u2019 the business have a brand challenge, there\u2019s often a diverse set of opinions from individuals (the \u2018me\u2019) on how they should be tackled. People have strong emotional ties to the brands they work for, and part of our practical task is to try and galvanise these opinions into a single direction that benefits everyone. This takes time and our years of experience dealing with similar challenges for multiple clients stand us in good stead. There\u2019s no substitute for experience here - clients are reassured when we\u2019re able to say that client X had a similar challenge, and this is how we dealt with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1899\u0022\u003EBut ultimately, when you do get everyone onto the same page, it\u2019s powerfully transformative. And very rewarding\u2026this is why I like it because it involves taking people on a journey and helping them to see their business from a completely different perspective. It often helps people to see how brand contributes commercially, which is more valuable than thinking of it in the silo of logos and colours.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1901\u0022\u003EWhen you\u2019re able to demonstrate that solutions will drive long term efficiencies and make money, then the diverse opinions tend to merge into a consensus that making these difficult choices in the short term, will pay off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022ember1902\u0022\u003EIn conclusion, bridging the gap between theory and practice not only aligns with, but is a driving force behind our \u003Cstrong\u003Evision at Good\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong\u003Eto make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued\u003C\/strong\u003E. We\u2019re dedicated to closing this gap - helping our clients look deeper for the source of these Brand Architecture challenges, and building strategies that are aligned to long term business goals.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nA recent uptick of enquires around specialist brand architecture projects has prompted me to reflect on the complexities these businesses face and how theoretical understanding impacts practical application. \nThe Theory PartFirst, let\u2019s define what we mean by Brand Architecture:The process of defining the structural relationships and naming conventions between brands, products and services.Understanding this definition is crucial because the field of branding can often be frustrating; it\u0027s rife with multiple terms for similar concepts and suffers from very poor definitions. With so much written on the theory\u2014much of which I\u2019ve contributed to myself\u2014you\u2019ll find a plethora of thoughts and theories on the topic if you simply Google it. The lack of absolute rights and wrongs creates a diverse body of opinion, which can be problematic as it feeds into the somewhat woolly nature of this subject matter.My challenge is that much of it is relatively skin-deep theory and it gets side-tracked into discussion about executional outputs (logos) rather than the deeper-seated problems that successful Brand Architecture strategies can help solve. This is traditionally how many of the brand architecture projects present to us. They\u2019re either talked about generally as a comms challenge, or more specifically as a sub-brand creation task which may well be part of the solution but tend to fall short of the real Brand Architecture problem.It\u2019s understandable because these challenges creep up slowly on businesses and the problem isn\u2019t immediately visible, which means it\u2019s easily misdiagnosed. However, if the underlying challenge isn\u2019t identified, then you end up treating the symptoms, not the cause. This is why so many of these problems are treated in silos as design and logo creation projects, rather than seen as broader business challenges which have a real impact on the bottom line.\u0026nbsp;In PracticeIn our experience the difference is in the doing. There\u2019s a build-up of know-how gathered from years of applying knowledge and expertise to similar problems, and then driving this to a defined output that creates value for the organisation.At its heart, decisions around Brand Architecture are strategic plays. It involves making an integrated set of choices that help address a gnarly business problem which contribute to a wider strategy around how the business is going to win. Some of these choices are difficult. For example: killing off one brand, consolidating two into one or implementing a new naming convention are not easy things to do; but they can deliver huge value in the long run.In 20 years doing this, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s incredibly challenging working with a business that\u2019s not fully invested in understanding they have a brand problem (and see it as a design issue). It\u2019s not our job to convince the board that they need to spend money on brand to fix their problem. For us to work well together, they must acknowledge there\u2019s a problem in the first place.Because it\u2019s hard enough as it is. These problems tend to be deep seated and opaque in how they present. We need to work hard to get people to come together and reach a consensus. And, even when there\u2019s an acknowledgment that \u2018we\u2019 the business have a brand challenge, there\u2019s often a diverse set of opinions from individuals (the \u2018me\u2019) on how they should be tackled. People have strong emotional ties to the brands they work for, and part of our practical task is to try and galvanise these opinions into a single direction that benefits everyone. This takes time and our years of experience dealing with similar challenges for multiple clients stand us in good stead. There\u2019s no substitute for experience here - clients are reassured when we\u2019re able to say that client X had a similar challenge, and this is how we dealt with it.But ultimately, when you do get everyone onto the same page, it\u2019s powerfully transformative. And very rewarding\u2026this is why I like it because it involves taking people on a journey and helping them to see their business from a completely different perspective. It often helps people to see how brand contributes commercially, which is more valuable than thinking of it in the silo of logos and colours.When you\u2019re able to demonstrate that solutions will drive long term efficiencies and make money, then the diverse opinions tend to merge into a consensus that making these difficult choices in the short term, will pay off.In conclusion, bridging the gap between theory and practice not only aligns with, but is a driving force behind our vision at Good - to make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued. We\u2019re dedicated to closing this gap - helping our clients look deeper for the source of these Brand Architecture challenges, and building strategies that are aligned to long term business goals.  ","summary":"A recent uptick of enquires around specialist brand architecture projects has prompted me to reflect on the complexities these businesses face and how theoretical understanding impacts practical application.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-04-22T09:28:23+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5412","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/navigating-ai-revolution-brand-consulting","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Navigating the AI Revolution in Brand Consulting","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent discussion, Sam Altman suggested a future where AI could automate 95% of tasks traditionally performed by marketers, agencies, and creatives offering instant, nearly perfect outputs at negligible costs.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a bold statement, and I think it forces us to contemplate the coming changes\u2014particularly how they relate to the strategic versus operational roles within the industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we\u0027ve been mulling over the implications of AI for our field. As a strategic brand consultancy with two decades of experience, we\u0027ve seen trends come and go, but the potential AI disruption feels fundamentally different. It forces us to ask what becomes of human-driven brand strategy in a landscape that will become dominated by AI? In doing so, the first consideration is distinguishing between the types of work that define our industry: Tier 1 (\u2018think for me\u2019), which involves strategic thinking and human insight, and Tier 2 (\u2018do for me\u2019), which encompasses operational and execution tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Invaluable 5%\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur discussions gravitate towards the untouched 5% \u2014 the domain AI cannot easily replicate. This isn\u0027t about resisting change but recognizing the irreplaceable value of human intuition, empathy, and strategic foresight in branding. Our work at Good has always hinged on understanding the nuanced fabric of businesses, their brands, and the value they create. It\u2019s a process deeply rooted in human interaction and insight.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 1: The Human Touch in Strategy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand strategy is more than a service; it\u0027s an art form that balances commercial objectives with the unique identity and aspirations of a brand. At its core, it involves diving deep into an organization\u0027s culture, engaging in candid discussions, and synthesizing these insights into a coherent strategy that guides long-term growth. It\u0027s about making judgment calls that AI, for all its computational prowess, cannot mimic \u2014 the nuanced decisions about brand architecture, equity, and differentiation that define market leadership.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 2: AI\u0027s Expanding Role\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConversely, there\u0027s a vast territory of tasks \u2014 what we categorize as Tier 2 \u2014 where AI\u0027s efficiency and scalability can shine. From generating marketing materials to optimizing digital campaigns, AI tools like Sora demonstrate a capacity to automate with a speed and cost-effectiveness previously unimaginable. Acknowledging this doesn\u0027t diminish our value but encourages us to redefine it, focusing our human creativity where it matters most.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood\u0027s Forward-Thinking Approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, how do we plan to navigate this shifting landscape? Our strategy is twofold:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeepening our strategic consultancy role:\u003C\/strong\u003E We are doubling down on the complexity and creativity of Tier 1 work. This strategic, people-driven process remains firmly in the realm of human expertise. It\u0027s here that our ability to interpret, envision, and connect on a human level ensures that brands not only stand out but resonate deeply with their audiences.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeveraging AI for Tier 2 efficiency:\u003C\/strong\u003E Simultaneously, we\u0027re embracing AI\u0027s potential to transform the operational side of branding. By experimenting with and training AI models to handle the \u0027do for me\u0027 tasks within predefined parameters, we want to deliver more value to our clients, ensuring that our strategic visions are executed with efficiency and precision.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConclusion: Bringing it together.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe intersection of AI and brand consulting isn\u0027t a battleground but a fertile ground for innovation. By recognising and capitalising on the unique strengths of both human and artificial intelligence, we can offer our clients strategic insight paired with operational excellence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe future of brand consulting may be AI-augmented, but it remains undeniably human at its core. At Good, we\u0027re not just prepared for this future; we want to shape it, ensuring that brands thrive in this ever-evolving landscape.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIn a recent discussion, Sam Altman suggested a future where AI could automate 95% of tasks traditionally performed by marketers, agencies, and creatives offering instant, nearly perfect outputs at negligible costs.  \nIt\u2019s a bold statement, and I think it forces us to contemplate the coming changes\u2014particularly how they relate to the strategic versus operational roles within the industry.\nAt Good, we\u0027ve been mulling over the implications of AI for our field. As a strategic brand consultancy with two decades of experience, we\u0027ve seen trends come and go, but the potential AI disruption feels fundamentally different. It forces us to ask what becomes of human-driven brand strategy in a landscape that will become dominated by AI? In doing so, the first consideration is distinguishing between the types of work that define our industry: Tier 1 (\u2018think for me\u2019), which involves strategic thinking and human insight, and Tier 2 (\u2018do for me\u2019), which encompasses operational and execution tasks.\nThe Invaluable 5%\nOur discussions gravitate towards the untouched 5% \u2014 the domain AI cannot easily replicate. This isn\u0027t about resisting change but recognizing the irreplaceable value of human intuition, empathy, and strategic foresight in branding. Our work at Good has always hinged on understanding the nuanced fabric of businesses, their brands, and the value they create. It\u2019s a process deeply rooted in human interaction and insight.\nTier 1: The Human Touch in Strategy\nBrand strategy is more than a service; it\u0027s an art form that balances commercial objectives with the unique identity and aspirations of a brand. At its core, it involves diving deep into an organization\u0027s culture, engaging in candid discussions, and synthesizing these insights into a coherent strategy that guides long-term growth. It\u0027s about making judgment calls that AI, for all its computational prowess, cannot mimic \u2014 the nuanced decisions about brand architecture, equity, and differentiation that define market leadership.\nTier 2: AI\u0027s Expanding Role\nConversely, there\u0027s a vast territory of tasks \u2014 what we categorize as Tier 2 \u2014 where AI\u0027s efficiency and scalability can shine. From generating marketing materials to optimizing digital campaigns, AI tools like Sora demonstrate a capacity to automate with a speed and cost-effectiveness previously unimaginable. Acknowledging this doesn\u0027t diminish our value but encourages us to redefine it, focusing our human creativity where it matters most.\n\u00a0\nGood\u0027s Forward-Thinking Approach\nSo, how do we plan to navigate this shifting landscape? Our strategy is twofold:\nDeepening our strategic consultancy role: We are doubling down on the complexity and creativity of Tier 1 work. This strategic, people-driven process remains firmly in the realm of human expertise. It\u0027s here that our ability to interpret, envision, and connect on a human level ensures that brands not only stand out but resonate deeply with their audiences.\nLeveraging AI for Tier 2 efficiency: Simultaneously, we\u0027re embracing AI\u0027s potential to transform the operational side of branding. By experimenting with and training AI models to handle the \u0027do for me\u0027 tasks within predefined parameters, we want to deliver more value to our clients, ensuring that our strategic visions are executed with efficiency and precision.\n\u00a0\nConclusion: Bringing it together.\nThe intersection of AI and brand consulting isn\u0027t a battleground but a fertile ground for innovation. By recognising and capitalising on the unique strengths of both human and artificial intelligence, we can offer our clients strategic insight paired with operational excellence.\nThe future of brand consulting may be AI-augmented, but it remains undeniably human at its core. At Good, we\u0027re not just prepared for this future; we want to shape it, ensuring that brands thrive in this ever-evolving landscape.\n  ","summary":"In a recent discussion, Sam Altman suggested a future where AI could automate 95% of tasks traditionally performed by marketers, agencies, and creatives offering instant, nearly perfect outputs at negligible costs. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-04-08T09:25:15+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5413","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/building-brand-leadership","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Building Brand Leadership","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOver the years, we\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with brands that are all on board with what brand can add to their business.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuilding brand leadership within your organisation\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve written about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/five-signs-brand-leadership\u0022\u003Edetermining if a business believes in brand\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0The other side of that coin is how individuals bring their brand leadership to a business. We\u2019ve seen the best in action. Here\u2019s what they have in common.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EDefine what you mean\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s day one of your new job; you go into a room of ten people and ask them what they think the brand is. There is no doubt that you\u0027ll get hit with ten different answers. When starting at an organisation, it\u0027s important that you set the standard about what brand is, to define what it means and why it\u0027s useful. Then, share it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo matter how the business changes, this definition should stay true. Getting everyone behind this will pay dividends later on. The challenge, as outlined earlier on, is that it seems everyone has a different definition. Here\u0027s what we use.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EBusinesses are built upon the architecture, identity, and associations with brand. It is brand that implies value and serves as a North Star for every strategic decision a firm makes.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe like this as there is no mention of a logo or a strapline. It\u0027s a call to action. Start building value with brand through architecture, identity and association. Whatever definition you go for, introduce it and keep bringing it back.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a rule, I share definitions of all things brand-related everywhere. Brand is such a sloppy discipline that you can\u0027t assume everyone sees it the same way you do. Bring everyone with you by sharing your definitions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003ETie brand to the success of the business\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand strategy is business strategy. Look to tie the brand objectives to the business objectives. This lifts you above being the \u0022colouring-in department\u0022. Brand should be a revenue generator, not a cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s depressing when we talk to brand people, and they tell you that they just don\u0027t have this guidance. And it\u0027s not as if they\u0027ve not asked. But without this foundational detail, you\u0027re creating \u0022brand stuff\u0022. Brand stuff is the beginning of the end. You\u0027re creating comms with no focus and no direction. That ends up in no point. If you\u0027re in that hole, how can you find that strategic direction?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re a listed company, then an annual report is ideal. They have to highlight risks to the business, risks that brand may be able to help with. Failing that, talk to the sales team. They\u0027re at the coal face; they understand what works and what doesn\u0027t. We love talking to sales teams. They can be a source of quick and dirty customer journey insights and can offer you guidance that can help create real change. They are a great place to start if you want to push beyond the nonsense brand stuff.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EShare, share, share\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo things can be true at the same time. At Good, we believe that a strong recognition of what brand can do for a business is vital. We also know that a lot of people don\u0027t care about brand. We\u0027re comfortable with that tension; we know it matters \u003Cem\u003Ewhen\u003C\/em\u003E it matters. We know that \u0022when\u0022 is only when you need it to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf sales are going well, it\u0027s assumed it\u0027s down to that new product. Or because of that groovy sales technique. Brand tends to hide its light under a bushel. It can be hard to prove the impact. Understanding the impact and how it ties back to your definition is important. Show how it is building a stronger business. Show how you\u0027re making brand matter within your organisation by showing growth. Whenever you can, share this. It all helps build your brand leadership position.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are obvious on the face of it. However, as we\u0027ve worked with organisations and helped define their brand strategy, hitting these points has helped the adoption of the initial process and the ongoing rollout of any changes. This will make your brand better understood, respected, and valued within your business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nOver the years, we\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with brands that are all on board with what brand can add to their business.  \nBuilding brand leadership within your organisation\nWe\u0027ve written about determining if a business believes in brand.\u00a0The other side of that coin is how individuals bring their brand leadership to a business. We\u2019ve seen the best in action. Here\u2019s what they have in common.\u00a0\nDefine what you mean\nIt\u0027s day one of your new job; you go into a room of ten people and ask them what they think the brand is. There is no doubt that you\u0027ll get hit with ten different answers. When starting at an organisation, it\u0027s important that you set the standard about what brand is, to define what it means and why it\u0027s useful. Then, share it.\nNo matter how the business changes, this definition should stay true. Getting everyone behind this will pay dividends later on. The challenge, as outlined earlier on, is that it seems everyone has a different definition. Here\u0027s what we use.\nBusinesses are built upon the architecture, identity, and associations with brand. It is brand that implies value and serves as a North Star for every strategic decision a firm makes.\nWe like this as there is no mention of a logo or a strapline. It\u0027s a call to action. Start building value with brand through architecture, identity and association. Whatever definition you go for, introduce it and keep bringing it back.\nAs a rule, I share definitions of all things brand-related everywhere. Brand is such a sloppy discipline that you can\u0027t assume everyone sees it the same way you do. Bring everyone with you by sharing your definitions.\nTie brand to the success of the business\nBrand strategy is business strategy. Look to tie the brand objectives to the business objectives. This lifts you above being the \u0022colouring-in department\u0022. Brand should be a revenue generator, not a cost.\nIt\u0027s depressing when we talk to brand people, and they tell you that they just don\u0027t have this guidance. And it\u0027s not as if they\u0027ve not asked. But without this foundational detail, you\u0027re creating \u0022brand stuff\u0022. Brand stuff is the beginning of the end. You\u0027re creating comms with no focus and no direction. That ends up in no point. If you\u0027re in that hole, how can you find that strategic direction?\nIf you\u0027re a listed company, then an annual report is ideal. They have to highlight risks to the business, risks that brand may be able to help with. Failing that, talk to the sales team. They\u0027re at the coal face; they understand what works and what doesn\u0027t. We love talking to sales teams. They can be a source of quick and dirty customer journey insights and can offer you guidance that can help create real change. They are a great place to start if you want to push beyond the nonsense brand stuff.\nShare, share, share\nTwo things can be true at the same time. At Good, we believe that a strong recognition of what brand can do for a business is vital. We also know that a lot of people don\u0027t care about brand. We\u0027re comfortable with that tension; we know it matters when it matters. We know that \u0022when\u0022 is only when you need it to.\nIf sales are going well, it\u0027s assumed it\u0027s down to that new product. Or because of that groovy sales technique. Brand tends to hide its light under a bushel. It can be hard to prove the impact. Understanding the impact and how it ties back to your definition is important. Show how it is building a stronger business. Show how you\u0027re making brand matter within your organisation by showing growth. Whenever you can, share this. It all helps build your brand leadership position.\nThese are obvious on the face of it. However, as we\u0027ve worked with organisations and helped define their brand strategy, hitting these points has helped the adoption of the initial process and the ongoing rollout of any changes. This will make your brand better understood, respected, and valued within your business.\n  ","summary":"Over the years, we\u2019ve been lucky enough to work with brands that are all on board with what brand can add to their business. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-03-12T11:06:06+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5414","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/do-you-need-advanced-brand-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Do You Need Advanced Brand Strategy?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEver opened a head? Like, a human head. With a bonesaw.\u00a0Then gone in and fixed that brain inside the head? No? Probably because it sounds hard, like brain surgery. It is hard. It\u0026#039;s, you know, brain surgery. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDo you know what isn\u2019t brain surgery? Branding. Not that you\u2019d know if you looked about it. I got an email the other day from someone trying to work with us saying that he specialised in \u003Cem\u003Eadvanced\u003C\/em\u003E brand strategy. Advanced!\u00a0I mean. Sake. Elevating something straightforward into brain surgery. Do you need advanced? Let me smack you with three thoughts I\u2019ve got on this.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EBranding is not difficult\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it is complicated. The fundamentals of branding a business are not hard. We believe that these fundamentals break into four pieces.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EClarity of message\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECustomer understanding\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EStrong creative\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDisciplined execution\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is what builds a brand. Easy. What makes it complicated is people. Bringing together disparate views from people in all business areas, views that are usually more emotional than you would imagine, and bringing alignment to that can be... well, interesting. But this isn\u2019t brain surgery; it\u2019s empathy, understanding, tact, and appreciation that people can be more attached to a logo for reasons that may seem illogical but can be understandable. You don\u2019t need to be advanced to do this; bring objectivity, understanding and pragmatism.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003ENo one cares about your brand\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHeretical. I suggest that those in an advanced brand place believe that your brand is the nexus of our civilisation. It is not. People do not care about your brand. They do not want a relationship with your brand. They want their child to go to sleep. But if your brand helps their child go to sleep, they may then be interested in you. This is the truth; no one cares about your brand until they care about your brand. And that is a one-way relationship; they want something you got, and you give them it at a fair price with good service and a reliable outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore that, all you can do is remind people that you have a thing that can make their child go to sleep. Until then, you\u0027ll be over in that corner, just waiting. Just keep repeating that message creatively and memorably. That\u0027s it. It\u0027s not that hard. What makes it hard is the expectation that a brand campaign will yield immediate results; it may not, but if applied consistently, it will over time. It will also help any activation activity you\u0027ve got. But really, be useful and be there when you\u0027re needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EBrand is not performance, but performance is brand\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve written about brand marketing vs. performance marketing before. Brand marketing, a marathon of building long-term value and customer loyalty, contrasts with performance marketing\u0027s sprint for immediate revenue. However, recent insights, including those from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/info.analyticpartners.com\/roi-genome\/flash-brand-vs-performance\/\u0022\u003EAnalytic Partners\u003C\/a\u003E, reveal a critical truth: brand marketing, by building foundational strength, not only enhances but is necessary for the success of performance marketing, outperforming it in terms of sales and ROI 80% of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis underscores the craziness of choosing one over the other; instead, a balanced approach maximises immediate outcomes and sustained growth. It\u0027s the peanut butter and chocolate of promotion. The complementary roles of brand and performance marketing: helping people know who you are when they are looking for you, ensuring the full potential of each, and avoiding the trap of short-termism for holistic, long-term success. So, if you\u0027re handed \u00a3100,000 for a performance boost in the short term, you\u0027re only going to be able to maximise the effectiveness by spending on your brand in the long term. It\u0027s not difficult to do, but given financial constraints, it can be complicated to implement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENone of this is difficult, but we, of course, accept that it is hard. It\u0027s hard to maintain consistency, and it\u0027s hard to get a budget for a campaign that doesn\u0027t immediately seem intimately connected to business performance. But these are all brand fundamentals and certainly not \u0022Advanced.\u0022 If you\u0027re looking to build a brand that lasts and performs, we\u0027re here to simplify what is considered complicated and align your strategy for long-term success.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nEver opened a head? Like, a human head. With a bonesaw.\u00a0Then gone in and fixed that brain inside the head? No? Probably because it sounds hard, like brain surgery. It is hard. It\u0026#039;s, you know, brain surgery. \nDo you know what isn\u2019t brain surgery? Branding. Not that you\u2019d know if you looked about it. I got an email the other day from someone trying to work with us saying that he specialised in advanced brand strategy. Advanced!\u00a0I mean. Sake. Elevating something straightforward into brain surgery. Do you need advanced? Let me smack you with three thoughts I\u2019ve got on this.\nBranding is not difficult\nBut it is complicated. The fundamentals of branding a business are not hard. We believe that these fundamentals break into four pieces.\nClarity of message\nCustomer understanding\nStrong creative\nDisciplined execution\nThis is what builds a brand. Easy. What makes it complicated is people. Bringing together disparate views from people in all business areas, views that are usually more emotional than you would imagine, and bringing alignment to that can be... well, interesting. But this isn\u2019t brain surgery; it\u2019s empathy, understanding, tact, and appreciation that people can be more attached to a logo for reasons that may seem illogical but can be understandable. You don\u2019t need to be advanced to do this; bring objectivity, understanding and pragmatism.\nNo one cares about your brand\nHeretical. I suggest that those in an advanced brand place believe that your brand is the nexus of our civilisation. It is not. People do not care about your brand. They do not want a relationship with your brand. They want their child to go to sleep. But if your brand helps their child go to sleep, they may then be interested in you. This is the truth; no one cares about your brand until they care about your brand. And that is a one-way relationship; they want something you got, and you give them it at a fair price with good service and a reliable outcome.\nBefore that, all you can do is remind people that you have a thing that can make their child go to sleep. Until then, you\u0027ll be over in that corner, just waiting. Just keep repeating that message creatively and memorably. That\u0027s it. It\u0027s not that hard. What makes it hard is the expectation that a brand campaign will yield immediate results; it may not, but if applied consistently, it will over time. It will also help any activation activity you\u0027ve got. But really, be useful and be there when you\u0027re needed.\nBrand is not performance, but performance is brand\nWe\u0027ve written about brand marketing vs. performance marketing before. Brand marketing, a marathon of building long-term value and customer loyalty, contrasts with performance marketing\u0027s sprint for immediate revenue. However, recent insights, including those from Analytic Partners, reveal a critical truth: brand marketing, by building foundational strength, not only enhances but is necessary for the success of performance marketing, outperforming it in terms of sales and ROI 80% of the time.\nThis underscores the craziness of choosing one over the other; instead, a balanced approach maximises immediate outcomes and sustained growth. It\u0027s the peanut butter and chocolate of promotion. The complementary roles of brand and performance marketing: helping people know who you are when they are looking for you, ensuring the full potential of each, and avoiding the trap of short-termism for holistic, long-term success. So, if you\u0027re handed \u00a3100,000 for a performance boost in the short term, you\u0027re only going to be able to maximise the effectiveness by spending on your brand in the long term. It\u0027s not difficult to do, but given financial constraints, it can be complicated to implement.\nNone of this is difficult, but we, of course, accept that it is hard. It\u0027s hard to maintain consistency, and it\u0027s hard to get a budget for a campaign that doesn\u0027t immediately seem intimately connected to business performance. But these are all brand fundamentals and certainly not \u0022Advanced.\u0022 If you\u0027re looking to build a brand that lasts and performs, we\u0027re here to simplify what is considered complicated and align your strategy for long-term success.\n  ","summary":"Ever opened a head? Like, a human head. With a bonesaw.\u00a0Then gone in and fixed that brain inside the head? No? Probably because it sounds hard, like brain surgery. It is hard. It\u0027s, you know, brain surgery.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-03-07T15:15:06+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5415","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/decoding-brand-confusion-aligning-agency-expertise-executive-vision","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Decoding Brand Confusion: Aligning Agency Expertise with Executive Vision","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re often brought into branding projects when things have gone wrong, or a previous branding project has run out of steam.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd I\u2019m always surprised when I hear that the previous agency didn\u2019t necessarily have the domain expertise, but they gave the brand a shot. This phenomenon occurs when agencies, desperately vying for projects, claim expertise in everything from design and advertising to PR and digital. As industries fragment, the confusion deepens, making it harder for clients to distinguish between agencies and their core competencies. But for me it also raises questions about the esteem in which \u2018brand\u2019 is held, even within marketing circles.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffering Perspectives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my view the crux of the issue lies in differing perspectives on brand. While some view brand as an executional opportunity for designing logos and creating communications; others can see it as a strategic function intricately tied to a commercial plan. I know this is the case in the agency world \u2013 it\u2019s where the generalist v\u2019s specialist positioning comes from. And I\u2019ve been involved in enough client conversations to know that it\u2019s probably true on that side of the fence too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe key point, I suppose, is that you\u2019re not going to \u2018design\u2019 your way to a more profitable business unless you\u2019re very clear on the strategic context it\u2019s within. And first things first, branding as a discipline, should seek to understand its impact on a business\u0027s bottom line. It requires delving deep into the commercial context, engaging with sales teams to uncover selling challenges, and asking the fundamental question: How will spending money on a client\u0027s brand either make them money or save them money?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShort Termism\u2019s A Problem\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEverything nowadays is wanted instantly, and this in the inherent challenge with branding. It just takes time, and its returns are probabilistic in nature, rather than deterministic. Unlike the short-term gains promised by performance marketing, brand investments yield results over years, not months or weeks. The business landscape\u0027s increasing short-term focus hinders the willingness to invest time in building a brand properly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI believe that this short-termism also pushes more generalist agencies into execution, accepting the self-diagnosed brief at face value to secure short-term revenue. And this devalues the discipline because it\u2019s about execution rather than value creation. The client isn\u2019t always right and it\u2019s the role of brand strategy experts to use their objectivity to step back and trace the problem back to its source, addressing the root cause rather than the symptom. It\u2019s a longer and harder path, but probably the right one.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt all starts with Strong Foundations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur enduring belief is that strong brands are built on solid foundations - vision, mission, and values which are simple, coherent, and easily understood across the business. Too often you see these types of documents written in a pompous or patronising tone, using high minded language and management speak, to make them seem important or esoteric. Simplicity should drive the communication here. Only then can clear-headed brand communications be built.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThen Understand the Customer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce the brand is defined, understanding the customer becomes paramount. Many briefs are based on received wisdom, an outdated, sanitised customer profile - or worse, a persona that bears no resemblance to reality. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean commissioning expensive and lengthy research; but it means taking a bit of time out to think about the customers, how they buy, who they\u2019re competing with and how you can affect them. Again, these areas are of interest to brand specialists, but may be overlooked by the generalist.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeware the Bandwagon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother risk in the agency world is the bandwagon effect, and there are plenty to jump on. Trends such as purpose, sustainability, and stand-alone employer brands can be counter-productive to brands that are not well defined at their core, leading to fragmentation and confusion. These philosophies are not one-size-fits-all and should align with the brand\u0027s true identity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, the enduring obsession with tools like social media, programmatic, and AI distract from enduring principles around customer behaviour. Jeff Bezos got it right when he said that customer expectations don\u2019t change over the long term, and this is where brands should put their effort.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cumulative effect of bad advice, accepting client briefs at face value, and chasing trends creates confusion and waste. Agencies must be clear about their discipline and domain expertise, and clients, in turn, should be discerning about who they hire for specific tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuccessful branding requires a common-sense approach, avoiding fads and trends. It boils down to defining the brand, understanding the customer journey, creating a brand strategy aligned with the business strategy, and focusing on the value returned or saved. Branding, like anything else, is a simple business made complicated by those who don\u0027t truly understand it. It\u0027s time to cut through the noise and get back to the basics.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u2019re often brought into branding projects when things have gone wrong, or a previous branding project has run out of steam.  \nAnd I\u2019m always surprised when I hear that the previous agency didn\u2019t necessarily have the domain expertise, but they gave the brand a shot. This phenomenon occurs when agencies, desperately vying for projects, claim expertise in everything from design and advertising to PR and digital. As industries fragment, the confusion deepens, making it harder for clients to distinguish between agencies and their core competencies. But for me it also raises questions about the esteem in which \u2018brand\u2019 is held, even within marketing circles.\u0026nbsp;Differing PerspectivesIn my view the crux of the issue lies in differing perspectives on brand. While some view brand as an executional opportunity for designing logos and creating communications; others can see it as a strategic function intricately tied to a commercial plan. I know this is the case in the agency world \u2013 it\u2019s where the generalist v\u2019s specialist positioning comes from. And I\u2019ve been involved in enough client conversations to know that it\u2019s probably true on that side of the fence too.The key point, I suppose, is that you\u2019re not going to \u2018design\u2019 your way to a more profitable business unless you\u2019re very clear on the strategic context it\u2019s within. And first things first, branding as a discipline, should seek to understand its impact on a business\u0027s bottom line. It requires delving deep into the commercial context, engaging with sales teams to uncover selling challenges, and asking the fundamental question: How will spending money on a client\u0027s brand either make them money or save them money?\u0026nbsp;Short Termism\u2019s A ProblemEverything nowadays is wanted instantly, and this in the inherent challenge with branding. It just takes time, and its returns are probabilistic in nature, rather than deterministic. Unlike the short-term gains promised by performance marketing, brand investments yield results over years, not months or weeks. The business landscape\u0027s increasing short-term focus hinders the willingness to invest time in building a brand properly.I believe that this short-termism also pushes more generalist agencies into execution, accepting the self-diagnosed brief at face value to secure short-term revenue. And this devalues the discipline because it\u2019s about execution rather than value creation. The client isn\u2019t always right and it\u2019s the role of brand strategy experts to use their objectivity to step back and trace the problem back to its source, addressing the root cause rather than the symptom. It\u2019s a longer and harder path, but probably the right one.\u0026nbsp;It all starts with Strong FoundationsOur enduring belief is that strong brands are built on solid foundations - vision, mission, and values which are simple, coherent, and easily understood across the business. Too often you see these types of documents written in a pompous or patronising tone, using high minded language and management speak, to make them seem important or esoteric. Simplicity should drive the communication here. Only then can clear-headed brand communications be built.\u0026nbsp;Then Understand the CustomerOnce the brand is defined, understanding the customer becomes paramount. Many briefs are based on received wisdom, an outdated, sanitised customer profile - or worse, a persona that bears no resemblance to reality. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean commissioning expensive and lengthy research; but it means taking a bit of time out to think about the customers, how they buy, who they\u2019re competing with and how you can affect them. Again, these areas are of interest to brand specialists, but may be overlooked by the generalist.\u0026nbsp;Beware the BandwagonAnother risk in the agency world is the bandwagon effect, and there are plenty to jump on. Trends such as purpose, sustainability, and stand-alone employer brands can be counter-productive to brands that are not well defined at their core, leading to fragmentation and confusion. These philosophies are not one-size-fits-all and should align with the brand\u0027s true identity.Similarly, the enduring obsession with tools like social media, programmatic, and AI distract from enduring principles around customer behaviour. Jeff Bezos got it right when he said that customer expectations don\u2019t change over the long term, and this is where brands should put their effort.The cumulative effect of bad advice, accepting client briefs at face value, and chasing trends creates confusion and waste. Agencies must be clear about their discipline and domain expertise, and clients, in turn, should be discerning about who they hire for specific tasks.Successful branding requires a common-sense approach, avoiding fads and trends. It boils down to defining the brand, understanding the customer journey, creating a brand strategy aligned with the business strategy, and focusing on the value returned or saved. Branding, like anything else, is a simple business made complicated by those who don\u0027t truly understand it. It\u0027s time to cut through the noise and get back to the basics.  ","summary":"We\u2019re often brought into branding projects when things have gone wrong, or a previous branding project has run out of steam. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-02-13T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5416","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/lost-art-brand-naming","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Lost Art of Brand Naming","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003E Like deciphering coffee menus, obscure business branding can lead to confusion, affecting sales. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI like to think of myself as a confident consumer, but not if I\u2019m ordering coffee. When it\u2019s my turn I freeze as I\u2019m confronted with a menu of unfamiliar \u201cspecialty\u201d drinks. What exactly is the difference between a honey latte and a golden turmeric chai? Why are there five different types of cortados? I typically panic and default to a boring \u201ccoffee with milk\u201d rather than risk ordering the wrong thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis experience highlights how arcane naming conventions have real impacts - in this case, consumer frustration and lost sales for shops. Yet while the stakes seem low for my cortado conundrum, this same naming problem plagues B2B corporations with much higher consequences.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike consumer sectors where clever names may briefly intrigue buyers, B2B companies require rigorous naming conventions for their complex industrial equipment, product ranges, software platforms and more. Yet despite the need for clarity, the actual naming process is an afterthought. The results? Not only confused buyers, but massive inefficiencies for sales teams struggling to articulate offerings.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m struck by how different sectors take drastically differing approaches to how they go about naming. Medicine and science understand that inconsistent naming conventions waste tremendous resources. Misnamed pharmaceuticals can result in patient harm or death. Duplicate species names cause misdirected research efforts. In these cases, the simple lessons of making things easier and removing friction have been learned the hard way over decades. No-one would argue that the systems we have today are better than a generic free for all, where names are trivialised or ignored.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet this is where we find companies selling to other companies. They\u2019re generally oblivious to these lessons when it comes to naming their intricate product lines or sophisticated software platforms. Why is that? Perhaps it\u2019s because the consequences are so opaque at the time of naming and don\u2019t culminate in a singular catastrophic event. An unclear pharmaceutical name directly causes patient harm. But opaque B2B naming leads to gradual revenue erosion; frustrated sales teams who can\u0027t cleanly communicate offerings, bids lost to competitors that seem marginally clearer or partners so perplexed they walk away. The costs accrue slowly, so companies turn a blind eye.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, confusing naming conventions in B2B sap growth just as much as direct medical errors. The tangled web of brands, sub-brands and model numbers minimise discoverability. It requires costly sales support to explain offerings multiple times over to puzzled prospects. And it handicaps word-of-mouth, as even satisfied customers struggle to remember the name of whatever overly complex CRM, predictive analytics dashboard, or IoT infrastructure they implemented last fiscal year.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe antidote is rigorous conventions that emphasise clarity over cleverness.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA Better Approach\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs brand strategists who often advise B2B clients on naming, we propose a simple convention focused on clarity rather than cleverness:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMother brand name + description of product = name\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, Acme Security, makers of encryption software is releasing a new automotive security system. Per our system, the range would logically be titled \u0022Acme Security Auto\u0022 or \u201cAS Auto\u201d with model numbers used to distinguish specific offerings within the line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis clear syntax enhances understanding while building ongoing recognition of the parent brand. The goal is for Acme\u0027s customers (and sales team) to immediately understand both what a product does and its source. This reduces duplication efforts from associates and confusion for clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENaming methodologies may not attract headlines, but thoughtful conventions underpin business success. They ease discoverability for buyers, creating organic opportunities for conversation and sales. In B2B, naming should never be an amusement or a gimmick. Given its outsized business impact, it merits time, thought and standardisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \n Like deciphering coffee menus, obscure business branding can lead to confusion, affecting sales. \nI like to think of myself as a confident consumer, but not if I\u2019m ordering coffee. When it\u2019s my turn I freeze as I\u2019m confronted with a menu of unfamiliar \u201cspecialty\u201d drinks. What exactly is the difference between a honey latte and a golden turmeric chai? Why are there five different types of cortados? I typically panic and default to a boring \u201ccoffee with milk\u201d rather than risk ordering the wrong thing.\nThis experience highlights how arcane naming conventions have real impacts - in this case, consumer frustration and lost sales for shops. Yet while the stakes seem low for my cortado conundrum, this same naming problem plagues B2B corporations with much higher consequences.\nUnlike consumer sectors where clever names may briefly intrigue buyers, B2B companies require rigorous naming conventions for their complex industrial equipment, product ranges, software platforms and more. Yet despite the need for clarity, the actual naming process is an afterthought. The results? Not only confused buyers, but massive inefficiencies for sales teams struggling to articulate offerings.\nI\u2019m struck by how different sectors take drastically differing approaches to how they go about naming. Medicine and science understand that inconsistent naming conventions waste tremendous resources. Misnamed pharmaceuticals can result in patient harm or death. Duplicate species names cause misdirected research efforts. In these cases, the simple lessons of making things easier and removing friction have been learned the hard way over decades. No-one would argue that the systems we have today are better than a generic free for all, where names are trivialised or ignored.\nYet this is where we find companies selling to other companies. They\u2019re generally oblivious to these lessons when it comes to naming their intricate product lines or sophisticated software platforms. Why is that? Perhaps it\u2019s because the consequences are so opaque at the time of naming and don\u2019t culminate in a singular catastrophic event. An unclear pharmaceutical name directly causes patient harm. But opaque B2B naming leads to gradual revenue erosion; frustrated sales teams who can\u0027t cleanly communicate offerings, bids lost to competitors that seem marginally clearer or partners so perplexed they walk away. The costs accrue slowly, so companies turn a blind eye.\nStill, confusing naming conventions in B2B sap growth just as much as direct medical errors. The tangled web of brands, sub-brands and model numbers minimise discoverability. It requires costly sales support to explain offerings multiple times over to puzzled prospects. And it handicaps word-of-mouth, as even satisfied customers struggle to remember the name of whatever overly complex CRM, predictive analytics dashboard, or IoT infrastructure they implemented last fiscal year.\nThe antidote is rigorous conventions that emphasise clarity over cleverness.\nA Better ApproachAs brand strategists who often advise B2B clients on naming, we propose a simple convention focused on clarity rather than cleverness:\nMother brand name + description of product = name\nFor example, Acme Security, makers of encryption software is releasing a new automotive security system. Per our system, the range would logically be titled \u0022Acme Security Auto\u0022 or \u201cAS Auto\u201d with model numbers used to distinguish specific offerings within the line.\nThis clear syntax enhances understanding while building ongoing recognition of the parent brand. The goal is for Acme\u0027s customers (and sales team) to immediately understand both what a product does and its source. This reduces duplication efforts from associates and confusion for clients.\nNaming methodologies may not attract headlines, but thoughtful conventions underpin business success. They ease discoverability for buyers, creating organic opportunities for conversation and sales. In B2B, naming should never be an amusement or a gimmick. Given its outsized business impact, it merits time, thought and standardisation.\n  ","summary":" Like deciphering coffee menus, obscure business branding can lead to confusion, affecting sales.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-01-10T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5716","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-guideline-guidelines","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Guideline Guidelines","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe chat with Mike Hunter, our associate design director here at Good, about the dos and don\u0026#039;ts when it comes to what many businesses see as the end of the brand process, the brand guidelines. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMike wrote an article on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-guidelines-how-get-most-out-them\u0022\u003Ebrand guidelines\u003C\/a\u003E that you can read through at your leisure on the Good website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/bf82b139\/665e401a.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe chat with Mike Hunter, our associate design director here at Good, about the dos and don\u0026#039;ts when it comes to what many businesses see as the end of the brand process, the brand guidelines. \nMike wrote an article on brand guidelines that you can read through at your leisure on the Good website.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We chat with Mike Hunter, our associate design director here at Good, about the dos and don\u0027ts when it comes to what many businesses see as the end of the brand process, the brand guidelines.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2024-01-04T10:16:37+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5417","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/does-your-business-need-sub-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Does Your Business Need a Sub Brand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a recurring issue in the B2B work we do \u2013 and our answer to the question \u2018should we create a new sub brand?\u2019 is almost always \u2018no\u2019. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo confident have I become in this answer that I\u2019m considering printing it onto an A-frame board and wandering around the streets wearing it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve written and podcast loads on the issue about products, portfolios and brand architecture more broadly, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever written a piece about sub brands specifically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first thing to say is that I completely understand how it happens and why it seems to make sense. It\u2019s one of the curses of marketing that the temptation to \u2018be creative\u2019 and create something new is very alluring. That\u2019s why we write (in another piece) about\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/most-important-aspect-modern-branding-discipline\u0022\u003Ediscipline\u0026nbsp;being one of the most important factors in modern marketing\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u2019s not about being creative (that\u2019s not marketing\u2019s job) it\u2019s about being commercial, consistent and sensible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut be warned. It\u2019s a slippery slope, and once you\u2019re past the sugar high of creating something nice, shiny and new \u2013 that\u2019s when things get tricky. Here\u2019s my list of watchouts and observations on why I think sub brands are not the answer in the B2B space.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EB2B v B2C\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a reason companies in the B2C space adopt House of Brand structures (e.g., P\u0026amp;G). They have many millions of consumers which means the market can support multiple brand offerings across different sectors. The B2B brands we work with tend to have much smaller customer bases, focussed in niche sectors which means they don\u2019t need multiple brands.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s Probably a Product; not a Brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s the difference? Good question. Brands are things that transcend the functional role the product or service plays. They embody the intangible aspects of a business, including its mission, vision and values, which build up a set of associations in a consumer\u2019s head that (in time) can affect purchasing decisions. It takes a lot of time and money to first define these intangible elements and establish the associations in consumer\u2019s\u0026nbsp;heads. So, if you\u2019re not going to go all in and invest in the brand, it\u2019s probably better to label it as a product and slot it into the existing portfolio.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECost\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs above, it\u2019s time consuming and expensive to define a brand and build it. And once it\u2019s done, you must maintain it. That means people, websites, packaging, events \u0026amp; stands, social media feeds - the list goes on and on. Brands are like spinning plates\u2026you have to keep tending to them and investing, or they\u2019ll fall off. All these costs are incremental to the costs associated with the main parent brand.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManpower and Expertise\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the cost, it takes a decent amount of experience and knowledge to manage brands well. A lot of it is common sense, but as we know, common sense isn\u2019t very common, and you\u2019ll need to find people who know what they\u2019re doing. That can be challenging. In our time, we\u2019ve seen people placed into \u2018brand\u2019 roles with no experience or understanding of what\u2019s really required, and we know how that film tends to end.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESetting a Precedent\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce a sub brand\u2019s been created, it\u2019s easier for others to do so again. Soon, you\u2019ll have HR creating a stand-alone employer brand and IT designing logos for their branded fleeces. Again, the point about made about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/most-important-aspect-modern-branding-discipline\u0022\u003Ediscipline\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConfusion\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreate too many sub brands and people get confused. Customers drift to the competition where it\u2019s easier to buy, and staff become frustrated. This is the most common complaint we get from stakeholder groups when we\u2019re brought in to consult. And from this point forward it tends to be an inexorable march toward simplification and consolidation.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEquity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChances are you\u2019ll have some brand equity in the main brand. And that means something to a consumer. Why throw all of that out and start again? (see cost point above). Better to piggyback on it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Think of it this way\u2026when Coke invented a sugar free version of Coke, they didn\u2019t call it \u2018ZeroSweet\u2019; they called it Diet Coke.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENever Seen One\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI started this business 20 years ago, and in that time, I can honestly say that I\u2019ve never seen a B2B client run a \u2018sub-brand\u2019 successfully. Contrast that to the hundreds of sub brand (products) we\u2019ve re-integrated into a main corporate brand across scores of projects. I guess that says it all.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn summing up, I\u2019m not saying that the creation of a sub brand is never the right answer. Of course, there will be occasions when it does make sense to build something new. What I\u2019m saying is that in B2B particularly, these occasions are relatively rare and should be underpinned with some solid strategic thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re untangling a brand architecture question or trying to stop it from getting more tangled, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/brand-architecture-naming\u0022\u003Ethat\u2019s exactly what we do.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThis is a recurring issue in the B2B work we do \u2013 and our answer to the question \u2018should we create a new sub brand?\u2019 is almost always \u2018no\u2019. \nSo confident have I become in this answer that I\u2019m considering printing it onto an A-frame board and wandering around the streets wearing it.We\u2019ve written and podcast loads on the issue about products, portfolios and brand architecture more broadly, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever written a piece about sub brands specifically.The first thing to say is that I completely understand how it happens and why it seems to make sense. It\u2019s one of the curses of marketing that the temptation to \u2018be creative\u2019 and create something new is very alluring. That\u2019s why we write (in another piece) about\u0026nbsp;discipline\u0026nbsp;being one of the most important factors in modern marketing. It\u2019s not about being creative (that\u2019s not marketing\u2019s job) it\u2019s about being commercial, consistent and sensible.But be warned. It\u2019s a slippery slope, and once you\u2019re past the sugar high of creating something nice, shiny and new \u2013 that\u2019s when things get tricky. Here\u2019s my list of watchouts and observations on why I think sub brands are not the answer in the B2B space.\u0026nbsp;B2B v B2CThere\u2019s a reason companies in the B2C space adopt House of Brand structures (e.g., P\u0026amp;G). They have many millions of consumers which means the market can support multiple brand offerings across different sectors. The B2B brands we work with tend to have much smaller customer bases, focussed in niche sectors which means they don\u2019t need multiple brands.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s Probably a Product; not a Brand.What\u2019s the difference? Good question. Brands are things that transcend the functional role the product or service plays. They embody the intangible aspects of a business, including its mission, vision and values, which build up a set of associations in a consumer\u2019s head that (in time) can affect purchasing decisions. It takes a lot of time and money to first define these intangible elements and establish the associations in consumer\u2019s\u0026nbsp;heads. So, if you\u2019re not going to go all in and invest in the brand, it\u2019s probably better to label it as a product and slot it into the existing portfolio.\u0026nbsp;CostAs above, it\u2019s time consuming and expensive to define a brand and build it. And once it\u2019s done, you must maintain it. That means people, websites, packaging, events \u0026amp; stands, social media feeds - the list goes on and on. Brands are like spinning plates\u2026you have to keep tending to them and investing, or they\u2019ll fall off. All these costs are incremental to the costs associated with the main parent brand.\u0026nbsp;Manpower and ExpertiseIn addition to the cost, it takes a decent amount of experience and knowledge to manage brands well. A lot of it is common sense, but as we know, common sense isn\u2019t very common, and you\u2019ll need to find people who know what they\u2019re doing. That can be challenging. In our time, we\u2019ve seen people placed into \u2018brand\u2019 roles with no experience or understanding of what\u2019s really required, and we know how that film tends to end.\u0026nbsp;Setting a PrecedentOnce a sub brand\u2019s been created, it\u2019s easier for others to do so again. Soon, you\u2019ll have HR creating a stand-alone employer brand and IT designing logos for their branded fleeces. Again, the point about made about discipline.\u0026nbsp;ConfusionCreate too many sub brands and people get confused. Customers drift to the competition where it\u2019s easier to buy, and staff become frustrated. This is the most common complaint we get from stakeholder groups when we\u2019re brought in to consult. And from this point forward it tends to be an inexorable march toward simplification and consolidation.\u0026nbsp;EquityChances are you\u2019ll have some brand equity in the main brand. And that means something to a consumer. Why throw all of that out and start again? (see cost point above). Better to piggyback on it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Think of it this way\u2026when Coke invented a sugar free version of Coke, they didn\u2019t call it \u2018ZeroSweet\u2019; they called it Diet Coke.\u0026nbsp;Never Seen OneI started this business 20 years ago, and in that time, I can honestly say that I\u2019ve never seen a B2B client run a \u2018sub-brand\u2019 successfully. Contrast that to the hundreds of sub brand (products) we\u2019ve re-integrated into a main corporate brand across scores of projects. I guess that says it all.\u0026nbsp;In summing up, I\u2019m not saying that the creation of a sub brand is never the right answer. Of course, there will be occasions when it does make sense to build something new. What I\u2019m saying is that in B2B particularly, these occasions are relatively rare and should be underpinned with some solid strategic thinking.If you\u2019re untangling a brand architecture question or trying to stop it from getting more tangled, that\u2019s exactly what we do.  ","summary":"This is a recurring issue in the B2B work we do \u2013 and our answer to the question \u2018should we create a new sub brand?\u2019 is almost always \u2018no\u2019.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-12-04T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5418","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-guidelines-how-get-most-out-them","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Guidelines: How to get the most out of them","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen executed well, a brand\u2019s guidelines are an essential tool that facilitates consistent and effective application of its visual identity. The problem is when they\u2019re not done well, they do the exact opposite. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI was recently asked to read through one of our clients\u2019 newly created brand guidelines and invited to offer opinions on how they might be improved. I was happy to accept, and doing so made me realise that I think a lot about brand guidelines \u2013 certainly more than would be healthy for anyone not working in the realm of branding and design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike many designers and creatives, I interact with brand guidelines on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. They\u2019re a regular feature of almost every project I\u2019ve ever worked on, and at this point, I\u2019ve seen enough of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly to notice more than a few common trends in how they\u2019re executed. When done properly, they\u2019re an essential part of a brand\u2019s toolset \u2013 facilitating consistent application of its visual identity across a range of applications and formats. The flip side is that when they\u2019re poorly executed, they quickly become a hindrance, a confusing blend of cast-iron rules and creative ambiguity that hampers the ability of creative teams to work effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, I\u0027m going to share some thoughts on what\u0026nbsp;makes brand guidelines an impediment rather than a boon to the brands, designers and creative teams that work with them and \u2013 more importantly \u2013 how to make them more useful to ensure consistency and discipline in your communications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EObservations - the challenges\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe expectations for guidelines are wildly ambitious.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EBrand guidelines aren\u2019t a magic cure to fix problems with a brand\u2019s identity or to \u201cmake the creative better\u201d. They\u2019re a tool, functioning best as a reference point for design and creative teams to maintain standards of execution for the brand identity. Expecting them to do more than that is most likely going to lead to disappointment and a wasted budget.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAs with any tool, they\u2019re only as effective as the people using them.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EI can give a hammer and a saw to 10 different tradespeople. One might build me an artisan rocking horse, while others will struggle to fix a squeaky door hinge \u2013 but I wouldn\u2019t correlate the outcome with the tools in either case. Likewise, you can\u2019t expect to hand the same guidelines to a global creative director and an in-house junior designer and expect equivalent results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThey\u2019re becoming increasingly bloated and over-complicated.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIs a technical document \u2013 intended to aid the execution of visual identity standards \u2013 really the right place to keep the more esoteric and strategic aspects of your brand\u2019s foundations, positioning and strategy? Is that information useful to the intended audience? I\u2019d argue not.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThere\u2019s a practical argument for keeping everything in one place, but the reality is that it usually leads to overbearing, over-complicated documents that are difficult to navigate and make it a chore to find the information a design team needs to perform effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIf they\u2019re a labour of love, they\u2019re often laborious to use.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDesigners can be guilty of taking an inordinate amount of pleasure in relaying the most minute details of a brand identity. In a sense, you can\u2019t blame them \u2013 it\u2019s attention to the little things that make good designers great \u2013 but there comes a point where too much information becomes, at best, restrictive and, at worst, confusing. There\u2019s a lot to be said for conciseness, allowing users to find the information they need quickly. Nobody wants to sit and read 100+ pages from cover to cover in the hope of stumbling blindly upon the correct pixel values for a button\u2019s rounded corners...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho\u2019s enforcing them?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGuidelines are effectively worthless if nobody is responsible for ensuring that the design output meets the standards outlined in the document.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThere\u2019s often some standardised content (colour values, font choices, etc), but I\u2019d argue there are just as many considerations to be made that are tied to an organisation\u2019s unique internal makeup: How many people will use the document? Are they all designers? What level of education and training will they have? Are we looking to inspire high-level creative thinking, or simply ensure our emails use the correct tint of red? Assuming you can simply drop generic content into a document and produce bespoke, tailored design work is hopeful at best and naive at worst.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESome thoughts - the \u0027solutions\u0027\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInterrogate your needs before you put pen to paper.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt helps outline the purpose of your guidelines as early as possible. Who are they for? What do you want your audience to do with the document? Identifying what you need the document to do gives you objective aims to benchmark its success against.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefine how much content you need.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIs this a quick-fix troubleshooting guide for day-to-day comms delivery, or a deep dive into the brand that inspires creativity from external agencies and partners? Outlining the answers to these types of questions should help map out relevant information to meet your objectives while avoiding bloat and scope creep later down the line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgree to a stance on flexibility versus rigidity.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt\u2019s helpful to decide if you want designers to follow every instruction to a tee, or if you trust them to make informed decisions and \u2013 within reason \u2013 bend the rules a little with your brand\u2019s identity. There are pros and cons to both attitudes, but at the very least, you can assess the content in your guidelines through the lens of how strictly it adheres to either approach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIdentify a suitable format to deliver your content.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIs this a one-and-done document that you\u2019re confident will be set in stone and won\u2019t change any time soon? Then a PDF or printed format might suit your needs best. Is it likely the content will need to evolve and change regularly over the short to medium term? Then perhaps a digital delivery might make more sense. Maybe you want every single person who ever comes across your guidelines to have the ability to change the document at will with no means of tracking the master copy. Just drop it into PowerPoint, I guess...\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn all seriousness, while there\u2019s always the cold reality of budgets and time frames to consider, there\u2019s also a false economy to creating fixed, rigid documents that, while cheaper in the short term, consume excess time and budget to update in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWireframe, paginate and iterate.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ERather than diving into page 01 of 100 and working through the document in painstaking, linear detail, try to draft content in broad brushstrokes across the whole document. Planning and iterating on the content helps identify where information is best placed and gives you a feel for the entire project rather than getting caught up in minute details and missing the bigger picture. You\u2019ll naturally get into the details as the project progresses \u2013 but with a better understanding of how the document functions and (hopefully) fewer big mistakes or glaring omissions to address at the last moment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIdentify who\u2019s enforcing your brand standards.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs I mentioned earlier \u2013 guidelines are next to useless if nobody\u2019s ensuring the work you\u2019re producing adheres to the guidance they contain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinally, don\u2019t stick them in a drawer and forget about them!\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne of the most common mistakes I see from teams is assuming that once the guidelines are signed off, they are set in stone. We\u2019re not talking about the Ten Commandments here; brands and businesses evolve, grow, and develop over time. It stands to reason that their guidelines should reflect that.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDon\u2019t be afraid to let the dust settle; live with them for a while, then reflect on where they could be improved or streamlined. Running a comb through your guidelines now and again will help to ensure they\u2019re as relevant \u2013 and as useful \u2013 as possible. And if you\u2019d like some help doing that or just a second opinion, the team at Good would be more than happy to offer some assistance.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhen executed well, a brand\u2019s guidelines are an essential tool that facilitates consistent and effective application of its visual identity. The problem is when they\u2019re not done well, they do the exact opposite. \nI was recently asked to read through one of our clients\u2019 newly created brand guidelines and invited to offer opinions on how they might be improved. I was happy to accept, and doing so made me realise that I think a lot about brand guidelines \u2013 certainly more than would be healthy for anyone not working in the realm of branding and design.Like many designers and creatives, I interact with brand guidelines on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. They\u2019re a regular feature of almost every project I\u2019ve ever worked on, and at this point, I\u2019ve seen enough of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly to notice more than a few common trends in how they\u2019re executed. When done properly, they\u2019re an essential part of a brand\u2019s toolset \u2013 facilitating consistent application of its visual identity across a range of applications and formats. The flip side is that when they\u2019re poorly executed, they quickly become a hindrance, a confusing blend of cast-iron rules and creative ambiguity that hampers the ability of creative teams to work effectively.So, I\u0027m going to share some thoughts on what\u0026nbsp;makes brand guidelines an impediment rather than a boon to the brands, designers and creative teams that work with them and \u2013 more importantly \u2013 how to make them more useful to ensure consistency and discipline in your communications.\u0026nbsp;Observations - the challengesThe expectations for guidelines are wildly ambitious.\u0026nbsp;Brand guidelines aren\u2019t a magic cure to fix problems with a brand\u2019s identity or to \u201cmake the creative better\u201d. They\u2019re a tool, functioning best as a reference point for design and creative teams to maintain standards of execution for the brand identity. Expecting them to do more than that is most likely going to lead to disappointment and a wasted budget.As with any tool, they\u2019re only as effective as the people using them.I can give a hammer and a saw to 10 different tradespeople. One might build me an artisan rocking horse, while others will struggle to fix a squeaky door hinge \u2013 but I wouldn\u2019t correlate the outcome with the tools in either case. Likewise, you can\u2019t expect to hand the same guidelines to a global creative director and an in-house junior designer and expect equivalent results.They\u2019re becoming increasingly bloated and over-complicated.Is a technical document \u2013 intended to aid the execution of visual identity standards \u2013 really the right place to keep the more esoteric and strategic aspects of your brand\u2019s foundations, positioning and strategy? Is that information useful to the intended audience? I\u2019d argue not.There\u2019s a practical argument for keeping everything in one place, but the reality is that it usually leads to overbearing, over-complicated documents that are difficult to navigate and make it a chore to find the information a design team needs to perform effectively.If they\u2019re a labour of love, they\u2019re often laborious to use.Designers can be guilty of taking an inordinate amount of pleasure in relaying the most minute details of a brand identity. In a sense, you can\u2019t blame them \u2013 it\u2019s attention to the little things that make good designers great \u2013 but there comes a point where too much information becomes, at best, restrictive and, at worst, confusing. There\u2019s a lot to be said for conciseness, allowing users to find the information they need quickly. Nobody wants to sit and read 100+ pages from cover to cover in the hope of stumbling blindly upon the correct pixel values for a button\u2019s rounded corners...Who\u2019s enforcing them?Guidelines are effectively worthless if nobody is responsible for ensuring that the design output meets the standards outlined in the document.There isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution.There\u2019s often some standardised content (colour values, font choices, etc), but I\u2019d argue there are just as many considerations to be made that are tied to an organisation\u2019s unique internal makeup: How many people will use the document? Are they all designers? What level of education and training will they have? Are we looking to inspire high-level creative thinking, or simply ensure our emails use the correct tint of red? Assuming you can simply drop generic content into a document and produce bespoke, tailored design work is hopeful at best and naive at worst.Some thoughts - the \u0027solutions\u0027Interrogate your needs before you put pen to paper.It helps outline the purpose of your guidelines as early as possible. Who are they for? What do you want your audience to do with the document? Identifying what you need the document to do gives you objective aims to benchmark its success against.Define how much content you need.Is this a quick-fix troubleshooting guide for day-to-day comms delivery, or a deep dive into the brand that inspires creativity from external agencies and partners? Outlining the answers to these types of questions should help map out relevant information to meet your objectives while avoiding bloat and scope creep later down the line.Agree to a stance on flexibility versus rigidity.It\u2019s helpful to decide if you want designers to follow every instruction to a tee, or if you trust them to make informed decisions and \u2013 within reason \u2013 bend the rules a little with your brand\u2019s identity. There are pros and cons to both attitudes, but at the very least, you can assess the content in your guidelines through the lens of how strictly it adheres to either approach.\u0026nbsp;Identify a suitable format to deliver your content.Is this a one-and-done document that you\u2019re confident will be set in stone and won\u2019t change any time soon? Then a PDF or printed format might suit your needs best. Is it likely the content will need to evolve and change regularly over the short to medium term? Then perhaps a digital delivery might make more sense. Maybe you want every single person who ever comes across your guidelines to have the ability to change the document at will with no means of tracking the master copy. Just drop it into PowerPoint, I guess...In all seriousness, while there\u2019s always the cold reality of budgets and time frames to consider, there\u2019s also a false economy to creating fixed, rigid documents that, while cheaper in the short term, consume excess time and budget to update in the long run.Wireframe, paginate and iterate.Rather than diving into page 01 of 100 and working through the document in painstaking, linear detail, try to draft content in broad brushstrokes across the whole document. Planning and iterating on the content helps identify where information is best placed and gives you a feel for the entire project rather than getting caught up in minute details and missing the bigger picture. You\u2019ll naturally get into the details as the project progresses \u2013 but with a better understanding of how the document functions and (hopefully) fewer big mistakes or glaring omissions to address at the last moment.Identify who\u2019s enforcing your brand standards.As I mentioned earlier \u2013 guidelines are next to useless if nobody\u2019s ensuring the work you\u2019re producing adheres to the guidance they contain.Finally, don\u2019t stick them in a drawer and forget about them!One of the most common mistakes I see from teams is assuming that once the guidelines are signed off, they are set in stone. We\u2019re not talking about the Ten Commandments here; brands and businesses evolve, grow, and develop over time. It stands to reason that their guidelines should reflect that.Don\u2019t be afraid to let the dust settle; live with them for a while, then reflect on where they could be improved or streamlined. Running a comb through your guidelines now and again will help to ensure they\u2019re as relevant \u2013 and as useful \u2013 as possible. And if you\u2019d like some help doing that or just a second opinion, the team at Good would be more than happy to offer some assistance.  ","summary":"When executed well, a brand\u2019s guidelines are an essential tool that facilitates consistent and effective application of its visual identity. The problem is when they\u2019re not done well, they do the exact opposite.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-11-01T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Mike Hunter"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5717","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/power-positioning","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Power of Positioning","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EStewart\u0026#039;s in the US! Chris is at home! Julie is at home! \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing the power of cables and satellites, the team got together to talk about product positioning, the value that it brings to businesses and how brand helps bring it together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA blog post for you that goes into more detail on positioning: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/perfect-your-product-positioning\u0022\u003EPerfect Your Product Positioning\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/b9403d18\/a1ff88c4.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nStewart\u0026#039;s in the US! Chris is at home! Julie is at home! \nUsing the power of cables and satellites, the team got together to talk about product positioning, the value that it brings to businesses and how brand helps bring it together.A blog post for you that goes into more detail on positioning: Perfect Your Product PositioningDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Stewart\u0027s in the US! Chris is at home! Julie is at home!","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-10-30T08:14:55+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5718","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/tales-brand-trenches","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Tales from the Brand Trenches","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;re not playing around, we\u0026#039;re diving deep into the trenches of practical brand strategy. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForget leads and ops; we\u0027re talking about the meaty stuff that keeps CMOs up at night. From the pitfalls of short-term gains to the seismic shifts in business models, we explore why some companies are winning battles but losing the war. And we\u0027ve got a guest to share these war stories. Ryan Schultz, a seasoned marketer and friend of Good, shares tales of brand triumphs and tragedies and why it takes a special kind of leadership to truly make an impact and lead in today\u0027s crazy brand landscape. If you\u0027re tired of marketing automation and yearn for brand strategy with substance, come on in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/c305dace\/125155f0.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;re not playing around, we\u0026#039;re diving deep into the trenches of practical brand strategy. \nForget leads and ops; we\u0027re talking about the meaty stuff that keeps CMOs up at night. From the pitfalls of short-term gains to the seismic shifts in business models, we explore why some companies are winning battles but losing the war. And we\u0027ve got a guest to share these war stories. Ryan Schultz, a seasoned marketer and friend of Good, shares tales of brand triumphs and tragedies and why it takes a special kind of leadership to truly make an impact and lead in today\u0027s crazy brand landscape. If you\u0027re tired of marketing automation and yearn for brand strategy with substance, come on in.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We\u0027re not playing around, we\u0027re diving deep into the trenches of practical brand strategy.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-09-28T11:54:28+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5419","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/frivolous-fruitful-agency-challenges-promoting-b2b-brand-characters","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"From Frivolous to Fruitful: Agency Challenges in Promoting B2B Brand Characters","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe recently had an agency debate about which brands had the best brand character. Over the course of a week, we voted on different options and Captain Birdseye won. (A fine choice, don\u2019t you agree?) \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt got me thinking about brand characters and how many of them are a B2C phenomenon. There are some in the B2B world and I know Salesforce has developed brand characters (Astro and friends) and they\u2019re reportedly doing very well, but as a rule they\u2019re thin on the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rationale for using them is very clear and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has lots of research to back this up. In fact, they\u2019ve published a chart that shows a brand character is the most visually distinctive asset a business could use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2856\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022b2b_brand_characters\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/b2b_brand_characters.png\u0022 width=\u00221430\u0022 height=\u0022916\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe case has been made, so the question becomes, why are they not used? I\u2019ve spent a week or so pondering this question and think a lot of it is tied up in the incorrect but powerful received wisdom around B2B and B2C purchases. It gives the impression that business purchases are all about the rational and the logical, whereas consumer purchases are about the fun and the emotional. In this sense the idea of a mascot seems to fit squarely with the latter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERory Sutherland\u2019s theory about \u2018defensive decision making\u2019 in business also has a role to play here. He explains that \u2026 in defensive decision-making, someone (a doctor, a consultant, a chief executive) makes a decision under the strong influence of an unconscious bias. Although they think they are making an optimal decision given the available information, in fact they are heavily influenced by a second consideration: not \u003Cem\u003E\u201cwhat is the best decision I could make for my patient\/company?\u201d \u003C\/em\u003Ebut \u003Cem\u003E\u201cwhat is the decision I could make which has the least worst-case consequences for me personally?\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe (as agencies) like to think we\u2019re immune to these biases \u2013 that we have the objective clarity to make the right suggestions and recommendations for our clients. It\u2019s wrong of course, as I\u2019m finding out right now. You see, we have two current B2B brand projects on our books and we\u2019re at the right point in the project that if we believe developing a brand character could become a distinctive brand asset \u2013 then we need to make that recommendation now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the thought of doing so does bring me out in a bit of a cold sweat. Why is that? Because when push comes to shove, I\u2019m subject to all the same biases as above. That and the fear of the client\u2019s reaction when we reveal we\u2019ve spent their budget creating visuals for a fluffy brand gonk. (OK that\u2019s maybe not quite how it would go down, but you know what I mean).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we\u2019re working with B2B clients, we sometimes have to work hard to convince them that we\u2019re commercial and pragmatic in our outlook for them and their brand. That brand strategy is business strategy. And telling them that our job\u2019s not to come in and change everything \u2026we\u2019ll keep the best of what there is and evolve the rest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand isn\u2019t particularly well understood and many of the challenges they\u2019re experiencing have been defined using other terms, like comms or messaging. We know it all tracks back to brand; but this serves to illustrate how we\u2019re on different pages and this fosters a sense of suspicion that can be difficult to shake.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, it feels like a big risk to put that credibility on the line by suggesting something which, at first glance, could be seen as a bit naive, reinforcing the negative stereotype about designers being fluffy in their thinking and underlining that suspicion about brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, I guess a compromise could be to present them with two options: one with a mascot and one without, packaging up the context and rationale appropriately. But I find the professional dilemma interesting: knowing that something is the right thing to do but shying away from it for fear of ridicule. \u0026nbsp;Our clients hire us because they want the best advice around brand. And our vision states that we\u2019re here \u201cto make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.\u201d And when I think about it that way, then we\u2019re doing the right thing by at least introducing the idea into the narrative: we make recommendations, but our clients make decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe recently had an agency debate about which brands had the best brand character. Over the course of a week, we voted on different options and Captain Birdseye won. (A fine choice, don\u2019t you agree?) \nIt got me thinking about brand characters and how many of them are a B2C phenomenon. There are some in the B2B world and I know Salesforce has developed brand characters (Astro and friends) and they\u2019re reportedly doing very well, but as a rule they\u2019re thin on the ground.The rationale for using them is very clear and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has lots of research to back this up. In fact, they\u2019ve published a chart that shows a brand character is the most visually distinctive asset a business could use.\u0026nbsp;The case has been made, so the question becomes, why are they not used? I\u2019ve spent a week or so pondering this question and think a lot of it is tied up in the incorrect but powerful received wisdom around B2B and B2C purchases. It gives the impression that business purchases are all about the rational and the logical, whereas consumer purchases are about the fun and the emotional. In this sense the idea of a mascot seems to fit squarely with the latter.Rory Sutherland\u2019s theory about \u2018defensive decision making\u2019 in business also has a role to play here. He explains that \u2026 in defensive decision-making, someone (a doctor, a consultant, a chief executive) makes a decision under the strong influence of an unconscious bias. Although they think they are making an optimal decision given the available information, in fact they are heavily influenced by a second consideration: not \u201cwhat is the best decision I could make for my patient\/company?\u201d but \u201cwhat is the decision I could make which has the least worst-case consequences for me personally?\u201dWe (as agencies) like to think we\u2019re immune to these biases \u2013 that we have the objective clarity to make the right suggestions and recommendations for our clients. It\u2019s wrong of course, as I\u2019m finding out right now. You see, we have two current B2B brand projects on our books and we\u2019re at the right point in the project that if we believe developing a brand character could become a distinctive brand asset \u2013 then we need to make that recommendation now.However, the thought of doing so does bring me out in a bit of a cold sweat. Why is that? Because when push comes to shove, I\u2019m subject to all the same biases as above. That and the fear of the client\u2019s reaction when we reveal we\u2019ve spent their budget creating visuals for a fluffy brand gonk. (OK that\u2019s maybe not quite how it would go down, but you know what I mean).When we\u2019re working with B2B clients, we sometimes have to work hard to convince them that we\u2019re commercial and pragmatic in our outlook for them and their brand. That brand strategy is business strategy. And telling them that our job\u2019s not to come in and change everything \u2026we\u2019ll keep the best of what there is and evolve the rest.Brand isn\u2019t particularly well understood and many of the challenges they\u2019re experiencing have been defined using other terms, like comms or messaging. We know it all tracks back to brand; but this serves to illustrate how we\u2019re on different pages and this fosters a sense of suspicion that can be difficult to shake.So, it feels like a big risk to put that credibility on the line by suggesting something which, at first glance, could be seen as a bit naive, reinforcing the negative stereotype about designers being fluffy in their thinking and underlining that suspicion about brand.In the end, I guess a compromise could be to present them with two options: one with a mascot and one without, packaging up the context and rationale appropriately. But I find the professional dilemma interesting: knowing that something is the right thing to do but shying away from it for fear of ridicule. \u0026nbsp;Our clients hire us because they want the best advice around brand. And our vision states that we\u2019re here \u201cto make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.\u201d And when I think about it that way, then we\u2019re doing the right thing by at least introducing the idea into the narrative: we make recommendations, but our clients make decisions.  ","summary":"We recently had an agency debate about which brands had the best brand character. Over the course of a week, we voted on different options and Captain Birdseye won. (A fine choice, don\u2019t you agree?)","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-08-29T00:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5420","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/does-evolving-your-brand-always-mean-changing-your-identity","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Does evolving your brand always mean changing your identity?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe short answer is no. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor us, the starting point of any brand project is rarely (never) creative. Enduring creative solutions are based on solid thinking \u2013 so there\u2019s a lot that happens before we consider tackling how any of it looks. However, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not an extremely important part of the branding process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut often when we get to the creative bit there\u2019s a sense of nervousness from clients. Changing their brand visually and rolling out across teams, departments, and regions \u2013 costs time and money. We recently worked with a client who said \u003Cem\u003E\u201cdo we need to change our identity? We\u2019ve just put a new 30ft sign up on the factory.\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what can you do when your agency\u2019s urge to change everything clashes with your desire to change nothing? Well, there\u2019s a middle ground. With the right approach you \u003Cstrong\u003Ecan\u003C\/strong\u003E change everything, without changing much. Here\u2019s four responsible design principles that allow us to do just that\u2026\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuild a language platform\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELanguage and tone of voice is our creative starting point. We work with lots of B2B tech companies who are shit-hot when it comes to talking to end-users about product and applications, but not at communicating value at a brand level. A language platform (built from your values) that can carry a broad suite of messaging, creates consistency across your brand comms. And this is probably the area where you can have the biggest impact without changing anything graphic. Using your values to inform how you talk helps create something that feels credible, coherent, ownable \u2013 and different.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate a design language\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing something like a graphic asset derived from your brand marque to build a simple, easy-to-apply design language is an effective way of introducing a new element. For example, a shape used as container for technical information, wayfinding or to highlight graphics and imagery. Even carrying that through to inform the design of infographics, icons, illustration, and product UI. Perhaps introduce a secondary typeface that complements what you have, but provides flexibility across different touchpoints. It adds variety to your brand toolkit, without changing anything.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnhance your colour palette\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA limited range of brand colours can feel restrictive and stale \u2013 it often results in overuse of the core brand colour, which gets boring pretty quickly. Introducing (or updating) a complementary secondary or tertiary colour palette \u2013 even just adding an accent colour \u2013 can really freshen things up and create standout. B2B creative can often feel very cold and mechanical so the use of colour, in the right proportions, adds warmth and personality. It doesn\u2019t need a radical overhaul to have an impact.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00224\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElevate your imagery\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EB2B businesses are notoriously bad when it comes to hero\u2019ing their product. Product photography tends to be very functional and bland, and brand imagery is full of overly corporate stock shots. You don\u2019t need to break the bank for a shoot \u2013 a small studio space with careful lighting and prop styling can elevate the standard massively. Introducing people interacting with products also adds a bit of humanity and helps highlight key features. Using stock photography is fine \u2013 but it should be used to supplement, not replace, brand imagery that\u2019s your own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI appreciate that\u2019s not an exhaustive list \u2013 and it isn\u2019t new thinking when it comes to creative development \u2013 but it\u2019s amazing how quickly the basics are forgotten. At the end of the day, creative development isn\u2019t a vanity project \u2013 it shouldn\u2019t be change for the sake of change. Our approach is based on the principles of responsible, pragmatic design, so we always start by asking \u003Cem\u003E\u201cwhat\u2019s the least amount we can change?\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp; That means taking time to understand where there\u2019s value in existing assets, and identifying where there\u2019s scope to evolve and\/or introduce new.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe short answer is no. \nFor us, the starting point of any brand project is rarely (never) creative. Enduring creative solutions are based on solid thinking \u2013 so there\u2019s a lot that happens before we consider tackling how any of it looks. However, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not an extremely important part of the branding process.But often when we get to the creative bit there\u2019s a sense of nervousness from clients. Changing their brand visually and rolling out across teams, departments, and regions \u2013 costs time and money. We recently worked with a client who said \u201cdo we need to change our identity? We\u2019ve just put a new 30ft sign up on the factory.\u201dSo what can you do when your agency\u2019s urge to change everything clashes with your desire to change nothing? Well, there\u2019s a middle ground. With the right approach you can change everything, without changing much. Here\u2019s four responsible design principles that allow us to do just that\u2026\u0026nbsp;Build a language platformLanguage and tone of voice is our creative starting point. We work with lots of B2B tech companies who are shit-hot when it comes to talking to end-users about product and applications, but not at communicating value at a brand level. A language platform (built from your values) that can carry a broad suite of messaging, creates consistency across your brand comms. And this is probably the area where you can have the biggest impact without changing anything graphic. Using your values to inform how you talk helps create something that feels credible, coherent, ownable \u2013 and different.\u0026nbsp;Create a design languageUsing something like a graphic asset derived from your brand marque to build a simple, easy-to-apply design language is an effective way of introducing a new element. For example, a shape used as container for technical information, wayfinding or to highlight graphics and imagery. Even carrying that through to inform the design of infographics, icons, illustration, and product UI. Perhaps introduce a secondary typeface that complements what you have, but provides flexibility across different touchpoints. It adds variety to your brand toolkit, without changing anything.\u0026nbsp;Enhance your colour paletteA limited range of brand colours can feel restrictive and stale \u2013 it often results in overuse of the core brand colour, which gets boring pretty quickly. Introducing (or updating) a complementary secondary or tertiary colour palette \u2013 even just adding an accent colour \u2013 can really freshen things up and create standout. B2B creative can often feel very cold and mechanical so the use of colour, in the right proportions, adds warmth and personality. It doesn\u2019t need a radical overhaul to have an impact.\u0026nbsp;Elevate your imageryB2B businesses are notoriously bad when it comes to hero\u2019ing their product. Product photography tends to be very functional and bland, and brand imagery is full of overly corporate stock shots. You don\u2019t need to break the bank for a shoot \u2013 a small studio space with careful lighting and prop styling can elevate the standard massively. Introducing people interacting with products also adds a bit of humanity and helps highlight key features. Using stock photography is fine \u2013 but it should be used to supplement, not replace, brand imagery that\u2019s your own.I appreciate that\u2019s not an exhaustive list \u2013 and it isn\u2019t new thinking when it comes to creative development \u2013 but it\u2019s amazing how quickly the basics are forgotten. At the end of the day, creative development isn\u2019t a vanity project \u2013 it shouldn\u2019t be change for the sake of change. Our approach is based on the principles of responsible, pragmatic design, so we always start by asking \u201cwhat\u2019s the least amount we can change?\u201d\u0026nbsp; That means taking time to understand where there\u2019s value in existing assets, and identifying where there\u2019s scope to evolve and\/or introduce new.  ","summary":"The short answer is no.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-08-23T00:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Julie Murdoch"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5719","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/value-b2b-brand-values","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Value of B2B Brand Values","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, we\u0027ve changed the name of the podcast. We\u0027re being more descriptive. We\u0027ll talk about it a wee bit on the next podcast. But in this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed. So, what\u0027s the point of having them? And can we make them better? We chat it through. It gets deep.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the article that Chris wrote with all the facts and figures:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003EThe Value of Brand Values.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/a4f3892b\/44049c33.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed. \nYes, we\u0027ve changed the name of the podcast. We\u0027re being more descriptive. We\u0027ll talk about it a wee bit on the next podcast. But in this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed. So, what\u0027s the point of having them? And can we make them better? We chat it through. It gets deep.\u0026nbsp;Here\u0027s the article that Chris wrote with all the facts and figures:The Value of Brand Values.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this barnstormer, Chris researched the brand values on B2B websites. He was underwhelmed.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-08-15T14:55:43+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5421","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/power-simplicity-b2b-tech-brands-less-more","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Power of Simplicity for B2B Tech Brands: Less is More","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EExploring the why and how of B2B tech\u0026#039;s fear of simplicity \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my car there are no knobs. If I want to turn the air conditioning up or down, I have to press a button on a screen, and then press more screen buttons to make it warmer or cooler. My old car was better. It had knobs and all I had to do was reach down and turn one of them to change the temperature. It wasn\u2019t a chore and was easier than it is now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI like to moan about this to anyone that\u2019s unlucky enough to be in the car with me. Well, now there\u2019s a study to prove that I\u2019m not alone\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA recent JD Power survey on Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout shows that overall satisfaction among car owners has decreased for two years in a row - the first time in the 28-year history of the study that its shown consecutive declines. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/23801545\/car-infotainment-customer-satisifaction-survey-jd-power\u0022\u003EFrank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power said\u003C\/a\u003E, \u201cDespite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI wonder if this will sink in with manufacturers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019d argue that this infatuation with new features is even more powerful in the B2B tech space. The product-driven mindset dictates that if we subject the B2B buyer to a barrage of product features - more than the competitors - then we\u2019ll convince them to buy us. The incorrect assumption is that because they\u2019re talking to B2B buyers, all they want is rational information, and you can never have too much of it. We see this frequently on websites where dull, detailed, technical product information is vomited at the browser right from the get-go. No soft landing, no sense of the experience or the emotional, just a firehose of tedium.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think this is what happens when marketing reduces people to consumers, forgetting that they are much more rounded human beings. To communicate effectively with a human being, the most important thing to do is sound like a human being. Introduce yourself, make some charming small talk, share a joke or two, and then get into a bit more detail if it feels appropriate. There are simple hierarchies for effective communication which do tend to get lost in B2B and exacerbated in the Tech space.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to forgetting to treat customers as humans; there\u2019s also a driving philosophy within these organisations that more is always more. And I think it\u2019s understandable, given they tend to be founded or run by brilliantly technical people. But unchecked, this feature first mindset gets out of control. If we can turn physical knobs into digitised sliders on a screen, then that\u2019s got to be a good thing, right? I mean it\u2019s made it better. It\u2019s made it digital. And digital is always better. Because it\u2019s tech.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech products are so hopelessly over specced with features that most people don\u2019t use. My laptop is used for web browsing and word processing. I\u2019d be surprised if I use 5% of its technical capabilities. Similarly, at Good, we once took out a subscription for a piece of project management software. It was a disaster because it was so heavily laden with extra features and add-ons, that it was almost incomprehensible to anyone trying to pick it up from scratch. We gave it up after six months and went back to the old system of online spreadsheets.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom a marketing perspective, I guess the challenge here is that these manufacturers aren\u2019t thinking properly about who or what they\u2019re competing with. The race they\u2019re running is against the competition to be the best and most innovative tech company. They\u2019re not thinking about the customer and what they might want. And how sometimes the status quo is worth leaving alone. I think Nest did a brilliant job in making a bang up to date thermostat that incorporated a tactile, rotating dial which modernised, but didn\u2019t replace, the act of turning the heating up or down. I wish the car manufacturers had done the same!\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nExploring the why and how of B2B tech\u0026#039;s fear of simplicity \nIn my car there are no knobs. If I want to turn the air conditioning up or down, I have to press a button on a screen, and then press more screen buttons to make it warmer or cooler. My old car was better. It had knobs and all I had to do was reach down and turn one of them to change the temperature. It wasn\u2019t a chore and was easier than it is now.I like to moan about this to anyone that\u2019s unlucky enough to be in the car with me. Well, now there\u2019s a study to prove that I\u2019m not alone\u2026A recent JD Power survey on Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout shows that overall satisfaction among car owners has decreased for two years in a row - the first time in the 28-year history of the study that its shown consecutive declines. Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power said, \u201cDespite the technology and design innovations that manufacturers put into new vehicles, owners are lukewarm about them\u201d.I wonder if this will sink in with manufacturers.I\u2019d argue that this infatuation with new features is even more powerful in the B2B tech space. The product-driven mindset dictates that if we subject the B2B buyer to a barrage of product features - more than the competitors - then we\u2019ll convince them to buy us. The incorrect assumption is that because they\u2019re talking to B2B buyers, all they want is rational information, and you can never have too much of it. We see this frequently on websites where dull, detailed, technical product information is vomited at the browser right from the get-go. No soft landing, no sense of the experience or the emotional, just a firehose of tedium.\u0026nbsp;I think this is what happens when marketing reduces people to consumers, forgetting that they are much more rounded human beings. To communicate effectively with a human being, the most important thing to do is sound like a human being. Introduce yourself, make some charming small talk, share a joke or two, and then get into a bit more detail if it feels appropriate. There are simple hierarchies for effective communication which do tend to get lost in B2B and exacerbated in the Tech space.\u0026nbsp;In addition to forgetting to treat customers as humans; there\u2019s also a driving philosophy within these organisations that more is always more. And I think it\u2019s understandable, given they tend to be founded or run by brilliantly technical people. But unchecked, this feature first mindset gets out of control. If we can turn physical knobs into digitised sliders on a screen, then that\u2019s got to be a good thing, right? I mean it\u2019s made it better. It\u2019s made it digital. And digital is always better. Because it\u2019s tech.\u0026nbsp;Tech products are so hopelessly over specced with features that most people don\u2019t use. My laptop is used for web browsing and word processing. I\u2019d be surprised if I use 5% of its technical capabilities. Similarly, at Good, we once took out a subscription for a piece of project management software. It was a disaster because it was so heavily laden with extra features and add-ons, that it was almost incomprehensible to anyone trying to pick it up from scratch. We gave it up after six months and went back to the old system of online spreadsheets.\u0026nbsp;From a marketing perspective, I guess the challenge here is that these manufacturers aren\u2019t thinking properly about who or what they\u2019re competing with. The race they\u2019re running is against the competition to be the best and most innovative tech company. They\u2019re not thinking about the customer and what they might want. And how sometimes the status quo is worth leaving alone. I think Nest did a brilliant job in making a bang up to date thermostat that incorporated a tactile, rotating dial which modernised, but didn\u2019t replace, the act of turning the heating up or down. I wish the car manufacturers had done the same!  ","summary":"Exploring the why and how of B2B tech\u0027s fear of simplicity","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-08-10T00:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5720","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-clarity-simplifying-your-portfolio","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Clarity: Simplifying Your Portfolio","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this episode, we tackle the issue of \u0026#039;brand confusion\u0026#039; and its impact on sales. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe discuss how an overly complex product portfolio can create hurdles for both customers and sales teams. We delve into the importance of simplifying your product architecture to enhance customer understanding and expedite the sales process. All in 28 minutes. Boom!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s a link to the original article:\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/what-do-when-your-sales-team-stop-selling\/\u0022\u003EWhat to do when your sales team stop selling\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/232c78ca\/25569943.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this episode, we tackle the issue of \u0026#039;brand confusion\u0026#039; and its impact on sales. \nWe discuss how an overly complex product portfolio can create hurdles for both customers and sales teams. We delve into the importance of simplifying your product architecture to enhance customer understanding and expedite the sales process. All in 28 minutes. Boom!Here\u2019s a link to the original article:\u0026nbsp; What to do when your sales team stop sellingDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"In this episode, we tackle the issue of \u0027brand confusion\u0027 and its impact on sales.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-07-13T07:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5422","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-do-when-your-sales-team-stop-selling","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What to do when your sales team stop selling","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0026#039;s start by setting the scene with a couple of assumptions.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s begin by accepting that your sales teams know what they\u0027re doing and how to sell. We can also assume that you are selling a worthwhile product or service. It has a value that potential customers can see some worth in. But for some reason, we\u0027re not selling. Finally, let\u0027s assume that price isn\u0027t an issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what are we going to look at? First, we will look at how we can help make or break a sale and how it can help start the sales process again.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EProduct confusion\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet me tell you, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Products are created to fill particular niches when you get customer feedback. The initial product, let\u0027s call it the XM1, does well, but a specific customer profile won\u0027t buy it because it doesn\u0027t wall mount. Not a fucking problem; we\u0027ll create the XM1w, designed for the future, designed for wall mounting. Another idea from talking to customers is that they\u0027d love a smaller screen so the XM1 can fit into a smaller footprint. So, Boomshackalacka, we\u0027re proud to announce the XM1se and for those looking to the future, here\u0027s the wall-mounted version, the XM1sew. Hmm, maybe not the XM1sew, as all you can see when you read that is the word \u0022sew\u0022, so we\u0027ll change it to XM1wse. Perfecto! Are you looking to get XM1wse in Asia? You\u0027ll need to specify the XM1wse-d as the \u0027d\u0027 is our regional indicator. And the wheel keeps turning until your customers go online and are battered with various options on the same product, all with esoteric naming conventions and too much choice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scenario we ran through doesn\u0027t happen overnight; it takes months of small, incremental steps into the product soup of shit. The time you realise that you\u0027re up to your neck in it is when it becomes too hard to sell, and your sales teams are struggling to explain the product line rather than how the product line will make or save you money.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re looking at a brand problem: how you face out to the world. We can look at your product portfolio and rebuild it to be more apparent to your customers, eliminating esoteric names and shifting to more descriptive names that help explain and sell the products.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI can\u0027t lie; streamlining your product portfolio can be a painful process. It\u0027s amazing how attached people get to the status quo. However, dealing with complexity built up over time, works to a point; your salespeople are good and know how to navigate this complexity. And they don\u0027t want to mess with anything that could interfere with their compensation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question we put to the sales team is straightforward. Is the product confusion getting in the way of having those sales conversations in the first place? There\u0027s a great stat that Google released, which was that a customer was usually around 60% of the way through their buying process before they reached out to a salesperson. In that first 60%, that customer is educating themselves on your product, comparing your product to other solutions, going back to your product to assess the product against a newfound solution, going round and round in a loop of exploration and evaluation until they are comfortable enough to start a deeper conversation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe great thing about that Google stat is that it\u0027s from 2011. That education phase for the customer is probably more in the 80% range now. But if you\u0027re making it hard for your customers to go on that journey, making it easy to explore your options, you won\u0027t be on the consideration list. Tightening your product architecture will help your customers evaluate you quickly and get you to the sales team quicker, more educated, and more informed about your solutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERemove the curse of product bloat and also reduce the time for sales teams to explain the product portfolio so that they can get to the real meat of any sales team call, how they can help their customers to save money or make money.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking at your product portfolio is always our first step in kick-starting sales. You are taking away complexity to make the product shine, to make it easier to understand and, in turn, more accessible to sell. Our role in this process is to be the objective outsider, ask critical and challenging questions, highlight the flaws and strengths in the product portfolio, and be the confidant of the customer so we can get answers you may not get. You can\u0027t participate in and facilitate this process; you need an outside perspective to bring an unbiased, honest view on what we want: to sell quickly. Get in touch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nLet\u0026#039;s start by setting the scene with a couple of assumptions.  \nLet\u0027s begin by accepting that your sales teams know what they\u0027re doing and how to sell. We can also assume that you are selling a worthwhile product or service. It has a value that potential customers can see some worth in. But for some reason, we\u0027re not selling. Finally, let\u0027s assume that price isn\u0027t an issue.\u0026nbsp;So, what are we going to look at? First, we will look at how we can help make or break a sale and how it can help start the sales process again.Product confusionLet me tell you, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Products are created to fill particular niches when you get customer feedback. The initial product, let\u0027s call it the XM1, does well, but a specific customer profile won\u0027t buy it because it doesn\u0027t wall mount. Not a fucking problem; we\u0027ll create the XM1w, designed for the future, designed for wall mounting. Another idea from talking to customers is that they\u0027d love a smaller screen so the XM1 can fit into a smaller footprint. So, Boomshackalacka, we\u0027re proud to announce the XM1se and for those looking to the future, here\u0027s the wall-mounted version, the XM1sew. Hmm, maybe not the XM1sew, as all you can see when you read that is the word \u0022sew\u0022, so we\u0027ll change it to XM1wse. Perfecto! Are you looking to get XM1wse in Asia? You\u0027ll need to specify the XM1wse-d as the \u0027d\u0027 is our regional indicator. And the wheel keeps turning until your customers go online and are battered with various options on the same product, all with esoteric naming conventions and too much choice.\u0026nbsp;The scenario we ran through doesn\u0027t happen overnight; it takes months of small, incremental steps into the product soup of shit. The time you realise that you\u0027re up to your neck in it is when it becomes too hard to sell, and your sales teams are struggling to explain the product line rather than how the product line will make or save you money.We\u0027re looking at a brand problem: how you face out to the world. We can look at your product portfolio and rebuild it to be more apparent to your customers, eliminating esoteric names and shifting to more descriptive names that help explain and sell the products.\u0026nbsp;I can\u0027t lie; streamlining your product portfolio can be a painful process. It\u0027s amazing how attached people get to the status quo. However, dealing with complexity built up over time, works to a point; your salespeople are good and know how to navigate this complexity. And they don\u0027t want to mess with anything that could interfere with their compensation.\u0026nbsp;The question we put to the sales team is straightforward. Is the product confusion getting in the way of having those sales conversations in the first place? There\u0027s a great stat that Google released, which was that a customer was usually around 60% of the way through their buying process before they reached out to a salesperson. In that first 60%, that customer is educating themselves on your product, comparing your product to other solutions, going back to your product to assess the product against a newfound solution, going round and round in a loop of exploration and evaluation until they are comfortable enough to start a deeper conversation.\u0026nbsp;The great thing about that Google stat is that it\u0027s from 2011. That education phase for the customer is probably more in the 80% range now. But if you\u0027re making it hard for your customers to go on that journey, making it easy to explore your options, you won\u0027t be on the consideration list. Tightening your product architecture will help your customers evaluate you quickly and get you to the sales team quicker, more educated, and more informed about your solutions.\u0026nbsp;Remove the curse of product bloat and also reduce the time for sales teams to explain the product portfolio so that they can get to the real meat of any sales team call, how they can help their customers to save money or make money.Looking at your product portfolio is always our first step in kick-starting sales. You are taking away complexity to make the product shine, to make it easier to understand and, in turn, more accessible to sell. Our role in this process is to be the objective outsider, ask critical and challenging questions, highlight the flaws and strengths in the product portfolio, and be the confidant of the customer so we can get answers you may not get. You can\u0027t participate in and facilitate this process; you need an outside perspective to bring an unbiased, honest view on what we want: to sell quickly. Get in touch.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Let\u0027s start by setting the scene with a couple of assumptions. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-06-20T15:26:04+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5721","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-doesnt-private-equity-get-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Doesn\u0026#039;t Private Equity Get Brand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe work with private equity businesses that understand the value of a clearly articulated brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd then we see the vast majority just ignoring it. We don\u0027t know why. So we decided to talk about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris\u0027s article on LinkedIn: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/why-do-private-equity-firms-ignore-role-brand-creating-chris-lumsden%3FtrackingId=6BhxuNZTTEuCBFUoUebjuQ%253D%253D\/?trackingId=6BhxuNZTTEuCBFUoUebjuQ%3D%3D\u0022\u003EWhy do Private Equity firms ignore the role of brand in creating value?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/0932f61f\/2de2c28f.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe work with private equity businesses that understand the value of a clearly articulated brand. \nAnd then we see the vast majority just ignoring it. We don\u0027t know why. So we decided to talk about it.Chris\u0027s article on LinkedIn: Why do Private Equity firms ignore the role of brand in creating value?Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We work with private equity businesses that understand the value of a clearly articulated brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-06-20T09:12:03+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5722","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-mistakes-made-b2b-tech-firms-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Mistakes Made By B2B Tech Firms","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;ve been looking into the world of business to business tech firms, and we\u0026#039;ve noticed some patterns in how they deal with brand that could be losing value in their business. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe discuss.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s a link to the story about the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.studenthandouts.com\/texts\/fairy-tales\/magic-porridge-pot.htm\u0022\u003EMagic Porridge Pot\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd here\u0027s a link to the story that inspired this episode: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-mistakes-made-b2b-tech-firms\u0022\u003EBrand mistakes made by B2B Tech firms\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/63407cdd\/d5c4a7cd.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;ve been looking into the world of business to business tech firms, and we\u0026#039;ve noticed some patterns in how they deal with brand that could be losing value in their business. \nWe discuss.Here\u0027s a link to the story about the Magic Porridge Pot.And here\u0027s a link to the story that inspired this episode: Brand mistakes made by B2B Tech firms.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We\u0027ve been looking into the world of business to business tech firms, and we\u0027ve noticed some patterns in how they deal with brand that could be losing value in their business.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-03-22T09:19:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5423","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-do-private-equity-firms-ignore-role-brand-creating-value","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why do Private Equity firms ignore the role of brand in creating value?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is the question that\u2019s been keeping me up at night. I\u2019m slightly scared to ask it publicly, but I\u2019m genuinely struggling to answer it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the investment community (and by that I generally mean Private Equity) understand value; then why don\u2019t they understand the role brand plays in creating it?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the core of our work as brand consultants much of what we do is focused on helping our client base drive value for their brand. This all comes together into a brand strategy that\u2019s designed to complement the corporate strategy, with a focus on value. We firmly believe that brand strategy is business strategy. (Note: I\u2019m speaking primarily from a B2B perspective as that\u2019s where most of our experience lies).\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thing is, the wider business community does seem to appreciate that brand is an asset. And just like any asset, if you nurture and invest in it, it will deliver you a return in the long term.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve written lots of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brands-need-serious-brand-strategy\u0022\u003Estuff\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on why it\u2019s important for business to develop a serious brand strategy \u2013 that it\u2019s about more than just logos and colours \u2013 which provides a structured approach to managing brands. My own definition of what a brand strategy should do is as follows:\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA good brand strategy manages the inter relationships between products, services and the corporate entity, organising and presenting them in such a way as to minimise confusion for customers on their path to purchase\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the last decade, I can name only one client who proactively decided to set a brand\/portfolio evolution review and strategy in place as a form of due diligence before going to market. They eventually sold for a multiple that far exceeded their initial expectation (well into the hundreds of millions of dollars) and I\u2019m not na\u00efve enough to believe that this happened because of the brand. But the client remarked that the work around the main brand, architecture and conventions contributed significantly to the value achieved by making them easy to understand and buy. This has stuck with me.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, I\u2019m beginning to wonder if the basic understanding of brand that exists in the general business community hasn\u2019t yet filtered through to the investment community. And I say this for two main reasons:\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1: Our own experience bears this out.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past decade or so, we\u2019ve been hired to work on at least 10 significant projects that have been backed with Private Equity money. That\u2019s great, but the challenge is that we seem to be unable to do the work that really needs done. It\u2019s either too late in the process or the scope\u2019s not wide enough to tackle the underlying issues. Typically, the business is undergoing some rapid growth through acquisition which is growing both top and bottom lines. But this growth strategy also adds layer upon layer of complexity for the business in being able to tell its story and showcase its now burgeoning and likely overlapping product portfolio. Like a balloon filling up with air, it eventually reaches a stress point and bursts. When sales teams are unable to navigate their own product offerings; it\u2019s a fair to say that the customer\u2019s got no hope \u2013 so they\u2019ll go elsewhere where it\u2019s just easier. At this point there may be a recognition in the business that they might need some specialist help, but it\u2019s always after the fact, never before and brand just isn\u2019t seen as a mitigating force in this dynamic. In this sense we always seem to end up treating the symptoms, fighting a rear-guard action to bring coherence and clarity on the hoof, rather than setting up a playbook to deal with the cause.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. The PE Community don\u2019t talk about brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe looked at some of the top investment companies in the world and dug into their websites to see if any of them highlighted the role of brand in their investment strategies. Or if anyone had written any content about how brand contributes to creating business value in any way shape or form.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENothing.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, there were a couple of articles about how important brand value is and the term \u2018brand\u2019 is used widely as a shorthand to refer to a specific business. But nobody seems to be talking about it in a strategic sense as a lever to unlock value.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thing that hits you when you tour through these websites is the sense of power, scale and certainty these businesses have in their ability to create value through investment. It\u2019s quite intimidating \u2013 as if you\u2019re entering a club but lacking the requisite knowledge to evaluate whether they\u2019re any good or not. There\u2019s a ton of jargon, diagrams and flow charts that highlight top level process and approach, so it\u2019s difficult to break things down into any detail. On a couple of occasions, you can see how brand may be buried in a \u2018go to market plan\u2019 or as part of \u2018strategic realignment\u2019 within a business model, so it may be there at a more granular level, but it\u2019s certainly not called out as a thing. This contrasts with subjects like ESG or Digitalisation which both feature prominently across all sites. They\u2019re both familiar and current and have created a lot of noise in the business and investment worlds; so, it\u2019s perhaps not a surprise to see them there. But there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of content and space afforded to them. Maybe they\u2019re just fashionable buzzwords in this industry too?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMy question is WHY NOT?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo why doesn\u2019t brand have a higher profile and the recognition it surely deserves in creating value within the investment community? Both my professional experience and topline research suggest it\u2019s overlooked, ignored, or misunderstood.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis has been rattling round my head for a while now and it\u2019s become a bit of a recurring conversation with colleagues on planes and trains after meetings. We haven\u2019t solved anything, but they have advanced several working hypotheses that attempt to explain the absence of \u2018brand\u2019 knowledge within the investment community.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s not understood.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, one conclusion is that brand is just not understood properly. As an industry we\u2019re our own worst enemy at trying to explain why a business should invest in brand. We already know there\u2019s a dearth of marketing representation at board level, and it\u2019s probably madness to expect it to be anything different for brand. Makes sense if you think about it \u2013 these people are financiers who are grounded in the real world of spreadsheets and numbers; not in the ethereal world of brand which is prone to trends and fads and lacks accountability.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It\u0027s misdiagnosed.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes the brand challenges faced by acquisitive businesses are bundled together under comms and messaging. That\u2019s fine, but only partially addresses the problem, treating the symptom not necessarily the cause. But given point one above, this is understandable.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The return cycle is too long.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve debated this one a lot and it\u2019s been validated in some of the client conversations we\u2019ve had on the matter. The bottom line here is that some brand solutions require fundamental engineering of architectures and product portfolios, which is quite a big task. The investment mindset might be that the time for the changes to be implemented and take effect will be longer than the total investment. I think this is a possibility; but it presupposes a level of brand knowledge, which I\u2019m a little bit more sceptical about.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;They don\u2019t care.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProbably closely linked to the point above, it may be that the perception is it\u2019s too much hassle for too little return, so let\u2019s just leave it. It can be someone else\u2019s problem later. For me, this one feels like it might be close to the truth.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m fully prepared to be told that I\u2019m idealistic, na\u00efve, or just plain wrong, but I have a genuine curiosity as to why the concept of brand seems to be overlooked when investment decisions are made.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsidering brand as a distinct part of the growth playbook will create significant value further down the line. It\u2019s about identifying the opportunities early and planning. I accept that it might not be relevant for every transaction; but I\u2019m confident enough to say that if the investment\u2019s funding an acquisition strategy; then at some point in the journey, brand\u2019s going play a role. After all, like we said, brand strategy is business strategy.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019d love to know what those in the investment community think. Does brand and strategy play a role in adding value as part of the investment? Is it just too much hassle? Am I missing something?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThis is the question that\u2019s been keeping me up at night. I\u2019m slightly scared to ask it publicly, but I\u2019m genuinely struggling to answer it. \nIf the investment community (and by that I generally mean Private Equity) understand value; then why don\u2019t they understand the role brand plays in creating it?\u0026nbsp;At the core of our work as brand consultants much of what we do is focused on helping our client base drive value for their brand. This all comes together into a brand strategy that\u2019s designed to complement the corporate strategy, with a focus on value. We firmly believe that brand strategy is business strategy. (Note: I\u2019m speaking primarily from a B2B perspective as that\u2019s where most of our experience lies).\u0026nbsp;The thing is, the wider business community does seem to appreciate that brand is an asset. And just like any asset, if you nurture and invest in it, it will deliver you a return in the long term.\u0026nbsp;I\u2019ve written lots of\u0026nbsp;stuff\u0026nbsp;on why it\u2019s important for business to develop a serious brand strategy \u2013 that it\u2019s about more than just logos and colours \u2013 which provides a structured approach to managing brands. My own definition of what a brand strategy should do is as follows:\u0026nbsp;\u201cA good brand strategy manages the inter relationships between products, services and the corporate entity, organising and presenting them in such a way as to minimise confusion for customers on their path to purchase\u201d.In the last decade, I can name only one client who proactively decided to set a brand\/portfolio evolution review and strategy in place as a form of due diligence before going to market. They eventually sold for a multiple that far exceeded their initial expectation (well into the hundreds of millions of dollars) and I\u2019m not na\u00efve enough to believe that this happened because of the brand. But the client remarked that the work around the main brand, architecture and conventions contributed significantly to the value achieved by making them easy to understand and buy. This has stuck with me.\u0026nbsp;So, I\u2019m beginning to wonder if the basic understanding of brand that exists in the general business community hasn\u2019t yet filtered through to the investment community. And I say this for two main reasons:\u0026nbsp;1: Our own experience bears this out.Over the past decade or so, we\u2019ve been hired to work on at least 10 significant projects that have been backed with Private Equity money. That\u2019s great, but the challenge is that we seem to be unable to do the work that really needs done. It\u2019s either too late in the process or the scope\u2019s not wide enough to tackle the underlying issues. Typically, the business is undergoing some rapid growth through acquisition which is growing both top and bottom lines. But this growth strategy also adds layer upon layer of complexity for the business in being able to tell its story and showcase its now burgeoning and likely overlapping product portfolio. Like a balloon filling up with air, it eventually reaches a stress point and bursts. When sales teams are unable to navigate their own product offerings; it\u2019s a fair to say that the customer\u2019s got no hope \u2013 so they\u2019ll go elsewhere where it\u2019s just easier. At this point there may be a recognition in the business that they might need some specialist help, but it\u2019s always after the fact, never before and brand just isn\u2019t seen as a mitigating force in this dynamic. In this sense we always seem to end up treating the symptoms, fighting a rear-guard action to bring coherence and clarity on the hoof, rather than setting up a playbook to deal with the cause.\u0026nbsp;2. The PE Community don\u2019t talk about brand.We looked at some of the top investment companies in the world and dug into their websites to see if any of them highlighted the role of brand in their investment strategies. Or if anyone had written any content about how brand contributes to creating business value in any way shape or form.\u0026nbsp;Nothing.\u0026nbsp;Well, there were a couple of articles about how important brand value is and the term \u2018brand\u2019 is used widely as a shorthand to refer to a specific business. But nobody seems to be talking about it in a strategic sense as a lever to unlock value.\u0026nbsp;The thing that hits you when you tour through these websites is the sense of power, scale and certainty these businesses have in their ability to create value through investment. It\u2019s quite intimidating \u2013 as if you\u2019re entering a club but lacking the requisite knowledge to evaluate whether they\u2019re any good or not. There\u2019s a ton of jargon, diagrams and flow charts that highlight top level process and approach, so it\u2019s difficult to break things down into any detail. On a couple of occasions, you can see how brand may be buried in a \u2018go to market plan\u2019 or as part of \u2018strategic realignment\u2019 within a business model, so it may be there at a more granular level, but it\u2019s certainly not called out as a thing. This contrasts with subjects like ESG or Digitalisation which both feature prominently across all sites. They\u2019re both familiar and current and have created a lot of noise in the business and investment worlds; so, it\u2019s perhaps not a surprise to see them there. But there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of content and space afforded to them. Maybe they\u2019re just fashionable buzzwords in this industry too?My question is WHY NOT?So why doesn\u2019t brand have a higher profile and the recognition it surely deserves in creating value within the investment community? Both my professional experience and topline research suggest it\u2019s overlooked, ignored, or misunderstood.\u0026nbsp;This has been rattling round my head for a while now and it\u2019s become a bit of a recurring conversation with colleagues on planes and trains after meetings. We haven\u2019t solved anything, but they have advanced several working hypotheses that attempt to explain the absence of \u2018brand\u2019 knowledge within the investment community.\u0026nbsp;1.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s not understood.So, one conclusion is that brand is just not understood properly. As an industry we\u2019re our own worst enemy at trying to explain why a business should invest in brand. We already know there\u2019s a dearth of marketing representation at board level, and it\u2019s probably madness to expect it to be anything different for brand. Makes sense if you think about it \u2013 these people are financiers who are grounded in the real world of spreadsheets and numbers; not in the ethereal world of brand which is prone to trends and fads and lacks accountability.\u0026nbsp;2.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It\u0027s misdiagnosed.Sometimes the brand challenges faced by acquisitive businesses are bundled together under comms and messaging. That\u2019s fine, but only partially addresses the problem, treating the symptom not necessarily the cause. But given point one above, this is understandable.\u0026nbsp;3.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The return cycle is too long.We\u2019ve debated this one a lot and it\u2019s been validated in some of the client conversations we\u2019ve had on the matter. The bottom line here is that some brand solutions require fundamental engineering of architectures and product portfolios, which is quite a big task. The investment mindset might be that the time for the changes to be implemented and take effect will be longer than the total investment. I think this is a possibility; but it presupposes a level of brand knowledge, which I\u2019m a little bit more sceptical about.\u0026nbsp;4.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;They don\u2019t care.Probably closely linked to the point above, it may be that the perception is it\u2019s too much hassle for too little return, so let\u2019s just leave it. It can be someone else\u2019s problem later. For me, this one feels like it might be close to the truth.\u0026nbsp;I\u2019m fully prepared to be told that I\u2019m idealistic, na\u00efve, or just plain wrong, but I have a genuine curiosity as to why the concept of brand seems to be overlooked when investment decisions are made.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Considering brand as a distinct part of the growth playbook will create significant value further down the line. It\u2019s about identifying the opportunities early and planning. I accept that it might not be relevant for every transaction; but I\u2019m confident enough to say that if the investment\u2019s funding an acquisition strategy; then at some point in the journey, brand\u2019s going play a role. After all, like we said, brand strategy is business strategy.\u0026nbsp;I\u2019d love to know what those in the investment community think. Does brand and strategy play a role in adding value as part of the investment? Is it just too much hassle? Am I missing something?\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"This is the question that\u2019s been keeping me up at night. I\u2019m slightly scared to ask it publicly, but I\u2019m genuinely struggling to answer it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-03-21T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5424","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-mistakes-made-b2b-tech-firms","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand mistakes made by B2B Tech firms","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese mistakes may not be brand killers, but they could cause yours to bleed value and equity and feed the competition\u0026#039;s business. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re working with quite a few clients in an area I\u2019m broadly calling B2B Tech, and over time you notice patterns \u2013 a sense of common brand challenges that businesses in this area seem to wrestle with. Now, I\u2019m not saying this is definitive, or in any way exclusive to B2B Tech, but I thought I\u2019d throw together a list (well, four points in total\u2026is that a list?) of some of these common factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFeatures over Benefits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn many cases, these firms are either founded by or led by brilliant innovators who come from some sort of engineering or electronics background. This means they\u2019re amazing at identifying features of the product but less adept at talking about the meaningful benefits that accrue to the customer. This is such a powerful force that you still see it dominating in B2C Tech too. I tried to set up a new inkjet printer recently and the whole process smacked of overclaimed features and hype at the expense of thinking about what I needed as an average punter who just wants to print out returns labels for my online shopping. I see it as our task to help these clients try to define the differentiated value their products deliver for the customer.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo Defined Foundations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u2019s an oldie - that\u2019s not exclusive to B2B Tech - but they do seem to be particularly bad at staking out their brand foundations. By this I mean a proper \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003Epyramid of Vision, Mission, and Values\u003C\/a\u003E. This is linked to point one above, where the engineering mindset drives the business. And that\u2019s fine until it\u2019s not. Because the fact is that if you don\u2019t spend a bit of time and effort defining who you are and what you stand for, then the chances are you\u2019ll end up in the sea of sameness that\u2019s prevalent in this sector, as discussed in my \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/b2b-tech-firms-must-dig-deeper-differentiate\u0022\u003Eprevious article\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0Businesses in this sector are also prone to what we call the Buzz Lightyear vision or mission statement. You know the ones \u201cbuilding tomorrow\u2019s future today\u201d \u2026 stuff that sounds great but is meaningless to a real person. Again, it\u2019s our job to help pick the bones out of what exists and create something that\u2019s ownable and meaningful.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToo much \u2018New\u2019; not enough \u2018Old\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn this sector, there\u2019s such a race for the new that it obliterates anything from the past. This is probably driven by the fact that new tech companies tend to be the ones making the headlines. But when you stop and think about it, there are plenty of tech companies (and many in the B2B space) that have been around for decades. And this is undoubtedly a good thing from a customer\u2019s point of view. Time served means lessons learned and experience gathered. This is manna from heaven for brands and customers. It amounts to trust. Brands need to recognise it and harness it for the good of their customers and their business. We\u2019re experts at bringing the objective, customer-focused point of view to identify what\u2019s valuable and what\u2019s not.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELazy Naming Conventions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack to that printer\u2026a Brother MCD873GX (or something like that). Enough said. And that\u2019s B2C which is meant to be a little bit more evolved. This is a part of the B2B Tech scene that\u2019s pretty much the same all over. It\u2019s as bad to go the other way and try to name all the products with a funky pseudo technical prefix\u2026it just gets in the way and makes the name difficult to read. Creating a simple, descriptive naming convention for products is best. I\u2019ve never seen another method that beats it. Not spending the time and effort doing so means you\u2019re outsourcing the pain to the customer. It\u2019s an admission that you can\u2019t be bothered organising your products or services in a coherent manner that\u2019s easy to navigate. We help clients identify and harness sensible and coherent naming conventions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo sum up, none of these issues are brand killers. But if they\u2019re left to fester for a prolonged period, then they\u2019ll slowly but surely bleed value and equity from the brand and into a competitor\u2019s business. The challenge comes in acknowledgement from the brand owner that it\u2019s worth investing in the fix. Once you have that, you\u2019re halfway there.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThese mistakes may not be brand killers, but they could cause yours to bleed value and equity and feed the competition\u0026#039;s business. \nWe\u2019re working with quite a few clients in an area I\u2019m broadly calling B2B Tech, and over time you notice patterns \u2013 a sense of common brand challenges that businesses in this area seem to wrestle with. Now, I\u2019m not saying this is definitive, or in any way exclusive to B2B Tech, but I thought I\u2019d throw together a list (well, four points in total\u2026is that a list?) of some of these common factors.\nFeatures over BenefitsIn many cases, these firms are either founded by or led by brilliant innovators who come from some sort of engineering or electronics background. This means they\u2019re amazing at identifying features of the product but less adept at talking about the meaningful benefits that accrue to the customer. This is such a powerful force that you still see it dominating in B2C Tech too. I tried to set up a new inkjet printer recently and the whole process smacked of overclaimed features and hype at the expense of thinking about what I needed as an average punter who just wants to print out returns labels for my online shopping. I see it as our task to help these clients try to define the differentiated value their products deliver for the customer.\u00a0\nNo Defined FoundationsIt\u2019s an oldie - that\u2019s not exclusive to B2B Tech - but they do seem to be particularly bad at staking out their brand foundations. By this I mean a proper pyramid of Vision, Mission, and Values. This is linked to point one above, where the engineering mindset drives the business. And that\u2019s fine until it\u2019s not. Because the fact is that if you don\u2019t spend a bit of time and effort defining who you are and what you stand for, then the chances are you\u2019ll end up in the sea of sameness that\u2019s prevalent in this sector, as discussed in my previous article.\u00a0Businesses in this sector are also prone to what we call the Buzz Lightyear vision or mission statement. You know the ones \u201cbuilding tomorrow\u2019s future today\u201d \u2026 stuff that sounds great but is meaningless to a real person. Again, it\u2019s our job to help pick the bones out of what exists and create something that\u2019s ownable and meaningful.\u00a0\nToo much \u2018New\u2019; not enough \u2018Old\u2019In this sector, there\u2019s such a race for the new that it obliterates anything from the past. This is probably driven by the fact that new tech companies tend to be the ones making the headlines. But when you stop and think about it, there are plenty of tech companies (and many in the B2B space) that have been around for decades. And this is undoubtedly a good thing from a customer\u2019s point of view. Time served means lessons learned and experience gathered. This is manna from heaven for brands and customers. It amounts to trust. Brands need to recognise it and harness it for the good of their customers and their business. We\u2019re experts at bringing the objective, customer-focused point of view to identify what\u2019s valuable and what\u2019s not.\nLazy Naming ConventionsBack to that printer\u2026a Brother MCD873GX (or something like that). Enough said. And that\u2019s B2C which is meant to be a little bit more evolved. This is a part of the B2B Tech scene that\u2019s pretty much the same all over. It\u2019s as bad to go the other way and try to name all the products with a funky pseudo technical prefix\u2026it just gets in the way and makes the name difficult to read. Creating a simple, descriptive naming convention for products is best. I\u2019ve never seen another method that beats it. Not spending the time and effort doing so means you\u2019re outsourcing the pain to the customer. It\u2019s an admission that you can\u2019t be bothered organising your products or services in a coherent manner that\u2019s easy to navigate. We help clients identify and harness sensible and coherent naming conventions.\nTo sum up, none of these issues are brand killers. But if they\u2019re left to fester for a prolonged period, then they\u2019ll slowly but surely bleed value and equity from the brand and into a competitor\u2019s business. The challenge comes in acknowledgement from the brand owner that it\u2019s worth investing in the fix. Once you have that, you\u2019re halfway there.\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"These mistakes may not be brand killers, but they could cause yours to bleed value and equity and feed the competition\u0027s business.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-03-06T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5425","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/reflections-10-year-client-partnership","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Reflections on a 10 year client partnership","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAgencies aren\u0026#039;t partners with their clients unless they share in the commercial risk of the enterprise. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027ve only done this twice in my career at Good. We made two \u0027partnership\u0027 investments. One flamed out, the other was successful and delivered a decent return on investment. Now that we\u2019re out of both enterprises and with the benefit of hindsight, I thought it was worth highlighting some points from the agency owner perspective.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my experience agencies are desperate to describe their regular client relationships as partnerships. I\u2019ve done it. It makes us feel like valuable and equal stakeholders in the alliance. The thing is, it\u2019s nonsense and the sooner we all realise it the better. Clients hire agencies for all sorts of reasons, but the key point is that you\u2019re being hired as a supplier, and you\u2019ll be paid regardless of how the client project performs.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, the agency I founded with partner Keith Forbes nearly 20 years ago, we only had two experiences where we could genuinely say that we became \u2018partners\u2019 with the client. That means we negotiated a share of the business and did the brand \/ creative \/ consultancy without fees.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey were both very different businesses: one in drinks, one in software and we took the plunge with them at the same period, about 10 years ago. At this time, I think we\u2019d matured as a design firm and were graduating to a bigger brand picture, appreciating how much of an asset a well-managed brand could be for a business. Looking back, it was the right time to be trying new things as we transitioned into a more strategic consultancy. Nowadays, there would be nowhere near as much wide-eyed naivety around the risk and reward dynamic for our own business.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, the risk paid off for us and the software business was sold last year delivering a welcome return. Since the completion I\u2019ve been reflecting on the whole experience, and I\u2019m triggered every time I see agencies talking about developing partnerships with their clients. So I wanted to highlight some of the learnings with the benefit of hindsight.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. It\u2019s a long haul.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI would estimate that the return on our investment has taken at least a decade. I\u2019m not sure we even thought about the timelines in any serious detail at the start \u2013 perhaps we were just too keen to get stuck in. Given that most agencies run on a tight credit control cycle and there\u2019s always a fair degree of ambiguity of where the next quarter\u2019s revenues are coming from, a decade long cycle of investment with no guarantee of payment doesn\u2019t seem like a good option. These are two competing philosophies and I often found it difficult to reconcile them while on the journey.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Don\u2019t underestimate the risk.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s easy to get carried away with a sense of entrepreneurial excitement. I know we did. See above:10 years investment with no guarantees. If we\u2019d been a bit more mature or experienced, I think we\u2019d have been able to boil it down to exactly this proposition and recognise that from the agency\u2019s point of view, it\u2019s not a particularly good bet.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Once you\u2019re in. You\u2019re in.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt doesn\u2019t matter what you agree in terms of scope \u2013 you\u2019ll exceed it to a degree that makes it almost pointless writing it down in the first place. This looks so obvious to me now, and although I\u2019m sure we expected a little bit of creep, we massively underestimated. And when you factor in the 10-year timeline it\u2019s inevitable.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be clear, I\u2019m not saying we were cheated. I\u2019m saying that we did most of the over investment willingly because what\u2019s the alternative? We did what any other owner would do, we just got on with it and put the effort in because we wanted a return. Welcome to a real client \/ agency partnership.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E4. It\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be diluted.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not saying we were na\u00efve, but we thought dilution was what you did to orange squash! I don\u2019t suppose every start up project\u2019s the same, but many of them (particularly in the tech space) have had to raise money and offer additional shares to other investors at various stages of their growth. When this happens your initial ownership share is diluted in proportion with the new ownership of the company. This happened in both of our partnership projects and multiple times with the software company. You must be prepared to watch your shareholding fall to fractions of where you started, at the same time as you\u2019re doing all the work with no immediate cash benefit. With hindsight, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s an absolute right or wrong with this stuff, but it is worth thinking about. With the drinks business, we had a relatively small chunk and were diluted away to something meaningless. The software example was better, but we still took a fair hit over the period.\u00a0\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E5. Working for free affects the team.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough we weren\u2019t technically working for free, to many of the team it felt as though we were. This affects the spirit around the project in some subtle but important ways. In our agency the Client Service Team has been encouraged and trained to report on their billings in a very precise and structured manner. When you ask them to look after a project that has zero billing against it, they can be less than enthusiastic about getting involved. This is understandable and perhaps demonstrates what a good job we\u2019d done in creating a commercial culture within our business.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe creative team had some different challenges. Because we were part owners, there were no expensive photoshoots or illustration \u2013 we had to make do with stock and rights-free content. The other issue was just a function of time. With a project that spans a decade it was picked up and put down so many times, by so many creatives, it struggled with a lack of ownership and style. Again \u2013 nothing insurmountable, but these issues were just not seen at the outset.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E6. Who are the founders?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI guess this is a more generalised piece of advice, but it\u2019s worth repeating because it had an impact on our own investments. Our drinks start-up was led by a relatively young man with limited experience in business. He\u2019s an impressive individual with limitless energy, but I think even he\u2019d acknowledge that the opportunity came too early for him. Conversely, our software investment came with two mature guys who\u2019d worked in the sector and had a very clear idea about where they were going. This wasn\u2019t the only reason, but it certainly made a difference to our role and how hands on we needed to be throughout the life of the project. Worth factoring into the decision-making process.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ESo, was it all worth it I hear you ask?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWell, as an experience both from a professional development and personal fulfilment point of view, it was brilliant. I look back on it now and feel wiser, more confident, and well-rounded as a person and consultant. But I\u2019m not so sure I can say the same as an agency owner. The bottom line is that we poured a lot of time and effort into both enterprises. We were lucky, one of them paid off but in reality, we had little influence here. It was mostly down to the skill and judgement of the business leaders. The fact that it paid off means that over the course of both initiatives, we probably broke even in terms of time and effort. Not a great result if you were to evaluate its impact on growing the value of your agency over a decade.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, having experienced the highs, lows, and realistic timeframes of working in a real client partnership, I can confidently state I\u2019m quite happy to be called a vendor, supplier, incumbent or whatever the client wants. It\u2019s a fairer and more descriptive reflection of the relationship than \u2018partnership\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAgencies aren\u0026#039;t partners with their clients unless they share in the commercial risk of the enterprise. \nI\u0027ve only done this twice in my career at Good. We made two \u0027partnership\u0027 investments. One flamed out, the other was successful and delivered a decent return on investment. Now that we\u2019re out of both enterprises and with the benefit of hindsight, I thought it was worth highlighting some points from the agency owner perspective.\u00a0\nIn my experience agencies are desperate to describe their regular client relationships as partnerships. I\u2019ve done it. It makes us feel like valuable and equal stakeholders in the alliance. The thing is, it\u2019s nonsense and the sooner we all realise it the better. Clients hire agencies for all sorts of reasons, but the key point is that you\u2019re being hired as a supplier, and you\u2019ll be paid regardless of how the client project performs.\u00a0\u00a0\nAt Good, the agency I founded with partner Keith Forbes nearly 20 years ago, we only had two experiences where we could genuinely say that we became \u2018partners\u2019 with the client. That means we negotiated a share of the business and did the brand \/ creative \/ consultancy without fees.\u00a0\nThey were both very different businesses: one in drinks, one in software and we took the plunge with them at the same period, about 10 years ago. At this time, I think we\u2019d matured as a design firm and were graduating to a bigger brand picture, appreciating how much of an asset a well-managed brand could be for a business. Looking back, it was the right time to be trying new things as we transitioned into a more strategic consultancy. Nowadays, there would be nowhere near as much wide-eyed naivety around the risk and reward dynamic for our own business.\u00a0\u00a0\nFortunately, the risk paid off for us and the software business was sold last year delivering a welcome return. Since the completion I\u2019ve been reflecting on the whole experience, and I\u2019m triggered every time I see agencies talking about developing partnerships with their clients. So I wanted to highlight some of the learnings with the benefit of hindsight.\u00a0\n1. It\u2019s a long haul.\nI would estimate that the return on our investment has taken at least a decade. I\u2019m not sure we even thought about the timelines in any serious detail at the start \u2013 perhaps we were just too keen to get stuck in. Given that most agencies run on a tight credit control cycle and there\u2019s always a fair degree of ambiguity of where the next quarter\u2019s revenues are coming from, a decade long cycle of investment with no guarantee of payment doesn\u2019t seem like a good option. These are two competing philosophies and I often found it difficult to reconcile them while on the journey.\u00a0\n2. Don\u2019t underestimate the risk.\nIt\u2019s easy to get carried away with a sense of entrepreneurial excitement. I know we did. See above:10 years investment with no guarantees. If we\u2019d been a bit more mature or experienced, I think we\u2019d have been able to boil it down to exactly this proposition and recognise that from the agency\u2019s point of view, it\u2019s not a particularly good bet.\u00a0\u00a0\n3. Once you\u2019re in. You\u2019re in.\nIt doesn\u2019t matter what you agree in terms of scope \u2013 you\u2019ll exceed it to a degree that makes it almost pointless writing it down in the first place. This looks so obvious to me now, and although I\u2019m sure we expected a little bit of creep, we massively underestimated. And when you factor in the 10-year timeline it\u2019s inevitable.\u00a0\nTo be clear, I\u2019m not saying we were cheated. I\u2019m saying that we did most of the over investment willingly because what\u2019s the alternative? We did what any other owner would do, we just got on with it and put the effort in because we wanted a return. Welcome to a real client \/ agency partnership.\u00a0\n4. It\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be diluted.\nI\u2019m not saying we were na\u00efve, but we thought dilution was what you did to orange squash! I don\u2019t suppose every start up project\u2019s the same, but many of them (particularly in the tech space) have had to raise money and offer additional shares to other investors at various stages of their growth. When this happens your initial ownership share is diluted in proportion with the new ownership of the company. This happened in both of our partnership projects and multiple times with the software company. You must be prepared to watch your shareholding fall to fractions of where you started, at the same time as you\u2019re doing all the work with no immediate cash benefit. With hindsight, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s an absolute right or wrong with this stuff, but it is worth thinking about. With the drinks business, we had a relatively small chunk and were diluted away to something meaningless. The software example was better, but we still took a fair hit over the period.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n5. Working for free affects the team.\nAlthough we weren\u2019t technically working for free, to many of the team it felt as though we were. This affects the spirit around the project in some subtle but important ways. In our agency the Client Service Team has been encouraged and trained to report on their billings in a very precise and structured manner. When you ask them to look after a project that has zero billing against it, they can be less than enthusiastic about getting involved. This is understandable and perhaps demonstrates what a good job we\u2019d done in creating a commercial culture within our business.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe creative team had some different challenges. Because we were part owners, there were no expensive photoshoots or illustration \u2013 we had to make do with stock and rights-free content. The other issue was just a function of time. With a project that spans a decade it was picked up and put down so many times, by so many creatives, it struggled with a lack of ownership and style. Again \u2013 nothing insurmountable, but these issues were just not seen at the outset.\u00a0\u00a0\n6. Who are the founders?\nI guess this is a more generalised piece of advice, but it\u2019s worth repeating because it had an impact on our own investments. Our drinks start-up was led by a relatively young man with limited experience in business. He\u2019s an impressive individual with limitless energy, but I think even he\u2019d acknowledge that the opportunity came too early for him. Conversely, our software investment came with two mature guys who\u2019d worked in the sector and had a very clear idea about where they were going. This wasn\u2019t the only reason, but it certainly made a difference to our role and how hands on we needed to be throughout the life of the project. Worth factoring into the decision-making process.\u00a0\nSo, was it all worth it I hear you ask?\nWell, as an experience both from a professional development and personal fulfilment point of view, it was brilliant. I look back on it now and feel wiser, more confident, and well-rounded as a person and consultant. But I\u2019m not so sure I can say the same as an agency owner. The bottom line is that we poured a lot of time and effort into both enterprises. We were lucky, one of them paid off but in reality, we had little influence here. It was mostly down to the skill and judgement of the business leaders. The fact that it paid off means that over the course of both initiatives, we probably broke even in terms of time and effort. Not a great result if you were to evaluate its impact on growing the value of your agency over a decade.\u00a0\nSo, having experienced the highs, lows, and realistic timeframes of working in a real client partnership, I can confidently state I\u2019m quite happy to be called a vendor, supplier, incumbent or whatever the client wants. It\u2019s a fairer and more descriptive reflection of the relationship than \u2018partnership\u2019.\n  ","summary":"Agencies aren\u0027t partners with their clients unless they share in the commercial risk of the enterprise.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-03-06T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5426","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/helping-b2b-understand-why-it-should-invest-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Helping B2B understand why it should invest in brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI think that outside the realm of B2B marketing, clients generally have a poor understanding of brand and why they should invest in it. I also think that\u2019s because we (agencies) do a bad job of explaining why. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI was invited to speak about brand at a client\u2019s global leadership meeting recently. It was a diverse group of people from all over the world, who oversee the various regions and different constituent parts of their very successful global business. It wasn\u2019t an abstracted discussion about brand on its own. It was related to their own business, and we were offering thoughts on their own brand. A bit of an audit, with some very topline thoughts thrown in for possible changes or improvements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, in standing up and talking to the group, and based on the conversation we had afterwards, it brought home to me just how poorly \u2018brand\u2019 is understood in a B2B context. And as I travelled back home, I was reflecting on who\u2019s fault that is.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou see to us it\u2019s very simple and crystal clear. A brand is an asset. It\u2019s way much more than a logo and colours. And like any other asset \u2013 whether it be a factory full of machines; a team of people or a fleet of vehicles \u2013 if you invest in and look after that asset, then it will perform, grow, last longer and ultimately deliver the business owner a return on that investment over a period. (Providing the investment is linked to commercial goals).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, I think that we maybe we take that clarity for granted when talking to a group of very successful and clever businesspeople. They\u2019re not very clear on what a brand is and what role it plays (or should play) in their business, and it\u2019s wrong to make these assumptions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis became evident to me that day because the conversation about brand became more general and educational in nature, rather than being specific and strategic in relation to their business. Instead of seeing brand as a holistic entity as outlined above, it\u2019s perceived as a narrow series of elements that aren\u2019t necessarily joined together and pulling in the same direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are some examples (I\u2019m listing these not in a sneering \u2018aren\u2019t they stupid sense\u2019, but to show how poor a job we\u2019ve done in educating business in the value and power of brand):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere\u2019s no link made between vision, mission, values and brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E By that I mean that they understand it\u2019s important to have these things in place; but they don\u2019t understand how they should be set up as a catalyst for the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere\u2019s a simplistic tendency to talk about tangible design aspects as \u2018the brand\u2019.\u003C\/strong\u003E The most referenced areas are the logo itself and the brand\u2019s colour. It makes sense as these two elements are the stereotypes of how brands are understood in the mainstream. However, when you start to talk about tone of voice and brand language; you can see this isn\u2019t as well understood or appreciated. This can be dangerous as it trivialises the definition of brand the role it can play.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most common issues is the\u003Cstrong\u003E lack of appreciation of how closely the website is tied to the concept of brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E Websites are often well into the development stage before brand is even considered \u2013 if at all. They\u2019re seen in silos, often dealt with by different teams which creates a ton of friction when the two worlds inevitably collide. This perhaps says more about the suppliers hired to do the work but it\u0027s also a very clear example of the gulf of knowledge around how the brand should drive many aspects of digital manifestation of the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProducts and services can be seen as individual brands\u003C\/strong\u003E without an appreciation of what that means for the mother brand. And the decisions around this naming or sub-brand creation can be made by people in teams that have no consideration for the end user. There\u2019s often a powerful inside out bias that drives decision making for products and naming. As long as the logic makes sense to the internal team, the customer\u2019s going to understand, aren\u2019t they? Well, generally no, they\u2019re not. There\u2019s always a case to be made for simplification.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAudiences are generally very poorly understood.\u003C\/strong\u003E In addition to the inside out bias, there\u2019s a lack of appreciation and a tendency to over complicate how businesses communicate to audiences. Sometimes they make the same mistake as we do (and as I\u2019m writing about right now) and assume too much knowledge on the customer\u2019s behalf, or they weigh everything down with way too much technical information much too early; or they try to slice and dice how they communicate to their various audiences and tie themselves in knots. I think the main problem is that they think of them as \u2018audiences\u2019 or \u2018customers\u2019, rather than simply as humans, which makes communication much easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of this was running through my head on the plane home, and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve come to any firm conclusions. However, it\u2019s clear that before we engage in any form of brand project at serious scale, we should spend a little time running through language, definitions and defining our point of view of what a brand is and what it can do for a business. We may worry about the risk of coming across as patronising or high minded; but I guess that\u2019s up to us (and our brand values) to make this stuff land the right way.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nI think that outside the realm of B2B marketing, clients generally have a poor understanding of brand and why they should invest in it. I also think that\u2019s because we (agencies) do a bad job of explaining why. \nI was invited to speak about brand at a client\u2019s global leadership meeting recently. It was a diverse group of people from all over the world, who oversee the various regions and different constituent parts of their very successful global business. It wasn\u2019t an abstracted discussion about brand on its own. It was related to their own business, and we were offering thoughts on their own brand. A bit of an audit, with some very topline thoughts thrown in for possible changes or improvements.However, in standing up and talking to the group, and based on the conversation we had afterwards, it brought home to me just how poorly \u2018brand\u2019 is understood in a B2B context. And as I travelled back home, I was reflecting on who\u2019s fault that is.You see to us it\u2019s very simple and crystal clear. A brand is an asset. It\u2019s way much more than a logo and colours. And like any other asset \u2013 whether it be a factory full of machines; a team of people or a fleet of vehicles \u2013 if you invest in and look after that asset, then it will perform, grow, last longer and ultimately deliver the business owner a return on that investment over a period. (Providing the investment is linked to commercial goals).So, I think that we maybe we take that clarity for granted when talking to a group of very successful and clever businesspeople. They\u2019re not very clear on what a brand is and what role it plays (or should play) in their business, and it\u2019s wrong to make these assumptions.This became evident to me that day because the conversation about brand became more general and educational in nature, rather than being specific and strategic in relation to their business. Instead of seeing brand as a holistic entity as outlined above, it\u2019s perceived as a narrow series of elements that aren\u2019t necessarily joined together and pulling in the same direction.Here are some examples (I\u2019m listing these not in a sneering \u2018aren\u2019t they stupid sense\u2019, but to show how poor a job we\u2019ve done in educating business in the value and power of brand):There\u2019s no link made between vision, mission, values and brand. By that I mean that they understand it\u2019s important to have these things in place; but they don\u2019t understand how they should be set up as a catalyst for the brand.There\u2019s a simplistic tendency to talk about tangible design aspects as \u2018the brand\u2019. The most referenced areas are the logo itself and the brand\u2019s colour. It makes sense as these two elements are the stereotypes of how brands are understood in the mainstream. However, when you start to talk about tone of voice and brand language; you can see this isn\u2019t as well understood or appreciated. This can be dangerous as it trivialises the definition of brand the role it can play.One of the most common issues is the lack of appreciation of how closely the website is tied to the concept of brand. Websites are often well into the development stage before brand is even considered \u2013 if at all. They\u2019re seen in silos, often dealt with by different teams which creates a ton of friction when the two worlds inevitably collide. This perhaps says more about the suppliers hired to do the work but it\u0027s also a very clear example of the gulf of knowledge around how the brand should drive many aspects of digital manifestation of the brand.Products and services can be seen as individual brands without an appreciation of what that means for the mother brand. And the decisions around this naming or sub-brand creation can be made by people in teams that have no consideration for the end user. There\u2019s often a powerful inside out bias that drives decision making for products and naming. As long as the logic makes sense to the internal team, the customer\u2019s going to understand, aren\u2019t they? Well, generally no, they\u2019re not. There\u2019s always a case to be made for simplification.Audiences are generally very poorly understood. In addition to the inside out bias, there\u2019s a lack of appreciation and a tendency to over complicate how businesses communicate to audiences. Sometimes they make the same mistake as we do (and as I\u2019m writing about right now) and assume too much knowledge on the customer\u2019s behalf, or they weigh everything down with way too much technical information much too early; or they try to slice and dice how they communicate to their various audiences and tie themselves in knots. I think the main problem is that they think of them as \u2018audiences\u2019 or \u2018customers\u2019, rather than simply as humans, which makes communication much easier.All of this was running through my head on the plane home, and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve come to any firm conclusions. However, it\u2019s clear that before we engage in any form of brand project at serious scale, we should spend a little time running through language, definitions and defining our point of view of what a brand is and what it can do for a business. We may worry about the risk of coming across as patronising or high minded; but I guess that\u2019s up to us (and our brand values) to make this stuff land the right way.  ","summary":"I think that outside the realm of B2B marketing, clients generally have a poor understanding of brand and why they should invest in it. I also think that\u2019s because we (agencies) do a bad job of explaining why.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-02-23T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5723","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-your-real-competiton","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What\u0026#039;s Your Real Competiton?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYour competition is another company; it\u0026#039;s the status quo.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe explain more on this month\u0027s podcast. You can read the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-status-quo-real-competition\u0022\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/a\u003E on our website.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/48d33e2e\/f4d2b7f1.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYour competition is another company; it\u0026#039;s the status quo.  \nWe explain more on this month\u0027s podcast. You can read the original article on our website.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Your competition is another company; it\u0027s the status quo. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-02-14T11:51:52+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5427","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/esg-has-brand-problem","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"ESG has a brand problem","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe don\u0026#039;t claim to be experts in ESG but we do know a thing or two about brand. And as more and more clients come to us with projects that include an aspect of ESG, we\u2019re seeing the two worlds collide. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is an interesting one for us, and was a topic of a recent Webinar we hosted. Now while we don\u2019t claim to be experts in ESG, we do know a thing or two about brand. And as more and more clients come to us with projects that include an aspect of ESG, we\u2019re seeing the two worlds collide.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver recent years, ESG has become much more prominent in our work. Whether that\u2019s to interpret, define or create comms around it, it\u2019s clear this isn\u2019t a marketing fad. It\u2019s not going anywhere, and there are implications and real-world challenges for brands and businesses around how they incorporate it in their business.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat do we see happening, why, and what can you do about it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst off \u2013 ESG isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. Originally created by financiers in the 1960s the aim was to help investors make socially responsible decisions. But a quick look at Google trends (global data) shows the massive uptick the term ESG saw around 2018. Likely driven by various social movements \u2013 Black Lives Matter, Me Too, Extinction Rebellion \u2013 this started to move ESG on from its original roots and intent to a much broader proposition, placing it more in the domain of the public versus an investor audience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2726\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022The growth of ESG\u0022 title=\u0022The growth of ESG\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/esg_3.png\u0022 width=\u00222692\u0022 height=\u00221314\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut as ESG has made its way into the public domain, it doesn\u2019t seem to have survived contact with the consumer, with brands struggling to make it credible and meaningful to a to a different (consumer) audience. And we know it\u2019s something consumers care about:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E52% of consumers take a brand\u2019s eco-credentials into account when choosing a product.*\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E61% of consumers are making more environmentally friendly, sustainable, or ethical purchases.**\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E72% of consumers say that sustainability is an important purchase consideration.***\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E* YouGov Forces of Change Survey 2021\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003Cem\u003E** Accenture COVID-19 Consumer Pulse Research\u2014Wave 7\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003Cem\u003E*** The Sustainability Disconnect Between Consumers \u0026amp; Retail Executives. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what can brands do to help bridge the gap between a broad ESG strategy, and something that\u2019s meaningful for consumers?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstand your business: being honest about where you are in your ESG journey is crucial to understanding how you\u2019re going to share your story.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUndoubtedly, ESG is easier for some brands than for others. At one end of the spectrum you have what we call the \u2018baked in\u2019 approach \u2013 a\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 very\u00a0deliberate position relating to sustainability that\u2019s driven by a founder\u2019s mindset. ESG lives at the heart of every strategic and operational decision the business makes. ESG \u003Cem\u003Eis\u003C\/em\u003E the business. Think Allbirds or Patagonia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the opposite end of the spectrum you have the \u2018sprinkled on\u2019 approach. This is where we see questionable credentials with businesses appearing to follow a trend rather than build a strategy that\u2019s believable and measurable. Ultimately, it feels performative. Brewdog is a good example here \u2013 starting off well and seemingly full of good ESG intentions, but it gradually went to shit, with various claims and failings that ultimately led to court battles and a loss of their BCorp status.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, in the middle you have a more \u2018layered in\u2019 approach \u2013 and realistically this is where most businesses are. There\u2019s an understanding that the world is changing, and businesses need to change along with it. So the business is slowly, over a period of time, layering in a variety of ESG commitments and initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe rarely see this succeed (in any sort of meaningful way) when it\u2019s been driven at a grass roots level. Even if not driven by a founder mindset and cultural motivation, there needs to be a commitment and continued drive from leadership to layer in ESG in a way that keeps the organisation accountable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe key takeout here? Be honest with yourself about where you are on the journey. If you\u2019re sprinkled on, that\u2019s a fine place to start as you move towards layering in various initiatives over time. Where you are shapes the story you\u2019ll tell your customer, so make sure it\u2019s credible and believable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t talk about ESG: Be clear in your communication and be clear on what your consumers are looking for.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis shit is tricky. There\u2019s a lot to talk about and it quickly gets very detailed and (often) confusing. On our recent webinar we talked about the broad range of topics that are covered under the ESG umbrella (Environmental, Social, Governance). So when it comes to comms, resist the temptation to pile it all into one thing \u2013 be clear where you stand and think carefully about how you communicate it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThink about what your customers want to know, when and where they\u2019ll be looking for it (hint: don\u2019t just relegate ESG to the footer of your website). Talk about individual initiatives (ideally focused on specific UN Sustainability goals), and make sure they\u2019re measurable and trackable to allow you to share benchmarks and progress along the way.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELean into the value: What\u2019s the consumer outcome of the ESG activity? Tie it to a value-based conversation rather than a science-based activity.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne very important aspect of ESG comms is the focus on value, not features. When you think about the stats above [REF] and consider what\u2019s known as the \u2018behaviour gap\u2019 shown in the Bain chart below \u2013 it\u2019s clear people\u2019s intentions don\u2019t always translate into action.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2725\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022analysis of global consumer survey\u0022 title=\u0022analysis of global consumer survey\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/esg_2.png\u0022 width=\u0022844\u0022 height=\u0022475\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bWhy? Often because it\u2019s just too complicated \u2013 brands talk about commitments and initiatives but make it difficult to understand the real value and impact they deliver. If brands are going to help consumers make a better choice \u2013 they need to stop talking about \u2018science\u2019 and start talking about value. And do it in a way that\u2019s simple for consumers to understand.\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00224\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere\u2019s the brand sacrifice? Are we really all in this together?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u003C\/strong\u003EWhether it\u2019s giving up meat, using less energy or switching to EVs \u2013 when it comes to ESG the sacrifice tends to live with the consumer. Where\u2019s the brand sacrifice? Again, this is easier for some businesses than others \u2013 it\u2019s easier to sacrifice short-term profit when you\u2019re not beholden to shareholders. But it can\u2019t always be on the consumer to do more, pay more, care more.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re caught between two philosophies:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETo adapt to the challenges facing us on a global scale, business needs to ensure that \u201cplanet\u201d and \u201cpeople\u201d are as important as \u201cprofit.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003EBusiness\u2019s primary purpose is to produce the maximum return on the investment placed into that business.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe status quo is very powerful \u2013 and still heavily leaning towards a return for shareholders vs people and planet \u2013 so something needs to change. The likelihood is this will come from some sort of government intervention, regulation, measurement, and reporting requirement. Until then, is there much incentive for brands to make a \u2018real\u2019 sacrifice? Probably not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00225\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBe authentically you. Escape the sea of sameness.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u003C\/strong\u003EYou can probably pretty much correlate the increase in iStock\u2019s share price with the rise in ESG as a search term. Trees, trees everywhere\u2026 Sticking an image of a tree on your social channels is the default position, but it just doesn\u2019t cut it anymore. Consumers expect brands to take this stuff seriously and offer a point of view on the world. But it needs to feel real.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that brings us back to basic branding principles \u2013 only if you\u2019re very clear on how your organisation is defined by your own Vision, Mission and Values can you start to create and implement a credible and ownable ESG strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what\u2019s the summary of all of this? Like I said at the start, ESG is a complex thing and incorporating it in brand comms can be tricky. But it doesn\u2019t need to be overly complicated \u2013 think about how ESG relates to your brand and communicate your viewpoint, initiatives and progress in a way that\u2019s simple and meaningful for your consumer.\u00a0That might not solve all your ESG comms problems, but it\u0027s a pretty decent place to start.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe don\u0026#039;t claim to be experts in ESG but we do know a thing or two about brand. And as more and more clients come to us with projects that include an aspect of ESG, we\u2019re seeing the two worlds collide. \nThis is an interesting one for us, and was a topic of a recent Webinar we hosted. Now while we don\u2019t claim to be experts in ESG, we do know a thing or two about brand. And as more and more clients come to us with projects that include an aspect of ESG, we\u2019re seeing the two worlds collide.\nOver recent years, ESG has become much more prominent in our work. Whether that\u2019s to interpret, define or create comms around it, it\u2019s clear this isn\u2019t a marketing fad. It\u2019s not going anywhere, and there are implications and real-world challenges for brands and businesses around how they incorporate it in their business.\u00a0\nWhat do we see happening, why, and what can you do about it?\nFirst off \u2013 ESG isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. Originally created by financiers in the 1960s the aim was to help investors make socially responsible decisions. But a quick look at Google trends (global data) shows the massive uptick the term ESG saw around 2018. Likely driven by various social movements \u2013 Black Lives Matter, Me Too, Extinction Rebellion \u2013 this started to move ESG on from its original roots and intent to a much broader proposition, placing it more in the domain of the public versus an investor audience.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nBut as ESG has made its way into the public domain, it doesn\u2019t seem to have survived contact with the consumer, with brands struggling to make it credible and meaningful to a to a different (consumer) audience. And we know it\u2019s something consumers care about:\n52% of consumers take a brand\u2019s eco-credentials into account when choosing a product.*\n61% of consumers are making more environmentally friendly, sustainable, or ethical purchases.**\n72% of consumers say that sustainability is an important purchase consideration.***\u00a0\n* YouGov Forces of Change Survey 2021\u00a0** Accenture COVID-19 Consumer Pulse Research\u2014Wave 7\u00a0*** The Sustainability Disconnect Between Consumers \u0026amp; Retail Executives. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania\u00a0\nSo what can brands do to help bridge the gap between a broad ESG strategy, and something that\u2019s meaningful for consumers?\u00a0\nUnderstand your business: being honest about where you are in your ESG journey is crucial to understanding how you\u2019re going to share your story.\nUndoubtedly, ESG is easier for some brands than for others. At one end of the spectrum you have what we call the \u2018baked in\u2019 approach \u2013 a\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 very\u00a0deliberate position relating to sustainability that\u2019s driven by a founder\u2019s mindset. ESG lives at the heart of every strategic and operational decision the business makes. ESG is the business. Think Allbirds or Patagonia.\nAt the opposite end of the spectrum you have the \u2018sprinkled on\u2019 approach. This is where we see questionable credentials with businesses appearing to follow a trend rather than build a strategy that\u2019s believable and measurable. Ultimately, it feels performative. Brewdog is a good example here \u2013 starting off well and seemingly full of good ESG intentions, but it gradually went to shit, with various claims and failings that ultimately led to court battles and a loss of their BCorp status.\nFinally, in the middle you have a more \u2018layered in\u2019 approach \u2013 and realistically this is where most businesses are. There\u2019s an understanding that the world is changing, and businesses need to change along with it. So the business is slowly, over a period of time, layering in a variety of ESG commitments and initiatives.\nWe rarely see this succeed (in any sort of meaningful way) when it\u2019s been driven at a grass roots level. Even if not driven by a founder mindset and cultural motivation, there needs to be a commitment and continued drive from leadership to layer in ESG in a way that keeps the organisation accountable.\nThe key takeout here? Be honest with yourself about where you are on the journey. If you\u2019re sprinkled on, that\u2019s a fine place to start as you move towards layering in various initiatives over time. Where you are shapes the story you\u2019ll tell your customer, so make sure it\u2019s credible and believable.\u00a0\nDon\u2019t talk about ESG: Be clear in your communication and be clear on what your consumers are looking for.\nThis shit is tricky. There\u2019s a lot to talk about and it quickly gets very detailed and (often) confusing. On our recent webinar we talked about the broad range of topics that are covered under the ESG umbrella (Environmental, Social, Governance). So when it comes to comms, resist the temptation to pile it all into one thing \u2013 be clear where you stand and think carefully about how you communicate it.\nThink about what your customers want to know, when and where they\u2019ll be looking for it (hint: don\u2019t just relegate ESG to the footer of your website). Talk about individual initiatives (ideally focused on specific UN Sustainability goals), and make sure they\u2019re measurable and trackable to allow you to share benchmarks and progress along the way.\n\u00a0\nLean into the value: What\u2019s the consumer outcome of the ESG activity? Tie it to a value-based conversation rather than a science-based activity.\nOne very important aspect of ESG comms is the focus on value, not features. When you think about the stats above [REF] and consider what\u2019s known as the \u2018behaviour gap\u2019 shown in the Bain chart below \u2013 it\u2019s clear people\u2019s intentions don\u2019t always translate into action.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bWhy? Often because it\u2019s just too complicated \u2013 brands talk about commitments and initiatives but make it difficult to understand the real value and impact they deliver. If brands are going to help consumers make a better choice \u2013 they need to stop talking about \u2018science\u2019 and start talking about value. And do it in a way that\u2019s simple for consumers to understand.\n\u00a0\nWhere\u2019s the brand sacrifice? Are we really all in this together?\n\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bWhether it\u2019s giving up meat, using less energy or switching to EVs \u2013 when it comes to ESG the sacrifice tends to live with the consumer. Where\u2019s the brand sacrifice? Again, this is easier for some businesses than others \u2013 it\u2019s easier to sacrifice short-term profit when you\u2019re not beholden to shareholders. But it can\u2019t always be on the consumer to do more, pay more, care more.\nWe\u2019re caught between two philosophies:\nTo adapt to the challenges facing us on a global scale, business needs to ensure that \u201cplanet\u201d and \u201cpeople\u201d are as important as \u201cprofit.\u201d\u00a0\nBusiness\u2019s primary purpose is to produce the maximum return on the investment placed into that business.\nThe status quo is very powerful \u2013 and still heavily leaning towards a return for shareholders vs people and planet \u2013 so something needs to change. The likelihood is this will come from some sort of government intervention, regulation, measurement, and reporting requirement. Until then, is there much incentive for brands to make a \u2018real\u2019 sacrifice? Probably not.\u00a0\nBe authentically you. Escape the sea of sameness.\n\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bYou can probably pretty much correlate the increase in iStock\u2019s share price with the rise in ESG as a search term. Trees, trees everywhere\u2026 Sticking an image of a tree on your social channels is the default position, but it just doesn\u2019t cut it anymore. Consumers expect brands to take this stuff seriously and offer a point of view on the world. But it needs to feel real.\nAnd that brings us back to basic branding principles \u2013 only if you\u2019re very clear on how your organisation is defined by your own Vision, Mission and Values can you start to create and implement a credible and ownable ESG strategy.\nSo what\u2019s the summary of all of this? Like I said at the start, ESG is a complex thing and incorporating it in brand comms can be tricky. But it doesn\u2019t need to be overly complicated \u2013 think about how ESG relates to your brand and communicate your viewpoint, initiatives and progress in a way that\u2019s simple and meaningful for your consumer.\u00a0That might not solve all your ESG comms problems, but it\u0027s a pretty decent place to start.\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"We don\u0027t claim to be experts in ESG but we do know a thing or two about brand. And as more and more clients come to us with projects that include an aspect of ESG, we\u2019re seeing the two worlds collide.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-02-07T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Julie Murdoch"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5428","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/b2b-tech-firms-must-dig-deeper-differentiate","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"B2B Tech Firms must dig deeper to differentiate","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt feels like every other B2B tech firm I look at conforms to the same visual and verbal convention. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI was doing some research recently in the area I loosely call the \u2018B2B Tech\u2019 space \u2013 looking at websites and how businesses present themselves. The thing that stuck out for me was just how similar many businesses are when it comes to \u2018brand\u2019. It felt like every other one I looked at conformed to the same visual and verbal convention.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most obvious was their use of visual metaphors to communicate \u2018networks\u2019 or \u2018connectedness\u2019. For example, many of them will use a stylised globe illustration (stock imagery) with a blue\/black background. Dots and lines or a grid over the image create the sense of connection. It might also animate or move to show how clever they are. The chances are there\u2019s also some sort of abstract statement about how they\u2019re \u201cdelivering tomorrow\u2019s future today\u201d \u2013 what we call Buzz Lightyear positioning statements. That\u2019s perhaps a little unfair and stereotyped, but you get the gist \u2013 it\u2019s basically what happens when there\u2019s an absence of proper thought about how to create a first impression.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo \u2013 what\u2019s the best way for B2B Tech firms to avoid the sea of sameness and create a distinctive brand? Here are 5 top tips:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESet out clear foundations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best tech brands know exactly who they are and why they\u2019re doing what they do. This sets the foundations for every strategic decision the business makes. We\u2019re big advocates of creating a clear vision, mission and values. It doesn\u2019t need to be complicated; but it offers guidance for all your brand and marketing comms. In our view this is the single most important thing you can do to start to create some differentiation within your sector.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAgree on the architecture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany B2B Tech firms struggle with their brand and product architecture; and the problems manifest themselves in jumbled portfolios of sub brands and products. These are characterised by poor naming conventions, duplicates and overlapping products which have no relationship with the mother brand. This feeds confusion internally, and ultimately affects the customer who can\u2019t simply navigate the portfolio or make a purchase decision easily. Our advice is to figure out where the equity lies (hint: it\u2019s not in the product brands) and streamline the way the main brand and products face out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevelop a suite of distinctive assets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the stage that B2B Tech firms can really begin to stand out against that sea of sameness. Once you\u2019re clear on your foundations (who you are) and your architecture (how you\u2019re structured) then you\u2019re able to build a graphic representation of your business. Instead of opting for generic globes and connection metaphors; you\u2019re able to create ownable assets which reflect your values \u2013 logos, typography, tone of voice and photography style. The trick here is to invest in creating them once and then leaving them alone. Successful branding is about building a salience and relevance in your customers\u2019 heads. This takes time, so they need to see the same things repeatedly to build the associations and memories.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeep the language simple\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA major failing of B2B businesses in this sector is the language they use. Generally, it\u2019s full of abbreviations, acronyms and technical jargon used in the mistaken belief that it adds a professional or \u2018big league\u2019 veneer to their marketing. Nothing could be further from the truth! It adds to the friction. We\u2019re believers in developing a distinct tone of voice for your brand; but at the same time keeping it simple and easily understood. Of course, there\u2019s room for technical language, but there\u2019s a time and a place for it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETreat the home page as a \u2018soft landing\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFar too many brands in this space jump straight into detail before properly introducing themselves: whether that\u2019s to tell us about new products, the latest news, or the most recent staff charity bike ride. And, as per point four, there\u2019s also a tendency to use technical language or jargon, leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed. It\u2019s a very common problem, but also very easy to fix. Our advice is always to take time to introduce and explain your business by creating a simple positioning statement: stating your name, what you do and who you serve. Simple language \u2013 no jargon; no acronyms. This soft landing allows visitors to orientate themselves and decide quickly if they\u2019re in the right place. We all know how frustrating it is when sites make you work to figure out if you\u2019ve landed in the right place. Make it as easy as possible.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my opinion much of the B2B Tech space is driven by powerful category conventions which creates a sea of sameness. Taking the time to define and create your brand more professionally will drive huge benefits. Simple standout: elevated marketing and brand comms and less customer friction will aggregate to gains for the bottom line over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIt feels like every other B2B tech firm I look at conforms to the same visual and verbal convention. \nI was doing some research recently in the area I loosely call the \u2018B2B Tech\u2019 space \u2013 looking at websites and how businesses present themselves. The thing that stuck out for me was just how similar many businesses are when it comes to \u2018brand\u2019. It felt like every other one I looked at conformed to the same visual and verbal convention.\u00a0\nThe most obvious was their use of visual metaphors to communicate \u2018networks\u2019 or \u2018connectedness\u2019. For example, many of them will use a stylised globe illustration (stock imagery) with a blue\/black background. Dots and lines or a grid over the image create the sense of connection. It might also animate or move to show how clever they are. The chances are there\u2019s also some sort of abstract statement about how they\u2019re \u201cdelivering tomorrow\u2019s future today\u201d \u2013 what we call Buzz Lightyear positioning statements. That\u2019s perhaps a little unfair and stereotyped, but you get the gist \u2013 it\u2019s basically what happens when there\u2019s an absence of proper thought about how to create a first impression.\u00a0\nSo \u2013 what\u2019s the best way for B2B Tech firms to avoid the sea of sameness and create a distinctive brand? Here are 5 top tips:\u00a0\nSet out clear foundations\nThe best tech brands know exactly who they are and why they\u2019re doing what they do. This sets the foundations for every strategic decision the business makes. We\u2019re big advocates of creating a clear vision, mission and values. It doesn\u2019t need to be complicated; but it offers guidance for all your brand and marketing comms. In our view this is the single most important thing you can do to start to create some differentiation within your sector.\u00a0\nAgree on the architecture\nMany B2B Tech firms struggle with their brand and product architecture; and the problems manifest themselves in jumbled portfolios of sub brands and products. These are characterised by poor naming conventions, duplicates and overlapping products which have no relationship with the mother brand. This feeds confusion internally, and ultimately affects the customer who can\u2019t simply navigate the portfolio or make a purchase decision easily. Our advice is to figure out where the equity lies (hint: it\u2019s not in the product brands) and streamline the way the main brand and products face out.\u00a0\nDevelop a suite of distinctive assets\nThis is the stage that B2B Tech firms can really begin to stand out against that sea of sameness. Once you\u2019re clear on your foundations (who you are) and your architecture (how you\u2019re structured) then you\u2019re able to build a graphic representation of your business. Instead of opting for generic globes and connection metaphors; you\u2019re able to create ownable assets which reflect your values \u2013 logos, typography, tone of voice and photography style. The trick here is to invest in creating them once and then leaving them alone. Successful branding is about building a salience and relevance in your customers\u2019 heads. This takes time, so they need to see the same things repeatedly to build the associations and memories.\u00a0\nKeep the language simple\nA major failing of B2B businesses in this sector is the language they use. Generally, it\u2019s full of abbreviations, acronyms and technical jargon used in the mistaken belief that it adds a professional or \u2018big league\u2019 veneer to their marketing. Nothing could be further from the truth! It adds to the friction. We\u2019re believers in developing a distinct tone of voice for your brand; but at the same time keeping it simple and easily understood. Of course, there\u2019s room for technical language, but there\u2019s a time and a place for it.\u00a0\nTreat the home page as a \u2018soft landing\u2019\nFar too many brands in this space jump straight into detail before properly introducing themselves: whether that\u2019s to tell us about new products, the latest news, or the most recent staff charity bike ride. And, as per point four, there\u2019s also a tendency to use technical language or jargon, leaving the reader feeling overwhelmed. It\u2019s a very common problem, but also very easy to fix. Our advice is always to take time to introduce and explain your business by creating a simple positioning statement: stating your name, what you do and who you serve. Simple language \u2013 no jargon; no acronyms. This soft landing allows visitors to orientate themselves and decide quickly if they\u2019re in the right place. We all know how frustrating it is when sites make you work to figure out if you\u2019ve landed in the right place. Make it as easy as possible.\u00a0\nIn my opinion much of the B2B Tech space is driven by powerful category conventions which creates a sea of sameness. Taking the time to define and create your brand more professionally will drive huge benefits. Simple standout: elevated marketing and brand comms and less customer friction will aggregate to gains for the bottom line over time.\n  ","summary":"It feels like every other B2B tech firm I look at conforms to the same visual and verbal convention.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-01-25T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5724","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-workshop","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Brand Workshop","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EToo often, we focus on the end result when it comes to brand. Instead, it\u0026#039;s helpful to reflect on one of the critical milestones in the journey, the kick-off session, the brand workshop. We dive into what makes a good brand workshop, the reason for doing it and how to improve the session\u0026#039;s outputs to ensure great work is built from it.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at the article we wrote about \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/tips-how-run-brand-workshop\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022b2224fbb-5b21-4726-ae9a-3175b0b09291\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Tips on how to run a brand workshop\u0022\u003Erunning a brand workshop\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/fe9492e7\/f90dbc13.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nToo often, we focus on the end result when it comes to brand. Instead, it\u0026#039;s helpful to reflect on one of the critical milestones in the journey, the kick-off session, the brand workshop. We dive into what makes a good brand workshop, the reason for doing it and how to improve the session\u0026#039;s outputs to ensure great work is built from it.  \nTake a look at the article we wrote about running a brand workshop.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Too often, we focus on the end result when it comes to brand. Instead, it\u0027s helpful to reflect on one of the critical milestones in the journey, the kick-off session, the brand workshop. We dive into what makes a good brand workshop, the reason for doing it and how to improve the session\u0027s outputs to ensure great work is built from it. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2023-01-09T10:48:14+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5429","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-status-quo-real-competition","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why the status quo is the real competition","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEven if we offer customers something new, better and cheaper it\u2019s not necessarily the case that they\u2019ll jump at it straight off the bat. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a difference between the theory and the practice and I always find it refreshing to have my lazy brand assumptions challenged by reality once in a while. It happened most recently when I was lucky enough to sit in on a piece of consumer research. It was for the launch of a new service, and all the homework had been done: market analysis; target audience profiles; positioning; pricing; branding\u2026the lot. We believed that we had a great service for the right people at the right price. We wanted to fine tune a few aspects of the proposition and price points, so the research groups were commissioned.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt went well, and many aspects of our proposition researched positively. But, in listening to the groups, and reading between the lines, I was reminded that there is a massive difference between the sterility and rationality of the boardroom table and messy emotional reality of the real-world customer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause you see, although the proposition was good - the customers made it clear to us that they might be tempted - but there was a raft of reasons why they probably couldn\u2019t switch over immediately (if at all). Existing deals, notice periods, and tangled family accounts made it a real challenge. And we all know what we\u2019re like when we\u2019re faced with having to compare, contrast and must change supplier\u2026we tend not to. The inertia of it is just too powerful.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2013 there was a piece of research published that said people were more likely to get divorced than change the bank account they have on their wedding day. At that time the average marriage lasted 11.5 years, whereas we stayed with a bank for an average of 17 years. That\u2019s a perfect example of consumer inertia right there.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not just in the B2C space. A 2020 study demonstrated the complexities and challenges in today\u2019s B2B buying journey showed that 38% of purchase attempts end up with \u2019no decision\u2019. In these circumstances I think it\u2019s even more complicated and comes down to the sheer inescapable gravity that holds the status quo in place.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s the point then? Well, it seems to me that in many cases we get far too worked up about the competitive marketplace and all the alternatives to our brand, when they\u2019re not thing we should be thinking about. It\u2019s the status quo. That\u2019s where the real \u2018can\u2019t be arsed\u2019 friction lies. We all know it and feel it but seem to forget it when we come to work in a marketing sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, I think we should be adding another section to our research when we\u2019re looking at the competition: what\u2019s the status quo for the customer right now, and how to do we look to deal with these challenges. It\u2019s not an earth-shattering insight; but another reminder that it\u2019s always useful to get out and hear customers talking about the reality of their buying experience. Their context is always different to that of the boardroom.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nEven if we offer customers something new, better and cheaper it\u2019s not necessarily the case that they\u2019ll jump at it straight off the bat. \nThere\u2019s a difference between the theory and the practice and I always find it refreshing to have my lazy brand assumptions challenged by reality once in a while. It happened most recently when I was lucky enough to sit in on a piece of consumer research. It was for the launch of a new service, and all the homework had been done: market analysis; target audience profiles; positioning; pricing; branding\u2026the lot. We believed that we had a great service for the right people at the right price. We wanted to fine tune a few aspects of the proposition and price points, so the research groups were commissioned.\u00a0\nIt went well, and many aspects of our proposition researched positively. But, in listening to the groups, and reading between the lines, I was reminded that there is a massive difference between the sterility and rationality of the boardroom table and messy emotional reality of the real-world customer.\nBecause you see, although the proposition was good - the customers made it clear to us that they might be tempted - but there was a raft of reasons why they probably couldn\u2019t switch over immediately (if at all). Existing deals, notice periods, and tangled family accounts made it a real challenge. And we all know what we\u2019re like when we\u2019re faced with having to compare, contrast and must change supplier\u2026we tend not to. The inertia of it is just too powerful.\u00a0\nIn 2013 there was a piece of research published that said people were more likely to get divorced than change the bank account they have on their wedding day. At that time the average marriage lasted 11.5 years, whereas we stayed with a bank for an average of 17 years. That\u2019s a perfect example of consumer inertia right there.\nIt\u2019s not just in the B2C space. A 2020 study demonstrated the complexities and challenges in today\u2019s B2B buying journey showed that 38% of purchase attempts end up with \u2019no decision\u2019. In these circumstances I think it\u2019s even more complicated and comes down to the sheer inescapable gravity that holds the status quo in place.\nWhat\u2019s the point then? Well, it seems to me that in many cases we get far too worked up about the competitive marketplace and all the alternatives to our brand, when they\u2019re not thing we should be thinking about. It\u2019s the status quo. That\u2019s where the real \u2018can\u2019t be arsed\u2019 friction lies. We all know it and feel it but seem to forget it when we come to work in a marketing sense.\nSo, I think we should be adding another section to our research when we\u2019re looking at the competition: what\u2019s the status quo for the customer right now, and how to do we look to deal with these challenges. It\u2019s not an earth-shattering insight; but another reminder that it\u2019s always useful to get out and hear customers talking about the reality of their buying experience. Their context is always different to that of the boardroom.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"Even if we offer customers something new, better and cheaper it\u2019s not necessarily the case that they\u2019ll jump at it straight off the bat.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-11-23T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5725","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/missions-critical","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Mission\u0026#039;s Critical","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEveryone swoons at a vision. Everyone gets into the value. But the mission? It\u0026#039;s the middle child that people love but don\u0026#039;t understand. We get into what we mean by \u0026#039;mission\u0026#039;, why it\u0026#039;s central to a brand and how it should be used within your business.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe hope you enjoyed this podcast about brand mission, have a look at the article that kicked this discussion off.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Setting out your Brand Mission\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/ac6d7b73\/79325a2a.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nEveryone swoons at a vision. Everyone gets into the value. But the mission? It\u0026#039;s the middle child that people love but don\u0026#039;t understand. We get into what we mean by \u0026#039;mission\u0026#039;, why it\u0026#039;s central to a brand and how it should be used within your business.  \nWe hope you enjoyed this podcast about brand mission, have a look at the article that kicked this discussion off.\u0026nbsp;Setting out your Brand MissionDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Everyone swoons at a vision. Everyone gets into the value. But the mission? It\u0027s the middle child that people love but don\u0027t understand. We get into what we mean by \u0027mission\u0027, why it\u0027s central to a brand and how it should be used within your business. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-11-21T08:03:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5430","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/tips-good-brand-homepage","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Tips for a good brand homepage","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne thing we\u2019re always telling clients is that the clarity and coherence of their organisation needs to come through in the first contact with the brand. Often, this first contact comes via a company\u2019s website. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of a business development push, we\u2019ve been reviewing 1,300 companies and grading their sites to see just how clear they\u2019re making their proposition to potential customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere are seven tips on what brands should do \/ not do to make sure their message lands and survives first contact with the user.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThink about the site from the outside in.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToo many businesses think about what they want their site to do for them (e.g., PR); rather than think about what a potential user wants from it. When you start to think about it as a valuable tool which can help move a customer down the path to purchase; it radically changes what appears above the fold on the homepage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUse clear language.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUsing industry terms and abbreviations is a no-no. You\u2019re looking to get your positioning statement (a simple and clear description of who you are and what you do) out there as quickly as possible. That way the user can quickly determine whether this is the place they want to be, right?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGet out of your own way.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI know there\u2019s the cookie thing that very few of us understand, but it\u2019s tolerated to get to the good stuff. But some organisations think it\u2019s a really good idea (for them) to ask you a whole load of other seemingly irrelevant questions before letting you in, which just builds frustration for the user. What region am I looking for? Am I looking for trade or consumer? What position do I occupy? Really? Come on.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThink carefully before you use video.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYes, you like it because it looks good, but it can also be a distraction. See point 1. Video can be helpful when you need to provide\u003Cbr \/\u003Esupplemental content, but don\u2019t just stick it on your header banner and assume I want to watch it first up. So, if you\u2019ve weighed up the options and decided there\u2019s a role for it on your homepage\u2026 think about placement, make sure it\u2019s accessible and responsive, make it succinct rather than trying to \u2018tell a story\u2019, and keep load times fast.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDitch the carousels.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese are the devil\u2019s work and, often, are the result of an internal people-pleasing exercise rather than information your customer will really value. Has anyone ever sat and deliberately clicked through the pages on a carousel out of genuine interest?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd there\u2019s a special place in hell for those organisations who demote their positioning statement to a page in a carousel. So, the fact the org did a sponsored run last month and raised \u00a3500 for a local charity is given equal billing to a crisp and clear positioning statement about who the business is and what they do? Not all information is equal. It needs hierarchies.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t buck the conventions.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI know it feels really cool to go against the grain and orientate your navigation horizontally on the left-hand side of the screen\u2026but who\u2019s that for? Certainly not the user who\u2019s left confused and a bit hacked off. There\u2019s a reason navs and menus run along the top or in a stack\u2026because it\u2019s a convention that EVERYONE uses. The rule is: don\u2019t make the user have to think more than they really need to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThink about imagery and standout.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course, I\u2019m going to say this\u2026coming from a branding background\u2026but be careful about the imagery you choose. Stock imagery creates \u2018silos of similarity\u2019 for industry sectors. For example, in what I\u2019d describe very generally as a \u2018tech\/IT\u2019 space, there\u2019s a tendency for organisations to use visual metaphors to create a sense of networks and connectedness. They all tend to be a variation of a globe illustration against a blue background with some dynamic looking lines connecting dots across the world. I lost count of how many firms were using the same imagery. This tells me it\u2019s crystal clear that there\u2019s no quicker way to become one of the many v\u2019s the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said \u2013 stock imagery can be very efficient from a budget point of view. So, if you do need to supplement brand imagery with stock, think about what graphic assets you can incorporate that will help make it a bit more ownable. Simple treatments can be effective if used well.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it\u2019s not really rocket science, is it? It mostly comes down to thinking about the customer, keeping things simple, adopting the conventions, and thinking carefully about your imagery. Why do we (seemingly always) need to make it more complicated than that?\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nOne thing we\u2019re always telling clients is that the clarity and coherence of their organisation needs to come through in the first contact with the brand. Often, this first contact comes via a company\u2019s website. \nAs part of a business development push, we\u2019ve been reviewing 1,300 companies and grading their sites to see just how clear they\u2019re making their proposition to potential customers.\nHere are seven tips on what brands should do \/ not do to make sure their message lands and survives first contact with the user.\nThink about the site from the outside in.Too many businesses think about what they want their site to do for them (e.g., PR); rather than think about what a potential user wants from it. When you start to think about it as a valuable tool which can help move a customer down the path to purchase; it radically changes what appears above the fold on the homepage.\nUse clear language.Using industry terms and abbreviations is a no-no. You\u2019re looking to get your positioning statement (a simple and clear description of who you are and what you do) out there as quickly as possible. That way the user can quickly determine whether this is the place they want to be, right?\nGet out of your own way.I know there\u2019s the cookie thing that very few of us understand, but it\u2019s tolerated to get to the good stuff. But some organisations think it\u2019s a really good idea (for them) to ask you a whole load of other seemingly irrelevant questions before letting you in, which just builds frustration for the user. What region am I looking for? Am I looking for trade or consumer? What position do I occupy? Really? Come on.\nThink carefully before you use video.Yes, you like it because it looks good, but it can also be a distraction. See point 1. Video can be helpful when you need to providesupplemental content, but don\u2019t just stick it on your header banner and assume I want to watch it first up. So, if you\u2019ve weighed up the options and decided there\u2019s a role for it on your homepage\u2026 think about placement, make sure it\u2019s accessible and responsive, make it succinct rather than trying to \u2018tell a story\u2019, and keep load times fast.\nDitch the carousels.These are the devil\u2019s work and, often, are the result of an internal people-pleasing exercise rather than information your customer will really value. Has anyone ever sat and deliberately clicked through the pages on a carousel out of genuine interest?\nAnd there\u2019s a special place in hell for those organisations who demote their positioning statement to a page in a carousel. So, the fact the org did a sponsored run last month and raised \u00a3500 for a local charity is given equal billing to a crisp and clear positioning statement about who the business is and what they do? Not all information is equal. It needs hierarchies.\nDon\u2019t buck the conventions.I know it feels really cool to go against the grain and orientate your navigation horizontally on the left-hand side of the screen\u2026but who\u2019s that for? Certainly not the user who\u2019s left confused and a bit hacked off. There\u2019s a reason navs and menus run along the top or in a stack\u2026because it\u2019s a convention that EVERYONE uses. The rule is: don\u2019t make the user have to think more than they really need to.\nThink about imagery and standout.Of course, I\u2019m going to say this\u2026coming from a branding background\u2026but be careful about the imagery you choose. Stock imagery creates \u2018silos of similarity\u2019 for industry sectors. For example, in what I\u2019d describe very generally as a \u2018tech\/IT\u2019 space, there\u2019s a tendency for organisations to use visual metaphors to create a sense of networks and connectedness. They all tend to be a variation of a globe illustration against a blue background with some dynamic looking lines connecting dots across the world. I lost count of how many firms were using the same imagery. This tells me it\u2019s crystal clear that there\u2019s no quicker way to become one of the many v\u2019s the competition.\nThat said \u2013 stock imagery can be very efficient from a budget point of view. So, if you do need to supplement brand imagery with stock, think about what graphic assets you can incorporate that will help make it a bit more ownable. Simple treatments can be effective if used well.\nSo, it\u2019s not really rocket science, is it? It mostly comes down to thinking about the customer, keeping things simple, adopting the conventions, and thinking carefully about your imagery. Why do we (seemingly always) need to make it more complicated than that?\n  ","summary":"One thing we\u2019re always telling clients is that the clarity and coherence of their organisation needs to come through in the first contact with the brand. Often, this first contact comes via a company\u2019s website.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-11-09T00:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5431","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/tips-how-run-brand-workshop","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Tips on how to run a brand workshop","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI had an experience recently that forced me to boil down the essence of a brand workshop to its constituent parts, so that we could be through it in an hour. This wasn\u2019t particularly easy, given that we usually run these sessions over a half day period. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBut \u2013 with the right people in the room, it was liberating to get rid of all the usual brand bullshit, cut straight to the most valuable elements and soak up what was said around the room. The result was that we managed to run through most of what was needed within 45mins.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESo, what was the secret - how were we able to condense all the value into 45mins with no loss of quality? Here are seven observations that may help:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.0 The right (client \u0026amp; agency) heads\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn my view this is the most important aspect of any brand workshop. From the client, it\u2019s essential you have the right senior people in the room. Ideally you want the decision makers as they can get to the value quickly. Similarly, you need senior and experienced agency personnel in the room to make sure there\u2019s a good matchup. In our case we had both and the mix delivered good results, quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.0 Pre-reads circulated\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOur audience had been sent pre-read material before the workshop. So, they were primed and had had time to think about some of the answers beforehand. This is a big part of getting them into the right headspace before they arrive. I think this is a good practice to get into \u2013 it\u2019s a professional courtesy which helps facilitate and speed up the session.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.0 Clarity \u0026amp; focus of discussion areas\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhen it\u2019s boiled down \u2013 there are only four discussion areas that really mattered for us in the workshop:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cli role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E3.1 What\u2019s the \u2018internal perspective\u2019?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUnderstanding how aligned the team is on the brand, its characteristics, the product offering and associated challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cli role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E3.2 Who is the Customer?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGet a view on who they think they\u2019re serving and how our product\/service is relevant to them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cli role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E3.3 Where\u2019s the Competition?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important to understand the marketplace dynamics. Who else is playing and how are they positioned.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003E3.4 What are the brands you aspire to?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis is a nice to have (and could be cut) but it\u2019s a useful signpost to get a feel of which brands - and what aspect of them - the client admires or feels we could learn from.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EI reckon there\u2019s a lesson in simplicity for us here. Even though we only had an hour, when we did the analysis and follow up, it didn\u2019t feel like we\u2019d lost anything by focusing solely on these four areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.0 Plain language speeds everything up\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhen you\u2019ve no time to waste, you don\u2019t flower things up. You cut straight to the central questions. By asking for a set of defining brand characteristics, it\u2019s easy for everyone to understand what you mean \u2013 and they bring a list along to the meeting. But if we say that we want to explore the stretch between the intrinsic and extrinsic brand attributes\u2026 (which, shamefully I have done in the past)\u2026everyone stares blankly at you (as they should) and you then spend 20mins explaining what you mean.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.0 Drive it and keep the discussion focused\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThese things can drift off course very easily, so you need to be able to keep everyone focused on the specific question at hand. It\u2019s not rude to interrupt someone to keep the discussion on track - it\u2019s an essential part of the task. I used to worry about this, but with experience I now enjoy it and think it adds to the focus of the discussion. Saying things like \u201cthat\u2019s a great point\u2026and we\u2019ll get to it\u2026but I want to keep us focused on this topic for a little longer\u201d is a perfectly polite and professional way to keep control and get what you need out of the session.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6.0 Keep the PowerPoint\u0026nbsp;deck short\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EYou need to think more about the conversation rather than the presentation. Agencies are so used to creating masterpiece presentation decks, and often feel they\u2019re needed as a crutch. But there\u2019s a discipline and a real benefit in focusing on the discussion, not the deck.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7.0 Watch the clock and move on when you know you\u2019ve got enough\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EYou MUST keep track of time. Placing your watch on the table is a statement of intent. And when you\u2019re underway, be mindful of flogging dead horses. You get the good stuff early and most of the time it can be obvious. Capture it and move on otherwise you\u2019ll end up in a discursive cul-de-sac\u2026the killer of time in a brand workshop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m sure that we\u2019re no different from any other industry in the way we make things more complicated than they need to be to confer a notion of expertise around our specialism of branding. But as is often the way in life, when things are made simpler, they just work better.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESo, what\u2019s true about a brand workshop will no doubt be true about other aspects of branding. From here on in let\u2019s keep it focused, simple and use plain language whenever possible.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nI had an experience recently that forced me to boil down the essence of a brand workshop to its constituent parts, so that we could be through it in an hour. This wasn\u2019t particularly easy, given that we usually run these sessions over a half day period. \nBut \u2013 with the right people in the room, it was liberating to get rid of all the usual brand bullshit, cut straight to the most valuable elements and soak up what was said around the room. The result was that we managed to run through most of what was needed within 45mins.So, what was the secret - how were we able to condense all the value into 45mins with no loss of quality? Here are seven observations that may help:1.0 The right (client \u0026amp; agency) headsIn my view this is the most important aspect of any brand workshop. From the client, it\u2019s essential you have the right senior people in the room. Ideally you want the decision makers as they can get to the value quickly. Similarly, you need senior and experienced agency personnel in the room to make sure there\u2019s a good matchup. In our case we had both and the mix delivered good results, quickly.2.0 Pre-reads circulatedOur audience had been sent pre-read material before the workshop. So, they were primed and had had time to think about some of the answers beforehand. This is a big part of getting them into the right headspace before they arrive. I think this is a good practice to get into \u2013 it\u2019s a professional courtesy which helps facilitate and speed up the session.3.0 Clarity \u0026amp; focus of discussion areasWhen it\u2019s boiled down \u2013 there are only four discussion areas that really mattered for us in the workshop:3.1 What\u2019s the \u2018internal perspective\u2019?Understanding how aligned the team is on the brand, its characteristics, the product offering and associated challenges.3.2 Who is the Customer?Get a view on who they think they\u2019re serving and how our product\/service is relevant to them.3.3 Where\u2019s the Competition?It\u2019s important to understand the marketplace dynamics. Who else is playing and how are they positioned.3.4 What are the brands you aspire to?This is a nice to have (and could be cut) but it\u2019s a useful signpost to get a feel of which brands - and what aspect of them - the client admires or feels we could learn from.\u0026nbsp;I reckon there\u2019s a lesson in simplicity for us here. Even though we only had an hour, when we did the analysis and follow up, it didn\u2019t feel like we\u2019d lost anything by focusing solely on these four areas.4.0 Plain language speeds everything upWhen you\u2019ve no time to waste, you don\u2019t flower things up. You cut straight to the central questions. By asking for a set of defining brand characteristics, it\u2019s easy for everyone to understand what you mean \u2013 and they bring a list along to the meeting. But if we say that we want to explore the stretch between the intrinsic and extrinsic brand attributes\u2026 (which, shamefully I have done in the past)\u2026everyone stares blankly at you (as they should) and you then spend 20mins explaining what you mean.5.0 Drive it and keep the discussion focusedThese things can drift off course very easily, so you need to be able to keep everyone focused on the specific question at hand. It\u2019s not rude to interrupt someone to keep the discussion on track - it\u2019s an essential part of the task. I used to worry about this, but with experience I now enjoy it and think it adds to the focus of the discussion. Saying things like \u201cthat\u2019s a great point\u2026and we\u2019ll get to it\u2026but I want to keep us focused on this topic for a little longer\u201d is a perfectly polite and professional way to keep control and get what you need out of the session.6.0 Keep the PowerPoint\u0026nbsp;deck shortYou need to think more about the conversation rather than the presentation. Agencies are so used to creating masterpiece presentation decks, and often feel they\u2019re needed as a crutch. But there\u2019s a discipline and a real benefit in focusing on the discussion, not the deck.7.0 Watch the clock and move on when you know you\u2019ve got enoughYou MUST keep track of time. Placing your watch on the table is a statement of intent. And when you\u2019re underway, be mindful of flogging dead horses. You get the good stuff early and most of the time it can be obvious. Capture it and move on otherwise you\u2019ll end up in a discursive cul-de-sac\u2026the killer of time in a brand workshop.I\u2019m sure that we\u2019re no different from any other industry in the way we make things more complicated than they need to be to confer a notion of expertise around our specialism of branding. But as is often the way in life, when things are made simpler, they just work better.\u0026nbsp;So, what\u2019s true about a brand workshop will no doubt be true about other aspects of branding. From here on in let\u2019s keep it focused, simple and use plain language whenever possible.  ","summary":"I had an experience recently that forced me to boil down the essence of a brand workshop to its constituent parts, so that we could be through it in an hour. This wasn\u2019t particularly easy, given that we usually run these sessions over a half day period.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-11-07T13:18:49+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5726","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brands-need-serious-brand-strategy-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Brands need a Serious Brand Strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe title says it all. We go into the brand strategy, what it means to be serious about it and why we think there needs to be more critical thinking around it.   \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s a link to the original article on the Good website. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brands-need-serious-brand-strategy\/\u0022\u003EWhy Brands Need a Serious Brand Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/022ff57f\/f3e322c6.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe title says it all. We go into the brand strategy, what it means to be serious about it and why we think there needs to be more critical thinking around it.   \nHere\u0027s a link to the original article on the Good website. Why Brands Need a Serious Brand Strategy.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"The title says it all. We go into the brand strategy, what it means to be serious about it and why we think there needs to be more critical thinking around it.  ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-10-24T08:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5432","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/better-branding-during-recession","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Better Branding During a Recession","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs I sit here in October 2022, it looks like we\u0026#039;re heading into a recession. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if we\u0027re not, at the very least, we will be dealing with businesses tightening their spending as massive increases in energy bills start to hit the bottom line. It feels like the winter of 2022 is going to be rough.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what does that mean for your brand? There is no shortage of brand experts on the LinkedIns and the Twitters reminding you that the research shows that those businesses that invest in brand during a downturn tend to come out the other side stronger.\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd the research is out there. The challenge is that you\u0027ll be facing arguments from other departments within the business to maintain their level of spend. And when the rubber hits the road, money going to brand promotion doesn\u0027t look good if the potential for redundancies is on the cards.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, in an ideal world, you\u0027d keep spending like no one was watching. But they are watching. What\u0027s the pragmatic approach to your brand during a downturn? What helps keep those green arrows pointing up while getting you in the best shape for the inevitable upturn?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s our responsible approach to branding during a downturn. It\u0027s not exhaustive, it may not suit your particular situation, and parts of it may seem perfectly obvious.. \u00a0but here\u2019s what we\u0027d look at tightening up or letting go of as we head into the economic unknown.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFocus on your existing customers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u0027s easier to convert an existing customer than to acquire a new one. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.bain.com\/Images\/BB_Prescription_cutting_costs.pdf\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBain\u003C\/a\u003E, increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%. So, look at how you can improve customer retention to ensure your brand budget is as effective as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstand that customer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe word \u0027unprecedented\u0027 has been used an unprecedented number of times over the past few years. Given all that we\u0027ve gone through and what we may be facing, it\u0027s a good idea to get some idea of the sentiment of your customer, how they view the challenges they face and the steps they\u0027re taking to surmount them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s easy to push this back and rely on your feelings as a proxy for how your customers feel. We\u0027re all going through it, after all. But we\u0027re always surprised at the small but meaningful insights we get from a twenty-minute call with a customer.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe also recommend backing up those initial insights with the sales team, an excellent example of cross-discipline knowledge sharing. The sales team\u0027s understanding can provide helpful context while you may have a nugget from talking to customers that your sales team hasn\u0027t gleaned.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis approach works as well for B2B as it does for B2C. It\u0027s usually a matter of scale. Listening and understanding are essential for your brand to remain relevant as we move on.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReview your Tone of Voice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u0027s language that humanises your brand and will convey empathy as your customers go through this downturn. However, given its importance and how language can be changed quickly, it\u0027s a good idea to review your tone of voice to ensure that it fits your purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt may be fine, it may just need a tweak, or it may require a deeper review. But it\u0027s important your tone of voice can meet the times we\u0027re facing. Review and refine.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBecome more useful\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA strong content strategy can benefit both a retention and acquisition strategy. Think about how you can help your customers provide insights into your areas of expertise. The range of your content strategy depends on your particular product or service, but think about how you can help people during this time of austerity. How can you make the most of your product, what overlooked feature is there, best use cases to save money? Whatever it is, share it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeware, though, that you must feel worthwhile. A listicle of tips like wearing a jumper to save energy is likely to cause offence rather than help. Instead, look at the content you offer and lift it to be seen as useful in helping people get through this tough time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeasure, refine, measure, refine\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen it comes to belt-tightening, looking at the big line item of \u0022media\u0022 will attract the most attention. You can tighten the customer focus. You can finesse the tone of voice and hone your message, but you must squeeze the most out of the ad spend. This is always a good time to look at your comms strategy and ensure that each stage of the journey, from the first touch to the call to action, is clearly defined.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom there, you must start measuring. In times of plenty, you could look at top-line figures and see if things were going well. But, be warned, success can hide failure. When each budgetary line item is under scrutiny, you need to be measuring each stage of the comms plan and refining to make sure you\u0027re getting the most from each $$$$.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFocus on value, not benefits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u0027s no surprise that the buying cycle for any product or service will be extended during this recession. It\u0027s a good time to review your offering and clearly define its value. And by value, we mean how your product makes money or saves money for your customer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDefining the value themes for your offering so that the economic decision makers easily understand it within your customer\u0027s organization. Focusing on value isn\u2019t just the difference between a win and loss but possibly between three weeks and three months of internal decision-making.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDefining the positioning of your core products is a team sport within an organisation - pulling product, sales and marketing teams together. And it can have real tangible value. Tying that positioning to your brand platform lifts your product beyond a basic feature and benefits circus and helps you gain traction in the overall sales cycle. It\u0027s a no-brainer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGet ready for the upturn\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile we\u0027re at the top of this economic rollercoaster, it seems flippant to say that you should be looking to have a good recession. But positivity is essential, and you should take a review of your brand to make sure it\u0027s ready to go when we do get out of this.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHopefully, we\u0027ve suggested some tips to help buy you some time to take stock of your brand. It\u0027s time to review your brand architecture; does it make sense? Is it clear? Is your brand definition right for the times we\u0027re in? Are your brand assets up to scratch? Now\u0027s the time to review - to understand what you need to do. You may not execute it yet, but at least you have the plan ready to make the most of the upturn.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a very top-level view of what we\u0027d look at while we\u0027re waiting. And, hey, if you can spend, spend. That\u2019s a fantastic Plan A. But if you\u2019re feeling the squeeze, hopefully, we\u2019ve offered you some pragmatic advice for a Plan B.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf this article\u0027s been helpful, you may be interested in reading\u00a0about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/perfect-your-product-positioning\u0022\u003Eproduct positioning\u003C\/a\u003E, why your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy\u0022\u003Ebrand strategy is business strategy\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0or how\u00a0to start building a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-content-more-important-brand\u0022\u003Euseful content strategy\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAs I sit here in October 2022, it looks like we\u0026#039;re heading into a recession. \nAnd if we\u0027re not, at the very least, we will be dealing with businesses tightening their spending as massive increases in energy bills start to hit the bottom line. It feels like the winter of 2022 is going to be rough.\u00a0\nSo what does that mean for your brand? There is no shortage of brand experts on the LinkedIns and the Twitters reminding you that the research shows that those businesses that invest in brand during a downturn tend to come out the other side stronger.And the research is out there. The challenge is that you\u0027ll be facing arguments from other departments within the business to maintain their level of spend. And when the rubber hits the road, money going to brand promotion doesn\u0027t look good if the potential for redundancies is on the cards.\nSo, in an ideal world, you\u0027d keep spending like no one was watching. But they are watching. What\u0027s the pragmatic approach to your brand during a downturn? What helps keep those green arrows pointing up while getting you in the best shape for the inevitable upturn?\nHere\u0027s our responsible approach to branding during a downturn. It\u0027s not exhaustive, it may not suit your particular situation, and parts of it may seem perfectly obvious.. \u00a0but here\u2019s what we\u0027d look at tightening up or letting go of as we head into the economic unknown.\nFocus on your existing customersIt\u0027s easier to convert an existing customer than to acquire a new one. According to Bain, increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%. So, look at how you can improve customer retention to ensure your brand budget is as effective as possible.\nUnderstand that customerThe word \u0027unprecedented\u0027 has been used an unprecedented number of times over the past few years. Given all that we\u0027ve gone through and what we may be facing, it\u0027s a good idea to get some idea of the sentiment of your customer, how they view the challenges they face and the steps they\u0027re taking to surmount them.\nIt\u0027s easy to push this back and rely on your feelings as a proxy for how your customers feel. We\u0027re all going through it, after all. But we\u0027re always surprised at the small but meaningful insights we get from a twenty-minute call with a customer.We also recommend backing up those initial insights with the sales team, an excellent example of cross-discipline knowledge sharing. The sales team\u0027s understanding can provide helpful context while you may have a nugget from talking to customers that your sales team hasn\u0027t gleaned.\nThis approach works as well for B2B as it does for B2C. It\u0027s usually a matter of scale. Listening and understanding are essential for your brand to remain relevant as we move on.\nReview your Tone of VoiceIt\u0027s language that humanises your brand and will convey empathy as your customers go through this downturn. However, given its importance and how language can be changed quickly, it\u0027s a good idea to review your tone of voice to ensure that it fits your purpose.\nIt may be fine, it may just need a tweak, or it may require a deeper review. But it\u0027s important your tone of voice can meet the times we\u0027re facing. Review and refine.\nBecome more usefulA strong content strategy can benefit both a retention and acquisition strategy. Think about how you can help your customers provide insights into your areas of expertise. The range of your content strategy depends on your particular product or service, but think about how you can help people during this time of austerity. How can you make the most of your product, what overlooked feature is there, best use cases to save money? Whatever it is, share it.\nBeware, though, that you must feel worthwhile. A listicle of tips like wearing a jumper to save energy is likely to cause offence rather than help. Instead, look at the content you offer and lift it to be seen as useful in helping people get through this tough time.\nMeasure, refine, measure, refineWhen it comes to belt-tightening, looking at the big line item of \u0022media\u0022 will attract the most attention. You can tighten the customer focus. You can finesse the tone of voice and hone your message, but you must squeeze the most out of the ad spend. This is always a good time to look at your comms strategy and ensure that each stage of the journey, from the first touch to the call to action, is clearly defined.\nFrom there, you must start measuring. In times of plenty, you could look at top-line figures and see if things were going well. But, be warned, success can hide failure. When each budgetary line item is under scrutiny, you need to be measuring each stage of the comms plan and refining to make sure you\u0027re getting the most from each $$$$.\nFocus on value, not benefitsIt\u0027s no surprise that the buying cycle for any product or service will be extended during this recession. It\u0027s a good time to review your offering and clearly define its value. And by value, we mean how your product makes money or saves money for your customer.\nDefining the value themes for your offering so that the economic decision makers easily understand it within your customer\u0027s organization. Focusing on value isn\u2019t just the difference between a win and loss but possibly between three weeks and three months of internal decision-making.\u00a0\nDefining the positioning of your core products is a team sport within an organisation - pulling product, sales and marketing teams together. And it can have real tangible value. Tying that positioning to your brand platform lifts your product beyond a basic feature and benefits circus and helps you gain traction in the overall sales cycle. It\u0027s a no-brainer.\nGet ready for the upturnWhile we\u0027re at the top of this economic rollercoaster, it seems flippant to say that you should be looking to have a good recession. But positivity is essential, and you should take a review of your brand to make sure it\u0027s ready to go when we do get out of this.\nHopefully, we\u0027ve suggested some tips to help buy you some time to take stock of your brand. It\u0027s time to review your brand architecture; does it make sense? Is it clear? Is your brand definition right for the times we\u0027re in? Are your brand assets up to scratch? Now\u0027s the time to review - to understand what you need to do. You may not execute it yet, but at least you have the plan ready to make the most of the upturn.\nThis is a very top-level view of what we\u0027d look at while we\u0027re waiting. And, hey, if you can spend, spend. That\u2019s a fantastic Plan A. But if you\u2019re feeling the squeeze, hopefully, we\u2019ve offered you some pragmatic advice for a Plan B.\nIf this article\u0027s been helpful, you may be interested in reading\u00a0about product positioning, why your brand strategy is business strategy\u00a0or how\u00a0to start building a useful content strategy.\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"As I sit here in October 2022, it looks like we\u0027re heading into a recession.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-10-04T14:29:22+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5433","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Setting out your Brand Mission","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;ve been going through our brand definition process, going into some detail with vision and values. Now we\u0026#039;re getting into the meat of that brand sandwich, your brand\u0026#039;s mission. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI love the mission. It\u0027s a shame that it can end up being the overlooked, ugly stepchild of the process. Why is that?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe vision part of the process tends to get all the love and attention. It\u0027s the grandiose statement that the CEO proclaims at the shareholder\u0027s party. So the vision gets a lot of focus, being shaped and honed to become that inspiring call to arms.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next area that gets the big love is the brand values, especially from the HR team. Those values are directly tied to the everyday behaviours of the people that work for the business and are a guide to the kind of people you want to work with. If implemented poorly, they tend to be splattered on posters outside the toilets to remind you that integrity is a core value of the business, as opposed to being a dick. Trying to find meaningful values is a real challenge. So much effort is spent making them ownable to your business rather than being blindingly obvious.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo that leaves us with the mission. The mission element of the brand is often overlooked, but it is the mortar that binds the building blocks of the brand pyramid together.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor simplicity, let\u0027s look at our brand pyramid to demonstrate. You\u0027d have seen this if you had looked at our other articles.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, we start with the brand vision. Here\u0027s ours:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2720\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Good Vision\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/1_0.png\u0022 width=\u0022687\u0022 height=\u0022353\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur vision is the aspirational goal direction we at Good are trying to reach.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, let\u0027s imagine that we\u0027ve skipped the mission and decided to focus on the values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2721\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Good Vision and Values\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2_0.png\u0022 width=\u00221895\u0022 height=\u0022757\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor me, there is a disconnect between the lofty ideals of the vision and the day-to-day guidance of the values.\u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd this is the problem; there is nothing here on how you will achieve your vision outside the way you act with your values.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis approach means you leave it open to a massive amount of interpretation on how you can achieve your vision.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout direction, you end up with people deciding the right way to do things for themselves. For example, using our vision and tied to our values, you could up with someone who would love to simply tell brand managers the honest truth that they have screwed up their brand architecture. Sure, that\u0027s an approach, but is it our approach? To bring everyone together on Good\u0027s approach, we need to have a mission that defines how we work together to achieve our vision.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is our mission, the approach that we feel gets us to our vision.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2722\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Good Brand Mission\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/3_0.png\u0022 width=\u00221315\u0022 height=\u0022398\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur mission is a good guide for what we want to achieve with our daily work with clients. When working on projects, from developing our strategic work to delivering key brand assets, we want to ensure that we\u0027re solving a problem that adds value to our client\u0027s business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, your business may have an approach that you feel would make a different mission, all good. That\u0027s what makes you, you. The point is that your mission is the connective tissue between the vision and the mission.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it all comes together, the vision, the mission and the values, you can see the story of what we\u0027re trying to do and the stage we have to get there.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2723\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Good\u0027s Brand Platform\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/full.png\u0022 width=\u00221000\u0022 height=\u0022562\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we work with clients, we sometimes frame the brand pyramid as a series of check-in points that helps measure the overall progress of the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVision - review every year. The core question is, are we getting towards our vision? Depending on the scale of your vision, you may only be making a dent in it, such as \u0022Eradicate Poverty\u0022, but you should feel that you\u0027re making a difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMission - A quarterly check-in to ensure that your approach to the vision is working, making sense and that it helps contribute to the vision.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues - this is how we expect to act day-to-day. It\u0027s the way you behave when working with the mission. Values are tricky; they can become an exercise in the blindingly obvious. We talked about the strength of creating values uniquely inspired by your business. Values are how you interact with your co-workers, approach your role, and work with your mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mission is at the heart of your brand. It\u0027s the organising thought that pulls your vision and values together to be a powerful asset for your business. If you\u0027re interested in learning more about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003Ebrand structure\u003C\/a\u003E, look at our take on\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003E brand values\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/creating-vision-your-brand\u0022\u003Ebrand vision\u003C\/a\u003E to understand our approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;ve been going through our brand definition process, going into some detail with vision and values. Now we\u0026#039;re getting into the meat of that brand sandwich, your brand\u0026#039;s mission. \nI love the mission. It\u0027s a shame that it can end up being the overlooked, ugly stepchild of the process. Why is that?\nThe vision part of the process tends to get all the love and attention. It\u0027s the grandiose statement that the CEO proclaims at the shareholder\u0027s party. So the vision gets a lot of focus, being shaped and honed to become that inspiring call to arms.\u00a0\nThe next area that gets the big love is the brand values, especially from the HR team. Those values are directly tied to the everyday behaviours of the people that work for the business and are a guide to the kind of people you want to work with. If implemented poorly, they tend to be splattered on posters outside the toilets to remind you that integrity is a core value of the business, as opposed to being a dick. Trying to find meaningful values is a real challenge. So much effort is spent making them ownable to your business rather than being blindingly obvious.\u00a0\nSo that leaves us with the mission. The mission element of the brand is often overlooked, but it is the mortar that binds the building blocks of the brand pyramid together.\u00a0\nFor simplicity, let\u0027s look at our brand pyramid to demonstrate. You\u0027d have seen this if you had looked at our other articles.\nSo, we start with the brand vision. Here\u0027s ours:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nOur vision is the aspirational goal direction we at Good are trying to reach.\nNow, let\u0027s imagine that we\u0027ve skipped the mission and decided to focus on the values.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nFor me, there is a disconnect between the lofty ideals of the vision and the day-to-day guidance of the values.\u00a0\u00a0\nAnd this is the problem; there is nothing here on how you will achieve your vision outside the way you act with your values.\u00a0\nThis approach means you leave it open to a massive amount of interpretation on how you can achieve your vision.\u00a0\nWithout direction, you end up with people deciding the right way to do things for themselves. For example, using our vision and tied to our values, you could up with someone who would love to simply tell brand managers the honest truth that they have screwed up their brand architecture. Sure, that\u0027s an approach, but is it our approach? To bring everyone together on Good\u0027s approach, we need to have a mission that defines how we work together to achieve our vision.\u00a0\nThis is our mission, the approach that we feel gets us to our vision.\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nOur mission is a good guide for what we want to achieve with our daily work with clients. When working on projects, from developing our strategic work to delivering key brand assets, we want to ensure that we\u0027re solving a problem that adds value to our client\u0027s business.\u00a0\nNow, your business may have an approach that you feel would make a different mission, all good. That\u0027s what makes you, you. The point is that your mission is the connective tissue between the vision and the mission.\u00a0\nWhen it all comes together, the vision, the mission and the values, you can see the story of what we\u0027re trying to do and the stage we have to get there.\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nWhen we work with clients, we sometimes frame the brand pyramid as a series of check-in points that helps measure the overall progress of the business.\nVision - review every year. The core question is, are we getting towards our vision? Depending on the scale of your vision, you may only be making a dent in it, such as \u0022Eradicate Poverty\u0022, but you should feel that you\u0027re making a difference.\nMission - A quarterly check-in to ensure that your approach to the vision is working, making sense and that it helps contribute to the vision.\u00a0\nValues - this is how we expect to act day-to-day. It\u0027s the way you behave when working with the mission. Values are tricky; they can become an exercise in the blindingly obvious. We talked about the strength of creating values uniquely inspired by your business. Values are how you interact with your co-workers, approach your role, and work with your mission.\nThe mission is at the heart of your brand. It\u0027s the organising thought that pulls your vision and values together to be a powerful asset for your business. If you\u0027re interested in learning more about brand structure, look at our take on brand values and brand vision to understand our approach.\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"We\u0027ve been going through our brand definition process, going into some detail with vision and values. Now we\u0027re getting into the meat of that brand sandwich, your brand\u0027s mission.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-09-29T11:46:29+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5727","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/creating-your-brand-vision","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Creating your Brand Vision","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EDefining your brand starts with your vision. We look at the best approaches to creating a meaningful vision that\u0026#039;s ownable to your business.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the article that Chris wrote: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/creating-vision-your-brand\u0022\u003ECreating the vision for your brand.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/fb36d85e\/e883421d.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nDefining your brand starts with your vision. We look at the best approaches to creating a meaningful vision that\u0026#039;s ownable to your business.  \n\n        Here\u0027s the article that Chris wrote: Creating the vision for your brand.\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Defining your brand starts with your vision. We look at the best approaches to creating a meaningful vision that\u0027s ownable to your business. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-09-13T13:25:47+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5434","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brands-need-serious-brand-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Brands Need a Serious Brand Strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen businesses decide on a growth strategy, there are several options open to them. Growth through acquisition is a commonly chosen path. Shopping lists are written and deals are done, often in quick succession \u2013 a demonstrable commitment to growth.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe business is so fixed on the future that when it looks back it sees a ragtag group of brands that are part of group, but all feel standalone. It\u0027s confusing mishmash of brands, products and messaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcquiring as a growth strategy can have unintended consequences for other aspects of the business\u00a0\u2014 including the customer experience central to the company\u2019s value proposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m sure that when businesses are on acquisition trails, the \u2018brand\u2019 part of any discussion is non-existent, and I appreciate it can seem out of place to even put the words together in the same sentence. But, from our perspective, there does seem to be a bit missing. Buying a load of other businesses, throwing them together and hoping that the customer (and staff) can separate the signal from the noise seems short sighted.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our experience, a business doesn\u2019t prioritise this as an issue until it\u2019s recognised as a problem that\u2019s costing them money. But the challenge here is that it\u2019s difficult to measure that loss, otherwise it\u2019d be fixed immediately. So, it tends to fester, living in a blind spot which isn\u2019t owned by any one department.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDo a search for brand strategy and you find no shortage of articles telling you how important it is to have a coherent vision, mission, and a set of values. And that\u2019s right. These are the foundations that your brand is built on. They\u2019re crucial, and they help guide all sorts of decisions a brand has to make in its marketing comms: from advertising and PR through to internal and social activity. They are all things that live neatly in the marketing and comms departments.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut brand strategy needs to go much further. After all it\u2019s a corporate strategy\u2026and these two words are inevitably linked to a plan for business success. Mostly that will be about plans for growth. And mostly that comes down to whether the growth will be organic or through acquisition. In our experience, THIS is where the brand strategy really earns its corn.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA fully considered brand strategy should become the blueprint for the coherent organisation of products, services, brands or sub brands, that are optimised for the customer, making their decision to purchase easier. It\u2019s quite simple. A well thought out brand strategy should be focused on helping the customer buy. At Good we have a saying that \u201cBrand Strategy is Business Strategy\u201d and for us, the two go hand in hand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt seems so obvious but to be clear: a well-rounded, considered brand strategy that is in step with a business\u0027s growth plans will save time and money in the long term. Without it your brand strategy is stuck in reverse. You\u2019ll spend months or years untangling the overlapping mess of businesses, names, brands, and products and creating some order and structure for how the wider business can move forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeveloping your brand strategy does ask some interesting and challenging questions of the organisation and how it sees its growth coming. What\u2019s the correct brand architecture structure to optimise and facilitate that growth? Is it as one single brand, or will there be multiple brands? How does this play into product development and naming conventions? What happens when another company is bought which makes and sells the same things? Change it? Leave it? Endorse it? Which company do the workers work for?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our experience, the people who seek answers to these problems live outside of the marketing department. They can be salespeople who are unable to present a coherent picture to their customers, they can be Finance Directors who want to know why there\u2019s so much duplication of spend, or they can be HR managers who tell us the employees are struggling to understand who they work for. It\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0fascinating that these challenges can come from the deepest, darkest corners of huge businesses, but the solution in some part tracks back to a poorly defined brand strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA serious brand strategy is about so much more than logos and brand guidelines. Exploring, understanding and agreeing the brand strategy in relation to growth will make that growth easier to manage, saving time and money.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, here\u2019s my definition of what a good brand strategy should do for your business:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA good brand strategy manages the inter relationships between products, services and the corporate entity, organising them in such a way as to minimise confusion for customers on their way to purchase.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImagine how much pain could be avoided by creating a forward-looking brand strategy before the growth and acquisitions begin? How much money could be saved from bleeding away to other competitors? It\u2019s a business no brainer, isn\u2019t it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhen businesses decide on a growth strategy, there are several options open to them. Growth through acquisition is a commonly chosen path. Shopping lists are written and deals are done, often in quick succession \u2013 a demonstrable commitment to growth.  \nThe business is so fixed on the future that when it looks back it sees a ragtag group of brands that are part of group, but all feel standalone. It\u0027s confusing mishmash of brands, products and messaging.\nAcquiring as a growth strategy can have unintended consequences for other aspects of the business\u00a0\u2014 including the customer experience central to the company\u2019s value proposition.\nI\u2019m sure that when businesses are on acquisition trails, the \u2018brand\u2019 part of any discussion is non-existent, and I appreciate it can seem out of place to even put the words together in the same sentence. But, from our perspective, there does seem to be a bit missing. Buying a load of other businesses, throwing them together and hoping that the customer (and staff) can separate the signal from the noise seems short sighted.\nIn our experience, a business doesn\u2019t prioritise this as an issue until it\u2019s recognised as a problem that\u2019s costing them money. But the challenge here is that it\u2019s difficult to measure that loss, otherwise it\u2019d be fixed immediately. So, it tends to fester, living in a blind spot which isn\u2019t owned by any one department.\nDo a search for brand strategy and you find no shortage of articles telling you how important it is to have a coherent vision, mission, and a set of values. And that\u2019s right. These are the foundations that your brand is built on. They\u2019re crucial, and they help guide all sorts of decisions a brand has to make in its marketing comms: from advertising and PR through to internal and social activity. They are all things that live neatly in the marketing and comms departments.\nBut brand strategy needs to go much further. After all it\u2019s a corporate strategy\u2026and these two words are inevitably linked to a plan for business success. Mostly that will be about plans for growth. And mostly that comes down to whether the growth will be organic or through acquisition. In our experience, THIS is where the brand strategy really earns its corn.\nA fully considered brand strategy should become the blueprint for the coherent organisation of products, services, brands or sub brands, that are optimised for the customer, making their decision to purchase easier. It\u2019s quite simple. A well thought out brand strategy should be focused on helping the customer buy. At Good we have a saying that \u201cBrand Strategy is Business Strategy\u201d and for us, the two go hand in hand.\nIt seems so obvious but to be clear: a well-rounded, considered brand strategy that is in step with a business\u0027s growth plans will save time and money in the long term. Without it your brand strategy is stuck in reverse. You\u2019ll spend months or years untangling the overlapping mess of businesses, names, brands, and products and creating some order and structure for how the wider business can move forward.\nDeveloping your brand strategy does ask some interesting and challenging questions of the organisation and how it sees its growth coming. What\u2019s the correct brand architecture structure to optimise and facilitate that growth? Is it as one single brand, or will there be multiple brands? How does this play into product development and naming conventions? What happens when another company is bought which makes and sells the same things? Change it? Leave it? Endorse it? Which company do the workers work for?\nIn our experience, the people who seek answers to these problems live outside of the marketing department. They can be salespeople who are unable to present a coherent picture to their customers, they can be Finance Directors who want to know why there\u2019s so much duplication of spend, or they can be HR managers who tell us the employees are struggling to understand who they work for. It\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0fascinating that these challenges can come from the deepest, darkest corners of huge businesses, but the solution in some part tracks back to a poorly defined brand strategy.\nA serious brand strategy is about so much more than logos and brand guidelines. Exploring, understanding and agreeing the brand strategy in relation to growth will make that growth easier to manage, saving time and money.\nSo, here\u2019s my definition of what a good brand strategy should do for your business:\nA good brand strategy manages the inter relationships between products, services and the corporate entity, organising them in such a way as to minimise confusion for customers on their way to purchase.\nImagine how much pain could be avoided by creating a forward-looking brand strategy before the growth and acquisitions begin? How much money could be saved from bleeding away to other competitors? It\u2019s a business no brainer, isn\u2019t it?\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"When businesses decide on a growth strategy, there are several options open to them. Growth through acquisition is a commonly chosen path. Shopping lists are written and deals are done, often in quick succession \u2013 a demonstrable commitment to growth. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-08-17T13:56:43+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5728","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/do-you-need-brand-purpose-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Do You Need a Brand Purpose?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe talk about brand purpose. Is it useful? Does it help? What\u0026#039;s the point? Where does it work well? Where doesn\u0026#039;t it? We talk it out.  Let us know what you think. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the article that inspired our podcast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/do-you-need-brand-purpose\u0022\u003EDo you need a brand purpose?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/2f0c47bd\/15e8ac48.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe talk about brand purpose. Is it useful? Does it help? What\u0026#039;s the point? Where does it work well? Where doesn\u0026#039;t it? We talk it out.  Let us know what you think. \nHere\u0027s the article that inspired our podcast.Do you need a brand purpose?Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We talk about brand purpose. Is it useful? Does it help? What\u0027s the point? Where does it work well? Where doesn\u0027t it? We talk it out.  Let us know what you think.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-08-02T11:09:39+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5435","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-brands-can-make-their-esg-meaningful","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How brands can make their ESG meaningful ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EESG is making a bigger impact on brands than ever before. But the challenge is that many of them just can\u2019t leverage their ESG credentials in a credible way. I wanted to take a look at why and what can be done about it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen people think about branding, they think about creating new stuff from scratch. Collaborating with creative colleagues around a wipe board with flipchart and post it notes. The genesis of something perfectly conceived and ready to make its mark on the world. That\u2019s the stereotype reinforced by TV shows like The Apprentice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in the overwhelming number of cases, it\u2019s not like that.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s never a blank sheet. There\u2019s always the legacy of the previous marketing regime or owner. The graphic baggage of the old logo, colours or strapline, which some in the organisation still like and others hate. This is the reality. A great big melting pot of stuff that we must sift through - identifying the bits that can be kept and improved versus the rest that should be left behind. And it\u2019s glorious. It\u2019s what we at Good absolutely love doing. This is real branding in action. Most frequently you\u2019re working to improve an existing brand which has already been formed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we get our sleeves rolled up and get right into the sifting, it never ceases to surprise me how poorly thought out the brand foundations are. Quite often there has been zero thought \u2013 they\u2019re built on nothing more than a whim or a thought. A logo that looked nice and some colours the CEO\u2019s wife picked. (A true story).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is happening more and more these days. We\u2019re constantly being asked to \u2018backfill\u2019 meaning into these brands: creating the meaning, depth and feeling that sits beneath the logo. It tends to happen once an organisation has come to the realisation that their position on issue A, B or C is a little flaky (or non-existent) and they need to build an honest and credible view on the topic.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMy theory is that nowadays this is increasingly being driven by ESG.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EESG as a concept and the issues that live inside it have become (rightly or wrongly) massively important to businesses and brands. Recent movements like BLM, Extinction Rebellion, and Me Too have burst into the public consciousness and the brands that haven\u2019t taken the time to get their own foundational thinking right before wading in can get into trouble very quickly. Consumers are asking questions of brands in these areas \u2013 and they had better be ready. Skin deep virtue signalling, and band wagoning will be exposed in real time leaving red faced C-suite executives trying to contain the PR grenade that\u2019s just blown up in their face.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the thing is, we feel that we\u2019re asking too much of the ESG abbreviation. There\u2019s a lot of ground to cover, and brands must be clear on their positions in relation to each element and who they\u2019re messaging for.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBreaking it down \u2013 here\u2019s a rundown of what\u2019s covered by these three little letters (according to Investopedia)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EEnvironment\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECovers a lot of ground from corporate climate policies, energy use, waste, pollution, natural resource conservation and the treatment of animals.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ESocial\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooks at a company\u2019s relationship with stakeholders. Does it hold suppliers to its own ESG standards? Does it donate a % of its profits to the local community, or encourage employees to volunteer there? Do workplace conditions reflect a high regard for the employees\u2019 health and safety, or does the company take unethical advantage of its workers and \/ or customers?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EGovernance\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow accurate and transparent are the company\u2019s accounting methods? How diverse is its leadership team and how accountable are they to shareholders? How do they avoid conflicts of interest, use political contributions for preferential treatment, or engage in illegal conduct?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETrying to force the breadth of this material under one heading is just not tenable for a modern brand.\u00a0\u00a0It might have worked 30 years ago when a company\u2019s impact on the environment didn\u2019t matter; health and safety was seen as political correctness gone wrong and diversity on the board meant that the all-male members were sourced from more than one public school. But now audiences (internal and external) are demanding more considered and thoughtful content around all these areas, which mean organisations are going to have to change how they talk about the issues within.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy this has happened is anyone\u2019s guess: maybe it\u2019s partly in response to the decline in standards in public life, or maybe it\u2019s because changes in areas like social media make it much easier for consumers to call companies out. Whatever the reason, they\u2019re disproportionately important to modern day brands and they need to be able to speak with a clear, coherent voice that feeds understanding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in our view, brand lies at the centre of all of this. A well-crafted brand foundation (mission, vision, values) allows brands to have a position on these topics. Allows them to talk about their journey with it (to all their audiences), setting out a set of credible and coherent actions that moves them forward through the public discourse. This foundational work for brands is so important. It\u2019s what tethers them to something bigger than themselves and insulates them from being swept along with the easily accessible emotion and sentiment. Pausing and reflecting on their own values allows them to respond in a way that\u2019s ownable, responsible and consistent \u2013 which is exactly what their audiences are demanding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, we\u2019re very clear that if brands want to leverage their ESG credentials, then they need to make sure their brand\u2019s foundations are in good shape. A well thought out and well positioned brand acts as the oil in the machine. It anchors the business to something deeper, breathing meaning, credence and coherence into their brand comms across all ESG subject matter. Really good branding\u2019s about more than logos and abbreviations \u2013 it\u2019s about getting to the heart of an organisation\u2019s view of the world and bringing it alive. Do it once and do it well.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nESG is making a bigger impact on brands than ever before. But the challenge is that many of them just can\u2019t leverage their ESG credentials in a credible way. I wanted to take a look at why and what can be done about it. \nWhen people think about branding, they think about creating new stuff from scratch. Collaborating with creative colleagues around a wipe board with flipchart and post it notes. The genesis of something perfectly conceived and ready to make its mark on the world. That\u2019s the stereotype reinforced by TV shows like The Apprentice.\nAnd in the overwhelming number of cases, it\u2019s not like that.\u00a0\nThere\u2019s never a blank sheet. There\u2019s always the legacy of the previous marketing regime or owner. The graphic baggage of the old logo, colours or strapline, which some in the organisation still like and others hate. This is the reality. A great big melting pot of stuff that we must sift through - identifying the bits that can be kept and improved versus the rest that should be left behind. And it\u2019s glorious. It\u2019s what we at Good absolutely love doing. This is real branding in action. Most frequently you\u2019re working to improve an existing brand which has already been formed.\nWhen we get our sleeves rolled up and get right into the sifting, it never ceases to surprise me how poorly thought out the brand foundations are. Quite often there has been zero thought \u2013 they\u2019re built on nothing more than a whim or a thought. A logo that looked nice and some colours the CEO\u2019s wife picked. (A true story).\nThis is happening more and more these days. We\u2019re constantly being asked to \u2018backfill\u2019 meaning into these brands: creating the meaning, depth and feeling that sits beneath the logo. It tends to happen once an organisation has come to the realisation that their position on issue A, B or C is a little flaky (or non-existent) and they need to build an honest and credible view on the topic.\u00a0\nMy theory is that nowadays this is increasingly being driven by ESG.\nESG as a concept and the issues that live inside it have become (rightly or wrongly) massively important to businesses and brands. Recent movements like BLM, Extinction Rebellion, and Me Too have burst into the public consciousness and the brands that haven\u2019t taken the time to get their own foundational thinking right before wading in can get into trouble very quickly. Consumers are asking questions of brands in these areas \u2013 and they had better be ready. Skin deep virtue signalling, and band wagoning will be exposed in real time leaving red faced C-suite executives trying to contain the PR grenade that\u2019s just blown up in their face.\nSo, the thing is, we feel that we\u2019re asking too much of the ESG abbreviation. There\u2019s a lot of ground to cover, and brands must be clear on their positions in relation to each element and who they\u2019re messaging for.\nBreaking it down \u2013 here\u2019s a rundown of what\u2019s covered by these three little letters (according to Investopedia)\nEnvironment\nCovers a lot of ground from corporate climate policies, energy use, waste, pollution, natural resource conservation and the treatment of animals.\u00a0\nSocial\nLooks at a company\u2019s relationship with stakeholders. Does it hold suppliers to its own ESG standards? Does it donate a % of its profits to the local community, or encourage employees to volunteer there? Do workplace conditions reflect a high regard for the employees\u2019 health and safety, or does the company take unethical advantage of its workers and \/ or customers?\nGovernance\nHow accurate and transparent are the company\u2019s accounting methods? How diverse is its leadership team and how accountable are they to shareholders? How do they avoid conflicts of interest, use political contributions for preferential treatment, or engage in illegal conduct?\nTrying to force the breadth of this material under one heading is just not tenable for a modern brand.\u00a0\u00a0It might have worked 30 years ago when a company\u2019s impact on the environment didn\u2019t matter; health and safety was seen as political correctness gone wrong and diversity on the board meant that the all-male members were sourced from more than one public school. But now audiences (internal and external) are demanding more considered and thoughtful content around all these areas, which mean organisations are going to have to change how they talk about the issues within.\nWhy this has happened is anyone\u2019s guess: maybe it\u2019s partly in response to the decline in standards in public life, or maybe it\u2019s because changes in areas like social media make it much easier for consumers to call companies out. Whatever the reason, they\u2019re disproportionately important to modern day brands and they need to be able to speak with a clear, coherent voice that feeds understanding.\nAnd in our view, brand lies at the centre of all of this. A well-crafted brand foundation (mission, vision, values) allows brands to have a position on these topics. Allows them to talk about their journey with it (to all their audiences), setting out a set of credible and coherent actions that moves them forward through the public discourse. This foundational work for brands is so important. It\u2019s what tethers them to something bigger than themselves and insulates them from being swept along with the easily accessible emotion and sentiment. Pausing and reflecting on their own values allows them to respond in a way that\u2019s ownable, responsible and consistent \u2013 which is exactly what their audiences are demanding.\nSo, we\u2019re very clear that if brands want to leverage their ESG credentials, then they need to make sure their brand\u2019s foundations are in good shape. A well thought out and well positioned brand acts as the oil in the machine. It anchors the business to something deeper, breathing meaning, credence and coherence into their brand comms across all ESG subject matter. Really good branding\u2019s about more than logos and abbreviations \u2013 it\u2019s about getting to the heart of an organisation\u2019s view of the world and bringing it alive. Do it once and do it well.\n  ","summary":"ESG is making a bigger impact on brands than ever before. But the challenge is that many of them just can\u2019t leverage their ESG credentials in a credible way. I wanted to take a look at why and what can be done about it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-08-01T11:15:19+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5436","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/creating-vision-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Creating the vision for your brand.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ECreating a vision for your brand seems straightforward when looking at other companies. They seem so self-evident, so obvious.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, in our experience, when you start getting into the nitty-gritty of understanding how a vision becomes your North Star, it can get very messy, very fast. And that ends up with a generic vision. The outcome of this, rather than a vision that lives at the heart of your business, ends up living at the back of a drawer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI thought it might be helpful to share some work we did on ourselves here at Good to reach our vision. We haven\u2019t plastered it all over our site, but you can feel its influence throughout.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the pandemic we decided to make sure we came out of it stronger than when we went in. One part of that was tightening our brand to be the business we wanted to be, not the business we currently were. So, we started to look at Good\u0027s brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe started as we always do, with our brand definition framework. It\u0027s a framework for organising the essential information on a brand or business and can be used as the source for all brand marketing comms. There are many ways to think about brand. This is ours, and we ensure we can create one for every client we work with.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pyramid is made up of three aspects:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2676--2\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Brand Pyramid\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/screenshot_2021-06-10_at_14.30.22.png\u0022 width=\u00221723\u0022 height=\u00221115\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe always start at the top of the pyramid, looking at the business\u0027s vision. The vision should be a statement that you can continually aspire to and work towards. It can be a long-term goal, one that you can review on a year-on-year basis to ensure that you\u0027re still stretching.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA vision must also be inspiring for your customers and your team. There are far too many \u0027Buzz Lightyear\u0027 visions out there that promise \u0027to infinity and beyond\u0027 but are practically useless because no one understands what they mean.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDefining your vision\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour vision can take some time, and some thought to get to. We may have been describing ourselves as \u0027brand consultants\u0027, but to focus our vision on what that meant, we knew we would have to make some sacrifices to lean into the specialism.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis evolution came down to two key things:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETaking the right type of work\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDefining our point of view\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EMaking Sacrifices\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat evolution sounds simple but takes courage and commitment. To us, \u0027brand consultancy\u0027 meant sticking to our guns about our work and who we do it for. We knew we wanted to work with senior clients interested in the meaningful outcomes of their investment in the brand. If the task at hand essentially netted down to a design project in a self-contained silo without senior sponsorship or measurable impact; then we had to be strong and admit to ourselves and the client that it wasn\u0027t for us. That\u0027s hard. It\u0027s sacrifice. And it\u0027s still not perfect, but we\u0027re a lot better than we were.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith every opportunity, we look for a quick and early qualification to see if it meets our criteria. I find this a very healthy practice as we\u0027re able to differentiate ourselves early in the buying process by saying, \u0022we need to know if this is a good fit for us\u0022. And it can come as a bit of a surprise to some enquirers as they usually expect the agency to be willing from the start.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDefining our Point of View\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the world of brands there are lots of opinions and ideas, but it\u0027s not governed by a set of rules that says A + B = C. That\u0027s what makes it so susceptible to snake oil salespeople and peddlers of the next, great shiny new marketing thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027d been doing this long enough to build up an invaluable bank of experience and knowledge about what success, failure and distraction look like. We\u0027ve always felt that a strong brand meant a strong business, and if more businesses took their brand seriously, we\u0027d be able to do some great work that resulted in better business outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo that point \u2013 we also tend to produce better work with clients who shared our point of view. The more respected brand was inside an organisation; the better our work was and the better the business results were.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EGood\u0027s Vision\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur vision ended up as:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe like it because it\u0027s accessible, actionable, and true to us.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt also mirrors the previous point about taking on the right kind of work. If the opportunities we\u0027re presented with don\u0027t offer us the chance to further our vision (i.e., they\u0027re simply siloed design tasks without defined outcomes), then they\u0027re not a good fit for us. As I said, it comes down to sacrifice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe talk about sacrifice a lot when we work with brands. It\u0027s only by truly getting to grips with the things you\u0027re prepared to give up can you sharpen up the things you want to do. It separates the signal from the noise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis focus allowed us to create a clear aspirational vision that\u0027s grand enough to be slightly out of reach but wrapped tightly enough around the brand to help give context to and drive what we do every day. This is what the vision of your brand is meant to do.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this was just the start of the process; we\u0027ve written about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-building-recipe-success\u0022\u003Ebrand definition\u003C\/a\u003E, your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003Ebrand mission\u003C\/a\u003E and the value of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Ebrand values\u003C\/a\u003E elsewhere on the site.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when crafting your vision, that tip of the spear, turns out there is a solid formula: Analysis + Sacrifice = Clarity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimple.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you found Creating the Vision for your Brand\u00a0useful, you might also like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003EHow to Create a Brand\u003C\/a\u003E, a run-through of the brand definition process that we use to help brands tell their story, internally and externally.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nCreating a vision for your brand seems straightforward when looking at other companies. They seem so self-evident, so obvious.  \nBut, in our experience, when you start getting into the nitty-gritty of understanding how a vision becomes your North Star, it can get very messy, very fast. And that ends up with a generic vision. The outcome of this, rather than a vision that lives at the heart of your business, ends up living at the back of a drawer.\nI thought it might be helpful to share some work we did on ourselves here at Good to reach our vision. We haven\u2019t plastered it all over our site, but you can feel its influence throughout.\nDuring the pandemic we decided to make sure we came out of it stronger than when we went in. One part of that was tightening our brand to be the business we wanted to be, not the business we currently were. So, we started to look at Good\u0027s brand.\nWe started as we always do, with our brand definition framework. It\u0027s a framework for organising the essential information on a brand or business and can be used as the source for all brand marketing comms. There are many ways to think about brand. This is ours, and we ensure we can create one for every client we work with.\nThe pyramid is made up of three aspects:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nWe always start at the top of the pyramid, looking at the business\u0027s vision. The vision should be a statement that you can continually aspire to and work towards. It can be a long-term goal, one that you can review on a year-on-year basis to ensure that you\u0027re still stretching.\nA vision must also be inspiring for your customers and your team. There are far too many \u0027Buzz Lightyear\u0027 visions out there that promise \u0027to infinity and beyond\u0027 but are practically useless because no one understands what they mean.\n\u00a0\nDefining your vision\nYour vision can take some time, and some thought to get to. We may have been describing ourselves as \u0027brand consultants\u0027, but to focus our vision on what that meant, we knew we would have to make some sacrifices to lean into the specialism.\nThis evolution came down to two key things:\nTaking the right type of work\nDefining our point of view\n\u00a0\nMaking Sacrifices\nThat evolution sounds simple but takes courage and commitment. To us, \u0027brand consultancy\u0027 meant sticking to our guns about our work and who we do it for. We knew we wanted to work with senior clients interested in the meaningful outcomes of their investment in the brand. If the task at hand essentially netted down to a design project in a self-contained silo without senior sponsorship or measurable impact; then we had to be strong and admit to ourselves and the client that it wasn\u0027t for us. That\u0027s hard. It\u0027s sacrifice. And it\u0027s still not perfect, but we\u0027re a lot better than we were.\nWith every opportunity, we look for a quick and early qualification to see if it meets our criteria. I find this a very healthy practice as we\u0027re able to differentiate ourselves early in the buying process by saying, \u0022we need to know if this is a good fit for us\u0022. And it can come as a bit of a surprise to some enquirers as they usually expect the agency to be willing from the start.\n\u00a0\nDefining our Point of View\nIn the world of brands there are lots of opinions and ideas, but it\u0027s not governed by a set of rules that says A + B = C. That\u0027s what makes it so susceptible to snake oil salespeople and peddlers of the next, great shiny new marketing thing.\nWe\u0027d been doing this long enough to build up an invaluable bank of experience and knowledge about what success, failure and distraction look like. We\u0027ve always felt that a strong brand meant a strong business, and if more businesses took their brand seriously, we\u0027d be able to do some great work that resulted in better business outcomes.\nTo that point \u2013 we also tend to produce better work with clients who shared our point of view. The more respected brand was inside an organisation; the better our work was and the better the business results were.\n\u00a0\nGood\u0027s Vision\nOur vision ended up as:\nTo make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.\n\nWe like it because it\u0027s accessible, actionable, and true to us.\nIt also mirrors the previous point about taking on the right kind of work. If the opportunities we\u0027re presented with don\u0027t offer us the chance to further our vision (i.e., they\u0027re simply siloed design tasks without defined outcomes), then they\u0027re not a good fit for us. As I said, it comes down to sacrifice.\nWe talk about sacrifice a lot when we work with brands. It\u0027s only by truly getting to grips with the things you\u0027re prepared to give up can you sharpen up the things you want to do. It separates the signal from the noise.\nThis focus allowed us to create a clear aspirational vision that\u0027s grand enough to be slightly out of reach but wrapped tightly enough around the brand to help give context to and drive what we do every day. This is what the vision of your brand is meant to do.\nOf course, this was just the start of the process; we\u0027ve written about brand definition, your brand mission and the value of brand values elsewhere on the site.\nBut when crafting your vision, that tip of the spear, turns out there is a solid formula: Analysis + Sacrifice = Clarity.\nSimple.\nIf you found Creating the Vision for your Brand\u00a0useful, you might also like How to Create a Brand, a run-through of the brand definition process that we use to help brands tell their story, internally and externally.\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\n\n  ","summary":"Creating a vision for your brand seems straightforward when looking at other companies. They seem so self-evident, so obvious. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-06-20T12:03:17+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5437","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/purpose-personas","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Purpose of Personas","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAt some point in a brand project, we\u2019re faced with a persona. These can have many names, marketing\/buyer\/user persona, but they are usually a one slide archetype that represents an idealised customer. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey are chockablock full of information, steeped in internal data, and hopefully cross-referenced with external sources. Usually the slide looks like this:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2711\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/screenshot_2022-05-25_at_15.00.30.png\u0022 width=\u00221202\u0022 height=\u0022950\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could say I have a love \/ hate relationship with personas. I love them in the way you love watching the latest episode of [insert favourite reality show title here]. They\u2019re usually so bad that they\u2019re good. When it comes to personas, I sit back and take it all in; the alliterative names, the demographics, the life scenarios and behavioural anecdotes \u2013and much like at the end of an episode of that reality show, I\u2019m left asking myself, \u201cwhat the hell was that?!\u201d And therein lies the hate part of the equation. But it doesn\u2019t have to be like that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGoing back to our\u00a0Tommy Technology example, I won\u2019t beat around the bush; this is what I would consider a bad persona. Background...okay. Fears...interesting. Challenges...now we\u2019re getting somewhere. Hobbies \u0026amp; interests...you lost me. Perhaps some of this is valuable information for this particular business, but the question is, what are we using this persona to accomplish? Does it help us create useful, meaningful messaging? And how does Tommy Technology having a lab and pug mix help us do this?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA formula for personas almost always starts with your standard demographics, identifiers like age, gender, and income. The problem with overly emphasising demographics in your personas is that they easily fall into the trap of age-old stereotyping. When you layer in anecdotes like what they like to do on the weekend or quotes that may represent a narrow personal opinion, it only reinforces that stereotype.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problem with a stereotyped persona is that it is too vague and about as useful as using your horoscope to make a major life decision.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t get me wrong, I love a good horoscope. Because like personas, they\u2019re humanising \u2013 I can see a bit of myself in them. But if my horoscope tells me this month I\u2019m going to come into a large sum of money, I\u2019m hardly going to come into work the next day to submit my resignation to prepare for a new life of luxury on a private island. A horoscope is interesting, but it\u2019s not useful. That is exactly what you don\u2019t want your personas to become \u2013 not useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the purpose of personas is to help marketers segment and target their audience, create effective messaging and provide a personalised customer experience, then we\u2019ll need to go a bit deeper.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are three things to keep in mind when working with personas:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDemographics rarely tell you why a person makes a decision.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding demographics is an important way to start building your marketing plan, but if that\u2019s all you\u2019re doing, then you could be wasting your resources and time. Most concerning, you could be saying the wrong thing to the right consumer, or the right thing to people who aren\u2019t even aware of you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt used to be that demographic information was the only way to segment an audience, but that\u2019s no longer the case. There is now a wealth of consumer data available to layer in attitudinal and behavioural insights, which will give you much more relevant and valuable personas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most effective example I\u2019ve seen of the disparity between demographics and reality has been on the go for a while now, but most recently I saw it used in a Section4 lecture by April Dunford.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn keeping with the reality TV analogy, these two men are the same \u201ctype on paper.\u201d But in the real world, they couldn\u2019t be any more different.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2716\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00225\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/screenshot_2022-04-10_at_15.10.42_0.png\u0022 width=\u00222828\u0022 height=\u00221300\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EUnderstanding your customer journey will give you much-needed context.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s really helpful when establishing a foundation for your personas. The way one persona may experience or interact with your brand may be totally different to someone else. Take your personas through the customer experience and identify the pain points or barriers they may experience along the way; you might find some glaring differences.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually, you may start to understand the emotional state of the consumer at various points in their journey. This allows you to use that insight to improve your customer experience and\/or tailor your messaging to different personas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EAvoid the fluff if you want your personas to live outside of a drawer.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFluff can be defined any number of ways. But what\u2019s the opposite of fluff? Relevance. As you develop your personas, ask yourself, \u2018so what?\u2019 Why do I need to know this? Is it important? Who does this help?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you have personas but don\u2019t have the answers to these questions, think about this \u2013 when was the last time you used your personas?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not here to make a sweeping case for or against personas because the fact is, they may work for some businesses and not for others. But if you use them, I hope this article makes you think about how you could use them, or how you could optimise your existing personas in a way that helps you achieve your goals as a business. No more \u201cwhat the hell did I just read\u201d when it comes to personas, if not for yourself, do it for Tommy Technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAt some point in a brand project, we\u2019re faced with a persona. These can have many names, marketing\/buyer\/user persona, but they are usually a one slide archetype that represents an idealised customer. \nThey are chockablock full of information, steeped in internal data, and hopefully cross-referenced with external sources. Usually the slide looks like this:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nYou could say I have a love \/ hate relationship with personas. I love them in the way you love watching the latest episode of [insert favourite reality show title here]. They\u2019re usually so bad that they\u2019re good. When it comes to personas, I sit back and take it all in; the alliterative names, the demographics, the life scenarios and behavioural anecdotes \u2013and much like at the end of an episode of that reality show, I\u2019m left asking myself, \u201cwhat the hell was that?!\u201d And therein lies the hate part of the equation. But it doesn\u2019t have to be like that.\nGoing back to our\u00a0Tommy Technology example, I won\u2019t beat around the bush; this is what I would consider a bad persona. Background...okay. Fears...interesting. Challenges...now we\u2019re getting somewhere. Hobbies \u0026amp; interests...you lost me. Perhaps some of this is valuable information for this particular business, but the question is, what are we using this persona to accomplish? Does it help us create useful, meaningful messaging? And how does Tommy Technology having a lab and pug mix help us do this?\nA formula for personas almost always starts with your standard demographics, identifiers like age, gender, and income. The problem with overly emphasising demographics in your personas is that they easily fall into the trap of age-old stereotyping. When you layer in anecdotes like what they like to do on the weekend or quotes that may represent a narrow personal opinion, it only reinforces that stereotype.\nThe problem with a stereotyped persona is that it is too vague and about as useful as using your horoscope to make a major life decision.\nDon\u2019t get me wrong, I love a good horoscope. Because like personas, they\u2019re humanising \u2013 I can see a bit of myself in them. But if my horoscope tells me this month I\u2019m going to come into a large sum of money, I\u2019m hardly going to come into work the next day to submit my resignation to prepare for a new life of luxury on a private island. A horoscope is interesting, but it\u2019s not useful. That is exactly what you don\u2019t want your personas to become \u2013 not useful.\nIf the purpose of personas is to help marketers segment and target their audience, create effective messaging and provide a personalised customer experience, then we\u2019ll need to go a bit deeper.\nHere are three things to keep in mind when working with personas:\nDemographics rarely tell you why a person makes a decision.\u00a0\nUnderstanding demographics is an important way to start building your marketing plan, but if that\u2019s all you\u2019re doing, then you could be wasting your resources and time. Most concerning, you could be saying the wrong thing to the right consumer, or the right thing to people who aren\u2019t even aware of you.\nIt used to be that demographic information was the only way to segment an audience, but that\u2019s no longer the case. There is now a wealth of consumer data available to layer in attitudinal and behavioural insights, which will give you much more relevant and valuable personas.\nThe most effective example I\u2019ve seen of the disparity between demographics and reality has been on the go for a while now, but most recently I saw it used in a Section4 lecture by April Dunford.\u00a0\nIn keeping with the reality TV analogy, these two men are the same \u201ctype on paper.\u201d But in the real world, they couldn\u2019t be any more different.\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nUnderstanding your customer journey will give you much-needed context.\u00a0\nIt\u0027s really helpful when establishing a foundation for your personas. The way one persona may experience or interact with your brand may be totally different to someone else. Take your personas through the customer experience and identify the pain points or barriers they may experience along the way; you might find some glaring differences.\u00a0\nEqually, you may start to understand the emotional state of the consumer at various points in their journey. This allows you to use that insight to improve your customer experience and\/or tailor your messaging to different personas.\nAvoid the fluff if you want your personas to live outside of a drawer.\u00a0\nFluff can be defined any number of ways. But what\u2019s the opposite of fluff? Relevance. As you develop your personas, ask yourself, \u2018so what?\u2019 Why do I need to know this? Is it important? Who does this help?\u00a0\nIf you have personas but don\u2019t have the answers to these questions, think about this \u2013 when was the last time you used your personas?\nI\u2019m not here to make a sweeping case for or against personas because the fact is, they may work for some businesses and not for others. But if you use them, I hope this article makes you think about how you could use them, or how you could optimise your existing personas in a way that helps you achieve your goals as a business. No more \u201cwhat the hell did I just read\u201d when it comes to personas, if not for yourself, do it for Tommy Technology.\n  ","summary":"At some point in a brand project, we\u2019re faced with a persona. These can have many names, marketing\/buyer\/user persona, but they are usually a one slide archetype that represents an idealised customer.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-05-30T10:00:17+0100","author":{"name":"Lindsay Wise"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5438","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/perfect-your-product-positioning","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Perfect Your Product Positioning","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce upon a time\u00a0when it came to product marketing, it was about going beyond the features. Features meant nothing. NOTHING! It had to be all about the benefits, I\u0026#039;d yell. Give me the benefits, and let me create magic for you. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI understand why. When we\u0027ve worked with product teams, you tend to get feature overload. And I get that a product team can work for years on that internal project. The feature, at some point, had a benefit attached but delivering on that feature was the priority. So over time, the benefit gets pushed to the back of the queue. Then, when we\u0027ve come in, we unearth the benefit and shout from the rooftops to anyone listening.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there is a better way. A way that helps your customer understand your product in relation to their context.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EProduct positioning isn\u0027t about features and benefits; it\u0027s so much more. Positioning helps your potential customers place your product into a context where they understand why it has value to them. It helps your customers understand the whole market to make better choices and sell those choices to the rest of their organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat context and that value is the positioning. Features and benefits certainly play a part in reaching your positioning, but when dealing with a considered purchase, you need to understand how they fit into the way your customer will be buying. So here are some points that are useful to bear in mind:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhen it comes to a considered purchase, the biggest competitor you\u0027re facing isn\u0027t another business; it\u0027s the status quo. 30% of considered B2B purchases end up just not happening. You face the most significant hurdle: \u0022What if we just did nothing?\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EGenerally, you\u0027re the experts in your domain. You know all the alternatives to your product, why some of the competitor\u0027s claims are nonsense and know the pitfalls of going down specific product paths. Counter that experience with your customers. They\u0027re coming into this with a blank slate. They don\u0027t know what \u0022state of the art\u0022 looks like.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhen looking at the competition, it\u0027s easy to get into a feature war with them. Try and reframe your thinking more around the approach they\u0027ve taken to solve a problem against the way you\u0027ve approached that same problem. You don\u0027t compete against companies. You are competing against different approaches to the problem.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve taken the positioning approach as outlined by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aprildunford.com\u0022\u003EApril Dunford\u003C\/a\u003E. April\u0027s a great speaker, and I\u0027d recommend her book, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers\/dp\/1999023005\/\u0022\u003EObviously Awesome\u003C\/a\u003E. The main takeaway from this positioning approach for me is trying to find the differentiated value for your product. It\u0027s the one step beyond features\/benefits, which can still feel abstract to that blank sheet customer. Express the value that your product can provide your customers in as easy a way as possible, Don\u0027t let them have to work out how the features and benefits fit into their context; express it as clearly as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember, the keyword here is unique. \u0022Easy to Use\u0022 may be accurate, but it\u0027s a hygiene factor without definitive third-party proof. Which company would say that their product is \u0022a pain in the arse to use\u0022? It\u0027s like when businesses talk about \u0022Customer Focused\u0022 as one of their brand values. No shit! Dig deep to understand the attributes of what makes your product unique.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis positioning approach means that you have to get all the key players involved at certain stages. For example, when working out the unique attributes of your product, you need to get the product team in place. Likewise, when trying to define your best-fit customers, the sales team is the best people to talk to; when looking to create the final product pitch, marketing is vital.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll this\u00a0helps your internal team understand the point of your product, bringing everyone on the journey, all on the same path. When everyone internally feels involved and aligned, getting your positioning message to your customers is simpler.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking on the process with clients has undoubtedly shown the value of really nailing your product positioning beyond a catchy tagline. But it also has reinforced that even with a straightforward and assured process that April Dunford presents, it does need an outside perspective to help run that process. I\u0027m a big believer that you can\u0027t both facilitate and participate in a process like this. It needs some emotional detachment to probe, and small \u0027c\u0027 challenge the teams involved with the product. It\u0027s not about asking tough questions; it\u0027s about asking the stupid, obvious ones that can get you to the gold.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBringing a bomb-proof positioning and your brand together tells a compelling product story that makes your customers sit up, take notice and clearly understand how your product solves their problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you found Perfect your Product Positioning helpful, take a look at\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligence\u0022\u003EBrand Architecture - Don\u2019t forget the due diligence\u003C\/a\u003E, useful if you feel you have too many products and are\u00a0looking to review your portfolio.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nOnce upon a time\u00a0when it came to product marketing, it was about going beyond the features. Features meant nothing. NOTHING! It had to be all about the benefits, I\u0026#039;d yell. Give me the benefits, and let me create magic for you. \nI understand why. When we\u0027ve worked with product teams, you tend to get feature overload. And I get that a product team can work for years on that internal project. The feature, at some point, had a benefit attached but delivering on that feature was the priority. So over time, the benefit gets pushed to the back of the queue. Then, when we\u0027ve come in, we unearth the benefit and shout from the rooftops to anyone listening.\nBut there is a better way. A way that helps your customer understand your product in relation to their context.\u00a0Product positioning isn\u0027t about features and benefits; it\u0027s so much more. Positioning helps your potential customers place your product into a context where they understand why it has value to them. It helps your customers understand the whole market to make better choices and sell those choices to the rest of their organisation.\nThat context and that value is the positioning. Features and benefits certainly play a part in reaching your positioning, but when dealing with a considered purchase, you need to understand how they fit into the way your customer will be buying. So here are some points that are useful to bear in mind:\nWhen it comes to a considered purchase, the biggest competitor you\u0027re facing isn\u0027t another business; it\u0027s the status quo. 30% of considered B2B purchases end up just not happening. You face the most significant hurdle: \u0022What if we just did nothing?\u0022\nGenerally, you\u0027re the experts in your domain. You know all the alternatives to your product, why some of the competitor\u0027s claims are nonsense and know the pitfalls of going down specific product paths. Counter that experience with your customers. They\u0027re coming into this with a blank slate. They don\u0027t know what \u0022state of the art\u0022 looks like.\nWhen looking at the competition, it\u0027s easy to get into a feature war with them. Try and reframe your thinking more around the approach they\u0027ve taken to solve a problem against the way you\u0027ve approached that same problem. You don\u0027t compete against companies. You are competing against different approaches to the problem.\nWe\u0027ve taken the positioning approach as outlined by April Dunford. April\u0027s a great speaker, and I\u0027d recommend her book, Obviously Awesome. The main takeaway from this positioning approach for me is trying to find the differentiated value for your product. It\u0027s the one step beyond features\/benefits, which can still feel abstract to that blank sheet customer. Express the value that your product can provide your customers in as easy a way as possible, Don\u0027t let them have to work out how the features and benefits fit into their context; express it as clearly as possible.\nRemember, the keyword here is unique. \u0022Easy to Use\u0022 may be accurate, but it\u0027s a hygiene factor without definitive third-party proof. Which company would say that their product is \u0022a pain in the arse to use\u0022? It\u0027s like when businesses talk about \u0022Customer Focused\u0022 as one of their brand values. No shit! Dig deep to understand the attributes of what makes your product unique.\nThis positioning approach means that you have to get all the key players involved at certain stages. For example, when working out the unique attributes of your product, you need to get the product team in place. Likewise, when trying to define your best-fit customers, the sales team is the best people to talk to; when looking to create the final product pitch, marketing is vital.\nAll this\u00a0helps your internal team understand the point of your product, bringing everyone on the journey, all on the same path. When everyone internally feels involved and aligned, getting your positioning message to your customers is simpler.\nWorking on the process with clients has undoubtedly shown the value of really nailing your product positioning beyond a catchy tagline. But it also has reinforced that even with a straightforward and assured process that April Dunford presents, it does need an outside perspective to help run that process. I\u0027m a big believer that you can\u0027t both facilitate and participate in a process like this. It needs some emotional detachment to probe, and small \u0027c\u0027 challenge the teams involved with the product. It\u0027s not about asking tough questions; it\u0027s about asking the stupid, obvious ones that can get you to the gold.Bringing a bomb-proof positioning and your brand together tells a compelling product story that makes your customers sit up, take notice and clearly understand how your product solves their problems.\nIf you found Perfect your Product Positioning helpful, take a look at\u00a0Brand Architecture - Don\u2019t forget the due diligence, useful if you feel you have too many products and are\u00a0looking to review your portfolio.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"Once upon a time\u00a0when it came to product marketing, it was about going beyond the features. Features meant nothing. NOTHING! It had to be all about the benefits, I\u0027d yell. Give me the benefits, and let me create magic for you.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-05-27T10:12:56+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5439","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/create-your-brand-vision","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Create Your Brand Vision","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EDiscover how to answer the question \u2018What is a brand vision?\u2019. A year\u2011to\u2011year guide built on your mission and values. Learn how to create an inspiring, ownable vision that stretches your brand toward its future. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Ebrand\u0026nbsp;values\u003C\/a\u003E shape the day-to-day behaviour of your business\u0026nbsp;and your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003Ebrand\u0026nbsp;mission\u003C\/a\u003E shapes how you measure success on a month-to-month basis, then the vision for the brand is the year-to-year guide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreating a vision for your brand should be pretty straightforward on the face of it. De\ufb01ne what your brand does best, understand the endpoint you would love to reach and then create an easy to remember and concise phrase that you can rally around.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour vision should be just out of reach, something that\u0027s ever so slightly unattainable but that stretches you as a business. The non-profit sector is good at this. Save the Children\u0027s vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Is that realistic? Maybe not? Is it worth going for? Fuck, yes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut your vision doesn\u0027t need to be so lofty; it needs to \ufb01t with the business you\u0027re in. Take Good\u0027s vision, for example:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWill we ever make brands understood, respected and valued? Probably not; there is always a naysayer. But that\u0027s the vision we aspire to, that we want to achieve with and for our clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAltogether, our mission and values guide us on how to achieve our vision. It\u0027s a perfect pyramid that is the North Star for your brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs I said, this all seems pretty straightforward. But there are still pitfalls that we\u0027ve seen brands fall into. The big one is creating the \u0022Buzz Lightyear\u0022 vision statement. You know, something that is shouted out with energy, gusto and conviction but on closer scrutiny says nothing. To in\ufb01nity and beyond! Here\u0027s some examples\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0022Tomorrow, together.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0022Better, Different.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0022Building tomorrow, today.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0022Imagine, better.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u0022Spread the power of optimism.\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are not visions; they\u0027re taglines. And even then, they\u0027re woolly nonsense. They are trying to be Braveheart-esque rallying cries, jaunty jingles intended to be pithy and inspiring. They\u0027ll look great on a slide at the annual\u0026nbsp;company meeting, but they lose relevance and meaning the very next day. What are we imagining? Why is it better? What would we do that? How do I do that? If it needs to be explained, it will have a one-way ticket to the drawer that it will live in until it\u0027s dusted off for the next annual company meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink hard about your vision; it\u0027s a motivator that should be speci\ufb01c for your brand and be helpful to your customers. Although it may not be public-facing, it can manifest in a number of ways. For example, Sky\u0027s vision (they call it a purpose, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/do-you-need-brand-purpose\u0022\u003Ewhatever\u003C\/a\u003E, welcome to the branding terminology multiverse) reads:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo bring better content and innovation to all of our customers, better connecting them to more of what they love.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd this is communicated outwardly to customers as \u0022Believe in Better\u0022. To be clear, \u0022Believe in Better\u0022 isn\u0027t the vision; it\u0027s a campaignable asset\u0026nbsp;that comes from the vision. \u0022Believe in Better\u0022 may sound like a Buzz Lightyear vision but\u0026nbsp;it\u0027s a tagline for a campaign that comes from the vision. The hierarchy of communication is understood and adhered to.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour vision is essential; it\u0027s the tip of the branding spear - the top of the shiny brand pyramid. So go beyond a tagline and make sure you create a powerful, descriptive motivator that helps de\ufb01ne and add meaningful value to your business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re interested in diving\u0026nbsp;into the way we think of brand platforms here at Good, take a look at our overview of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003Ebrand platforms\u003C\/a\u003E. Then\u0026nbsp;a deeper dive into \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003Ebrand mission\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Ebrand values\u003C\/a\u003E may be right up your street.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nDiscover how to answer the question \u2018What is a brand vision?\u2019. A year\u2011to\u2011year guide built on your mission and values. Learn how to create an inspiring, ownable vision that stretches your brand toward its future. \nIf your brand\u0026nbsp;values shape the day-to-day behaviour of your business\u0026nbsp;and your brand\u0026nbsp;mission shapes how you measure success on a month-to-month basis, then the vision for the brand is the year-to-year guide.Creating a vision for your brand should be pretty straightforward on the face of it. De\ufb01ne what your brand does best, understand the endpoint you would love to reach and then create an easy to remember and concise phrase that you can rally around.Your vision should be just out of reach, something that\u0027s ever so slightly unattainable but that stretches you as a business. The non-profit sector is good at this. Save the Children\u0027s vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Is that realistic? Maybe not? Is it worth going for? Fuck, yes.But your vision doesn\u0027t need to be so lofty; it needs to \ufb01t with the business you\u0027re in. Take Good\u0027s vision, for example:To make brands and branding better understood, respected and valued.Will we ever make brands understood, respected and valued? Probably not; there is always a naysayer. But that\u0027s the vision we aspire to, that we want to achieve with and for our clients.Altogether, our mission and values guide us on how to achieve our vision. It\u0027s a perfect pyramid that is the North Star for your brand.As I said, this all seems pretty straightforward. But there are still pitfalls that we\u0027ve seen brands fall into. The big one is creating the \u0022Buzz Lightyear\u0022 vision statement. You know, something that is shouted out with energy, gusto and conviction but on closer scrutiny says nothing. To in\ufb01nity and beyond! Here\u0027s some examples\u0022Tomorrow, together.\u0022\u0022Better, Different.\u0022\u0022Building tomorrow, today.\u0022\u0022Imagine, better.\u0022\u0022Spread the power of optimism.\u0022These are not visions; they\u0027re taglines. And even then, they\u0027re woolly nonsense. They are trying to be Braveheart-esque rallying cries, jaunty jingles intended to be pithy and inspiring. They\u0027ll look great on a slide at the annual\u0026nbsp;company meeting, but they lose relevance and meaning the very next day. What are we imagining? Why is it better? What would we do that? How do I do that? If it needs to be explained, it will have a one-way ticket to the drawer that it will live in until it\u0027s dusted off for the next annual company meeting.Think hard about your vision; it\u0027s a motivator that should be speci\ufb01c for your brand and be helpful to your customers. Although it may not be public-facing, it can manifest in a number of ways. For example, Sky\u0027s vision (they call it a purpose, whatever, welcome to the branding terminology multiverse) reads:To bring better content and innovation to all of our customers, better connecting them to more of what they love.And this is communicated outwardly to customers as \u0022Believe in Better\u0022. To be clear, \u0022Believe in Better\u0022 isn\u0027t the vision; it\u0027s a campaignable asset\u0026nbsp;that comes from the vision. \u0022Believe in Better\u0022 may sound like a Buzz Lightyear vision but\u0026nbsp;it\u0027s a tagline for a campaign that comes from the vision. The hierarchy of communication is understood and adhered to.\u0026nbsp;Your vision is essential; it\u0027s the tip of the branding spear - the top of the shiny brand pyramid. So go beyond a tagline and make sure you create a powerful, descriptive motivator that helps de\ufb01ne and add meaningful value to your business.If you\u0027re interested in diving\u0026nbsp;into the way we think of brand platforms here at Good, take a look at our overview of brand platforms. Then\u0026nbsp;a deeper dive into brand mission and brand values may be right up your street.\u0026nbsp;Dig Deeper | The Good Roundup PodcastViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Discover how to answer the question \u2018What is a brand vision?\u2019. A year\u2011to\u2011year guide built on your mission and values. Learn how to create an inspiring, ownable vision that stretches your brand toward its future.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-05-09T10:23:31+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5729","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Strategy is Business Strategy ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0026#039;re looking to put a brand strategy in place it makes sense to know what the return is. The best way to do that is to tie the goals to the overall business strategy. Makes sense. So why is it we don\u0026#039;t see this in operation as much as we\u0026#039;d like? Chris dives deep into what it takes to tie brand to the business goals.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy\u0022\u003EBrand Strategy is Business Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E article on the Good website.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll our other \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/journal\u0022\u003Earticles on the Good website\u003C\/a\u003E are for your reading pleasure. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/06419ac2\/996dd379.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIf you\u0026#039;re looking to put a brand strategy in place it makes sense to know what the return is. The best way to do that is to tie the goals to the overall business strategy. Makes sense. So why is it we don\u0026#039;t see this in operation as much as we\u0026#039;d like? Chris dives deep into what it takes to tie brand to the business goals.  \nThe Brand Strategy is Business Strategy article on the Good website.All our other articles on the Good website are for your reading pleasure. \u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"If you\u0027re looking to put a brand strategy in place it makes sense to know what the return is. The best way to do that is to tie the goals to the overall business strategy. Makes sense. So why is it we don\u0027t see this in operation as much as we\u0027d like? Chris dives deep into what it takes to tie brand to the business goals. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-04-20T10:27:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5440","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What is Brand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;ve done many, many articles in this journal on how we see brand working in your business. From how it manifests itself in content to the need for strong brand architecture, we\u0026#039;ve covered many bases. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut on review, we\u0027ve not got into the point of brand and why you should be bothered with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven if you feel your business is on board with brand, more and more as we kick off a new project, we\u0027re putting forward our definition as to what brand is and why you should care.\u00a0Brand means many things to many people, we want to get everyone on the same page on brand. But, more importantly, I want to help you explain it to those who are more sceptical than you on how brand can support a business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re dealing with someone in the organisation who places brand in the domain of the well-worn phrase, \u0022Colouring In Department\u0022, it can be tricky to know where to start. How do you collect all the terms that the word \u0027brand\u0027 is prefixed with and make sense of all that to someone who doesn\u0027t believe?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat does brand do? Well, let\u0027s start with what it doesn\u0027t do. Brand doesn\u0027t engage. It doesn\u0027t recruit. It doesn\u0027t sell. It associates attributes that you want people to know about your business. As an example, look at the recent Hermes rebrand to Evri. The associations that Hermes had with customers were probably becoming an issue, getting in\u00a0the way of\u00a0the business strategy. Too toxic. How do you save that business? In this case,\u00a0change\u00a0the name\u00a0of the brand, throw in a new logo, and some new colours. Is this approach a foundational shift or a way to distract customers from the existing bad associations around Hermes?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s the same issue that Facebook faced. Every news mention of Facebook was becoming more and more contentious. The association of the company name, Facebook, was beginning to impact the performance metrics of the product they get their income from, Facebook. So, they needed to put some space between the legal entity drawn into the US Senate over the January 6th uprisings and the product they sell. And, voila, Meta was born. A heatshield to protect the cash cow.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s the associations that a brand conveys that adds value to the business. If you\u0027re a B2B company looking to move into a B2C space, do the associations that the brand represents make it feel like a serious contender in that space? For example, can you see Salesforce open a fried chicken restaurant? The brand doesn\u0027t feel that it could be taken seriously there. Interestingly, Tesla has built a brand around the associations of being innovators but also of being, and excuse me while I\u0027m a little bit sick in my mouth, mavericks. If Tesla announced a chain of fried chicken restaurants, it would be a surprise, definitely some kind of stunt, but the brand can shoulder that stretch.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese associations that you place onto the brand allow you flexibility in two main areas \u2014 market share and margin. For example, Apple (I know, sorry) has a pretty\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/541286\/worldwide-pc-market-vendor-share\/\u0022\u003E low market share for desktop PCs\u003C\/a\u003E, around 8%. But \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ped30.com\/2016\/11\/03\/apple-dediu-macbook-pro\/\u0022\u003EApple holds 60% of that market\u0027s profits\u003C\/a\u003E. In a saturated market, Apple has increased the brand\u0027s market not in volume but in value. That\u0027s the power of brand at work.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand is a key driver to build market share. Growing market share has been the space many tech firms have occupied, especially in their early years. Spotify has been building market share with its brand but has never published an operating profit. Their current model is to grow market share, and over time they\u0027ll be able to generate a profit. As long as investors see market share go up, they\u0027ll let Spotify forego profits.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, market share growth isn\u0027t just the purview for modern-day tech unicorns. This battle for market share has been raging for years between two brand giants. Coke and Pepsi have been using brand to build market share over each other for decades. Associating themselves with Christmas, music, or whatever will give them an edge to build market share with a low-margin product. Every 0.5% of market share translates to big bucks on the bottom line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis hard, commercial viewpoint of brand sometimes doesn\u0027t fit well with third-sector clients. But the principles are the same. Charities need to command a sense of market share; otherwise, people won\u0027t donate their time or money to their cause. And you can look at \u0027higher margins\u0022 as \u0027higher donations\u0027. It\u0027s not dirty; it\u0027s the facts around how you can make the most of the opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking at the tangible way that brand builds a business reframes what brand is to most people. It\u0027s usually viewed through the point of engagement: a banner ad, a poster, a logo. But the decision to identify the purpose behind that brand execution should happen in the boardroom.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re trying to find a way to explain brand to the skeptics. To those that think brand equates to an expense rather than an investment. We start any new engagement by stating that every business is built on the architecture, the associations that it has, its identity, and that all ties into implying value for a business. This brand position, in turn, serves as a north star for a business\u0027s strategic direction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImplying value is the keyword for me here. Apple certainly signifies high-end, high-cost products, but they have to back that up with products that they feel a particular group of people will pay for. Apple could have all the fancy advertising in the world, but if the iPhone kept crashing or felt inferior to other phones; it would all count for nothing. The brand would fall on its arse. The Hermes\/Evri rebrand will be a waste of time if they don\u0027t address the underlying issues that created the toxicity in the first place. Brand implies value, but the product or service is the proof point that backs the brand associations up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand is not a logo or fluff. It isn\u0027t performance marketing, but performance marketing does rely heavily on solid brand associations. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy\u0022\u003EBrand strategy is business strategy\u003C\/a\u003E. If this doesn\u0027t start to make those sceptics take another look at brand, maybe, it\u0027s time to look for another organisation that gives a fuck.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re interested, you can take a look at how we approach creating a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003Ebrand platform\u003C\/a\u003E. Here\u0027s our overview of what makes a sensible, workable brand platform and then deeper dive\u00a0into \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/create-your-brand-vision\u0022\u003Ebrand vision\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003Ebrand mission\u003C\/a\u003E and finally, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Ebrand values\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;ve done many, many articles in this journal on how we see brand working in your business. From how it manifests itself in content to the need for strong brand architecture, we\u0026#039;ve covered many bases. \nBut on review, we\u0027ve not got into the point of brand and why you should be bothered with it.\nEven if you feel your business is on board with brand, more and more as we kick off a new project, we\u0027re putting forward our definition as to what brand is and why you should care.\u00a0Brand means many things to many people, we want to get everyone on the same page on brand. But, more importantly, I want to help you explain it to those who are more sceptical than you on how brand can support a business.\nIf you\u0027re dealing with someone in the organisation who places brand in the domain of the well-worn phrase, \u0022Colouring In Department\u0022, it can be tricky to know where to start. How do you collect all the terms that the word \u0027brand\u0027 is prefixed with and make sense of all that to someone who doesn\u0027t believe?\nWhat does brand do? Well, let\u0027s start with what it doesn\u0027t do. Brand doesn\u0027t engage. It doesn\u0027t recruit. It doesn\u0027t sell. It associates attributes that you want people to know about your business. As an example, look at the recent Hermes rebrand to Evri. The associations that Hermes had with customers were probably becoming an issue, getting in\u00a0the way of\u00a0the business strategy. Too toxic. How do you save that business? In this case,\u00a0change\u00a0the name\u00a0of the brand, throw in a new logo, and some new colours. Is this approach a foundational shift or a way to distract customers from the existing bad associations around Hermes?\nIt\u0027s the same issue that Facebook faced. Every news mention of Facebook was becoming more and more contentious. The association of the company name, Facebook, was beginning to impact the performance metrics of the product they get their income from, Facebook. So, they needed to put some space between the legal entity drawn into the US Senate over the January 6th uprisings and the product they sell. And, voila, Meta was born. A heatshield to protect the cash cow.\nIt\u0027s the associations that a brand conveys that adds value to the business. If you\u0027re a B2B company looking to move into a B2C space, do the associations that the brand represents make it feel like a serious contender in that space? For example, can you see Salesforce open a fried chicken restaurant? The brand doesn\u0027t feel that it could be taken seriously there. Interestingly, Tesla has built a brand around the associations of being innovators but also of being, and excuse me while I\u0027m a little bit sick in my mouth, mavericks. If Tesla announced a chain of fried chicken restaurants, it would be a surprise, definitely some kind of stunt, but the brand can shoulder that stretch.\nThese associations that you place onto the brand allow you flexibility in two main areas \u2014 market share and margin. For example, Apple (I know, sorry) has a pretty low market share for desktop PCs, around 8%. But Apple holds 60% of that market\u0027s profits. In a saturated market, Apple has increased the brand\u0027s market not in volume but in value. That\u0027s the power of brand at work.\nBrand is a key driver to build market share. Growing market share has been the space many tech firms have occupied, especially in their early years. Spotify has been building market share with its brand but has never published an operating profit. Their current model is to grow market share, and over time they\u0027ll be able to generate a profit. As long as investors see market share go up, they\u0027ll let Spotify forego profits.\nOf course, market share growth isn\u0027t just the purview for modern-day tech unicorns. This battle for market share has been raging for years between two brand giants. Coke and Pepsi have been using brand to build market share over each other for decades. Associating themselves with Christmas, music, or whatever will give them an edge to build market share with a low-margin product. Every 0.5% of market share translates to big bucks on the bottom line.\nThis hard, commercial viewpoint of brand sometimes doesn\u0027t fit well with third-sector clients. But the principles are the same. Charities need to command a sense of market share; otherwise, people won\u0027t donate their time or money to their cause. And you can look at \u0027higher margins\u0022 as \u0027higher donations\u0027. It\u0027s not dirty; it\u0027s the facts around how you can make the most of the opportunity.\nLooking at the tangible way that brand builds a business reframes what brand is to most people. It\u0027s usually viewed through the point of engagement: a banner ad, a poster, a logo. But the decision to identify the purpose behind that brand execution should happen in the boardroom.\nWe\u0027re trying to find a way to explain brand to the skeptics. To those that think brand equates to an expense rather than an investment. We start any new engagement by stating that every business is built on the architecture, the associations that it has, its identity, and that all ties into implying value for a business. This brand position, in turn, serves as a north star for a business\u0027s strategic direction.\nImplying value is the keyword for me here. Apple certainly signifies high-end, high-cost products, but they have to back that up with products that they feel a particular group of people will pay for. Apple could have all the fancy advertising in the world, but if the iPhone kept crashing or felt inferior to other phones; it would all count for nothing. The brand would fall on its arse. The Hermes\/Evri rebrand will be a waste of time if they don\u0027t address the underlying issues that created the toxicity in the first place. Brand implies value, but the product or service is the proof point that backs the brand associations up.\nBrand is not a logo or fluff. It isn\u0027t performance marketing, but performance marketing does rely heavily on solid brand associations. Brand strategy is business strategy. If this doesn\u0027t start to make those sceptics take another look at brand, maybe, it\u0027s time to look for another organisation that gives a fuck.\nIf you\u0027re interested, you can take a look at how we approach creating a brand platform. Here\u0027s our overview of what makes a sensible, workable brand platform and then deeper dive\u00a0into brand vision, brand mission and finally, brand values.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"We\u0027ve done many, many articles in this journal on how we see brand working in your business. From how it manifests itself in content to the need for strong brand architecture, we\u0027ve covered many bases.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-04-05T12:16:03+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5441","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/value-brand-values","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Value of Brand Values. ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve recently been doing some B2B research, I looked at 34 large corporate entities. They were all a certain size, with average revenues in the $3bn mark, a global footprint and more than 1,000 employees. So, they\u2019re not mom and pop shops. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOut of 34 businesses; 28 of them published their values on their website. And of the 28, here\u2019s a list of the most popular values:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2710\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/picture_1_1.png\u0022 width=\u0022800\u0022 height=\u0022548\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E*This is an aggregation of similar statements about performance in general\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow - if you managed to read to the bottom of that list without falling asleep, then you\u2019ll probably agree that it\u2019s an incredibly uninteresting and unengaging list of generic terms. They\u2019re not differentiating in any way. They\u2019re McValues: performing a role and filling a gap but offering nothing substantial.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey feel like something that\u2019s been bought cheaply - a low engagement activity - more so to tick a box rather than to really engage. And that would be fine - arguably sensible - if they were then quietly dropped or forgotten about, but that\u2019s not the case. Quite often they\u2019re emblazoned across the homepage in a headline, or cherry picked by the CEO in an annual report. So, you get the feeling that they\u2019re deemed to be important, which just underlines the question for me in a big red pen: why are they so crap?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis raised a whole raft of questions for me. The first was obvious. If these are so shit, what does not shit look like?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWhat makes a meaningful value?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor me, the first thing we need to do here is distinguish between \u2018characteristics\u2019 and \u2018values\u2019.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I think of them as very different things and in researching why, I found two good definitions that help to explain why. (I can\u2019t remember where they came from\u2026). It said that Characteristics were \u2019descriptive\u2019 variables and that Values were \u2018motivational\u2019 variables. For me this nicely frames the difference between a series of characteristics that describe a person or business (e.g., funny, serious or professional) versus the deeper value-based variables that describe what motivates a person or business (e.g. loyalty, altruism or humility).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think many businesses get stuck in the rut of claiming characteristics as values - calling out generic descriptors that we should really take for granted in a business. I mean, I\u0026nbsp;expect\u0026nbsp;the brands and businesses I deal with to have integrity, and to focus on their performance, and take an innovative approach, whilst focusing on people, customers and safety. You wouldn\u2019t have a business without focusing on these things. They\u2019re important, but they\u2019re common to every business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhil Adams (a brand strategist) wrote an excellent blog piece recently about this very issue. In the article\u0026nbsp;Chimps and Champs, he talks about the fact that humans and chimps share 99% of genes; but it\u2019s the 1% that differentiates. It\u2019s a great analogy to brands which, he argues, work in a similar way. All these common, generic characteristics are shared by many businesses; but there will be a hidden subset of these values that make an organisation unique.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, the question is what else have you got? We need to dig out the gold that lies in the 1%.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EThe next question: Does it matter?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell maybe not. Given these organisations have collective revenues of somewhere around $100bn, they\u2019re clearly doing something right, and I\u2019d be the first to point out that if it ain\u2019t broke, then don\u2019t fix it. And in the dark corners of B2B, it just takes longer for a consciousness of brand to permeate, so maybe we\u2019re just where we are on an evolutionary curve. But that\u2019s not to say that they don\u2019t have a role to play in helping to differentiate one business from another, and to add value over the long term. Not to mention the potentially massive role values can play in shaping the internal brand voice and underpinning the culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClearly, if they\u2019ve been created to simply tick a box and live in a drawer, then fine. You could argue it\u2019s almost pointless having them. But if your CEO is prefacing the annual report with comments about how important the business\u2019s core values are and how they\u2019re building around them; then you\u2019re able to say they have an outsized role to play in helping the business achieve its objectives. And if this is the case, then there\u2019s no excuse for them being poorly conceived and executed. In fact, it\u2019s a massive fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EHow does Good do Values?\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we\u2019re clear about how we like to shape meaningful values for a business - ones that cut through and are memorable. For us, there are two little tricks that help us get the job done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, we believe in the rule of three. We\u2019re wired to remember things in three, so it makes sense to play to this bias and really focus on the three key values. If there are more than three, then I\u2019d argue they\u2019re not core: they\u2019re peripheral.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, in order to leverage meaning, memorability and ownability we like to tee up the value with a bit of a descriptor (or a modifier) which turbo-charges the meaning. For example, \u201cstraight up honesty\u201d or \u201cdown to earth modesty\u201d somehow just sound more relatable, powerful and memorable than their rather dull roots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo sum up: it\u2019s not surprising that a brand consultancy believes that brand values play an important role. But only if they\u2019re taken seriously, avoiding the generic 99% of \u201cintegrity, performance, teamwork and innovation\u201d. Taking the harder route to really lean into the 1% will create a powerful brand foundation and deliver better longer-term dividends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nI\u2019ve recently been doing some B2B research, I looked at 34 large corporate entities. They were all a certain size, with average revenues in the $3bn mark, a global footprint and more than 1,000 employees. So, they\u2019re not mom and pop shops. \nOut of 34 businesses; 28 of them published their values on their website. And of the 28, here\u2019s a list of the most popular values:\u0026nbsp;*This is an aggregation of similar statements about performance in general\u0026nbsp;Now - if you managed to read to the bottom of that list without falling asleep, then you\u2019ll probably agree that it\u2019s an incredibly uninteresting and unengaging list of generic terms. They\u2019re not differentiating in any way. They\u2019re McValues: performing a role and filling a gap but offering nothing substantial.They feel like something that\u2019s been bought cheaply - a low engagement activity - more so to tick a box rather than to really engage. And that would be fine - arguably sensible - if they were then quietly dropped or forgotten about, but that\u2019s not the case. Quite often they\u2019re emblazoned across the homepage in a headline, or cherry picked by the CEO in an annual report. So, you get the feeling that they\u2019re deemed to be important, which just underlines the question for me in a big red pen: why are they so crap?This raised a whole raft of questions for me. The first was obvious. If these are so shit, what does not shit look like?What makes a meaningful value?For me, the first thing we need to do here is distinguish between \u2018characteristics\u2019 and \u2018values\u2019.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I think of them as very different things and in researching why, I found two good definitions that help to explain why. (I can\u2019t remember where they came from\u2026). It said that Characteristics were \u2019descriptive\u2019 variables and that Values were \u2018motivational\u2019 variables. For me this nicely frames the difference between a series of characteristics that describe a person or business (e.g., funny, serious or professional) versus the deeper value-based variables that describe what motivates a person or business (e.g. loyalty, altruism or humility).\u0026nbsp;I think many businesses get stuck in the rut of claiming characteristics as values - calling out generic descriptors that we should really take for granted in a business. I mean, I\u0026nbsp;expect\u0026nbsp;the brands and businesses I deal with to have integrity, and to focus on their performance, and take an innovative approach, whilst focusing on people, customers and safety. You wouldn\u2019t have a business without focusing on these things. They\u2019re important, but they\u2019re common to every business.Phil Adams (a brand strategist) wrote an excellent blog piece recently about this very issue. In the article\u0026nbsp;Chimps and Champs, he talks about the fact that humans and chimps share 99% of genes; but it\u2019s the 1% that differentiates. It\u2019s a great analogy to brands which, he argues, work in a similar way. All these common, generic characteristics are shared by many businesses; but there will be a hidden subset of these values that make an organisation unique.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;So, the question is what else have you got? We need to dig out the gold that lies in the 1%.\u0026nbsp;The next question: Does it matter?Well maybe not. Given these organisations have collective revenues of somewhere around $100bn, they\u2019re clearly doing something right, and I\u2019d be the first to point out that if it ain\u2019t broke, then don\u2019t fix it. And in the dark corners of B2B, it just takes longer for a consciousness of brand to permeate, so maybe we\u2019re just where we are on an evolutionary curve. But that\u2019s not to say that they don\u2019t have a role to play in helping to differentiate one business from another, and to add value over the long term. Not to mention the potentially massive role values can play in shaping the internal brand voice and underpinning the culture.Clearly, if they\u2019ve been created to simply tick a box and live in a drawer, then fine. You could argue it\u2019s almost pointless having them. But if your CEO is prefacing the annual report with comments about how important the business\u2019s core values are and how they\u2019re building around them; then you\u2019re able to say they have an outsized role to play in helping the business achieve its objectives. And if this is the case, then there\u2019s no excuse for them being poorly conceived and executed. In fact, it\u2019s a massive fail.How does Good do Values?At Good we\u2019re clear about how we like to shape meaningful values for a business - ones that cut through and are memorable. For us, there are two little tricks that help us get the job done.Firstly, we believe in the rule of three. We\u2019re wired to remember things in three, so it makes sense to play to this bias and really focus on the three key values. If there are more than three, then I\u2019d argue they\u2019re not core: they\u2019re peripheral.Secondly, in order to leverage meaning, memorability and ownability we like to tee up the value with a bit of a descriptor (or a modifier) which turbo-charges the meaning. For example, \u201cstraight up honesty\u201d or \u201cdown to earth modesty\u201d somehow just sound more relatable, powerful and memorable than their rather dull roots.To sum up: it\u2019s not surprising that a brand consultancy believes that brand values play an important role. But only if they\u2019re taken seriously, avoiding the generic 99% of \u201cintegrity, performance, teamwork and innovation\u201d. Taking the harder route to really lean into the 1% will create a powerful brand foundation and deliver better longer-term dividends.\u0026nbsp;Dig Deeper | The Good Roundup PodcastViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"I\u2019ve recently been doing some B2B research, I looked at 34 large corporate entities. They were all a certain size, with average revenues in the $3bn mark, a global footprint and more than 1,000 employees. So, they\u2019re not mom and pop shops.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-03-17T10:21:59+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5442","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/can-brand-work-performance-marketing","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Can Brand work with Performance Marketing?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most alluring aspect of digital marketing is the ability to get the right message to someone when they\u0026#039;re looking for something. Intent is powerful. Someone wants something; you present an option to them. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot so long ago, this was called digital marketing. Now, it\u0027s performance marketing. It has its place and, when done well, can be very seductive. You give money to Google. Boom, you got sales.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerformance marketing also makes it easier to tie your marketing spend to outcomes. This route to market is compelling; you can prove that the marketing team is a revenue generator rather than being seen as a budget drain. It promotes you from the fluffy drawing department to a lead gen powerhouse.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut all this is wrapped around a key phrase: \u0022In theory\u0022. Going all-in on performance marketing will take a toll on the business. The cornerstone of performance marketing is that it tries to align the customer\u0027s intent with your offering. This means that you need to be at the right place (usually Google) at the right time. Over indexing in performance misses out on a vital part of growing your business; brand building. Brand building means that you\u0027re not just selling now but building a relationship with your future customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s be clear about what we mean by \u0022relationship\u0022; it\u0027s one of those overused terms in the world of brand. The definition of relationship here is not to place a brand at the same level as your partner, parents, or children. The relationship we\u0027re talking about here is more akin to knowing a great plumber (all my examples have to do with plumbers). When you have a problem, when the water\u0027s pishing all over your kitchen, you know who to call\u2014that plumber\u0027s knowledgeable, reliable, quick and at a fair price; it\u0027s a relationship of convenience and trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuilding this awareness is where brand building comes into its own. It reaches out to those who may not be in-market right now for your service, but you can start to prove yourself to be helpful so that when this large group of people are ready, they\u0027re coming to you first.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt can be hard to balance performance and brand building-even for experts. But it\u0027s worth the effort because each has its strengths to offer your company. So, where to start?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhere you start depends on the lifecycle of your business or product. If you\u0027re a new start, it may be that you\u0027re spending more money on performance to gain some traction. You need to make sure that you can afford your growth, so sales matter. Brand building may focus on the post-sales experience. How can you be useful after sales to help influence the next sale?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA slightly more mature business will use the customer advocacy created in the early stage to introduce new customers into the brand. Understanding how your brand has helped your customers persuade those new to you to try you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI could go on all day about ways to build the brand, push your values to the fore, and help grow your business more sustainably than just using performance techniques. It\u0027s a balance; one should complement the other. A strong brand helps build the perceived value of what you\u0027re selling. Performance marketing can get it in front of people when they need it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe get the next question: how should you split your resources to accommodate brand and performance? Again, this will depend on a case-by-case basis. Startups? Look at performance to start building up sales and as you mature, shift more and more into promoting your brand over time. If there is such a thing as conventional wisdom in this space, you\u0027re looking at a 60\/40 budget split in performance to brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe rarely see companies use that split. The pressure to get sales, and the ability to get an almost instant dopamine hit on your activity, make performance marketing addictive. The challenge for supporting budget allocation to brand marketing is that it\u0027s seen as being difficult to measure. We\u0027ve got some ways to look at the impact.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom a topline point of view, we think you should look at:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECoverage from key target titles and in\ufb02uencers\/direct traffic\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDirect Traf\ufb01c\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand searches\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESite sessions via brand channels\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EEngagement metrics for content \u0026amp; community\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other metric to keep an eye on, and one that can be a good trend indicator month on month, is looking at your Share of Search metrics. We\u0027ve written about Share of Search before and still find it an exciting metric that is ideally suited for measuring brand performance online.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver time, and it will take time, investing in your brand marketing will help make your performance marketing more effective. The time it takes to convert can be reduced as you\u0027ve already done the intro to your brand and the benefits of working with you much earlier in the funnel. It all adds up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone loves a bit of performance. And it is undoubtedly an important component of marketing your brand. But it ends up costing you the ability to use your brand as a lever to increase market share or increase your margins. If you\u0027re a commodity product business, pure-play performance marketing may well be what you need. Balancing your performance marketing activity with long-term brand building for other companies will produce outsized results. It\u0027s not going to happen overnight, but it will have an impact over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe most alluring aspect of digital marketing is the ability to get the right message to someone when they\u0026#039;re looking for something. Intent is powerful. Someone wants something; you present an option to them. \nNot so long ago, this was called digital marketing. Now, it\u0027s performance marketing. It has its place and, when done well, can be very seductive. You give money to Google. Boom, you got sales.\nPerformance marketing also makes it easier to tie your marketing spend to outcomes. This route to market is compelling; you can prove that the marketing team is a revenue generator rather than being seen as a budget drain. It promotes you from the fluffy drawing department to a lead gen powerhouse.\nBut all this is wrapped around a key phrase: \u0022In theory\u0022. Going all-in on performance marketing will take a toll on the business. The cornerstone of performance marketing is that it tries to align the customer\u0027s intent with your offering. This means that you need to be at the right place (usually Google) at the right time. Over indexing in performance misses out on a vital part of growing your business; brand building. Brand building means that you\u0027re not just selling now but building a relationship with your future customers.\nLet\u0027s be clear about what we mean by \u0022relationship\u0022; it\u0027s one of those overused terms in the world of brand. The definition of relationship here is not to place a brand at the same level as your partner, parents, or children. The relationship we\u0027re talking about here is more akin to knowing a great plumber (all my examples have to do with plumbers). When you have a problem, when the water\u0027s pishing all over your kitchen, you know who to call\u2014that plumber\u0027s knowledgeable, reliable, quick and at a fair price; it\u0027s a relationship of convenience and trust.\nBuilding this awareness is where brand building comes into its own. It reaches out to those who may not be in-market right now for your service, but you can start to prove yourself to be helpful so that when this large group of people are ready, they\u0027re coming to you first.\nIt can be hard to balance performance and brand building-even for experts. But it\u0027s worth the effort because each has its strengths to offer your company. So, where to start?\nWhere you start depends on the lifecycle of your business or product. If you\u0027re a new start, it may be that you\u0027re spending more money on performance to gain some traction. You need to make sure that you can afford your growth, so sales matter. Brand building may focus on the post-sales experience. How can you be useful after sales to help influence the next sale?\nA slightly more mature business will use the customer advocacy created in the early stage to introduce new customers into the brand. Understanding how your brand has helped your customers persuade those new to you to try you.\nI could go on all day about ways to build the brand, push your values to the fore, and help grow your business more sustainably than just using performance techniques. It\u0027s a balance; one should complement the other. A strong brand helps build the perceived value of what you\u0027re selling. Performance marketing can get it in front of people when they need it.\nWe get the next question: how should you split your resources to accommodate brand and performance? Again, this will depend on a case-by-case basis. Startups? Look at performance to start building up sales and as you mature, shift more and more into promoting your brand over time. If there is such a thing as conventional wisdom in this space, you\u0027re looking at a 60\/40 budget split in performance to brand.\nWe rarely see companies use that split. The pressure to get sales, and the ability to get an almost instant dopamine hit on your activity, make performance marketing addictive. The challenge for supporting budget allocation to brand marketing is that it\u0027s seen as being difficult to measure. We\u0027ve got some ways to look at the impact.\nFrom a topline point of view, we think you should look at:\nCoverage from key target titles and in\ufb02uencers\/direct traffic\nDirect Traf\ufb01c\nBrand searches\nSite sessions via brand channels\nEngagement metrics for content \u0026amp; community\nThe other metric to keep an eye on, and one that can be a good trend indicator month on month, is looking at your Share of Search metrics. We\u0027ve written about Share of Search before and still find it an exciting metric that is ideally suited for measuring brand performance online.\nOver time, and it will take time, investing in your brand marketing will help make your performance marketing more effective. The time it takes to convert can be reduced as you\u0027ve already done the intro to your brand and the benefits of working with you much earlier in the funnel. It all adds up.\nEveryone loves a bit of performance. And it is undoubtedly an important component of marketing your brand. But it ends up costing you the ability to use your brand as a lever to increase market share or increase your margins. If you\u0027re a commodity product business, pure-play performance marketing may well be what you need. Balancing your performance marketing activity with long-term brand building for other companies will produce outsized results. It\u0027s not going to happen overnight, but it will have an impact over time.\n  ","summary":"The most alluring aspect of digital marketing is the ability to get the right message to someone when they\u0027re looking for something. Intent is powerful. Someone wants something; you present an option to them.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-03-08T09:48:42+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5443","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/keeping-your-brand-project-track","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Keeping your brand project on track","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYes, a post from a brand consultancy about how to keep your brand project on track. Now, the easy post would be about hiring us to get it done. Easy but not useful.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve done a whole lot of brand projects, probably more than a brand manager will do in their career (this is a good thing), and, to be honest, we\u0027ve been on a few projects that, well, have been self-sabotaged at the start. But, what doesn\u0027t kill you makes you stronger, and so I\u0027m delighted to share with you when your spider-sense should start tingling. Mistakes? I\u0027ve made a few. But then again, too few to mention.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. Know why you\u0027re doing it.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny rebrand project should represent an evolution in your vision, mission and values. If people start murmuring that the business needs a rebrand because the logo feels boring, you\u0027re going to get into trouble down the line. It may well be that refreshing the visual identity is a good idea, but it\u0027s an expensive endeavour when you redo all material, on and offline. And your customers probably won\u0027t care. When you tell a customer that you\u0027ve updated your logo, that customer asks what\u0027s changed to do that. When you answer, \u0022Oh, we just felt we needed a change\u0022, it\u0027s added zero competitive advantage and, frankly, looks wasteful.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA good example of this is Facebook into Meta. The name changed, but their values and culture seems to have remained. The point is that they needed to distract from the shitshow that is Facebook when talking at a corporate level. Ignore the narrative of the business pivoting into the metaverse bullshit. It\u0027s a rebrand as a smokescreen, not as a representative of change within the business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, be clear on your reasons for entering into this and understand the outcomes. Without this as a guiding star, you\u0027re going to be head down in a chicken coup soon enough.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Identify the right people to involve and no more.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is tricky. Get a working group that can make decisions. Ensure that there are senior decision-makers on that group, ideally a C-suite representative. We\u0027ve worked on projects where we\u2019ve done the client and customer interviews, we\u2019ve defined the approach, produced creative, and received key people\u0027s input. , Then we head off for then sign off from the people until it hits the people \u201cupstairs\u201d. Then. Fucked. How do you get around this problem of falling hard at the last hurdle? Get a working group from all areas of the business that has input and oversight on a little and often basis. You need a champion for your project at ideally every level. Then, when you\u0027re ready to present the complete recommendation to the wider team, you know the\u00a0\u00a0work is heading in the right direction and will have the best chance to survive scrutiny at every level of the business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Working with a common language.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you start a project, it\u0027s a good idea to assume that everyone will have a different definition of what \u0022brand\u0022 is. It\u0027ll be a logo to some, others will see it as a strapline, and most will think it\u0027s a lot of fluffy nonsense. Start everyone on the same page with your interpretation of what \u0022brand\u0022 is, how it adds value to the business and examples of some of the outputs you\u0027ll expect. Setting these foundational aspects of the journey ahead can clear obstacles down the line.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E4. Beware of over branding.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we\u0027ve written about many, many times, brand can be full of useless, fashionable nonsense. It adds layers and layers of complexity. Beware of too many phrases starting with \u0022brand\u0022. Brand culture, brand purpose, brand vision, brand personality, brand ethos, the list goes on and on. Not that these terms can be without value, but if you suddenly find someone saying that we can chuck in a brand character section when you\u0027ve already defined your vision, mission and values to cover their point, you\u0027re on a rocky road. Months of work will end up with your brand living in a drawer rather than living in the business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E5. Language first, imagery second.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWho doesn\u0027t love choosing colours? Or reviewing styles of photography? Or the size of circles? It\u0027s great fun. But if you start the rebrand with imagery, then you\u0027re focusing on the wrong output. Imagery is evocative, but language is emotional, human. It\u0027s what connects. The brand language platform should be at the start and be agreed on internally. This is what\u0027s going to be doing the heavy lifting over the lifetime of your business. Colours, photography and the size of circles are all subjective; language can help bind all those brand aspects together.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are the top five signs. Or at least the five that we have nightmares about. We have others. Oh, do we have others. The important point to remember is that a lot of what can go wrong usually has its roots at the start of the project. Putting your best foot forward will usually result in a smoother, more enjoyable process as it moves on. Good luck. Or give us a call.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nYes, a post from a brand consultancy about how to keep your brand project on track. Now, the easy post would be about hiring us to get it done. Easy but not useful.  \nWe\u0027ve done a whole lot of brand projects, probably more than a brand manager will do in their career (this is a good thing), and, to be honest, we\u0027ve been on a few projects that, well, have been self-sabotaged at the start. But, what doesn\u0027t kill you makes you stronger, and so I\u0027m delighted to share with you when your spider-sense should start tingling. Mistakes? I\u0027ve made a few. But then again, too few to mention.\u00a0\n1. Know why you\u0027re doing it.\u00a0\nAny rebrand project should represent an evolution in your vision, mission and values. If people start murmuring that the business needs a rebrand because the logo feels boring, you\u0027re going to get into trouble down the line. It may well be that refreshing the visual identity is a good idea, but it\u0027s an expensive endeavour when you redo all material, on and offline. And your customers probably won\u0027t care. When you tell a customer that you\u0027ve updated your logo, that customer asks what\u0027s changed to do that. When you answer, \u0022Oh, we just felt we needed a change\u0022, it\u0027s added zero competitive advantage and, frankly, looks wasteful.\u00a0\nA good example of this is Facebook into Meta. The name changed, but their values and culture seems to have remained. The point is that they needed to distract from the shitshow that is Facebook when talking at a corporate level. Ignore the narrative of the business pivoting into the metaverse bullshit. It\u0027s a rebrand as a smokescreen, not as a representative of change within the business.\u00a0\nSo, be clear on your reasons for entering into this and understand the outcomes. Without this as a guiding star, you\u0027re going to be head down in a chicken coup soon enough.\u00a0\n2. Identify the right people to involve and no more.\u00a0\nThis is tricky. Get a working group that can make decisions. Ensure that there are senior decision-makers on that group, ideally a C-suite representative. We\u0027ve worked on projects where we\u2019ve done the client and customer interviews, we\u2019ve defined the approach, produced creative, and received key people\u0027s input. , Then we head off for then sign off from the people until it hits the people \u201cupstairs\u201d. Then. Fucked. How do you get around this problem of falling hard at the last hurdle? Get a working group from all areas of the business that has input and oversight on a little and often basis. You need a champion for your project at ideally every level. Then, when you\u0027re ready to present the complete recommendation to the wider team, you know the\u00a0\u00a0work is heading in the right direction and will have the best chance to survive scrutiny at every level of the business.\u00a0\n3. Working with a common language.\u00a0\nWhen you start a project, it\u0027s a good idea to assume that everyone will have a different definition of what \u0022brand\u0022 is. It\u0027ll be a logo to some, others will see it as a strapline, and most will think it\u0027s a lot of fluffy nonsense. Start everyone on the same page with your interpretation of what \u0022brand\u0022 is, how it adds value to the business and examples of some of the outputs you\u0027ll expect. Setting these foundational aspects of the journey ahead can clear obstacles down the line.\u00a0\n4. Beware of over branding.\u00a0\nAs we\u0027ve written about many, many times, brand can be full of useless, fashionable nonsense. It adds layers and layers of complexity. Beware of too many phrases starting with \u0022brand\u0022. Brand culture, brand purpose, brand vision, brand personality, brand ethos, the list goes on and on. Not that these terms can be without value, but if you suddenly find someone saying that we can chuck in a brand character section when you\u0027ve already defined your vision, mission and values to cover their point, you\u0027re on a rocky road. Months of work will end up with your brand living in a drawer rather than living in the business.\u00a0\n5. Language first, imagery second.\u00a0\nWho doesn\u0027t love choosing colours? Or reviewing styles of photography? Or the size of circles? It\u0027s great fun. But if you start the rebrand with imagery, then you\u0027re focusing on the wrong output. Imagery is evocative, but language is emotional, human. It\u0027s what connects. The brand language platform should be at the start and be agreed on internally. This is what\u0027s going to be doing the heavy lifting over the lifetime of your business. Colours, photography and the size of circles are all subjective; language can help bind all those brand aspects together.\u00a0\nThese are the top five signs. Or at least the five that we have nightmares about. We have others. Oh, do we have others. The important point to remember is that a lot of what can go wrong usually has its roots at the start of the project. Putting your best foot forward will usually result in a smoother, more enjoyable process as it moves on. Good luck. Or give us a call.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"Yes, a post from a brand consultancy about how to keep your brand project on track. Now, the easy post would be about hiring us to get it done. Easy but not useful. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-03-03T14:25:31+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5444","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-strategy-business-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Strategy is Business Strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we\u2019re of the view that if clients want to spend money on brand, then they should have a right to know what it\u2019s likely to do for them.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, that might be quite difficult to measure, and it may not happen for quite a while, but we should at least try to join the whole thing up, otherwise what\u2019s the point? It becomes a subjective exercise in execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis goes hand in hand with us wanting to see any money spent on brand not as an expense, something on a balance sheet to be written off, but as an investment that provides a return, tangibly growing a business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is where any proposed brand activity must tie in with overall strategy for the business. Sounds obvious? Yes, but it\u0027s always surprising to see how often we get proposals for what\u0027s considered brand activation but, upon some digging, it isn\u0027t. That means that you\u0027ve got two parts of the business fighting against each other rather pulling in same direction - creating friction and inefficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, where do you start? There must be a clear direction set for the business. Without that, you\u0027re doomed regardless. So, let\u0027s assume that there is a business strategy in place and let\u0027s look at two examples of outcomes, but with different brand tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome outcomes are easy to measure. For example, we\u2019re well versed in working in the drinks industry, and an example of a business goal may be to premiumise a whisky brand so it can increase margin. One element of the brand strategy to contribute to that business goal could be changes to packaging, making it feel more expensive. And from a measurement point of view, this creates an explicit marker. Sales data from before the change can easily be compared to data after the change and the work can be declared a success or failure. In theory, it\u2019s a simple exercise with clean start and end points and is generally more about execution \u0026amp; design than anything else.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow compare that to something much more delicate. Your business has recognised that they need to make their offering simpler for customers. The brand strategy response could be to evolve the brand architecture and naming conventions to create a blueprint from which to lean on the mother brand, reduce consumer confusion and present a coherent brand structure. This doesn\u2019t have explicit start and stop points. It takes months (if not years) to seed in and take root, but over time it should lead to more efficiencies, fewer lost sales and better margins.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe whisky lends itself much more easily to a measurement impact; the brand architecture one is more challenging, but that doesn\u2019t mean that we shouldn\u2019t try. If we think about the challenge the right way, there is no reason why we can\u2019t come up with three or four assumptive outcomes that we\u2019re aiming for before we start work. It could be that there are savings due to the reduction in the number of brands you have to support, or that the sales cycle dramatically reduces because there is less customer confusion around the products.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe outcomes for both cases don\u0027t need to be massively explicit in their articulation and the chances are that they\u2019re likely to part contribute to a broader business objective. But it\u2019s keeping an eye on that objective that helps keep the activity on track and guides the decision making. They don\u2019t necessarily need to be about making money either - saving money is just as important. In fact, they don\u2019t need to be about money at all. They could be about how people feel, their behaviour or their willingness to recommend to a friend. Just as long as they\u2019ve been thought about, written down and appreciated as a contribution to the wider business. This is the part that\u2019s usually quite nebulous, or badly defined in the brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand strategy, tying into business goals that produce a tangible business improvement in the outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is what we\u0027re aiming for.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe work with clients to help define these outcomes before a brief is formalised. We see it as part of our job to dig away at the brief to find out what lies beneath the surface and how it ties back to something measurable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe digging around can take us to many places. It can be taking time to define and ground a brand in differentiated values; understanding customers and their journeys; creating a brand and content strategy that reinforces the brand\u2019s salience and ultimately results in purchase. Whatever goes into a brief will have a solid grounding in measurability: from research and analytics through to purchase.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge around the sense of \u2018measurement\u2019 is that it seems to have been weaponised by the big tech companies, and everything to do with results is so short term. Lead generation, programmatic and performance marketing are the obvious and tangible examples which can turn up results quickly. But successful brands are always built over time, and that means everyone needs to be open to some longer term, more nuanced measurable outcomes that allow us to course correct on the way to success.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027re built on making sure that brand activity has a business outcome. We\u0027ve seen some businesses spend money in the brand space that has been completely hived off from the main commercial entity and is simply seen as a cost, rather than an investment. The prevailing mindset is \u201cthere\u2019s an approval to spend this budget\u201d and the reality is that it just doesn\u2019t matter how that money is spent, because so little is expected of it. That\u2019s a poor place to be and we\u2019ve all got to work harder to link to the spend to outcomes. Fight for your right for outcomes and use brand to build a better business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe talked about defining brand and business strategy together in our podcast. Have a listen.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAt Good, we\u2019re of the view that if clients want to spend money on brand, then they should have a right to know what it\u2019s likely to do for them.  \nNow, that might be quite difficult to measure, and it may not happen for quite a while, but we should at least try to join the whole thing up, otherwise what\u2019s the point? It becomes a subjective exercise in execution.\nThis goes hand in hand with us wanting to see any money spent on brand not as an expense, something on a balance sheet to be written off, but as an investment that provides a return, tangibly growing a business.\nThis is where any proposed brand activity must tie in with overall strategy for the business. Sounds obvious? Yes, but it\u0027s always surprising to see how often we get proposals for what\u0027s considered brand activation but, upon some digging, it isn\u0027t. That means that you\u0027ve got two parts of the business fighting against each other rather pulling in same direction - creating friction and inefficiency.\nSo, where do you start? There must be a clear direction set for the business. Without that, you\u0027re doomed regardless. So, let\u0027s assume that there is a business strategy in place and let\u0027s look at two examples of outcomes, but with different brand tasks.\nSome outcomes are easy to measure. For example, we\u2019re well versed in working in the drinks industry, and an example of a business goal may be to premiumise a whisky brand so it can increase margin. One element of the brand strategy to contribute to that business goal could be changes to packaging, making it feel more expensive. And from a measurement point of view, this creates an explicit marker. Sales data from before the change can easily be compared to data after the change and the work can be declared a success or failure. In theory, it\u2019s a simple exercise with clean start and end points and is generally more about execution \u0026amp; design than anything else.\nNow compare that to something much more delicate. Your business has recognised that they need to make their offering simpler for customers. The brand strategy response could be to evolve the brand architecture and naming conventions to create a blueprint from which to lean on the mother brand, reduce consumer confusion and present a coherent brand structure. This doesn\u2019t have explicit start and stop points. It takes months (if not years) to seed in and take root, but over time it should lead to more efficiencies, fewer lost sales and better margins.\nThe whisky lends itself much more easily to a measurement impact; the brand architecture one is more challenging, but that doesn\u2019t mean that we shouldn\u2019t try. If we think about the challenge the right way, there is no reason why we can\u2019t come up with three or four assumptive outcomes that we\u2019re aiming for before we start work. It could be that there are savings due to the reduction in the number of brands you have to support, or that the sales cycle dramatically reduces because there is less customer confusion around the products.\nThe outcomes for both cases don\u0027t need to be massively explicit in their articulation and the chances are that they\u2019re likely to part contribute to a broader business objective. But it\u2019s keeping an eye on that objective that helps keep the activity on track and guides the decision making. They don\u2019t necessarily need to be about making money either - saving money is just as important. In fact, they don\u2019t need to be about money at all. They could be about how people feel, their behaviour or their willingness to recommend to a friend. Just as long as they\u2019ve been thought about, written down and appreciated as a contribution to the wider business. This is the part that\u2019s usually quite nebulous, or badly defined in the brief.\nBrand strategy, tying into business goals that produce a tangible business improvement in the outcome.\n\nThis is what we\u0027re aiming for.\u00a0\nWe work with clients to help define these outcomes before a brief is formalised. We see it as part of our job to dig away at the brief to find out what lies beneath the surface and how it ties back to something measurable.\nThe digging around can take us to many places. It can be taking time to define and ground a brand in differentiated values; understanding customers and their journeys; creating a brand and content strategy that reinforces the brand\u2019s salience and ultimately results in purchase. Whatever goes into a brief will have a solid grounding in measurability: from research and analytics through to purchase.\nThe challenge around the sense of \u2018measurement\u2019 is that it seems to have been weaponised by the big tech companies, and everything to do with results is so short term. Lead generation, programmatic and performance marketing are the obvious and tangible examples which can turn up results quickly. But successful brands are always built over time, and that means everyone needs to be open to some longer term, more nuanced measurable outcomes that allow us to course correct on the way to success.\nWe\u0027re built on making sure that brand activity has a business outcome. We\u0027ve seen some businesses spend money in the brand space that has been completely hived off from the main commercial entity and is simply seen as a cost, rather than an investment. The prevailing mindset is \u201cthere\u2019s an approval to spend this budget\u201d and the reality is that it just doesn\u2019t matter how that money is spent, because so little is expected of it. That\u2019s a poor place to be and we\u2019ve all got to work harder to link to the spend to outcomes. Fight for your right for outcomes and use brand to build a better business.\nWe talked about defining brand and business strategy together in our podcast. Have a listen.\n  ","summary":"At Good, we\u2019re of the view that if clients want to spend money on brand, then they should have a right to know what it\u2019s likely to do for them. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-03-02T09:40:46+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5730","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/building-sustainability-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Building Sustainability into Your Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;ve talked about how sustainability can destroy brands, the trick is then to understand how to make brands work with sustainability. Especially as a number of proposals are on the table about how brands should report on their sustainability efforts. We have a chat about the repercussions of Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and what it means for branding.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the article that Chris wrote: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/sustainability-disclosure-requirements-what-it-means-brands\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Disclosure Requirements: What it means for brands.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/52d37558\/8d74b05d.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;ve talked about how sustainability can destroy brands, the trick is then to understand how to make brands work with sustainability. Especially as a number of proposals are on the table about how brands should report on their sustainability efforts. We have a chat about the repercussions of Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and what it means for branding.  \n\n        Here\u0027s the article that Chris wrote: Sustainability Disclosure Requirements: What it means for brands.\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"We\u0027ve talked about how sustainability can destroy brands, the trick is then to understand how to make brands work with sustainability. Especially as a number of proposals are on the table about how brands should report on their sustainability efforts. We have a chat about the repercussions of Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and what it means for branding. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2022-01-10T11:07:58+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5445","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/do-you-need-brand-purpose","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Do you need a Brand Purpose? ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t think that there is a more contentious element in the wonderfully weird world of branding right now than the notion of \u201cBrand Purpose\u201d. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you can be arsed going onto the ghetto, which is Brand Strategy Twitter, you\u2019ll get people sharing their many, contradictory points of view in 280 characters. So I thought it\u2019d be interesting to look at brand purpose, where it comes from, the upside and downsides. I\u2019m conflicted on this entire sphere of branding. So this is more an exploratory post than some well-reasoned doctrine. Hold on tight.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking at a check Google Trends report, you can see that it\u2019s been increasing since 2004 but really taking a spurt since 2015.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2708\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/picture_1_0.png\u0022 width=\u0022904\u0022 height=\u0022532\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s fun, but probably pointless, to try and understand why the interest in brand purpose seems to have accelerated since 2015. The obvious takeaway is that it\u2019s the rise of a certain type of authoritarian leadership that crept into society, with the rise of Brexit, Trump coming into the ascendency.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince 2015, we\u2019ve seen elements of the culture rise that we probably thought that our liberal, neoconservative world had, if not banished, at least pushed to the very fringes of society. Instead, all we\u2019ve seen is that it doesn\u2019t take long to scrape away at the veneer of respectability for people to become vile.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we\u2019ve lost the respect of the political class, as we\u2019ve become disillusioned with the way organised religion have faced their own challenges, we seem to be looking at brands as a guiding light for giving us purpose in our own lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe response to this change is brands are trying to be seen as a force for good rather than another brick in a corporate monoculture. Brands feel that they must stand for something than seem to stand for nothing. A thousand surveys start to cry that millennials want brands to have strong social, ethical values. After reading a business magazine on the latest trends on their transatlantic business class flights, the C Suite sees that any successful 21st-century business must be a purpose-driven business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat I\u2019ve put forward is straight out conjecture. I get it. I don\u2019t know if brands are where we should be looking for our moral salvation. It can seem more than a little mercenary, opportunistic. Saving the planet to sell more cream cheese.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrands do feel as if they are in a difficult position. As a cream cheese manufacturer, what can you add to the big debates in this moment? On the one hand, it feels trite if you make your position clear. On the other, it can be seen that you\u2019re saying something by saying nothing. That\u2019s a tricky tightrope to walk.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not as easy to incorporate the notion of brand purpose into your brand structure as you\u2019d think. When we\u2019ve talked to clients around getting a purpose, the usual names like Ben and Jerry\u2019s, Allbirds, Tom\u2019s are being bandied about. The critical element about these brands is that they started with the purpose at the start of their business. It was baked into the decision process of the company, embedded into their values that guided every different decision from day one.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETrying to accommodate a brand purpose into your existing brand structure can be challenging. Is your purpose more important than your vision? What comes first? How do they work together? Sometimes the brand purpose statement seems to be more aspirational than the vision for the company. You believe that your brand is the guiding light for your day-to-day decisions. In that case, adding in the extra layer without understanding the interactions with the other areas of your brand strategy leads to confusion.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019d also suggest that any purpose you embark on involves some sense of sacrifice for the business. Usually, this consists in making less money, possibly fewer profits.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout this sacrifice, however it manifests itself, it seems like your brand purpose is just lip service. And this can be detrimental to both your staff and your brand. You need to show how your purpose is impacting, not just shout that you have one.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve talked before about branding being as influenced by fashion as much as it should be underpinned by a rigorous, tested process. Hopefully. It seems to have fallen out of favour, but the R in CSR seems to be a better direction than the P in brand purpose.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think I can explain why by showing you 2 questions.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is your company\u2019s purpose?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is your company\u2019s responsibility?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think the difference between these two questions is subtle but profound. I think that purpose is tied to your product or service. At Good, I could argue that our purpose, why we\u2019re founded, is to show how branding can positively impact a business. That is our purpose.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur responsibility is very different and deals with another subset of questions that is better framed. What is our responsibility to our people, to our clients? What is our responsibility to the planet? What is our responsibility to the common good, to society? From Black Lives Matter to the payment of taxes? I don\u2019t see it as a purpose but as a responsibility.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWherever possible, I think trying to humanise brands makes a stronger brand. As a pretty basic human, I have to be honest and say that I don\u2019t feel I have a purpose. Or a\u00a0Purpose. I know some people do, and it usually holds an inspiring, sometimes heart-breaking, story behind it. But I don\u2019t.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResponsibilities though? Oh, fuck aye. I have them. I have four kids that I need to look out for. I have a home. I have a partner to support as she supports me. My responsibilities define me and define my actions. Every decision I make is made through the lens of these responsibilities. I have to compromise and prioritise. They can be both overwhelming and reassuring.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think \u201cresponsibility\u201d has a stronger weight than purpose. Purpose has too many esoteric connotations. Responsibility is grounded, actionable and, dare I say, more easily understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELastly, I think no matter your preference, purpose or responsibility, viewing it as primarily an external function, a wee bit of PR, is a mistake. This conversation has to start internally first and then flow outwards.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs I said at the start, this isn\u2019t a well-reasoned thesis. My feeling around the reaction on how brands fit in into the times we live in is this:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFuck your brand purpose. Be purposeful in your responsibilities.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI don\u2019t think that there is a more contentious element in the wonderfully weird world of branding right now than the notion of \u201cBrand Purpose\u201d. \nIf you can be arsed going onto the ghetto, which is Brand Strategy Twitter, you\u2019ll get people sharing their many, contradictory points of view in 280 characters. So I thought it\u2019d be interesting to look at brand purpose, where it comes from, the upside and downsides. I\u2019m conflicted on this entire sphere of branding. So this is more an exploratory post than some well-reasoned doctrine. Hold on tight.\u00a0\nLooking at a check Google Trends report, you can see that it\u2019s been increasing since 2004 but really taking a spurt since 2015.\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt\u2019s fun, but probably pointless, to try and understand why the interest in brand purpose seems to have accelerated since 2015. The obvious takeaway is that it\u2019s the rise of a certain type of authoritarian leadership that crept into society, with the rise of Brexit, Trump coming into the ascendency.\u00a0\nSince 2015, we\u2019ve seen elements of the culture rise that we probably thought that our liberal, neoconservative world had, if not banished, at least pushed to the very fringes of society. Instead, all we\u2019ve seen is that it doesn\u2019t take long to scrape away at the veneer of respectability for people to become vile.\u00a0\nAs we\u2019ve lost the respect of the political class, as we\u2019ve become disillusioned with the way organised religion have faced their own challenges, we seem to be looking at brands as a guiding light for giving us purpose in our own lives.\nThe response to this change is brands are trying to be seen as a force for good rather than another brick in a corporate monoculture. Brands feel that they must stand for something than seem to stand for nothing. A thousand surveys start to cry that millennials want brands to have strong social, ethical values. After reading a business magazine on the latest trends on their transatlantic business class flights, the C Suite sees that any successful 21st-century business must be a purpose-driven business.\nWhat I\u2019ve put forward is straight out conjecture. I get it. I don\u2019t know if brands are where we should be looking for our moral salvation. It can seem more than a little mercenary, opportunistic. Saving the planet to sell more cream cheese.\u00a0\nBrands do feel as if they are in a difficult position. As a cream cheese manufacturer, what can you add to the big debates in this moment? On the one hand, it feels trite if you make your position clear. On the other, it can be seen that you\u2019re saying something by saying nothing. That\u2019s a tricky tightrope to walk.\u00a0\nIt\u2019s not as easy to incorporate the notion of brand purpose into your brand structure as you\u2019d think. When we\u2019ve talked to clients around getting a purpose, the usual names like Ben and Jerry\u2019s, Allbirds, Tom\u2019s are being bandied about. The critical element about these brands is that they started with the purpose at the start of their business. It was baked into the decision process of the company, embedded into their values that guided every different decision from day one.\nTrying to accommodate a brand purpose into your existing brand structure can be challenging. Is your purpose more important than your vision? What comes first? How do they work together? Sometimes the brand purpose statement seems to be more aspirational than the vision for the company. You believe that your brand is the guiding light for your day-to-day decisions. In that case, adding in the extra layer without understanding the interactions with the other areas of your brand strategy leads to confusion.\u00a0\nI\u2019d also suggest that any purpose you embark on involves some sense of sacrifice for the business. Usually, this consists in making less money, possibly fewer profits.\u00a0\nWithout this sacrifice, however it manifests itself, it seems like your brand purpose is just lip service. And this can be detrimental to both your staff and your brand. You need to show how your purpose is impacting, not just shout that you have one.\u00a0\nWe\u2019ve talked before about branding being as influenced by fashion as much as it should be underpinned by a rigorous, tested process. Hopefully. It seems to have fallen out of favour, but the R in CSR seems to be a better direction than the P in brand purpose.\u00a0\nI think I can explain why by showing you 2 questions.\u00a0\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is your company\u2019s purpose?\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is your company\u2019s responsibility?\u00a0\nI think the difference between these two questions is subtle but profound. I think that purpose is tied to your product or service. At Good, I could argue that our purpose, why we\u2019re founded, is to show how branding can positively impact a business. That is our purpose.\u00a0\nOur responsibility is very different and deals with another subset of questions that is better framed. What is our responsibility to our people, to our clients? What is our responsibility to the planet? What is our responsibility to the common good, to society? From Black Lives Matter to the payment of taxes? I don\u2019t see it as a purpose but as a responsibility.\u00a0\nWherever possible, I think trying to humanise brands makes a stronger brand. As a pretty basic human, I have to be honest and say that I don\u2019t feel I have a purpose. Or a\u00a0Purpose. I know some people do, and it usually holds an inspiring, sometimes heart-breaking, story behind it. But I don\u2019t.\nResponsibilities though? Oh, fuck aye. I have them. I have four kids that I need to look out for. I have a home. I have a partner to support as she supports me. My responsibilities define me and define my actions. Every decision I make is made through the lens of these responsibilities. I have to compromise and prioritise. They can be both overwhelming and reassuring.\u00a0\nI think \u201cresponsibility\u201d has a stronger weight than purpose. Purpose has too many esoteric connotations. Responsibility is grounded, actionable and, dare I say, more easily understood.\nLastly, I think no matter your preference, purpose or responsibility, viewing it as primarily an external function, a wee bit of PR, is a mistake. This conversation has to start internally first and then flow outwards.\nAs I said at the start, this isn\u2019t a well-reasoned thesis. My feeling around the reaction on how brands fit in into the times we live in is this:\nFuck your brand purpose. Be purposeful in your responsibilities.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"I don\u2019t think that there is a more contentious element in the wonderfully weird world of branding right now than the notion of \u201cBrand Purpose\u201d.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-12-17T11:38:40+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5446","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/target-markets-defining-who-youre-really-talking","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Target markets: defining who you\u2019re really talking to","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery once in a while, I\u2019ll read a brief and stop in my tracks when I get to the target audience section. I can\u2019t help but think, \u201cyou think you know\u2026 but you have no idea.\u201d  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m dating myself here, but that was the opening line of the 00\u2019s MTV show, Diary. Brilliant show, and a line that seemed so iconic at the time. Perhaps still iconic if I find myself repeating it often in 2021. Now, this is not to say I know the\u0026nbsp;target better than the client\u0026nbsp;does, but there\u2019s usually a red flag that goes off for me when I see \u0027young, innovative, tech savvy\u0027 etc as the audience. I think, is that really your target market or is it an aspirational one?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou may think you know, but do you really have any idea?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe only way you\u2019ll know who best fits your offering is by talking directly to them. We\u2019ve written a lot about the importance of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/research-it-worth-time-and-money\u0022\u003Egood research\u003C\/a\u003E. It may feel unnecessary or cumbersome at the time when you have campaign deadlines, new product launches or brand reveals planned, but it\u2019s the bedrock of understanding that target market.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat I\u2019m really interested in talking about is your target market. Just like the variety pack of brand lingo \u2013 brand architecture, onion, tree, house, etc \u2013 there are umpteen ways you can talk about your target market, and a lot of that can flex depending on if you\u2019re B2B or B2C. Target market, demographic, users, audience, customer, consumer, the list is endless. And truthfully, it\u2019s all about preference, there is no right answer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere is where I would argue, no matter the term you want to use to describe your overall market, it all comes down to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Edecision makers\u003C\/em\u003E. These are\u0026nbsp;a subset of your wider customer group, the ones who ultimately hold the decision to purchase your product or service.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s always good to be looking ahead to an aspirational market, especially for new product development, but to look so far ahead that you\u2019re missing the group that\u2019s ready and willing to buy from you now would be a big miss.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a disconnect that we see often, who you are speaking to right now is not who is buying from you. And one of these has to give. Either you make or sell a product or service that those you\u2019re talking to want to buy, or you start speaking to those who are buying from you now.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what can you do right now to assess whether your target market is actual or aspirational? Consider these three points.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ESpeak to your customers.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen was the last time you spoke to them? Whether it be a post-purchase check in, social media dialogue, or formal research, have you been speaking to the people who are keeping the lights on? If not, consider why. While they won\u2019t wait for you to give them what they need, but they are more than happy to tell you what it is they\u2019re looking for. Remember, it\u2019s in their interest to find a solution to their needs and you could easily be just what they\u2019re looking for. You just need to know what to say to make that point clear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EIdentify the decision makers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI know this seems like I\u2019m teaching you something incredibly obvious, but the thing is, sometimes we get so caught up in what\u2019s new and exciting that we leave our decision makers behind. So, first thing\u2019s first, identify your decision makers. Is it more narrow than your overall target market? That\u0027s more than likely;\u0026nbsp;you have decision makers and influencers and both have an important role to play. But the conversion sits with the decision maker. Defining your messaging hierarchy with the decision maker in mind\u0026nbsp;gives you the confidence you\u2019re reaching them with the most impactful comms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EFind a balance between the pipeline and the present.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you review those comms we just talked about, ask yourself\u0026nbsp;are you mostly talking about the future and not what you have to offer right now? If it\u2019s too heavily weighted toward the future, you risk losing your audience. Because unlike a packed house at the Friday night showing of House of Gucci, your audience doesn\u2019t have to sit and wait for you to get to the good bit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsumers are people at the end of day. They have choice and plenty of it \u2013 they\u2019re not waiting for you. They have the control, and off they\u2019ll go to find the brand that is selling them the right thing, at the right time in the right way.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt seems simple when you write it like that, but we know it\u2019s not. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nEvery once in a while, I\u2019ll read a brief and stop in my tracks when I get to the target audience section. I can\u2019t help but think, \u201cyou think you know\u2026 but you have no idea.\u201d  \nI\u2019m dating myself here, but that was the opening line of the 00\u2019s MTV show, Diary. Brilliant show, and a line that seemed so iconic at the time. Perhaps still iconic if I find myself repeating it often in 2021. Now, this is not to say I know the\u0026nbsp;target better than the client\u0026nbsp;does, but there\u2019s usually a red flag that goes off for me when I see \u0027young, innovative, tech savvy\u0027 etc as the audience. I think, is that really your target market or is it an aspirational one?You may think you know, but do you really have any idea?The only way you\u2019ll know who best fits your offering is by talking directly to them. We\u2019ve written a lot about the importance of good research. It may feel unnecessary or cumbersome at the time when you have campaign deadlines, new product launches or brand reveals planned, but it\u2019s the bedrock of understanding that target market.\u0026nbsp;What I\u2019m really interested in talking about is your target market. Just like the variety pack of brand lingo \u2013 brand architecture, onion, tree, house, etc \u2013 there are umpteen ways you can talk about your target market, and a lot of that can flex depending on if you\u2019re B2B or B2C. Target market, demographic, users, audience, customer, consumer, the list is endless. And truthfully, it\u2019s all about preference, there is no right answer.\u0026nbsp;Here is where I would argue, no matter the term you want to use to describe your overall market, it all comes down to the\u0026nbsp;decision makers. These are\u0026nbsp;a subset of your wider customer group, the ones who ultimately hold the decision to purchase your product or service.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s always good to be looking ahead to an aspirational market, especially for new product development, but to look so far ahead that you\u2019re missing the group that\u2019s ready and willing to buy from you now would be a big miss.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s a disconnect that we see often, who you are speaking to right now is not who is buying from you. And one of these has to give. Either you make or sell a product or service that those you\u2019re talking to want to buy, or you start speaking to those who are buying from you now.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;So, what can you do right now to assess whether your target market is actual or aspirational? Consider these three points.Speak to your customers.When was the last time you spoke to them? Whether it be a post-purchase check in, social media dialogue, or formal research, have you been speaking to the people who are keeping the lights on? If not, consider why. While they won\u2019t wait for you to give them what they need, but they are more than happy to tell you what it is they\u2019re looking for. Remember, it\u2019s in their interest to find a solution to their needs and you could easily be just what they\u2019re looking for. You just need to know what to say to make that point clear.Identify the decision makers.\u0026nbsp;I know this seems like I\u2019m teaching you something incredibly obvious, but the thing is, sometimes we get so caught up in what\u2019s new and exciting that we leave our decision makers behind. So, first thing\u2019s first, identify your decision makers. Is it more narrow than your overall target market? That\u0027s more than likely;\u0026nbsp;you have decision makers and influencers and both have an important role to play. But the conversion sits with the decision maker. Defining your messaging hierarchy with the decision maker in mind\u0026nbsp;gives you the confidence you\u2019re reaching them with the most impactful comms.Find a balance between the pipeline and the present.When you review those comms we just talked about, ask yourself\u0026nbsp;are you mostly talking about the future and not what you have to offer right now? If it\u2019s too heavily weighted toward the future, you risk losing your audience. Because unlike a packed house at the Friday night showing of House of Gucci, your audience doesn\u2019t have to sit and wait for you to get to the good bit.\u0026nbsp;Consumers are people at the end of day. They have choice and plenty of it \u2013 they\u2019re not waiting for you. They have the control, and off they\u2019ll go to find the brand that is selling them the right thing, at the right time in the right way.\u0026nbsp;It seems simple when you write it like that, but we know it\u2019s not. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here.  ","summary":"Every once in a while, I\u2019ll read a brief and stop in my tracks when I get to the target audience section. I can\u2019t help but think, \u201cyou think you know\u2026 but you have no idea.\u201d ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-12-14T12:24:17+0000","author":{"name":"Lindsay Wise"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5447","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/sustainability-disclosure-requirements-what-it-means-brands","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Sustainability Disclosure Requirements: What it means for brands.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe UK government recently announced that there\u2019s legislation pending on the thorny topic of sustainability.   \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPut simply (because everything on this topic gets complicated quickly) this means that the corporate world is going to have to publicly disclose its climate impact through Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDRs). As a brand consultant, I find this interesting because brands have been making all sorts of sustainability claims for years, without anyone really checking their homework. They\u2019ve built brand platforms and messaging around saving the planet to gain competitive advantage over their competition. They\u2019ve talked the talk. Very soon, they\u2019re going to have to walk the walk, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what\u2019s the legislation?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe UK Treasury has published a document that sets out its vision. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/greening-finance-a-roadmap-to-sustainable-investing\u0022\u003EGreening Finance: A roadmap to sustainable investing\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is focused initially on the world of finance and investing, but it\u2019s clear that the legislation is planned to reach across all sectors of the UK economy. This is just the start.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the document, the Treasury outline the new SDRs, which mean that organisations will need to set out the environmental impact of the activities they finance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not yet clear when the new rules will come in, as there is a period of public consultation, but the Treasury and Rishi Sunak have been explicit on what they\u2019re looking for and have set out a framework in the report that offers some hints as to how the reporting might work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUK Green Taxonomy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the meat and drink of the report. The Green Taxonomy will define what counts as \u2018green\u2019 for UK businesses. The report recognises that there is not a currently accepted definition of what economic activities count as environmental sustainability. This makes it difficult for companies, investors and consumers to clearly understand the environmental impact of their decisions and can result in greenwashing. To combat this, the government wants to set out the criteria that specific economic activity must meet to be considered sustainable. The UK Green Taxonomy is designed to do this and I think it will be helpful in defining how UK corporates choose to integrate sustainability into their brand messaging. Its aims are three-fold and are refreshingly straightforward:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E1. Create clarity and consistency for investors:\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInvestors will be able to easily compare the environmental performance and impact of companies and investment funds to inform their financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E2. Improve understanding of companies\u2019 environmental impact:\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaxonomy disclosures will facilitate an understanding of companies\u2019 contribution to environmental sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E3. Provide a reference point for companies:\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Taxonomy will provide companies with an informative performance target. For example, they can also, on a voluntary basis, use the Taxonomy to develop and communicate their net-zero transition and capital investment plans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe taxonomy has six environmental objectives that stake out a clear territory for brands to get to grips with \u2013 not just how they operate, but how they can start to frame the message for the climate impact of their operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what does it look like?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 1. Climate Change Mitigation\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStabilisation of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement and net zero by 2050.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 2. Climate Change Adaptation\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReducing the risk of adverse impact of current or future climate change on an economic activity, people, nature, or assets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 3. Sustainable use and protection of Water and Marine Resources.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContribution to the good environmental status of bodies of water or marine resources or preventing their deterioration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 4. Transition to a Circular Economy.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaintaining the value of products, materials and resources for as long as possible, thereby reducing the environmental impacts of their use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 5. Pollution Prevention and Control.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncluding preventing and reducing emissions or adverse impacts on health, improving levels of air water and soil quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ENo 6. Protection and Restoration of Biodiversity and Ecosystems.\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProtecting, conserving, or restoring biodiversity or to achieving the good condition of ecosystems, or preventing their deterioration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese six objectives will each be underpinned by a set of detailed standards (Technical Screening Criteria) which identify how a company\u2019s activity can contribute to each environmental objective. These disclosures are going to make for very interesting reading for lots of stakeholder groups - from shareholders to consumers alike - giving them an indicator of a company\u2019s current environmental performance, as well as its investment in sustainable activities.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;So, organisations are going to have to be very careful about what they say they believe in and aspire to versus what they do. This Green Taxonomy could spell the end of greenwash and that\u2019s got to be a good thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJust as an aside - it\u2019s interesting that there\u2019s not a single mention of the word \u2018carbon\u2019 in any of these objectives. Don\u2019t know if that\u2019s deliberate, but there has been quite a bit of research that outlines how difficult a concept \u2018carbon\u2019 is for consumers to wrap their heads around. From negative to positive to net zero; it can all get a bit much. So, hats off to them if these are deliberate decisions. It\u2019s just easier to talk about pollution prevention (at the top level) than getting into the weeds around specific types of carbon reduction straight off the bat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis legislation is focused entirely on a company\u2019s operations and their climate impact. However, I think that there are likely to be three marketing relevant second order effects driven from it:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E1. Common Terms\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStandardising the criteria will create a set of common terms for reporting and labeling. For the taxonomy to take root, I\u2019d argue that this is of fundamental importance for consumers to be able to make comparisons and purchase decisions. The danger of lack of adoption is that we end up with a fresh logo soup of proprietary environmental style kite marks. And this will just confuse people even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E2. Confluence of Messaging\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe setting of criteria to report performance will push marketing messages into the same areas. Companies will inevitably want to spin their progress to their various audience groups, which means many businesses will end up saying very similar things, to similar audience groups in a similar manner. This creates a new challenge: how to do this distinctively if everyone\u2019s doing the same thing? However, the transparent nature of the reporting may help to end the process of greenwashing. And we all say amen to that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E3. Catalyst for Review\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFull brand reviews often need a catalyst and this is a big trigger. It\u2019s the ideal time for brands that aren\u2019t sure how to integrate sustainability into their brand to take it all apart and start to evolve things.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is all very speculative, and it\u2019s going to be interesting to see how quickly (if at all) this legislation evolves and comes to life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t to say business isn\u2019t trying. It is and we\u2019ve worked with brands in this area for several years, but over the last two years I\u2019d say that business is really trying to get to grips with how sustainability fits into their brand - and I\u2019ve written a couple of pieces on how this is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/sustainability-damaging-brands\u0022\u003Egoing for them\u003C\/a\u003E. Safe to say that some are better at it than others. However, with climate dominating the agenda in almost every facet of political, social, and corporate life, it does feel like the screw is turning and those brands that haven\u2019t tried to get to grips with what this means for them are in danger of being left behind. Over the next decade, the climate issue is going to ratchet up the pressure - forcing governments, businesses, and all of us to make big changes in the way we live. From a brand perspective, you simply can\u2019t ignore it. The sooner you do the foundational work to understand how this is going to change or complement your existing brand, the sooner you galvanise the business against negative outcomes (and promote positive ones) in the long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETop tips for integrating sustainability into your brand.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to these useful hints from the UK Green Taxonomy, we have several complementary suggestions worth highlighting if you\u2019re thinking about how sustainability plays into your brand\u2019s DNA\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E1. Accept it\u2019s a journey\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can\u2019t wait until you have a fully formed story to tell. You\u2019re in this for the long haul, so make a simple start. It\u2019s much easier and more credible to talk about the small changes you\u2019re making on the journey, rather than over-claim and be caught with your pants down.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E2. Review your core brand elements\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERun the rule over all your core brand elements and have a think about how and where sustainability commitments can fit with what you already have. How literal do you need to be? Does the word \u2018sustainable\u2019 have to appear explicitly (which can be clunky) or can it be implied across a range of values? This is also a chance to tidy up (hint: get rid of) any generic, meaningless brand values that just create noise and distraction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E3. Remember you\u2019re not a Sustainability company\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnless you are one. But one of the common issues we see is that organisations can lean into the sustainability cause with such enthusiasm that they begin to sound like a pureplay sustainability company, rather than a manufacturer of X or Y. It\u2019s important to get the balance right between the complementary and supporting sustainability messaging and the primary product or service messaging. In this case, sustainability is likely to play a tie-breaker role in the customer\u2019s mind between two similarly matched products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E4. Clarity of Language\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs we saw earlier, carbon, the chemistry around it, and the plethora of emerging terms get complicated quickly. Be mindful of the terms you do use - try to use normal everyday language to connect and avoid jargon at all costs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E5. Sustainability \u0026amp; innovation are best friends\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s likely that embracing sustainability will create a forgiving platform from which to champion new products or services - or simply to talk about the positive impact you\u2019re making on the environment or in customers\u2019 lives. Innovation has been an ill-defined term in business for years but combining it with sustainability gives it a context and purpose. Use them both to your advantage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E6. Understand your customers\u2019 journey\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGet to grips with what your customers want from you when it comes to sustainability. Is it central to their purchase decision, or is it simply a tiebreaker? (Remembering that what consumers say and do are two different things). Once you truly understand where and how you fit, you\u2019re able to turn the sustainability volume up or down as required.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E7. Engage all your stakeholders\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChances are that every group will have a view on what and how you should be dealing with this subject matter. Our advice is to get them involved in the project early - run research groups and take soundings from them. Keep them involved throughout and demonstrate that you\u2019ve listened. In our experience, too many brand change initiatives don\u2019t make the impact they should because the initial consultation and engagement wasn\u2019t broad or deep enough across the organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s so much noise around sustainability and it\u2019s going to get louder. I think the next ten years will have a Darwinian effect on those businesses that don\u2019t embrace it as a core part of their brand. Brands that don\u2019t embrace sustainability simply don\u2019t have a sustainable brand. The legislation is pending, and consumers are more discerning than ever. Welcome to the new era of transparency around sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recorded a podcast to dive a little deeper into this topic. Have a listen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe UK government recently announced that there\u2019s legislation pending on the thorny topic of sustainability.   \nPut simply (because everything on this topic gets complicated quickly) this means that the corporate world is going to have to publicly disclose its climate impact through Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDRs). As a brand consultant, I find this interesting because brands have been making all sorts of sustainability claims for years, without anyone really checking their homework. They\u2019ve built brand platforms and messaging around saving the planet to gain competitive advantage over their competition. They\u2019ve talked the talk. Very soon, they\u2019re going to have to walk the walk, too.So, what\u2019s the legislation?The UK Treasury has published a document that sets out its vision. Greening Finance: A roadmap to sustainable investing.\u0026nbsp;This is focused initially on the world of finance and investing, but it\u2019s clear that the legislation is planned to reach across all sectors of the UK economy. This is just the start.In the document, the Treasury outline the new SDRs, which mean that organisations will need to set out the environmental impact of the activities they finance.It\u2019s not yet clear when the new rules will come in, as there is a period of public consultation, but the Treasury and Rishi Sunak have been explicit on what they\u2019re looking for and have set out a framework in the report that offers some hints as to how the reporting might work.UK Green TaxonomyThis is the meat and drink of the report. The Green Taxonomy will define what counts as \u2018green\u2019 for UK businesses. The report recognises that there is not a currently accepted definition of what economic activities count as environmental sustainability. This makes it difficult for companies, investors and consumers to clearly understand the environmental impact of their decisions and can result in greenwashing. To combat this, the government wants to set out the criteria that specific economic activity must meet to be considered sustainable. The UK Green Taxonomy is designed to do this and I think it will be helpful in defining how UK corporates choose to integrate sustainability into their brand messaging. Its aims are three-fold and are refreshingly straightforward:1. Create clarity and consistency for investors:Investors will be able to easily compare the environmental performance and impact of companies and investment funds to inform their financial decisions.2. Improve understanding of companies\u2019 environmental impact:Taxonomy disclosures will facilitate an understanding of companies\u2019 contribution to environmental sustainability.3. Provide a reference point for companies:The Taxonomy will provide companies with an informative performance target. For example, they can also, on a voluntary basis, use the Taxonomy to develop and communicate their net-zero transition and capital investment plans.The taxonomy has six environmental objectives that stake out a clear territory for brands to get to grips with \u2013 not just how they operate, but how they can start to frame the message for the climate impact of their operations.\u0026nbsp;So, what does it look like?\u0026nbsp;No 1. Climate Change MitigationStabilisation of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement and net zero by 2050.\u0026nbsp;No 2. Climate Change AdaptationReducing the risk of adverse impact of current or future climate change on an economic activity, people, nature, or assets.\u0026nbsp;No 3. Sustainable use and protection of Water and Marine Resources.Contribution to the good environmental status of bodies of water or marine resources or preventing their deterioration.\u0026nbsp;No 4. Transition to a Circular Economy.Maintaining the value of products, materials and resources for as long as possible, thereby reducing the environmental impacts of their use.\u0026nbsp;No 5. Pollution Prevention and Control.Including preventing and reducing emissions or adverse impacts on health, improving levels of air water and soil quality.\u0026nbsp;No 6. Protection and Restoration of Biodiversity and Ecosystems.Protecting, conserving, or restoring biodiversity or to achieving the good condition of ecosystems, or preventing their deterioration.These six objectives will each be underpinned by a set of detailed standards (Technical Screening Criteria) which identify how a company\u2019s activity can contribute to each environmental objective. These disclosures are going to make for very interesting reading for lots of stakeholder groups - from shareholders to consumers alike - giving them an indicator of a company\u2019s current environmental performance, as well as its investment in sustainable activities.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;So, organisations are going to have to be very careful about what they say they believe in and aspire to versus what they do. This Green Taxonomy could spell the end of greenwash and that\u2019s got to be a good thing.Just as an aside - it\u2019s interesting that there\u2019s not a single mention of the word \u2018carbon\u2019 in any of these objectives. Don\u2019t know if that\u2019s deliberate, but there has been quite a bit of research that outlines how difficult a concept \u2018carbon\u2019 is for consumers to wrap their heads around. From negative to positive to net zero; it can all get a bit much. So, hats off to them if these are deliberate decisions. It\u2019s just easier to talk about pollution prevention (at the top level) than getting into the weeds around specific types of carbon reduction straight off the bat.This legislation is focused entirely on a company\u2019s operations and their climate impact. However, I think that there are likely to be three marketing relevant second order effects driven from it:1. Common TermsStandardising the criteria will create a set of common terms for reporting and labeling. For the taxonomy to take root, I\u2019d argue that this is of fundamental importance for consumers to be able to make comparisons and purchase decisions. The danger of lack of adoption is that we end up with a fresh logo soup of proprietary environmental style kite marks. And this will just confuse people even more.2. Confluence of MessagingThe setting of criteria to report performance will push marketing messages into the same areas. Companies will inevitably want to spin their progress to their various audience groups, which means many businesses will end up saying very similar things, to similar audience groups in a similar manner. This creates a new challenge: how to do this distinctively if everyone\u2019s doing the same thing? However, the transparent nature of the reporting may help to end the process of greenwashing. And we all say amen to that.3. Catalyst for ReviewFull brand reviews often need a catalyst and this is a big trigger. It\u2019s the ideal time for brands that aren\u2019t sure how to integrate sustainability into their brand to take it all apart and start to evolve things.\u0026nbsp;This is all very speculative, and it\u2019s going to be interesting to see how quickly (if at all) this legislation evolves and comes to life.\u0026nbsp;This isn\u2019t to say business isn\u2019t trying. It is and we\u2019ve worked with brands in this area for several years, but over the last two years I\u2019d say that business is really trying to get to grips with how sustainability fits into their brand - and I\u2019ve written a couple of pieces on how this is\u0026nbsp;going for them. Safe to say that some are better at it than others. However, with climate dominating the agenda in almost every facet of political, social, and corporate life, it does feel like the screw is turning and those brands that haven\u2019t tried to get to grips with what this means for them are in danger of being left behind. Over the next decade, the climate issue is going to ratchet up the pressure - forcing governments, businesses, and all of us to make big changes in the way we live. From a brand perspective, you simply can\u2019t ignore it. The sooner you do the foundational work to understand how this is going to change or complement your existing brand, the sooner you galvanise the business against negative outcomes (and promote positive ones) in the long term.Top tips for integrating sustainability into your brand.In addition to these useful hints from the UK Green Taxonomy, we have several complementary suggestions worth highlighting if you\u2019re thinking about how sustainability plays into your brand\u2019s DNA\u20261. Accept it\u2019s a journeyYou can\u2019t wait until you have a fully formed story to tell. You\u2019re in this for the long haul, so make a simple start. It\u2019s much easier and more credible to talk about the small changes you\u2019re making on the journey, rather than over-claim and be caught with your pants down.\u0026nbsp;2. Review your core brand elementsRun the rule over all your core brand elements and have a think about how and where sustainability commitments can fit with what you already have. How literal do you need to be? Does the word \u2018sustainable\u2019 have to appear explicitly (which can be clunky) or can it be implied across a range of values? This is also a chance to tidy up (hint: get rid of) any generic, meaningless brand values that just create noise and distraction.3. Remember you\u2019re not a Sustainability companyUnless you are one. But one of the common issues we see is that organisations can lean into the sustainability cause with such enthusiasm that they begin to sound like a pureplay sustainability company, rather than a manufacturer of X or Y. It\u2019s important to get the balance right between the complementary and supporting sustainability messaging and the primary product or service messaging. In this case, sustainability is likely to play a tie-breaker role in the customer\u2019s mind between two similarly matched products.4. Clarity of LanguageAs we saw earlier, carbon, the chemistry around it, and the plethora of emerging terms get complicated quickly. Be mindful of the terms you do use - try to use normal everyday language to connect and avoid jargon at all costs.\u0026nbsp;5. Sustainability \u0026amp; innovation are best friendsIt\u2019s likely that embracing sustainability will create a forgiving platform from which to champion new products or services - or simply to talk about the positive impact you\u2019re making on the environment or in customers\u2019 lives. Innovation has been an ill-defined term in business for years but combining it with sustainability gives it a context and purpose. Use them both to your advantage.6. Understand your customers\u2019 journeyGet to grips with what your customers want from you when it comes to sustainability. Is it central to their purchase decision, or is it simply a tiebreaker? (Remembering that what consumers say and do are two different things). Once you truly understand where and how you fit, you\u2019re able to turn the sustainability volume up or down as required.7. Engage all your stakeholdersChances are that every group will have a view on what and how you should be dealing with this subject matter. Our advice is to get them involved in the project early - run research groups and take soundings from them. Keep them involved throughout and demonstrate that you\u2019ve listened. In our experience, too many brand change initiatives don\u2019t make the impact they should because the initial consultation and engagement wasn\u2019t broad or deep enough across the organisation.There\u2019s so much noise around sustainability and it\u2019s going to get louder. I think the next ten years will have a Darwinian effect on those businesses that don\u2019t embrace it as a core part of their brand. Brands that don\u2019t embrace sustainability simply don\u2019t have a sustainable brand. The legislation is pending, and consumers are more discerning than ever. Welcome to the new era of transparency around sustainability.We recorded a podcast to dive a little deeper into this topic. Have a listen.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"The UK government recently announced that there\u2019s legislation pending on the thorny topic of sustainability.  ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-11-22T14:11:24+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5731","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-definitions","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Definitions","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EDo you get confused between your mission and your vision? Are you tripping up over the values and a purpose? Can you tell the difference between a brand key and a brand onion? Are you asking why this is so hard? So are we. Here\u0026#039;s our approach. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-to-create-a-brand\u0022\u003EA link to our brand definition example.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe best article on the Internet: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003EBRAND ONIONS!\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/share.transistor.fm\/s\/5c3373d5\u0022\u003EOur podcast where we talk about brand values.\u00a0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/06f9129d\/3cc35326.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nDo you get confused between your mission and your vision? Are you tripping up over the values and a purpose? Can you tell the difference between a brand key and a brand onion? Are you asking why this is so hard? So are we. Here\u0026#039;s our approach. \n\n        A link to our brand definition example.The best article on the Internet: BRAND ONIONS!Our podcast where we talk about brand values.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Do you get confused between your mission and your vision? Are you tripping up over the values and a purpose? Can you tell the difference between a brand key and a brand onion? Are you asking why this is so hard? So are we. Here\u0027s our approach.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-11-11T14:43:14+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5448","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/when-should-you-hire-brand-consultancy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"When should you hire a brand consultancy?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe last 2 years have been mad. We\u2019re all doing things differently and business has never been as strange. One thing we\u2019ve noticed in our consulting is that some clients reviewing their brand values in house. And I get why. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe last two years have been an incredible accelerant for businesses. Business transformations that may have taken five years have been turbocharged to happen in one year. This in turn has meant that businesses are looking at themselves to see if the brand vision, mission and values that they started the decade with are still in line with where we are now.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat we\u0027ve seen is that these brand reviews are being done by internal teams. We totally understand why. Looking at your brand as a team is a nice way to bring everyone together and talk about the stuff that makes them distinct - in many ways, it\u2019s the perfect tonic for the Covid times.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s been interesting is to see how this internal brand review process has ended up hitting a wall, while also going round and round in circles. It\u0027s at that point, we\u0027ve been brought in to unpick and reevaluate that internal work done to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we do go in and have that initial working group chat, what\u0027s striking is just how frustrated everyone is with their process to date. Squabbling, nit-picking, confusion over terminology, opinions over facts. If only they had brought us in at the beginning, life would\u0027ve been a lot easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a founder of a brand consultancy I\u2019m bound to say this, aren\u2019t I? But after seeing the evidence before me, it\u2019s just too damned important an exercise to go through and I thought it would be useful to pen a few thoughts around why I believe this to be the case.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first point is how bad could it be to review the brand with an internal team? In the short term, it could be fine. The downside of getting this stuff wrong isn\u2019t immediately disastrous, if it\u2019s disastrous at all. However, the key question to be asked is how much better could the commercial outcomes have been over the long term? How much value has been bled?\u00a0\u00a0And given brand has been calculated as contributing anything from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.prophet.com\/2015\/01\/227-the-evidence-you-need-to-justify-brand-investment\/\u0022\u003E10% to 60% of a business\u2019s value\u003C\/a\u003E, then I\u2019d say it\u2019s quite an important aspect to any business. One that needs specialist attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDefining your brand is really important - whether that\u2019s starting from scratch or evolving what you\u2019ve already got. These are the deep, foundational elements of your brand upon which you will (or should) base all of your marketing activity. Brand Strategy is Business Strategy. So it\u2019s not something to be taken lightly or flippantly. It\u2019s absolutely mission-critical.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo here are my top 5 reasons why you should hire a brand consultancy rather than having a go yourself:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. This is valuable.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs stated above, brand is a valuable business asset, with the power to act as a leading light for EVERY business decision an organisation makes. Organisations should be willing to invest sizeable chunks of time and budget into this work - with professionals who know what they\u2019re doing. Having a well defined, well-executed and consistent brand is key to an organisation\u2019s ability to hold or increase margin and profitability over the long term. To think of brand in any other way is to undersell the value and margins of your own business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. We\u2019re just better at it.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe live this every day. And we have crafted and engineered a process that\u2019s been refined and honed over the last 20 years to make sure that we squeeze every last drop of goodness from the team of senior executives gathered in a focus group (which btw amounts to a shitload of time and value, so it better be good). Now, I\u2019m not saying that clients can\u2019t do this as well as us (or better), but given how valuable this stuff is - is it worth the risk?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Objectivity.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProbably the most important reason not to do this yourself. It\u2019s impossible to remove your own in-built biases which taint the outputs. You just can\u2019t be objective about the business from the inside out. I know I find it incredibly difficult to be objective about my own business and we bring in outside consultants to help us with specific issues. I enjoy the process and the challenge that these consultants always bring. And I\u2019ve never come through one of these sessions and felt that it wasn\u2019t worth the investment and the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E4. You can\u2019t participate and facilitate.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELinked to the point above about objectivity, but in a more functional sense, you can\u2019t run the workshop as well as take part in it. There\u2019s just too much being asked of you in both roles. Not to mention the preparation (see point 2). If you\u2019re not sure how\/what to cover in these sessions in the first place, then you\u2019re never going to be able to contribute as well.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E5. What happens next.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t happening in a bubble - it all needs to be linked up in a coherent plan for activation. The output needs to feed into something coherent. The discussion guide used at the workshops has been carefully curated to ensure the output on the day conforms to the correct methodology for analysis. Otherwise what you\u2019ve got is a folder full of notes and no idea of what comes next. It\u2019s a process and I refer you to point 2.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are probably many more reasons why getting outside counsel on your brand work is a worthwhile investment, but these are the five that immediately come to mind. Thanks for reading and hope to see you in a brand workshop sometime soon.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe last 2 years have been mad. We\u2019re all doing things differently and business has never been as strange. One thing we\u2019ve noticed in our consulting is that some clients reviewing their brand values in house. And I get why. \nThe last two years have been an incredible accelerant for businesses. Business transformations that may have taken five years have been turbocharged to happen in one year. This in turn has meant that businesses are looking at themselves to see if the brand vision, mission and values that they started the decade with are still in line with where we are now.\u00a0\nWhat we\u0027ve seen is that these brand reviews are being done by internal teams. We totally understand why. Looking at your brand as a team is a nice way to bring everyone together and talk about the stuff that makes them distinct - in many ways, it\u2019s the perfect tonic for the Covid times.\u00a0\nWhat\u0027s been interesting is to see how this internal brand review process has ended up hitting a wall, while also going round and round in circles. It\u0027s at that point, we\u0027ve been brought in to unpick and reevaluate that internal work done to date.\nWhen we do go in and have that initial working group chat, what\u0027s striking is just how frustrated everyone is with their process to date. Squabbling, nit-picking, confusion over terminology, opinions over facts. If only they had brought us in at the beginning, life would\u0027ve been a lot easier.\nAs a founder of a brand consultancy I\u2019m bound to say this, aren\u2019t I? But after seeing the evidence before me, it\u2019s just too damned important an exercise to go through and I thought it would be useful to pen a few thoughts around why I believe this to be the case.\nThe first point is how bad could it be to review the brand with an internal team? In the short term, it could be fine. The downside of getting this stuff wrong isn\u2019t immediately disastrous, if it\u2019s disastrous at all. However, the key question to be asked is how much better could the commercial outcomes have been over the long term? How much value has been bled?\u00a0\u00a0And given brand has been calculated as contributing anything from 10% to 60% of a business\u2019s value, then I\u2019d say it\u2019s quite an important aspect to any business. One that needs specialist attention.\nDefining your brand is really important - whether that\u2019s starting from scratch or evolving what you\u2019ve already got. These are the deep, foundational elements of your brand upon which you will (or should) base all of your marketing activity. Brand Strategy is Business Strategy. So it\u2019s not something to be taken lightly or flippantly. It\u2019s absolutely mission-critical.\nSo here are my top 5 reasons why you should hire a brand consultancy rather than having a go yourself:\n1. This is valuable.\nAs stated above, brand is a valuable business asset, with the power to act as a leading light for EVERY business decision an organisation makes. Organisations should be willing to invest sizeable chunks of time and budget into this work - with professionals who know what they\u2019re doing. Having a well defined, well-executed and consistent brand is key to an organisation\u2019s ability to hold or increase margin and profitability over the long term. To think of brand in any other way is to undersell the value and margins of your own business.\n2. We\u2019re just better at it.\nWe live this every day. And we have crafted and engineered a process that\u2019s been refined and honed over the last 20 years to make sure that we squeeze every last drop of goodness from the team of senior executives gathered in a focus group (which btw amounts to a shitload of time and value, so it better be good). Now, I\u2019m not saying that clients can\u2019t do this as well as us (or better), but given how valuable this stuff is - is it worth the risk?\n3. Objectivity.\nProbably the most important reason not to do this yourself. It\u2019s impossible to remove your own in-built biases which taint the outputs. You just can\u2019t be objective about the business from the inside out. I know I find it incredibly difficult to be objective about my own business and we bring in outside consultants to help us with specific issues. I enjoy the process and the challenge that these consultants always bring. And I\u2019ve never come through one of these sessions and felt that it wasn\u2019t worth the investment and the time.\n4. You can\u2019t participate and facilitate.\nLinked to the point above about objectivity, but in a more functional sense, you can\u2019t run the workshop as well as take part in it. There\u2019s just too much being asked of you in both roles. Not to mention the preparation (see point 2). If you\u2019re not sure how\/what to cover in these sessions in the first place, then you\u2019re never going to be able to contribute as well.\u00a0\n5. What happens next.\nThis isn\u2019t happening in a bubble - it all needs to be linked up in a coherent plan for activation. The output needs to feed into something coherent. The discussion guide used at the workshops has been carefully curated to ensure the output on the day conforms to the correct methodology for analysis. Otherwise what you\u2019ve got is a folder full of notes and no idea of what comes next. It\u2019s a process and I refer you to point 2.\nThere are probably many more reasons why getting outside counsel on your brand work is a worthwhile investment, but these are the five that immediately come to mind. Thanks for reading and hope to see you in a brand workshop sometime soon.\n  ","summary":"The last 2 years have been mad. We\u2019re all doing things differently and business has never been as strange. One thing we\u2019ve noticed in our consulting is that some clients reviewing their brand values in house. And I get why.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-11-05T13:40:52+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5449","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/research-it-worth-time-and-money","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Research. Is it worth the time and money?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat people do, what they say and what they say they do are three very different things. When it comes to understanding people, context is everything. When it comes to effective research, it means using the right tactics and asking the right questions. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEffective brand building needs three things \u2013 clear diagnosis, sound strategy and well executed tactics. Strategy is useless without diagnosis, and research makes that diagnosis more accurate. The challenge is making sure that any research you commission will add value to that diagnosis and not add more confusion into mix.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u00a0are six\u00a0things we\u2019ve learned that are worth bearing in mind when planning a research project\u2026\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EBe clear on the goal\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStarting with the obvious \u2013 have a clear outcome. The point of doing research is to be able to make better decisions, so before you do anything you need to be clear on the question you\u2019re looking to answer. What do you need to know more about in order to make decisions based on evidence rather than opinions?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EInvolve key stakeholders early\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe talk about this a lot \u2013 the importance of bringing people with you on the journey \u2013 and it\u2019s no different when we\u2019re talking about research. Presenting a fait accompli at the end of a research project is one sure-fire way to make sure you come up against a variety of objections and questions around the validity of the work\u2026 the methodology, the sample, the lack of data, the lack of depth etc. Make sure that you\u2019ve identified those key stakeholders and brief them as early as possible on the rationale behind conducting the research and that\u00a0they buy into your reasoning. Early conversations will fend off painful conversations down the line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EBeware blind spots and internal biases\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you feel that you have to conduct some internal interviews as part of your research, be careful. Assumptions based on internal perspectives are dangerous. We call it the inside-out bias. People who have been in the business a long time and have seen pretty much everything there is to see. When it comes to understanding what customers \u2018really\u2019 want, they assume they know, because they\u2019ve spent years working with them. And that\u2019s fine, to a point. But when used to shape what a brand does in future (rather than thinking of it as a valuable resource to help us learn from and build on the past), it can steer you down the wrong path. How people have behaved in the past doesn\u2019t tell you how they\u2019ll act in future.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDon\u2019t use research for \u2018validation\u2019\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve been guilty of this ourselves in the past \u2013 let\u2019s use some \u2018light touch\u2019 research to validate what we\u2019ve heard from elsewhere (often, the same internal opinions highlighted above as being problematic). But the goal of research isn\u2019t to find the \u2018right\u2019 answer. It\u2019s to learn so we can more meaningfully diagnose a problem and develop a strategy to achieve a goal.\u00a0\u00a0The problem with qualifying or validating what we already know, is that it creates the opportunity to do \u2018just enough\u2019 to allow confirmation bias to sneak in and skew things from the start. Approach every piece of research with the assumption that everything you know, or think you know, is wrong.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EPick the right tool for the task\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot all research projects need to be big, complicated behemoths. We often get asked to do \u2018a bit of quick and dirty research\u2019. Which is fine \u2013 the main thing is that you use the right tool for the task. Is it a \u2018what\u2019, \u2018how much\u2019 or \u2018why\u2019 question you\u2019re trying to answer? The what and why will need qualitative methods in the form of narrative insights. The \u2018how much\u2019 will need quantitative insights in the form of data. More often than not the ideal approach will be a combination of both.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDon\u2019t view research as an expense\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s\u00a0an investment;\u00a0a tool that will save time and money in the longer term. The cost of making decisions based on bad information and\/or internally held opinions is far greater than the cost of some well executed research to help define the problem at the outset.\u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo,\u00a0to sum up. Yes, good research is well worth the time, money and effort. If planned carefully and executed well, it\u2019s vital in shaping\u00a0strategy,comms,\u00a0and product, just to name a few\u00a0product and whatever else. Make sure that you\u2019ve planned it well so that it adds value to the overarching project and not used to confirm beliefs but to confirm a diagnoses.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf your research confirms your diagnoses, great, you know you\u2019re on a good path. If the research throws some doubt on the original diagnoses, great, you\u2019ve just saved yourself from heading down a path that could end up costing a fortune. It\u2019s easier to get to this point if you plan your research well.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking for more \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-research-tips\u0022\u003Eresearch tips\u003C\/a\u003E? Take a look at three pointers to help guide you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhat people do, what they say and what they say they do are three very different things. When it comes to understanding people, context is everything. When it comes to effective research, it means using the right tactics and asking the right questions. \nEffective brand building needs three things \u2013 clear diagnosis, sound strategy and well executed tactics. Strategy is useless without diagnosis, and research makes that diagnosis more accurate. The challenge is making sure that any research you commission will add value to that diagnosis and not add more confusion into mix.\nHere\u00a0are six\u00a0things we\u2019ve learned that are worth bearing in mind when planning a research project\u2026\u00a0\nBe clear on the goal\nStarting with the obvious \u2013 have a clear outcome. The point of doing research is to be able to make better decisions, so before you do anything you need to be clear on the question you\u2019re looking to answer. What do you need to know more about in order to make decisions based on evidence rather than opinions?\u00a0\nInvolve key stakeholders early\nWe talk about this a lot \u2013 the importance of bringing people with you on the journey \u2013 and it\u2019s no different when we\u2019re talking about research. Presenting a fait accompli at the end of a research project is one sure-fire way to make sure you come up against a variety of objections and questions around the validity of the work\u2026 the methodology, the sample, the lack of data, the lack of depth etc. Make sure that you\u2019ve identified those key stakeholders and brief them as early as possible on the rationale behind conducting the research and that\u00a0they buy into your reasoning. Early conversations will fend off painful conversations down the line.\nBeware blind spots and internal biases\nIf you feel that you have to conduct some internal interviews as part of your research, be careful. Assumptions based on internal perspectives are dangerous. We call it the inside-out bias. People who have been in the business a long time and have seen pretty much everything there is to see. When it comes to understanding what customers \u2018really\u2019 want, they assume they know, because they\u2019ve spent years working with them. And that\u2019s fine, to a point. But when used to shape what a brand does in future (rather than thinking of it as a valuable resource to help us learn from and build on the past), it can steer you down the wrong path. How people have behaved in the past doesn\u2019t tell you how they\u2019ll act in future.\u00a0\nDon\u2019t use research for \u2018validation\u2019\nWe\u2019ve been guilty of this ourselves in the past \u2013 let\u2019s use some \u2018light touch\u2019 research to validate what we\u2019ve heard from elsewhere (often, the same internal opinions highlighted above as being problematic). But the goal of research isn\u2019t to find the \u2018right\u2019 answer. It\u2019s to learn so we can more meaningfully diagnose a problem and develop a strategy to achieve a goal.\u00a0\u00a0The problem with qualifying or validating what we already know, is that it creates the opportunity to do \u2018just enough\u2019 to allow confirmation bias to sneak in and skew things from the start. Approach every piece of research with the assumption that everything you know, or think you know, is wrong.\u00a0\nPick the right tool for the task\nNot all research projects need to be big, complicated behemoths. We often get asked to do \u2018a bit of quick and dirty research\u2019. Which is fine \u2013 the main thing is that you use the right tool for the task. Is it a \u2018what\u2019, \u2018how much\u2019 or \u2018why\u2019 question you\u2019re trying to answer? The what and why will need qualitative methods in the form of narrative insights. The \u2018how much\u2019 will need quantitative insights in the form of data. More often than not the ideal approach will be a combination of both.\u00a0\nDon\u2019t view research as an expense\nIt\u2019s\u00a0an investment;\u00a0a tool that will save time and money in the longer term. The cost of making decisions based on bad information and\/or internally held opinions is far greater than the cost of some well executed research to help define the problem at the outset.\u00a0\u00a0\nSo,\u00a0to sum up. Yes, good research is well worth the time, money and effort. If planned carefully and executed well, it\u2019s vital in shaping\u00a0strategy,comms,\u00a0and product, just to name a few\u00a0product and whatever else. Make sure that you\u2019ve planned it well so that it adds value to the overarching project and not used to confirm beliefs but to confirm a diagnoses.\u00a0\nIf your research confirms your diagnoses, great, you know you\u2019re on a good path. If the research throws some doubt on the original diagnoses, great, you\u2019ve just saved yourself from heading down a path that could end up costing a fortune. It\u2019s easier to get to this point if you plan your research well.\nLooking for more research tips? Take a look at three pointers to help guide you.\n  ","summary":"What people do, what they say and what they say they do are three very different things. When it comes to understanding people, context is everything. When it comes to effective research, it means using the right tactics and asking the right questions.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-11-05T13:17:29+0000","author":{"name":"Julie Murdoch"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5732","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/content-vs-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Content vs. Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand\u0026#039;s where the fun is, content\u0026#039;s where the work is. But what\u0026#039;s more important? There\u0026#039;s is only one way to find out. FIGHT! \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EHere are some links to some articles mentioned in our cheeky podcast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-content-more-important-brand\/\u0022\u003EWhy content is more important than brand\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/content-strategy-and-why-you-need-one\/\u0022\u003EContent Strategy and Why You Need One\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/b9b6f840\/982abce7.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBrand\u0026#039;s where the fun is, content\u0026#039;s where the work is. But what\u0026#039;s more important? There\u0026#039;s is only one way to find out. FIGHT! \n\n        Here are some links to some articles mentioned in our cheeky podcast.Why content is more important than brandContent Strategy and Why You Need One\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Brand\u0027s where the fun is, content\u0027s where the work is. But what\u0027s more important? There\u0027s is only one way to find out. FIGHT!","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-10-14T14:30:20+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5450","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-create-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to Create a Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe purpose of our brand consultancy work is to build the perceived value of a business so that you can increase the margin of a product or increase market share \u2014 ideally both. But to start to create that perceived value, you must understand your brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour brand helps build differentiation from your competition and defines how you will appeal to customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll makes sense. Until you start to define your brand. For something that is agreed to be a key component to the success of any business, it\u0027s incredible just how adhoc the whole process feels. Here\u0027s a list of some of the interchangeable terms we\u0027ve come across over the years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBrand promise\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand values\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand mission statement\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand purpose\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand personality\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand pillars\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand strategy\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand essence\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand charter\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand essence\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand key\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe list of nonsense around brand goes\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/branding-too-complicated\u0022\u003Eon and on\u003C\/a\u003E. And within that, what\u0027s the difference between a promise, a mission and a purpose? What order does it go in? In the name of the baby Jesus, why have we made something so important to a business so hard to understand?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf working out your brand hierarchy is this hard before you\u0027ve even started to work out what it is, how on earth are you hoping to explain it to people within your company? It\u0027s an over-intellectualised shit show.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore I rip my knitting, let me share the way that we approach it here at Good. The keyword there is \u0022approach\u0022. Each brand definition project is different; there are nuances with each client. But I love a framework at the start of the process that I then break as I learn more about a business to get to the best possible outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe try and keep it simple. The first question around this is, why are you doing this? A brand definition project, whether a new brand or a rebrand, needs to be recognisable to the business, ownable and actionable. To that end, whatever you produce needs to be simple enough to be understood quickly and by itself. If you\u0027re adding on caveat slides to your brand definition or referring to a brand film to give the brand meaning (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/piningforthewest.co.uk\/2010\/05\/30\/scottish-words-boak\/\u0022\u003Eboak\u003C\/a\u003E) then the brand isn\u0027t defined well enough at the fundamental level.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETrying to get to the essence of your business to help determine your brand is challenging. That\u0027s when you end up with frameworks like\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003Ebrand onions\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0(fuck off) and\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medium.com\/@gmiecznikowski\/shape-your-brand-with-this-exercise-4645ac3ea26d\u0022\u003Ebrand keys\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0(double-triple fuck off) or, even worse, a\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/wiemersnijders\/status\/1437682555990462470\u0022\u003Ebrand identity prism\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0(no words) that become overloaded with detail. This detail around your business can feed into the definition process but shouldn\u0027t be the end product. But try and make a brand key actionable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI like to go old school and use the brand pyramid. It may be a cliche, but it puts the significant points in order and shows the hierarchy well. I love a pyramid; the simplicity appeals to me. We split the brand pyramid into three.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s start at the top.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EVision\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe bottom line is, what is your company here to do? This vision should stretch you. It goes beyond selling a thing and trying to get to the heart of why you matter. At this stage, I\u0027d like to introduce the Good Plumbing Company. They\u0027re looking to define their offering and need to create the basics to ensure they\u0027re building from solid foundations. Here\u0027s the vision\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENo plumbing problem should ever become an emergency.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWill every plumbing problem escalate into a emergency? Hopefully not. Does the Good Plumbing Company want to strive to make sure it doesn\u0027t become an emergency? Of course they do. It\u0027s a vision that drives the company. It\u0027s no different a sentiment than NASA\u0027s put a man on the moon by the end of the decade mission statement. The scale is different, but it sets the business\u0027s overarching attitude to plumbing, customers, and how to approach each callout.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s the vision \u2014 all good. The next question is, how do you achieve that vision? That\u0027s where mission comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EMission\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour mission starts to detail how you\u0027ll achieve your vision. For the Good Plumbing Company to achieve their vision, they need a mission like:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEvery job we do is a chance to make a bad situation better for customers so they can get back to their lives as quickly as possible.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mission statement helps us understand how we achieve the vision. Coming to a concise mission statement is challenging. However, trying to get to how you approach your vision is the start of how you differentiate your approach from the competition. It doesn\u0027t have to be unique; uniqueness is overvalued in brand and can get you down a rabbit hole of nonsense pretty quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mission, tied to a strong vision, starts to be that north star for how you should expect to interact with customers. After that, the mission starts to guide a whole host of elements within your business. How do we approach each job? How do we answer the phone? What do we put in the van to make sure we are making a bad situation better for customers beyond our usual tools? Your mission should lead to make your vision come true.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELastly, we have values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EValues\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI fucking love values. They are at the bottom of the pyramid, but that\u0027s not to say that it is the least important. They are the bedrock of your brand, guiding you on every action. But they can be tricky.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues can have a tendency not to feel particularly ownable to your business. \u0022Innovative\u0022 is a value that pops up a lot. \u0022Sustainable\u0022 is another one on the rise. Two points on this. The first is that Innovation doesn\u0027t help guide you. Also, what company is pushing their non-innovation credentials?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, getting your values into one word is difficult when you\u0027re looking for that value to be meaningful. To make it ownable to you, we tend to use two words rather than hitting on one. Tying those last two points together, rather than stating a value as \u0022innovation\u0022, look to how you\u0027re innovative, how do you get to be innovative. What\u0027s the value you want to see grow behind the outcome of Innovation? In this case, it could be \u0022Questioning\u0022 or \u0022Curiosity\u0022. That\u0027s the value that drives Innovation, not just being innovative in itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues are also the one part of the pyramid that can do with a little help in defining how the value relates to the brand. Going back to the Good Plumbing Company, we have three values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWe\u0027re Trusted Experts\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWe Add Value To Every Job\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWe\u0027re There For Our Customers\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the face of it, these values can be pretty generic. That\u0027s why we like to explain them a little more to provide context. Here\u0027s the copy around one of the values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EWe\u0027re Trusted Experts\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs plumbing experts, our job is to advise our customers on the best way to get the job done \u2013 never pushy or arrogant. We want our customers to know we have their best interests at heart, and the advice we give comes from years of experience.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgain, this value ties back to the vision, supports the mission and guides a wider range of decisions the business needs to make every day. So while all three tiers of the brand are connected, the values are what you probably will refer to on a day to day basis.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI believe that developing the brand strategy, starting with this foundational work, is the basis for business strategy. Without crystallising your brand, you make it more difficult to communicate your offering to your customers and people inside your business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way that we define a brand isn\u0027t the definitive way to approach brand definition. We\u0027re asked where brand purpose lives in here. I have lots to say around brand purpose as another layer of the pyramid, but brand purpose needs to be more carefully implemented than many brands currently do. I\u0027d argue that the definition of the brand at this stage should be purposeful. To recap on the Good Plumbing Company\u0027s vision:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEvery job we do is a chance to make a bad situation better for customers so they can get back to their lives as quickly as possible.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the service that people are interested in buying from you, this is pretty purposeful. Is it saving the world? No, but it defines and drives purpose from the business that benefits its customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way I\u0027m approaching purpose versus the more expansive view may seem like a slight distinction, the way you view \u0022purpose\u0022 can have a massive impact on your brand definition. Unfortunately, we\u0027ve seen confusion start to creep in with Vision and Purpose. In an ideal world, we\u0027d separate them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ideal world isn\u0027t one we live in, so we\u0027ll flex this approach if it\u0027s warranted. For example, sometimes, we\u0027ve created a brand statement that encompasses the whole pyramid into one or two sentences. This type of flex can be done, but it isn\u0027t easy. This \u0022one-liner\u0022 approach has pros and cons, but we always start by identifying the vision, mission, and values to then distil into something tighter.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s how we, at a very top level, look to define a brand. Defining your brand may seem like the end of the process, but it\u0027s just the middle of it. There are many questions, digging around, understanding your customers, your category, your offering and your stakeholders before we get to the definition. From there, it\u0027s executing it, making sure that the brand definition can be outward-facing while bringing your internal team along too.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut this stage is the defining moment for your business; all perceived value is built on top of the brand definition. Get this right, and you\u0027ve got yourself set up for the long term.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve also written articles that go into the key components of what we\u0027ve went through here. Take a deeper dive on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/create-your-brand-vision\u0022\u003Ebrand vision\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-out-your-brand-mission\u0022\u003Ebrand mission\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/value-brand-values\u0022\u003Ebrand values\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe purpose of our brand consultancy work is to build the perceived value of a business so that you can increase the margin of a product or increase market share \u2014 ideally both. But to start to create that perceived value, you must understand your brand. \n\nYour brand helps build differentiation from your competition and defines how you will appeal to customers.\nAll makes sense. Until you start to define your brand. For something that is agreed to be a key component to the success of any business, it\u0027s incredible just how adhoc the whole process feels. Here\u0027s a list of some of the interchangeable terms we\u0027ve come across over the years.\nBrand promise\nBrand values\nBrand mission statement\nBrand purpose\nBrand personality\nBrand pillars\nBrand strategy\nBrand essence\nBrand charter\nBrand essence\nBrand key\nThe list of nonsense around brand goes\u00a0on and on. And within that, what\u0027s the difference between a promise, a mission and a purpose? What order does it go in? In the name of the baby Jesus, why have we made something so important to a business so hard to understand?\nIf working out your brand hierarchy is this hard before you\u0027ve even started to work out what it is, how on earth are you hoping to explain it to people within your company? It\u0027s an over-intellectualised shit show.\nBefore I rip my knitting, let me share the way that we approach it here at Good. The keyword there is \u0022approach\u0022. Each brand definition project is different; there are nuances with each client. But I love a framework at the start of the process that I then break as I learn more about a business to get to the best possible outcome.\nWe try and keep it simple. The first question around this is, why are you doing this? A brand definition project, whether a new brand or a rebrand, needs to be recognisable to the business, ownable and actionable. To that end, whatever you produce needs to be simple enough to be understood quickly and by itself. If you\u0027re adding on caveat slides to your brand definition or referring to a brand film to give the brand meaning (boak) then the brand isn\u0027t defined well enough at the fundamental level.\nTrying to get to the essence of your business to help determine your brand is challenging. That\u0027s when you end up with frameworks like\u00a0brand onions\u00a0(fuck off) and\u00a0brand keys\u00a0(double-triple fuck off) or, even worse, a\u00a0brand identity prism\u00a0(no words) that become overloaded with detail. This detail around your business can feed into the definition process but shouldn\u0027t be the end product. But try and make a brand key actionable.\nI like to go old school and use the brand pyramid. It may be a cliche, but it puts the significant points in order and shows the hierarchy well. I love a pyramid; the simplicity appeals to me. We split the brand pyramid into three.\nLet\u0027s start at the top.\nVision\nThe bottom line is, what is your company here to do? This vision should stretch you. It goes beyond selling a thing and trying to get to the heart of why you matter. At this stage, I\u0027d like to introduce the Good Plumbing Company. They\u0027re looking to define their offering and need to create the basics to ensure they\u0027re building from solid foundations. Here\u0027s the vision\nNo plumbing problem should ever become an emergency.\nWill every plumbing problem escalate into a emergency? Hopefully not. Does the Good Plumbing Company want to strive to make sure it doesn\u0027t become an emergency? Of course they do. It\u0027s a vision that drives the company. It\u0027s no different a sentiment than NASA\u0027s put a man on the moon by the end of the decade mission statement. The scale is different, but it sets the business\u0027s overarching attitude to plumbing, customers, and how to approach each callout.\nThat\u0027s the vision \u2014 all good. The next question is, how do you achieve that vision? That\u0027s where mission comes in.\nMission\nYour mission starts to detail how you\u0027ll achieve your vision. For the Good Plumbing Company to achieve their vision, they need a mission like:\nEvery job we do is a chance to make a bad situation better for customers so they can get back to their lives as quickly as possible.\nThe mission statement helps us understand how we achieve the vision. Coming to a concise mission statement is challenging. However, trying to get to how you approach your vision is the start of how you differentiate your approach from the competition. It doesn\u0027t have to be unique; uniqueness is overvalued in brand and can get you down a rabbit hole of nonsense pretty quickly.\nThe mission, tied to a strong vision, starts to be that north star for how you should expect to interact with customers. After that, the mission starts to guide a whole host of elements within your business. How do we approach each job? How do we answer the phone? What do we put in the van to make sure we are making a bad situation better for customers beyond our usual tools? Your mission should lead to make your vision come true.\nLastly, we have values.\nValues\nI fucking love values. They are at the bottom of the pyramid, but that\u0027s not to say that it is the least important. They are the bedrock of your brand, guiding you on every action. But they can be tricky.\nValues can have a tendency not to feel particularly ownable to your business. \u0022Innovative\u0022 is a value that pops up a lot. \u0022Sustainable\u0022 is another one on the rise. Two points on this. The first is that Innovation doesn\u0027t help guide you. Also, what company is pushing their non-innovation credentials?\nSecondly, getting your values into one word is difficult when you\u0027re looking for that value to be meaningful. To make it ownable to you, we tend to use two words rather than hitting on one. Tying those last two points together, rather than stating a value as \u0022innovation\u0022, look to how you\u0027re innovative, how do you get to be innovative. What\u0027s the value you want to see grow behind the outcome of Innovation? In this case, it could be \u0022Questioning\u0022 or \u0022Curiosity\u0022. That\u0027s the value that drives Innovation, not just being innovative in itself.\nValues are also the one part of the pyramid that can do with a little help in defining how the value relates to the brand. Going back to the Good Plumbing Company, we have three values.\nWe\u0027re Trusted Experts\nWe Add Value To Every Job\nWe\u0027re There For Our Customers\nOn the face of it, these values can be pretty generic. That\u0027s why we like to explain them a little more to provide context. Here\u0027s the copy around one of the values.\nWe\u0027re Trusted Experts\nAs plumbing experts, our job is to advise our customers on the best way to get the job done \u2013 never pushy or arrogant. We want our customers to know we have their best interests at heart, and the advice we give comes from years of experience.\nAgain, this value ties back to the vision, supports the mission and guides a wider range of decisions the business needs to make every day. So while all three tiers of the brand are connected, the values are what you probably will refer to on a day to day basis.\nI believe that developing the brand strategy, starting with this foundational work, is the basis for business strategy. Without crystallising your brand, you make it more difficult to communicate your offering to your customers and people inside your business.\nThe way that we define a brand isn\u0027t the definitive way to approach brand definition. We\u0027re asked where brand purpose lives in here. I have lots to say around brand purpose as another layer of the pyramid, but brand purpose needs to be more carefully implemented than many brands currently do. I\u0027d argue that the definition of the brand at this stage should be purposeful. To recap on the Good Plumbing Company\u0027s vision:\nEvery job we do is a chance to make a bad situation better for customers so they can get back to their lives as quickly as possible.\nFor the service that people are interested in buying from you, this is pretty purposeful. Is it saving the world? No, but it defines and drives purpose from the business that benefits its customers.\nThe way I\u0027m approaching purpose versus the more expansive view may seem like a slight distinction, the way you view \u0022purpose\u0022 can have a massive impact on your brand definition. Unfortunately, we\u0027ve seen confusion start to creep in with Vision and Purpose. In an ideal world, we\u0027d separate them.\nThe ideal world isn\u0027t one we live in, so we\u0027ll flex this approach if it\u0027s warranted. For example, sometimes, we\u0027ve created a brand statement that encompasses the whole pyramid into one or two sentences. This type of flex can be done, but it isn\u0027t easy. This \u0022one-liner\u0022 approach has pros and cons, but we always start by identifying the vision, mission, and values to then distil into something tighter.\nThat\u0027s how we, at a very top level, look to define a brand. Defining your brand may seem like the end of the process, but it\u0027s just the middle of it. There are many questions, digging around, understanding your customers, your category, your offering and your stakeholders before we get to the definition. From there, it\u0027s executing it, making sure that the brand definition can be outward-facing while bringing your internal team along too.\nBut this stage is the defining moment for your business; all perceived value is built on top of the brand definition. Get this right, and you\u0027ve got yourself set up for the long term.\u00a0\nWe\u0027ve also written articles that go into the key components of what we\u0027ve went through here. Take a deeper dive on brand vision, brand mission and brand values.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n\n  ","summary":"The purpose of our brand consultancy work is to build the perceived value of a business so that you can increase the margin of a product or increase market share \u2014 ideally both. But to start to create that perceived value, you must understand your brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-09-29T10:33:29+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5451","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-content-more-important-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why content is more important than brand.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI think that content v branding is like David v Goliath. Branding gets all the headline billing and razzmatazz, but content is ruthlessly efficient in getting the job done.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd the more we\u2019re involved in the branding and content worlds, the more we\u2019re seeing a distinct trend: clients tend to be preoccupied with brand evolution, or creation and they undercook branded content.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDefining and creating a brand is a great challenge. There\u2019s lots of research and contextual understanding required. Heavy chin stroking and workshops fill flip charts, digital wipe-boards and post it notes.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause it\u2019s relatively easy to create a brand in a vacuum isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s interesting and collaborative and not subject to the normal pressures and scrutiny of the day-to-day business. The brand process is akin to a pregnancy. There\u2019s a nine month preparation period before the action actually starts. And this isn\u2019t wrong, it\u2019s just important for all protagonists (client and agency staff alike) to remember that that giving birth to a brand isn\u2019t the end of the process - it\u2019s the beginning.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot wanting to repeat myself, but we spend too much time on the branding and not enough on the planning of branded content.\u00a0Brand gets all the attention and content is kicked into the long grass. If brand is the best-selling debut album, content arguably suffers from the difficult second album syndrome.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike that make-or-break debut album,\u00a0it\u2019s important to get the brand right. It should be underpinned by ownable and distinctive values. It should be built off a powerful language platform and it should be executed beautifully. Of course it should. That\u2019s what makes the next stage - arguably the more important stage - easier to plan for. The creation of branded content is a huge aspect of modern marketing. And most of it is digitally focused.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s understandable that clients fall for the creative process of branding, and overlook the \u2018publishing\u2019 aspect of content creation - or consider it the easier of the two challenges. But it\u2019s not. Content is hard. There\u2019s sometimes a belief that corporate comms or HR will take care of this stuff - \u201cwe just need to give them the brand platform\u201d. This is wrong, and we as the agency partner must take a stronger line with our clients to stress just how challenging it can be to create really good branded content.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI look at the process we\u2019ve been through ourselves and it often serves as a benchmark for the clients we\u2019re working for. We have three core elements to our branded content creation:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe blog: written thought pieces focused on our areas of expertise.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003EThe podcast: a discussion focused on our areas of expertise.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003ECase studies: examples of our work displayed on our website - written in a way to showcase our areas of expertise.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen I write it down it looks really simple. It is really simple. But it took us years to get to this level of clarity about what we produce, for whom and with what cadence. That\u2019s what your content strategy should be.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt all pivots off this content strategy statement which helps guide anything we want to publish\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo demonstrate the strategic thinking behind our creative work, we\u2019ll provide useful, straightforward content that helps marketers make better decisions and that positions us a useful partner in the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis keeps us focused. It stops us talking about us - which is a familiar agency pitfall \u201clook at all the lovely creative we\u2019ve done\u201d - and flips it on its head. We talk about the stuff we think is keeping our clients up at night. From a human nature point of view - if we demonstrate understanding and recognition of their challenges - the chances are they\u2019re going to listen up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis begs the question - who creates the content? And it\u2019s a good question. Our view is that you can\u2019t subcontract the important stuff. It\u2019s a perfect forum for thought leadership, opinion forming and provocative points of view. These can only come from the more mature, experienced people within an organisation.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s also a school of thought that says you can hire a 22-year-old graduate to pump out content onto social media and that equates to \u2018content\u2019. Well, you can. And it does. But the challenge is it won\u2019t be as rich or as engaging as the content coming from the senior team who are fully engaged in the strategy.\u00a0It\u2019s likely a cultural issue within the business, so our advice is get senior members on board early and committed to supplying good quality content. Those recent graduates and others within the organisation are valuable as editors, ideators and technical troubleshooters \u2013 by all means, make it a team effort.\u00a0And once you get into the swing of things, it\u2019s actually hugely fulfilling. There\u2019s something very satisfying about setting out your thoughts in a written piece - it helps crystallise your own views and thoughts as you write.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo there you have it. An admission from a brand consultant that the value is in the content that\u2019s built around a brand, not necessarily in the brand itself.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI think that content v branding is like David v Goliath. Branding gets all the headline billing and razzmatazz, but content is ruthlessly efficient in getting the job done.  \nAnd the more we\u2019re involved in the branding and content worlds, the more we\u2019re seeing a distinct trend: clients tend to be preoccupied with brand evolution, or creation and they undercook branded content.\u00a0\nDefining and creating a brand is a great challenge. There\u2019s lots of research and contextual understanding required. Heavy chin stroking and workshops fill flip charts, digital wipe-boards and post it notes.\u00a0\nBecause it\u2019s relatively easy to create a brand in a vacuum isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s interesting and collaborative and not subject to the normal pressures and scrutiny of the day-to-day business. The brand process is akin to a pregnancy. There\u2019s a nine month preparation period before the action actually starts. And this isn\u2019t wrong, it\u2019s just important for all protagonists (client and agency staff alike) to remember that that giving birth to a brand isn\u2019t the end of the process - it\u2019s the beginning.\u00a0\nNot wanting to repeat myself, but we spend too much time on the branding and not enough on the planning of branded content.\u00a0Brand gets all the attention and content is kicked into the long grass. If brand is the best-selling debut album, content arguably suffers from the difficult second album syndrome.\u00a0\nLike that make-or-break debut album,\u00a0it\u2019s important to get the brand right. It should be underpinned by ownable and distinctive values. It should be built off a powerful language platform and it should be executed beautifully. Of course it should. That\u2019s what makes the next stage - arguably the more important stage - easier to plan for. The creation of branded content is a huge aspect of modern marketing. And most of it is digitally focused.\u00a0\nIt\u2019s understandable that clients fall for the creative process of branding, and overlook the \u2018publishing\u2019 aspect of content creation - or consider it the easier of the two challenges. But it\u2019s not. Content is hard. There\u2019s sometimes a belief that corporate comms or HR will take care of this stuff - \u201cwe just need to give them the brand platform\u201d. This is wrong, and we as the agency partner must take a stronger line with our clients to stress just how challenging it can be to create really good branded content.\u00a0\nI look at the process we\u2019ve been through ourselves and it often serves as a benchmark for the clients we\u2019re working for. We have three core elements to our branded content creation:\nThe blog: written thought pieces focused on our areas of expertise.\nThe podcast: a discussion focused on our areas of expertise.\nCase studies: examples of our work displayed on our website - written in a way to showcase our areas of expertise.\nWhen I write it down it looks really simple. It is really simple. But it took us years to get to this level of clarity about what we produce, for whom and with what cadence. That\u2019s what your content strategy should be.\nIt all pivots off this content strategy statement which helps guide anything we want to publish\u2026\nTo demonstrate the strategic thinking behind our creative work, we\u2019ll provide useful, straightforward content that helps marketers make better decisions and that positions us a useful partner in the future.\n\nThis keeps us focused. It stops us talking about us - which is a familiar agency pitfall \u201clook at all the lovely creative we\u2019ve done\u201d - and flips it on its head. We talk about the stuff we think is keeping our clients up at night. From a human nature point of view - if we demonstrate understanding and recognition of their challenges - the chances are they\u2019re going to listen up.\nThis begs the question - who creates the content? And it\u2019s a good question. Our view is that you can\u2019t subcontract the important stuff. It\u2019s a perfect forum for thought leadership, opinion forming and provocative points of view. These can only come from the more mature, experienced people within an organisation.\u00a0\nThere\u2019s also a school of thought that says you can hire a 22-year-old graduate to pump out content onto social media and that equates to \u2018content\u2019. Well, you can. And it does. But the challenge is it won\u2019t be as rich or as engaging as the content coming from the senior team who are fully engaged in the strategy.\u00a0It\u2019s likely a cultural issue within the business, so our advice is get senior members on board early and committed to supplying good quality content. Those recent graduates and others within the organisation are valuable as editors, ideators and technical troubleshooters \u2013 by all means, make it a team effort.\u00a0And once you get into the swing of things, it\u2019s actually hugely fulfilling. There\u2019s something very satisfying about setting out your thoughts in a written piece - it helps crystallise your own views and thoughts as you write.\nSo there you have it. An admission from a brand consultant that the value is in the content that\u2019s built around a brand, not necessarily in the brand itself.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"I think that content v branding is like David v Goliath. Branding gets all the headline billing and razzmatazz, but content is ruthlessly efficient in getting the job done. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-09-24T10:08:39+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5733","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-love-got-do-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What\u0026#039;s Love Got To Do With It?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;re looking at the thorny issue of \u0026quot;Brand Love\u0026quot;. Is it something useful? Is it nonsense? Can it be measured? We chat it through. Chris, Julie and Stewart try to get to the bottom of the phrase, \u0026quot;brand love\u0026quot;. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EArticle against brand love : \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/can-t-buy-me-brand-love\u0022\u003ECan\u0027t Buy Me Brand Love\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/1a8e17b4\/e8f49071.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;re looking at the thorny issue of \u0026quot;Brand Love\u0026quot;. Is it something useful? Is it nonsense? Can it be measured? We chat it through. Chris, Julie and Stewart try to get to the bottom of the phrase, \u0026quot;brand love\u0026quot;. \nArticle against brand love : Can\u0027t Buy Me Brand Love\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"We\u0027re looking at the thorny issue of \u0022Brand Love\u0022. Is it something useful? Is it nonsense? Can it be measured? We chat it through. Chris, Julie and Stewart try to get to the bottom of the phrase, \u0022brand love\u0022.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-09-20T09:28:04+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5452","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-are-all-whisky-brands-same","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Are All Whisky Brands The Same?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn our time as a brand firm, we\u2019ve done our fair share of work in the whisky sector. And the one thing that has been consistent across it has been that all the brands seem to be saying more or less the same thing. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir challenge is how they each can combine a similar set of descriptors to develop a proposition that is meaningfully different from the others. It\u2019s a real challenge and just to be clear, I\u2019m not looking to be critical of them for it. There isn\u2019t an easy answer, but I thought it might be useful to note down some thoughts on the subject and see if there are any decent conclusions to be drawn.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe motivation to be meaningfully different just isn\u2019t a whisky issue of course, but the whisky category really highlights the challenges that brands have when looking to build perceived value in their business. Lessons from the ancient world of whisky can be applied across the board.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, here\u2019s a list of the common elements that are frequently cited as differentiators for whisky brands:\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe tallest, smallest, largest stills\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EEverything\u2019s done by eye\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EOwn water source\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe longest\/slowest distillation process\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EUse of \/ taste of peat\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA time served master distiller\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA team of dedicated craftsmen\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EKnowledge passed down year after year\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAn entrepreneurial founder\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA community of drinkers who are REAL fanatics\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EInteresting or unique geography with historical significance (caves, standing stones, haunted buildings)\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe local weather\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAn eagle, stag or person as an emblem\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA food pairing chart\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETasting notes\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHigh net worth individual buyers\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIt\u2019s scarce\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIt\u2019s expensive\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is by no means an exhaustive list, but it all feels so terribly category generic to someone who\u2019s been around the whisky (ware)houses. I suppose this is the inevitable consequence of having a protected product with a registered geographical indication. There\u2019s not a whole lot of diversity in the definitions or processes that make whisky, whisky. So, pick three or four of the generic descriptors and wrap a story around it - job done. The problem is that these descriptors do a brilliant job defining the Scotch Whisky category. Still, the flip side is that this works against creating anything distinctive at an individual brand level. This ends up manifesting itself poorly across channels, from ads at airports to a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-do-whisky-brands-suck-digital\/\u0022\u003Elacklustre digital presence\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI struggle with this, personally and professionally. If I\u2019m struggling to see the differentiation and shades of nuance between the brands - and I\u2019m being paid to try - what chance does a consumer have? Unless they\u2019re one of the few whisky aficionados who know and seek out the differences between brands, the chances are that they\u2019ll see the brands as entirely interchangeable.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs I write this, I\u2019m wondering if there\u2019s a French branding company writing a similar article about the challenges of the Champagne category? I would imagine they face similar issues, but somehow (at least to me), it seems free-er in its ability to push against tradition and convention. But anyway\u2026\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what are the key things to bear in mind when tackling a whisky branding project?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Take a reality check.\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESee the category for what it is and accept the reality that many of your competitors are saying almost the same things as you are. Don\u2019t overplay the factors that supposedly set you apart: it\u2019s not enough to think that having a set of slightly odd-shaped stills makes your brand distinctive.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Think beyond the category.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYour whisky may well have a unique location, its own water source and a dedicated team\u2026but what are the foundational values of the business, and how do they resonate? How can you link what makes the brand distinct with something relevant today? Of all the brands in this space, Johnnie Walker\u2019s \u2018Keep Walking\u2019 sentiment is a solid platform that\u2019s been built from a clear sense of self. The founder\u2019s original philosophy continues to drive the brand. The philosophy is accessible, and that sense of journey and progress is easily applied to work with contemporary scenarios.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Beware of \u2018pushing the boundaries\u2019.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a common one. Because everything can feel very samey, clients sometimes come to us asking to push the boundaries - keen to see some new expression or design approach. I totally understand the sentiment, but great care must be taken not to mess too much with the tight category conventions. These cues tell consumers that the product they\u2019re looking at is a whisky brand rather than a wine, champagne or olive oil brand. We\u2019ve had to counsel caution in the past because the design temptation to do something completely innovative and new is strong - particularly to a team of enthusiastic designers. But it\u2019s a fine line and the chances are that unless you are someone like Johnnie Walker, with the budgets to match, you\u2019re not going to be able to change the paradigm of how people view whisky.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Consumers don\u2019t care.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere at Good, we researched how most consumers buy whisky\u00a0and the results were chilling, proving that we approached the design task back to front. It turns out that consumers look at the box, not the bottle (they\u2019re probably buying it for someone else anyway); they spend hardly any time choosing; they don\u2019t read the copy, and they don\u2019t understand most of the product features. It was a brutal reminder of just how unengaged consumers are when they\u2019re shopping. This research brought home to me that we (us and the client) approach the role of whisky packaging in the wrong way. Too much time is spent on the bottle, not the box, and too much money is spent on packaging full stop! (There\u2019s a controversial statement for you).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. Invest in creating fewer, distinctive brand assets to help set you apart.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESometimes brands create multiple graphic elements to stand out for the consumer. This is especially true in whisky: names, crests, founders, icons, logos, lockups, ages\u2026not to mention colours, copy and imagery. The irony is that this adds to the sea of sameness and means the brand can be overlooked. Successful brands recognise that fewer assets, more carefully curated and invested in over the long term, carve out equity in the consumers\u2019 minds. It\u2019s brandvertising over advertising.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, there we have it, an inter-related set of observations about some of the thorny issues around whisky brands and branding. No silver bullets, just a few watchouts to think about if you\u2019re about to take on a whisky branding project.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIn our time as a brand firm, we\u2019ve done our fair share of work in the whisky sector. And the one thing that has been consistent across it has been that all the brands seem to be saying more or less the same thing. \nTheir challenge is how they each can combine a similar set of descriptors to develop a proposition that is meaningfully different from the others. It\u2019s a real challenge and just to be clear, I\u2019m not looking to be critical of them for it. There isn\u2019t an easy answer, but I thought it might be useful to note down some thoughts on the subject and see if there are any decent conclusions to be drawn.\u00a0\nThe motivation to be meaningfully different just isn\u2019t a whisky issue of course, but the whisky category really highlights the challenges that brands have when looking to build perceived value in their business. Lessons from the ancient world of whisky can be applied across the board.\u00a0\nFirstly, here\u2019s a list of the common elements that are frequently cited as differentiators for whisky brands:\u00a0\nThe tallest, smallest, largest stills\u00a0\nEverything\u2019s done by eye\u00a0\nOwn water source\u00a0\nThe longest\/slowest distillation process\u00a0\nUse of \/ taste of peat\u00a0\nA time served master distiller\nA team of dedicated craftsmen\u00a0\nKnowledge passed down year after year\u00a0\nAn entrepreneurial founder\u00a0\nA community of drinkers who are REAL fanatics\u00a0\nInteresting or unique geography with historical significance (caves, standing stones, haunted buildings)\u00a0\nThe local weather\u00a0\nAn eagle, stag or person as an emblem\u00a0\nA food pairing chart\u00a0\nTasting notes\u00a0\nHigh net worth individual buyers\u00a0\nIt\u2019s scarce\u00a0\nIt\u2019s expensive\u00a0\nThis is by no means an exhaustive list, but it all feels so terribly category generic to someone who\u2019s been around the whisky (ware)houses. I suppose this is the inevitable consequence of having a protected product with a registered geographical indication. There\u2019s not a whole lot of diversity in the definitions or processes that make whisky, whisky. So, pick three or four of the generic descriptors and wrap a story around it - job done. The problem is that these descriptors do a brilliant job defining the Scotch Whisky category. Still, the flip side is that this works against creating anything distinctive at an individual brand level. This ends up manifesting itself poorly across channels, from ads at airports to a lacklustre digital presence.\nI struggle with this, personally and professionally. If I\u2019m struggling to see the differentiation and shades of nuance between the brands - and I\u2019m being paid to try - what chance does a consumer have? Unless they\u2019re one of the few whisky aficionados who know and seek out the differences between brands, the chances are that they\u2019ll see the brands as entirely interchangeable.\u00a0\nAs I write this, I\u2019m wondering if there\u2019s a French branding company writing a similar article about the challenges of the Champagne category? I would imagine they face similar issues, but somehow (at least to me), it seems free-er in its ability to push against tradition and convention. But anyway\u2026\u00a0\nSo, what are the key things to bear in mind when tackling a whisky branding project?\n1. Take a reality check.\u00a0See the category for what it is and accept the reality that many of your competitors are saying almost the same things as you are. Don\u2019t overplay the factors that supposedly set you apart: it\u2019s not enough to think that having a set of slightly odd-shaped stills makes your brand distinctive.\u00a0\n2. Think beyond the category.Your whisky may well have a unique location, its own water source and a dedicated team\u2026but what are the foundational values of the business, and how do they resonate? How can you link what makes the brand distinct with something relevant today? Of all the brands in this space, Johnnie Walker\u2019s \u2018Keep Walking\u2019 sentiment is a solid platform that\u2019s been built from a clear sense of self. The founder\u2019s original philosophy continues to drive the brand. The philosophy is accessible, and that sense of journey and progress is easily applied to work with contemporary scenarios.\u00a0\n3. Beware of \u2018pushing the boundaries\u2019.This is a common one. Because everything can feel very samey, clients sometimes come to us asking to push the boundaries - keen to see some new expression or design approach. I totally understand the sentiment, but great care must be taken not to mess too much with the tight category conventions. These cues tell consumers that the product they\u2019re looking at is a whisky brand rather than a wine, champagne or olive oil brand. We\u2019ve had to counsel caution in the past because the design temptation to do something completely innovative and new is strong - particularly to a team of enthusiastic designers. But it\u2019s a fine line and the chances are that unless you are someone like Johnnie Walker, with the budgets to match, you\u2019re not going to be able to change the paradigm of how people view whisky.\u00a0\n4. Consumers don\u2019t care.Here at Good, we researched how most consumers buy whisky\u00a0and the results were chilling, proving that we approached the design task back to front. It turns out that consumers look at the box, not the bottle (they\u2019re probably buying it for someone else anyway); they spend hardly any time choosing; they don\u2019t read the copy, and they don\u2019t understand most of the product features. It was a brutal reminder of just how unengaged consumers are when they\u2019re shopping. This research brought home to me that we (us and the client) approach the role of whisky packaging in the wrong way. Too much time is spent on the bottle, not the box, and too much money is spent on packaging full stop! (There\u2019s a controversial statement for you).\n5. Invest in creating fewer, distinctive brand assets to help set you apart.Sometimes brands create multiple graphic elements to stand out for the consumer. This is especially true in whisky: names, crests, founders, icons, logos, lockups, ages\u2026not to mention colours, copy and imagery. The irony is that this adds to the sea of sameness and means the brand can be overlooked. Successful brands recognise that fewer assets, more carefully curated and invested in over the long term, carve out equity in the consumers\u2019 minds. It\u2019s brandvertising over advertising.\u00a0\nSo, there we have it, an inter-related set of observations about some of the thorny issues around whisky brands and branding. No silver bullets, just a few watchouts to think about if you\u2019re about to take on a whisky branding project.\n  ","summary":"In our time as a brand firm, we\u2019ve done our fair share of work in the whisky sector. And the one thing that has been consistent across it has been that all the brands seem to be saying more or less the same thing.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-09-17T11:29:22+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5454","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/cant-buy-me-brand-love","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Can\u2019t Buy Me Brand Love","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, Aladdin gets into the cave and finds an old lamp. Aladdin rubs the old lamp to give it a wee clean and out pops a genie. A fucking genie. Genie has three wishes that he can bestow on Aladdin... \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExcitedly, Aladdin starts to imagine his heart\u0027s desire. But Genie throws out some ground rules. Genie can\u0027t kill anyone, he can\u0027t bring anyone back from the dead, and he can\u0027t make anyone fall in love with you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAladdin is bereft. He really wanted the Genie to make people fall in love with his new mindfulness app so it could get better word of mouth which would make people download it more.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGutted, Aladdin throws the lamp back in the pile of gold and heads home to update his marketing plan\u0027s \u0022Brand Love\u0022 metric.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, if a Genie, bestower of the power cosmic, can\u0027t make someone fall in love with you, how on earth do you think brand consultancies can make people fall in love with your brand?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand Love is one of these phrases that pop up from time to time. Sometimes, you even get it as a goal in a client brief, \u0022want customers to love our XXX brand\u0022. The trouble is brand love is, as a metric, nonsense.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s why:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003ETainted love\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople don\u0027t really care about brands. I write that as a brand person. I care very deeply about brands, what makes people choose one brand over another. How to push the perceived value of a brand. I love it, find it endlessly fascinating and think that what we do can help make better businesses. Brand strategy is business strategy. But this cartoon from the Marktoonist sums it how people feel about brands 95% of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2679\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/210712.brandchoice_0.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022855\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur customers don\u0027t care. That\u0027s the truth. At the very best, we use brands to navigate the choices we have. We\u0027ve been doing that since the first man smacked a branding iron on a cow\u0027s arse. It\u0027s a useful guide for choosing something over another something. USEFUL. But do you love it? No. No, you don\u0027t.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, I did say that people consider brands in a perfectly functional way 95% of the time. What about the other 5%, I hear you cry? People may behave on autopilot for most brands but what about the Lego, the Patagonias, the Nikes of the world? What about them, fat boy?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EHow deep is your love?\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s start by acknowledging that people say that they love a lot of things. People love a clean toilet. People love that picture of Boris Johnson hanging off a wire looking like a prat. People love dressing up like a dog and eating out of a bowl for their sexual pleasure. Whatever gets you through the night. Love has never been so popular.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EWhat\u0027s love got to do, got to do with it?\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when it comes to brand, Tina\u0027s got a point. When we say we love brands, what\u0027s love but a second-hand emotion? People say \u0027love\u0027 as a shorthand for other emotions. I do it myself. I \u0027love\u0027 my Airpods. But that\u0027s not really what I mean. I love my children more. Really. When I say I love my AirPods, it\u0027s a shorthand for easy, simple to use, I like what it says about me, I like the sound, I like the integration with iOS, I like the crazy spatial audio nonsense it does. Is that love? Of course, it isn\u0027t. It\u0027s a shorthand for something that makes my life easier. And making your customer\u0027s life easier is a very, very good thing. That\u0027s a metric worth measuring. Measuring brand love only hides things behind an emotional response.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003ELove will tear us apart\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what should we aim for? At the risk of getting all brand wanky, what you\u0027re hoping for, at best, is to develop a non-rational disposition towards your brand than others. Have I just swapped one nonsensical phrase with another? I don\u0027t think so, I think that I\u0027m trying to accurately describe an aspect of what you\u0027re trying to achieve from your campaign. Rationally, people should buy from the UK shoe shop, Clarks, but instead, they\u0027ll buy a pair of Yeezys. Do they love the Yeezy brand? Yes, but that\u0027s an emotional response to the brand, the endpoint of a thousand decisions that help people more likely to buy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, you can wrap that up as \u0022brand love\u0022, but it isn\u0027t accurate on outcome, and you probably deserves to be punched for looking to find a metric around it. Understanding the quality cues you need to put in place to make your product desirable or useful is key to your product or service\u0027s success.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERather than aiming for one measurement, \u0022brand love\u0022, look to understand how people are experiencing your product or service. Put measurements around that so that you can try to improve on tangible things like customer service or ease of use, not nebulous concepts like \u0027love\u0027.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHave I gone around in a circle and just validated brand love? I hope not. Brand Love isn\u0027t a useful phrase, it\u0027s hard to measure, and it\u0027s not really what your customers are fundamentally looking for.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpeaking from bitter, bitter experience, those who chase love tend not to find it. By being yourself, authentic, honest, helpful and useful, your potential customers will find a small place for you in their day today. If you focus on this rather than the abstract, you may well find that love blooms, love that ends in a happy ever after rather than starting at once upon a time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe we took a deeper dive\u00a0into\u00a0the topic of brand love on our podcast, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\u0022\u003EGood Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E. Have a listen below.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSo, Aladdin gets into the cave and finds an old lamp. Aladdin rubs the old lamp to give it a wee clean and out pops a genie. A fucking genie. Genie has three wishes that he can bestow on Aladdin... \nExcitedly, Aladdin starts to imagine his heart\u0027s desire. But Genie throws out some ground rules. Genie can\u0027t kill anyone, he can\u0027t bring anyone back from the dead, and he can\u0027t make anyone fall in love with you.\nAladdin is bereft. He really wanted the Genie to make people fall in love with his new mindfulness app so it could get better word of mouth which would make people download it more.\nGutted, Aladdin throws the lamp back in the pile of gold and heads home to update his marketing plan\u0027s \u0022Brand Love\u0022 metric.\nSo, if a Genie, bestower of the power cosmic, can\u0027t make someone fall in love with you, how on earth do you think brand consultancies can make people fall in love with your brand?\nBrand Love is one of these phrases that pop up from time to time. Sometimes, you even get it as a goal in a client brief, \u0022want customers to love our XXX brand\u0022. The trouble is brand love is, as a metric, nonsense.\nHere\u0027s why:\nTainted love\nPeople don\u0027t really care about brands. I write that as a brand person. I care very deeply about brands, what makes people choose one brand over another. How to push the perceived value of a brand. I love it, find it endlessly fascinating and think that what we do can help make better businesses. Brand strategy is business strategy. But this cartoon from the Marktoonist sums it how people feel about brands 95% of the time.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nOur customers don\u0027t care. That\u0027s the truth. At the very best, we use brands to navigate the choices we have. We\u0027ve been doing that since the first man smacked a branding iron on a cow\u0027s arse. It\u0027s a useful guide for choosing something over another something. USEFUL. But do you love it? No. No, you don\u0027t.\nNow, I did say that people consider brands in a perfectly functional way 95% of the time. What about the other 5%, I hear you cry? People may behave on autopilot for most brands but what about the Lego, the Patagonias, the Nikes of the world? What about them, fat boy?\nHow deep is your love?\nLet\u0027s start by acknowledging that people say that they love a lot of things. People love a clean toilet. People love that picture of Boris Johnson hanging off a wire looking like a prat. People love dressing up like a dog and eating out of a bowl for their sexual pleasure. Whatever gets you through the night. Love has never been so popular.\nWhat\u0027s love got to do, got to do with it?\nBut when it comes to brand, Tina\u0027s got a point. When we say we love brands, what\u0027s love but a second-hand emotion? People say \u0027love\u0027 as a shorthand for other emotions. I do it myself. I \u0027love\u0027 my Airpods. But that\u0027s not really what I mean. I love my children more. Really. When I say I love my AirPods, it\u0027s a shorthand for easy, simple to use, I like what it says about me, I like the sound, I like the integration with iOS, I like the crazy spatial audio nonsense it does. Is that love? Of course, it isn\u0027t. It\u0027s a shorthand for something that makes my life easier. And making your customer\u0027s life easier is a very, very good thing. That\u0027s a metric worth measuring. Measuring brand love only hides things behind an emotional response.\nLove will tear us apart\nSo, what should we aim for? At the risk of getting all brand wanky, what you\u0027re hoping for, at best, is to develop a non-rational disposition towards your brand than others. Have I just swapped one nonsensical phrase with another? I don\u0027t think so, I think that I\u0027m trying to accurately describe an aspect of what you\u0027re trying to achieve from your campaign. Rationally, people should buy from the UK shoe shop, Clarks, but instead, they\u0027ll buy a pair of Yeezys. Do they love the Yeezy brand? Yes, but that\u0027s an emotional response to the brand, the endpoint of a thousand decisions that help people more likely to buy.\nYes, you can wrap that up as \u0022brand love\u0022, but it isn\u0027t accurate on outcome, and you probably deserves to be punched for looking to find a metric around it. Understanding the quality cues you need to put in place to make your product desirable or useful is key to your product or service\u0027s success.\nRather than aiming for one measurement, \u0022brand love\u0022, look to understand how people are experiencing your product or service. Put measurements around that so that you can try to improve on tangible things like customer service or ease of use, not nebulous concepts like \u0027love\u0027.\nHave I gone around in a circle and just validated brand love? I hope not. Brand Love isn\u0027t a useful phrase, it\u0027s hard to measure, and it\u0027s not really what your customers are fundamentally looking for.\nSpeaking from bitter, bitter experience, those who chase love tend not to find it. By being yourself, authentic, honest, helpful and useful, your potential customers will find a small place for you in their day today. If you focus on this rather than the abstract, you may well find that love blooms, love that ends in a happy ever after rather than starting at once upon a time.\nWe we took a deeper dive\u00a0into\u00a0the topic of brand love on our podcast, the Good Round Up. Have a listen below.\n\n  ","summary":"So, Aladdin gets into the cave and finds an old lamp. Aladdin rubs the old lamp to give it a wee clean and out pops a genie. A fucking genie. Genie has three wishes that he can bestow on Aladdin...","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-08-24T10:32:47+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5455","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-buy-branding-services","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to Buy Branding Services","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery month we get, on average three new business inquiries through the website. What\u2019s interesting is how these inquiries vary in terms of approach. Some are highly professional, others\u2026 well, leave some things to be desired.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re believers that the sale is the sample. The way that the start of the process works is a strong indicator of how the relationship will run over time. The kickoff meeting, the chemistry session starts as soon as a potential client reaches out to us to ask for more information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve got some ideas on how clients approach this initial stage. It\u2019s not going to suit every potential client, that\u2019s fine. But experience has shown us\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;these are the signals that show us that we\u2019re going to have a respectful, mutually beneficial relationship. Once that\u2019s established, we can\u2019t help but succeed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EShare the challenge you\u2019re facing, not the diagnosis\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClearly you know that things have to change within your business. The market may be shifting, the competition is biting at your heels. Change needs to happen and you may well have a point of view on how that change has occurred and what the remedy is. You\u2019re a creative problem solver, it\u2019s natural that you go to a solution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom our perspective we want to know your problem. At this stage we\u2019re not wanting to dive into your self-diagnoses. There will be plenty of time for that if we\u2019re appointed. If we\u2019re getting a solution at this stage, we have to ask why you\u2019re wanting us at all. What value will we add?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESelf-diagnosis suggests to us that you\u2019re looking for a company to rubber stamp internal thinking. We see our role as one that challenges internal thinking. It may well be that we\u2019ll reach the same conclusion as you, but we\u2019ll have stress tested any assumptions so that we know it\u2019s the right solution. This is vitally important for those\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.inc.com\/jeff-haden\/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-successful-people-make-such-smart-decisions.html\u0022\u003Eone-way door\u003C\/a\u003E situations\u0026nbsp;that your business may be facing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPresent us a problem. Then understand how we can work together to solve that problem using your market expertise and our professional objectivity.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELet us talk to the right people from the start\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe love procurement teams. Love them. We\u2019re proud of the relationships that we\u2019ve built up with procurement teams globally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut when we start the new business process with only procurement teams, our spider-sense starts a tingling. The relationship that we\u2019re looking to build starts with the people that will be influencing the final decisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProcurement people are doing their job, but if an\u0026nbsp;organisation\u0026nbsp;is comfortable letting them purchase branding consultancy services, it betrays the\u0026nbsp;organisation\u2019s\u0026nbsp;importance on such services.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy all means get procurement involved in the process, they have a key role within\u0026nbsp;organisations. Just make sure that it\u2019s balanced by having the team we\u2019ll be working with involved at every stage of the process too.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EAsk for the right information at the right point\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom time to time when we get an initial inquiry, we\u2019re asked to respond by agreeing to move forward and to supply detailed background about us. These requests can be over the top. Three years\u2019 worth of accounts, insurance liabilities and copies of every single policy we have, from diversity through to sustainability.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHang on\u2026 we\u2019ve only just met!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDue diligence is key for businesses, and we respect that. And you\u2019d think that we\u2019d have a folder full of everything ready to go. But there are always subtle differences to satisfy each respective client and that always ends up creating busywork. And we don\u2019t even know if we\u2019re the right fit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet us at least have the chat to see if we\u2019re going to be a good fit for this great challenge to overcome. If we feel that we\u2019re even a close fit, we\u2019ll happily supply you with everything you need. But let\u2019s make sure that we\u2019re progressing in the relationship positively rather than ticking boxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ESet a budget range and share it\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI once asked a potential client for the budget range that we would be working to. The client responded that if they told me the budget, we would spend it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes, I said. Yes, we would. Because. It\u2019s. The. Budget.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere at Good, we pride ourselves on offering great value to our clients, but we know that we\u2019re not the cheapest. We require a certain level of investment from our clients to produce the best work. If we know what budget range you\u2019re working with it sends two signals:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, it shows respect from the client to the consultancy. It just frames the conversation on a commercial footing straight away.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, it helps us work out if we\u2019re the right fit. If we can understand the budget we can understand the right way to work with you given our model. We can flex our approach, or we call it a day early on, letting you focus on other potential partners. It\u2019s all good. Having that professional conversation about the budget is a sure-fire way to build a mutually respectful partnership moving forward, no matter the outcome of the initial inquiry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn closing, we want to\u0026nbsp;emphasise\u0026nbsp;that the sale is the sample. The process is two way, the way we approach your inquiry is a good example of how we\u2019ll approach your challenge. And the\u0026nbsp;way you approach looking for a brand partner to help shape your business in future is shaped by the way you approach this vital stage in the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve written other bits and pieces around this topic,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-best-your-agency\u0022\u003EGetting the best from your agency\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-get-best-out-rebranding-job\u0022\u003EHow To Get The Best Out of a Rebranding Job\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/do-clients-choose-us-or-do-we-choose-them\u0022\u003EDo clients choose us or do we choose them?\u003C\/a\u003E. Let us know if you\u2019ve got any questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nEvery month we get, on average three new business inquiries through the website. What\u2019s interesting is how these inquiries vary in terms of approach. Some are highly professional, others\u2026 well, leave some things to be desired.  \nWe\u2019re believers that the sale is the sample. The way that the start of the process works is a strong indicator of how the relationship will run over time. The kickoff meeting, the chemistry session starts as soon as a potential client reaches out to us to ask for more information.We\u2019ve got some ideas on how clients approach this initial stage. It\u2019s not going to suit every potential client, that\u2019s fine. But experience has shown us\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;these are the signals that show us that we\u2019re going to have a respectful, mutually beneficial relationship. Once that\u2019s established, we can\u2019t help but succeed.\u0026nbsp;Share the challenge you\u2019re facing, not the diagnosisClearly you know that things have to change within your business. The market may be shifting, the competition is biting at your heels. Change needs to happen and you may well have a point of view on how that change has occurred and what the remedy is. You\u2019re a creative problem solver, it\u2019s natural that you go to a solution.\u0026nbsp;From our perspective we want to know your problem. At this stage we\u2019re not wanting to dive into your self-diagnoses. There will be plenty of time for that if we\u2019re appointed. If we\u2019re getting a solution at this stage, we have to ask why you\u2019re wanting us at all. What value will we add?\u0026nbsp;Self-diagnosis suggests to us that you\u2019re looking for a company to rubber stamp internal thinking. We see our role as one that challenges internal thinking. It may well be that we\u2019ll reach the same conclusion as you, but we\u2019ll have stress tested any assumptions so that we know it\u2019s the right solution. This is vitally important for those\u0026nbsp;one-way door situations\u0026nbsp;that your business may be facing.Present us a problem. Then understand how we can work together to solve that problem using your market expertise and our professional objectivity.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Let us talk to the right people from the startWe love procurement teams. Love them. We\u2019re proud of the relationships that we\u2019ve built up with procurement teams globally.\u0026nbsp;But when we start the new business process with only procurement teams, our spider-sense starts a tingling. The relationship that we\u2019re looking to build starts with the people that will be influencing the final decisions.\u0026nbsp;Procurement people are doing their job, but if an\u0026nbsp;organisation\u0026nbsp;is comfortable letting them purchase branding consultancy services, it betrays the\u0026nbsp;organisation\u2019s\u0026nbsp;importance on such services.By all means get procurement involved in the process, they have a key role within\u0026nbsp;organisations. Just make sure that it\u2019s balanced by having the team we\u2019ll be working with involved at every stage of the process too.\u0026nbsp;Ask for the right information at the right pointFrom time to time when we get an initial inquiry, we\u2019re asked to respond by agreeing to move forward and to supply detailed background about us. These requests can be over the top. Three years\u2019 worth of accounts, insurance liabilities and copies of every single policy we have, from diversity through to sustainability.\u0026nbsp;Hang on\u2026 we\u2019ve only just met!Due diligence is key for businesses, and we respect that. And you\u2019d think that we\u2019d have a folder full of everything ready to go. But there are always subtle differences to satisfy each respective client and that always ends up creating busywork. And we don\u2019t even know if we\u2019re the right fit.\u0026nbsp;Let us at least have the chat to see if we\u2019re going to be a good fit for this great challenge to overcome. If we feel that we\u2019re even a close fit, we\u2019ll happily supply you with everything you need. But let\u2019s make sure that we\u2019re progressing in the relationship positively rather than ticking boxes.Set a budget range and share itI once asked a potential client for the budget range that we would be working to. The client responded that if they told me the budget, we would spend it.\u0026nbsp;Yes, I said. Yes, we would. Because. It\u2019s. The. Budget.Here at Good, we pride ourselves on offering great value to our clients, but we know that we\u2019re not the cheapest. We require a certain level of investment from our clients to produce the best work. If we know what budget range you\u2019re working with it sends two signals:\u0026nbsp;Firstly, it shows respect from the client to the consultancy. It just frames the conversation on a commercial footing straight away.Secondly, it helps us work out if we\u2019re the right fit. If we can understand the budget we can understand the right way to work with you given our model. We can flex our approach, or we call it a day early on, letting you focus on other potential partners. It\u2019s all good. Having that professional conversation about the budget is a sure-fire way to build a mutually respectful partnership moving forward, no matter the outcome of the initial inquiry.In closing, we want to\u0026nbsp;emphasise\u0026nbsp;that the sale is the sample. The process is two way, the way we approach your inquiry is a good example of how we\u2019ll approach your challenge. And the\u0026nbsp;way you approach looking for a brand partner to help shape your business in future is shaped by the way you approach this vital stage in the process.\u0026nbsp;We\u2019ve written other bits and pieces around this topic,\u0026nbsp;Getting the best from your agency,\u0026nbsp;How To Get The Best Out of a Rebranding Job and\u0026nbsp;Do clients choose us or do we choose them?. Let us know if you\u2019ve got any questions.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Every month we get, on average three new business inquiries through the website. What\u2019s interesting is how these inquiries vary in terms of approach. Some are highly professional, others\u2026 well, leave some things to be desired. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-08-12T09:01:05+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5456","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/branding-global-local-or-both","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Branding for global, local or both?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen you take on a brand project with a global business, the thorny issue about how to deal with the various regions and the language translations is always there, sitting just below the surface.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve had quite a few client conversations on the topic of late, so it\u2019s probably worth setting out our philosophy and experience on the matter here on the blog.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESpoiler alert\u003C\/em\u003E - there\u2019s not an easy answer. Just like most aspects of branding, there are no absolute rights or wrongs - just what\u2019s best for that particular client at that particular time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat said, in our view the best solutions should be driven by the profile and type of client: how they\u2019re structured and their level of spend, supplying them with manageable solutions rather than idealistic, theory-based answers which won\u2019t work in the real world.\u00a0\u00a0During a sales call recently I was asked what my view was on \u2018the translation issue\u2019 for their brand. I said I didn\u2019t know, because I didn\u2019t know enough about their business and how it works from the centre to the regions.\u00a0\u00a0Getting into the detail here is what matters. It\u2019s not about generalised opinions. You can\u2019t prescribe a solution without understanding the whole of the problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne really helpful way to think about this type of challenge is to think about an organisation\u2019s brand like an onion (just not a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003Ebrand onion\u003C\/a\u003E!) with different layers. At the core,\u00a0the Crown Jewels if you will - the key foundational elements of the brand (e.g mission, vision, values \u0026amp; identity) that are locked and are not changeable by territory or region. Move a layer out, you\u2019ll find elements which might offer a little flexibility e.g campaigns and messaging, tone of voice, product naming \u0026amp; pricing. And another layer out from here may include brand elements which owners are prepared to offer more in market adaptations, e.g. imagery, colourways, animation and graphic style. Every organisation\u2019s layers will be different, and they need to figure out which brand elements they want to control centrally and lock into the core, and which they\u2019re more comfortable with regional in-market interpretation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, before we get into complicated questions like \u201cshould we translate the brand strapline and product names in every market?\u201d, it\u2019s helpful to take a step back and understand the type of organisation we\u2019re dealing with - and how they\u2019re currently set up to deal with these brand challenges. The degree to which clients can control the layers depends largely on the type of organisation they are. And there are a couple of areas that are worth considering up front to make some informed decisions:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EMarketing led?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a key realisation for many B2B organisations. If you\u2019re historically a product driven and sales focused business, and marketing tends to play second fiddle, then you\u2019ll probably need simple solutions with many of the brand elements locked in at the core. It\u2019s likely that the organisation won\u2019t have the marketing expertise and resource in market, so control and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/most-important-aspect-modern-branding-discipline\u0022\u003Ediscipline of execution is important\u003C\/a\u003E. The important thing to remember is that you must learn to walk before you can run. We\u2019ve seen so many instances of really good brand work being diluted through poor understanding and execution because the organisation just doesn\u0027t have the requisite discipline or expertise in the regional markets to make the work stick. Better to do a little really well with limited resource, than try to do too much with too little.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EB2C brands tend to have better resourced marketing functions in the regions. This means they\u2019re able to flex their brand assets in market with the confidence that the end product will be executed and implemented at a quality that befits the overall brand.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ETarget Markets\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other aspect to remember from a B2B perspective, is that in most cases the target market segments tend to be relatively small and have a similar profile (another reason why you don\u2019t need huge product portfolios, but that\u2019s another blog post). This means it\u2019s a really sensible play to control all of the brand elements from the centre, with little or no variation in market. Keeps it simple and efficient, too.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom a B2C perspective - generally their markets are broader and wider and will come with some differences in character and culture, which need a more tailored brand approach on the ground. Who doesn\u2019t love wandering down a foreign supermarket aisle and spotting that your favourite flavour of crisps or juice has a different name, a different pack, or a whole range of product extensions that you can\u2019t get at home? It makes perfect sense for these B2C brands with their bigger and better resourced marketing functions to allow much more flexibility in execution.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYes, but what about those translations?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, once we get some clarity around the right strategic approach for global branding the conversation often returns to the question of languages and translations. Again, it\u2019s a tricky one and much depends on the context, the organisation and their global philosophy.\u00a0\u00a0B2C is perhaps an easier one as they\u2019re almost certain to go with the in-market language and flex the elements to suit.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe B2B question can be a bit more nuanced and depends on how much of the brand or marketing material needs to be translated. When we\u2019re working with clients in this space, we like to try and figure out what\u2019s the best option for them before we start the creative work. It can give us some useful guardrails - for example avoiding creating brand language that\u2019s too heavily idiomatic and won\u2019t travel well in other markets. If English is the language of their business sector, then it\u2019s often acceptable to develop straplines or headlines in English and translate body copy.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlternatively, we\u2019re sometimes looking at full translation options for each market, which can get quite complex and challenging for the brand owner. There are often divergent views on the nature of the translation and how much autonomy markets should get to \u201csay things their way\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Our advice here is that the concept of \u2018transcreation\u2019 is more important than a literal \u2018translation\u2019. Always work with good quality translation houses who are able to ensure that the sentiment of the brand message travels. If that means we have to use two sentences rather than one, then so be it. As brand creatives, we need to build this flexibility into our layout grids to anticipate the problem rather than react to it later.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, there you have it. War and Peace on global versus local and we\u2019re sitting firmly on the fence. It\u2019s a challenging area and usually everyone has an opinion, which can make it quite political at times. Best to keep focused on the practical issues and make sure you\u2019re thinking about it strategically as well as tactically.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo see how we\u0027ve collaborated with both B2C and B2B\u00a0clients on a global scale, take a look at our work with\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/work\/honeywell\u0022\u003EHoneywell\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/work\/interface\u0022\u003EInterface\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhen you take on a brand project with a global business, the thorny issue about how to deal with the various regions and the language translations is always there, sitting just below the surface.  \nWe\u2019ve had quite a few client conversations on the topic of late, so it\u2019s probably worth setting out our philosophy and experience on the matter here on the blog.\nSpoiler alert - there\u2019s not an easy answer. Just like most aspects of branding, there are no absolute rights or wrongs - just what\u2019s best for that particular client at that particular time.\nThat said, in our view the best solutions should be driven by the profile and type of client: how they\u2019re structured and their level of spend, supplying them with manageable solutions rather than idealistic, theory-based answers which won\u2019t work in the real world.\u00a0\u00a0During a sales call recently I was asked what my view was on \u2018the translation issue\u2019 for their brand. I said I didn\u2019t know, because I didn\u2019t know enough about their business and how it works from the centre to the regions.\u00a0\u00a0Getting into the detail here is what matters. It\u2019s not about generalised opinions. You can\u2019t prescribe a solution without understanding the whole of the problem.\nOne really helpful way to think about this type of challenge is to think about an organisation\u2019s brand like an onion (just not a brand onion!) with different layers. At the core,\u00a0the Crown Jewels if you will - the key foundational elements of the brand (e.g mission, vision, values \u0026amp; identity) that are locked and are not changeable by territory or region. Move a layer out, you\u2019ll find elements which might offer a little flexibility e.g campaigns and messaging, tone of voice, product naming \u0026amp; pricing. And another layer out from here may include brand elements which owners are prepared to offer more in market adaptations, e.g. imagery, colourways, animation and graphic style. Every organisation\u2019s layers will be different, and they need to figure out which brand elements they want to control centrally and lock into the core, and which they\u2019re more comfortable with regional in-market interpretation.\nSo, before we get into complicated questions like \u201cshould we translate the brand strapline and product names in every market?\u201d, it\u2019s helpful to take a step back and understand the type of organisation we\u2019re dealing with - and how they\u2019re currently set up to deal with these brand challenges. The degree to which clients can control the layers depends largely on the type of organisation they are. And there are a couple of areas that are worth considering up front to make some informed decisions:\nMarketing led?\nThis is a key realisation for many B2B organisations. If you\u2019re historically a product driven and sales focused business, and marketing tends to play second fiddle, then you\u2019ll probably need simple solutions with many of the brand elements locked in at the core. It\u2019s likely that the organisation won\u2019t have the marketing expertise and resource in market, so control and discipline of execution is important. The important thing to remember is that you must learn to walk before you can run. We\u2019ve seen so many instances of really good brand work being diluted through poor understanding and execution because the organisation just doesn\u0027t have the requisite discipline or expertise in the regional markets to make the work stick. Better to do a little really well with limited resource, than try to do too much with too little.\nB2C brands tend to have better resourced marketing functions in the regions. This means they\u2019re able to flex their brand assets in market with the confidence that the end product will be executed and implemented at a quality that befits the overall brand.\u00a0\nTarget Markets\nThe other aspect to remember from a B2B perspective, is that in most cases the target market segments tend to be relatively small and have a similar profile (another reason why you don\u2019t need huge product portfolios, but that\u2019s another blog post). This means it\u2019s a really sensible play to control all of the brand elements from the centre, with little or no variation in market. Keeps it simple and efficient, too.\u00a0\nFrom a B2C perspective - generally their markets are broader and wider and will come with some differences in character and culture, which need a more tailored brand approach on the ground. Who doesn\u2019t love wandering down a foreign supermarket aisle and spotting that your favourite flavour of crisps or juice has a different name, a different pack, or a whole range of product extensions that you can\u2019t get at home? It makes perfect sense for these B2C brands with their bigger and better resourced marketing functions to allow much more flexibility in execution.\u00a0\nYes, but what about those translations?\nSo, once we get some clarity around the right strategic approach for global branding the conversation often returns to the question of languages and translations. Again, it\u2019s a tricky one and much depends on the context, the organisation and their global philosophy.\u00a0\u00a0B2C is perhaps an easier one as they\u2019re almost certain to go with the in-market language and flex the elements to suit.\u00a0\nThe B2B question can be a bit more nuanced and depends on how much of the brand or marketing material needs to be translated. When we\u2019re working with clients in this space, we like to try and figure out what\u2019s the best option for them before we start the creative work. It can give us some useful guardrails - for example avoiding creating brand language that\u2019s too heavily idiomatic and won\u2019t travel well in other markets. If English is the language of their business sector, then it\u2019s often acceptable to develop straplines or headlines in English and translate body copy.\u00a0\nAlternatively, we\u2019re sometimes looking at full translation options for each market, which can get quite complex and challenging for the brand owner. There are often divergent views on the nature of the translation and how much autonomy markets should get to \u201csay things their way\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Our advice here is that the concept of \u2018transcreation\u2019 is more important than a literal \u2018translation\u2019. Always work with good quality translation houses who are able to ensure that the sentiment of the brand message travels. If that means we have to use two sentences rather than one, then so be it. As brand creatives, we need to build this flexibility into our layout grids to anticipate the problem rather than react to it later.\nSo, there you have it. War and Peace on global versus local and we\u2019re sitting firmly on the fence. It\u2019s a challenging area and usually everyone has an opinion, which can make it quite political at times. Best to keep focused on the practical issues and make sure you\u2019re thinking about it strategically as well as tactically.\nTo see how we\u0027ve collaborated with both B2C and B2B\u00a0clients on a global scale, take a look at our work with\u00a0Honeywell and Interface.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"When you take on a brand project with a global business, the thorny issue about how to deal with the various regions and the language translations is always there, sitting just below the surface. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-08-06T09:42:47+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5457","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/content-strategy-and-why-you-need-one","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Content Strategy and Why You Need One","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESince I started at Good, the one thing that has shifted has been the need for brands to move from pretty straightforward advertising around their product or service to becoming content publishers. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt seems not to be enough to tell people about the product or service; you need to surround it with content that helps guide the customer around your product and the category.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s hard about content is maintaining focus. On day one of a content launch, you can see the enthusiasm. A whole lot of content ideas that you kick off in the first few weeks, promoting on your social channels, popping into your email. But the challenges moving on from that initial content sugar rush are hiding just around the corner.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe see many issues for clients when they try to commit to producing content on an ongoing basis. In general, these challenges breakdown into three main areas:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 data-heading=\u0022Complexity\u0022\u003EComplexity\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat channels do you use for what segment? Do you need different assets for different channels? How do you coordinate this? Do you need a video? Do you need a podcast? What socials will work? All this becomes harder and harder to get a hold of.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe customer outcome on this complexity is that it\u0027s difficult for them to then find the content they\u0027re looking for. Finding content isn\u0027t the problem online; finding relevant, quality content is.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 data-heading=\u0022Inefficiency\u0022\u003EInefficiency\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWho\u0027s creating this content? The person with the best idea may not be the best person to write it. You may have different divisions within a business writing about the same topic but with slightly conflicting points of view. This in turn starts creating problems for your search optimisation strategy. Which article does Google rank higher, and is it the one you\u0027d want to have listed higher in the search results?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe customer problem that arises from this is confusion and mistrust. If you\u0027re getting different messages in a different tone but from the same organisation, even if that\u0027s on social or on the website, then you\u0027re going to slice away at the Salami of Trust that you have with your customers, and they\u0027ll go elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 data-heading=\u0022Ineffectiveness\u0022\u003EIneffectiveness\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027re putting money into this content and then putting money behind promoting that content. You should expect a return. If you\u0027re putting content out there that isn\u0027t attracting the right people or not improving conversion, or not achieving your overall goal, then the outcome is probably worse than not doing it all.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf your content isn\u0027t achieving something, then it\u0027s just going to lead to customer dissatisfaction. Given that your customers will engage with your content before someone buys from you, it can shape the customer\u0027s expectation of the whole customer journey from there. And if that content is leaving a customer with a nasty taste in their mouth, what will they assume about the rest of the experience they are considering going on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo three client content problems, Complexity, Inefficiency and Ineffectiveness, in turn, creates customer problems; finding the content that\u0027s right for them, confusion and mistrust in your content and dissatisfaction with the whole customer experience. Not good.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow do we get back on the right track? Firstly, let\u0027s agree on some shared definitions around \u0027content\u0027. It\u0027s one of these terms that can mean different things to different people.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-line=\u00220\u0022\u003EContent is information with a purpose for a targeted audience.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli data-line=\u00221\u0022\u003EThat information may be text, video, audio, photos, etc.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli data-line=\u00222\u0022\u003EThe purpose might be to educate, entertain, or persuade (convert).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo that\u0027s quite a statement. The key thing to understand is that the content has a purpose. A PURPOSE. That purpose, as you may have guessed, is tied to broader business goals. It\u0027s not because Bob in product design wants to talk to about red acrylic embeds of paper towels. Wanting to create content needs to be around a broader purpose for a business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat could be explaining the applications for a new product feature to help customers understand it better. It could be to answer a customer service request to create content on installing a new part as they\u0027re getting a lot of service calls about it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the purpose for creating content is essential\u2014otherwise, it\u0027s just busy work.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETarget audience is another key to creating great content. When clients tell us that they have bland content, it\u0027s because they\u0027ve not defined the audience group that the content is for. Understanding the customer means that the content will be more relevant to them, and they may decide to dig deeper. Bland, for everyone content, ends up appealing to no one.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo when you\u0027re setting out to create content, it\u0027s helpful to create content strategies. A content strategy is built around 4 points:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-line=\u00220\u0022\u003EBusiness goals (what this content helps us achieve?)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli data-line=\u00221\u0022\u003ECustomer focus (who is it for?)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli data-line=\u00222\u0022\u003ECustomer needs (what will our customer look for in this content?)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli data-line=\u00223\u0022\u003EContent product (what type of content should we produce?)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Good, our Content Strategy is:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ETo demonstrate the strategic thinking behind our creative work, we\u0027ll provide useful, straightforward content that helps marketing and brand managers make better decisions and positions us as a potentially useful partner in the future.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe content strategy is all about what we do to support our business goals. The goal of the content is to show our expertise that helps influence the customer group as seeing us as a potentially valuable partner in the future. Of course, we are; this is a new business tool that is useful rather than forceful.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECustomer focus: marketing and brand managers. We love our jobs, and as such, it\u0027s easy to get into the craft of design, the intricacies of creating a website. But that\u0027s not that useful to the people that we\u0027re trying to work with. This content needs to be about you, the reader, and what helps make you better at your job.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECustomer needs: knowing who our customers are, we need to create worthwhile content. We hope that we create content that makes you think and helps you make better decisions. Not saying we\u0027re expecting people to say, \u0022What would Chris from the Good Round-Up podcast do?\u0022 but perhaps give you another perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd finally, that all rolls up into making sure that our content product is \u0022useful, straightforward content\u0022. This is us very much living our brand values here. The content you get has to relate back to the experience you\u0027d get from Good as a client. Simple, honest and with a splattering of love. Our brand values and how we approach brand challenges mark our content out from everyone else.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u0027s the framework for a content strategy. It\u0027s the top-level direction for your content. And you can have more than one content strategy, that\u0027s ok. But, to make sure that you\u0027re creating great content for each customer group, you\u0027re probably going to define the strategy for each one.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve seen businesses try to create one big old content strategy for the business, and as people who love themselves some simplicity, we get it. But as your content approach tends to get less specific, more general and then you\u0027re back to the bland content problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, that isn\u0027t the end of the content story; you\u0027ve got to come up with ideas for content, define a content calendar, understand the content as part of a customer journey, putting in place a content improvement plan and other stuff. But it starts with the content strategy to help guide all the other parts, a North Star to put Bob in product design in his box when he comes up with ideas.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve got other content related articles here on the site. Take a look at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/starting-your-content-strategy\u0022\u003Efirst steps for a content strategy,\u003C\/a\u003E which adds more detail to some of the\u00a0points here and\u00a0some thoughts on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/gated-content-gate-or-not-gate\u0022\u003Ewhen, or if, you should gate your content\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSince I started at Good, the one thing that has shifted has been the need for brands to move from pretty straightforward advertising around their product or service to becoming content publishers. \nIt seems not to be enough to tell people about the product or service; you need to surround it with content that helps guide the customer around your product and the category.\nWhat\u0027s hard about content is maintaining focus. On day one of a content launch, you can see the enthusiasm. A whole lot of content ideas that you kick off in the first few weeks, promoting on your social channels, popping into your email. But the challenges moving on from that initial content sugar rush are hiding just around the corner.\nWe see many issues for clients when they try to commit to producing content on an ongoing basis. In general, these challenges breakdown into three main areas:\nComplexity\nWhat channels do you use for what segment? Do you need different assets for different channels? How do you coordinate this? Do you need a video? Do you need a podcast? What socials will work? All this becomes harder and harder to get a hold of.\nThe customer outcome on this complexity is that it\u0027s difficult for them to then find the content they\u0027re looking for. Finding content isn\u0027t the problem online; finding relevant, quality content is.\nInefficiency\nWho\u0027s creating this content? The person with the best idea may not be the best person to write it. You may have different divisions within a business writing about the same topic but with slightly conflicting points of view. This in turn starts creating problems for your search optimisation strategy. Which article does Google rank higher, and is it the one you\u0027d want to have listed higher in the search results?\nThe customer problem that arises from this is confusion and mistrust. If you\u0027re getting different messages in a different tone but from the same organisation, even if that\u0027s on social or on the website, then you\u0027re going to slice away at the Salami of Trust that you have with your customers, and they\u0027ll go elsewhere.\nIneffectiveness\nYou\u0027re putting money into this content and then putting money behind promoting that content. You should expect a return. If you\u0027re putting content out there that isn\u0027t attracting the right people or not improving conversion, or not achieving your overall goal, then the outcome is probably worse than not doing it all.\nIf your content isn\u0027t achieving something, then it\u0027s just going to lead to customer dissatisfaction. Given that your customers will engage with your content before someone buys from you, it can shape the customer\u0027s expectation of the whole customer journey from there. And if that content is leaving a customer with a nasty taste in their mouth, what will they assume about the rest of the experience they are considering going on.So three client content problems, Complexity, Inefficiency and Ineffectiveness, in turn, creates customer problems; finding the content that\u0027s right for them, confusion and mistrust in your content and dissatisfaction with the whole customer experience. Not good.\nHow do we get back on the right track? Firstly, let\u0027s agree on some shared definitions around \u0027content\u0027. It\u0027s one of these terms that can mean different things to different people.\nContent is information with a purpose for a targeted audience.\nThat information may be text, video, audio, photos, etc.\nThe purpose might be to educate, entertain, or persuade (convert).\nSo that\u0027s quite a statement. The key thing to understand is that the content has a purpose. A PURPOSE. That purpose, as you may have guessed, is tied to broader business goals. It\u0027s not because Bob in product design wants to talk to about red acrylic embeds of paper towels. Wanting to create content needs to be around a broader purpose for a business.\nThat could be explaining the applications for a new product feature to help customers understand it better. It could be to answer a customer service request to create content on installing a new part as they\u0027re getting a lot of service calls about it.\nUnderstanding the purpose for creating content is essential\u2014otherwise, it\u0027s just busy work.\nTarget audience is another key to creating great content. When clients tell us that they have bland content, it\u0027s because they\u0027ve not defined the audience group that the content is for. Understanding the customer means that the content will be more relevant to them, and they may decide to dig deeper. Bland, for everyone content, ends up appealing to no one.\nSo when you\u0027re setting out to create content, it\u0027s helpful to create content strategies. A content strategy is built around 4 points:\nBusiness goals (what this content helps us achieve?)\nCustomer focus (who is it for?)\nCustomer needs (what will our customer look for in this content?)\nContent product (what type of content should we produce?)\nFor Good, our Content Strategy is:\nTo demonstrate the strategic thinking behind our creative work, we\u0027ll provide useful, straightforward content that helps marketing and brand managers make better decisions and positions us as a potentially useful partner in the future.\nThe content strategy is all about what we do to support our business goals. The goal of the content is to show our expertise that helps influence the customer group as seeing us as a potentially valuable partner in the future. Of course, we are; this is a new business tool that is useful rather than forceful.\nCustomer focus: marketing and brand managers. We love our jobs, and as such, it\u0027s easy to get into the craft of design, the intricacies of creating a website. But that\u0027s not that useful to the people that we\u0027re trying to work with. This content needs to be about you, the reader, and what helps make you better at your job.\nCustomer needs: knowing who our customers are, we need to create worthwhile content. We hope that we create content that makes you think and helps you make better decisions. Not saying we\u0027re expecting people to say, \u0022What would Chris from the Good Round-Up podcast do?\u0022 but perhaps give you another perspective.\nAnd finally, that all rolls up into making sure that our content product is \u0022useful, straightforward content\u0022. This is us very much living our brand values here. The content you get has to relate back to the experience you\u0027d get from Good as a client. Simple, honest and with a splattering of love. Our brand values and how we approach brand challenges mark our content out from everyone else.\nAnd that\u0027s the framework for a content strategy. It\u0027s the top-level direction for your content. And you can have more than one content strategy, that\u0027s ok. But, to make sure that you\u0027re creating great content for each customer group, you\u0027re probably going to define the strategy for each one.\nWe\u0027ve seen businesses try to create one big old content strategy for the business, and as people who love themselves some simplicity, we get it. But as your content approach tends to get less specific, more general and then you\u0027re back to the bland content problem.\nNow, that isn\u0027t the end of the content story; you\u0027ve got to come up with ideas for content, define a content calendar, understand the content as part of a customer journey, putting in place a content improvement plan and other stuff. But it starts with the content strategy to help guide all the other parts, a North Star to put Bob in product design in his box when he comes up with ideas.\nWe\u0027ve got other content related articles here on the site. Take a look at the first steps for a content strategy, which adds more detail to some of the\u00a0points here and\u00a0some thoughts on when, or if, you should gate your content.\n  ","summary":"Since I started at Good, the one thing that has shifted has been the need for brands to move from pretty straightforward advertising around their product or service to becoming content publishers.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-07-20T13:09:28+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5734","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/sustainability-damaging-brands-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Is Sustainability Damaging Brands?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYes, that\u2019s right, you read that right. Sustainability is important, we\u2019re not arguing that, but are brands getting their messaging around it right? We\u2019re seeing some trends and we\u2019re not encouraged. Oh, we also have our longest prepod but trying to edit it was a nightmare so, yes, five minutes of \u2018banter\u2019 before we get into the good stuff. Let us know what you think. About the sustainability chat, not our prepodding.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/sustainability-damaging-brands\/\u0022\u003EHave a look at the article that inspired our podcast.\u00a0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/ab08b947\/84369695.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYes, that\u2019s right, you read that right. Sustainability is important, we\u2019re not arguing that, but are brands getting their messaging around it right? We\u2019re seeing some trends and we\u2019re not encouraged. Oh, we also have our longest prepod but trying to edit it was a nightmare so, yes, five minutes of \u2018banter\u2019 before we get into the good stuff. Let us know what you think. About the sustainability chat, not our prepodding.  \n\n        Have a look at the article that inspired our podcast.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Yes, that\u2019s right, you read that right. Sustainability is important, we\u2019re not arguing that, but are brands getting their messaging around it right? We\u2019re seeing some trends and we\u2019re not encouraged. Oh, we also have our longest prepod but trying to edit it was a nightmare so, yes, five minutes of \u2018banter\u2019 before we get into the good stuff. Let us know what you think. About the sustainability chat, not our prepodding. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-07-15T11:47:25+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5458","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-research-tips","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Research Tips","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch. It\u2019s a polarising topic. Rarely do we see research apathy: you either love or hate it. If you love it, chances are you\u2019ve seen the value \u2013 it\u2019s given your brand clarity or strengthened your marketing strategy. But if you hate it... \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ve probably been burned by information overload or disappointingly obvious insights. We understand that, but we have some advice on how to fall in love with research, or at the very least, how to make the most of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are endless ways to tackle research, no matter your objective \u2013 whether that\u2019s to gauge brand awareness or perception, to test a concept or product, to measure campaign effectiveness, or to understand your customer journey and competitive standing. That\u2019s the beauty of it, there are so many options.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s also where brands struggle. So, we\u2019ve put together some tips to focus your approach to research:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EBe realistic.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is your timeline? And your budget? These are the two most important criteria when setting realistic expectations for your research. These are inextricably tied to your objective.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou have to first ask yourself:\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat is it I want to know?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHow quickly do I want to find out?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHow statistically relevant of a response am I willing to base my strategic decisions on?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou wouldn\u2019t base your organization\u2019s financial decisions on a bunch of guesswork, and the same is true when it comes to making strategic decisions based on research.\u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re going to take on research, make sure you have the time, dedication and budget to nurture it. Equally as important is setting expectations both with internal teams and with your research partners to ensure alignment every step of the way.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EBe open-minded.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou never really know what you\u2019re going to find out once you open the research can of worms. It\u2019s important that you\u2019re at peace with that before you get started.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs is the case with any research, you may have the most educated of hypotheses raring to go, but you can\u2019t underestimate the power of research to unearth facts and insights you never knew existed. As an organization, is it exciting? Of course. Is it also a little bit terrifying? Absolutely.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you go into a research exercise trying to reverse engineer a solution, you will likely find yourself disappointed. And perhaps even asking the question, what was the point of that? Maybe you just need the proof to show the Board, but it\u2019s a heck of a risk to take on the wild west of research in hopes your strategy is validated in retrospect.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd while we\u2019re on the subject\u2026\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EMost research is better invested at the beginning, not the end.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost brand-aware businesses now understand the importance of research. Odds are you aren\u2019t the person you\u2019re trying to talk to, and empathy only takes you so far. Sometimes you just have to pay the money and ask them. And it could be the wisest investment you make.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet why do most creative teams deflate at the mere mention of consumer research? The answer: it happens too late.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you test your brand extensively at the end, you\u2019ll doubtless unearth gems of insight you\u2019d kill to have known months (and tens thousands of pounds) earlier. But you might have done, if you\u2019d asked before you started.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it\u2019s all said and done, we think research done right is hugely beneficial to a brand. We\u2019ve seen the tiniest of insights drive strong brand strategies and we\u2019ve witnessed some brilliant \u2018a-ha\u2019 moments. That\u2019s the power of good research. It\u2019s the a-ha moments that await you if you\u2019re willing to commit to the process. And if you do commit to the process, you may even find yourself falling in love with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nResearch. It\u2019s a polarising topic. Rarely do we see research apathy: you either love or hate it. If you love it, chances are you\u2019ve seen the value \u2013 it\u2019s given your brand clarity or strengthened your marketing strategy. But if you hate it... \nYou\u2019ve probably been burned by information overload or disappointingly obvious insights. We understand that, but we have some advice on how to fall in love with research, or at the very least, how to make the most of it.\nThere are endless ways to tackle research, no matter your objective \u2013 whether that\u2019s to gauge brand awareness or perception, to test a concept or product, to measure campaign effectiveness, or to understand your customer journey and competitive standing. That\u2019s the beauty of it, there are so many options.\u00a0\nIt\u2019s also where brands struggle. So, we\u2019ve put together some tips to focus your approach to research:\n\nBe realistic.\n\nWhat is your timeline? And your budget? These are the two most important criteria when setting realistic expectations for your research. These are inextricably tied to your objective.\u00a0\nYou have to first ask yourself:\u00a0\nWhat is it I want to know?\nHow quickly do I want to find out?\nHow statistically relevant of a response am I willing to base my strategic decisions on?\nYou wouldn\u2019t base your organization\u2019s financial decisions on a bunch of guesswork, and the same is true when it comes to making strategic decisions based on research.\u00a0\u00a0\nIf you\u2019re going to take on research, make sure you have the time, dedication and budget to nurture it. Equally as important is setting expectations both with internal teams and with your research partners to ensure alignment every step of the way.\u00a0\n\nBe open-minded.\n\nYou never really know what you\u2019re going to find out once you open the research can of worms. It\u2019s important that you\u2019re at peace with that before you get started.\u00a0\nAs is the case with any research, you may have the most educated of hypotheses raring to go, but you can\u2019t underestimate the power of research to unearth facts and insights you never knew existed. As an organization, is it exciting? Of course. Is it also a little bit terrifying? Absolutely.\u00a0\nIf you go into a research exercise trying to reverse engineer a solution, you will likely find yourself disappointed. And perhaps even asking the question, what was the point of that? Maybe you just need the proof to show the Board, but it\u2019s a heck of a risk to take on the wild west of research in hopes your strategy is validated in retrospect.\u00a0\nAnd while we\u2019re on the subject\u2026\u00a0\n\nMost research is better invested at the beginning, not the end.\n\nMost brand-aware businesses now understand the importance of research. Odds are you aren\u2019t the person you\u2019re trying to talk to, and empathy only takes you so far. Sometimes you just have to pay the money and ask them. And it could be the wisest investment you make.\nYet why do most creative teams deflate at the mere mention of consumer research? The answer: it happens too late.\nIf you test your brand extensively at the end, you\u2019ll doubtless unearth gems of insight you\u2019d kill to have known months (and tens thousands of pounds) earlier. But you might have done, if you\u2019d asked before you started.\nWhen it\u2019s all said and done, we think research done right is hugely beneficial to a brand. We\u2019ve seen the tiniest of insights drive strong brand strategies and we\u2019ve witnessed some brilliant \u2018a-ha\u2019 moments. That\u2019s the power of good research. It\u2019s the a-ha moments that await you if you\u2019re willing to commit to the process. And if you do commit to the process, you may even find yourself falling in love with it.\n  ","summary":"Research. It\u2019s a polarising topic. Rarely do we see research apathy: you either love or hate it. If you love it, chances are you\u2019ve seen the value \u2013 it\u2019s given your brand clarity or strengthened your marketing strategy. But if you hate it...","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-07-02T12:39:09+0100","author":{"name":"Lindsay Wise"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5735","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/apple-brand-lessons","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Apple Brand Lessons","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESure, they\u0026#039;re the biggest company in the world with budgets that would make your eyes water. But we can still learn so much from Apple, no matter what size the budget or what business you\u0026#039;re in. We got talking about it. See what you think. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EA couple of reference articles that we talk through...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-lessons-apple\u0022\u003EArticle on the Good Site.\u00a0\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JdBYVNuky1M\u0022\u003EApple\u0027s Spring Forward event\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/fc24cb41\/a9b3a54d.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSure, they\u0026#039;re the biggest company in the world with budgets that would make your eyes water. But we can still learn so much from Apple, no matter what size the budget or what business you\u0026#039;re in. We got talking about it. See what you think. \n\n        A couple of reference articles that we talk through...Article on the Good Site.\u00a0Apple\u0027s Spring Forward event\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Sure, they\u0027re the biggest company in the world with budgets that would make your eyes water. But we can still learn so much from Apple, no matter what size the budget or what business you\u0027re in. We got talking about it. See what you think.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-06-21T09:39:25+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5459","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/sustainability-damaging-brands","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Sustainability is Damaging Brands","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EPost pandemic, it feels like the sustainability trend is going to dominate. For a tired old brand cynic, it\u2019s the next cab off the rank for brands to fetishise now that AR, QR codes and social media seem to have normalised.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an issue, it\u2019s increasingly politically and economically visible to consumers from their council\u2019s recycling policies through to green energy and electric vehicles. That\u2019s undeniably a good thing.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the problem we\u2019re seeing is that brands don\u2019t fully appreciate how to incorporate \u2018sustainability\u2019 into their brand. As a result, they\u2019re becoming unmoored from their real purpose, chasing a sustainability narrative instead of their own product or service narrative. They\u2019re losing focus and bleeding brand value because of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve come up with some indicators that your brand may be sliding off course, losing yourself in sustainability. If these feel too close to home, it may be time to re-evaluate:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYou\u00a0think of it as a differentiator.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlmost every organisation is now leaning into their sustainability credentials. It\u2019s becoming a box that needs to be ticked. So, perhaps a statement of the bleeding obvious, that means it\u2019s not really a key differentiator (unless your industry is starting from a really low base). This used to be called greenwash - which was mostly about green coloured recycling symbols. It\u2019s now gone a wee bit deeper, and you can read about Sustainability Policies and Commitments to Carbon Reduction and Roadmaps to Net Zero on almost every corporate organisation\u2019s home page now. They all sound very similar.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYou mostly use it as a tie-breaker.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cruel reality is consumers don\u2019t care. About lots of things. Stop them in the street and ask them if they care about the environment and they\u2019ll tell you it\u2019s up there. Follow their shopping habits and they\u2019ll prove themselves wrong. We all do it. Consumers want a good deal, a frictionless \u0026amp; hassle-free experience and all of it yesterday. If this brand also happens to be saving the planet - then all the better. And if it\u2019s a tie between two brands and one has a better sustainability message, then it might sway the purchase. But don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that it\u2019s driving their decision making.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not saying that there aren\u2019t groups of consumers and companies for whom it\u2019s much more than that. There are, but they\u2019re niche. For now.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYou think it\u2019s part of your DNA.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is where the real friction lies. In this process about getting serious around sustainability credentials, we feel that organisations are becoming confused about what lies at the heart of their offer - and what it is that makes them, \u2018them\u2019.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to get distracted by the sustainability message - it\u2019s a nice one and there\u2019s lots of positivity there. But the trick has to be not to let this dominate the foundational values that define the corporate DNA. The message can certainly be complementary, but it\u2019s not more important than the product or service you\u2019re selling. If sustainability has come to dominate the brand conversation, then it might be time to take a big step back.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my view there are very few large organisations who can claim, legitimately, that their sustainability philosophies form a core part of their brand. (I count one of our clients,\u00a0Interface, among them). If this is the case, then it\u2019s sensible to lean into it, being as clear and coherent as possible. Building a brand around sustainability won\u2019t cut any corners. It takes as much time, money, and discipline as anyone else. In fact, I\u2019d build on that to say that it might be harder because you\u2019re up against sophisticated greenwash competition. Who is a consumer to believe? So, even if it is core to your brand, there\u2019s still a lot of friction, indecision, and paranoia about how to assimilate it into the brand comms. Should it lead? How prominent? Does it need to be there all the time? Even brands like Interface wrestle with these brand and marketing decisions with every project.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EYou start adding more logos.\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother tendency - related to the original greenwashing - is to create a new logo, or suite of logos to prominently display the brand\u2019s commitment to the cause. These might be for products, services, reports, or departments - anything to generate noise and profile. However, we\u2019d counsel caution here as these well-intentioned initiatives can run away with themselves over a period of months and cause confusion. Anything that distracts or divides attention away from the main mother brand is not a good thing. Better to build the sustainability messaging into the main brand, strengthening its salience within its target customer group.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EIf you\u2019re already knee-deep in this stuff\u2026\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if it feels impossible to hold the tide back, then the best thing to do is to embrace simplicity. Sustainability is one of these areas that seems simple on the surface but is actually very complex and scientific underneath. Organisations are guilty of overcomplicating comms at the best of times but add sustainability to the mix and they can\u2019t help throwing terms around that most people haven\u2019t even heard of, let alone make sense of. A recent Government study on public attitudes showed that 69% of the public hadn\u2019t heard of or don\u2019t know what Carbon Capture is. In the same study, 55% of people hadn\u2019t heard of or didn\u2019t know anything about Net Zero*. Our advice? Don\u2019t touch the complexity unless you have to. Keep the messages broad, accessible, and easy to understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, that\u2019s it. Our advice is pretty clear. Sustainability is more likely to be complementary to your brand comms than integral. It\u2019s a side salad, not the main course. Focus on what the customer wants, hold the extra logos and keep it simple, stupid. \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve a podcast that goes into sustainability in more detail. Have a listen.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*Government\u2019s Public Attitudes tracker - March 2021.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nPost pandemic, it feels like the sustainability trend is going to dominate. For a tired old brand cynic, it\u2019s the next cab off the rank for brands to fetishise now that AR, QR codes and social media seem to have normalised.  \nAs an issue, it\u2019s increasingly politically and economically visible to consumers from their council\u2019s recycling policies through to green energy and electric vehicles. That\u2019s undeniably a good thing.\u00a0\nBut the problem we\u2019re seeing is that brands don\u2019t fully appreciate how to incorporate \u2018sustainability\u2019 into their brand. As a result, they\u2019re becoming unmoored from their real purpose, chasing a sustainability narrative instead of their own product or service narrative. They\u2019re losing focus and bleeding brand value because of it.\nWe\u2019ve come up with some indicators that your brand may be sliding off course, losing yourself in sustainability. If these feel too close to home, it may be time to re-evaluate:\n\u00a0\nYou\u00a0think of it as a differentiator.\u00a0\nAlmost every organisation is now leaning into their sustainability credentials. It\u2019s becoming a box that needs to be ticked. So, perhaps a statement of the bleeding obvious, that means it\u2019s not really a key differentiator (unless your industry is starting from a really low base). This used to be called greenwash - which was mostly about green coloured recycling symbols. It\u2019s now gone a wee bit deeper, and you can read about Sustainability Policies and Commitments to Carbon Reduction and Roadmaps to Net Zero on almost every corporate organisation\u2019s home page now. They all sound very similar.\nYou mostly use it as a tie-breaker.\nThe cruel reality is consumers don\u2019t care. About lots of things. Stop them in the street and ask them if they care about the environment and they\u2019ll tell you it\u2019s up there. Follow their shopping habits and they\u2019ll prove themselves wrong. We all do it. Consumers want a good deal, a frictionless \u0026amp; hassle-free experience and all of it yesterday. If this brand also happens to be saving the planet - then all the better. And if it\u2019s a tie between two brands and one has a better sustainability message, then it might sway the purchase. But don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that it\u2019s driving their decision making.\u00a0\nI\u2019m not saying that there aren\u2019t groups of consumers and companies for whom it\u2019s much more than that. There are, but they\u2019re niche. For now.\u00a0\nYou think it\u2019s part of your DNA.\nThis is where the real friction lies. In this process about getting serious around sustainability credentials, we feel that organisations are becoming confused about what lies at the heart of their offer - and what it is that makes them, \u2018them\u2019.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to get distracted by the sustainability message - it\u2019s a nice one and there\u2019s lots of positivity there. But the trick has to be not to let this dominate the foundational values that define the corporate DNA. The message can certainly be complementary, but it\u2019s not more important than the product or service you\u2019re selling. If sustainability has come to dominate the brand conversation, then it might be time to take a big step back.\nIn my view there are very few large organisations who can claim, legitimately, that their sustainability philosophies form a core part of their brand. (I count one of our clients,\u00a0Interface, among them). If this is the case, then it\u2019s sensible to lean into it, being as clear and coherent as possible. Building a brand around sustainability won\u2019t cut any corners. It takes as much time, money, and discipline as anyone else. In fact, I\u2019d build on that to say that it might be harder because you\u2019re up against sophisticated greenwash competition. Who is a consumer to believe? So, even if it is core to your brand, there\u2019s still a lot of friction, indecision, and paranoia about how to assimilate it into the brand comms. Should it lead? How prominent? Does it need to be there all the time? Even brands like Interface wrestle with these brand and marketing decisions with every project.\nYou start adding more logos.\u00a0\nAnother tendency - related to the original greenwashing - is to create a new logo, or suite of logos to prominently display the brand\u2019s commitment to the cause. These might be for products, services, reports, or departments - anything to generate noise and profile. However, we\u2019d counsel caution here as these well-intentioned initiatives can run away with themselves over a period of months and cause confusion. Anything that distracts or divides attention away from the main mother brand is not a good thing. Better to build the sustainability messaging into the main brand, strengthening its salience within its target customer group.\nIf you\u2019re already knee-deep in this stuff\u2026\nAnd if it feels impossible to hold the tide back, then the best thing to do is to embrace simplicity. Sustainability is one of these areas that seems simple on the surface but is actually very complex and scientific underneath. Organisations are guilty of overcomplicating comms at the best of times but add sustainability to the mix and they can\u2019t help throwing terms around that most people haven\u2019t even heard of, let alone make sense of. A recent Government study on public attitudes showed that 69% of the public hadn\u2019t heard of or don\u2019t know what Carbon Capture is. In the same study, 55% of people hadn\u2019t heard of or didn\u2019t know anything about Net Zero*. Our advice? Don\u2019t touch the complexity unless you have to. Keep the messages broad, accessible, and easy to understand.\nSo, that\u2019s it. Our advice is pretty clear. Sustainability is more likely to be complementary to your brand comms than integral. It\u2019s a side salad, not the main course. Focus on what the customer wants, hold the extra logos and keep it simple, stupid. \u00a0\nWe\u0027ve a podcast that goes into sustainability in more detail. Have a listen.\u00a0\n\n*Government\u2019s Public Attitudes tracker - March 2021.\n  ","summary":"Post pandemic, it feels like the sustainability trend is going to dominate. For a tired old brand cynic, it\u2019s the next cab off the rank for brands to fetishise now that AR, QR codes and social media seem to have normalised. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-06-11T13:30:14+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5460","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-building-recipe-success","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Building Recipe for Success","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a formula for brand success and it\u2019s really no different from that tried-and-true recipe you always go back to. When it comes to brand, we know what works \u2013 simplicity, quality and consistency \u2013 and it\u2019s what\u2019s worked for a very long time.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve been doing this a while now \u2013 17 years \u2013 and we\u2019ve seen a lot of trends come and go. As an industry we tend to over complicate the work we do. We love to change things up and we\u2019re addicted to trying new things. But at the end of the day, it is simple, high-quality ingredients applied in a reassuringly consistent way that get the best results. Here\u2019s my view on the key ingredients for branding success\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/good-foundations\u0022\u003EFoundations\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClear understanding of what makes you, you. This can be challenging from the inside out, but with some objective advice, it can be enormously valuable for the business. Taking soundings from a wide group of stakeholders from the CEO to the factory floor, the task itself can have a powerful unifying force for the organisation - setting the project up for success. In terms of capturing, analysing and presenting the information - we use a brand pyramid (a metaphor for focus) which starts with values, then mission, then vision. These should become more aspirational, the higher up the pyramid we go. The very top, the vision, should always be just out of reach. There are many variations of this pyramid and there are no absolute rights or wrongs. Ours is as simple as we can make it, and we think it\u2019s the simplicity that makes it hang together.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2676\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Brand Pyramid\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/screenshot_2021-06-10_at_14.30.22.png\u0022 width=\u00221723\u0022 height=\u00221115\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s important to stress that these elements are not a 100% must for business success. There are plenty of very successful orgs with revenues in the billions who operate with generic values such as integrity, professionalism and respect. (In fact a recent study showed that 30% of FTSE 100 companies had the same values). But having generic values means they\u2019re essentially meaningless. The actual value an organisation accrues in making an effort to understand and identify who they are and what makes them distinct comes in the meaning this communicates to staff and customers alike. It signifies that the brand is willing to make difficult choices and stand for something. These characteristics appeal in human beings and it\u2019s the same with organisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-lessons-apple\u0022\u003EBrand Assets\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrands are made up from a number of constituent elements that come together in concert to create the brand impression:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELogo \/\u00a0Visual identity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u00a0is the crystallisation of the organisation into a symbol or logotype. There is no right or wrong here - Coca Cola looks very different to\u00a0Nike but their identities have been crafted and protected for decades and they hardwire meaning into our brains. Good brands create a solid identity and stick with it.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELanguage \u0026amp; Tone of Voice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u00a0makes the brand human and easier to develop a relationship with. Too many brands (particularly in B2B) sound cold, corporate and mechanical. It\u2019s amazing how much more approachable a brand feels when it talks like a human rather than a computer.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EColours \u0026amp; Typography.\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003EHave they been considered and do they complement the other elements of the visual identity?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhotography \u0026amp; Illustration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u00a0can be commissioned in a distinct style that reflects the brand\u2019s values. Over time, consumers will begin to recognise this style as belonging to a specific brand.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeadlines\u00a0\u0026amp; Hierarchies.\u003C\/strong\u003E Brands that are able to communicate sympathetically to human readers by breaking up content into logical sections are easier to engage with than brands that don\u2019t. This is often overlooked, but the simple \u2018readability\u2019 of content has a disproportionate effect on how well a brand can communicate.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimplicity of execution.\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003EDo all of the elements combine to create simplicity in execution? In concert these elements should be easy to read, understand and consume. It should be a pleasing experience.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECategory standout.\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003EThe brand should look to command the space it occupies and be distinctive within its category.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/digital-and-brand\u0022\u003EDigital Context\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is everything. We\u2019ve written and talked about this a lot over the past few years and the COVID crisis has made it even more important. Every brand is an online business whether it believes it or not. And brand owners have a responsibility to remove or minimise every piece of customer friction on the way to purchase (or return). Consumers are brutal and their expectations are continually being elevated. Make them think more than they\u2019re used to\u2026make them wait longer than they want to\u2026make them search more than is reasonable\u2026and they\u2019ve gone somewhere else.\u00a0 This level of customer journey planning can get pretty deep \u0026amp; complex. But even at a surface level, we\u2019re constantly amazed at the simple things brands are getting wrong - for example optimising desktop sites over mobile experiences when the majority of consumers live on mobile. Your website IS your brand. It\u2019s not a separate thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00224\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-discipline-most-important-aspect-modern-branding\u0022\u003EDiscipline\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStick with it and don\u2019t veer off course. The most impressive thing about really successful brands is the level of discipline and self control they employ in order to keep things the same. Successful brands are the ones that stay the same more than they change. Coca-cola - the example from earlier - has maintained the same logo and colour scheme for more than a hundred years. How impressive is that?! Brands without this level of conviction swing in the wind and change things frequently in order to keep up with the latest fashions or tends. As brand people, one of the most feared phrases we can hear from a client is \u201cwe really want you to push the brand guidelines on this one\u201d\u2026because they\u2019re bored of seeing the same executions. That\u2019s what guidelines are for\u2026to ensure there\u2019s consistency across the brand output over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00225\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-tell-if-your-brand-leaking-value\u0022\u003EPatience \u0026amp; Investment\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe final pieces of the puzzle and ones that can\u2019t be shortcut. Brands aren\u2019t built overnight - they take time and money to build them.\u00a0 From a marketing point of view, organisations need to be focused on the balance between the short term sales activation activity and the longer term brand building activity. In a world where we expect instant results, it\u2019s easy to get lost in the cycle of chasing the short-term sales cycle; but brands are built over the long term. If the foundations have been constructed soundly, the assets chosen selectively and the customer experience curated carefully, then with a bit of discipline and investment over the long term, we\u2019d say there\u2019s a pretty good chance a strong brand will emerge.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it\u2019s hardly MasterChef. Once you\u2019ve got all the ingredients, it\u2019s actually pretty simple. The real challenge is for large corporates to be able to cut through the bureaucracy and politics to create the right conditions for their brands to flourish. That\u2019s where we can help, just give us a shout.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThere\u2019s a formula for brand success and it\u2019s really no different from that tried-and-true recipe you always go back to. When it comes to brand, we know what works \u2013 simplicity, quality and consistency \u2013 and it\u2019s what\u2019s worked for a very long time.  \nWe\u2019ve been doing this a while now \u2013 17 years \u2013 and we\u2019ve seen a lot of trends come and go. As an industry we tend to over complicate the work we do. We love to change things up and we\u2019re addicted to trying new things. But at the end of the day, it is simple, high-quality ingredients applied in a reassuringly consistent way that get the best results. Here\u2019s my view on the key ingredients for branding success\u2026\n\nFoundations\n\nClear understanding of what makes you, you. This can be challenging from the inside out, but with some objective advice, it can be enormously valuable for the business. Taking soundings from a wide group of stakeholders from the CEO to the factory floor, the task itself can have a powerful unifying force for the organisation - setting the project up for success. In terms of capturing, analysing and presenting the information - we use a brand pyramid (a metaphor for focus) which starts with values, then mission, then vision. These should become more aspirational, the higher up the pyramid we go. The very top, the vision, should always be just out of reach. There are many variations of this pyramid and there are no absolute rights or wrongs. Ours is as simple as we can make it, and we think it\u2019s the simplicity that makes it hang together.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt\u2019s important to stress that these elements are not a 100% must for business success. There are plenty of very successful orgs with revenues in the billions who operate with generic values such as integrity, professionalism and respect. (In fact a recent study showed that 30% of FTSE 100 companies had the same values). But having generic values means they\u2019re essentially meaningless. The actual value an organisation accrues in making an effort to understand and identify who they are and what makes them distinct comes in the meaning this communicates to staff and customers alike. It signifies that the brand is willing to make difficult choices and stand for something. These characteristics appeal in human beings and it\u2019s the same with organisations.\n\nBrand Assets\n\nBrands are made up from a number of constituent elements that come together in concert to create the brand impression:\nLogo \/\u00a0Visual identity\u00a0is the crystallisation of the organisation into a symbol or logotype. There is no right or wrong here - Coca Cola looks very different to\u00a0Nike but their identities have been crafted and protected for decades and they hardwire meaning into our brains. Good brands create a solid identity and stick with it.\nLanguage \u0026amp; Tone of Voice\u00a0makes the brand human and easier to develop a relationship with. Too many brands (particularly in B2B) sound cold, corporate and mechanical. It\u2019s amazing how much more approachable a brand feels when it talks like a human rather than a computer.\nColours \u0026amp; Typography.\u00a0Have they been considered and do they complement the other elements of the visual identity?\nPhotography \u0026amp; Illustration\u00a0can be commissioned in a distinct style that reflects the brand\u2019s values. Over time, consumers will begin to recognise this style as belonging to a specific brand.\nHeadlines\u00a0\u0026amp; Hierarchies. Brands that are able to communicate sympathetically to human readers by breaking up content into logical sections are easier to engage with than brands that don\u2019t. This is often overlooked, but the simple \u2018readability\u2019 of content has a disproportionate effect on how well a brand can communicate.\nSimplicity of execution.\u00a0Do all of the elements combine to create simplicity in execution? In concert these elements should be easy to read, understand and consume. It should be a pleasing experience.\u00a0\nCategory standout.\u00a0The brand should look to command the space it occupies and be distinctive within its category.\n\nDigital Context\n\nThis is everything. We\u2019ve written and talked about this a lot over the past few years and the COVID crisis has made it even more important. Every brand is an online business whether it believes it or not. And brand owners have a responsibility to remove or minimise every piece of customer friction on the way to purchase (or return). Consumers are brutal and their expectations are continually being elevated. Make them think more than they\u2019re used to\u2026make them wait longer than they want to\u2026make them search more than is reasonable\u2026and they\u2019ve gone somewhere else.\u00a0 This level of customer journey planning can get pretty deep \u0026amp; complex. But even at a surface level, we\u2019re constantly amazed at the simple things brands are getting wrong - for example optimising desktop sites over mobile experiences when the majority of consumers live on mobile. Your website IS your brand. It\u2019s not a separate thing.\n\nDiscipline\n\nStick with it and don\u2019t veer off course. The most impressive thing about really successful brands is the level of discipline and self control they employ in order to keep things the same. Successful brands are the ones that stay the same more than they change. Coca-cola - the example from earlier - has maintained the same logo and colour scheme for more than a hundred years. How impressive is that?! Brands without this level of conviction swing in the wind and change things frequently in order to keep up with the latest fashions or tends. As brand people, one of the most feared phrases we can hear from a client is \u201cwe really want you to push the brand guidelines on this one\u201d\u2026because they\u2019re bored of seeing the same executions. That\u2019s what guidelines are for\u2026to ensure there\u2019s consistency across the brand output over time.\n\nPatience \u0026amp; Investment\n\nThe final pieces of the puzzle and ones that can\u2019t be shortcut. Brands aren\u2019t built overnight - they take time and money to build them.\u00a0 From a marketing point of view, organisations need to be focused on the balance between the short term sales activation activity and the longer term brand building activity. In a world where we expect instant results, it\u2019s easy to get lost in the cycle of chasing the short-term sales cycle; but brands are built over the long term. If the foundations have been constructed soundly, the assets chosen selectively and the customer experience curated carefully, then with a bit of discipline and investment over the long term, we\u2019d say there\u2019s a pretty good chance a strong brand will emerge.\nSo, it\u2019s hardly MasterChef. Once you\u2019ve got all the ingredients, it\u2019s actually pretty simple. The real challenge is for large corporates to be able to cut through the bureaucracy and politics to create the right conditions for their brands to flourish. That\u2019s where we can help, just give us a shout.\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"There\u2019s a formula for brand success and it\u2019s really no different from that tried-and-true recipe you always go back to. When it comes to brand, we know what works \u2013 simplicity, quality and consistency \u2013 and it\u2019s what\u2019s worked for a very long time. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-06-09T12:44:39+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5461","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/most-important-aspect-modern-branding-discipline","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Most Important Aspect of Modern Branding? Discipline","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe world of branding is notorious for making changes to brands all the time. It\u0026#039;s as if we need to keep changing to attract attention, when in actual fact, it\u0026#039;s the opposite that\u0026#039;s true. The more brands stay the same, the more recognisable they become. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo the rule should really be \u0027just don\u0027t change anything\u0027. In reality, it\u0027s much more nuanced than that. If you need to change your brand, then judgements need to be made around what aspects of your brand are considered to be key distinctive assets (and should be maintained \u0026amp; polished) versus the other extraneous elements that are just creating noise and are getting in the way.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOver the years, we\u0027ve identified patterns emerging in the traps that clients get stuck in during that process. These are a series of pitfalls awaiting them in their future branding projects - which create friction and slow things down. Here are some of the most common things we see and why discipline is needed to avoid them:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E1. Desire for change\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EChange for change\u0027s sake is really common. People within the client organisation can get bored of looking at their brand and its current graphic articulation - they want to freshen things up. The main issue here is that they forget their customers aren\u0027t looking at this brand every day of their lives and actually need the familiarity of the graphic articulation to act as a signpost for recognition and decision making.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe desire for change should be rooted in the business need to avoid the \u0022just because\u0022. If you feel that the brand doesn\u0027t accurately represent your business anymore, great, look at repositioning the brand to help your customers understand your place in their lives. Does your logo look like a smudge when listed on Linkedin? That seems like a good reason to review the logo.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EYour customers are savvy about what you\u0027re doing. If it\u0027s changing for change sake, it\u0027ll only result in a solid wave of \u0022so what\u0022 crashing upon you. Meaningful business change has to be behind any brand refresh. Applying discipline to that maxim will save you money and time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E2. Relying on research to make decisions\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENo one wants to be doing the wrong thing. We understand that fear, and we understand the temptation of putting new creative into research. After all, that sounds like the very definition of customer-centricity. But here\u0027s the challenge; focus groups only look at what\u0027s in front of them, rather than a long-term strategic view.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENotwithstanding the fact, there\u0027s a huge difference between what they say, what they do and what they say they do. Using research to make decisions almost always leads to more change than is needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-research-tips\u0022\u003EIf it does have to be used, be smart about how it\u0027s deployed and use it to help guide the decision making.\u003C\/a\u003E Think about what you\u0027re looking for. Questions like \u0022What do you think this looks like?\u0022 aren\u0027t helpful.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E3. Too many names\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENew product, new name. New service, new name. Soon you\u0027ve got a sprawling brand architecture that is unwieldy, confusing and expensive to maintain.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe equity is almost always in the mother brand (especially in B2B), but it\u0027s soooo seductive for organisations to come up with new names. I\u0027ve written about this many times - how the scope of our work in the brand architecture sphere is often around making things simpler and getting rid of names rather than creating new ones.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA great example of discipline around naming came recently from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-lessons-apple\u0022\u003EApple\u003C\/a\u003E (who else?!). When they launched their new Air Pods Max - which are basically big \u0027over the head bins\u0027 - can you imagine the temptation to create a new \u0027sub name\u0027? Most other brands simply wouldn\u0027t have been able to resist, but because Apple is SO consumer-focused, they realised that AirPods is already an established convention for naming their headphones and creating something new was both unnecessary and risked customer confusion.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe temptation to add more names is compelling but being disciplined is a strength here for the long term. Easier to make hard decisions around a simple naming structure and stick to it rather than having to weed out many names later on when the brand feels overgrown.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E4. Leadership\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0027Brand\u0027 is a subject on which everyone\u0027s keen to offer opinions. But there has to be a line between the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/five-signs-brand-leadership\u0022\u003Eskill, experience and leadership of the senior client team\u003C\/a\u003E who have been through a branding project before (hopefully many times) and those stakeholders who have no domain expertise but \u0027want to be involved\u0027.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe discipline call here is to run the project with a small team that are empowered to make decisions. By all means, gather a wide range of opinions from the business before you start. This understanding is invaluable, but don\u0027t let them play an active role in shaping the output, or you\u0027ll end up focusing on the subjective aspects of the work rather than the strategic. This leads us on nicely to...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E5. Arguing over subjective inconsequentials\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHowever, we know that at some point during the process, you need to take any new branding work up the chain for some kind of feedback. This is where things can become unstuck.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIf you ask someone for an opinion, they\u0027ll give you one. And it may be based on having something to say rather than providing constructive feedback.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESoon you\u0027re into conversations around the size of the logo, colours and what a strapline should be. These can be generally subjective and tend to lead you into branding conversations that end up disappearing down a rabbit hole of contradictory feedback. They\u0027re also deadline killers, sucking up time and wasting energy.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe trick to sidestep these conversations is to bring these people on the journey. Frame the rebrand as a business driver and avoid presenting graphic assets in isolation and inviting subjective scrutiny. Present the elements in their natural habitat e.g. within websites, packaging or adverts, to show that a brand is all about how they come together in concert, rather than on whether the logo \u0027looks a bit like a dog\u0027s face\u0027 or that the proposed blue \u0027feels too much like the sea\u0027.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe more we do this, the more we come to respect the brands that are able to maintain a coherent and consistent brand execution over a period of years without embracing change for change\u0027s sake. We respect that it\u0027s hard to maintain that discipline in a corporate environment. And it\u0027s easy for us to talk like this, unencumbered with the politics and power-plays that exist in big organisations, but we say it because we think that \u0022brand discipline\u0022 is one of the most important aspirations in the management of modern brands.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe world of branding is notorious for making changes to brands all the time. It\u0026#039;s as if we need to keep changing to attract attention, when in actual fact, it\u0026#039;s the opposite that\u0026#039;s true. The more brands stay the same, the more recognisable they become. \nSo the rule should really be \u0027just don\u0027t change anything\u0027. In reality, it\u0027s much more nuanced than that. If you need to change your brand, then judgements need to be made around what aspects of your brand are considered to be key distinctive assets (and should be maintained \u0026amp; polished) versus the other extraneous elements that are just creating noise and are getting in the way.Over the years, we\u0027ve identified patterns emerging in the traps that clients get stuck in during that process. These are a series of pitfalls awaiting them in their future branding projects - which create friction and slow things down. Here are some of the most common things we see and why discipline is needed to avoid them:1. Desire for changeChange for change\u0027s sake is really common. People within the client organisation can get bored of looking at their brand and its current graphic articulation - they want to freshen things up. The main issue here is that they forget their customers aren\u0027t looking at this brand every day of their lives and actually need the familiarity of the graphic articulation to act as a signpost for recognition and decision making.\u0026nbsp;The desire for change should be rooted in the business need to avoid the \u0022just because\u0022. If you feel that the brand doesn\u0027t accurately represent your business anymore, great, look at repositioning the brand to help your customers understand your place in their lives. Does your logo look like a smudge when listed on Linkedin? That seems like a good reason to review the logo.\u0026nbsp;Your customers are savvy about what you\u0027re doing. If it\u0027s changing for change sake, it\u0027ll only result in a solid wave of \u0022so what\u0022 crashing upon you. Meaningful business change has to be behind any brand refresh. Applying discipline to that maxim will save you money and time.\u0026nbsp;2. Relying on research to make decisionsNo one wants to be doing the wrong thing. We understand that fear, and we understand the temptation of putting new creative into research. After all, that sounds like the very definition of customer-centricity. But here\u0027s the challenge; focus groups only look at what\u0027s in front of them, rather than a long-term strategic view.\u0026nbsp;Notwithstanding the fact, there\u0027s a huge difference between what they say, what they do and what they say they do. Using research to make decisions almost always leads to more change than is needed.\u0026nbsp;If it does have to be used, be smart about how it\u0027s deployed and use it to help guide the decision making. Think about what you\u0027re looking for. Questions like \u0022What do you think this looks like?\u0022 aren\u0027t helpful.\u0026nbsp;3. Too many namesNew product, new name. New service, new name. Soon you\u0027ve got a sprawling brand architecture that is unwieldy, confusing and expensive to maintain.\u0026nbsp;The equity is almost always in the mother brand (especially in B2B), but it\u0027s soooo seductive for organisations to come up with new names. I\u0027ve written about this many times - how the scope of our work in the brand architecture sphere is often around making things simpler and getting rid of names rather than creating new ones.A great example of discipline around naming came recently from Apple (who else?!). When they launched their new Air Pods Max - which are basically big \u0027over the head bins\u0027 - can you imagine the temptation to create a new \u0027sub name\u0027? Most other brands simply wouldn\u0027t have been able to resist, but because Apple is SO consumer-focused, they realised that AirPods is already an established convention for naming their headphones and creating something new was both unnecessary and risked customer confusion.The temptation to add more names is compelling but being disciplined is a strength here for the long term. Easier to make hard decisions around a simple naming structure and stick to it rather than having to weed out many names later on when the brand feels overgrown.4. Leadership\u0027Brand\u0027 is a subject on which everyone\u0027s keen to offer opinions. But there has to be a line between the skill, experience and leadership of the senior client team who have been through a branding project before (hopefully many times) and those stakeholders who have no domain expertise but \u0027want to be involved\u0027.The discipline call here is to run the project with a small team that are empowered to make decisions. By all means, gather a wide range of opinions from the business before you start. This understanding is invaluable, but don\u0027t let them play an active role in shaping the output, or you\u0027ll end up focusing on the subjective aspects of the work rather than the strategic. This leads us on nicely to...5. Arguing over subjective inconsequentialsHowever, we know that at some point during the process, you need to take any new branding work up the chain for some kind of feedback. This is where things can become unstuck.\u0026nbsp;If you ask someone for an opinion, they\u0027ll give you one. And it may be based on having something to say rather than providing constructive feedback.\u0026nbsp;Soon you\u0027re into conversations around the size of the logo, colours and what a strapline should be. These can be generally subjective and tend to lead you into branding conversations that end up disappearing down a rabbit hole of contradictory feedback. They\u0027re also deadline killers, sucking up time and wasting energy.The trick to sidestep these conversations is to bring these people on the journey. Frame the rebrand as a business driver and avoid presenting graphic assets in isolation and inviting subjective scrutiny. Present the elements in their natural habitat e.g. within websites, packaging or adverts, to show that a brand is all about how they come together in concert, rather than on whether the logo \u0027looks a bit like a dog\u0027s face\u0027 or that the proposed blue \u0027feels too much like the sea\u0027.The more we do this, the more we come to respect the brands that are able to maintain a coherent and consistent brand execution over a period of years without embracing change for change\u0027s sake. We respect that it\u0027s hard to maintain that discipline in a corporate environment. And it\u0027s easy for us to talk like this, unencumbered with the politics and power-plays that exist in big organisations, but we say it because we think that \u0022brand discipline\u0022 is one of the most important aspirations in the management of modern brands.  ","summary":"The world of branding is notorious for making changes to brands all the time. It\u0027s as if we need to keep changing to attract attention, when in actual fact, it\u0027s the opposite that\u0027s true. The more brands stay the same, the more recognisable they become.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-05-18T15:36:30+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5736","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/getting-clarity-around-brands","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Getting Clarity Around Brands","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you communicate coherently and consistently with your customers, you\u0026#039;ll outperform your competitors. We wanted to prove that this is the case, so we started to get insight from data to prove it. And, lo, Clarity Reports were born. We chat through what they are, why we think they\u2019re useful and how the reports can be used to guide brands. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EHI EVERYONE! \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are the links that we mention in the podcast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/introducing-clarity-reports\u0022\u003EAn introduction to the Clarity Reports.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/clarity\u0022\u003EThe Clarity Report section on our website.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat do you think? What are we missing? What do you want to know more about? We\u2019re really interested in your thoughts. Let us know by emailing us at clarity@wearegood.com. Really, have a look and let us know.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/c4ea99bf\/f45a7921.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIf you communicate coherently and consistently with your customers, you\u0026#039;ll outperform your competitors. We wanted to prove that this is the case, so we started to get insight from data to prove it. And, lo, Clarity Reports were born. We chat through what they are, why we think they\u2019re useful and how the reports can be used to guide brands. \n\n        HI EVERYONE! Here are the links that we mention in the podcast.An introduction to the Clarity Reports.The Clarity Report section on our website.What do you think? What are we missing? What do you want to know more about? We\u2019re really interested in your thoughts. Let us know by emailing us at clarity@wearegood.com. Really, have a look and let us know.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"If you communicate coherently and consistently with your customers, you\u0027ll outperform your competitors. We wanted to prove that this is the case, so we started to get insight from data to prove it. And, lo, Clarity Reports were born. We chat through what they are, why we think they\u2019re useful and how the reports can be used to guide brands.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-05-05T09:13:24+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5462","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-lessons-apple","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Lessons from Apple","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI feel for clients as they go around their agencies\u2014presentations, suggestions, observations and, occasionally, insights. And then, when talking through a particular challenge, they are brought up. The Jesus of Modern Branding: Apple. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s now at a point where it\u0027s become a cliche. When you\u0027re looking for a best of class example, head over to Apple, it must be so dull for clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut. But. Apple is excellent. And they do offer a lot of good lessons on what makes a strong brand. They\u2019re not perfect, but you can see how they\u2019ve built the brand up over time. And what Apple has done is repeatable by every brand, no matter what sector they\u2019re in. It\u0027s not a matter of budget; it\u0027s about discipline. It\u2019s that discipline that has marked out Apple over the years. Let\u0027s take a look at three areas that we can use for our own brands.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. Apple is led by a purpose.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat drives Apple? A better iPhone? An innovation breakthrough? Higher profit margins?\u00a0It\u0027s none of that. Apple\u0027s values drive them. And it\u2019s where they start everything, even when they start their product launch events. Look at what Tim Cook talked about at the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JdBYVNuky1M\u0022\u003E Spring Forward 2021\u003C\/a\u003E event:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHello, and welcome back to Apple Park for our first event of 2021. After the challenges of this past year, we\u0027re optimistic that brighter days are just in front of us. As we move forward, we feel it\u0027s important that Apple continues to make a difference in people\u0027s lives, through our products and our values.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProducts and values. It\u0027s one thing saying that you have values, it\u0027s another to then demonstrate the proof points around them. At the very top of this presentation, Tim Cook lays one of the values right out there.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis week marks the annual Earth Day celebration and I couldn\u0027t be more proud of the environmental initiatives and commitments we are making at Apple. Today, Apple is carbon neutral for our global corporate operations, with all of our offices, stores, and data centers running on 100 percent renewable energy. And by 2030, Apple will be 100 percent carbon neutral across our entire end-to-end footprint, including our supply chain and the use of our products.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EApple is driven by a sense of purpose. In this opening, they don\u0027t just say that they want to make a difference; they back that statement with proof points, in this case, their commitment to the environmental credentials of the business. And those proof points are nothing to do with their products; it starts with showing Apple living their values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, it\u0027s the last couple of sentences of this opening, though, sets the tone for the event:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Apple, our values and principles make us who we are. They drive us to create products and services that are better, easier, and more enjoyable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis sentiment, what drives Apple, is repeated throughout the event.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022intro\u0022\u003EAnd with the new iMac, the strongest lineup of Macs we\u0027ve ever had gets even better.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022intro\u0022\u003EWe also have a brand new clickpad, with five-way navigation for better accuracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022intro\u0022\u003EFor M1 to fit into its incredibly thin and light design requires power efficiency that\u0027s way beyond just being better.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sense of better is connected to making products easier and more enjoyable, all driven by their values.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompare Apple\u0027s opening statement to that of Spotify\u0027s\u00a0introducing\u00a0a new Spotify product, Car Thing, on their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.spotify.com\/2021-04-13\/spotify-launches-our-newest-exploration-a-limited-release-of-car-thing-a-smart-player-for-your-car\/\u0022\u003EPR blog\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBetween work commutes, taking the kids to school, daily errands, and road trips, Americans spend countless hours on the road. It\u0027s no surprise, then, that there are over 70 million user-generated driving-related playlists on Spotify. No matter where you\u0027re headed, Spotify is the perfect companion in the car, thanks to the many ways to listen to Spotify and our curated playlists, like Daily Drive and Songs to Sing in the Car. And today, we\u0027re excited to announce our newest exploration: a limited release of Car Thing, a new smart player that fills your car with music, news, entertainment, talk, and more.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s a feature-led opening. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But it doesn\u0027t tie you into Spotify\u0027s overarching purpose, which seems to be \u0022becoming the world\u0027s number one audio platform\u0022. Again, it\u0027s not a terrible purpose, but, given the nature of their offering, it doesn\u0027t feel emotive enough to connect to. Or ownable. What does number one mean?\u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lesson here is that companies that just created products were driven to make better products. So proud of these products that they couldn\u0027t help listing specifications, features and details around the products. But anyone can try to copy a product. Companies with a strong sense of purpose combine both brand values and excellent products to help differentiate their offering to customers from the competition.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBringing these two elements together, brand values and excellent products builds trust with the customer and offers a significant competitive advantage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat competitive advantage can be significant. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kantar.no\/globalassets\/ekspertiseomrader\/merkevarebygging\/purpose-2020\/p2020-frokostseminar-250418.pdf\u0022\u003EKantar Purpose 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0study showed that purpose-driven brands achieve more than twice the brand-value growth of brands that focus purely on profit generation. Purpose is directly correlated with financial performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge is for organisations to determine their authentic purpose, borne out of the brand and its values. So, what\u0027s driving your company? Is it the product or your values? Having the discipline to understand your values and let them guide your product is key to lifting your offering beyond the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Advertising is the business of words\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother pitfall with product-led companies is when they get excited about their products. Copy around the product then goes on and on, missing the point and losing the customer benefit. Apple does excellent work with their copy, making it look effortless. Let\u0027s take a look at how they describe the M1 chip, which is a big deal in performance and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2620\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple M1 Chip Description\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/cleanshot_2021-04-27_at_13.47.512x.png\u0022 width=\u00221534\u0022 height=\u00221528\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis outlines the benefits of the M1 chip combined with the Mac\u0027s operating system. Big Sur. It gets geeky but hits you with big numbers. It\u0027s talking to a specific customer but using percentages to give a sense of scale. It\u0027s clearly written, but the following three areas of copy help to contextualise the M1 in how it solves customer problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2621\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022M1 Benefit Copy Example 1\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/cleanshot_2021-04-27_at_13.48.132x.png\u0022 width=\u00222816\u0022 height=\u00222112\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2623\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022 M1 Benefit Copy Example 2\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/cleanshot_2021-04-27_at_13.48.302x_0.png\u0022 width=\u00222816\u0022 height=\u00222112\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2624\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022M1 Benefit Copy Example 3\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/cleanshot_2021-04-27_at_13.48.392x.png\u0022 width=\u00222816\u0022 height=\u00222112\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s really lovely copy, and it seems so effortless. But this is some hard-working copy; it puts the customer at the heart of the story rather than boasting about the technology.\u00a0\u00a0Whenever Apple talks about new technology, they strike the right balance of mentioning features (85% faster), leading to a customer benefit that makes something better (the best photography on a phone). Understanding this balance helps connect the product to a customer need. Apple always focuses on customer benefit while promoting its culture of innovation.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Creating Distinctive Assets\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOK, let\u0027s start by stating the obvious. Apple spends a fortune on assets. Possibly the highest quality marketing material in the world. An image on the homepage of apple.com probably costs the same as a royal wedding. However, the interesting point isn\u0027t the quality of the assets, more how they are used.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EApple always has a series of key assets that are shared through every channel. For the new 24\u0022 iMac launch, the asset you\u0027re going to see everywhere is this image.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2625\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple iMac Hero Image\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00225\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/apple_united_kingdom.png\u0022 width=\u00222020\u0022 height=\u0022862\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was first shown in the Spring event presentation:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2626\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple iMac Hero Shot in Event Video\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00226\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/cleanshot_2021-04-28_at_22.05.53.png\u0022 width=\u00221674\u0022 height=\u00221025\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s on the Apple homepage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2627\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple Homepage iMac Hero\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00227\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/apple.png\u0022 width=\u00222732\u0022 height=\u00221465\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s in the new ad:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2629\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple iMac Hero Image Ad\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00229\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/jpeg_image.jpeg\u0022 width=\u0022902\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s on the main product page\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2628\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple iMac Hero Image Product Page\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00228\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/imac_24-inch_-_apple.png\u0022 width=\u00222732\u0022 height=\u00221839\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt. Is. Everywhere.\u00a0I expect to see variants over social media and YouTube over the next few months too. But given Apple\u0027s budget, why have they not gone for new images of a great looking product at every point?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERegardless of the quality of the asset, the critical point is that the repetition of that asset builds up recognition and mental availability in the mind of your customers. This all contributes to then being the first brand in mind when an individual comes to buy. This asset expands beyond these kinds of images; your logo is an asset that should be repeated as often as possible in your marketing efforts. It builds brand and awareness with the customer.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI know that sounds straight from the school of the bleeding obvious, but it\u0027s amazing how many online display ads don\u0027t use the logo.\u00a0\u00a0This can be partially explained by the prominence of performance marketing trying to solve a problem at that particular moment rather than strengthening a brand with every customer interaction. I get it, but it very short-term thinking. Apple always ends an ad with that logo, reinforcing the brand at every turn.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2630\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Apple End Logo\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u002210\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/image.png\u0022 width=\u00222429\u0022 height=\u00221703\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELook at what you have, make sure that it feels distinctive and then make sure it\u0027s used everywhere that\u0027s relevant. It sounds easy but needs the discipline to make sure that it\u0027s consistently done over time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EApple isn\u0027t perfect. Some of the brand architecture decisions over the past few years have been questionable, to say the least.\u00a0\u00a0But the three areas I covered are where Apple excel and do so repeatably. But these aren\u0027t magic bullets. They\u0027re brand principles that are applied rigorously and patiently over a long period of time. That\u0027s why agencies mention Apple so much, not because of the shiny, shiny Apple produce but the discipline around the execution that\u0027s so impressive.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI feel for clients as they go around their agencies\u2014presentations, suggestions, observations and, occasionally, insights. And then, when talking through a particular challenge, they are brought up. The Jesus of Modern Branding: Apple. \nIt\u0027s now at a point where it\u0027s become a cliche. When you\u0027re looking for a best of class example, head over to Apple, it must be so dull for clients.\nBut. But. Apple is excellent. And they do offer a lot of good lessons on what makes a strong brand. They\u2019re not perfect, but you can see how they\u2019ve built the brand up over time. And what Apple has done is repeatable by every brand, no matter what sector they\u2019re in. It\u0027s not a matter of budget; it\u0027s about discipline. It\u2019s that discipline that has marked out Apple over the years. Let\u0027s take a look at three areas that we can use for our own brands.\n1. Apple is led by a purpose.\nWhat drives Apple? A better iPhone? An innovation breakthrough? Higher profit margins?\u00a0It\u0027s none of that. Apple\u0027s values drive them. And it\u2019s where they start everything, even when they start their product launch events. Look at what Tim Cook talked about at the Spring Forward 2021 event:\nHello, and welcome back to Apple Park for our first event of 2021. After the challenges of this past year, we\u0027re optimistic that brighter days are just in front of us. As we move forward, we feel it\u0027s important that Apple continues to make a difference in people\u0027s lives, through our products and our values.\nProducts and values. It\u0027s one thing saying that you have values, it\u0027s another to then demonstrate the proof points around them. At the very top of this presentation, Tim Cook lays one of the values right out there.\nThis week marks the annual Earth Day celebration and I couldn\u0027t be more proud of the environmental initiatives and commitments we are making at Apple. Today, Apple is carbon neutral for our global corporate operations, with all of our offices, stores, and data centers running on 100 percent renewable energy. And by 2030, Apple will be 100 percent carbon neutral across our entire end-to-end footprint, including our supply chain and the use of our products.\nApple is driven by a sense of purpose. In this opening, they don\u0027t just say that they want to make a difference; they back that statement with proof points, in this case, their commitment to the environmental credentials of the business. And those proof points are nothing to do with their products; it starts with showing Apple living their values.\nHowever, it\u0027s the last couple of sentences of this opening, though, sets the tone for the event:\nAt Apple, our values and principles make us who we are. They drive us to create products and services that are better, easier, and more enjoyable.\n\nThis sentiment, what drives Apple, is repeated throughout the event.\u00a0\n\nAnd with the new iMac, the strongest lineup of Macs we\u0027ve ever had gets even better.\n\n\nWe also have a brand new clickpad, with five-way navigation for better accuracy.\n\n\nFor M1 to fit into its incredibly thin and light design requires power efficiency that\u0027s way beyond just being better.\n\nThat sense of better is connected to making products easier and more enjoyable, all driven by their values.\nCompare Apple\u0027s opening statement to that of Spotify\u0027s\u00a0introducing\u00a0a new Spotify product, Car Thing, on their PR blog.\nBetween work commutes, taking the kids to school, daily errands, and road trips, Americans spend countless hours on the road. It\u0027s no surprise, then, that there are over 70 million user-generated driving-related playlists on Spotify. No matter where you\u0027re headed, Spotify is the perfect companion in the car, thanks to the many ways to listen to Spotify and our curated playlists, like Daily Drive and Songs to Sing in the Car. And today, we\u0027re excited to announce our newest exploration: a limited release of Car Thing, a new smart player that fills your car with music, news, entertainment, talk, and more.\nIt\u0027s a feature-led opening. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But it doesn\u0027t tie you into Spotify\u0027s overarching purpose, which seems to be \u0022becoming the world\u0027s number one audio platform\u0022. Again, it\u0027s not a terrible purpose, but, given the nature of their offering, it doesn\u0027t feel emotive enough to connect to. Or ownable. What does number one mean?\u00a0\u00a0\nThe lesson here is that companies that just created products were driven to make better products. So proud of these products that they couldn\u0027t help listing specifications, features and details around the products. But anyone can try to copy a product. Companies with a strong sense of purpose combine both brand values and excellent products to help differentiate their offering to customers from the competition.\u00a0\nBringing these two elements together, brand values and excellent products builds trust with the customer and offers a significant competitive advantage.\nThat competitive advantage can be significant. The Kantar Purpose 2020\u00a0study showed that purpose-driven brands achieve more than twice the brand-value growth of brands that focus purely on profit generation. Purpose is directly correlated with financial performance.\nThe challenge is for organisations to determine their authentic purpose, borne out of the brand and its values. So, what\u0027s driving your company? Is it the product or your values? Having the discipline to understand your values and let them guide your product is key to lifting your offering beyond the competition.\n2. Advertising is the business of words\nAnother pitfall with product-led companies is when they get excited about their products. Copy around the product then goes on and on, missing the point and losing the customer benefit. Apple does excellent work with their copy, making it look effortless. Let\u0027s take a look at how they describe the M1 chip, which is a big deal in performance and innovation.\n\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nThis outlines the benefits of the M1 chip combined with the Mac\u0027s operating system. Big Sur. It gets geeky but hits you with big numbers. It\u0027s talking to a specific customer but using percentages to give a sense of scale. It\u0027s clearly written, but the following three areas of copy help to contextualise the M1 in how it solves customer problems.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt\u0027s really lovely copy, and it seems so effortless. But this is some hard-working copy; it puts the customer at the heart of the story rather than boasting about the technology.\u00a0\u00a0Whenever Apple talks about new technology, they strike the right balance of mentioning features (85% faster), leading to a customer benefit that makes something better (the best photography on a phone). Understanding this balance helps connect the product to a customer need. Apple always focuses on customer benefit while promoting its culture of innovation.\u00a0\n3. Creating Distinctive Assets\nOK, let\u0027s start by stating the obvious. Apple spends a fortune on assets. Possibly the highest quality marketing material in the world. An image on the homepage of apple.com probably costs the same as a royal wedding. However, the interesting point isn\u0027t the quality of the assets, more how they are used.\u00a0\nApple always has a series of key assets that are shared through every channel. For the new 24\u0022 iMac launch, the asset you\u0027re going to see everywhere is this image.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nIt was first shown in the Spring event presentation:\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt\u0027s on the Apple homepage.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt\u2019s in the new ad:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nIt\u0027s on the main product page\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nIt. Is. Everywhere.\u00a0I expect to see variants over social media and YouTube over the next few months too. But given Apple\u0027s budget, why have they not gone for new images of a great looking product at every point?\nRegardless of the quality of the asset, the critical point is that the repetition of that asset builds up recognition and mental availability in the mind of your customers. This all contributes to then being the first brand in mind when an individual comes to buy. This asset expands beyond these kinds of images; your logo is an asset that should be repeated as often as possible in your marketing efforts. It builds brand and awareness with the customer.\u00a0\nI know that sounds straight from the school of the bleeding obvious, but it\u0027s amazing how many online display ads don\u0027t use the logo.\u00a0\u00a0This can be partially explained by the prominence of performance marketing trying to solve a problem at that particular moment rather than strengthening a brand with every customer interaction. I get it, but it very short-term thinking. Apple always ends an ad with that logo, reinforcing the brand at every turn.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nLook at what you have, make sure that it feels distinctive and then make sure it\u0027s used everywhere that\u0027s relevant. It sounds easy but needs the discipline to make sure that it\u0027s consistently done over time.\nApple isn\u0027t perfect. Some of the brand architecture decisions over the past few years have been questionable, to say the least.\u00a0\u00a0But the three areas I covered are where Apple excel and do so repeatably. But these aren\u0027t magic bullets. They\u0027re brand principles that are applied rigorously and patiently over a long period of time. That\u0027s why agencies mention Apple so much, not because of the shiny, shiny Apple produce but the discipline around the execution that\u0027s so impressive.\n  ","summary":"I feel for clients as they go around their agencies\u2014presentations, suggestions, observations and, occasionally, insights. And then, when talking through a particular challenge, they are brought up. The Jesus of Modern Branding: Apple.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-05-04T21:57:59+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5463","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/your-employer-brand-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Your Employer Brand is Your Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ETo understand what it takes to create an effective employer brand, it\u2019s essential that we\u2019re on the same page about what exactly an employer brand is, and why it\u0026#039;s important.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt its most fundamental level, your employer brand is how you\u2019re perceived by potential and current talent as an employer, it should build the image of your company as a great place to work, expressing who you are as an employer rather than just a corporate entity.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhy employer brand is important and what role it plays in your organisation is where the concept has, for better or worse, become a bit more subjective. But the reality is this; all brands, no matter how big or small, are working toward a healthier bottom line. To nurture that bottom line, there is no doubt that you are relying on your employees to help you get there. It really is that simple, happier employees will ultimately help you achieve a healthier bottom line.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOkay, so now we\u2019re on the same page about what an employer brand is and why it\u2019s important. The next step is to consider what it takes to create an effective employer brand. To strip away the confusion and break down the silos that may have held you back in the past, we\u2019ve pulled together our top 3 tips:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E1. \u00a0 Understand the synergy between brand and employer brand\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMany internal or employer brands fail because they\u2019re created in isolation from the main brand. Considering the three-part mantra \u2018attract \u2013 engage \u2013 retain\u2019 is probably on the wall of every HR department, it\u2019s natural that ownership of the employer brand traditionally lived within this domain, but it\u2019s no coincidence that this same mantra could also apply to your brand\u2019s marketing strategy. It\u2019s because there is an inherent synergy between attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent and loyal customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYour brand purpose and values drive you as a brand. If you feel your organisation is a little lost culturally speaking, look to those values. They should guide you, your employees, and ultimately create the foundations for strong internal communications. If you\u2019re guided by the same values and disciplined in your execution, you\u2019ll quickly begin to notice the symbiotic benefits.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E2. \u00a0 Think about the digital context\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWith insight-driven platforms like Glassdoor highlighting the importance of transparency and the employee experience, it is essential that consideration be made from day one about how the brand will operate across digital channels \u2013 and what the overall digital strategy will be \u2013 to ensure that the solution is fit for purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJust like with brand and product reviews, people are far more likely to trust a company based on what its employees have to say rather than what the company itself claims. This trend toward authenticity means attracting talent relies far more heavily on existing employee engagement and advocacy than ever before.\u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESpeaking of mantras, our mantra at Good is that you cannot solve a brand problem without addressing the digital context. That same principle holds true with your employer brand (again, think back to that synergy).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E3. \u00a0 Consider the measurement for success\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEven the most successful employer brands cannot self-sustain without continual commitment to quality control. So, how do you measure that success to ensure your employer brand is reflective of your organisation? Well, it\u2019s the same principle as the measurement of any investment in brand work \u2013 you have to consider your objectives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhether your major issue is retention, engagement, quality and cost of hires or numbers of applicants (or, indeed, all four and more), it is these rates you need to track.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA smart agency will encourage you to understand your performance in all of these areas before they even begin to look at developing your employer brand, and they will want to know what success looks like in each area too.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo get you started, we thought we\u2019d leave you with some words of advice...\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGet all of your stakeholders on board early, and make sure they all come on the journey with you.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EYour current employees are your key stakeholders in the process. Unless your brand resonates with them, it\u2019s not the right solution.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThink carefully about the synergy between the corporate brand and employer brand. The latter should be a by-product that releases the equity of the former. If it isn\u2019t, it might be time to look at your corporate brand too.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThink digital from day one of the project.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EImplementing a new employer brand takes work. You need everyone in the business to understand it and, most importantly, get behind it.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo see how a successful employer brand can effectively guide internal communications, take a look at a campaign we launched for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/work\/centrica\u0022\u003ECentrica\u003C\/a\u003E, the parent brand of British Gas, that looked to change attitudes towards Health \u0026amp; Safety. By getting buy-in from all the key stakeholders, from senior management to the engineering teams, we\u0027ve delivered a campaign which delivers effective communications in a meaningful way across the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nTo understand what it takes to create an effective employer brand, it\u2019s essential that we\u2019re on the same page about what exactly an employer brand is, and why it\u0026#039;s important.  \nAt its most fundamental level, your employer brand is how you\u2019re perceived by potential and current talent as an employer, it should build the image of your company as a great place to work, expressing who you are as an employer rather than just a corporate entity.\u00a0\nWhy employer brand is important and what role it plays in your organisation is where the concept has, for better or worse, become a bit more subjective. But the reality is this; all brands, no matter how big or small, are working toward a healthier bottom line. To nurture that bottom line, there is no doubt that you are relying on your employees to help you get there. It really is that simple, happier employees will ultimately help you achieve a healthier bottom line.\u00a0\nOkay, so now we\u2019re on the same page about what an employer brand is and why it\u2019s important. The next step is to consider what it takes to create an effective employer brand. To strip away the confusion and break down the silos that may have held you back in the past, we\u2019ve pulled together our top 3 tips:\n1. \u00a0 Understand the synergy between brand and employer brand\nMany internal or employer brands fail because they\u2019re created in isolation from the main brand. Considering the three-part mantra \u2018attract \u2013 engage \u2013 retain\u2019 is probably on the wall of every HR department, it\u2019s natural that ownership of the employer brand traditionally lived within this domain, but it\u2019s no coincidence that this same mantra could also apply to your brand\u2019s marketing strategy. It\u2019s because there is an inherent synergy between attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent and loyal customers.\nYour brand purpose and values drive you as a brand. If you feel your organisation is a little lost culturally speaking, look to those values. They should guide you, your employees, and ultimately create the foundations for strong internal communications. If you\u2019re guided by the same values and disciplined in your execution, you\u2019ll quickly begin to notice the symbiotic benefits.\u00a0\n2. \u00a0 Think about the digital context\nWith insight-driven platforms like Glassdoor highlighting the importance of transparency and the employee experience, it is essential that consideration be made from day one about how the brand will operate across digital channels \u2013 and what the overall digital strategy will be \u2013 to ensure that the solution is fit for purpose.\nJust like with brand and product reviews, people are far more likely to trust a company based on what its employees have to say rather than what the company itself claims. This trend toward authenticity means attracting talent relies far more heavily on existing employee engagement and advocacy than ever before.\u00a0\u00a0\nSpeaking of mantras, our mantra at Good is that you cannot solve a brand problem without addressing the digital context. That same principle holds true with your employer brand (again, think back to that synergy).\n3. \u00a0 Consider the measurement for success\nEven the most successful employer brands cannot self-sustain without continual commitment to quality control. So, how do you measure that success to ensure your employer brand is reflective of your organisation? Well, it\u2019s the same principle as the measurement of any investment in brand work \u2013 you have to consider your objectives.\nWhether your major issue is retention, engagement, quality and cost of hires or numbers of applicants (or, indeed, all four and more), it is these rates you need to track.\u00a0\nA smart agency will encourage you to understand your performance in all of these areas before they even begin to look at developing your employer brand, and they will want to know what success looks like in each area too.\u00a0\nTo get you started, we thought we\u2019d leave you with some words of advice...\nGet all of your stakeholders on board early, and make sure they all come on the journey with you.\u00a0\nYour current employees are your key stakeholders in the process. Unless your brand resonates with them, it\u2019s not the right solution.\u00a0\nThink carefully about the synergy between the corporate brand and employer brand. The latter should be a by-product that releases the equity of the former. If it isn\u2019t, it might be time to look at your corporate brand too.\u00a0\nThink digital from day one of the project.\u00a0\nImplementing a new employer brand takes work. You need everyone in the business to understand it and, most importantly, get behind it.\u00a0\nTo see how a successful employer brand can effectively guide internal communications, take a look at a campaign we launched for Centrica, the parent brand of British Gas, that looked to change attitudes towards Health \u0026amp; Safety. By getting buy-in from all the key stakeholders, from senior management to the engineering teams, we\u0027ve delivered a campaign which delivers effective communications in a meaningful way across the business.\n  ","summary":"To understand what it takes to create an effective employer brand, it\u2019s essential that we\u2019re on the same page about what exactly an employer brand is, and why it\u0027s important. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-04-27T12:12:41+0100","author":{"name":"Lindsay Wise"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5464","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/introducing-clarity-reports","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Introducing Clarity Reports","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re delighted to announce the launch of our first product from Good, the Clarity Report. We\u2019ve been working on creating these reports for about eight months now, so it\u2019s a relief to get it out in the world. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;We thought we would answer a few of\u0026nbsp;the basic questions around the reports, what are they, why we did them and why we think they\u0027re useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat is a Clarity Report?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimply put, it\u2019s a report that tracks if your brand performs well by measuring the quality of the brand assets you have, how you\u2019re distributing them and if customers then recognise you when they need you. The better you do in the first two areas, the more likely you\u2019ll score higher in the last area.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy are you doing this?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s been a bit of a mantra for many years here at Good. If you communicate coherently and consistently with your customers, you\u2019ll outperform your competitors. The issue we were having was pulling all that data together in a coherent way that could give you actionable insight into improving your brand. Brand tracking is beneficial but not quick enough to take a snapshot on; social media tools tended to measure sentiment, which is helpful but only one point of view. And everything else felt too siloed; you couldn\u2019t easily or quickly take the big data and make it small enough to be actionable.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat are you measuring?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt depends on the category, but we\u2019re looking at measuring at least fifty data points across seven categories. These categories are:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Assets\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWe\u2019re looking at how consistent the brand is across channels, if the assets are distinctive, if the brand\u0026nbsp;achieves a certain level of standout. We\u2019re also looking to make sure that the brand architecture makes sense. Does the brand remove or add friction to the customer process?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELanguage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESure, language is a brand asset, but another mantra here at Good is that a brand starts with language. It humanises the brand and sets the tone of all interactions. We feel it needs to be pulled out and measured separately. We\u2019re looking to see if the brand has a clear tone of voice and is consistent across and throughout all channels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWebsite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor each category, we\u2019ll look to review what the hygiene factors are for the category. Is it a specific account login function, is it a general buyer guide? How useful are you in the customer journey? We measure the website\u0027s effectiveness, making sure it offers a solid experience for the customer, rooted back to its brand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMobile\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWe pulled mobile into a separate category from the website. Too often, we\u2019ve seen sites signed off from the 75\u201d TV in the boardroom with mobile taking second place as it\u2019s \u201ca wee bit boring\u201d. Mobile is where your customers live. We\u2019ve measured the brand experience and the level of mobile optimisation done on the site.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESocial\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESocial media: the land of the big numbers. Big follower numbers. Big likes. Big wows? We want to see if a social media account set up as a brand experience outperforms the feeling of a more generic account.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDigital Marketing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EGood assets, good language, great site. But people have to know that you exist for them to buy from you. What are you putting behind the brand to get it out there?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShare of Search\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhere the rubber hits the road. A lot has been talked about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/understanding-share-search\u0022\u003EShare of Search\u003C\/a\u003E and its usefulness in the age of modern marketing. We like it as a metric. If you\u2019re doing well with the other categories, then you\u2019ll want customers to find you. Share of Search helps you see if the brand work you\u2019re doing is paying off.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWho are these Clarity Reports for?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, they\u2019re for us. They satisfy a curiosity we have about particular sectors. Out of that, though, they\u2019re intended as a tool for marketing departments in helping guide activity that can help improve their brand and, in turn, get more sales. It\u2019s also an excellent tool for a marketing department\u2019s stakeholders. Rather than bombard people with lots of stats and data and explanations, the Clarity Report is a useful, simple to understand\u0026nbsp;snapshot to measure the progress of your brand building and how you measure up against your competition.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat makes the Clarity Report useful?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt provides a benchmark for your brand against your competition. From there you can understand where you are performing well and, more importantly, what areas of your brand activity you need to review. All this by pulling data together from over fifty data points, backed up by over 15 years of the global brand expertise that we have here at Good.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat Clarity Reports are available?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far we\u2019ve got a report on the White Goods sector and looking to release three more based on Smart Home technology companies, Facility Management and Financial Institutions. Sign up to the email list at the bottom of the \u003Ca href=\u0022\/clarity\u0022\u003EClarity Reports page\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and we\u2019ll notify you when they\u2019re released.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHold on! Aren\u2019t some of the companies in the report your clients?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes, well spotted. And we\u2019re delighted to work with them on their brand work. But the data don\u2019t lie. \u0026nbsp;If they aren\u2019t spending on digital marketing, that\u2019ll pick it up. If the sentiment analysis on the language category isn\u2019t ranking highly, that\u2019ll show through. Honesty is one of our values and we\u2019re honest with ourselves and our clients if the brand work isn\u2019t executed well.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThese reports look interesting but there isn\u2019t one in my category. Can you add one for me, please?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are two ways that we can add a category for you. The first is that you can let us know and we\u2019ll see if we get round to it. We plan to launch a report once a month. Secondly, you can commission a report for your category. That commissioned report adds a lot more detail into the mix that goes behind the numbers and offers more insight. If you\u0027d like a chat about the options of commissioning a report, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:clarity@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Edrop us a line\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recorded a podcast that goes into the reports in a little more detail...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe hope that you find the Clarity Reports useful. \u003Ca href=\u0022\/clarity\u0022\u003ETake a look at our current reports\u003C\/a\u003E and please, let us know what you think by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:clarity@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Esending us your thoughts\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u2019re delighted to announce the launch of our first product from Good, the Clarity Report. We\u2019ve been working on creating these reports for about eight months now, so it\u2019s a relief to get it out in the world. \n\u0026nbsp;We thought we would answer a few of\u0026nbsp;the basic questions around the reports, what are they, why we did them and why we think they\u0027re useful.What is a Clarity Report?Simply put, it\u2019s a report that tracks if your brand performs well by measuring the quality of the brand assets you have, how you\u2019re distributing them and if customers then recognise you when they need you. The better you do in the first two areas, the more likely you\u2019ll score higher in the last area.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Why are you doing this?It\u2019s been a bit of a mantra for many years here at Good. If you communicate coherently and consistently with your customers, you\u2019ll outperform your competitors. The issue we were having was pulling all that data together in a coherent way that could give you actionable insight into improving your brand. Brand tracking is beneficial but not quick enough to take a snapshot on; social media tools tended to measure sentiment, which is helpful but only one point of view. And everything else felt too siloed; you couldn\u2019t easily or quickly take the big data and make it small enough to be actionable.\u0026nbsp;What are you measuring?It depends on the category, but we\u2019re looking at measuring at least fifty data points across seven categories. These categories are:Brand AssetsWe\u2019re looking at how consistent the brand is across channels, if the assets are distinctive, if the brand\u0026nbsp;achieves a certain level of standout. We\u2019re also looking to make sure that the brand architecture makes sense. Does the brand remove or add friction to the customer process?LanguageSure, language is a brand asset, but another mantra here at Good is that a brand starts with language. It humanises the brand and sets the tone of all interactions. We feel it needs to be pulled out and measured separately. We\u2019re looking to see if the brand has a clear tone of voice and is consistent across and throughout all channels.WebsiteFor each category, we\u2019ll look to review what the hygiene factors are for the category. Is it a specific account login function, is it a general buyer guide? How useful are you in the customer journey? We measure the website\u0027s effectiveness, making sure it offers a solid experience for the customer, rooted back to its brand.\u0026nbsp;MobileWe pulled mobile into a separate category from the website. Too often, we\u2019ve seen sites signed off from the 75\u201d TV in the boardroom with mobile taking second place as it\u2019s \u201ca wee bit boring\u201d. Mobile is where your customers live. We\u2019ve measured the brand experience and the level of mobile optimisation done on the site.SocialSocial media: the land of the big numbers. Big follower numbers. Big likes. Big wows? We want to see if a social media account set up as a brand experience outperforms the feeling of a more generic account.Digital MarketingGood assets, good language, great site. But people have to know that you exist for them to buy from you. What are you putting behind the brand to get it out there?\u0026nbsp;Share of SearchWhere the rubber hits the road. A lot has been talked about Share of Search and its usefulness in the age of modern marketing. We like it as a metric. If you\u2019re doing well with the other categories, then you\u2019ll want customers to find you. Share of Search helps you see if the brand work you\u2019re doing is paying off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Who are these Clarity Reports for?Firstly, they\u2019re for us. They satisfy a curiosity we have about particular sectors. Out of that, though, they\u2019re intended as a tool for marketing departments in helping guide activity that can help improve their brand and, in turn, get more sales. It\u2019s also an excellent tool for a marketing department\u2019s stakeholders. Rather than bombard people with lots of stats and data and explanations, the Clarity Report is a useful, simple to understand\u0026nbsp;snapshot to measure the progress of your brand building and how you measure up against your competition.\u0026nbsp;What makes the Clarity Report useful?It provides a benchmark for your brand against your competition. From there you can understand where you are performing well and, more importantly, what areas of your brand activity you need to review. All this by pulling data together from over fifty data points, backed up by over 15 years of the global brand expertise that we have here at Good.\u0026nbsp;What Clarity Reports are available?So far we\u2019ve got a report on the White Goods sector and looking to release three more based on Smart Home technology companies, Facility Management and Financial Institutions. Sign up to the email list at the bottom of the Clarity Reports page\u0026nbsp;and we\u2019ll notify you when they\u2019re released.\u0026nbsp;Hold on! Aren\u2019t some of the companies in the report your clients?Yes, well spotted. And we\u2019re delighted to work with them on their brand work. But the data don\u2019t lie. \u0026nbsp;If they aren\u2019t spending on digital marketing, that\u2019ll pick it up. If the sentiment analysis on the language category isn\u2019t ranking highly, that\u2019ll show through. Honesty is one of our values and we\u2019re honest with ourselves and our clients if the brand work isn\u2019t executed well.\u0026nbsp;These reports look interesting but there isn\u2019t one in my category. Can you add one for me, please?There are two ways that we can add a category for you. The first is that you can let us know and we\u2019ll see if we get round to it. We plan to launch a report once a month. Secondly, you can commission a report for your category. That commissioned report adds a lot more detail into the mix that goes behind the numbers and offers more insight. If you\u0027d like a chat about the options of commissioning a report, drop us a line.We recorded a podcast that goes into the reports in a little more detail...We hope that you find the Clarity Reports useful. Take a look at our current reports and please, let us know what you think by sending us your thoughts.  ","summary":"We\u2019re delighted to announce the launch of our first product from Good, the Clarity Report. We\u2019ve been working on creating these reports for about eight months now, so it\u2019s a relief to get it out in the world.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-04-22T09:19:51+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5465","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-we-found-clarity-during-pandemic","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How We Found Clarity During the Pandemic","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom a business perspective, the pandemic\u2019s been shit. It\u2019s forced lots of businesses to close, increased layoffs and generated tons of debt. At Good we were not spared. We stared into the abyss along with everyone else and wondered\u2026will we make it out? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe figured that if we were, then we needed to take advantage of the time to have a proper think about our business. What was working, what wasn\u2019t and what we needed to do about it. Books were read. Reports absorbed. Webinars attended and podcasts listened to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe result? A desire to grow the business we wanted out of the pandemic, not grow back the business we had.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what did we do? The first task was to crystallise our agency offering - to be really clear on where we add value and where we don\u2019t. This means being able to say \u2018no\u2019 to the type of work that doesn\u2019t allow us to do what we do best. Freeing up bandwidth to focus on the work we want\u2026or attracting more of that work. This means business development. And those are dirty words when you\u2019re running a creative agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biz dev books devoured during the pandemic was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation\/dp\/0670922854\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Challenger Sale: How to take control of the customer conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, by Mathew Dixon and Brent Adamson. Clumsily paraphrasing the entire book to one sentence: \u201ctell potential customers something they don\u2019t know to create a conversation\u201d. At the same time, we were itching to show off just how much we know about the role of digital within the brand conversation - catalysed largely by listening to Prof G saying that the future of consulting firms needs to be more data-driven\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEveryone says data is the new oil. No, it\u0027s not. Data is everywhere. You need to refine that oil and turn it into petroleum. And that is why you need scrapers. You need ways of distilling that data down to rich formats that you can present. And then you need the gangster processor in all of human history. And that is a grey matter in between your ears to translate that data into information and recommendations. And your recommendations can be wrong. But as long as that catalyzes a debate that interrogates the truth and leads to better decisions across a variety of outcomes, you have done a great job\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E(Prof G Podcast\u2026\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.happyscribe.com\/public\/the-prof-g-show-with-scott-galloway\/state-of-play-the-economy#paragraph_2752\u0022\u003EState of Play: The Economy, August 2020\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOut of this meeting of minds emerged Clarity. A tool that we envisioned could blend the challenger sale with data-driven consulting in our key area of expertise to create something really valuable to brand owners.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what is it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirstly it\u2019s based on the following fundamental instinct we have about brands\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you communicate coherently and consistently with your audiences, you\u2019ll outperform your competitors.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA Clarity report gives brand performance insights - holistic and objective scores for each brand in any given category. We use our own expertise in branding, combined with a wide range of publicly available data to measure how \u2018clear\u2019 (hence Clarity) a brand\u2019s communications are. The important thing to stress is that this isn\u2019t another audience behaviour and sentiment tool - there are lots of them on the market. This offers a score based on the brand activity, not the customer response.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, we select a category and a range of brands operating within it - somewhere between 10 and 20 in total. There\u2019s not a lot of science involved in this first step\u00a0- it\u2019s who we know combined with a little bit of Googling, to arrive at a reasonable spread of brands within the category.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen we run these brands\u00a0through the Clarity tool (which we\u2019ve built and automated from scratch) to score them across more than 50 data points split across seven sections:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWebsite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMobile\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELanguage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShare of Search\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBranding\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDigital Marketing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESocial Media\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most basic output of the tool is to stack rank the brands in the category in relation to the clarity of their brand and comms. We think this will appeal to brand owners, as it\u2019s a natural instinct to want to know where you sit in relation to the competition\u2026and to understand what needs to change for improvement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENaturally, the more we drill down into the sections and rank the brands within them,\u00a0the more the observations and questions come to the surface. In that sense, we\u2019re confident that Clarity will certainly catalyse conversations.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur early thinking is that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/clarity\u0022\u003Ewe\u2019ll publish contracted versions of the Clarity reports on our site\u003C\/a\u003E - with a view to opening up consulting conversations with those brands that are interested.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is new and exciting for us and we\u2019d love to discuss it with you, so if you\u2019re interested in Clarity and what it could tell you about your brand, then please \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Edrop us a line\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nFrom a business perspective, the pandemic\u2019s been shit. It\u2019s forced lots of businesses to close, increased layoffs and generated tons of debt. At Good we were not spared. We stared into the abyss along with everyone else and wondered\u2026will we make it out? \nWe figured that if we were, then we needed to take advantage of the time to have a proper think about our business. What was working, what wasn\u2019t and what we needed to do about it. Books were read. Reports absorbed. Webinars attended and podcasts listened to.\nThe result? A desire to grow the business we wanted out of the pandemic, not grow back the business we had.\u00a0\nSo what did we do? The first task was to crystallise our agency offering - to be really clear on where we add value and where we don\u2019t. This means being able to say \u2018no\u2019 to the type of work that doesn\u2019t allow us to do what we do best. Freeing up bandwidth to focus on the work we want\u2026or attracting more of that work. This means business development. And those are dirty words when you\u2019re running a creative agency.\nOne of the biz dev books devoured during the pandemic was The Challenger Sale: How to take control of the customer conversation, by Mathew Dixon and Brent Adamson. Clumsily paraphrasing the entire book to one sentence: \u201ctell potential customers something they don\u2019t know to create a conversation\u201d. At the same time, we were itching to show off just how much we know about the role of digital within the brand conversation - catalysed largely by listening to Prof G saying that the future of consulting firms needs to be more data-driven\u2026\n\u201cEveryone says data is the new oil. No, it\u0027s not. Data is everywhere. You need to refine that oil and turn it into petroleum. And that is why you need scrapers. You need ways of distilling that data down to rich formats that you can present. And then you need the gangster processor in all of human history. And that is a grey matter in between your ears to translate that data into information and recommendations. And your recommendations can be wrong. But as long as that catalyzes a debate that interrogates the truth and leads to better decisions across a variety of outcomes, you have done a great job\u201d.\n(Prof G Podcast\u2026State of Play: The Economy, August 2020)\nOut of this meeting of minds emerged Clarity. A tool that we envisioned could blend the challenger sale with data-driven consulting in our key area of expertise to create something really valuable to brand owners.\nSo what is it?\nFirstly it\u2019s based on the following fundamental instinct we have about brands\u2026\nIf you communicate coherently and consistently with your audiences, you\u2019ll outperform your competitors.\n\nA Clarity report gives brand performance insights - holistic and objective scores for each brand in any given category. We use our own expertise in branding, combined with a wide range of publicly available data to measure how \u2018clear\u2019 (hence Clarity) a brand\u2019s communications are. The important thing to stress is that this isn\u2019t another audience behaviour and sentiment tool - there are lots of them on the market. This offers a score based on the brand activity, not the customer response.\nSo, we select a category and a range of brands operating within it - somewhere between 10 and 20 in total. There\u2019s not a lot of science involved in this first step\u00a0- it\u2019s who we know combined with a little bit of Googling, to arrive at a reasonable spread of brands within the category.\nThen we run these brands\u00a0through the Clarity tool (which we\u2019ve built and automated from scratch) to score them across more than 50 data points split across seven sections:\nWebsite\nMobile\nLanguage\nShare of Search\nBranding\nDigital Marketing\nSocial Media\nThe most basic output of the tool is to stack rank the brands in the category in relation to the clarity of their brand and comms. We think this will appeal to brand owners, as it\u2019s a natural instinct to want to know where you sit in relation to the competition\u2026and to understand what needs to change for improvement.\nNaturally, the more we drill down into the sections and rank the brands within them,\u00a0the more the observations and questions come to the surface. In that sense, we\u2019re confident that Clarity will certainly catalyse conversations.\u00a0\nOur early thinking is that we\u2019ll publish contracted versions of the Clarity reports on our site - with a view to opening up consulting conversations with those brands that are interested.\u00a0\nThis is new and exciting for us and we\u2019d love to discuss it with you, so if you\u2019re interested in Clarity and what it could tell you about your brand, then please drop us a line.\n\u00a0\n  ","summary":"From a business perspective, the pandemic\u2019s been shit. It\u2019s forced lots of businesses to close, increased layoffs and generated tons of debt. At Good we were not spared. We stared into the abyss along with everyone else and wondered\u2026will we make it out?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-04-15T09:23:53+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5466","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/7-reasons-why-brand-language-matters","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"7 Reasons Why Brand Language Matters","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s loads written on tone of voice and it\u2019s an important component of a successful brand. I want to go a bit further and say that language is about more than just TOV, it can work harder for brands.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe right words (what we call a brand platform) can become a powerful brand asset, turbocharging the brand\u2019s relevance, coherence and distinctiveness in the marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are our 7 observations on why\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003Ebrand language\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;matters:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022ee7b571e96fa4c22e1acae5382c1a43c4\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s words first, design second\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuite simply, it\u2019s the most important part of branding. We\u2019re a brand consultancy and many people think that means that we design logos. Well, we do, but not until we\u2019ve nailed the words.\u0026nbsp;And it\u2019s a useful discriminator for us about what type of work to do. If we don\u2019t get the opportunity to develop the language, then we probably won\u2019t take the project on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00222\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e40645f53810b308ab06c1e081d2fd2ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt comes from the inside out\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we do this kind of consultancy, it\u2019s important to get to a customer-facing expression of the brand - i.e. what is it saying to me and how is it saying it? Sure that\u2019s super important. But we have to start with the internal brand voice. What are we saying to ourselves and what does it mean? This all comes from the foundations. The values and purpose statements are the well from which we draw all of the brand language we create.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00223\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e9ee5282a238ca5175fdb659e21f0ae9b\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELanguage humanises\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLanguage is the most humanising aspect of any brand\u201d. One of our most used phrases. It makes complex corporate businesses sound like people. That\u2019s the most important thing.\u0026nbsp;More than any other asset, we fix our understanding \u0026amp; appreciation of brands by the way they talk to us. Don Draper and the ad guys have been doing this for years. David Ogilvy said \u2018advertising is the business of words\u2019 and creative teams in ad agencies organise themselves into art director and copy writing units. The thing is, we believe that creating this language and tone of voice is the job of the brand agency, not the advertising agency, and it should be baked into the DNA of the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00224\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022eb156fe9442c8e7c7dc4f3c78ed0aa74f\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt\u2019s a brand asset\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExtending the ad example above\u2026it\u2019s interesting that famous lines like Just Do It and I\u2019m Lovin It were born out of famous advertising campaigns. They are now closely guarded distinctive brand assets. These strap lines which beautifully sum up an attitude and personality have transcended the realm of advertising to come to be a core part of the brand. It\u2019s a top-down approach, but it\u2019s smart. We prefer to build these assets from the bottom up - cementing the attitude in the brand language from the very start of the branding process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00225\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e73ee93a83ac176686529d9732d2b3449\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMakes the complex simple\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe clever use of language: leveraging idiom, metaphor or simile has the ability to hardwire meaning directly into the brain of the reader. That\u2019s why these tools, or language shortcuts, are so powerful for brands. They strip away complexity and sum up a ton of meaning in a very efficient manner. Like a double verbal espresso\u2026see what I mean?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00226\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022e832b1511f027e2e8f54d55616c3ee30c\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIt delivers coherence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf we\u2019re smart and are able to create a short, sharp \u0026amp; flexible language platform for a brand, then it\u2019s able to bring coherence to much of the brand comms. We love to demonstrate how our language platforms work with sales messages, HR messaging, customer support messaging, regional differences\u2026making the total feel much greater than the sum of the parts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli class=\u0022ck-list-marker-bold\u0022 value=\u00227\u0022 data-list-item-id=\u0022ef66e9953a760fd48453fd0e52eec3a31\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMicro language is crucial\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the digital-first world, we don\u2019t have the luxury of a 48 sheet poster\u2026and social media is largely a word driven medium. So, it\u2019s crucial that our language solutions extend to what we\u2019re calling the \u2018micro language\u2019 of the world of PPC as well as in SEO and social media.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn branding terms, developing a powerful language platform is a relatively easy way to give your brand a big shot in the arm. We\u0027ve got some great examples of brand language platforms\u0026nbsp;working in practice over in our \u003Ca href=\u0022\/work\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022dd600afa-7709-4d4d-b826-efc645178a95\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Our Branding Work\u0022\u003Ebrand work section\u003C\/a\u003E. Take a look and \u003Ca href=\u0022\/contact\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022dafcd86d-305e-4c80-b55b-93f0eedf8f37\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Contact\u0022\u003Egive us a shout\u003C\/a\u003E if you\u2019d like to chat about how we could help you build better brand language.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThere\u2019s loads written on tone of voice and it\u2019s an important component of a successful brand. I want to go a bit further and say that language is about more than just TOV, it can work harder for brands.  \nThe right words (what we call a brand platform) can become a powerful brand asset, turbocharging the brand\u2019s relevance, coherence and distinctiveness in the marketplace.Here are our 7 observations on why\u0026nbsp;brand language\u0026nbsp;matters:It\u2019s words first, design secondQuite simply, it\u2019s the most important part of branding. We\u2019re a brand consultancy and many people think that means that we design logos. Well, we do, but not until we\u2019ve nailed the words.\u0026nbsp;And it\u2019s a useful discriminator for us about what type of work to do. If we don\u2019t get the opportunity to develop the language, then we probably won\u2019t take the project on.It comes from the inside outWhen we do this kind of consultancy, it\u2019s important to get to a customer-facing expression of the brand - i.e. what is it saying to me and how is it saying it? Sure that\u2019s super important. But we have to start with the internal brand voice. What are we saying to ourselves and what does it mean? This all comes from the foundations. The values and purpose statements are the well from which we draw all of the brand language we create.Language humanises\u201cLanguage is the most humanising aspect of any brand\u201d. One of our most used phrases. It makes complex corporate businesses sound like people. That\u2019s the most important thing.\u0026nbsp;More than any other asset, we fix our understanding \u0026amp; appreciation of brands by the way they talk to us. Don Draper and the ad guys have been doing this for years. David Ogilvy said \u2018advertising is the business of words\u2019 and creative teams in ad agencies organise themselves into art director and copy writing units. The thing is, we believe that creating this language and tone of voice is the job of the brand agency, not the advertising agency, and it should be baked into the DNA of the brand.It\u2019s a brand assetExtending the ad example above\u2026it\u2019s interesting that famous lines like Just Do It and I\u2019m Lovin It were born out of famous advertising campaigns. They are now closely guarded distinctive brand assets. These strap lines which beautifully sum up an attitude and personality have transcended the realm of advertising to come to be a core part of the brand. It\u2019s a top-down approach, but it\u2019s smart. We prefer to build these assets from the bottom up - cementing the attitude in the brand language from the very start of the branding process.\u0026nbsp;Makes the complex simpleThe clever use of language: leveraging idiom, metaphor or simile has the ability to hardwire meaning directly into the brain of the reader. That\u2019s why these tools, or language shortcuts, are so powerful for brands. They strip away complexity and sum up a ton of meaning in a very efficient manner. Like a double verbal espresso\u2026see what I mean?It delivers coherenceIf we\u2019re smart and are able to create a short, sharp \u0026amp; flexible language platform for a brand, then it\u2019s able to bring coherence to much of the brand comms. We love to demonstrate how our language platforms work with sales messages, HR messaging, customer support messaging, regional differences\u2026making the total feel much greater than the sum of the parts.Micro language is crucialIn the digital-first world, we don\u2019t have the luxury of a 48 sheet poster\u2026and social media is largely a word driven medium. So, it\u2019s crucial that our language solutions extend to what we\u2019re calling the \u2018micro language\u2019 of the world of PPC as well as in SEO and social media.\u0026nbsp;In branding terms, developing a powerful language platform is a relatively easy way to give your brand a big shot in the arm. We\u0027ve got some great examples of brand language platforms\u0026nbsp;working in practice over in our brand work section. Take a look and give us a shout if you\u2019d like to chat about how we could help you build better brand language.  ","summary":"There\u2019s loads written on tone of voice and it\u2019s an important component of a successful brand. I want to go a bit further and say that language is about more than just TOV, it can work harder for brands. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-04-13T14:16:50+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5737","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/branding-algorithm-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Branding By Algorithm ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe hippies won!!!! Branding is fully democratised! This is the future, now! Everything is awesome. We think. We\u0026#039;ll have a chat about it. We see massive upsides and a few potential banana skins.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s a link to the article that Chris wrote:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/branding-algorithm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGood, no?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/03603f93\/c3270216.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe hippies won!!!! Branding is fully democratised! This is the future, now! Everything is awesome. We think. We\u0026#039;ll have a chat about it. We see massive upsides and a few potential banana skins.  \nHere\u0027s a link to the article that Chris wrote:https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/branding-algorithmGood, no?Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"The hippies won!!!! Branding is fully democratised! This is the future, now! Everything is awesome. We think. We\u0027ll have a chat about it. We see massive upsides and a few potential banana skins. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-03-25T09:49:47+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5467","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/branding-algorithm","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Branding By Algorithm","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been thinking a wee bit about what happens to brand in this digital world, and one of my conclusions is that it\u2019s being overpowered, and we\u2019re now \u201cbranding by algorithm\u201d. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is leading to a homogenisation of brand by the anodyne and formulaic approach to creating them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDo I sound like a bitter old technophobe yet?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it\u2019s no great secret or insight to observe that brand and digital used to inhabit their own silos without much crossover or mutual understanding. In fact, they still do, and it\u2019s amazing to us how differently they can still be treated: more often than not as separate disciplines, which create disjointed and inconsistent experiences for customers. But over time, enlightened marketers have recognised the value in bringing them together, which, in our view, has created a couple of trends that are worth thinking about.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EThe internet has democratised branding.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyone can create a logo. With any computer and with little skill. There are sites that will help you design your own logo for free, or they will \u2018featurise\u2019 logo creation as part of a wider offer or service. Whichever way you look at it, it\u2019s a low bar but it\u2019s probably raised the standard from the home-made efforts from Word or PowerPoint you used to be given by a new client as \u2018references\u2019. Smile and nod. Say something nice about the colour and put it in a drawer. The thing is, this isn\u2019t really branding - it\u2019s a skin deep exercise in styling. That\u2019s it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EThe rise of D2C brands.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother impact of the internet is the fact that it\u2019s ripped up the rulebook on distribution too. In the past, entrepreneurs were hampered by the route to market, which was controlled by wholesalers or retailers. Unless you could convince them of your product; there was no way a customer was going to see it on a shelf. Now they can just go straight to the consumer and look to build their brand online.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow these D2C brands are everywhere - from Harry\u2019s, Warby Parker, Hello Fresh and about 100 mattress brands - they\u2019re on TV, on the internet \u0026amp; social channels and even in the paper. The trend continues; but I guess there will come a point where we as consumers just can\u2019t be bothered anymore. Do I really need to buy an organic, tooth whitening toothbrush from an overly excited, glossy D2C brand called \u2018Brusho\u2019, for just \u00a35 per month? It\u2019s easier just to get one at the supermarket isn\u2019t it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe interesting thing that happens when you put 1 and 2 together is that you end up with a load of \u2018brands\u2019 that all look and feel very similar. Web platforms like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify are organisations that synthesise the two parts together and create a living, breathing digital business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur view is that this rush to push these businesses online has reduced the requirement to create any real depth or distinctiveness to the brand. They\u2019re all very skin-deep and clean in their execution:\u00a0flat graphic logos, a nice bit of clean type, tasteful colour palette and a crisp web layout. Hey presto: a mattress company can be switched out for a razor blade firm at the drop of a hat. The web platforms have reduced the creative process to AI that does all the heavy lifting. It\u2019s branding by algorithm.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow I\u2019m not infuriated by this stuff. I think that much of it is good. Anything that allows Joe Blogs to turn their passion into a professional-looking business for $10 a month is great. And God knows I\u2019ve spent enough time in this industry to know that we\u2019re able to totally over-complicate the branding process, so at some level, I think that this disruption is a good thing. It forces agencies to think carefully about the type of business they are in and what value they\u2019re adding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.profgalloway.com\/\u0022\u003EScott Galloway\u003C\/a\u003E has stated that he thinks we\u2019re at the end of the brand era and entering the product era. (Basically, he means it\u2019s the end of old skool linear advertising \u0026amp; consumers can now see product \u2018ahead\u2019 of advertising because of the internet). I get his thought process and broadly I agree with him. But if you listen to him carefully he\u2019s not saying that \u2018brand\u2019 is dead. He still argues it\u2019s incredibly important; but that the digital context around brand has changed the commercials around the ad business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor me, creating off the shelf logos and identities for mom and pop shops is a positive thing. But, as soon as you get into the corporate world, branding by algorithm just doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s simply too much nuance. There\u2019s politics, departments, regions and SVPs to be consulted and considered. Not to mention brand architecture, IP and endless digital and social media content requirements. In short, big business marketing just gets in the way.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn order to navigate the myriad of corporate requirements, big businesses need brands that have been carefully considered at a foundational, strategic and creative level. They need more about them than a nice logo and a sharp headline. They must be underpinned by human values, emotion and flexible enough to hang on to sub-brands and be able to spin messaging from a central core to multiple audiences without sounding schizophrenic. That\u2019s hard. And it\u2019s why brand consultancies like Good still have a lot of value to offer that\u2019s not (yet) available on Wix or Shopify.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI\u2019ve been thinking a wee bit about what happens to brand in this digital world, and one of my conclusions is that it\u2019s being overpowered, and we\u2019re now \u201cbranding by algorithm\u201d. \nThis is leading to a homogenisation of brand by the anodyne and formulaic approach to creating them.\nDo I sound like a bitter old technophobe yet?\nSo, it\u2019s no great secret or insight to observe that brand and digital used to inhabit their own silos without much crossover or mutual understanding. In fact, they still do, and it\u2019s amazing to us how differently they can still be treated: more often than not as separate disciplines, which create disjointed and inconsistent experiences for customers. But over time, enlightened marketers have recognised the value in bringing them together, which, in our view, has created a couple of trends that are worth thinking about.\nThe internet has democratised branding.\nAnyone can create a logo. With any computer and with little skill. There are sites that will help you design your own logo for free, or they will \u2018featurise\u2019 logo creation as part of a wider offer or service. Whichever way you look at it, it\u2019s a low bar but it\u2019s probably raised the standard from the home-made efforts from Word or PowerPoint you used to be given by a new client as \u2018references\u2019. Smile and nod. Say something nice about the colour and put it in a drawer. The thing is, this isn\u2019t really branding - it\u2019s a skin deep exercise in styling. That\u2019s it.\nThe rise of D2C brands.\nAnother impact of the internet is the fact that it\u2019s ripped up the rulebook on distribution too. In the past, entrepreneurs were hampered by the route to market, which was controlled by wholesalers or retailers. Unless you could convince them of your product; there was no way a customer was going to see it on a shelf. Now they can just go straight to the consumer and look to build their brand online.\u00a0\nNow these D2C brands are everywhere - from Harry\u2019s, Warby Parker, Hello Fresh and about 100 mattress brands - they\u2019re on TV, on the internet \u0026amp; social channels and even in the paper. The trend continues; but I guess there will come a point where we as consumers just can\u2019t be bothered anymore. Do I really need to buy an organic, tooth whitening toothbrush from an overly excited, glossy D2C brand called \u2018Brusho\u2019, for just \u00a35 per month? It\u2019s easier just to get one at the supermarket isn\u2019t it?\nThe interesting thing that happens when you put 1 and 2 together is that you end up with a load of \u2018brands\u2019 that all look and feel very similar. Web platforms like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify are organisations that synthesise the two parts together and create a living, breathing digital business.\u00a0\nOur view is that this rush to push these businesses online has reduced the requirement to create any real depth or distinctiveness to the brand. They\u2019re all very skin-deep and clean in their execution:\u00a0flat graphic logos, a nice bit of clean type, tasteful colour palette and a crisp web layout. Hey presto: a mattress company can be switched out for a razor blade firm at the drop of a hat. The web platforms have reduced the creative process to AI that does all the heavy lifting. It\u2019s branding by algorithm.\nNow I\u2019m not infuriated by this stuff. I think that much of it is good. Anything that allows Joe Blogs to turn their passion into a professional-looking business for $10 a month is great. And God knows I\u2019ve spent enough time in this industry to know that we\u2019re able to totally over-complicate the branding process, so at some level, I think that this disruption is a good thing. It forces agencies to think carefully about the type of business they are in and what value they\u2019re adding.\nIn fact, Scott Galloway has stated that he thinks we\u2019re at the end of the brand era and entering the product era. (Basically, he means it\u2019s the end of old skool linear advertising \u0026amp; consumers can now see product \u2018ahead\u2019 of advertising because of the internet). I get his thought process and broadly I agree with him. But if you listen to him carefully he\u2019s not saying that \u2018brand\u2019 is dead. He still argues it\u2019s incredibly important; but that the digital context around brand has changed the commercials around the ad business.\nFor me, creating off the shelf logos and identities for mom and pop shops is a positive thing. But, as soon as you get into the corporate world, branding by algorithm just doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s simply too much nuance. There\u2019s politics, departments, regions and SVPs to be consulted and considered. Not to mention brand architecture, IP and endless digital and social media content requirements. In short, big business marketing just gets in the way.\u00a0\nIn order to navigate the myriad of corporate requirements, big businesses need brands that have been carefully considered at a foundational, strategic and creative level. They need more about them than a nice logo and a sharp headline. They must be underpinned by human values, emotion and flexible enough to hang on to sub-brands and be able to spin messaging from a central core to multiple audiences without sounding schizophrenic. That\u2019s hard. And it\u2019s why brand consultancies like Good still have a lot of value to offer that\u2019s not (yet) available on Wix or Shopify.\n  ","summary":"I\u2019ve been thinking a wee bit about what happens to brand in this digital world, and one of my conclusions is that it\u2019s being overpowered, and we\u2019re now \u201cbranding by algorithm\u201d.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-03-25T09:20:30+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5468","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/six-ways-recruitment-firm-brands-bleed-value-their-competition","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Six Ways Recruitment Firm Brands Bleed Value to their Competition","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne industry I think is particularly behind the curve in the brand space is recruitment. They misunderstand the value of \u2018brand\u2019 and the disproportionately important role it plays in customer interaction which happens primarily in the digital sphere. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMost (not all) recruitment firms have given scant thought to their brand. In general, they tend to be skin-deep and poorly executed identities, layered on top of a relatively generic and functional website leading to empty and mechanical experiences. (Is that too harsh?..perhaps I\u2019m exaggerating to make a point!).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENow, I know that the most important thing in the professional services area is the recommendation, but that\u2019s not to say other areas of the \u2018experience\u2019 should be ignored. In a category where the bar is so low, just think about the value to be gained with some investment in this space: more enquiries, better quality enquiries, higher conversions...it does all help to ring the cash register.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, here are some of the most common mistakes we see:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E1. Website \u0026amp; brand are treated as separate things.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis is legacy behaviour from a decade ago, but it\u2019s still happening. Companies planning their approach to marketing in silos: brand happens in a graphic design space and digital (or websites) are devolved to a separate development-led agency, or even worse\u2026IT. This creates disjointed and schizophrenic customer experiences which, ultimately, bleeds value to the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn a digital-first world, where your website is the first (and maybe only) brand experience your customers have with the business, you have to make sure they\u2019re both joined up and consistent in style, content and execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E2. Thinking you\u2019re not an online business.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAn extension of point one, but it\u2019s true no matter what sector or business you\u2019re in: all businesses are online businesses. What do we all do when we\u2019re planning a purchase? We look online.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAccording to Marketo (a software company), 93% of all B2B purchases start with an internet search. This is where the game starts! And it\u2019s a messy process. It\u2019s not linear or sequential. It goes round and round until decisions are made in the customers\u2019 minds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis is better understood and managed in the B2C world; but it\u2019s just as true in B2B.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E3. Customers will give us a call in the first instance.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThey may call, but in reality, this happens much later as customers actively choose to avoid conversations with companies. We\u2019ve come to prefer information gathering on the internet, rather than talking to a salesperson. Stats show that on average, a customer\u2019s first engagement with salespeople is when they\u2019re 57% way through their journey to purchase*.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESo, what are they doing in that 57%? They\u2019re gathering info and it\u2019s your job to create branded content that helps customers in this research phase. At this stage, it\u2019s likely to be more generalised content, rather than sales specific. It\u2019s \u2018helping\u2019 content over \u2019selling\u2019 content; but it needs to be planned, curated and \u2018owned\u2019 by the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E4. Not thinking like a customer.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMany businesses second guess what their customers are coming to the site for and suffer from what we call \u2018an inside out bias\u2019. What makes sense around the boardroom table rarely makes sense to the customer. By investing in some simple customer journey research, you can gain critical insights into what they\u2019re trying to achieve. Another killer stat: 74% of sales go to the first company that was helpful**.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe bottom line here is that your customers have to make 35K decisions a day. Are you making it easy for them? Think about what they want. Is the content useful, relevant and helpful?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E5. Prioritising the home page over the service and product pages.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnother challenge is that once you get beyond a slick home page, most of the content on the service and product pages tend to be verbose, repetitive and dull. But in reality, they\u2019re the ones that do the heavy lifting. The brand really needs to stand up in these pages and live in the detail: providing seamless calls to action, making it easy to find out more, and sounding like a human, rather than a machine. The aggregation of all of these small details help create a great brand experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 role=\u0022presentation\u0022\u003E6. Ignoring the powerful role of language and tone.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESaving the best for last. Language is the most powerful and humanising tool in a brand\u2019s armoury. And here\u2019s the thing\u2026in B2B it\u2019s overlooked more than anything else. Many B2B organisations come off as oddly formal, verbose or using too much jargon in a misguided attempt to come across as professional. A good brand tone, with a discipline around headlines, hierarchies and summaries does more for your brand than a nice logo and a slick video. And sounding friendly and relatable doesn\u2019t compromise professionalism.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe other point to remember here is that in the social channels there\u2019s just less room for design and it tends to be about the words, so it pays to know who you are and how you should sound.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEasy to fix.\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENone of this is really rocket science, and it\u2019s relatively easy to fix. The trick is to think like a customer. They don\u2019t differentiate between your brand and your website; they consider them one and the same thing. So, consider your website as the base to which all marketing channels lead and make sure you\u2019re looking after it and populating it with content the consumer actually wants.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf any of this feels familiar, then now\u2019s the time to stop bleeding value. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003EGive us a call to talk about how we can help.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E* CeB, MlC Customer Purchase Research Survey, 2011.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E** Lauri Wizdo: Are your sales reps butchering your early stage leads?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nOne industry I think is particularly behind the curve in the brand space is recruitment. They misunderstand the value of \u2018brand\u2019 and the disproportionately important role it plays in customer interaction which happens primarily in the digital sphere. \nMost (not all) recruitment firms have given scant thought to their brand. In general, they tend to be skin-deep and poorly executed identities, layered on top of a relatively generic and functional website leading to empty and mechanical experiences. (Is that too harsh?..perhaps I\u2019m exaggerating to make a point!).\u0026nbsp;Now, I know that the most important thing in the professional services area is the recommendation, but that\u2019s not to say other areas of the \u2018experience\u2019 should be ignored. In a category where the bar is so low, just think about the value to be gained with some investment in this space: more enquiries, better quality enquiries, higher conversions...it does all help to ring the cash register.So, here are some of the most common mistakes we see:1. Website \u0026amp; brand are treated as separate things.\u0026nbsp;This is legacy behaviour from a decade ago, but it\u2019s still happening. Companies planning their approach to marketing in silos: brand happens in a graphic design space and digital (or websites) are devolved to a separate development-led agency, or even worse\u2026IT. This creates disjointed and schizophrenic customer experiences which, ultimately, bleeds value to the competition.In a digital-first world, where your website is the first (and maybe only) brand experience your customers have with the business, you have to make sure they\u2019re both joined up and consistent in style, content and execution.2. Thinking you\u2019re not an online business.An extension of point one, but it\u2019s true no matter what sector or business you\u2019re in: all businesses are online businesses. What do we all do when we\u2019re planning a purchase? We look online.\u0026nbsp;According to Marketo (a software company), 93% of all B2B purchases start with an internet search. This is where the game starts! And it\u2019s a messy process. It\u2019s not linear or sequential. It goes round and round until decisions are made in the customers\u2019 minds.This is better understood and managed in the B2C world; but it\u2019s just as true in B2B.3. Customers will give us a call in the first instance.They may call, but in reality, this happens much later as customers actively choose to avoid conversations with companies. We\u2019ve come to prefer information gathering on the internet, rather than talking to a salesperson. Stats show that on average, a customer\u2019s first engagement with salespeople is when they\u2019re 57% way through their journey to purchase*.So, what are they doing in that 57%? They\u2019re gathering info and it\u2019s your job to create branded content that helps customers in this research phase. At this stage, it\u2019s likely to be more generalised content, rather than sales specific. It\u2019s \u2018helping\u2019 content over \u2019selling\u2019 content; but it needs to be planned, curated and \u2018owned\u2019 by the brand.4. Not thinking like a customer.Many businesses second guess what their customers are coming to the site for and suffer from what we call \u2018an inside out bias\u2019. What makes sense around the boardroom table rarely makes sense to the customer. By investing in some simple customer journey research, you can gain critical insights into what they\u2019re trying to achieve. Another killer stat: 74% of sales go to the first company that was helpful**.The bottom line here is that your customers have to make 35K decisions a day. Are you making it easy for them? Think about what they want. Is the content useful, relevant and helpful?5. Prioritising the home page over the service and product pages.Another challenge is that once you get beyond a slick home page, most of the content on the service and product pages tend to be verbose, repetitive and dull. But in reality, they\u2019re the ones that do the heavy lifting. The brand really needs to stand up in these pages and live in the detail: providing seamless calls to action, making it easy to find out more, and sounding like a human, rather than a machine. The aggregation of all of these small details help create a great brand experience.6. Ignoring the powerful role of language and tone.Saving the best for last. Language is the most powerful and humanising tool in a brand\u2019s armoury. And here\u2019s the thing\u2026in B2B it\u2019s overlooked more than anything else. Many B2B organisations come off as oddly formal, verbose or using too much jargon in a misguided attempt to come across as professional. A good brand tone, with a discipline around headlines, hierarchies and summaries does more for your brand than a nice logo and a slick video. And sounding friendly and relatable doesn\u2019t compromise professionalism.The other point to remember here is that in the social channels there\u2019s just less room for design and it tends to be about the words, so it pays to know who you are and how you should sound.Easy to fix.None of this is really rocket science, and it\u2019s relatively easy to fix. The trick is to think like a customer. They don\u2019t differentiate between your brand and your website; they consider them one and the same thing. So, consider your website as the base to which all marketing channels lead and make sure you\u2019re looking after it and populating it with content the consumer actually wants.If any of this feels familiar, then now\u2019s the time to stop bleeding value. Give us a call to talk about how we can help.\u0026nbsp;* CeB, MlC Customer Purchase Research Survey, 2011.** Lauri Wizdo: Are your sales reps butchering your early stage leads?\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"One industry I think is particularly behind the curve in the brand space is recruitment. They misunderstand the value of \u2018brand\u2019 and the disproportionately important role it plays in customer interaction which happens primarily in the digital sphere.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-03-23T09:49:32+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5738","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/bloody-luxury","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Bloody Luxury","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ERecorded just before Christmas, we were bombarded with the perfume ads which led to a chat about branding and the luxury market.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe had some thoughts, we decided to record them. The fact we recorded just before Christmas was supposed to be a secret but, as you\u0027ll hear, that didn\u0027t last long...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo notes this week. Not really any chapters either. Do you use them? We\u0027d love to know.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnyway, here\u0027s an article Chris wrote about luxury branding...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-luxury-branding-should-just-be-branding\u0022\u003ELuxury Branding Should Just be Branding.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETake care.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/9672b055\/e36a44ce.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nRecorded just before Christmas, we were bombarded with the perfume ads which led to a chat about branding and the luxury market.  \nWe had some thoughts, we decided to record them. The fact we recorded just before Christmas was supposed to be a secret but, as you\u0027ll hear, that didn\u0027t last long...No notes this week. Not really any chapters either. Do you use them? We\u0027d love to know.Anyway, here\u0027s an article Chris wrote about luxury branding...Luxury Branding Should Just be Branding.Take care.Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Recorded just before Christmas, we were bombarded with the perfume ads which led to a chat about branding and the luxury market. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-02-17T10:30:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5469","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/problem-disruption","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Problem with Disruption","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s marketing landscape is more complex and crowded than ever. Combined with the fact consumers are busy, distracted, and have enormous demands placed on their time \u2013 how do brands achieve that much longed-for \u2018cut through\u2019? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIs it enough to show up, regularly, in the right place with a message and product that\u2019s relevant for whoever it\u2019s intended for? Or do you need to be more disruptive to get someone\u2019s attention? \u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWell, let\u2019s talk about disruption. What does it actually mean? It means challenging category conventions and industry norms. Strong brands take it a step further and do it in a way that supports their brand\u2019s positioning. Disruption shouldn\u2019t just be a Marketing team\u2019s whim.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClients (and agencies) love to talk about \u2018being disruptive\u2019. But it can be problematic for a couple of reasons.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, the client has a misplaced belief that their brand is genuinely unique and offers something that no other does. So, here\u2019s our chance to \u201cdisrupt the category\u201d. But is it, really? The reality is most brands have nothing that significantly differentiates them from a positioning point of view (in the mind of their consumer) from competitors. It\u2019s just another bottle of booze claiming something \u201cunique\u201d about their process. Or another pair of trainers talking about some ground-breaking new technology that\u2019ll make you run faster.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnless you\u2019re Apple (put a computer in your pocket), or Dell (a direct sales and built-to-order business model), or Netflix (stream movies and tv on your own devices) \u2013 you\u2019re probably onto plums when it comes to meaningful differentiation and claiming something genuinely unique.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second thing we see is less about taking a disruptive position and instead comes from a desire to shake things up with a new creative direction. And it\u2019s usually because the client or agency is bored.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut before you throw out your old brand identity or creative in favour of something shiny and new, we\u2019d suggest exercising caution unless you\u2019re very clear about what elements of your brand are assets and which are not. Where have you got room to play?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EByron Sharp talks about the importance and effectiveness of distinctive brand assets. The elements of your brand (colour, strapline, music, graphic style, logo, characters, shapes etc.) that are famous (people connect it with your brand) and unique (they only associate it with your brand). So the Nike Swoosh, the Amazon Arrow, the McDonalds Golden Arches.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause when it comes to brands \u2013 the most important thing is, do people know you and do they know what they know you for? It\u2019s called mental availability. When a customer has a problem that your brand can solve \u2013 is it you that comes to mind?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s why strong brand assets, consistently applied \u2013 that help makes your brand easily identifiable and memorable \u2013 shouldn\u2019t be forgotten about for the sake of being disruptive.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the summary to all that? Focus on identifying the people with the problem your brand helps solve, figure out how your brand solves it better than others and bake that into your messaging and comms \u2013 then invest in making it distinct and memorable.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if you\u2019re really going to \u2018be disruptive\u2019 \u2013 do it in a way that supports your brand\u2019s positioning and ultimately delivers a benefit for your consumer.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nToday\u2019s marketing landscape is more complex and crowded than ever. Combined with the fact consumers are busy, distracted, and have enormous demands placed on their time \u2013 how do brands achieve that much longed-for \u2018cut through\u2019? \nIs it enough to show up, regularly, in the right place with a message and product that\u2019s relevant for whoever it\u2019s intended for? Or do you need to be more disruptive to get someone\u2019s attention? \u00a0\u00a0\nWell, let\u2019s talk about disruption. What does it actually mean? It means challenging category conventions and industry norms. Strong brands take it a step further and do it in a way that supports their brand\u2019s positioning. Disruption shouldn\u2019t just be a Marketing team\u2019s whim.\u00a0\nClients (and agencies) love to talk about \u2018being disruptive\u2019. But it can be problematic for a couple of reasons.\nFirstly, the client has a misplaced belief that their brand is genuinely unique and offers something that no other does. So, here\u2019s our chance to \u201cdisrupt the category\u201d. But is it, really? The reality is most brands have nothing that significantly differentiates them from a positioning point of view (in the mind of their consumer) from competitors. It\u2019s just another bottle of booze claiming something \u201cunique\u201d about their process. Or another pair of trainers talking about some ground-breaking new technology that\u2019ll make you run faster.\u00a0\nUnless you\u2019re Apple (put a computer in your pocket), or Dell (a direct sales and built-to-order business model), or Netflix (stream movies and tv on your own devices) \u2013 you\u2019re probably onto plums when it comes to meaningful differentiation and claiming something genuinely unique.\nThe second thing we see is less about taking a disruptive position and instead comes from a desire to shake things up with a new creative direction. And it\u2019s usually because the client or agency is bored.\u00a0\nBut before you throw out your old brand identity or creative in favour of something shiny and new, we\u2019d suggest exercising caution unless you\u2019re very clear about what elements of your brand are assets and which are not. Where have you got room to play?\nByron Sharp talks about the importance and effectiveness of distinctive brand assets. The elements of your brand (colour, strapline, music, graphic style, logo, characters, shapes etc.) that are famous (people connect it with your brand) and unique (they only associate it with your brand). So the Nike Swoosh, the Amazon Arrow, the McDonalds Golden Arches.\u00a0\nBecause when it comes to brands \u2013 the most important thing is, do people know you and do they know what they know you for? It\u2019s called mental availability. When a customer has a problem that your brand can solve \u2013 is it you that comes to mind?\nAnd that\u2019s why strong brand assets, consistently applied \u2013 that help makes your brand easily identifiable and memorable \u2013 shouldn\u2019t be forgotten about for the sake of being disruptive.\u00a0\nSo, the summary to all that? Focus on identifying the people with the problem your brand helps solve, figure out how your brand solves it better than others and bake that into your messaging and comms \u2013 then invest in making it distinct and memorable.\u00a0\nAnd if you\u2019re really going to \u2018be disruptive\u2019 \u2013 do it in a way that supports your brand\u2019s positioning and ultimately delivers a benefit for your consumer.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"Today\u2019s marketing landscape is more complex and crowded than ever. Combined with the fact consumers are busy, distracted, and have enormous demands placed on their time \u2013 how do brands achieve that much longed-for \u2018cut through\u2019?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-02-11T15:07:52+0000","author":{"name":"Julie Murdoch"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5739","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-bollocks","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Bollocks","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;re in another lockdown. We\u0026#039;re mad as hell and we\u0026#039;re not going to take it anymore. And it starts with those branding theories we just can\u0026#039;t stand. We picked three knitting rippers to start with. We could\u0026#039;ve picked more. A lot more. We\u0026#039;re raging. But still staying positive.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EHere are the articles on the Good site that goes along with the podcast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/avoiding-brand-bollocks\u0022\u003EAvoiding the Brand Bollocks\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003EWhy Brand Onions Don\u0027t Work\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnjoy, take care, and enjoy 2021.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/040c4913\/9a09ccce.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;re in another lockdown. We\u0026#039;re mad as hell and we\u0026#039;re not going to take it anymore. And it starts with those branding theories we just can\u0026#039;t stand. We picked three knitting rippers to start with. We could\u0026#039;ve picked more. A lot more. We\u0026#039;re raging. But still staying positive.  \n\n        Here are the articles on the Good site that goes along with the podcast.Avoiding the Brand BollocksWhy Brand Onions Don\u0027t WorkEnjoy, take care, and enjoy 2021.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"We\u0027re in another lockdown. We\u0027re mad as hell and we\u0027re not going to take it anymore. And it starts with those branding theories we just can\u0027t stand. We picked three knitting rippers to start with. We could\u0027ve picked more. A lot more. We\u0027re raging. But still staying positive. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2021-01-12T08:30:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5740","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/your-website-your-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Your Website is Your Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EYour website is the most apparent, transparent, accessible, immediate and influential asset you have. But sometimes brand isn\u2019t applied to your site as well as it should be. Why is this, what\u2019s the consequence of ignoring brand here and what can you do to make sure you\u2019ve got the best experience going? We go through it all. We also introduce the Salami of Trust, probably the biggest branding buzzword of 2021. No problem. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003ERecorded around the beginning of November 2020 hence the not overly topical US election chat.\u00a0 We don\u0027t seem to have any show notes this time. But we\u0027ve written a lot of digital and brand on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/journal\u0022\u003EGood website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake care of each other.\u00a0 \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/effc2377\/29d2576c.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nYour website is the most apparent, transparent, accessible, immediate and influential asset you have. But sometimes brand isn\u2019t applied to your site as well as it should be. Why is this, what\u2019s the consequence of ignoring brand here and what can you do to make sure you\u2019ve got the best experience going? We go through it all. We also introduce the Salami of Trust, probably the biggest branding buzzword of 2021. No problem. \n\n        Recorded around the beginning of November 2020 hence the not overly topical US election chat.\u00a0 We don\u0027t seem to have any show notes this time. But we\u0027ve written a lot of digital and brand on the Good website.Take care of each other.\u00a0 \u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Your website is the most apparent, transparent, accessible, immediate and influential asset you have. But sometimes brand isn\u2019t applied to your site as well as it should be. Why is this, what\u2019s the consequence of ignoring brand here and what can you do to make sure you\u2019ve got the best experience going? We go through it all. We also introduce the Salami of Trust, probably the biggest branding buzzword of 2021. No problem.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-12-09T11:18:06+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5470","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/understanding-share-search","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Understanding Share of Search","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s been some buzz recently around an interesting new metric that claims to be a quick health check on your brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt uses freely available data, is reasonably straightforward to check and, remarkably, doesn\u2019t just claim to be a good representation of past performance but can be used to predict the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the old days of understanding, if your marketing efforts were working, you could easily work out your share of voice which in turn should be showing an improving market share, all things being equal. That was straightforward as you had a tight number of channels that you could measure easily against your competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge that brands have now is that we run into a multi-channel problem. Brands have the opportunity to advertise on such a wide number of channels, ranging from your big-time TV campaigns to the hyper-targeted Facebook ads. Tracking what you\u2019re doing can be straightforward, you hold that data, but maintaining tabs on the competition is getting more complicated given that they could be shifting from TV to YouTube, from email to TikTok.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Share of Search metric assumes that all this activity, no matter where it\u2019s placed, doesn\u2019t start off with a click or a sale. The activity raises awareness for a brand and when a customer is in the state of mind to buy your product or service, they\u2019ll head over to the high priest of the Internet, Google, and type in your brand name. So, the theory goes that if your\u0026nbsp;share of voice across all these channels is high you\u2019ll be more front of mind when to comes to the point of research for your customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis aggregated search data is saved, anonymised and placed for anyone to dive into at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/trends.google.com\/\u0022\u003EGoogle Trends\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;website. This data is usually used for Daily Mail stories around how popular Meghan Markle is, low-level trivia like that. In the last year, in response to share of voice becoming a harder metric to pin down, some very clever people, led from the front by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.contagious.com\/news-and-views\/share-of-search-the-new-most-important-metric-for-brands-google\u0022\u003ELes Binet\u003C\/a\u003E, have looked at trying to use this data in a more useful way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe principle is pretty straightforward, the more front of mind you are with your customers, the more likely they are to search for you on Google. You can use the data going back to 2004 and look at the way your brand has been shifting over time. So, here\u2019s an example for a company we\u2019ve been working with, just looking at their data. All we\u2019ve done is enter their name:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2510\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Share of Search Image\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/1.png\u0022 width=\u00222342\u0022 height=\u0022816\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe chart shows Interest Over Time. Google defines that as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENumbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means that there was not enough data for this term.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo the chart shows interest with a rise in search interest around 2012. Nice. You can add competitors to this chart too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2511\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Competitor Share of Search\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2.png\u0022 width=\u00221982\u0022 height=\u0022536\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere you can see that the competitor has had a stronger search interest but since around 2013 the interest has been around the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is useful, but taking this from Interest Over Time to Share of Search needs a bit of Excel jiggery-pokery, taking the numbers and relative points and converting it into a percentage. The jiggery-pokery around this is nothing crazy, it just needs some massaging. Basically, it runs a moving average over the data and then tracks that as a percentage. The formula is:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2514\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Share of Seach Formula \u0022 data-delta=\u00225\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/sos.png\u0022 width=\u0022640\u0022 height=\u0022300\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo once you run this through Excel, you get this output:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2512\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Share of Search Results\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/3.png\u0022 width=\u00221720\u0022 height=\u0022744\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis chart, at the very least, is a useful conversation starter, and at the most, it can be a predictor of brand strength and, in turn, sales. We\u2019ve been tentatively sharing this data with clients to help understand their brand-building efforts rather than the more measurable and big number bonanza that lives around performance marketing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can add five queries into Google Trends to get this data, you can use more in the charts but it needs a bit more pokery-jiggery to pull the data together. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHas Share of Search the new Share of Voice? Is this a new dawn?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaybe.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are some issues that you may need to watch out for.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first is one that we deal with. Our name. Here\u2019s a Google Trends report for \u201cGood\u201d and \u201cWPP\u201d;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2513\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022WPP Good Share of Search\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/4.png\u0022 width=\u00222342\u0022 height=\u00221224\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoes this mean that we\u2019re of more interest than WPP? We\u2019re certainly more interesting, but we\u2019re clearly not responsible for this traffic. \u201cGood\u201d as a term is just too generic. To solve this you need to use context modifiers with your search query to make it more relevant to you. If we change our search to \u201cGood Brand Consultants\u201d you get a more realistic picture\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2515\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Good Brand Consultants WPP Share of Search Results\u0022 data-delta=\u00226\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/5.png\u0022 width=\u00222342\u0022 height=\u00221224\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re still more interesting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing context modifiers is tricky, you need to make sure that they\u2019re fair across the competitive set. If your brand name is \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d and your competitor is \u201cXedaxtion\u201d, it\u2019s easier to get more accurate results from \u201cXedaxtion\u201d than \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d. To compensate for this you can then modify the search term around your category. So \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d expands to \u201cTwinkle Toes Vaccine\u201d and the competitor search term changes to \u201cXedaxtion Vaccine\u201d. It\u2019s not as pure as a brand search but it can help with the category. Experiment to see what provides the best data. Best data being the fairest result, not the best result that confirms a bias.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes you may be searching for a brand for what the brand would call the wrong reasons. Take a look at the Interest of Time results for Peleton.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2516\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Peleton Search Interest Results\u0022 data-delta=\u00227\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/6.png\u0022 width=\u00222306\u0022 height=\u00221202\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey had a big old spike in December 2019. As ever, the data tells us what happened but not why it happened. Is the spike due to seasonal demand or was it due to the furore that the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2019\/dec\/04\/peloton-backlash-sexist-dystopian-exercise-bike-christmas-advert\u0022\u003EPeloton Christmas ad\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Ecaused? The sentiment behind the search enquiry needs to be taken into account. Mr Benit has suggested that tying the sentiment from social media with the Interest of Time results could help mitigate the negative interest in the brand. Of course, it could be argued that no publicity is bad publicity. Did this harm or help Peleton? As ever, context is everything, use it wisely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShare of Search from Google Trends data is looking like it could fill a gap in the reporting mix. It certainly isn\u2019t going to replace serious brand tracking efforts, but it is an exciting complementary metric that can help guide actions and possible reporting on brand-building efforts. It\u2019s still a nascent area of research though. Tom Roach gives a good analysis of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thetomroach.com\/2020\/11\/15\/the-wrong-and-the-short-of-it\/\u0022\u003Eshare of search\u0027s potential\u0026nbsp;shortcomings\u003C\/a\u003E, it\u2019s worth a read. So far though, we\u2019ve enjoyed the conversations that Share of Search has been generating \u2013 it\u2019ll be interesting to see how it grows over the medium term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWant to start exploring? Here\u2019s a basic spreadsheet\u0026nbsp;that can convert the Google Trend data into Share of Search.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.goodbrandconsultants.com\/sites\/default\/files\/2020-11-16_sos_example_sheet.xlsx\u0022 type=\u0022application\/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet; length=63209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022file\u0022\u003EBasic (can\u0027t stress that enough) Share of Search spreadsheet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave a play. Any questions? Drop me a note at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@goodbrandconsultants.com\u0022\u003Estewart@goodbrandconsultants.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThere\u2019s been some buzz recently around an interesting new metric that claims to be a quick health check on your brand. \nIt uses freely available data, is reasonably straightforward to check and, remarkably, doesn\u2019t just claim to be a good representation of past performance but can be used to predict the future.\u0026nbsp;In the old days of understanding, if your marketing efforts were working, you could easily work out your share of voice which in turn should be showing an improving market share, all things being equal. That was straightforward as you had a tight number of channels that you could measure easily against your competition.The challenge that brands have now is that we run into a multi-channel problem. Brands have the opportunity to advertise on such a wide number of channels, ranging from your big-time TV campaigns to the hyper-targeted Facebook ads. Tracking what you\u2019re doing can be straightforward, you hold that data, but maintaining tabs on the competition is getting more complicated given that they could be shifting from TV to YouTube, from email to TikTok.\u0026nbsp;The Share of Search metric assumes that all this activity, no matter where it\u2019s placed, doesn\u2019t start off with a click or a sale. The activity raises awareness for a brand and when a customer is in the state of mind to buy your product or service, they\u2019ll head over to the high priest of the Internet, Google, and type in your brand name. So, the theory goes that if your\u0026nbsp;share of voice across all these channels is high you\u2019ll be more front of mind when to comes to the point of research for your customers.This aggregated search data is saved, anonymised and placed for anyone to dive into at the\u0026nbsp;Google Trends\u0026nbsp;website. This data is usually used for Daily Mail stories around how popular Meghan Markle is, low-level trivia like that. In the last year, in response to share of voice becoming a harder metric to pin down, some very clever people, led from the front by Les Binet, have looked at trying to use this data in a more useful way.The principle is pretty straightforward, the more front of mind you are with your customers, the more likely they are to search for you on Google. You can use the data going back to 2004 and look at the way your brand has been shifting over time. So, here\u2019s an example for a company we\u2019ve been working with, just looking at their data. All we\u2019ve done is enter their name:\u0026nbsp;The chart shows Interest Over Time. Google defines that as:Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means that there was not enough data for this term.So the chart shows interest with a rise in search interest around 2012. Nice. You can add competitors to this chart too.\u0026nbsp;Here you can see that the competitor has had a stronger search interest but since around 2013 the interest has been around the same.This is useful, but taking this from Interest Over Time to Share of Search needs a bit of Excel jiggery-pokery, taking the numbers and relative points and converting it into a percentage. The jiggery-pokery around this is nothing crazy, it just needs some massaging. Basically, it runs a moving average over the data and then tracks that as a percentage. The formula is:\u0026nbsp;So once you run this through Excel, you get this output:\u0026nbsp;This chart, at the very least, is a useful conversation starter, and at the most, it can be a predictor of brand strength and, in turn, sales. We\u2019ve been tentatively sharing this data with clients to help understand their brand-building efforts rather than the more measurable and big number bonanza that lives around performance marketing.\u0026nbsp;You can add five queries into Google Trends to get this data, you can use more in the charts but it needs a bit more pokery-jiggery to pull the data together. \u0026nbsp;Has Share of Search the new Share of Voice? Is this a new dawn?\u0026nbsp;Maybe.\u0026nbsp;There are some issues that you may need to watch out for.\u0026nbsp;The first is one that we deal with. Our name. Here\u2019s a Google Trends report for \u201cGood\u201d and \u201cWPP\u201d;\u0026nbsp;Does this mean that we\u2019re of more interest than WPP? We\u2019re certainly more interesting, but we\u2019re clearly not responsible for this traffic. \u201cGood\u201d as a term is just too generic. To solve this you need to use context modifiers with your search query to make it more relevant to you. If we change our search to \u201cGood Brand Consultants\u201d you get a more realistic picture\u2026\u0026nbsp;We\u2019re still more interesting.Using context modifiers is tricky, you need to make sure that they\u2019re fair across the competitive set. If your brand name is \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d and your competitor is \u201cXedaxtion\u201d, it\u2019s easier to get more accurate results from \u201cXedaxtion\u201d than \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d. To compensate for this you can then modify the search term around your category. So \u201cTwinkle Toes\u201d expands to \u201cTwinkle Toes Vaccine\u201d and the competitor search term changes to \u201cXedaxtion Vaccine\u201d. It\u2019s not as pure as a brand search but it can help with the category. Experiment to see what provides the best data. Best data being the fairest result, not the best result that confirms a bias.Sometimes you may be searching for a brand for what the brand would call the wrong reasons. Take a look at the Interest of Time results for Peleton.\u0026nbsp;They had a big old spike in December 2019. As ever, the data tells us what happened but not why it happened. Is the spike due to seasonal demand or was it due to the furore that the\u0026nbsp;Peloton Christmas ad\u0026nbsp;caused? The sentiment behind the search enquiry needs to be taken into account. Mr Benit has suggested that tying the sentiment from social media with the Interest of Time results could help mitigate the negative interest in the brand. Of course, it could be argued that no publicity is bad publicity. Did this harm or help Peleton? As ever, context is everything, use it wisely.Share of Search from Google Trends data is looking like it could fill a gap in the reporting mix. It certainly isn\u2019t going to replace serious brand tracking efforts, but it is an exciting complementary metric that can help guide actions and possible reporting on brand-building efforts. It\u2019s still a nascent area of research though. Tom Roach gives a good analysis of share of search\u0027s potential\u0026nbsp;shortcomings, it\u2019s worth a read. So far though, we\u2019ve enjoyed the conversations that Share of Search has been generating \u2013 it\u2019ll be interesting to see how it grows over the medium term.Want to start exploring? Here\u2019s a basic spreadsheet\u0026nbsp;that can convert the Google Trend data into Share of Search.\u0026nbsp;Basic (can\u0027t stress that enough) Share of Search spreadsheetHave a play. Any questions? Drop me a note at stewart@goodbrandconsultants.com.  ","summary":"There\u2019s been some buzz recently around an interesting new metric that claims to be a quick health check on your brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-11-25T17:06:43+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5471","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/avoiding-brand-bollocks","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Avoiding the Brand Bollocks","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe world of brand is filled with buzzwords designed to make us sound clever. Both agencies and clients are guilty of using them \u2013 seemingly relishing the art of making simple things complicated. We call it Brand Bollocks, and the industry is full of it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are too many to cover in just one article \u2013 so to kick-off, I\u0027ll start with our top 3.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EMillennials\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s start with segmentation. Millennials, per se, aren\u0027t the issue. But we frequently hear talk of Millennials as a segment \u2013 \u0022we want to target millennials who are looking for rich experiences\u0022\u2026 \u0022target Millennials who want digital-only solutions\u0022.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy referring to Millennials as a \u0027segment\u0027, we\u0027re assuming they like and value the same things \u2013 that they behave in the same way. And they don\u0027t \u2013 research shows that attitudinally there\u0027s nothing hugely different about them as a group.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017 researcher, Martin Schiere conducted a study of 15,000 millennials from 20 countries. He compared attitudes of Millennials to those of Gen Xers and the post-war Baby Boomers. The result? A similar and equal split across the five different attitudinal groups \u2013 Millennials were no more likely to be significantly skewed towards one group than the Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers were. Conservatives, challengers, creatives, socialisers and achievers all contained a pretty equal split of the three age demographics.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd you don\u0027t even need to be that scientific. A quick Google search of \u0027what brands Millennials like\u0027 will tell you they like Apple, Target, Nike, Uber, Airbnb, Instagram, Amazon and Netflix. Great \u2013 that narrows it down then. So do my mum and my grandad.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what\u0027s my point? The benefit of customer segmentation is that it enables us to accurately target customers with a message that\u0027s relevant to that customer. Good customer profiles help us do that by grouping people based on common needs, behaviours, interests and the like.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are 2 billion Millennials on the planet, and the only thing that unifies them is the fact they were born between 1981 and 1996. It\u0027s really no different than segmenting based on race or gender. Let\u0027s ban all talk of Millennials when it comes to segmentation \u2013 it\u0027s lazy and leads to poor targeting and ineffective comms.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAvoiding the brand bollocks over this kind of lazy segmentation means avoiding falling into stereotypes. Focus segmentation on a customer\u0027s needs or problems, not what decade they were born in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EBrand Onions\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is another favourite bit of brand bollocks, particularly with large corporate firms.\u00a0It\u0027s so prominent that we\u0027ve written articles on the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003Efailings of the brand onion\u003C\/a\u003E. So, what\u0027s our beef with brand onions? (Sorry).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you think about great brand comms \u2013 it doesn\u0027t always work if you pick it apart piece by piece and try to review the merit of each element (colour, typography, imagery, language). The magic happens when all of those things work in harmony to create a brilliant piece of creative.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the case of Brand Onions, the opposite is the case. When you read the individual words and statements in isolation, they make sense. In theory, it\u0027s all there, but they rarely coalesce into something meaningful that helps guide and direct the brand. It\u0027s just a bunch of words on a page, trying to make the brand sound different.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve sat through countless meetings where brand managers methodically work their way through a brand presentation. A solemn sell in at the brand altar. The serious and detailed explanation of why Brand X really is better than Brands Y and Z. Culminating in a single summing up slide in little boxes. They tick off Reasons to Believe, personality, how we talk, how we look, how we behave, brand belief, brand vision, brand values, brand promise, brand essence. The list goes on and on.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the complexity each of those variations creates offers very little value. Most of it tends to hinder more than help. How many of those brand presentations end up living in a drawer rather than guiding the business?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow to avoid brand onion bollocks? You need an honest positioning that defines what you\u0027re all about and why anyone should care. And three simple brand values that act as the guardrails for everything else.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EWhat,\u00a0\u00a0How,\u00a0\u00a0Why\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimon Sinek\u0027s \u0022Why, How, What\u0022 model has grown in popularity over recent years. The thinking is, every organisation knows\u00a0what\u00a0they do, most know\u00a0how\u00a0they do it (what makes them different \/ their USP) but very few know\u00a0why\u00a0(their purpose, cause, belief).\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022People don\u0027t buy what you do they buy why you do it\u0022 means influencing consumer behaviour by thinking from the inside out - leading with the emotional stuff rather than the functional, practical stuff. All sounds eminently sensible, and that\u0027s why brand language is so important \u2013 keeping it simple, keeping it human \u2013 is the best way to develop engaging comms.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the reality is if your what and how aren\u0027t nailed, it doesn\u0027t matter about the why. You might do a great job of selling customers on your \u0022why\u0022 so they engage with you once. But businesses don\u0027t generate success from a single transaction \u2013 they generate success over time by selling you once, then delivering a solid product and a good brand experience, so you come back again and again. If your \u0022what\u0022 doesn\u0027t live up to expectations, it doesn\u0027t matter how inspiring your \u0022why\u0022 is.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat said, I think it can be a useful tool in a world of brand bollocks. It\u0027s the polar opposite to brand onions or ladders or keys or wheels or houses or whatever but as a \u0022brand on a page\u0022 tool, it\u0027s overly simplistic. It\u0027s a great tool for an internal workshop to get your head around an initial problem, but it\u0027s difficult to move that into long-lasting, engaging, thoughtful and effective communication moving forward.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolid brand values, on the other hand, help guide your brand on multiple levels. They help guide behaviour and provide focus. And perhaps most importantly, they help shape your brand\u0027s personality and tone of voice. The pro\u0027s of \u0022Why, How, What\u0022: it\u0027s simple. The con\u0027s \u2013 it\u0027s too simple. It maybe has a place, but it\u0027s not the be-all and end-all of good branding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy all means, use a sprinkling of \u0022Why, How, What\u0022 internally to get some thoughts together, to rally people around common themes. But that\u2019s just the start, make sure it\u2019s a foundation, not the whole encapsulation of the brand.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe just ran through the branding bollocks that jumps out to us, it\u0027s the tip of the iceberg. We\u0027re on a\u00a0mission to stamp it out when and where we can. Join us!\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe world of brand is filled with buzzwords designed to make us sound clever. Both agencies and clients are guilty of using them \u2013 seemingly relishing the art of making simple things complicated. We call it Brand Bollocks, and the industry is full of it. \nThere are too many to cover in just one article \u2013 so to kick-off, I\u0027ll start with our top 3.\nMillennials\nLet\u0027s start with segmentation. Millennials, per se, aren\u0027t the issue. But we frequently hear talk of Millennials as a segment \u2013 \u0022we want to target millennials who are looking for rich experiences\u0022\u2026 \u0022target Millennials who want digital-only solutions\u0022.\nBy referring to Millennials as a \u0027segment\u0027, we\u0027re assuming they like and value the same things \u2013 that they behave in the same way. And they don\u0027t \u2013 research shows that attitudinally there\u0027s nothing hugely different about them as a group.\u00a0\nIn 2017 researcher, Martin Schiere conducted a study of 15,000 millennials from 20 countries. He compared attitudes of Millennials to those of Gen Xers and the post-war Baby Boomers. The result? A similar and equal split across the five different attitudinal groups \u2013 Millennials were no more likely to be significantly skewed towards one group than the Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers were. Conservatives, challengers, creatives, socialisers and achievers all contained a pretty equal split of the three age demographics.\u00a0\nAnd you don\u0027t even need to be that scientific. A quick Google search of \u0027what brands Millennials like\u0027 will tell you they like Apple, Target, Nike, Uber, Airbnb, Instagram, Amazon and Netflix. Great \u2013 that narrows it down then. So do my mum and my grandad.\u00a0\nSo, what\u0027s my point? The benefit of customer segmentation is that it enables us to accurately target customers with a message that\u0027s relevant to that customer. Good customer profiles help us do that by grouping people based on common needs, behaviours, interests and the like.\u00a0\nThere are 2 billion Millennials on the planet, and the only thing that unifies them is the fact they were born between 1981 and 1996. It\u0027s really no different than segmenting based on race or gender. Let\u0027s ban all talk of Millennials when it comes to segmentation \u2013 it\u0027s lazy and leads to poor targeting and ineffective comms.\u00a0\nAvoiding the brand bollocks over this kind of lazy segmentation means avoiding falling into stereotypes. Focus segmentation on a customer\u0027s needs or problems, not what decade they were born in.\nBrand Onions\nThis is another favourite bit of brand bollocks, particularly with large corporate firms.\u00a0It\u0027s so prominent that we\u0027ve written articles on the failings of the brand onion. So, what\u0027s our beef with brand onions? (Sorry).\nWhen you think about great brand comms \u2013 it doesn\u0027t always work if you pick it apart piece by piece and try to review the merit of each element (colour, typography, imagery, language). The magic happens when all of those things work in harmony to create a brilliant piece of creative.\u00a0\nIn the case of Brand Onions, the opposite is the case. When you read the individual words and statements in isolation, they make sense. In theory, it\u0027s all there, but they rarely coalesce into something meaningful that helps guide and direct the brand. It\u0027s just a bunch of words on a page, trying to make the brand sound different.\nWe\u0027ve sat through countless meetings where brand managers methodically work their way through a brand presentation. A solemn sell in at the brand altar. The serious and detailed explanation of why Brand X really is better than Brands Y and Z. Culminating in a single summing up slide in little boxes. They tick off Reasons to Believe, personality, how we talk, how we look, how we behave, brand belief, brand vision, brand values, brand promise, brand essence. The list goes on and on.\nHowever, the complexity each of those variations creates offers very little value. Most of it tends to hinder more than help. How many of those brand presentations end up living in a drawer rather than guiding the business?\nHow to avoid brand onion bollocks? You need an honest positioning that defines what you\u0027re all about and why anyone should care. And three simple brand values that act as the guardrails for everything else.\u00a0\nWhat,\u00a0\u00a0How,\u00a0\u00a0Why\nSimon Sinek\u0027s \u0022Why, How, What\u0022 model has grown in popularity over recent years. The thinking is, every organisation knows\u00a0what\u00a0they do, most know\u00a0how\u00a0they do it (what makes them different \/ their USP) but very few know\u00a0why\u00a0(their purpose, cause, belief).\u00a0\n\u0022People don\u0027t buy what you do they buy why you do it\u0022 means influencing consumer behaviour by thinking from the inside out - leading with the emotional stuff rather than the functional, practical stuff. All sounds eminently sensible, and that\u0027s why brand language is so important \u2013 keeping it simple, keeping it human \u2013 is the best way to develop engaging comms.\u00a0\nHowever, the reality is if your what and how aren\u0027t nailed, it doesn\u0027t matter about the why. You might do a great job of selling customers on your \u0022why\u0022 so they engage with you once. But businesses don\u0027t generate success from a single transaction \u2013 they generate success over time by selling you once, then delivering a solid product and a good brand experience, so you come back again and again. If your \u0022what\u0022 doesn\u0027t live up to expectations, it doesn\u0027t matter how inspiring your \u0022why\u0022 is.\nThat said, I think it can be a useful tool in a world of brand bollocks. It\u0027s the polar opposite to brand onions or ladders or keys or wheels or houses or whatever but as a \u0022brand on a page\u0022 tool, it\u0027s overly simplistic. It\u0027s a great tool for an internal workshop to get your head around an initial problem, but it\u0027s difficult to move that into long-lasting, engaging, thoughtful and effective communication moving forward.\u00a0\nSolid brand values, on the other hand, help guide your brand on multiple levels. They help guide behaviour and provide focus. And perhaps most importantly, they help shape your brand\u0027s personality and tone of voice. The pro\u0027s of \u0022Why, How, What\u0022: it\u0027s simple. The con\u0027s \u2013 it\u0027s too simple. It maybe has a place, but it\u0027s not the be-all and end-all of good branding.\nBy all means, use a sprinkling of \u0022Why, How, What\u0022 internally to get some thoughts together, to rally people around common themes. But that\u2019s just the start, make sure it\u2019s a foundation, not the whole encapsulation of the brand.\u00a0\nWe just ran through the branding bollocks that jumps out to us, it\u0027s the tip of the iceberg. We\u0027re on a\u00a0mission to stamp it out when and where we can. Join us!\n  ","summary":"The world of brand is filled with buzzwords designed to make us sound clever. Both agencies and clients are guilty of using them \u2013 seemingly relishing the art of making simple things complicated. We call it Brand Bollocks, and the industry is full of it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-11-25T11:32:52+0000","author":{"name":"Julie Murdoch"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5741","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/you-get-agency-you-deserve","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"You Get The Agency You Deserve","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;ve implemented a new client policy and we\u0026#039;re interested in chatting it through. We\u0026#039;re really interested in what you think about this. What have we missed, what are your concerns, what do you like? We\u0026#039;re keen to learn. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com\n\nOh, and a terrible Sean Connery joke told terribly. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/do-clients-choose-us-or-do-we-choose-them\u0022\u003EThe Good New Client Engagement Policy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.winwithoutpitching.com\/about\/\u0022\u003EBlair Enns\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet us know what you think about this podcast. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/9627d648\/e127debd.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;ve implemented a new client policy and we\u0026#039;re interested in chatting it through. We\u0026#039;re really interested in what you think about this. What have we missed, what are your concerns, what do you like? We\u0026#039;re keen to learn. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com\n\nOh, and a terrible Sean Connery joke told terribly. \n\n        The Good New Client Engagement PolicyBlair EnnsLet us know what you think about this podcast. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"We\u0027ve implemented a new client policy and we\u0027re interested in chatting it through. We\u0027re really interested in what you think about this. What have we missed, what are your concerns, what do you like? We\u0027re keen to learn. Drop us a line at goodroundup@wearegood.com\n\nOh, and a terrible Sean Connery joke told terribly.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-11-16T08:31:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5472","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-tell-if-your-brand-leaking-value","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to Tell if Your Brand is Leaking Value","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI like the term \u2018leaking value\u2019 when it\u2019s attached to brand. For me, it perfectly encapsulates the idea of what happens to organisations when they have a brand problem that\u2019s hidden from view. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s like a slow puncture that gets worse and worse over time until it eventually reveals itself through wonky steering.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur work tends to focus on large global organisations who often have complex requirements for their brands and products. Whether that\u2019s to do with consistent representation in regional territories, or how to establish naming conventions to make it easier for customers to know which products to buy. We\u2019re nerdy for this type of stuff and spend quite a lot of time talking about it (you can listen to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\u0022\u003Eour podcast\u003C\/a\u003E) and writing about it. But I thought it would be useful to consolidate a list of tell-tale signs we\u2019ve seen from our clients over the years that point to the fact that you might be leaking brand value\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToo many products or brands\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is always top of the pops. Just about every organisation we work with has too many products or brands. We\u0027ve written an\u00a0expansive piece on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-many-products-does-brand-need\u0022\u003Etoo many products\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0before.\u00a0Suffice to say, that if you have too many products and they\u2019re difficult to navigate, consumers will buy something else that\u2019s easier. Prof G has described this as the biggest mistake made in modern marketing. Consumers don\u2019t want more choice; they want more confidence in fewer choices - or to outsource the decision making to someone else!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding where the brand equity lies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToo many B2B organisations try to build (or believe there is) brand equity in product brands or services. This is an inefficient way to organise brands because it means you need more marketing budget to launch and sustain them. Generally, they\u2019re very poorly thought through and end up contributing to a confused customer proposition. In B2B scenarios, with a typically smaller customer base, it\u2019s much more sensible to build the equity in the master brand, consistently applied across all touch-points. Taking this approach is easier, cheaper, less confusing to the customer and maintains more value in the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs the digital context considered?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow well is the brand optimised for the digital-first customer? Too many organisations treat brand as if it exists in a vacuum. It doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s everywhere. And it\u2019s digital-first. So, knowing that consumers generally want an easy, friction-free experience when it comes to planning, researching and buying, how well does your brand fare in delivering a seamless online experience? Again, complexity issues in portfolio management \u0026amp; naming conventions are quickly exposed within the digital channels. If you have the same products with different names in different territories, then the pain is in the post. (Or email).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToo much short; not enough long\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother big topic of 2020. Most B2B organisations spend way too much on short term sales activation, and virtually nothing on long-term brand building. This is particularly true if it\u2019s an organisation with a large sales function where marketing\u2019s role is viewed as lead generation. Rory Sutherland, in his recent piece The Objectivity Trap expresses the issue well.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u201cIn a business culture which is obsessed with quantification and measurement, there is an ever-present risk that the need for accountability makes the value created by marketing smaller rather than larger. If you spend your money doing only what can be proven to work, you may be missing out on things which are more effective but less demonstrable. You will also focus disproportionately on short-term wins over long-term value creation.\u201d\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it\u2019s a bit of a no-brainer piece of advice to B2B marketers. If we accept that consumers are more likely to buy from you if they recognise you and that most of your competition isn\u2019t investing in the long-term perception of their brand, then surely it\u2019s logical to conclude that this is how you win.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon\u2019t go changing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToo many organisations managing brands want to change things because they\u2019re bored with them. As brand practitioners, we do hear this quite often. Statements like \u201dcan we really push the guidelines this time\u201d, or \u201dlet\u2019s dial-up some of the secondary colours, there\u2019s too much of the primary\u201d. The obvious question is, who are you making these changes for? Unless there is some empirical evidence that the consumers will benefit from these changes, then you\u2019re probably best to stick with what you\u2019ve got. The more it\u2019s the same, the better it is for the customer. In a similar vein, Mark Ritson recently called marketing\u2019s tendency to be aroused by anything new as The Pornography of Change and described those that chase it as an \u201cenormous superficial army of glitter seekers\u201d. Instead, he wished marketing people were more focused on \u201ccustomer data and brand strategy\u201d. Amen to that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI understand that it\u2019s easy to sit on the sidelines and call clients out on this stiff. These issues are nuanced and don\u2019t exist in isolation, with mitigating factors everywhere: budgets, politics, the average tenure of the CMO and host of other challenges. However, we have to see our role as one which tries to challenge, calling out contradictions, long-term impacts and \u2018inside out\u2019 biases wherever we see them. This is the value we bring to our clients. Without it, we\u2019re simply doing, not thinking.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI like the term \u2018leaking value\u2019 when it\u2019s attached to brand. For me, it perfectly encapsulates the idea of what happens to organisations when they have a brand problem that\u2019s hidden from view. \nIt\u2019s like a slow puncture that gets worse and worse over time until it eventually reveals itself through wonky steering.\u00a0\nOur work tends to focus on large global organisations who often have complex requirements for their brands and products. Whether that\u2019s to do with consistent representation in regional territories, or how to establish naming conventions to make it easier for customers to know which products to buy. We\u2019re nerdy for this type of stuff and spend quite a lot of time talking about it (you can listen to our podcast) and writing about it. But I thought it would be useful to consolidate a list of tell-tale signs we\u2019ve seen from our clients over the years that point to the fact that you might be leaking brand value\u2026\nToo many products or brands\nThis is always top of the pops. Just about every organisation we work with has too many products or brands. We\u0027ve written an\u00a0expansive piece on too many products\u00a0before.\u00a0Suffice to say, that if you have too many products and they\u2019re difficult to navigate, consumers will buy something else that\u2019s easier. Prof G has described this as the biggest mistake made in modern marketing. Consumers don\u2019t want more choice; they want more confidence in fewer choices - or to outsource the decision making to someone else!\nUnderstanding where the brand equity lies\nToo many B2B organisations try to build (or believe there is) brand equity in product brands or services. This is an inefficient way to organise brands because it means you need more marketing budget to launch and sustain them. Generally, they\u2019re very poorly thought through and end up contributing to a confused customer proposition. In B2B scenarios, with a typically smaller customer base, it\u2019s much more sensible to build the equity in the master brand, consistently applied across all touch-points. Taking this approach is easier, cheaper, less confusing to the customer and maintains more value in the business.\nIs the digital context considered?\nHow well is the brand optimised for the digital-first customer? Too many organisations treat brand as if it exists in a vacuum. It doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s everywhere. And it\u2019s digital-first. So, knowing that consumers generally want an easy, friction-free experience when it comes to planning, researching and buying, how well does your brand fare in delivering a seamless online experience? Again, complexity issues in portfolio management \u0026amp; naming conventions are quickly exposed within the digital channels. If you have the same products with different names in different territories, then the pain is in the post. (Or email).\nToo much short; not enough long\nAnother big topic of 2020. Most B2B organisations spend way too much on short term sales activation, and virtually nothing on long-term brand building. This is particularly true if it\u2019s an organisation with a large sales function where marketing\u2019s role is viewed as lead generation. Rory Sutherland, in his recent piece The Objectivity Trap expresses the issue well.\n\u201cIn a business culture which is obsessed with quantification and measurement, there is an ever-present risk that the need for accountability makes the value created by marketing smaller rather than larger. If you spend your money doing only what can be proven to work, you may be missing out on things which are more effective but less demonstrable. You will also focus disproportionately on short-term wins over long-term value creation.\u201d\nSo, it\u2019s a bit of a no-brainer piece of advice to B2B marketers. If we accept that consumers are more likely to buy from you if they recognise you and that most of your competition isn\u2019t investing in the long-term perception of their brand, then surely it\u2019s logical to conclude that this is how you win.\nDon\u2019t go changing\nToo many organisations managing brands want to change things because they\u2019re bored with them. As brand practitioners, we do hear this quite often. Statements like \u201dcan we really push the guidelines this time\u201d, or \u201dlet\u2019s dial-up some of the secondary colours, there\u2019s too much of the primary\u201d. The obvious question is, who are you making these changes for? Unless there is some empirical evidence that the consumers will benefit from these changes, then you\u2019re probably best to stick with what you\u2019ve got. The more it\u2019s the same, the better it is for the customer. In a similar vein, Mark Ritson recently called marketing\u2019s tendency to be aroused by anything new as The Pornography of Change and described those that chase it as an \u201cenormous superficial army of glitter seekers\u201d. Instead, he wished marketing people were more focused on \u201ccustomer data and brand strategy\u201d. Amen to that.\nI understand that it\u2019s easy to sit on the sidelines and call clients out on this stiff. These issues are nuanced and don\u2019t exist in isolation, with mitigating factors everywhere: budgets, politics, the average tenure of the CMO and host of other challenges. However, we have to see our role as one which tries to challenge, calling out contradictions, long-term impacts and \u2018inside out\u2019 biases wherever we see them. This is the value we bring to our clients. Without it, we\u2019re simply doing, not thinking.\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"I like the term \u2018leaking value\u2019 when it\u2019s attached to brand. For me, it perfectly encapsulates the idea of what happens to organisations when they have a brand problem that\u2019s hidden from view.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-10-29T08:50:34+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5742","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/pure-quantum","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Pure Quantum","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EJulie\u0026#039;s back! Tired sharks! Boris jokes! What is content? How to create a content strategy! Ill-advised Sean Connery impressions! Pointed questions! Shameless\/shameful self-promotion! Scream if you want to go faster! \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve got articles on the Good site for all sort of brand-related topics, here\u0027s one on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/starting-your-content-strategy\u0022\u003Econtent strategy\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also have a newsletter we send out once a month, much more professional than this carry on. We\u0027d love you to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/sign-good-newsletter\u0022\u003Esign up\u003C\/a\u003E. \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe nights are fair drawing in. Take care of each other. Baby, baby, baby, I\u0027m your man.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/42abf324\/b9cbb8ad.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nJulie\u0026#039;s back! Tired sharks! Boris jokes! What is content? How to create a content strategy! Ill-advised Sean Connery impressions! Pointed questions! Shameless\/shameful self-promotion! Scream if you want to go faster! \n\n        We\u0027ve got articles on the Good site for all sort of brand-related topics, here\u0027s one on content strategy. We also have a newsletter we send out once a month, much more professional than this carry on. We\u0027d love you to sign up. \u00a0The nights are fair drawing in. Take care of each other. Baby, baby, baby, I\u0027m your man.\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Julie\u0027s back! Tired sharks! Boris jokes! What is content? How to create a content strategy! Ill-advised Sean Connery impressions! Pointed questions! Shameless\/shameful self-promotion! Scream if you want to go faster!","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-10-12T10:12:30+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5473","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/do-clients-choose-us-or-do-we-choose-them","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Do clients choose us or do we choose them?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor us, I suppose the reality is that it\u2019s somewhere in between. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut over the years, I\u2019ve become more and more forthright in the belief that the best relationships we foster with clients are the ones where we are an active partner rather than a supplier. And I think you can trace this all the way back to the start of the relationship and how both parties behave in the engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe convention about hiring creative agencies is so hopelessly one-sided that it\u2019s laughable:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClient needs an agency. Write a one-page brief. Send it to 5 agencies. Get them to do a free pitch. Choose the one you like best. Job done.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve perhaps exaggerated this to make my point, and I accept that not all clients do this and not all agencies comply. But, I\u2019d say it\u2019s still the received wisdom within companies on how to buy creative services.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, this isn\u2019t going to be a rant about how unfair free pitches are. There are\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-buy-design-services\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etons written\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0on this topic, and the bottom line for me is: no one\u2019s holding a gun to your head. Don\u2019t take part. Say no and find a way to express the value you add to your clients that elevates you above that discussion.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think the much more interesting thing is to explore what I\u2019m calling our rules for engagement. It\u2019s a New Client Policy that sets out our own set of principles for taking on a new client. Why? Well in almost every brief, or agency hiring process, the client tells us what the rules of engagement will be: from the core competencies and experience they\u2019re looking for through to expectations around timings and budget. And they\u2019re right to do so. It\u2019s important.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThing is, it\u2019s important to us too, so why shouldn\u2019t we state what we \u2018expect\u2019 from the engagement too? After all, we\u2019re just as interested in finding the right client fit. One that allows us to do our best work and bring the maximum value for the client\u2019s budget. We\u2019ve been doing it for long enough to have a pretty good idea about the clients that we work well with and the ones we don\u2019t. I think that this is one of our primary responsibilities, and I see it as a client benefit. If they know we\u2019re taking these decisions very seriously - for their sake as well as ours - then it\u2019s demonstrating a professionalism that I believe is wholly lacking in our sector.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are so many agencies out there that don\u2019t do this, that will claim to be an expert in any form and would never take a second to think about whether this particular client is a good fit for them. They probably haven\u2019t even stopped to think that this might even differentiate them in the sale process and add credence to their own particular claim of competence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not arrogance, looking to turn the tables on the potential client. It\u2019s a professional responsibility to cut through the bullshit at the start of these engagements - especially if it\u2019s a competitive scenario where the potential client might be looking for a pitch.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, before launching headlong into a checklist of points that will determine whether we\u2019ll work for a client or not, I want to point out that we\u2019ve not launched this yet, and we\u2019re not 100% sure how it\u2019ll be used. Whether it\u2019ll even exist as a client-facing document. It\u2019s not going to be a binary scenario. Every potential engagement will be different, and we may choose to compromise on some points over others, depending on the opportunity. The important thing is that at least we\u2019re having that discussion amongst ourselves and with the client.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E(And, full disclosure before I start, credit to Blair Enns from Win Without Pitching who first suggested this idea - some of the points on the list below are his).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EGood\u2019s New Client Engagement Policy:\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe believe that any potential new client\u2019s agency selection process has to fit with our new client policy, as outlined below:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EFee For Service.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur clients benefit from and compensate the agency for the strategic counsel of our senior planning, creative and digital personnel. This fee-for-service arrangement applies to companies interested in working with, but not yet engaged with the agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ENo Free Pitching.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe do not engage in unpaid speculative work of any kind (strategy, creative, digital or other) that would see valuable resource diverted away from paying clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EMinimum Engagement.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur business is geared to engage with clients who will spend a minimum of \u00a330K on an initial project.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ELong Term.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur belief is that we deliver the most added value for clients over the long term and look to cultivate relationships over transactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ECore Skillset.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDoes the task outlined in the brief play to our core belief of \u201chelping complex, global companies to rethink their brand for a digital-first world\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EProposals.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you would like an agency proposal on how we might help your organisation, then please outline your business, or brand challenge on one page, and email to\u00a0\u003Ca target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Echris@wearegood.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003ERatecard Reductions.\u003C\/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe do not offer any revisions or discounts off our published rate card unless the client is spending \u00a3500K within a 12 month period.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI realise that in black and white this might look quite presumptuous on behalf of the agency, but I think that it stakes out a territory and speaks to who we are as a firm. Having the ability to rule opportunity in or out on the basis of this checklist will save everyone time, money and heartache in the long run.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll we need to do now is decide how discreet we are with it. Plaster it all over the website, or keep it in a drawer for emergency use only? I guess it depends on how many free pitch requests we get.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nFor us, I suppose the reality is that it\u2019s somewhere in between. \nBut over the years, I\u2019ve become more and more forthright in the belief that the best relationships we foster with clients are the ones where we are an active partner rather than a supplier. And I think you can trace this all the way back to the start of the relationship and how both parties behave in the engagement.\nThe convention about hiring creative agencies is so hopelessly one-sided that it\u2019s laughable:\nClient needs an agency. Write a one-page brief. Send it to 5 agencies. Get them to do a free pitch. Choose the one you like best. Job done.\nI\u2019ve perhaps exaggerated this to make my point, and I accept that not all clients do this and not all agencies comply. But, I\u2019d say it\u2019s still the received wisdom within companies on how to buy creative services.\nSo, this isn\u2019t going to be a rant about how unfair free pitches are. There are\u00a0tons written\u00a0on this topic, and the bottom line for me is: no one\u2019s holding a gun to your head. Don\u2019t take part. Say no and find a way to express the value you add to your clients that elevates you above that discussion.\nI think the much more interesting thing is to explore what I\u2019m calling our rules for engagement. It\u2019s a New Client Policy that sets out our own set of principles for taking on a new client. Why? Well in almost every brief, or agency hiring process, the client tells us what the rules of engagement will be: from the core competencies and experience they\u2019re looking for through to expectations around timings and budget. And they\u2019re right to do so. It\u2019s important.\u00a0\nThing is, it\u2019s important to us too, so why shouldn\u2019t we state what we \u2018expect\u2019 from the engagement too? After all, we\u2019re just as interested in finding the right client fit. One that allows us to do our best work and bring the maximum value for the client\u2019s budget. We\u2019ve been doing it for long enough to have a pretty good idea about the clients that we work well with and the ones we don\u2019t. I think that this is one of our primary responsibilities, and I see it as a client benefit. If they know we\u2019re taking these decisions very seriously - for their sake as well as ours - then it\u2019s demonstrating a professionalism that I believe is wholly lacking in our sector.\nThere are so many agencies out there that don\u2019t do this, that will claim to be an expert in any form and would never take a second to think about whether this particular client is a good fit for them. They probably haven\u2019t even stopped to think that this might even differentiate them in the sale process and add credence to their own particular claim of competence.\nIt\u2019s not arrogance, looking to turn the tables on the potential client. It\u2019s a professional responsibility to cut through the bullshit at the start of these engagements - especially if it\u2019s a competitive scenario where the potential client might be looking for a pitch.\u00a0\nSo, before launching headlong into a checklist of points that will determine whether we\u2019ll work for a client or not, I want to point out that we\u2019ve not launched this yet, and we\u2019re not 100% sure how it\u2019ll be used. Whether it\u2019ll even exist as a client-facing document. It\u2019s not going to be a binary scenario. Every potential engagement will be different, and we may choose to compromise on some points over others, depending on the opportunity. The important thing is that at least we\u2019re having that discussion amongst ourselves and with the client.\n(And, full disclosure before I start, credit to Blair Enns from Win Without Pitching who first suggested this idea - some of the points on the list below are his).\nGood\u2019s New Client Engagement Policy:\nWe believe that any potential new client\u2019s agency selection process has to fit with our new client policy, as outlined below:\nFee For Service.\nOur clients benefit from and compensate the agency for the strategic counsel of our senior planning, creative and digital personnel. This fee-for-service arrangement applies to companies interested in working with, but not yet engaged with the agency.\nNo Free Pitching.\nWe do not engage in unpaid speculative work of any kind (strategy, creative, digital or other) that would see valuable resource diverted away from paying clients.\nMinimum Engagement.\nOur business is geared to engage with clients who will spend a minimum of \u00a330K on an initial project.\nLong Term.\nOur belief is that we deliver the most added value for clients over the long term and look to cultivate relationships over transactions.\nCore Skillset.\nDoes the task outlined in the brief play to our core belief of \u201chelping complex, global companies to rethink their brand for a digital-first world\u201d.\nProposals.\nIf you would like an agency proposal on how we might help your organisation, then please outline your business, or brand challenge on one page, and email to\u00a0chris@wearegood.com.\nRatecard Reductions.\nWe do not offer any revisions or discounts off our published rate card unless the client is spending \u00a3500K within a 12 month period.\nI realise that in black and white this might look quite presumptuous on behalf of the agency, but I think that it stakes out a territory and speaks to who we are as a firm. Having the ability to rule opportunity in or out on the basis of this checklist will save everyone time, money and heartache in the long run.\nAll we need to do now is decide how discreet we are with it. Plaster it all over the website, or keep it in a drawer for emergency use only? I guess it depends on how many free pitch requests we get.\n  ","summary":"For us, I suppose the reality is that it\u2019s somewhere in between.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-09-23T14:18:08+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5743","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/stop-digital-doing-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Stop the Digital Doing","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EJulie\u0026#039;s not here. Chris channels a young David Frost. Stewart mentions books he\u0026#039;s read. All about how digital doing is easy but doing digital right takes some planning. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Good-Strategy-Bad-difference-matters\/dp\/1781256179\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Y78T6QNDPDBC\u0026amp;dchild=1\u0026amp;keywords=good+strategy+bad+strategy\u0026amp;qid=1600702397\u0026amp;sprefix=Good+S%2Caps%2C167\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0022\u003EGood Strategy\/Bad Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/intl\/en-gb\/navigating-purchase-behavior-and-decision-making\/\u0022\u003EGoogle\u0027s Messy Middle Report\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/stop-digital-doing\u0022\u003EStop The Digital Doing\u003C\/a\u003E on the Good Website\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/a330cf5a\/85765304.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nJulie\u0026#039;s not here. Chris channels a young David Frost. Stewart mentions books he\u0026#039;s read. All about how digital doing is easy but doing digital right takes some planning. \nGood Strategy\/Bad StrategyGoogle\u0027s Messy Middle ReportStop The Digital Doing on the Good WebsiteDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Julie\u0027s not here. Chris channels a young David Frost. Stewart mentions books he\u0027s read. All about how digital doing is easy but doing digital right takes some planning.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-09-22T07:30:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5474","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/stop-digital-doing","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Stop The Digital Doing","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHave you ever been in a reporting meeting, a meeting that is reviewing the digital marketing activity and found yourself wondering how your life turned out so... wrong? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow did it come to a sixty-slide presentation about which posts performed better, which one\u0027s got more engagement, which CTA was clicked on more, which page was the bounciest, all laced with Facebook screenshots, with Google Ads screenshots and with Google Analytics screenshots?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo. Much. Data Puke.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in the end? Nothing. A quick chat about what\u0027s happening next month and a review of everyone\u0027s calendars to schedule the same meeting in next month. And that sinking feeling that it will feel like the same meeting next month.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese types of reporting meetings are torturous, pointless and don\u0027t value people\u0027s time. When looking at the reports themselves, the focus is always around the activity generated then the outcomes achieved. How can you make these meetings better, more productive and add value to your digital activity? How do you move from digital doing to digital strategy?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe shift from doing to strategy takes three steps. The steps for digital strategy are taken from the strategic approach outlined in\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Good-Strategy-Bad-difference-matters\/dp\/1781256179\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QRX7G3ZUFE7N\u0026amp;dchild=1\u0026amp;keywords=good+strategy+bad+strategy\u0026amp;qid=1600166427\u0026amp;sprefix=strategy+ba%2Caps%2C161\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0022\u003EGood Strategy\/Bad Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0by\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_Rumelt\u0022\u003ERichard Rumelt\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0It\u0027s pretty straightforward, makes a whole load of sense and, most importantly, is easy to explain to the broader team so everyone can get on board.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first step is diagnoses: what\u0027s the business challenge that you\u0027re trying to deal with? Is it that no-one knows your product? Is it that you need to deal with a competitor\u0027s new product? Is it to try and get leads? You need to understand the challenge and then design a way of coordinating and focusing actions on dealing with those factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should be able to understand the consequences of the actions that you\u0027re taking. If you\u0027re running a campaign to drive more leads, you should be able to see the leads going up. That sounds blindingly obvious, but it makes a world of difference when it comes to planning your tactics and understanding the results, and, in turn, reporting on them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe diagnoses stage is the key to making your life bearable during reporting. By understanding why you\u0027re doing what you\u0027re doing it gives focus and clarity to the report, taking it away from talking about the activity\u00a0that you\u2019re generating to showing the\u00a0results that you need to make the business successful.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the diagnoses nailed, it\u0027s time to look at the second stage, \u0022Approach\u0022. What message does your campaign need to have to be successful? What channels, what call to action, what landing page, what are we doing to get people to take the action that we want them to?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA mistake that can be made during the Approach stage is not understanding the customer\u0027s path to purchase. The more idealistic on your team may hope that a potential prospect will be triggered by seeing\u00a0an ad, clicking on it, reading the landing page and be so, so impressed that they\u0027ll convert then and there - the \u0022straight line\u0022 path to purchase.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2508\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Straight Line Path to Purchase\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/1._lione.png\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q5fW7sERw7I\u0022\u003EOh, wouldn\u0027t it be loverly.\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0But that isn\u0027t how people buy things on the Internet, not even the most idealistic of us. The reality of our behaviour breaks down like this: something drives us to action; we then explore our options and then evaluate them. Only when you\u0027re satisfied with your options will you be propelled out of this loop into taking some form of action.\u00a0This back and forth has been dubbed the\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/consumer-insights\/navigating-purchase-behavior-and-decision-making\/\u0022\u003EMessy Middle\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0by Google, and it\u0027s easy to see why.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2509\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Google\u0027s Messy Middle\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/messy_middle.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo use the messy middle to your advantage means that we have to be able to provide more information, the more a customer goes into their evaluation process. What kinds of content is a customer looking on their first visit and their second, third or fourth visit? Where else are your customers evaluating your product? What information are your competitors providing to help influence the purchase path? What can you do to help customers make their choice?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember, this purchase path could take months. It could be many visits to your site before they hit the button to action. Whatever approach you take has to consider multiple visits with deeper content needs with each visit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe final stage is \u0022Implementation\u0022 - time to put the approach in the test. Ads are created, landing pages built, content created, all guided by the approach we\u0027ve taken to overcome the challenge identified during diagnoses. Then off it goes, it starts to run.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen we get to reporting.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReporting should be a statement of past activity that helps guide us to future success. Look at the metrics that relate to the strategy. Engagement metrics are cool. Who doesn\u0027t want to hear that your campaign has a reach of 20 million? But if you\u0027re not hitting the target that you set out in the diagnoses phase, then it\u0027s the worst kind of vanity metric.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccept that the first couple of reports may be ugly. You\u0027re here to learn, and reporting is the tool to do that quicker. You\u0027ll be looking to understand a range of metrics that relate to success. Depending on the campaign, you\u0027ll want to know how many visits before conversion, the time between first visit and conversion, content viewed, time on site each visit, the list will go on. Knowing what ad in your campaign is leading to the most traffic that converts is important. But shares and likes are worthless unless you can directly relate them to outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery report needs a point. A \u0022What next\u0022 to help shape the future, to start a mentality of continual improvement within your team. We always suggest asking three questions at the end of the report:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat happened in the last period that concerned us with the campaign?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhat are we going to do to address it?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhat is the outcome going to be?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere may be three or four things that concern you, that\u0027s good. Address it. Improve it. And at the start of the next reporting session, start with the three or four things that concerned you and how things improved. These questions drive success forward, provides much-needed context to the reports and should help you reach the strategic goal sooner rather than later.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoving from digital doing to digital strategy can be tricky in organisations. Siloed thinking can get in the way. But perseverance and a solid, easy to understand approach can pay dividends in the short term and build to long term success. And you may get to enjoy a reporting meeting. Winner, winner!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe chatted through the curse of digital doing on our podcast, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\u0022\u003EThe Good Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E. Have a listen and please feel free to subscribe.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nHave you ever been in a reporting meeting, a meeting that is reviewing the digital marketing activity and found yourself wondering how your life turned out so... wrong? \nHow did it come to a sixty-slide presentation about which posts performed better, which one\u0027s got more engagement, which CTA was clicked on more, which page was the bounciest, all laced with Facebook screenshots, with Google Ads screenshots and with Google Analytics screenshots?\nSo. Much. Data Puke.\nAnd in the end? Nothing. A quick chat about what\u0027s happening next month and a review of everyone\u0027s calendars to schedule the same meeting in next month. And that sinking feeling that it will feel like the same meeting next month.\nThese types of reporting meetings are torturous, pointless and don\u0027t value people\u0027s time. When looking at the reports themselves, the focus is always around the activity generated then the outcomes achieved. How can you make these meetings better, more productive and add value to your digital activity? How do you move from digital doing to digital strategy?\nThe shift from doing to strategy takes three steps. The steps for digital strategy are taken from the strategic approach outlined in\u00a0Good Strategy\/Bad Strategy\u00a0by\u00a0Richard Rumelt\u00a0It\u0027s pretty straightforward, makes a whole load of sense and, most importantly, is easy to explain to the broader team so everyone can get on board.\nThe first step is diagnoses: what\u0027s the business challenge that you\u0027re trying to deal with? Is it that no-one knows your product? Is it that you need to deal with a competitor\u0027s new product? Is it to try and get leads? You need to understand the challenge and then design a way of coordinating and focusing actions on dealing with those factors.\nYou should be able to understand the consequences of the actions that you\u0027re taking. If you\u0027re running a campaign to drive more leads, you should be able to see the leads going up. That sounds blindingly obvious, but it makes a world of difference when it comes to planning your tactics and understanding the results, and, in turn, reporting on them.\nThe diagnoses stage is the key to making your life bearable during reporting. By understanding why you\u0027re doing what you\u0027re doing it gives focus and clarity to the report, taking it away from talking about the activity\u00a0that you\u2019re generating to showing the\u00a0results that you need to make the business successful.\nWith the diagnoses nailed, it\u0027s time to look at the second stage, \u0022Approach\u0022. What message does your campaign need to have to be successful? What channels, what call to action, what landing page, what are we doing to get people to take the action that we want them to?\nA mistake that can be made during the Approach stage is not understanding the customer\u0027s path to purchase. The more idealistic on your team may hope that a potential prospect will be triggered by seeing\u00a0an ad, clicking on it, reading the landing page and be so, so impressed that they\u0027ll convert then and there - the \u0022straight line\u0022 path to purchase.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nOh, wouldn\u0027t it be loverly.\u00a0But that isn\u0027t how people buy things on the Internet, not even the most idealistic of us. The reality of our behaviour breaks down like this: something drives us to action; we then explore our options and then evaluate them. Only when you\u0027re satisfied with your options will you be propelled out of this loop into taking some form of action.\u00a0This back and forth has been dubbed the\u00a0Messy Middle\u00a0by Google, and it\u0027s easy to see why.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nTo use the messy middle to your advantage means that we have to be able to provide more information, the more a customer goes into their evaluation process. What kinds of content is a customer looking on their first visit and their second, third or fourth visit? Where else are your customers evaluating your product? What information are your competitors providing to help influence the purchase path? What can you do to help customers make their choice?\nRemember, this purchase path could take months. It could be many visits to your site before they hit the button to action. Whatever approach you take has to consider multiple visits with deeper content needs with each visit.\nThe final stage is \u0022Implementation\u0022 - time to put the approach in the test. Ads are created, landing pages built, content created, all guided by the approach we\u0027ve taken to overcome the challenge identified during diagnoses. Then off it goes, it starts to run.\nThen we get to reporting.\nReporting should be a statement of past activity that helps guide us to future success. Look at the metrics that relate to the strategy. Engagement metrics are cool. Who doesn\u0027t want to hear that your campaign has a reach of 20 million? But if you\u0027re not hitting the target that you set out in the diagnoses phase, then it\u0027s the worst kind of vanity metric.\nAccept that the first couple of reports may be ugly. You\u0027re here to learn, and reporting is the tool to do that quicker. You\u0027ll be looking to understand a range of metrics that relate to success. Depending on the campaign, you\u0027ll want to know how many visits before conversion, the time between first visit and conversion, content viewed, time on site each visit, the list will go on. Knowing what ad in your campaign is leading to the most traffic that converts is important. But shares and likes are worthless unless you can directly relate them to outcomes.\nEvery report needs a point. A \u0022What next\u0022 to help shape the future, to start a mentality of continual improvement within your team. We always suggest asking three questions at the end of the report:\nWhat happened in the last period that concerned us with the campaign?\nWhat are we going to do to address it?\nWhat is the outcome going to be?\nThere may be three or four things that concern you, that\u0027s good. Address it. Improve it. And at the start of the next reporting session, start with the three or four things that concerned you and how things improved. These questions drive success forward, provides much-needed context to the reports and should help you reach the strategic goal sooner rather than later.\nMoving from digital doing to digital strategy can be tricky in organisations. Siloed thinking can get in the way. But perseverance and a solid, easy to understand approach can pay dividends in the short term and build to long term success. And you may get to enjoy a reporting meeting. Winner, winner!\nWe chatted through the curse of digital doing on our podcast, The Good Round Up. Have a listen and please feel free to subscribe.\n\n  ","summary":"Have you ever been in a reporting meeting, a meeting that is reviewing the digital marketing activity and found yourself wondering how your life turned out so... wrong?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-09-16T10:22:09+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5744","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/we-have-lots-names-you","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"We Have Lots of Names For You.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter a very impromptu sweary start that couldn\u0026#039;t be edited out for reasons that will become apparent, we board the good ship Orca and set sail to treacherous waters around the Seven Watchouts of Brand Architecture. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EArticles on the Good website:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-many-products-does-brand-need\u0022\u003EHow many products does a brand need?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/time-review-your-brand-architecture\u0022\u003ETime to Review Your Brand Architecture\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligence\u0022\u003EBrand Architecture - Don\u2019t forget the due diligence\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/defining-your-brand-architecture\u0022\u003EDefining your brand architecture\u003C\/a\u003E - more information on Devro\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/258ad1ea\/8060891a.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nAfter a very impromptu sweary start that couldn\u0026#039;t be edited out for reasons that will become apparent, we board the good ship Orca and set sail to treacherous waters around the Seven Watchouts of Brand Architecture. \n\n        Articles on the Good website:How many products does a brand need?Time to Review Your Brand ArchitectureBrand Architecture - Don\u2019t forget the due diligenceDefining your brand architecture - more information on Devro\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"After a very impromptu sweary start that couldn\u0027t be edited out for reasons that will become apparent, we board the good ship Orca and set sail to treacherous waters around the Seven Watchouts of Brand Architecture.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-08-24T17:51:38+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5475","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-many-products-does-brand-need","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How many products does a brand need?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. But in my opinion, the fewer, the better \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve written pieces\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/defining-your-brand-architecture\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebefore\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;about how, especially in a B2B space, the value should be built into the mother brand, not the sub-brands or products. (Let\u2019s leave aside the issue of whether they\u2019re brands or products - that\u2019s a whole other topic). What\u2019s on my mind at the moment is just how difficult it seems to be for organisations to grasp the nettle, manage their portfolios on the front foot and kill off or merge the products that aren\u2019t needed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn our work, there always seem to be far too many products. Either from legacy acquisitions or from marketing making new names and logos \u2014 but the key challenge seems to be doing something about it. I\u2019m constantly surprised at the collective lack of understanding, urgency and action from organisations around the potential solutions. I would have thought they\u2019d be jumping at the chance to make some changes - to fix the leaks - because to me it\u2019s obvious what the impact is of taking no action. They bleed value.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can have the best brand in the world; but if your product range is confused, sprawling and duplicated, your end-user will be looking to buy from a competitor who just makes it easier. It\u2019s a complexity tax that your customer shouldn\u2019t have to bear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI appreciate that I\u2019m the one with the objectivity and that these things may not be as obvious when you\u2019re inside the client organisation, but I\u2019m not convinced they\u2019d be as unengaged if one of their machines on the production line was only running at 50%. A man with a bag of spanners would arrive pretty quickly to get things back on track.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, they\u2019re hidden from view, not revealing themselves cleanly in a P\u0026amp;L or a balance sheet. The challenges are seeded well before they manifest themselves, and they grow organically, eventually reaching a point like an out of control garden that needs tamed and cut back.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, why does it happen?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think there\u2019s probably just a lack of thought around it, and this stuff just \u2018happens\u2019 to them. It\u2019s not actively managed. Very few B2B think \u2018we need to have a conscious position on our brand and our range architecture\u2019. Indeed quite a few don\u2019t think they need to bother. And that\u2019s fine too - when things are going well. But things change and when you get to a point that you can\u2019t navigate your way through your own portfolio, let alone consumers, you have a problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESilos in organisations like to create new things. Different parts of the biz operate in bubbles. And it\u2019s messy. On the one hand, it\u2019s a question about brand architecture, and on the other, it\u2019s about selling products to customers. This essentially spans three divisions within an organisation: product development, sales and marketing. They\u2019re all competing for influence and power, and I guess the voice of the consumer can get lost in this struggle. It takes strong brand leadership and an intuitive understanding of human behaviour to solve these problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are two great examples\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI know it\u2019s trite to tell an Apple story, but they\u2019re always so damn good! So, the story goes that once Jobs returned to Apple, he was supposedly asked by a friend which of the Apple computers they should buy. Apparently, Jobs was stumped. There were just far too many products. Apple had been making products to satisfy requests from retailers, not with a view to the end customer. So, after a few weeks of meeting with the product people, Jobs had heard enough. He decided that there were only two questions consumers should have to ask in order to decide which Apple computer was right for them. Are you an everyday consumer or a Pro? And do you want a portable or a desktop? In one bold move Jobs killed 70% of Apple\u2019s range. A year later, the nearly bankrupt company turned a healthy $309 million profit. It\u2019s that simple. Behavioural economics tells us that the simpler the product range, the easier it is to make a choice, which means you\u2019ll make more sales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hbr.org\/2018\/08\/why-adding-more-products-isnt-always-the-best-way-to-grow\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHBR\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;have a great article on this subject and cite the example of McDonald\u2019s. In the early 2000s, their growth was flat, and they attempted to solve this by adding more diversity to their menu - which, on the face of it, might seem like a good idea. But sales remained flat. It wasn\u2019t until they turned the problem on its head and actually simplified things, consolidating their menus and extending breakfast offerings that sales jumped. Same-store revenue increased by 6% and the stock rose by 40%. Turns out that what customers responded to wasn\u2019t more products, but a tighter focus on what they already offered. The underlying trouble had been that McDonald\u2019s had been working from an inside-out perspective: creating \u2018solutions\u2019 that worked for their infrastructure and operations. As the HBR article says, the lesson is that growth is best achieved by making things simpler for your customer rather than for you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth of these examples are of very well known B2C brands, but they weren\u2019t immune to making the mistakes of adding and adding to their product lines - until they made very little sense. In Apple\u2019s case, it took a visionary leader and very clear thinking about what customers want. In McDonald\u2019s case, it was much more a case of trial and error until they found the right solution. But both these organisations bled value until they finally managed to get the business back in growth.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s the really fascinating thing to me. The experience we\u2019ve gleaned in this space over the past several years suggests that businesses don\u2019t appreciate just how much value they\u2019re losing with poorly organised portfolios. They\u2019re paying hundreds of millions of dollars for companies, but giving no thought to how they should be integrating the brands and product portfolios. Not through malicious intent, but just through a lack of awareness and a focus on other more immediate priorities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo if you\u2019re fighting with your range architecture, product names or mother brand and think you could do with an objective view - give us a shout. We might not make you $309 million in year one, but we\u2019ll give it go!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand architecture is just one of the topics that we cover in our podcast, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\/\u0022\u003EThe Good Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E. Have a listen to get more of our take on this topic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThere\u2019s not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. But in my opinion, the fewer, the better \nI\u2019ve written pieces\u0026nbsp;before\u0026nbsp;about how, especially in a B2B space, the value should be built into the mother brand, not the sub-brands or products. (Let\u2019s leave aside the issue of whether they\u2019re brands or products - that\u2019s a whole other topic). What\u2019s on my mind at the moment is just how difficult it seems to be for organisations to grasp the nettle, manage their portfolios on the front foot and kill off or merge the products that aren\u2019t needed.\u0026nbsp;In our work, there always seem to be far too many products. Either from legacy acquisitions or from marketing making new names and logos \u2014 but the key challenge seems to be doing something about it. I\u2019m constantly surprised at the collective lack of understanding, urgency and action from organisations around the potential solutions. I would have thought they\u2019d be jumping at the chance to make some changes - to fix the leaks - because to me it\u2019s obvious what the impact is of taking no action. They bleed value.\u0026nbsp;You can have the best brand in the world; but if your product range is confused, sprawling and duplicated, your end-user will be looking to buy from a competitor who just makes it easier. It\u2019s a complexity tax that your customer shouldn\u2019t have to bear.I appreciate that I\u2019m the one with the objectivity and that these things may not be as obvious when you\u2019re inside the client organisation, but I\u2019m not convinced they\u2019d be as unengaged if one of their machines on the production line was only running at 50%. A man with a bag of spanners would arrive pretty quickly to get things back on track.\u0026nbsp;So, they\u2019re hidden from view, not revealing themselves cleanly in a P\u0026amp;L or a balance sheet. The challenges are seeded well before they manifest themselves, and they grow organically, eventually reaching a point like an out of control garden that needs tamed and cut back.\u0026nbsp;So, why does it happen?I think there\u2019s probably just a lack of thought around it, and this stuff just \u2018happens\u2019 to them. It\u2019s not actively managed. Very few B2B think \u2018we need to have a conscious position on our brand and our range architecture\u2019. Indeed quite a few don\u2019t think they need to bother. And that\u2019s fine too - when things are going well. But things change and when you get to a point that you can\u2019t navigate your way through your own portfolio, let alone consumers, you have a problem.Silos in organisations like to create new things. Different parts of the biz operate in bubbles. And it\u2019s messy. On the one hand, it\u2019s a question about brand architecture, and on the other, it\u2019s about selling products to customers. This essentially spans three divisions within an organisation: product development, sales and marketing. They\u2019re all competing for influence and power, and I guess the voice of the consumer can get lost in this struggle. It takes strong brand leadership and an intuitive understanding of human behaviour to solve these problems.Here are two great examples\u2026I know it\u2019s trite to tell an Apple story, but they\u2019re always so damn good! So, the story goes that once Jobs returned to Apple, he was supposedly asked by a friend which of the Apple computers they should buy. Apparently, Jobs was stumped. There were just far too many products. Apple had been making products to satisfy requests from retailers, not with a view to the end customer. So, after a few weeks of meeting with the product people, Jobs had heard enough. He decided that there were only two questions consumers should have to ask in order to decide which Apple computer was right for them. Are you an everyday consumer or a Pro? And do you want a portable or a desktop? In one bold move Jobs killed 70% of Apple\u2019s range. A year later, the nearly bankrupt company turned a healthy $309 million profit. It\u2019s that simple. Behavioural economics tells us that the simpler the product range, the easier it is to make a choice, which means you\u2019ll make more sales.Similarly, the\u0026nbsp;HBR\u0026nbsp;have a great article on this subject and cite the example of McDonald\u2019s. In the early 2000s, their growth was flat, and they attempted to solve this by adding more diversity to their menu - which, on the face of it, might seem like a good idea. But sales remained flat. It wasn\u2019t until they turned the problem on its head and actually simplified things, consolidating their menus and extending breakfast offerings that sales jumped. Same-store revenue increased by 6% and the stock rose by 40%. Turns out that what customers responded to wasn\u2019t more products, but a tighter focus on what they already offered. The underlying trouble had been that McDonald\u2019s had been working from an inside-out perspective: creating \u2018solutions\u2019 that worked for their infrastructure and operations. As the HBR article says, the lesson is that growth is best achieved by making things simpler for your customer rather than for you.Both of these examples are of very well known B2C brands, but they weren\u2019t immune to making the mistakes of adding and adding to their product lines - until they made very little sense. In Apple\u2019s case, it took a visionary leader and very clear thinking about what customers want. In McDonald\u2019s case, it was much more a case of trial and error until they found the right solution. But both these organisations bled value until they finally managed to get the business back in growth.\u0026nbsp;And that\u2019s the really fascinating thing to me. The experience we\u2019ve gleaned in this space over the past several years suggests that businesses don\u2019t appreciate just how much value they\u2019re losing with poorly organised portfolios. They\u2019re paying hundreds of millions of dollars for companies, but giving no thought to how they should be integrating the brands and product portfolios. Not through malicious intent, but just through a lack of awareness and a focus on other more immediate priorities.So if you\u2019re fighting with your range architecture, product names or mother brand and think you could do with an objective view - give us a shout. We might not make you $309 million in year one, but we\u2019ll give it go!Brand architecture is just one of the topics that we cover in our podcast, The Good Round Up. Have a listen to get more of our take on this topic.  ","summary":"There\u2019s not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. But in my opinion, the fewer, the better","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-08-14T09:49:47+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5476","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/do-you-need-write-brief","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Do you need to write a brief?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is going to sound controversial, but many of the written briefs we receive are crap and aren\u2019t worth it. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet me start by saying that I know I\u0027m being\u00a0deliberately provocative here, and if you want a more balanced agency view of good briefing, you should read this\u00a0article\u00a0about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-write-perfect-brief\u0022\u003Ecreating the perfect brief\u003C\/a\u003E, but I think there is some merit in testing the argument.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI can almost feel the Account Handling team recoil in disgust and to be fair, I do understand why. When you get started in the world of agencies, and particularly in the handling team, you\u2019re told that \u2018briefs\u2019 are the fuel the agency runs on. If someone doesn\u2019t know what to do, they ask for a brief. Without a brief, we\u2019re all just shuffling around drinking coffee and talking about TV shows.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECreatives need briefed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECopywriters need briefed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPhotographers need briefed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIllustrators need briefed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgency people need briefs!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe, as agency people, tend to put such store around \u2018what the brief says\u2019 that it doesn\u2019t seem to matter if what\u2019s written is nonsense or not. It\u2019s been conditioned into us for years, and I think that we often miss the opportunity to challenge what\u2019s in them - in a sort of deferential shrug to the all-knowing client.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s the problem?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWell, I think that there needs to be a distinction made between a functional brief - which is quite prescriptive and tells the reader exactly what it is that is required, and the broader client question which is more open and asks a strategic or diagnostic question: \u2018what\u2019s the nature of the problem or challenge we\u2019re trying to solve?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problem comes when we try to use a generic briefing approach in both cases. Especially when we try to use a template to force the thinking into narrow, predetermined boxes designed for ticking. These templates encourage generic, formulaic thinking by both the client and agency. Resist them at all costs!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what should be in a client brief?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood question. And I don\u2019t have a definite answer, but I do have some thoughts about what shouldn\u2019t be in it. Oftentimes we receive client briefs that are so \u2018closed\u2019 there\u2019s no room for discussion. In these situations, clients have self-diagnosed their own issues and challenges and have written a brief prescribing their own solution. It\u2019s the equivalent of deciding your own ailment, writing your medical prescription and then going to see the doctor or pharmacist to have it dispensed.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not not saying that this is always wrong. Sometimes it\u2019s right. But the key thing for a firm like ours is that a large part of the value we bring is in doing the diagnostic. Talking about the big, difficult chin rubbing stuff that happens before any decisions are made. We\u2019re experts in our own field, and we see patterns and issues reoccurring across many different clients, so I\u2019m concerned when potential clients don\u2019t seem to want to take advantage of that expertise and come to us with their own solution. It\u2019s a sign that they\u2019re perhaps looking for an order taker rather than a consultant. So, my preference is that there is no client brief. Just a broad-ranging conversation which can act as a starting point for both parties to decide if there\u2019s a decent fit. That\u2019s the most important thing. Issues like \u2018who are we targeting\u2019 and \u2018what are the timescales\u2019 all have their place, but not at this initial stage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWriting up notes and summarising the task into a document is a useful exercise - but be careful not to fall down the rabbit hole of brief templates and box-ticking.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat about internal briefs?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is where they do have a place. But in my view, they should be restricted as much as possible, to functional requirements, which are downstream of the initial task. For example, print specs, artwork, production requirements - they\u2019re all crucial in the delivery of the final solution and rely on accurate information, supplied succinctly and efficiently in a brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut writing a brief for every single task is busy work that favours process and bureaucracy over progress and action. Senior creatives within agencies should be part of the client conversation that flushes out the key challenge. And in my experience, these creatives then know exactly how to address the issue, and they don\u2019t need a brief to help them. Like the parable about the\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.tyrell.co\/2019\/05\/the-old-engineer-and-hammer.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eold man and the hammer\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0- they just know where to tap. Let that be a lesson to us all.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, next time you think you might need to brief an agency, please have a think about the best way to do it. In my view, there\u2019s more value in a good old chat, than ploughing through a 10-page brief. You might find out that the solution you thought you wanted may not be the one that you need.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThis is going to sound controversial, but many of the written briefs we receive are crap and aren\u2019t worth it. \nLet me start by saying that I know I\u0027m being\u00a0deliberately provocative here, and if you want a more balanced agency view of good briefing, you should read this\u00a0article\u00a0about creating the perfect brief, but I think there is some merit in testing the argument.\nI can almost feel the Account Handling team recoil in disgust and to be fair, I do understand why. When you get started in the world of agencies, and particularly in the handling team, you\u2019re told that \u2018briefs\u2019 are the fuel the agency runs on. If someone doesn\u2019t know what to do, they ask for a brief. Without a brief, we\u2019re all just shuffling around drinking coffee and talking about TV shows.\nCreatives need briefed.\nCopywriters need briefed.\nPhotographers need briefed.\nIllustrators need briefed.\nAgency people need briefs!\nWe, as agency people, tend to put such store around \u2018what the brief says\u2019 that it doesn\u2019t seem to matter if what\u2019s written is nonsense or not. It\u2019s been conditioned into us for years, and I think that we often miss the opportunity to challenge what\u2019s in them - in a sort of deferential shrug to the all-knowing client.\nWhat\u2019s the problem?\nWell, I think that there needs to be a distinction made between a functional brief - which is quite prescriptive and tells the reader exactly what it is that is required, and the broader client question which is more open and asks a strategic or diagnostic question: \u2018what\u2019s the nature of the problem or challenge we\u2019re trying to solve?\u2019\nThe problem comes when we try to use a generic briefing approach in both cases. Especially when we try to use a template to force the thinking into narrow, predetermined boxes designed for ticking. These templates encourage generic, formulaic thinking by both the client and agency. Resist them at all costs!\nSo what should be in a client brief?\nGood question. And I don\u2019t have a definite answer, but I do have some thoughts about what shouldn\u2019t be in it. Oftentimes we receive client briefs that are so \u2018closed\u2019 there\u2019s no room for discussion. In these situations, clients have self-diagnosed their own issues and challenges and have written a brief prescribing their own solution. It\u2019s the equivalent of deciding your own ailment, writing your medical prescription and then going to see the doctor or pharmacist to have it dispensed.\u00a0\nI\u2019m not not saying that this is always wrong. Sometimes it\u2019s right. But the key thing for a firm like ours is that a large part of the value we bring is in doing the diagnostic. Talking about the big, difficult chin rubbing stuff that happens before any decisions are made. We\u2019re experts in our own field, and we see patterns and issues reoccurring across many different clients, so I\u2019m concerned when potential clients don\u2019t seem to want to take advantage of that expertise and come to us with their own solution. It\u2019s a sign that they\u2019re perhaps looking for an order taker rather than a consultant. So, my preference is that there is no client brief. Just a broad-ranging conversation which can act as a starting point for both parties to decide if there\u2019s a decent fit. That\u2019s the most important thing. Issues like \u2018who are we targeting\u2019 and \u2018what are the timescales\u2019 all have their place, but not at this initial stage.\nWriting up notes and summarising the task into a document is a useful exercise - but be careful not to fall down the rabbit hole of brief templates and box-ticking.\nWhat about internal briefs?\nThis is where they do have a place. But in my view, they should be restricted as much as possible, to functional requirements, which are downstream of the initial task. For example, print specs, artwork, production requirements - they\u2019re all crucial in the delivery of the final solution and rely on accurate information, supplied succinctly and efficiently in a brief.\nBut writing a brief for every single task is busy work that favours process and bureaucracy over progress and action. Senior creatives within agencies should be part of the client conversation that flushes out the key challenge. And in my experience, these creatives then know exactly how to address the issue, and they don\u2019t need a brief to help them. Like the parable about the\u00a0old man and the hammer\u00a0- they just know where to tap. Let that be a lesson to us all.\nSo, next time you think you might need to brief an agency, please have a think about the best way to do it. In my view, there\u2019s more value in a good old chat, than ploughing through a 10-page brief. You might find out that the solution you thought you wanted may not be the one that you need.\n  ","summary":"This is going to sound controversial, but many of the written briefs we receive are crap and aren\u2019t worth it.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-08-14T09:39:35+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5745","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/value-brand-values-0","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Value of Brand Values","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHold on to your hats. It\u0026#039;s Chris versus the universe as we get into a heated discussion over brand values and their usefulness within a business.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy brand onions don\u2019t work\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Choice Factory\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Choice-Factory-behavioural-biases-influence\/dp\/085719609X\/ref=sr_1_1\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Choice-Factory-behavioural-biases-influence\/dp\/085719609X\/ref=sr_1_1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/5c3373d5\/f2531bef.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nHold on to your hats. It\u0026#039;s Chris versus the universe as we get into a heated discussion over brand values and their usefulness within a business.  \nWhy brand onions don\u2019t work\u0026nbsp;https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0026nbsp;The Choice Factoryhttps:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Choice-Factory-behavioural-biases-influence\/dp\/085719609X\/ref=sr_1_1Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Hold on to your hats. It\u0027s Chris versus the universe as we get into a heated discussion over brand values and their usefulness within a business. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-07-28T09:24:56+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5477","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/five-signs-brand-leadership","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Five Signs of Brand Leadership","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand Leadership. It\u2019s a term that we use at Good when we start working with a client to understand just how much they \u201cget\u201d brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a quick ready reckoner to quickly determine if the business is walking the walk. So, if you\u0027re starting in a new business these are the five quick signs that brand is taken seriously in the organisation. That there is brand leadership within the business, from the top down.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are just five quick checkpoints. We do have others. In our experience, though this is enough to guide you. Let\u2019s get stuck in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a01. The CEO gets brand\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd when we say get it, we mean going beyond knowing that the logo is important. The leadership understands that brand is a contributor to the bottom line. That the values that the brand represents are used as guiding principals for every possible action within the business, from acquisitions to product development to attracting new hires. If you start with a new business and you get the feeling that brand isn\u2019t respected at the top of the tree, then it\u2019s going to be challenging to push brand-related activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Research how the brand performs\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe C Suite loves the brand. They love the values; it encapsulates everything that the business represents. They are telling everyone every day that the brand is at the heart of everything they do. Great, a positive first step. But you need to know that people, your customers and your internal team, are seeing what they\u2019re seeing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why brand tracking research is vital in making sure that the internal brand message is aligned with customers and that it performs well against the competition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand research covers a wide area of expertise and can get expensive quickly. We\u2019re up for making sure that the research is thoroughly done, but even some brand tracking is better than none.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Long and Short Activity\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat do we mean when we talk about Long and Short Activity? Generally, your marketing spend is more effective if you can split the marketing budget by Brand Building activity (the Long) and Tactical Activity (the short).\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis brand-building activity helps cement your brand in the mind of your potential customers allowing them to know who you are. The tactical activity can then do the job of selling the product.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can tell that the organisation is taking brand seriously if they are adhering to the long and the short approach to marketing. It\u2019s a harder thing to do in practice than it is in theory given the need to provide an immediate return on sales from marketing spend, but the approach pays dividends over time.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E4. Strategy beats Org Charts\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you work with an organisation that has spent blood, sweat and millions on creating a new product to go to market, then you can get into the position where the product team start to overly influence the brand strategy. This is very much the tail wagging the dog. Brand strategy should be complementary to the product team but not beneath it.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou tend to see a warped vision of the brand; it starts to follow what the product can do rather than what the brand\u2019s promised to their customers. When product and brand work together, the results can be compelling.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E5. The Brand is as important internally as it is externally\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIdeally, you\u2019ve already experienced this. If you joined a company, then the brand would\u2019ve played some part in your decision making. In the current \u201cwar for talent\u201d, the brand is represented at it purest to convince you that the organisation is one that you could work for. It\u2019s usually where the \u201clong\u201d implementation of the brand is most obvious.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe brand has to be represented as much to employees as it is to customers. And that goes beyond just having the logo slapped up everywhere in the reception area. It would be best if you felt that the brand values are the foundation of all the work that you do. If you think that the way the brand was represented before you joined doesn\u2019t match the reality of being at the company, then the organisation may still have some work to do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are just five of the ways that we look at the ways brand is taken seriously within a business. There are more; we feel these are a good start. If any of these are missing, then it\u2019s an excellent opportunity to start embedding the value of the brand within the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWant a deeper dive into our thinking on Brand Leadership? Listen to the episode of our podcast, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\/\u0022\u003EThe Good\u00a0Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E, where we chat in more detail about the importance of brand leadership and the five steps we outlined above. Listen below, on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/five-points-of-brand-leadership\/id1501966456?i=1000484673226\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/1V9qO2hgWsYMFMH9myCp7t\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E or anywhere your listening to the magic.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nBrand Leadership. It\u2019s a term that we use at Good when we start working with a client to understand just how much they \u201cget\u201d brand. \nIt\u2019s a quick ready reckoner to quickly determine if the business is walking the walk. So, if you\u0027re starting in a new business these are the five quick signs that brand is taken seriously in the organisation. That there is brand leadership within the business, from the top down.\nThese are just five quick checkpoints. We do have others. In our experience, though this is enough to guide you. Let\u2019s get stuck in.\n\u00a0\n\u00a01. The CEO gets brand\nAnd when we say get it, we mean going beyond knowing that the logo is important. The leadership understands that brand is a contributor to the bottom line. That the values that the brand represents are used as guiding principals for every possible action within the business, from acquisitions to product development to attracting new hires. If you start with a new business and you get the feeling that brand isn\u2019t respected at the top of the tree, then it\u2019s going to be challenging to push brand-related activities.\n\u00a0\n2. Research how the brand performs\nThe C Suite loves the brand. They love the values; it encapsulates everything that the business represents. They are telling everyone every day that the brand is at the heart of everything they do. Great, a positive first step. But you need to know that people, your customers and your internal team, are seeing what they\u2019re seeing.\nThat\u2019s why brand tracking research is vital in making sure that the internal brand message is aligned with customers and that it performs well against the competition.\nBrand research covers a wide area of expertise and can get expensive quickly. We\u2019re up for making sure that the research is thoroughly done, but even some brand tracking is better than none.\u00a0\n3. Long and Short Activity\nWhat do we mean when we talk about Long and Short Activity? Generally, your marketing spend is more effective if you can split the marketing budget by Brand Building activity (the Long) and Tactical Activity (the short).\u00a0\nThis brand-building activity helps cement your brand in the mind of your potential customers allowing them to know who you are. The tactical activity can then do the job of selling the product.\u00a0\nYou can tell that the organisation is taking brand seriously if they are adhering to the long and the short approach to marketing. It\u2019s a harder thing to do in practice than it is in theory given the need to provide an immediate return on sales from marketing spend, but the approach pays dividends over time.\u00a0\u00a0\n4. Strategy beats Org Charts\nWhen you work with an organisation that has spent blood, sweat and millions on creating a new product to go to market, then you can get into the position where the product team start to overly influence the brand strategy. This is very much the tail wagging the dog. Brand strategy should be complementary to the product team but not beneath it.\u00a0\nYou tend to see a warped vision of the brand; it starts to follow what the product can do rather than what the brand\u2019s promised to their customers. When product and brand work together, the results can be compelling.\u00a0\n5. The Brand is as important internally as it is externally\nIdeally, you\u2019ve already experienced this. If you joined a company, then the brand would\u2019ve played some part in your decision making. In the current \u201cwar for talent\u201d, the brand is represented at it purest to convince you that the organisation is one that you could work for. It\u2019s usually where the \u201clong\u201d implementation of the brand is most obvious.\u00a0The brand has to be represented as much to employees as it is to customers. And that goes beyond just having the logo slapped up everywhere in the reception area. It would be best if you felt that the brand values are the foundation of all the work that you do. If you think that the way the brand was represented before you joined doesn\u2019t match the reality of being at the company, then the organisation may still have some work to do.\u00a0\nThese are just five of the ways that we look at the ways brand is taken seriously within a business. There are more; we feel these are a good start. If any of these are missing, then it\u2019s an excellent opportunity to start embedding the value of the brand within the business.\nWant a deeper dive into our thinking on Brand Leadership? Listen to the episode of our podcast, The Good\u00a0Round Up, where we chat in more detail about the importance of brand leadership and the five steps we outlined above. Listen below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere your listening to the magic.\n\n  ","summary":"Brand Leadership. It\u2019s a term that we use at Good when we start working with a client to understand just how much they \u201cget\u201d brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-07-20T15:24:07+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5746","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/five-points-brand-leadership","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Five Points of Brand Leadership","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHow can you tell if your company is taking the brand seriously? Chris, Stewart and Julie sit down and chat through the top five signs of brand leadership that we think you can gauge if your business is taking brand seriously. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/five-signs-brand-leadership\u0022\u003EYou can read a quick article on the 5 points of brand leadership on our site.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/38f2baa3\/8042ad27.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nHow can you tell if your company is taking the brand seriously? Chris, Stewart and Julie sit down and chat through the top five signs of brand leadership that we think you can gauge if your business is taking brand seriously. \nYou can read a quick article on the 5 points of brand leadership on our site.\u0026nbsp;Download the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"How can you tell if your company is taking the brand seriously? Chris, Stewart and Julie sit down and chat through the top five signs of brand leadership that we think you can gauge if your business is taking brand seriously.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-07-13T09:15:31+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5747","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/back-basics","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Back to Basics","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESocial distancing! The future! The basics! The business! The pub openings! One star reviews! Forgetting statistical sources! Meme reading! All this and more on the Internet\u0026#039;s favourite three-star branding podcast.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are the links for this podcast, you\u0027re most welcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-building-basics\u0022\u003EBrand Building Basics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/sign-good-newsletter\u0022\u003EThe Good Newsletter Signup\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kerningthegap.com\u0022\u003EKerning the Gap\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/8a3a287d\/afccb78a.mp3\u0022 download=\u0022\u0022\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAvailable on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSocial distancing! The future! The basics! The business! The pub openings! One star reviews! Forgetting statistical sources! Meme reading! All this and more on the Internet\u0026#039;s favourite three-star branding podcast.  \nHere are the links for this podcast, you\u0027re most welcome.Brand Building BasicsThe Good Newsletter SignupKerning the GapDownload the episodeAvailable on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.  ","summary":"Social distancing! The future! The basics! The business! The pub openings! One star reviews! Forgetting statistical sources! Meme reading! All this and more on the Internet\u0027s favourite three-star branding podcast. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-06-22T10:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5478","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-building-basics","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Building Basics","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to yet another article about how to prepare for the end of the pandemic. You gotta get ready, you gotta be ready for the new world, and how everything\u0026#039;s changing and you gotta get ready. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s just exhausting. And uncertain. When is the pandemic \u0022over\u0022? What does \u0022over\u0022 look like? It\u0027s never going to be over. Or it may all snap back to the way it used to be. We don\u0027t know. And in that uncertainty, I find the best way forward is to get back to basics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe basics. That sounds boring. But the more I\u0027m looking at what to do next, the more I\u0027m looking backwards. The place I\u0027m starting at is looking at how to do some solid Old School Brand Building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStarting with brand building was kicked off for me when I was looking at many campaigns that launched during the recession in 2008. Julian Cole and friends scoured through campaigns of that recession, and their work highlighted to me how brands were looking to cement their position during the downturn. The creative routes taken seem to defy the convention of what \u0022recession campaigns\u0022 are.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve also seen that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/04\/19\/as-digital-ad-prices-slump-gaming-education-companies-get-aggressive.html\u0022\u003Ecost per click rates for online media\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;have dropped in the region of 20-30%. The combination of proper brand planning and cheap media means it\u0027s a great time to let people know that you\u0027re here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we look at three tiers of content, using this lovely graphic below.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022 id=\u0022file-1868--2\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Brand Content Tiers\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/branding_marketing_timeline-3.jpg\u0022 width=\u00223724\u0022 height=\u00221673\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the before\u0026nbsp;times, the focus was based around the campaign activity, trying to build demand around your product or service. Focusing only on that middle tier means that your campaign work is less effective. You may be promoting your product, but it leaves a significant gap in potential customer\u0027s frame of reference if they have never heard of your brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can try and brand build and product promote at the same time. It\u0027s not a good idea. Your messaging has to become more complicated. It becomes something like:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETry \u003Cstrong\u003Eproduct that you\u0027ve never heard of\u003C\/strong\u003E, brought to you by \u003Cstrong\u003Ecompany that you\u0027ve never heard of\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027re dealing with two unknowns, all tied into one message, delivered in a six-second YouTube preroll. It\u0027s just too complicated. That\u0027s why it\u0027s a good idea to introduce the brand first over some time. Time to spend some love on your Tier 1 messaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s an example of a brand campaign line, exaggerated to make the point:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompany name\u003C\/strong\u003E, leaders in \u003Cstrong\u003Ethe category that you operate in.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis brand message is all about introducing the brand and attaching it to a category. My very rough example is as blunt as you can make it. Better language, tight creative and robust use of brand assets, all tied around agreed brand values, will lift this message. But you get the point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s time to promote your service or product. Let\u0027s focus on that. Again, from a 100,000-foot view, let\u0027s look at the messaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIntroducing \u003Cstrong\u003Enew product or service\u003C\/strong\u003E, a world-class solution, brought to you by \u003Cstrong\u003Erecognised brand name\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo caveat again, all this would be finessed by a robust product positioning, significant product assets, a stunning landing page, compelling call to action. You get the idea.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding the long term brand message and then supplementing it with short, tactical campaigns (the long and short of it, if you will) is proven to be an effective way to spend your budget. The evidence is everywhere, but it isn\u0027t widely adopted, with the short being more in favour. Why is this? No matter what they aspire to, some businesses aren\u0027t focused on building for the long term. Budgets are set for the year, targets locked in line with that yearly cycle. Brand building though is a long term endeavour, one that enhances the value of your business but does take time to gain traction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe things to bear in mind as I write this in the Spring of 2020 are that media costs are really low just now. Take advantage of all that unused inventory and look to promote your brand in key digital channels. Talk about your brand at the top level, introduce yourself to new and exciting people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting ready for our post-COVID future is about making sure people get to know you now. When better times arrive, you\u0027ll be done with the introductions and all set to wow them by focusing on your service or product.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding brand is one thing, working in an organisation that takes it seriously is another. In our podcast, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\/\u0022\u003EThe Good Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E, we chat through what we feel are the signs that you know that brand is taken seriously in your organisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWelcome to yet another article about how to prepare for the end of the pandemic. You gotta get ready, you gotta be ready for the new world, and how everything\u0026#039;s changing and you gotta get ready. \nIt\u0027s just exhausting. And uncertain. When is the pandemic \u0022over\u0022? What does \u0022over\u0022 look like? It\u0027s never going to be over. Or it may all snap back to the way it used to be. We don\u0027t know. And in that uncertainty, I find the best way forward is to get back to basics.The basics. That sounds boring. But the more I\u0027m looking at what to do next, the more I\u0027m looking backwards. The place I\u0027m starting at is looking at how to do some solid Old School Brand Building.Starting with brand building was kicked off for me when I was looking at many campaigns that launched during the recession in 2008. Julian Cole and friends scoured through campaigns of that recession, and their work highlighted to me how brands were looking to cement their position during the downturn. The creative routes taken seem to defy the convention of what \u0022recession campaigns\u0022 are.\u0026nbsp;We\u0027ve also seen that cost per click rates for online media\u0026nbsp;have dropped in the region of 20-30%. The combination of proper brand planning and cheap media means it\u0027s a great time to let people know that you\u0027re here.At Good, we look at three tiers of content, using this lovely graphic below.\u0026nbsp;In the before\u0026nbsp;times, the focus was based around the campaign activity, trying to build demand around your product or service. Focusing only on that middle tier means that your campaign work is less effective. You may be promoting your product, but it leaves a significant gap in potential customer\u0027s frame of reference if they have never heard of your brand.You can try and brand build and product promote at the same time. It\u0027s not a good idea. Your messaging has to become more complicated. It becomes something like:Try product that you\u0027ve never heard of, brought to you by company that you\u0027ve never heard of.You\u0027re dealing with two unknowns, all tied into one message, delivered in a six-second YouTube preroll. It\u0027s just too complicated. That\u0027s why it\u0027s a good idea to introduce the brand first over some time. Time to spend some love on your Tier 1 messaging.Here\u0027s an example of a brand campaign line, exaggerated to make the point:Company name, leaders in the category that you operate in.This brand message is all about introducing the brand and attaching it to a category. My very rough example is as blunt as you can make it. Better language, tight creative and robust use of brand assets, all tied around agreed brand values, will lift this message. But you get the point.It\u0027s time to promote your service or product. Let\u0027s focus on that. Again, from a 100,000-foot view, let\u0027s look at the messaging.Introducing new product or service, a world-class solution, brought to you by recognised brand name.To caveat again, all this would be finessed by a robust product positioning, significant product assets, a stunning landing page, compelling call to action. You get the idea.\u0026nbsp;Building the long term brand message and then supplementing it with short, tactical campaigns (the long and short of it, if you will) is proven to be an effective way to spend your budget. The evidence is everywhere, but it isn\u0027t widely adopted, with the short being more in favour. Why is this? No matter what they aspire to, some businesses aren\u0027t focused on building for the long term. Budgets are set for the year, targets locked in line with that yearly cycle. Brand building though is a long term endeavour, one that enhances the value of your business but does take time to gain traction.The things to bear in mind as I write this in the Spring of 2020 are that media costs are really low just now. Take advantage of all that unused inventory and look to promote your brand in key digital channels. Talk about your brand at the top level, introduce yourself to new and exciting people.Getting ready for our post-COVID future is about making sure people get to know you now. When better times arrive, you\u0027ll be done with the introductions and all set to wow them by focusing on your service or product.Understanding brand is one thing, working in an organisation that takes it seriously is another. In our podcast, The Good Round Up, we chat through what we feel are the signs that you know that brand is taken seriously in your organisations.  ","summary":"Welcome to yet another article about how to prepare for the end of the pandemic. You gotta get ready, you gotta be ready for the new world, and how everything\u0027s changing and you gotta get ready.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-05-19T10:49:52+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5748","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/where-have-all-women-gone","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Where Have All The Women Gone?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this barnstorming episode from your favourite three-star podcast about branding, we\u0026#039;re joined by a very special guest and great friend of Good, Nat Maher. We\u0026#039;re chatting about Nat\u0026#039;s role as founder of Kerning the Gap, an equality network for the design industry. We cover it all, we discuss the founding of KtG, the launch of the Scottish chapter, confidence in women, how men fit in, world leadership and much more besides. So much in fact that we had to cut Nat\u0026#039;s predictions for the pub openings. Her guess: September!!!! Enjoy! \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EKerning the Gap: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kerningthegap.com\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.kerningthegap.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn Twitter: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/kerningthegap\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/twitter.com\/kerningthegap\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOn Instagram: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kerningthegap\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kerningthegap\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOn Facebook: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kerningthegap\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kerningthegap\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOn LinkedIn: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/8356469\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/8356469\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/e63b0174\/eb3620a7.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIn this barnstorming episode from your favourite three-star podcast about branding, we\u0026#039;re joined by a very special guest and great friend of Good, Nat Maher. We\u0026#039;re chatting about Nat\u0026#039;s role as founder of Kerning the Gap, an equality network for the design industry. We cover it all, we discuss the founding of KtG, the launch of the Scottish chapter, confidence in women, how men fit in, world leadership and much more besides. So much in fact that we had to cut Nat\u0026#039;s predictions for the pub openings. Her guess: September!!!! Enjoy! \n\n        Kerning the Gap: https:\/\/www.kerningthegap.comOn Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/kerningthegapOn Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kerningthegapOn Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kerningthegapOn LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/8356469\/\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"In this barnstorming episode from your favourite three-star podcast about branding, we\u0027re joined by a very special guest and great friend of Good, Nat Maher. We\u0027re chatting about Nat\u0027s role as founder of Kerning the Gap, an equality network for the design industry. We cover it all, we discuss the founding of KtG, the launch of the Scottish chapter, confidence in women, how men fit in, world leadership and much more besides. So much in fact that we had to cut Nat\u0027s predictions for the pub openings. Her guess: September!!!! Enjoy!","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-05-11T11:00:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5479","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/time-review-your-brand-architecture","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Time to Review Your Brand Architecture","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand architecture challenges are the branding equivalent of pulled muscles. They cause pain and frustration, but they don\u2019t create enough of a problem to take you entirely offline to focus on the fix. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019re more of a distraction, and when your marketing plan is in full swing, and you\u2019ve got campaign deadlines to hit, they\u2019re always pushed aside for another day. Next quarter. Next year. Never.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s until coronavirus gives us the mother of all downtime to step back and have a long hard look at how the portfolio is working and how many extra brands we have that we don\u2019t need. (That\u2019s a hint).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the question is, what should you do and how do you go about it? Well, I\u2019ve got some thoughts that might help act as a guide on how to deliver and well rounded objective audit of your portfolio:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs the structure coherent?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDoes it make sense from the outside in, not the other way around (which is the rationale we see used quite frequently to justify weird-looking structures)? This is the key question. Who has it really been created for? Is it for customers or an internal audience? Sometimes the easiest option is to brush the challenge under the carpet, which has an analgesic effect for a while and masks the pain. But it always wears off eventually, and you need to address the underlying issue. So, take a brutally objective view, separate the emotional from the practical and be honest!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow many \u2018brands\u2019 are there really?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAgain - a bit of honesty needed here. How many of these products are brands and how many are just a set of identities? As we\u2019re continually telling our clients; in B2B terms, you have to work pretty hard to justify multiple brands under the mother brand (this is where the recognisable equity usually resides). And how many of them cannibalise each other? There is often quite a bit of crossover within these portfolios - particularly if two sets of brands or portfolios have been merged through an acquisition. In these cases seize the opportunity to merge two product groups under one name. Easier said than done, I do realise, but your customers will thank you for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ll also probably already know which ones are bringing the value, and which ones are just along for the ride. It can be quite useful to map them into your Boston Box groups: stars, cash cows, question marks and dogs to help you make objective decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch your Customers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDepending on budgets, you could spend a little bit of money asking your customers. What do they know, or understand about the brands? Are they aware of any sub-brands? Or do they only really recognise the mother brand? It\u2019s also really effective and revealing to consider the true extent of your customer\u2019s journey. Where does it start? (here\u2019s another hint - online, about six weeks before you think it does). And where does your brand fit most powerfully into the journey? \u00a0Using this downtime to get under the skin of this process will be hugely revealing and massively valuable. \u00a0I\u2019m amazed at how many of these decisions are made around a meeting room table, rather than by using consumer data or understanding to back them up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReview your Literature and Comms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis relates somewhat to your customer journey and is a valuable exercise. How coherent are they as a suite, and how do your on and offline worlds complement each other? Business cards and email footers tend to be the most revealing here. They silently signal to the outside world which brands, products or services you consider to be the most valuable. Remember, there is a world of difference between how customers navigate your brands and products through literature v\u2019s website. Literature tends to be a passive navigation - perhaps with the aid of a salesperson. Online is likely to be more active, where the customer wants to find specific detail, and that\u2019s driving their behaviour. If your analytics is set up correctly, you can gain a lot of insight into how customers are using the site, and which brands have the traction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeep it Simple\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u2019s easy to get lost in this stuff. Sometimes you end up speculating to a ridiculous extent about what customer type A is more likely to do than customer type B. The key is to recognise it and don\u2019t go down the rabbit hole. A good rule of thumb is to challenge yourself with \u201chow can I make it simpler\u201d. \u00a0I don\u2019t think there has ever been a scenario where a potential customer has the desire to make the sales process more complicated than it needs to be. This is often down to the perspectives of the individual protagonists; where decisions might make sense internally, but from the customer\u2019s point of view, it adds complexity and friction to the process. When this happens, you know you need to change it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe sat down and chatted more about the thorny issue of brand architecture in our podcast, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\u0022\u003EGood Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E. Have a listen below...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re a strange collection of designers, strategists and developers who salivate at the prospect of solving these types of problems. So, if you\u2019d like a guided brand architecture audit, please give us a shout.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nBrand architecture challenges are the branding equivalent of pulled muscles. They cause pain and frustration, but they don\u2019t create enough of a problem to take you entirely offline to focus on the fix. \nThey\u2019re more of a distraction, and when your marketing plan is in full swing, and you\u2019ve got campaign deadlines to hit, they\u2019re always pushed aside for another day. Next quarter. Next year. Never.\nThat\u2019s until coronavirus gives us the mother of all downtime to step back and have a long hard look at how the portfolio is working and how many extra brands we have that we don\u2019t need. (That\u2019s a hint).\nSo, the question is, what should you do and how do you go about it? Well, I\u2019ve got some thoughts that might help act as a guide on how to deliver and well rounded objective audit of your portfolio:\nIs the structure coherent?Does it make sense from the outside in, not the other way around (which is the rationale we see used quite frequently to justify weird-looking structures)? This is the key question. Who has it really been created for? Is it for customers or an internal audience? Sometimes the easiest option is to brush the challenge under the carpet, which has an analgesic effect for a while and masks the pain. But it always wears off eventually, and you need to address the underlying issue. So, take a brutally objective view, separate the emotional from the practical and be honest!\nHow many \u2018brands\u2019 are there really?Again - a bit of honesty needed here. How many of these products are brands and how many are just a set of identities? As we\u2019re continually telling our clients; in B2B terms, you have to work pretty hard to justify multiple brands under the mother brand (this is where the recognisable equity usually resides). And how many of them cannibalise each other? There is often quite a bit of crossover within these portfolios - particularly if two sets of brands or portfolios have been merged through an acquisition. In these cases seize the opportunity to merge two product groups under one name. Easier said than done, I do realise, but your customers will thank you for it.\nYou\u2019ll also probably already know which ones are bringing the value, and which ones are just along for the ride. It can be quite useful to map them into your Boston Box groups: stars, cash cows, question marks and dogs to help you make objective decisions.\nResearch your CustomersDepending on budgets, you could spend a little bit of money asking your customers. What do they know, or understand about the brands? Are they aware of any sub-brands? Or do they only really recognise the mother brand? It\u2019s also really effective and revealing to consider the true extent of your customer\u2019s journey. Where does it start? (here\u2019s another hint - online, about six weeks before you think it does). And where does your brand fit most powerfully into the journey? \u00a0Using this downtime to get under the skin of this process will be hugely revealing and massively valuable. \u00a0I\u2019m amazed at how many of these decisions are made around a meeting room table, rather than by using consumer data or understanding to back them up.\nReview your Literature and CommsThis relates somewhat to your customer journey and is a valuable exercise. How coherent are they as a suite, and how do your on and offline worlds complement each other? Business cards and email footers tend to be the most revealing here. They silently signal to the outside world which brands, products or services you consider to be the most valuable. Remember, there is a world of difference between how customers navigate your brands and products through literature v\u2019s website. Literature tends to be a passive navigation - perhaps with the aid of a salesperson. Online is likely to be more active, where the customer wants to find specific detail, and that\u2019s driving their behaviour. If your analytics is set up correctly, you can gain a lot of insight into how customers are using the site, and which brands have the traction.\nKeep it SimpleIt\u2019s easy to get lost in this stuff. Sometimes you end up speculating to a ridiculous extent about what customer type A is more likely to do than customer type B. The key is to recognise it and don\u2019t go down the rabbit hole. A good rule of thumb is to challenge yourself with \u201chow can I make it simpler\u201d. \u00a0I don\u2019t think there has ever been a scenario where a potential customer has the desire to make the sales process more complicated than it needs to be. This is often down to the perspectives of the individual protagonists; where decisions might make sense internally, but from the customer\u2019s point of view, it adds complexity and friction to the process. When this happens, you know you need to change it.\nWe sat down and chatted more about the thorny issue of brand architecture in our podcast, the Good Round Up. Have a listen below...\n\nWe\u2019re a strange collection of designers, strategists and developers who salivate at the prospect of solving these types of problems. So, if you\u2019d like a guided brand architecture audit, please give us a shout.\n  ","summary":"Brand architecture challenges are the branding equivalent of pulled muscles. They cause pain and frustration, but they don\u2019t create enough of a problem to take you entirely offline to focus on the fix.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-04-29T10:42:01+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5749","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/fortune-telling-business","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Fortune Telling Business","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESpecial guest time, we\u0026#039;re joined by Chris George, marketing director for UK and Ireland for Electrolux. We talk about Corona (sorry), branding, consumer confidence, yellow and when the pubs will be open again.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EWe know Stewart said he\u0027d put something in the show notes but he couldn\u0027t find it again. He promises he did see it but he just can\u0027t find it. He is a clown.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/7c4d153b\/a3a6c8df.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSpecial guest time, we\u0026#039;re joined by Chris George, marketing director for UK and Ireland for Electrolux. We talk about Corona (sorry), branding, consumer confidence, yellow and when the pubs will be open again.  \n\n        We know Stewart said he\u0027d put something in the show notes but he couldn\u0027t find it again. He promises he did see it but he just can\u0027t find it. He is a clown.\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Special guest time, we\u0027re joined by Chris George, marketing director for UK and Ireland for Electrolux. We talk about Corona (sorry), branding, consumer confidence, yellow and when the pubs will be open again. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-04-29T09:40:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5480","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/understanding-business-change-during-coronavirus","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Understanding Business Change During Coronavirus","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI\u0026#039;ve got an old school pal who has a cracking family business. It\u0026#039;s the oldest craft bakery in Scotland and has been in his family for 190 years. (No pressure there then). \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe makes everything on-site, and it\u0027s sold through the shop and via wholesale to trade customers around the local area.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe greatest threat he\u0027s had is the creeping pressure of the supermarkets. Year-on-year there are more of them, and they\u0027re constantly cutting prices; a familiar tale for many small businesses on high streets across the country. The bakery responded well, and they\u0027ve differentiated their high quality, higher-priced handmade product versus the cheap, mass-produced supermarket offer.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat was, until the coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding lockdown hit, almost without warning.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe shop had to shut, and a chunk of the wholesale trade dropped off too, which meant revenues fell off a cliff. The solution? Set up an online service to customers delivering orders to the door during the lockdown. Sounds simple right? The reality is far from it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u0027ve operated as an offline business for 190 years and are asked to digitalise an entire (and quite fragmented) product offering and create an e-commerce platform overnight, that\u0027s pretty much the definition of difficult.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFair play to them, though. They\u0027ve mobilised the entire family. Mum\u0027s been wrestling with an off-the-shelf online platform, and the two kids are fulfilling orders while dad bakes and delivers. What a team!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s going well too. We had a delivery the other day, and it was a real treat. Chatting to my mate from a safe distance of 2 meters (and through a window), he was telling me about all of their trials and tribulations in getting set up. The exciting thing about it is that it\u0027s made him think about his business differently. Probably in a way that he\u0027d never have considered if this pandemic hadn\u0027t hit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe difficult question he will face when this is all over is \u2013 do I go back to the old ways of retail, or do I stay on this curve and lean in? I\u0027m sure there are good arguments for both sides.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of this started me thinking about what will change for business and brand once it\u0027s all over. My mate\u0027s business won\u0027t be the only one that\u0027s had to become \u0027digital first\u0027 overnight. You can see the challenges everywhere. Zoom and Teams have been available for years. But it takes an event like this to nudge us into adopting them and using them seriously. We\u0027re paddling in that boat along with everyone else.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what does it mean for brand? That\u0027s a tricky one to speculate on because a lot will depend on the elasticity of customer behaviour. Right now, we\u0027re all digital migrants, meaning that anything we\u0027re \u0027consuming\u0027 is pretty much forced into a digital experience (unless you\u0027re queuing in an old school fashion outside of Lidl). And it doesn\u0027t matter what sector you\u0027re in - from education and entertainment through to manufacturing and healthcare - everyone\u0027s had a glimpse of their own \u0022ghost of digital yet to come\u0022.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut once this experiment is over, we need to reflect on how much has become a habit and how much will revert back to analogue behaviour. I\u0027d argue\u00a0\u003Cstrong\u003Ethree things\u003C\/strong\u003E\u00a0are important here:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirstly, does the customer group enjoy or prefer the new digital experience? Is it at least as good as the offline alternative? Maybe the trade-off to digital comes with additional, marginal benefits (e.g. a combination of not having to travel with an environmental boost, or saved time, or quicker delivery) without significantly diminishing the brand experience? If so, then you can be reasonably confident that you\u0027ll be able to go on and ingrain this new consumer behaviour into a habit. And this picture may not be immediately clear. It might take a bit of time and customer research to understand precisely where you are in this trajectory. Don\u0027t jump to immediate conclusions either way.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, do the numbers work for you? As a brand owner, what does it mean to shift your entire operation to a digital platform? How much is it going to cost?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd finally, what is being sacrificed in terms of \u0027brand experience\u0027? Back to my mate\u0027s bakery: Part of the charm, character and appeal of his shop is the full-on experience. The bread and cakes are made in the back shop. The place smells amazing. The friendly staff all wear branded uniforms, and the packaging looks great on the shelf. That\u0027s an immersive brand experience which, according to received wisdom, should hit the jackpot. Three weeks ago, it was inconceivable that an online offering could compete with that. But necessity is the mother of invention, and he\u0027s now operating a completely online D2C business inside a three-week window, with margins that seem to make sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese elements are not small considerations. They\u0027re pretty fundamental to the success of any business whether it operates on or offline.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first instance, you have to find a way to gain a deep and thorough understanding of your customer and their journey to purchase. Whether that\u0027s your brand, or a competitor\u0027s, you need to know where and when your brand can play a part in influencing that journey. That\u0027s no small task, and post coronavirus, having an understanding of how customer behaviour has been affected is absolutely crucial. We\u0027d be interested to see the customer data for people using the service. Is it current customers that have already been in the store, loved that experience and felt it was a safer step to order online? Or new customers looking for something a little more \u0022real\u0022, supporting local business but have missed that key step in the brand journey.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the second case, being able to link this behaviour to hard metrics (e.g. the contribution towards business goals) is the grown-up task of serious marketing. That\u0027ll take time. Set up costs need to be controlled for and sales spikes or depressions need to flatten out over longer cycles. In time, more meaningful conclusions can be drawn. But they can only be drawn if the source data is pure, which means the analytics set up and associated reporting is the foundation upon which all of this is built.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, final thoughts on the bakery. I really hope they stick with the online offer. Maybe his digital-native kids will take on the business and push it forward well beyond the 200-year mark. There\u0027s something nice about that\u2026one of the oldest professions in the world being brought bang up to date. Good luck to them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI\u0026#039;ve got an old school pal who has a cracking family business. It\u0026#039;s the oldest craft bakery in Scotland and has been in his family for 190 years. (No pressure there then). \nHe makes everything on-site, and it\u0027s sold through the shop and via wholesale to trade customers around the local area.\nThe greatest threat he\u0027s had is the creeping pressure of the supermarkets. Year-on-year there are more of them, and they\u0027re constantly cutting prices; a familiar tale for many small businesses on high streets across the country. The bakery responded well, and they\u0027ve differentiated their high quality, higher-priced handmade product versus the cheap, mass-produced supermarket offer.\u00a0\nThat was, until the coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding lockdown hit, almost without warning.\nThe shop had to shut, and a chunk of the wholesale trade dropped off too, which meant revenues fell off a cliff. The solution? Set up an online service to customers delivering orders to the door during the lockdown. Sounds simple right? The reality is far from it.\nWhen you\u0027ve operated as an offline business for 190 years and are asked to digitalise an entire (and quite fragmented) product offering and create an e-commerce platform overnight, that\u0027s pretty much the definition of difficult.\nFair play to them, though. They\u0027ve mobilised the entire family. Mum\u0027s been wrestling with an off-the-shelf online platform, and the two kids are fulfilling orders while dad bakes and delivers. What a team!\nIt\u0027s going well too. We had a delivery the other day, and it was a real treat. Chatting to my mate from a safe distance of 2 meters (and through a window), he was telling me about all of their trials and tribulations in getting set up. The exciting thing about it is that it\u0027s made him think about his business differently. Probably in a way that he\u0027d never have considered if this pandemic hadn\u0027t hit.\nThe difficult question he will face when this is all over is \u2013 do I go back to the old ways of retail, or do I stay on this curve and lean in? I\u0027m sure there are good arguments for both sides.\nAll of this started me thinking about what will change for business and brand once it\u0027s all over. My mate\u0027s business won\u0027t be the only one that\u0027s had to become \u0027digital first\u0027 overnight. You can see the challenges everywhere. Zoom and Teams have been available for years. But it takes an event like this to nudge us into adopting them and using them seriously. We\u0027re paddling in that boat along with everyone else.\u00a0\nSo, what does it mean for brand? That\u0027s a tricky one to speculate on because a lot will depend on the elasticity of customer behaviour. Right now, we\u0027re all digital migrants, meaning that anything we\u0027re \u0027consuming\u0027 is pretty much forced into a digital experience (unless you\u0027re queuing in an old school fashion outside of Lidl). And it doesn\u0027t matter what sector you\u0027re in - from education and entertainment through to manufacturing and healthcare - everyone\u0027s had a glimpse of their own \u0022ghost of digital yet to come\u0022.\nBut once this experiment is over, we need to reflect on how much has become a habit and how much will revert back to analogue behaviour. I\u0027d argue\u00a0three things\u00a0are important here:\nFirstly, does the customer group enjoy or prefer the new digital experience? Is it at least as good as the offline alternative? Maybe the trade-off to digital comes with additional, marginal benefits (e.g. a combination of not having to travel with an environmental boost, or saved time, or quicker delivery) without significantly diminishing the brand experience? If so, then you can be reasonably confident that you\u0027ll be able to go on and ingrain this new consumer behaviour into a habit. And this picture may not be immediately clear. It might take a bit of time and customer research to understand precisely where you are in this trajectory. Don\u0027t jump to immediate conclusions either way.\nSecondly, do the numbers work for you? As a brand owner, what does it mean to shift your entire operation to a digital platform? How much is it going to cost?\u00a0\nAnd finally, what is being sacrificed in terms of \u0027brand experience\u0027? Back to my mate\u0027s bakery: Part of the charm, character and appeal of his shop is the full-on experience. The bread and cakes are made in the back shop. The place smells amazing. The friendly staff all wear branded uniforms, and the packaging looks great on the shelf. That\u0027s an immersive brand experience which, according to received wisdom, should hit the jackpot. Three weeks ago, it was inconceivable that an online offering could compete with that. But necessity is the mother of invention, and he\u0027s now operating a completely online D2C business inside a three-week window, with margins that seem to make sense.\nThese elements are not small considerations. They\u0027re pretty fundamental to the success of any business whether it operates on or offline.\u00a0\nIn the first instance, you have to find a way to gain a deep and thorough understanding of your customer and their journey to purchase. Whether that\u0027s your brand, or a competitor\u0027s, you need to know where and when your brand can play a part in influencing that journey. That\u0027s no small task, and post coronavirus, having an understanding of how customer behaviour has been affected is absolutely crucial. We\u0027d be interested to see the customer data for people using the service. Is it current customers that have already been in the store, loved that experience and felt it was a safer step to order online? Or new customers looking for something a little more \u0022real\u0022, supporting local business but have missed that key step in the brand journey.\nIn the second case, being able to link this behaviour to hard metrics (e.g. the contribution towards business goals) is the grown-up task of serious marketing. That\u0027ll take time. Set up costs need to be controlled for and sales spikes or depressions need to flatten out over longer cycles. In time, more meaningful conclusions can be drawn. But they can only be drawn if the source data is pure, which means the analytics set up and associated reporting is the foundation upon which all of this is built.\nSo, final thoughts on the bakery. I really hope they stick with the online offer. Maybe his digital-native kids will take on the business and push it forward well beyond the 200-year mark. There\u0027s something nice about that\u2026one of the oldest professions in the world being brought bang up to date. Good luck to them.\n  ","summary":"I\u0027ve got an old school pal who has a cracking family business. It\u0027s the oldest craft bakery in Scotland and has been in his family for 190 years. (No pressure there then).","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-04-15T09:16:54+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5750","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/struggling-kid-front","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Struggling on the Kid Front","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe promise that this is our last Corona focused podcast. But as the bomb is still going off, we chat through what the hell is going. We hope it is useful though, we\u0026#039;re all in it together. Take care of yourself. And each other.   \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EWe have no show notes. That\u0027s ok.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/c87aec30\/8303a152.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe promise that this is our last Corona focused podcast. But as the bomb is still going off, we chat through what the hell is going. We hope it is useful though, we\u0026#039;re all in it together. Take care of yourself. And each other.   \n\n        We have no show notes. That\u0027s ok.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"We promise that this is our last Corona focused podcast. But as the bomb is still going off, we chat through what the hell is going. We hope it is useful though, we\u0027re all in it together. Take care of yourself. And each other.  ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-04-07T16:50:00+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5751","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/endorsed-superhero","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Endorsed by a Superhero","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAll professionalism leaves the building as we do our first podcast from our homes. We talk about how the business is doing in Corona time, what we\u0026#039;re not doing and what we think brands should be thinking about doing. Then we chat to some of the team at Good to see how they\u0026#039;re feeling. Feel free to leave us a 3-star review. We know. It\u0026#039;ll be better next week.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003ENo show notes. You\u0027re welcome.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/67608ac3\/f0c198b0.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nAll professionalism leaves the building as we do our first podcast from our homes. We talk about how the business is doing in Corona time, what we\u0026#039;re not doing and what we think brands should be thinking about doing. Then we chat to some of the team at Good to see how they\u0026#039;re feeling. Feel free to leave us a 3-star review. We know. It\u0026#039;ll be better next week.  \n\n        No show notes. You\u0027re welcome.\u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"All professionalism leaves the building as we do our first podcast from our homes. We talk about how the business is doing in Corona time, what we\u0027re not doing and what we think brands should be thinking about doing. Then we chat to some of the team at Good to see how they\u0027re feeling. Feel free to leave us a 3-star review. We know. It\u0027ll be better next week. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-27T12:35:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5752","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/corona-time","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Corona Time ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen we decided to start this podcast we wanted it to be about brand, not about an agency. That was two weeks ago. How times have changed. We just wanted to chat through where we are, what we\u2019re feeling and what we\u2019re doing. No great insights here, just thought it would be good to share. Stay safe.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EReally interesting insight: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vimeo.com\/397809463\/42a2d7af49\u0022\u003EDavid Baker Webinar\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_fMla8BhHQCyr_W2ycim3_Q\u0022\u003EDavid Baker DBA Webinar Registration\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re not saying that we have any great insights to share on what\u2019s going on, we\u2019re all going through this together in real time but if you want to reach out for a chat we\u2019re happy to talk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-lumsden-3306258\/\u0022\u003EChris\u2019s LinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/julie-murdoch-19796913\/\u0022\u003EJulie\u2019s LinkedIn\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/steelso\u0022\u003EStewart on Twitter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETake care. \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/bccb808c\/4df265c4.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhen we decided to start this podcast we wanted it to be about brand, not about an agency. That was two weeks ago. How times have changed. We just wanted to chat through where we are, what we\u2019re feeling and what we\u2019re doing. No great insights here, just thought it would be good to share. Stay safe.  \n\n        Really interesting insight: David Baker WebinarDavid Baker DBA Webinar RegistrationWe\u2019re not saying that we have any great insights to share on what\u2019s going on, we\u2019re all going through this together in real time but if you want to reach out for a chat we\u2019re happy to talk.Chris\u2019s LinkedInJulie\u2019s LinkedInStewart on TwitterTake care. \u00a0\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"When we decided to start this podcast we wanted it to be about brand, not about an agency. That was two weeks ago. How times have changed. We just wanted to chat through where we are, what we\u2019re feeling and what we\u2019re doing. No great insights here, just thought it would be good to share. Stay safe. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-18T11:40:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5481","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-good-enough","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Good is Good Enough","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of our worst habits as a business is trying to make things brilliant, when they only need to be good. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a mindset that\u2019s prevalent with designers, although it\u2019s not unique to them. I\u2019ve seen it in Account Services, Planning and Development. The problem seems to come in the distorted perception of what doing a good job looks like. In many disciplines, attention to detail and a drive to create something beautiful trumps absolutely everything else - even if it\u2019s not in the client\u2019s interest.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ll give you an example. I was talking to a senior client recently and they were very positive about us, our work and the relationship in general. But there was a small frustration they wanted to pass on (perhaps it wasn\u2019t that small given it was brought up). I can\u2019t remember the word-for-word feedback, but it was along the lines of \u201dyou need to try and get the guys to be less precious about the work in the early stages. They REALLY need to understand what I need it for\u201d. Essentially this frustration boiled down to having to wait 3 weeks to see some visuals. The visuals, when they arrived, were beautiful. But that wasn\u2019t the brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s because there are too many layers between the client and the work. It goes through the account team, maybe the planner, then through the studio traffic system, and back along the chain to the front line. It\u2019s just like the classic story of the order going down the line of British Forces during WWII. What started as \u201cBring reinforcements, we\u2019re going to advance\u201d eventually ended up as \u201cBring three and fourpence, we\u2019re going to a dance\u201d. The original message gets lost and people fill in the gaps in between. The all powerful force of the design team\u2019s desire to do a beautiful job overpowers the more nuanced original brief and we end up with an unhappy client and a frustrated design team.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat are the takeouts here?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Account Team must \u2018own\u2019 the response to the client\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t get strong-armed by other forces. They\u2019ve heard it from the horse\u2019s mouth, so know better than anyone else in the agency what it is that the client\u2019s looking for. They have to shout loudest when it comes to what direction to take.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFight the culture of Perfectionism\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s commercial art and at some point it\u2019s got to be good to go. That\u2019s not to say that it can be slap dash. Budget and timescales should be acknowledged as harsh taskmasters.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESometimes \u2018Half Done\u2019 is correct\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis can be a tough one, because the Culture of Perfectionism is so strong. But sometimes, involving the client in the process works. Getting them involved at early concept stages and seeking feedback can strengthen the client-agency bond. Mostly it\u2019s a political tactic and the client wants to use it at their end to seek some sort of advantage, or inclusion. We, as agencies, need to more readily understand and embrace these opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERemember we\u2019re in the Service Industry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s amazing how this can get lost within the agency machine when it\u2019s trying to do its best work. I\u2019d encourage all agency people to ask, at every stage in the process, \u201cis this going to make the clients job easier?\u201d. Use it as yardstick for making service related decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, next time a client asks for \u201csomething rough to show the senior team\u201d, we\u2019ll know exactly how to gauge the appropriate response.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nOne of our worst habits as a business is trying to make things brilliant, when they only need to be good. \nIt\u2019s a mindset that\u2019s prevalent with designers, although it\u2019s not unique to them. I\u2019ve seen it in Account Services, Planning and Development. The problem seems to come in the distorted perception of what doing a good job looks like. In many disciplines, attention to detail and a drive to create something beautiful trumps absolutely everything else - even if it\u2019s not in the client\u2019s interest.\nI\u2019ll give you an example. I was talking to a senior client recently and they were very positive about us, our work and the relationship in general. But there was a small frustration they wanted to pass on (perhaps it wasn\u2019t that small given it was brought up). I can\u2019t remember the word-for-word feedback, but it was along the lines of \u201dyou need to try and get the guys to be less precious about the work in the early stages. They REALLY need to understand what I need it for\u201d. Essentially this frustration boiled down to having to wait 3 weeks to see some visuals. The visuals, when they arrived, were beautiful. But that wasn\u2019t the brief.\nIt\u2019s because there are too many layers between the client and the work. It goes through the account team, maybe the planner, then through the studio traffic system, and back along the chain to the front line. It\u2019s just like the classic story of the order going down the line of British Forces during WWII. What started as \u201cBring reinforcements, we\u2019re going to advance\u201d eventually ended up as \u201cBring three and fourpence, we\u2019re going to a dance\u201d. The original message gets lost and people fill in the gaps in between. The all powerful force of the design team\u2019s desire to do a beautiful job overpowers the more nuanced original brief and we end up with an unhappy client and a frustrated design team.\nWhat are the takeouts here?\nThe Account Team must \u2018own\u2019 the response to the client\nDon\u2019t get strong-armed by other forces. They\u2019ve heard it from the horse\u2019s mouth, so know better than anyone else in the agency what it is that the client\u2019s looking for. They have to shout loudest when it comes to what direction to take.\nFight the culture of Perfectionism\nIt\u2019s commercial art and at some point it\u2019s got to be good to go. That\u2019s not to say that it can be slap dash. Budget and timescales should be acknowledged as harsh taskmasters.\nSometimes \u2018Half Done\u2019 is correct\nThis can be a tough one, because the Culture of Perfectionism is so strong. But sometimes, involving the client in the process works. Getting them involved at early concept stages and seeking feedback can strengthen the client-agency bond. Mostly it\u2019s a political tactic and the client wants to use it at their end to seek some sort of advantage, or inclusion. We, as agencies, need to more readily understand and embrace these opportunities.\nRemember we\u2019re in the Service Industry\nIt\u2019s amazing how this can get lost within the agency machine when it\u2019s trying to do its best work. I\u2019d encourage all agency people to ask, at every stage in the process, \u201cis this going to make the clients job easier?\u201d. Use it as yardstick for making service related decisions.\nSo, next time a client asks for \u201csomething rough to show the senior team\u201d, we\u2019ll know exactly how to gauge the appropriate response.\n  ","summary":"One of our worst habits as a business is trying to make things brilliant, when they only need to be good.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-18T11:37:17+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5482","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/challenge-rebranding-sports","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Challenge of Rebranding in Sports","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EA few weeks ago, I was sat in a local pub enjoying a jam-packed afternoon of sport. A pretty good day, you might say. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI got talking to a friend about the Glasgow Warriors rugby team. Knowing he was a big fan, I casually dropped into conversation that Good had worked on the club\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/work\/glasgow-warriors\u0022\u003Erecent rebrand\u003C\/a\u003E. I must admit, his reaction left me a little deflated. Because it wasn\u2019t great.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile he\u2019s obviously entitled to his own opinion, I couldn\u2019t help but feel he was slightly missing the point behind the project. And I suspect I\u2019m not the only designer who\u2019s ever felt that way when dealing with the rebrand of a sports team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt got me thinking about rebrands and brand evolutions in general. From a design perspective, they usually make perfect sense and can be pretty straightforward; Your client feels the need for a refresh, and you try to solve the challenges associated with that. Nothing new there. But there\u2019s always a risk that what you create won\u2019t sit well with the brand\u2019s audience. And that\u2019s hard to escape because a lot of people instinctively react negatively to change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith all that in mind, corporate rebrands still seem to fly a lot easier than those in the world of sports. Consider the reaction to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marketing-interactive.com\/formula-one-unveils-new-logo-to-engage-new-audiences-fans-dismayed\u0022\u003EF1\u2019s recent rebranding\u003C\/a\u003E or when \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/football\/2018\/01\/24\/leeds-united-reveal-controversial-new-club-crest\/\u0022\u003ELeeds United unveiled their new badge in 2019\u003C\/a\u003E. It feels as though the potential for a negative reaction to a rebrand is inherently higher when you\u2019re dealing with an established sporting organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo why is that? Are sports fans are so emotionally invested in their clubs that they can\u2019t stand you tampering with them? Is it because they feel ignored, like they haven\u2019t been considered during the process? Or is it purely a case of the audience focusing solely on aesthetic output, without the context and underlying reasons behind the rebrand?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhatever it is (and it\u2019s likely a combination of all the above), I can see why making changes to these brands often leads to so much outcry. But crucially, as a designer, your goal shouldn\u2019t necessarily be to please all the fans all of the time. You have a much wider audience, and a broader set of challenges that must be considered within your brief. Your job is often to look at the bigger picture, essentially future-proofing the brand to function in a modern world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2026and that\u2019s the key word here: future. It\u2019s the reason brands have to modernise in the first place. There\u2019s often not much choice as to whether or not they actually want to; either you evolve and try to keep up with a fast-moving world, or you fall behind and deal with the many risks inherent in doing so.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA closer look at sporting organisations over the last decade or so reveals a trend: Old, well-established brands forced to change because their brand identities were established long before we spent so much of our time looking at screens. Many of those brand identities grew organically over time and just aren\u2019t compatible with the digital age. Suddenly, all that heritage and design intricacy has become a problem. And the only way of staying ahead of the game is to change things up \u2013 often by simplifying your visual identity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdopting a \u201cless is more\u201d approach and simplifying brands to make them visually cleaner often makes sense. A less detailed logo, for example, would in theory work better on screen and elsewhere. In this day and age, it\u2019s important to remember that a brand lives in more than one place, and it\u2019s essential you design with that in mind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA great example is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.designweek.co.uk\/issues\/16-22-january-2017\/juventus-seeks\/\u0022\u003EJuventus FC\u003C\/a\u003E and how they used their 2017 brand evolution to \u201cgo beyond football\u201d. What\u2019s tricky is finding the balance between adapting to the future without losing the sense of status and tradition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne club that perhaps didn\u2019t manage to balance the two (at least according to fans) is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/sport\/football\/premier-league\/everton-apologise-and-vow-to-ditch-unpopular-new-crest-after-one-season-following-fans-twitter-8635197.html\u0022\u003EEverton FC\u003C\/a\u003E. In an open letter the club received regarding the removal of their long-used Latin slogan, one fan stated:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am not against change, I am not a fan who is \u2018stuck in the past\u2019 and I absolutely acknowledge the need of the club to modernise the badge for various reasons. What I cannot accept however, is the way in which a small group of faceless individuals have torn the heart out of a key part of the identity of our club.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOuch, that must have hurt. It also highlights the need for designers to pitch the balance perfectly between design practicalities and emotional resonance with a hardcore, passionate fanbase.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne club that appears to be getting this balance just right is the recently launched Inter Miami CF. The reveal of Mr Beckham\u2019s freshly designed club branding hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed and I, for one, really like it. Admittedly, it\u2019s a rare example of a high-profile organisation like this being able to design from scratch without having to consider any old branding, but the underlying design feels well considered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe whole thing is cleverly constructed with a modern approach to brand identity. It\u2019s a bit like Lego really, pick it apart and you\u2019ll have parts that work on their own but that also seamlessly click together \u2013 which is exactly how brands have to function today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what is there to learn from all this? It seems tricky to escape the wrath of fans when changing the look and feel of a sports brand, and as a designer, it\u2019s near impossible to please every single one of them. But perhaps leaders of the organisation can have an impact by changing their approach in the first instance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf they include the fans from the get-go, help them understand the relevance of the work and ensure they remain involved throughout the process, then perhaps change can be not only justified but welcomed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn that case, a happy ending wouldn\u2019t be so unattainable after all.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nA few weeks ago, I was sat in a local pub enjoying a jam-packed afternoon of sport. A pretty good day, you might say. \nI got talking to a friend about the Glasgow Warriors rugby team. Knowing he was a big fan, I casually dropped into conversation that Good had worked on the club\u2019s recent rebrand. I must admit, his reaction left me a little deflated. Because it wasn\u2019t great.While he\u2019s obviously entitled to his own opinion, I couldn\u2019t help but feel he was slightly missing the point behind the project. And I suspect I\u2019m not the only designer who\u2019s ever felt that way when dealing with the rebrand of a sports team.It got me thinking about rebrands and brand evolutions in general. From a design perspective, they usually make perfect sense and can be pretty straightforward; Your client feels the need for a refresh, and you try to solve the challenges associated with that. Nothing new there. But there\u2019s always a risk that what you create won\u2019t sit well with the brand\u2019s audience. And that\u2019s hard to escape because a lot of people instinctively react negatively to change.With all that in mind, corporate rebrands still seem to fly a lot easier than those in the world of sports. Consider the reaction to F1\u2019s recent rebranding or when Leeds United unveiled their new badge in 2019. It feels as though the potential for a negative reaction to a rebrand is inherently higher when you\u2019re dealing with an established sporting organisation.So why is that? Are sports fans are so emotionally invested in their clubs that they can\u2019t stand you tampering with them? Is it because they feel ignored, like they haven\u2019t been considered during the process? Or is it purely a case of the audience focusing solely on aesthetic output, without the context and underlying reasons behind the rebrand?Whatever it is (and it\u2019s likely a combination of all the above), I can see why making changes to these brands often leads to so much outcry. But crucially, as a designer, your goal shouldn\u2019t necessarily be to please all the fans all of the time. You have a much wider audience, and a broader set of challenges that must be considered within your brief. Your job is often to look at the bigger picture, essentially future-proofing the brand to function in a modern world.\u2026and that\u2019s the key word here: future. It\u2019s the reason brands have to modernise in the first place. There\u2019s often not much choice as to whether or not they actually want to; either you evolve and try to keep up with a fast-moving world, or you fall behind and deal with the many risks inherent in doing so.A closer look at sporting organisations over the last decade or so reveals a trend: Old, well-established brands forced to change because their brand identities were established long before we spent so much of our time looking at screens. Many of those brand identities grew organically over time and just aren\u2019t compatible with the digital age. Suddenly, all that heritage and design intricacy has become a problem. And the only way of staying ahead of the game is to change things up \u2013 often by simplifying your visual identity.Adopting a \u201cless is more\u201d approach and simplifying brands to make them visually cleaner often makes sense. A less detailed logo, for example, would in theory work better on screen and elsewhere. In this day and age, it\u2019s important to remember that a brand lives in more than one place, and it\u2019s essential you design with that in mind.A great example is Juventus FC and how they used their 2017 brand evolution to \u201cgo beyond football\u201d. What\u2019s tricky is finding the balance between adapting to the future without losing the sense of status and tradition.One club that perhaps didn\u2019t manage to balance the two (at least according to fans) is Everton FC. In an open letter the club received regarding the removal of their long-used Latin slogan, one fan stated:I am not against change, I am not a fan who is \u2018stuck in the past\u2019 and I absolutely acknowledge the need of the club to modernise the badge for various reasons. What I cannot accept however, is the way in which a small group of faceless individuals have torn the heart out of a key part of the identity of our club.Ouch, that must have hurt. It also highlights the need for designers to pitch the balance perfectly between design practicalities and emotional resonance with a hardcore, passionate fanbase.One club that appears to be getting this balance just right is the recently launched Inter Miami CF. The reveal of Mr Beckham\u2019s freshly designed club branding hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed and I, for one, really like it. Admittedly, it\u2019s a rare example of a high-profile organisation like this being able to design from scratch without having to consider any old branding, but the underlying design feels well considered.The whole thing is cleverly constructed with a modern approach to brand identity. It\u2019s a bit like Lego really, pick it apart and you\u2019ll have parts that work on their own but that also seamlessly click together \u2013 which is exactly how brands have to function today.So, what is there to learn from all this? It seems tricky to escape the wrath of fans when changing the look and feel of a sports brand, and as a designer, it\u2019s near impossible to please every single one of them. But perhaps leaders of the organisation can have an impact by changing their approach in the first instance.If they include the fans from the get-go, help them understand the relevance of the work and ensure they remain involved throughout the process, then perhaps change can be not only justified but welcomed.In that case, a happy ending wouldn\u2019t be so unattainable after all.  ","summary":"A few weeks ago, I was sat in a local pub enjoying a jam-packed afternoon of sport. A pretty good day, you might say.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-16T15:10:22+0000","author":{"name":"Mike Hunter"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5753","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/beware-those-branded-wasps","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Beware those Branded Wasps","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0026#039;re going for an easy one. What is brand? Chris, Julie and Stewart thrash it out. Hopefully. Let us know what you think, we\u0026#039;re up for a chat. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/\u0022\u003EGood, a brand consultancy.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marketingweek.com\/mark-ritson-direct-line-characters-branded-recall\/\u0022\u003EDirect Line understands the power of characters in unlocking branded recall\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u0027s it really. If you want to point out any nonsense or get any clarity, email us at hello@wearegood.com\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/f56cfcce\/ba084ff8.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe\u0026#039;re going for an easy one. What is brand? Chris, Julie and Stewart thrash it out. Hopefully. Let us know what you think, we\u0026#039;re up for a chat. \n\n        Good, a brand consultancy.Direct Line understands the power of characters in unlocking branded recallThat\u0027s it really. If you want to point out any nonsense or get any clarity, email us at hello@wearegood.com\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"We\u0027re going for an easy one. What is brand? Chris, Julie and Stewart thrash it out. Hopefully. Let us know what you think, we\u0027re up for a chat.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-13T10:20:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5483","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-paranoia","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Paranoia","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s talk about paranoia in branding. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve noticed a lot over the years - mostly with clients overestimating how much equity there is in their brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt usually happens when we\u2019re rationalising a brand portfolio, or integrating new brands into an existing stable. Our objective view presents a pretty cut and dried choice to the client: Here are the brand elements you should keep, maintain and grow; and here are the elements that need pruned, cut or killed. This is when it can get sticky, and I get it. We don\u2019t have any skin in the game and we\u2019re not emotionally attached to the brands.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut this is what we\u2019re paid for. To help brand owners avoid the pitfalls of the halfway house. The political compromise. Where the emotional and short-term attachment overpowers the rational and long-term need to make the change. Quite often, the resistance is positioned as\u00a0\u2018you don\u2019t understand, we\u2019re different\u2026our customers are so attached to our brand that to change any aspect of it is commercial suicide\u2019. Even when the empirical research says something entirely different.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a form of corporate brand paranoia and I was reminded of it again this week when I read the story about Hugo Boss trying to do the \u2018right thing\u2019 but just clumsily shooting themselves in the foot.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, you\u2019re Hugo Boss. A massive, globally recognised brand in the fashion world, having carved out a little bit of space in the public\u2019s consciousness. People know the name and the logotype. They don\u2019t spend much time thinking about Hugo Boss, and not many people will know the heritage; but they have a level of awareness. And that awareness is built around the fact that Hugo Boss sells clothes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the same way that\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETesla sells (electric) cars\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHeineken sells beer\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EColgate sells toothpaste\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI suppose it speaks to the core business and what built the recognition in the customers\u2019 minds in the first place. Add to that a little bit of salience about the logo and you\u2019ve locked something powerful into the consumer mind.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy then, do brand owners lose all sense of proportion when it comes to the occasional clash with other brands or names that sound or look a little bit similar? It\u2019s as if their emotional attachment to what\u2019s perceived to be \u201ctheir brand\u201d trumps an ability to remain balanced and proportionate in their response.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith Hugo Boss, they were getting their knickers in a twist about a regional brewery, Boss Brewing, in Wales. Apparently this brewery had been producing a beer that somehow used the Boss name. But, really? Does Hugo Boss really think that punters are going to confuse the two brands? That they\u2019re going to wander into a local shop, pick a can of Boss beer off the shelf and think, \u201coh yes - I see that\u2019s Hugo Boss gone into brewing now\u2026\u201d. I\u2019ve had a look at the branding of the beer, and it\u2019s fair to say that even a blind man running for a bus would know the difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, apparently that\u2019s exactly what they did think would happen. Hugo Boss have slapped the brewery with a\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/wales\/2019-08-12\/welsh-brewery-spends-nearly-10-000-in-battle-with-clothing-giant-over-name\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecease and desist letter\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0and are pursuing the matter from a legal standpoint, which forces the smaller company to rebadge costing thousands and thousands of pounds. This is the stuff that really puzzles me about the corporate mindset. Not only is it impossible for customers to get the two brands mixed up, it\u2019s the inevitable David and Goliath story it stirs up in the press, which immediately makes Hugo Boss look silly. It might also do some harm to how they\u2019re perceived by the public.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhich is more important (and more attractive from a brand point of view?) To be technically and legally correct, winning the argument, but coming off as a petty bully determined to get its own way, no matter who they harm in the process. Or to take the higher ground, perhaps acknowledging that there\u2019s crossover; but recognising that there\u2019s little or no threat?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe law of unintended consequences is never far away. Joe Lycett - the comedian - has been following the story and has now\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-51703859\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u00a0changed his name by deed poll\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0to Hugo Boss, just to piss them off. It\u2019s pretty funny, and he\u2019s doing it to make the point about corporate bullying, so it\u2019s probably going to run and run. Some people will say there\u2019s no such thing as bad publicity, but I\u2019m sure that Hugo Boss would rather the joke wasn\u2019t on them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what\u2019s my main message? Let\u2019s have more confidence in our customers\u2019 ability to discern difference and not ascribe value to things that are creatively and contextually at opposite ends of the spectrum. Let\u2019s embrace some professional humility and accept that consumers don\u2019t spend much time thinking about brands at all. They\u2019ve got far more important things going on in their heads, like when am I picking up the kids, or I wonder what\u2019s for dinner tonight?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI wonder what is for dinner? I feel like chicken tonight.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nLet\u2019s talk about paranoia in branding. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve noticed a lot over the years - mostly with clients overestimating how much equity there is in their brand. \nIt usually happens when we\u2019re rationalising a brand portfolio, or integrating new brands into an existing stable. Our objective view presents a pretty cut and dried choice to the client: Here are the brand elements you should keep, maintain and grow; and here are the elements that need pruned, cut or killed. This is when it can get sticky, and I get it. We don\u2019t have any skin in the game and we\u2019re not emotionally attached to the brands.\u00a0\nBut this is what we\u2019re paid for. To help brand owners avoid the pitfalls of the halfway house. The political compromise. Where the emotional and short-term attachment overpowers the rational and long-term need to make the change. Quite often, the resistance is positioned as\u00a0\u2018you don\u2019t understand, we\u2019re different\u2026our customers are so attached to our brand that to change any aspect of it is commercial suicide\u2019. Even when the empirical research says something entirely different.\u00a0\nThis is a form of corporate brand paranoia and I was reminded of it again this week when I read the story about Hugo Boss trying to do the \u2018right thing\u2019 but just clumsily shooting themselves in the foot.\u00a0\nSo, you\u2019re Hugo Boss. A massive, globally recognised brand in the fashion world, having carved out a little bit of space in the public\u2019s consciousness. People know the name and the logotype. They don\u2019t spend much time thinking about Hugo Boss, and not many people will know the heritage; but they have a level of awareness. And that awareness is built around the fact that Hugo Boss sells clothes.\nIn the same way that\u2026\nTesla sells (electric) cars\nHeineken sells beer\nColgate sells toothpaste\nI suppose it speaks to the core business and what built the recognition in the customers\u2019 minds in the first place. Add to that a little bit of salience about the logo and you\u2019ve locked something powerful into the consumer mind.\nWhy then, do brand owners lose all sense of proportion when it comes to the occasional clash with other brands or names that sound or look a little bit similar? It\u2019s as if their emotional attachment to what\u2019s perceived to be \u201ctheir brand\u201d trumps an ability to remain balanced and proportionate in their response.\nWith Hugo Boss, they were getting their knickers in a twist about a regional brewery, Boss Brewing, in Wales. Apparently this brewery had been producing a beer that somehow used the Boss name. But, really? Does Hugo Boss really think that punters are going to confuse the two brands? That they\u2019re going to wander into a local shop, pick a can of Boss beer off the shelf and think, \u201coh yes - I see that\u2019s Hugo Boss gone into brewing now\u2026\u201d. I\u2019ve had a look at the branding of the beer, and it\u2019s fair to say that even a blind man running for a bus would know the difference.\nBut, apparently that\u2019s exactly what they did think would happen. Hugo Boss have slapped the brewery with a\u00a0cease and desist letter\u00a0and are pursuing the matter from a legal standpoint, which forces the smaller company to rebadge costing thousands and thousands of pounds. This is the stuff that really puzzles me about the corporate mindset. Not only is it impossible for customers to get the two brands mixed up, it\u2019s the inevitable David and Goliath story it stirs up in the press, which immediately makes Hugo Boss look silly. It might also do some harm to how they\u2019re perceived by the public.\u00a0\nWhich is more important (and more attractive from a brand point of view?) To be technically and legally correct, winning the argument, but coming off as a petty bully determined to get its own way, no matter who they harm in the process. Or to take the higher ground, perhaps acknowledging that there\u2019s crossover; but recognising that there\u2019s little or no threat?\nThe law of unintended consequences is never far away. Joe Lycett - the comedian - has been following the story and has now\u00a0changed his name by deed poll\u00a0to Hugo Boss, just to piss them off. It\u2019s pretty funny, and he\u2019s doing it to make the point about corporate bullying, so it\u2019s probably going to run and run. Some people will say there\u2019s no such thing as bad publicity, but I\u2019m sure that Hugo Boss would rather the joke wasn\u2019t on them.\nSo, what\u2019s my main message? Let\u2019s have more confidence in our customers\u2019 ability to discern difference and not ascribe value to things that are creatively and contextually at opposite ends of the spectrum. Let\u2019s embrace some professional humility and accept that consumers don\u2019t spend much time thinking about brands at all. They\u2019ve got far more important things going on in their heads, like when am I picking up the kids, or I wonder what\u2019s for dinner tonight?\nI wonder what is for dinner? I feel like chicken tonight.\n  ","summary":"Let\u2019s talk about paranoia in branding. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve noticed a lot over the years - mostly with clients overestimating how much equity there is in their brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-09T11:04:14+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5754","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/starting-fun-do","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Starting up is fun to do","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHere it is, the first episode of Good\u0026#039;s podcast, the Good Round Up. Chris and Stewart chat through some posts that have gone up on the Good site. We\u0026#039;re covering reporting, some insights into brand architecture and how you can get the best from your agency.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n        \u003Cp\u003EReporting:\u00a0 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-started-reporting\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-started-reporting\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBrand Architecture: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligence\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligence\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting the best from your agency: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-best-your-agency\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-best-your-agency\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDigiDay: The Planning Process has gone out the window : \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digiday.com\/marketing\/planning-process-gone-window-confessions-agency-exec-lack-client-accountability\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/digiday.com\/marketing\/planning-process-gone-window-confessions-agency-exec-lack-client-accountability\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAMV BT Pitch: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davedye.com\/2019\/04\/11\/pitch-david-abbott-bt\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/davedye.com\/2019\/04\/11\/pitch-david-abbott-bt\/\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBT \u201cIt\u2019s Good to Talk\u201d Ads:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vnHQp2ukDD4\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vnHQp2ukDD4\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Jtyn1jJajjI\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Jtyn1jJajjI\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\n            \n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/media.transistor.fm\/f9c30935\/46b1f240.mp3\u0022 download\u003EDownload the episode\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n            Available on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/the-good-round-up\/id1501966456\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/05koFVfgRnGmq6YPRmpPcJ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/feeds.transistor.fm\/the-good-round-up\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERSS\u003C\/a\u003E for all other Podcast players.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nHere it is, the first episode of Good\u0026#039;s podcast, the Good Round Up. Chris and Stewart chat through some posts that have gone up on the Good site. We\u0026#039;re covering reporting, some insights into brand architecture and how you can get the best from your agency.  \n\n        Reporting:\u00a0 https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-started-reportingBrand Architecture: https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-don-t-forget-due-diligenceGetting the best from your agency: https:\/\/wearegood.com\/articles\/getting-best-your-agencyDigiDay: The Planning Process has gone out the window : https:\/\/digiday.com\/marketing\/planning-process-gone-window-confessions-agency-exec-lack-client-accountability\/AMV BT Pitch: https:\/\/davedye.com\/2019\/04\/11\/pitch-david-abbott-bt\/BT \u201cIt\u2019s Good to Talk\u201d Ads:https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vnHQp2ukDD4https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Jtyn1jJajjI\n      \n            \n        Download the episode\n            Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and via RSS for all other Podcast players.\n          ","summary":"Here it is, the first episode of Good\u0027s podcast, the Good Round Up. Chris and Stewart chat through some posts that have gone up on the Good site. We\u0027re covering reporting, some insights into brand architecture and how you can get the best from your agency. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-03-07T08:00:00+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Podcast"]},{"id":"5484","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/getting-started-reporting","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Getting Started With Reporting","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EGetting your reporting structure right is key to the continual improvement of your marketing efforts. Here\u0026#039;s some tips. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember that time you worked out the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-your-digital-goals\u0022\u003Edigital contribution\u003C\/a\u003E to your overall business goals? \u00a0Sure, you do. It\u0027s the foundation for all the digital work\u00a0you\u0027re doing, guiding you as you add to the website, send emails and run social campaigns. Great, everyone\u0027s on board and delighted.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter all that work though, you have to make sure that you\u0027re on track, that you understand what\u0027s working and what isn\u0027t. Reporting is, obviously, the key to that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI won\u2019t go into the structures of a good report\u00a0as these depend on what you\u0027re reporting on. I\u0027ll just cover some basics to bear in mind when you\u0027re thinking about building one.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat should a report do? It\u0027s not enough to simply report what happened. The point of a good report should be two-fold:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E1: Where are we against the KPI\u0027s we\u0027ve set ourselves?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E2: What are the areas we should look at to make next month effective?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re not reporting on those areas, then you\u0027re just data-puking. Don\u0027t look at metrics (1,000,000 likes!) look at KPI\u0027s (acquisition of new sales should cost less than $5).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe worst example I\u0027ve seen of this kind of metric mediocrity is a report that highlighted the best performing social post for the month. The post had a 50% click-through rate. Wow. Then the report revealed\u00a0that the post had only 2 views in the past month. Honestly. It rips my knitting. Don\u0027t focus on activity; get into the outcomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u0027re looking at past performance, make sure that you\u0027re focusing on what matters. You should be paying for insights, not pages and pages of reformatted Google Analytics tables, one after the other. It may end up a chunky document but a worthless one too.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe report needs to be forward-looking. Continual improvement is the name of the game here. Look at reporting on the following points:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1. \u00a0 What is our report could be improved?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECost per acquisition too high? Sales dropped? Leads dropped? Leads dramatically up against trends? If there\u2019s something that looks like it needs attention, then give it attention. Call it out.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2.\u00a0 \u00a0What are we going to do about it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat action are you going to take to correct the challenge above? Change your\u00a0media spend over to\u00a0another channel? Stop spending altogether? Change the creative? Have another look at messaging? Whatever it is, make sure that is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SMART_criteria\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESMART\u003C\/a\u003E and clear for all to understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3.\u00a0 \u00a0What\u0027s the impact?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat do you expect to happen when you take action? Make sure it\u2019s clear and that it\u2019s something you can revisit next month.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese are what I consider the basics of what you should expect from a report. Don\u0027t just look at what\u0027s happened but build towards greater success in the next report.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne more thing. Don\u0027t forget your audience. I\u0027ve been in reporting calls where the detail is everywhere, and we\u0027ve talked through Every. Single. Point. What happened was that those that perhaps weren\u0027t 100% aware of the intricacies of digital marketing started to pick apart at the detail. That pulling at the threads of your work is easy to do but tricky to push back on. Especially on a conference call. Certain people in the team will require the top level of detail (are the arrows red or green?), while others will be able to add value when looking at specific campaign results. Understand what each stakeholder is looking for and try to tailor the report to what concerns them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI love a good report, one that shows the contribution your activity is making to improve the business, that is honest about where things can be improved and which encourages a culture of continual improvement within your organisation. It will take time to perfect, to provide the right level of detail to the right stakeholders, but nothing demonstrates more that marketing efforts are generating revenue for the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EHave a listen to more about reporting\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris and Stewart took a deeper dive into reporting in our podcast, the Good Round Up. Have a listen, hit subscribe to get more brand goodness delivered to you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nGetting your reporting structure right is key to the continual improvement of your marketing efforts. Here\u0026#039;s some tips. \nRemember that time you worked out the digital contribution to your overall business goals? \u00a0Sure, you do. It\u0027s the foundation for all the digital work\u00a0you\u0027re doing, guiding you as you add to the website, send emails and run social campaigns. Great, everyone\u0027s on board and delighted.\nAfter all that work though, you have to make sure that you\u0027re on track, that you understand what\u0027s working and what isn\u0027t. Reporting is, obviously, the key to that.\nI won\u2019t go into the structures of a good report\u00a0as these depend on what you\u0027re reporting on. I\u0027ll just cover some basics to bear in mind when you\u0027re thinking about building one.\u00a0\nWhat should a report do? It\u0027s not enough to simply report what happened. The point of a good report should be two-fold:\n1: Where are we against the KPI\u0027s we\u0027ve set ourselves?\n2: What are the areas we should look at to make next month effective?\nIf you\u0027re not reporting on those areas, then you\u0027re just data-puking. Don\u0027t look at metrics (1,000,000 likes!) look at KPI\u0027s (acquisition of new sales should cost less than $5).\nThe worst example I\u0027ve seen of this kind of metric mediocrity is a report that highlighted the best performing social post for the month. The post had a 50% click-through rate. Wow. Then the report revealed\u00a0that the post had only 2 views in the past month. Honestly. It rips my knitting. Don\u0027t focus on activity; get into the outcomes.\nWhen you\u0027re looking at past performance, make sure that you\u0027re focusing on what matters. You should be paying for insights, not pages and pages of reformatted Google Analytics tables, one after the other. It may end up a chunky document but a worthless one too.\nThe report needs to be forward-looking. Continual improvement is the name of the game here. Look at reporting on the following points:\n1. \u00a0 What is our report could be improved?\nCost per acquisition too high? Sales dropped? Leads dropped? Leads dramatically up against trends? If there\u2019s something that looks like it needs attention, then give it attention. Call it out.\n2.\u00a0 \u00a0What are we going to do about it?\nWhat action are you going to take to correct the challenge above? Change your\u00a0media spend over to\u00a0another channel? Stop spending altogether? Change the creative? Have another look at messaging? Whatever it is, make sure that is SMART and clear for all to understand.\n3.\u00a0 \u00a0What\u0027s the impact?\nWhat do you expect to happen when you take action? Make sure it\u2019s clear and that it\u2019s something you can revisit next month.\nThese are what I consider the basics of what you should expect from a report. Don\u0027t just look at what\u0027s happened but build towards greater success in the next report.\nOne more thing. Don\u0027t forget your audience. I\u0027ve been in reporting calls where the detail is everywhere, and we\u0027ve talked through Every. Single. Point. What happened was that those that perhaps weren\u0027t 100% aware of the intricacies of digital marketing started to pick apart at the detail. That pulling at the threads of your work is easy to do but tricky to push back on. Especially on a conference call. Certain people in the team will require the top level of detail (are the arrows red or green?), while others will be able to add value when looking at specific campaign results. Understand what each stakeholder is looking for and try to tailor the report to what concerns them.\nI love a good report, one that shows the contribution your activity is making to improve the business, that is honest about where things can be improved and which encourages a culture of continual improvement within your organisation. It will take time to perfect, to provide the right level of detail to the right stakeholders, but nothing demonstrates more that marketing efforts are generating revenue for the business.\nHave a listen to more about reporting\nChris and Stewart took a deeper dive into reporting in our podcast, the Good Round Up. Have a listen, hit subscribe to get more brand goodness delivered to you.\n\n  ","summary":"Getting your reporting structure right is key to the continual improvement of your marketing efforts. Here\u0027s some tips.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-02-25T13:58:11+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5485","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/getting-best-your-agency","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Getting the best from your Agency","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHelp us to help you.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecently I\u2019ve been hit by two interesting and almost contradictory articles.\u00a0The first is from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digiday.com\/marketing\/planning-process-gone-window-confessions-agency-exec-lack-client-accountability\/\u0022\u003EDigiDay\u003C\/a\u003E around how the planning function in agencies is getting squeezed as agencies are getting\u00a0more involved with creating the brief for the client, not just responding to it. As such, the time spent answering the brief is limited by the fact that we\u2019re creating the client brief at the same time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second article that\u2019s got me thinking is a blast from the past, the AMV pitch for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/davedye.com\/2019\/04\/11\/pitch-david-abbott-bt\/\u0022\u003EBT \u201cIt\u2019s Good to Talk\u201d campaign\u003C\/a\u003E, presented with great panache by David Abbot. It\u2019s a great insight into a great pitch. What I found striking is that it\u0027s\u00a0the opposite of the DigiDay article.\u00a0BT swamped their pitching agencies with research, all backed up with a thoughtful, commercially focused brief. What\u2019s then left is for the agency to do their best work to challenge, interrogate and then solve the client brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith this client provided insight, AMV goes into the brief with one creative route. It\u2019s an iconic idea\u00a0and the\u00a0fact that they\u2019ve had the time to do their best work means that they can really tell a compelling\u00a0story around\u00a0that one singular vision.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy has this all changed? One telling aspect from the AMV pitch is that they are dealing primarily with two distinct channels -\u00a0TV and print. Over the course of 20 years, clients\u00a0have had to contend with a whole host of channels that need to be managed, all\u00a0while making sure that the relevance of the message matches the media.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what can we learn from the past and how can you get the best work from your agency? It\u2019s listicle time!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0What do you want to happen?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe brief BT gave included\u00a0clear examples of what they wanted the campaign to achieve. One of these is\u00a0based around the target market:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo support and legitimise phone usage among women who do not enjoy daily face-to-face contact with their peers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, they wanted to make sure that these achievements were measurable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo encourage each person in the core market to make an extra 21 calls or spend an additional 75 minutes on the phone across the whole year.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is great, the brief is clear on who the target customer is and what we want to persuade them to do. When we\u2019re looking for a brief, we really want\u00a0to get a clear direction on what will add value to the business and that usually\u00a0comes from the client. We\u2019re not in a position to advise on what will make your business better. We need your insight and market knowledge to help frame the challenge so that we can provide a suitable\u00a0creative solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Tell us everything\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd this is where I contradict myself slightly. Mr Abbott mentions that BT supplied AMV with so much research that he needed to get a sturdier bag to hold it in. From what I can tell it was pretty unfiltered, it just gave the agency all the information and research that they could use to bolster or show a different challenge. This is an invaluable part of the process for us. We try to push the brief with the research to see if there is another approach. We\u2019re not remotely saying that we know your business better than you do, the worst that can happen is that we learn something about your business that goes beyond the superficial.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Focus on the language\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Mr David Ogilvy once said, advertising is the business of words. 25 years on, with the Twitters and the Emails and the Facebooks it is truer than ever. Language is the foundation of any campaign. No amount of expensive imagery can compensate for a crap line. From time to time we get people who are surprised that we\u2019re starting with a line rather than jumping straight into the shiny-shiny. If you\u2019re not getting a presentation that starts with language then I\u2019d start to get nervous.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Respect the one route approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou have to respect the agency that comes into a pitch situation with one approach. If you ask for three routes you\u2019re really only getting one. The other two will be nonsense, battered out in record time to meet the pitch. You\u2019ll get the best from the agency if you look to get one route, one that they believe in. It also avoids the FrankenDesign option of taking a little bit of option C with\u00a0a sprinkling of option B all the time slowly killing purity of\u00a0option A. What\u0027s really good is that the thinking in the pitch really did carry through into the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vnHQp2ukDD4\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Efinished\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Jtyn1jJajjI\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ecampaign\u003C\/a\u003E. That purity of idea wouldn\u0027t have been there if three options were\u00a0presented.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe tend not to pitch for work, it\u2019s a pretty ineffective way of\u00a0choosing a partner to help you create value for your business. When we do start to work with a client, we look to the same points that helped make the AMV thinking so strong for BT. So while we agree with DigiTimes that the planning function is getting tougher, the foundations that create great, effective and memorable work for the client remains the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EListen to\u00a0more!\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris and Stewart chatted a little bit more on getting more from your agency through\u00a0the power of the Good Round Up podcast. Have a listen. Maybe even subscribe.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nHelp us to help you.  \nRecently I\u2019ve been hit by two interesting and almost contradictory articles.\u00a0The first is from DigiDay around how the planning function in agencies is getting squeezed as agencies are getting\u00a0more involved with creating the brief for the client, not just responding to it. As such, the time spent answering the brief is limited by the fact that we\u2019re creating the client brief at the same time.\nThe second article that\u2019s got me thinking is a blast from the past, the AMV pitch for the BT \u201cIt\u2019s Good to Talk\u201d campaign, presented with great panache by David Abbot. It\u2019s a great insight into a great pitch. What I found striking is that it\u0027s\u00a0the opposite of the DigiDay article.\u00a0BT swamped their pitching agencies with research, all backed up with a thoughtful, commercially focused brief. What\u2019s then left is for the agency to do their best work to challenge, interrogate and then solve the client brief.\nWith this client provided insight, AMV goes into the brief with one creative route. It\u2019s an iconic idea\u00a0and the\u00a0fact that they\u2019ve had the time to do their best work means that they can really tell a compelling\u00a0story around\u00a0that one singular vision.\u00a0\nWhy has this all changed? One telling aspect from the AMV pitch is that they are dealing primarily with two distinct channels -\u00a0TV and print. Over the course of 20 years, clients\u00a0have had to contend with a whole host of channels that need to be managed, all\u00a0while making sure that the relevance of the message matches the media.\nSo what can we learn from the past and how can you get the best work from your agency? It\u2019s listicle time!\n1.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0What do you want to happen?\nThe brief BT gave included\u00a0clear examples of what they wanted the campaign to achieve. One of these is\u00a0based around the target market:\n\u201cTo support and legitimise phone usage among women who do not enjoy daily face-to-face contact with their peers.\u201d\nNot only that, they wanted to make sure that these achievements were measurable.\n\u201cTo encourage each person in the core market to make an extra 21 calls or spend an additional 75 minutes on the phone across the whole year.\u201d\nThis is great, the brief is clear on who the target customer is and what we want to persuade them to do. When we\u2019re looking for a brief, we really want\u00a0to get a clear direction on what will add value to the business and that usually\u00a0comes from the client. We\u2019re not in a position to advise on what will make your business better. We need your insight and market knowledge to help frame the challenge so that we can provide a suitable\u00a0creative solution.\n2.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Tell us everything\nAnd this is where I contradict myself slightly. Mr Abbott mentions that BT supplied AMV with so much research that he needed to get a sturdier bag to hold it in. From what I can tell it was pretty unfiltered, it just gave the agency all the information and research that they could use to bolster or show a different challenge. This is an invaluable part of the process for us. We try to push the brief with the research to see if there is another approach. We\u2019re not remotely saying that we know your business better than you do, the worst that can happen is that we learn something about your business that goes beyond the superficial.\n3.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Focus on the language\nAs Mr David Ogilvy once said, advertising is the business of words. 25 years on, with the Twitters and the Emails and the Facebooks it is truer than ever. Language is the foundation of any campaign. No amount of expensive imagery can compensate for a crap line. From time to time we get people who are surprised that we\u2019re starting with a line rather than jumping straight into the shiny-shiny. If you\u2019re not getting a presentation that starts with language then I\u2019d start to get nervous.\n4.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Respect the one route approach\nYou have to respect the agency that comes into a pitch situation with one approach. If you ask for three routes you\u2019re really only getting one. The other two will be nonsense, battered out in record time to meet the pitch. You\u2019ll get the best from the agency if you look to get one route, one that they believe in. It also avoids the FrankenDesign option of taking a little bit of option C with\u00a0a sprinkling of option B all the time slowly killing purity of\u00a0option A. What\u0027s really good is that the thinking in the pitch really did carry through into the finished campaign. That purity of idea wouldn\u0027t have been there if three options were\u00a0presented.\u00a0\nWe tend not to pitch for work, it\u2019s a pretty ineffective way of\u00a0choosing a partner to help you create value for your business. When we do start to work with a client, we look to the same points that helped make the AMV thinking so strong for BT. So while we agree with DigiTimes that the planning function is getting tougher, the foundations that create great, effective and memorable work for the client remains the same.\nListen to\u00a0more!\nChris and Stewart chatted a little bit more on getting more from your agency through\u00a0the power of the Good Round Up podcast. Have a listen. Maybe even subscribe.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"Help us to help you. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-02-25T11:35:58+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5486","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-architecture-dont-forget-due-diligence","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Architecture - Don\u2019t forget the due diligence","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen businesses merge or acquire other businesses, they don\u2019t spend enough time thinking about what to do with the brands, products and portfolios. This is our experience anyway.\u00a0 \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not done deliberately, it\u2019s just that there\u2019s so much other stuff to consider. Stuff that\u2019s immediate and important. So, naturally, issues like offices, manufacturing plants, staffing and distribution are all given headline billing throughout the integration process. They\u2019re tangible and have a high profile in terms of overhead for the business. Successful integration could deliver savings to the bottom line - which may have been one of the drivers for the deal in the first place. That all makes sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to issues around brand, we find that it\u2019s not given the same level of thought or consideration. Too often comfort is taken at a skin-deep level that satisfies ego and legacy - bolting together two names or two visual identities to create something cumbersome, confusing and flat - but offering the veneer of a seamless integration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis might work as a band-aid at the main brand level of the organisation, but if you dig further down into products, names and portfolio management - where the rubber really meets the road - you\u2019ll find friction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd it\u2019s in these seemingly unimportant recesses of the marketing department that the trouble really begins to brew. It takes a bit of time to take root and grow, but if the conditions are right, it can develop into a significant challenge to any organisation\u2019s identity and offering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn one particular case, we got involved with a client who had acquired a number of businesses across the globe, all with different names and \u2018sub-brands\u2019 which weren\u2019t considered during the integration phase. The result three or fours years down the line was a completely schizophrenic organisation that couldn\u2019t understand or navigate its own product portfolio, let along present them to customers. It led to a full-blown identity crisis and almost total paralysis with the sales team.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what can we do to help avoid, or mitigate against these risks? Here are our top 5 tips:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Change is Positive\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EView the fact that things (names \u0026amp; identities) are going to change as a positive. Too often we try to avoid change in the mistaken belief that our customer base somehow won\u2019t be able to keep up if we change or alter a name. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is always a positive message and halo effect to be garnered if we manage the job on the front foot with the client. (I caveat this to say that change isn\u2019t always necessary, and if you don\u2019t need to change, then you shouldn\u2019t!)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Talk to People. Lots of them\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe consultation period and stakeholder management part of the process is really important. Meet with the sales teams, contact staff and customers (as well as the marketing and senior management teams). Find out what they think is important. What needs to change and what is sacrosanct. If they feel consulted, then it makes any change further down the line more palatable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Expect Some Pain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s very rarely that we take on a task like this without there being some casualties. Sometimes it\u2019s a product name or the established conventions around how they\u2019re created and other times it\u2019s a trade-off on colours or visual identities. But remember that hard pruning now creates a platform for stronger future growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;It\u2019s the Mother Brand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the B2B world, the brand equity is almost always in the mother brand. Not in the individual products or \u2018sub brands\u2019. It\u2019s best to streamline the sub-brands with a simple, descriptive convention which future-proofs the organisation and makes the portfolio coherent and navigable. This isn\u2019t the time for the marketing department to express its creativity on the naming front. It only creates confusion further down the line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Take Legal Advice\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlways. This is one of the most important aspects and often the one that\u2019s left to the end of the process. If your names are changing in any way, shape or form then you need to take specialist advice to make sure there\u2019s no infringement. Get specialist help from a patent attorney and get them involved in the process early.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re facing a brand architecture challenge through merger or acquisition - \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Egive us a shout\u003C\/a\u003E. A cold, dispassionate and objective view is often the catalyst needed to get things started.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETake a deeper dive into brand architecture.\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChris and Stewart went into more detail around the challenges in brand architecture. Have a listen, hit subscribe, enjoy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhen businesses merge or acquire other businesses, they don\u2019t spend enough time thinking about what to do with the brands, products and portfolios. This is our experience anyway.\u00a0 \nIt\u2019s not done deliberately, it\u2019s just that there\u2019s so much other stuff to consider. Stuff that\u2019s immediate and important. So, naturally, issues like offices, manufacturing plants, staffing and distribution are all given headline billing throughout the integration process. They\u2019re tangible and have a high profile in terms of overhead for the business. Successful integration could deliver savings to the bottom line - which may have been one of the drivers for the deal in the first place. That all makes sense.When it comes to issues around brand, we find that it\u2019s not given the same level of thought or consideration. Too often comfort is taken at a skin-deep level that satisfies ego and legacy - bolting together two names or two visual identities to create something cumbersome, confusing and flat - but offering the veneer of a seamless integration.This might work as a band-aid at the main brand level of the organisation, but if you dig further down into products, names and portfolio management - where the rubber really meets the road - you\u2019ll find friction.And it\u2019s in these seemingly unimportant recesses of the marketing department that the trouble really begins to brew. It takes a bit of time to take root and grow, but if the conditions are right, it can develop into a significant challenge to any organisation\u2019s identity and offering.\u0026nbsp;In one particular case, we got involved with a client who had acquired a number of businesses across the globe, all with different names and \u2018sub-brands\u2019 which weren\u2019t considered during the integration phase. The result three or fours years down the line was a completely schizophrenic organisation that couldn\u2019t understand or navigate its own product portfolio, let along present them to customers. It led to a full-blown identity crisis and almost total paralysis with the sales team.So, what can we do to help avoid, or mitigate against these risks? Here are our top 5 tips:1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Change is PositiveView the fact that things (names \u0026amp; identities) are going to change as a positive. Too often we try to avoid change in the mistaken belief that our customer base somehow won\u2019t be able to keep up if we change or alter a name. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is always a positive message and halo effect to be garnered if we manage the job on the front foot with the client. (I caveat this to say that change isn\u2019t always necessary, and if you don\u2019t need to change, then you shouldn\u2019t!)2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; Talk to People. Lots of themThe consultation period and stakeholder management part of the process is really important. Meet with the sales teams, contact staff and customers (as well as the marketing and senior management teams). Find out what they think is important. What needs to change and what is sacrosanct. If they feel consulted, then it makes any change further down the line more palatable.3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Expect Some PainIt\u2019s very rarely that we take on a task like this without there being some casualties. Sometimes it\u2019s a product name or the established conventions around how they\u2019re created and other times it\u2019s a trade-off on colours or visual identities. But remember that hard pruning now creates a platform for stronger future growth.4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;It\u2019s the Mother BrandWithin the B2B world, the brand equity is almost always in the mother brand. Not in the individual products or \u2018sub brands\u2019. It\u2019s best to streamline the sub-brands with a simple, descriptive convention which future-proofs the organisation and makes the portfolio coherent and navigable. This isn\u2019t the time for the marketing department to express its creativity on the naming front. It only creates confusion further down the line.5.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Take Legal AdviceAlways. This is one of the most important aspects and often the one that\u2019s left to the end of the process. If your names are changing in any way, shape or form then you need to take specialist advice to make sure there\u2019s no infringement. Get specialist help from a patent attorney and get them involved in the process early.If you\u2019re facing a brand architecture challenge through merger or acquisition - give us a shout. A cold, dispassionate and objective view is often the catalyst needed to get things started.Take a deeper dive into brand architecture.Chris and Stewart went into more detail around the challenges in brand architecture. Have a listen, hit subscribe, enjoy.  ","summary":"When businesses merge or acquire other businesses, they don\u2019t spend enough time thinking about what to do with the brands, products and portfolios. This is our experience anyway.\u00a0","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-02-03T11:37:59+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5487","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-partnerships-good-bad-and-tasty","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Partnerships. The good, the bad and the tasty. ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand collaborations, how they work and why it has something to do with peaches and steak.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving worked on a number of\u0026nbsp;brand pairings over the years, we\u0027d\u0026nbsp;like to think that we\u0027ve learnt a thing or two.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking at some of the biggest (but not necessarily the best) partnerships out there, we\u0027re reminded of\u0026nbsp;just how tricky these pairings can be - and how easy it is to get them wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019d think it would be a simple recipe. You take Brand A, with all its history and all its fans. You take Brand B, with the same but from a totally different category. You blend together, and voila \u2013 twice the impact, twice the audience and both brands enhanced.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet why do they so often end up a dog\u2019s dinner?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrands aren\u2019t like Lego. You can\u2019t endlessly plug them together. They\u2019re complex blends of strategy, targeting, positioning, personality and aesthetics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPartnering two brands is more like pairing food. I love those syrupy peaches from a can. I also love a steak, bloody as hell. But even the wankiest of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en_uk\/article\/7bdnx4\/is-finnieston-glasgow-the-hippest-place-in-the-country\u0022\u003EFinnieston gastros\u003C\/a\u003E wouldn\u2019t try putting the two together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe great brand partnerships are able to judge this. They can nail whether or not two entirely different companies can sit on the same dish, or whether it\u2019s a fusion too far.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo get you rolling, here are some musings on how to help judge your potential pairing. And what to avoid:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Beware of the trendy here-and-now.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen that marketing guy you don\u2019t really like forwards that inevitable email saying those cursed words: \u2018hey these guys are cool\u2019 \u2013 stop.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s this kind of thinking that links historic and trusted brands with utterly ephemeral social influencers. Or even the world\u2019s most famous whisky brand\u2026 with a TV show about dragons. Just because it\u2019s popular, it doesn\u2019t make it right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2397\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/white-walker-hero.jpg.png\u0022 width=\u00221920\u0022 height=\u00221280\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Instead, be led by one thing: Values.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWant to know whether your fried chicken business could partner with that Swiss watch brand you adore? Then see if your brand values align.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EValues done right are your guide rails. They should define your personality and purpose. They tell you when something isn\u2019t right. And because they\u2019re your \u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\/em\u003E and your \u003Cem\u003Ehow\u003C\/em\u003E (not your \u003Cem\u003Ewhat\u003C\/em\u003E), they can also transcend sectors. This is why they\u2019re so useful for compatibility. They reveal the overlap.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn example. The \u201cpunk\u201d \u201ccraft\u201d beer of BrewDog partnering with\u2026 the grand old lady of the skies British Airways. See what I mean?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022 id=\u0022file-2398\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/brewdog-speedbird100-trailer.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221500\u0022 height=\u0022841\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sort your own brand out first.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re now staring at your values, probably written 10 years ago by-committee, and finding them brain-numbingly generic and offering no help at all \u2013 then maybe it\u0027s time to refresh them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t panic. It doesn\u2019t have to be anything as scary as a \u2018rebrand\u2019. No logos or expensive signs on skyscrapers need to change if you don\u2019t want them to.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut you can\u2019t partner with a strong brand unless you have one yourself. After all, it\u2019s a partnership, not a scaffold.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Make it about creation. Not cash.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAudiences are sharp at smelling bullshit. If you\u2019re only teaming up to harvest data or to stick an extra logo on the side of your everyday products, it won\u2019t stick.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFocus the partnership on what you are going to create together. Excite me with the collaboration of what two respective experts can cook up. I don\u2019t care if your logos sit side-by-side. I care if something cool is going to come of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Red Bull teamed with GoPro, their collaboration in the short term cost both millions. Yet, it\u2019s my favourite tie-up of all time. The perfect recipe of values, creativity and branding. And the results, long-term, were equally stratospheric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow that\u2019s a match made in heaven, and a recipe I like the sound of.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you have any questions about brand pairings and think we might be able to help, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Eget in touch\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBrand collaborations, how they work and why it has something to do with peaches and steak.  \nHaving worked on a number of\u0026nbsp;brand pairings over the years, we\u0027d\u0026nbsp;like to think that we\u0027ve learnt a thing or two.Looking at some of the biggest (but not necessarily the best) partnerships out there, we\u0027re reminded of\u0026nbsp;just how tricky these pairings can be - and how easy it is to get them wrong.You\u2019d think it would be a simple recipe. You take Brand A, with all its history and all its fans. You take Brand B, with the same but from a totally different category. You blend together, and voila \u2013 twice the impact, twice the audience and both brands enhanced.Yet why do they so often end up a dog\u2019s dinner?Brands aren\u2019t like Lego. You can\u2019t endlessly plug them together. They\u2019re complex blends of strategy, targeting, positioning, personality and aesthetics.\u0026nbsp;Partnering two brands is more like pairing food. I love those syrupy peaches from a can. I also love a steak, bloody as hell. But even the wankiest of Finnieston gastros wouldn\u2019t try putting the two together.The great brand partnerships are able to judge this. They can nail whether or not two entirely different companies can sit on the same dish, or whether it\u2019s a fusion too far.To get you rolling, here are some musings on how to help judge your potential pairing. And what to avoid:1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Beware of the trendy here-and-now.When that marketing guy you don\u2019t really like forwards that inevitable email saying those cursed words: \u2018hey these guys are cool\u2019 \u2013 stop.It\u2019s this kind of thinking that links historic and trusted brands with utterly ephemeral social influencers. Or even the world\u2019s most famous whisky brand\u2026 with a TV show about dragons. Just because it\u2019s popular, it doesn\u2019t make it right.\u0026nbsp;2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Instead, be led by one thing: Values.Want to know whether your fried chicken business could partner with that Swiss watch brand you adore? Then see if your brand values align.Values done right are your guide rails. They should define your personality and purpose. They tell you when something isn\u2019t right. And because they\u2019re your why and your how (not your what), they can also transcend sectors. This is why they\u2019re so useful for compatibility. They reveal the overlap.An example. The \u201cpunk\u201d \u201ccraft\u201d beer of BrewDog partnering with\u2026 the grand old lady of the skies British Airways. See what I mean?\u0026nbsp;3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Sort your own brand out first.If you\u2019re now staring at your values, probably written 10 years ago by-committee, and finding them brain-numbingly generic and offering no help at all \u2013 then maybe it\u0027s time to refresh them.\u0026nbsp;Don\u2019t panic. It doesn\u2019t have to be anything as scary as a \u2018rebrand\u2019. No logos or expensive signs on skyscrapers need to change if you don\u2019t want them to.But you can\u2019t partner with a strong brand unless you have one yourself. After all, it\u2019s a partnership, not a scaffold.4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Make it about creation. Not cash.Audiences are sharp at smelling bullshit. If you\u2019re only teaming up to harvest data or to stick an extra logo on the side of your everyday products, it won\u2019t stick.Focus the partnership on what you are going to create together. Excite me with the collaboration of what two respective experts can cook up. I don\u2019t care if your logos sit side-by-side. I care if something cool is going to come of it.When Red Bull teamed with GoPro, their collaboration in the short term cost both millions. Yet, it\u2019s my favourite tie-up of all time. The perfect recipe of values, creativity and branding. And the results, long-term, were equally stratospheric.Now that\u2019s a match made in heaven, and a recipe I like the sound of.If you have any questions about brand pairings and think we might be able to help, get in touch.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Brand collaborations, how they work and why it has something to do with peaches and steak. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-01-28T11:18:05+0000","author":{"name":"Mark Cullen"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5488","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/brand-consultant-vs-management-consultant","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Brand Consultant vs Management Consultant","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIs it ridiculous for us to consider ourselves a management consultancy? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a lot of talk in the design and creative industries about management consultancies moving into our space and cutting our grass. I want to know if it\u2019s possible for us to cut theirs? And does it sound ridiculous to refer to ourselves as a management consultancy?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManagement consulting\u003C\/b\u003E\u00a0is the practice of helping organisations to improve their performance. Organisations may draw upon the services of\u00a0\u003Cb\u003Emanagement\u003C\/b\u003E\u00a0consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to the consultants\u0027 specialised expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s a definition straight off the internet. But it\u2019s interesting how it perfectly describes the way we work with our clients, yet we\u2019d never think of ourselves as a management consultant.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think that one of the issues is that management consultants\u00a0tend to focus on business problems. We, as an industry, tend to focus on design problems, which means our impacts are defined too narrowly. I think that we as an industry need to think more broadly about how we position and sell our services to clients, changing the narrative. Management consultants don\u2019t sell design services, they sell holistic business solutions and are fluent in the language of the boardroom. They\u2019re appointed by the C suite and they\u2019re given bigger budgets to play with.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur view was that if we could sound a wee bit more like them, then maybe we could get closer to their ability to charge!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, let\u2019s be honest, it is all about charge out rates:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAverage daily rate for a design agency director: \u00a3900\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAverage daily rate for a management consultant: \u00a32,100\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E(Source: DBA \/ ConsultancyUK)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe very fact that the management consultant can charge more than double that of the agency director tells you all you need to know about the value ascribed to both professions by business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what have we done to help shape the perception that we\u2019re swimming in this pool and elevate ourselves above the narrowly focused, transactional world of design buying? Here are some thoughts:\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Change the labels\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a start, we need to describe ourselves differently. As Consultants. Brand Consultants. That\u2019s what we do. Consulting equates to listening, learning and offering advice to benefit the business. It doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re going to design some brochures. Well, not yet anyway. The term pushes us further away from the label of \u2018designer\u2019. And that\u2019s a good thing.\u00a0(I do need to stress the point that I\u2019m not devaluing the design aspect of our business or industry here. It\u2019s crucially important and central to our offer. What I\u2019m saying is that we shouldn\u2019t necessarily lead with it, or define our entire offering through it).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Talk more about brand than design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDesign is an abstract, subjective discipline that has no intrinsic value in itself. It\u2019s also not understood in the boardroom. Brand, on the other hand, is a real thing\u00a0with a calculable value. A CEO is more easily able to understand the importance of investing in the brand, rather than in design per se.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Learn the language\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond brand itself, it\u2019s important to be able to demonstrate that we understand how the work we\u2019ll be doing will play into the broader business performance. To do this, we need to be able to talk the language of the boardroom. So, think about how ROI might work, KPIs on the project and how important it is to manage the various stakeholder groups.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Thinking over doing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t rush to execution. We, as an industry, dilute a lot of our own value by rushing to switch the Mac on and design right from the start. The temptation to create is so powerful. It\u2019s a great instinct, but it gets us into trouble, by not spending a decent amount of time thinking, planning and strategising our solutions. This helps to build trust in the relationship and will underpin the creative solutions, ultimately making it all more effective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Stop giving it away for free\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s the worst thing we can do and only serves to undermine our own value. Very often clients think that the free pitch is just the standard way of buying design, but by opting out, or challenging it, we help with the process of education which benefits client and agency alike in the long term. It\u2019s difficult to turn your back on perceived opportunity, but it\u2019s true that the agency will be stronger for it in the long term. I speak from experience!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiversify the offer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELinked to the thinking piece - diversifying your offer into other areas is a sensible way of ensuring you\u2019re not overlooked or obsolete too soon in the client\u2019s eyes. There are lots of other add on areas that have a link to design, but are not defined by it. Customer journey audits, naming, brand architecture and market positioning can all be additional strings to your bow - providing you can deliver them in a credible and complementary manner.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, it\u2019s really easy to say these things. To do them is tough and it doesn\u2019t all happen overnight. There are consequences too - it means the make up of your team might change. Perhaps with a strategist or planner, a few account handlers and maybe a business analyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it\u2019s a journey we\u2019re on and you have to remind yourself of that every day. But, I firmly believe it\u2019s the right decision for us and is proving so with better work, deeper client relationships and more profitable bottom line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIs it ridiculous for us to consider ourselves a management consultancy? \nThere\u2019s a lot of talk in the design and creative industries about management consultancies moving into our space and cutting our grass. I want to know if it\u2019s possible for us to cut theirs? And does it sound ridiculous to refer to ourselves as a management consultancy?\nManagement consulting\u00a0is the practice of helping organisations to improve their performance. Organisations may draw upon the services of\u00a0management\u00a0consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to the consultants\u0027 specialised expertise.\nThat\u2019s a definition straight off the internet. But it\u2019s interesting how it perfectly describes the way we work with our clients, yet we\u2019d never think of ourselves as a management consultant.\nI think that one of the issues is that management consultants\u00a0tend to focus on business problems. We, as an industry, tend to focus on design problems, which means our impacts are defined too narrowly. I think that we as an industry need to think more broadly about how we position and sell our services to clients, changing the narrative. Management consultants don\u2019t sell design services, they sell holistic business solutions and are fluent in the language of the boardroom. They\u2019re appointed by the C suite and they\u2019re given bigger budgets to play with.\nOur view was that if we could sound a wee bit more like them, then maybe we could get closer to their ability to charge!\nAnd, let\u2019s be honest, it is all about charge out rates:\nAverage daily rate for a design agency director: \u00a3900\nAverage daily rate for a management consultant: \u00a32,100\n(Source: DBA \/ ConsultancyUK)\nThe very fact that the management consultant can charge more than double that of the agency director tells you all you need to know about the value ascribed to both professions by business.\u00a0\nSo what have we done to help shape the perception that we\u2019re swimming in this pool and elevate ourselves above the narrowly focused, transactional world of design buying? Here are some thoughts:\u00a0\n1.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Change the labels\nFor a start, we need to describe ourselves differently. As Consultants. Brand Consultants. That\u2019s what we do. Consulting equates to listening, learning and offering advice to benefit the business. It doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re going to design some brochures. Well, not yet anyway. The term pushes us further away from the label of \u2018designer\u2019. And that\u2019s a good thing.\u00a0(I do need to stress the point that I\u2019m not devaluing the design aspect of our business or industry here. It\u2019s crucially important and central to our offer. What I\u2019m saying is that we shouldn\u2019t necessarily lead with it, or define our entire offering through it).\n2.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Talk more about brand than design\nDesign is an abstract, subjective discipline that has no intrinsic value in itself. It\u2019s also not understood in the boardroom. Brand, on the other hand, is a real thing\u00a0with a calculable value. A CEO is more easily able to understand the importance of investing in the brand, rather than in design per se.\n3.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Learn the language\nBeyond brand itself, it\u2019s important to be able to demonstrate that we understand how the work we\u2019ll be doing will play into the broader business performance. To do this, we need to be able to talk the language of the boardroom. So, think about how ROI might work, KPIs on the project and how important it is to manage the various stakeholder groups.\u00a0\n4.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Thinking over doing\nDon\u2019t rush to execution. We, as an industry, dilute a lot of our own value by rushing to switch the Mac on and design right from the start. The temptation to create is so powerful. It\u2019s a great instinct, but it gets us into trouble, by not spending a decent amount of time thinking, planning and strategising our solutions. This helps to build trust in the relationship and will underpin the creative solutions, ultimately making it all more effective.\n5.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Stop giving it away for free\nIt\u2019s the worst thing we can do and only serves to undermine our own value. Very often clients think that the free pitch is just the standard way of buying design, but by opting out, or challenging it, we help with the process of education which benefits client and agency alike in the long term. It\u2019s difficult to turn your back on perceived opportunity, but it\u2019s true that the agency will be stronger for it in the long term. I speak from experience!\n6.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Diversify the offer\nLinked to the thinking piece - diversifying your offer into other areas is a sensible way of ensuring you\u2019re not overlooked or obsolete too soon in the client\u2019s eyes. There are lots of other add on areas that have a link to design, but are not defined by it. Customer journey audits, naming, brand architecture and market positioning can all be additional strings to your bow - providing you can deliver them in a credible and complementary manner.\nNow, it\u2019s really easy to say these things. To do them is tough and it doesn\u2019t all happen overnight. There are consequences too - it means the make up of your team might change. Perhaps with a strategist or planner, a few account handlers and maybe a business analyst.\nSo, it\u2019s a journey we\u2019re on and you have to remind yourself of that every day. But, I firmly believe it\u2019s the right decision for us and is proving so with better work, deeper client relationships and more profitable bottom line.\n  ","summary":"Is it ridiculous for us to consider ourselves a management consultancy?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2020-01-09T09:39:22+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5489","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/digital-and-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Digital and Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a bit of an unusual post as it talks more about us and our approach to digital. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy? When we say that digital lives at the heart of how we work with brands, we start to confuse people. Are we just a digital agency? Are we a brand consultancy that plays at digital? What kind of crazy hybrid are we?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we live, love and breathe brand. Over the past ten years though we have had to have the same digital chops as any specialised digital agency. Partly because we have to be able to report back on how the brand campaigns work and the vast majority of that work is in the digital space.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, our brand work has to help modernise brands\u00a0to talk to digital-first customers. That goes beyond how the logo looks on Twitter. It covers a digital approach that comes from within an organisation and starts at looking at how digitally mature a business is and ends at the reporting framework.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is seen usually seen in the domain of big management consultancies, and at times we\u2019ve had push-back given that we\u2019re a brand consultancy. But for digital to work with brand at its most effective, digital has to be taken seriously within the business, doing digital isn\u2019t the same as being digital. In the last ten years, we\u2019ve been able to combine big thinking and smart execution to help businesses make the most of their digital channels.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is sometimes called \u201cdigital transformation\u201d. I\u2019m not a big fan of this phrase for two\u00a0reasons. The first is that \u201cdigital transformation\u201d is a phrase so overused and abused that it has lost its meaning. It can mean anything.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, we find that any big \u201ctransformations\u201d tend not to stick within a business. When a fantastic new ordering tool is introduced into a business, it has to compete with a legacy system that may be inefficient but is totally understood. That solution needs to be introduced in a deliberate and thoughtful manner or that paper and pen system of old will trump a million-dollar investment every time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe like to start with understanding the digital maturity of an organisation. Maturity suggests changes over time as opposed to a transformation. Understanding this is one step in the journey, usually the first one. In our experience, helping modernise brands to communicate with digital-first customers takes time. Too often we\u2019ve seen digital strategies get stuck in a drawer rather been implemented, and expensive digital tools\u00a0abandoned rather than taken on company-wide. Time and stakeholder management is key to making these investments pay off.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is why, over the course of the past ten years, we\u2019ve developed nine\u00a0key services that our clients have used to get the most from their digital investments.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/digital-transformation-digital-maturity\u0022\u003EDigital Maturity\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-your-digital-goals\u0022\u003EBusiness Goals\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDigital Strategy\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/importance-customer-journey\u0022\u003ECustomer Journey\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/digital-strategy-stakeholders\u0022\u003EStakeholder Management\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/starting-your-content-strategy\u0022\u003EContent Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EActivation\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMeasurement and Analysis\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EReporting\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re creating articles for each of these, and we\u2019re adding them in over time. Have a look and if you\u0027d like to be notified of when the next article goes live, sign up to our email newsletter.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgain, the question around how brand fits in here. It always depends on the client\u2019s particular need. Armed with business goals and strong brand values, your digital output will provide a stronger tactical and strategic competitive advantage. At times, we\u2019ve seen one but not the other. That approach can work but combined, you have something remarkably strong.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at the articles above and \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Elet me know\u003C\/a\u003E if you\u2019d like a chat about your own digital activity and how we can help improve it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThis is a bit of an unusual post as it talks more about us and our approach to digital. \nWhy? When we say that digital lives at the heart of how we work with brands, we start to confuse people. Are we just a digital agency? Are we a brand consultancy that plays at digital? What kind of crazy hybrid are we?\nAt Good, we live, love and breathe brand. Over the past ten years though we have had to have the same digital chops as any specialised digital agency. Partly because we have to be able to report back on how the brand campaigns work and the vast majority of that work is in the digital space.\nSecondly, our brand work has to help modernise brands\u00a0to talk to digital-first customers. That goes beyond how the logo looks on Twitter. It covers a digital approach that comes from within an organisation and starts at looking at how digitally mature a business is and ends at the reporting framework.\nThis is seen usually seen in the domain of big management consultancies, and at times we\u2019ve had push-back given that we\u2019re a brand consultancy. But for digital to work with brand at its most effective, digital has to be taken seriously within the business, doing digital isn\u2019t the same as being digital. In the last ten years, we\u2019ve been able to combine big thinking and smart execution to help businesses make the most of their digital channels.\nThis is sometimes called \u201cdigital transformation\u201d. I\u2019m not a big fan of this phrase for two\u00a0reasons. The first is that \u201cdigital transformation\u201d is a phrase so overused and abused that it has lost its meaning. It can mean anything.\nSecondly, we find that any big \u201ctransformations\u201d tend not to stick within a business. When a fantastic new ordering tool is introduced into a business, it has to compete with a legacy system that may be inefficient but is totally understood. That solution needs to be introduced in a deliberate and thoughtful manner or that paper and pen system of old will trump a million-dollar investment every time.\nWe like to start with understanding the digital maturity of an organisation. Maturity suggests changes over time as opposed to a transformation. Understanding this is one step in the journey, usually the first one. In our experience, helping modernise brands to communicate with digital-first customers takes time. Too often we\u2019ve seen digital strategies get stuck in a drawer rather been implemented, and expensive digital tools\u00a0abandoned rather than taken on company-wide. Time and stakeholder management is key to making these investments pay off.\nThis is why, over the course of the past ten years, we\u2019ve developed nine\u00a0key services that our clients have used to get the most from their digital investments.\nDigital Maturity\nBusiness Goals\nDigital Strategy\nCustomer Journey\nStakeholder Management\nContent Strategy\nActivation\nMeasurement and Analysis\nReporting\nWe\u2019re creating articles for each of these, and we\u2019re adding them in over time. Have a look and if you\u0027d like to be notified of when the next article goes live, sign up to our email newsletter.\nAgain, the question around how brand fits in here. It always depends on the client\u2019s particular need. Armed with business goals and strong brand values, your digital output will provide a stronger tactical and strategic competitive advantage. At times, we\u2019ve seen one but not the other. That approach can work but combined, you have something remarkably strong.\nTake a look at the articles above and let me know if you\u2019d like a chat about your own digital activity and how we can help improve it.\n  ","summary":"This is a bit of an unusual post as it talks more about us and our approach to digital.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-11-26T11:18:17+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5490","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/starting-your-content-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Starting your Content Strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EStrap in. We\u0026#039;re going to talk about the latest, most fabulous digital marketing experience. Creating content that people want to look at, read and engage with. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EContent, from a flyer to a tweet to a billboard to a blog post, has always been a business need. You need to tell customers what you\u0027re doing, how you do it, and why it is relevant to that customer. This isn\u0027t the latest thing; we\u0027re just going through the latest evolution of content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd what an evolution. Here\u2019s a chart that shows Google searches for \u0022Content Marketing\u0022 between 2004 and 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2389\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Google Trends Chart Showing the term \u0026quot;Content Marketing\u0026quot;\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/png_image_1.png\u0022 width=\u00221500\u0022 height=\u0022786\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe rise of content marketing has put pressure on businesses to become publishers. So, your core business may be around \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cargill.com\/animal-nutrition\/brands\/ewos\u0022\u003Ecommercial fish food\u003C\/a\u003E, but you\u0027re still expected to create useful content.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd the keyword here is \u0022useful\u0022. You can create content all day long, but it means nothing if you can\u0027t make it useful, both for your business and your customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027m not going to lie, content creation is hard. Day 1 is easy, a whole load of ideas are at your fingertips. Everyone loves a bit of Thought Leadership. Francesca over in Sales is full of great ideas, she\u0027s always firing off forthright opinions that would stimulate debate. Easy! To the blog!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFast forward to day 100. Turns out that Francesca is excellent at the chat, not so great at writing it down. You\u0027d settle for a thought around any content to make live, never mind thought leadership. The content you have written just seems to sit there, you can\u0027t tell if it\u0027s a hit or a miss. The energy around the content initiative has gone. \u0026nbsp;How did it get to this? More importantly, how do you get it back?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe main issue is that content is seen as a tactical exercise rather than a strategic one. This isn\u0027t surprising, content has been traditionally seen at the tactical end of the marketing spectrum; it\u0027s what\u0027s in a flyer or as a product description. When you started thinking about \u0022Content Marketing\u0022, you\u0027ve elevated content to a strategic level. Your thinking has to be respected as that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a big topic, one that I\u0027m not going to cover in its entirety in one cheeky post. The best we can do is to provide some of our hard-earned advice to you to at least create a strong foundation for your content strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Understand what your content is for\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETry and have a strategy statement for your content. This can be really helpful when you\u0027re looking at all of the content available to you. Does it fit the strategy statement?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, our content\u0027s strategy statement is:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo demonstrate the strategic thinking that sits behind our creative work, we\u0027ll provide, useful, straightforward content that helps marketing and brand managers make better decisions and that positions us as a potentially useful partner in the future.*\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis statement ties in four main components:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EContent product (what type of content we should produce)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomer focus (who is it for)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECustomer needs (what will our customer look for in this content)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBusiness goals (what this content helps us achieve)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis allows us to quickly determine if what we have or what we need to produce is worth putting on the site. It\u0027s a useful benchmark to put in place at the beginning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Understand your customer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding your customer\u0027s focus, their needs and their emotional state is vital for making sure that your content stand out. The content is written for your customers, it isn\u0027t written for you. So, it stands to reason that the best content you can create is tied to what your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/importance-customer-journey\u0022\u003Ecustomer\u2019s buying journey\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is. Tying content to your customer seems blindingly obvious. But the number of times we\u0027ve seen companies create content that they are interested in seeing rather than what a client needs beggars belief. You just can\u0027t continually create useful content without understanding what the customer needs, and when.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Less is more\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027d recommend having few, excellent quality pieces of content rather than lots of average content. This ties back to the strategy statement. We\u0027re looking for people to take us seriously, to find us attractive to the point that they are taking something away from it and that they may want to work with us in the future. To that end, we just can\u0027t be in a high volume, poor quality output game.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0022Test and Learn\u0022 rather than \u0022Make and See\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is always a tendency to lean into the sexier side of content. That\u0027s usually based around coolio videos such as webinars or customer case studies. These can really work, but you need to know if they\u2019ll provide a return on investment. Will the customer find this useful? We suggest you start with the cheapest form of content, such as a blog article, and see if it resonates with your customers. If you see it getting read a lot, having an active engagement on your social channels, then it may make sense to generate a video on that topic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Review and repurpose\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027ve already started on your content strategy and it hasn\u0027t quite taken off in the way that you expected, don\u0027t panic. We\u0027ve worked with companies that have a ton of content that wasn\u0027t focused on a goal or customer, but with a little tweaking, it starts to perform better. It\u0027s easier to repurpose content than create new content. Look at your current content through the lens of your strategy statement, define precisely where it should sit on the customer journey, and see what changes could be made to bring it in line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Measure success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow do you know that the content you\u0027re creating is contributing to the success of your business? Hopefully, you\u0027ve defined the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/setting-your-digital-goals\u0022\u003Edigital contribution to your overall business goals\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and understood how a content strategy helps achieve that. If you have Google Analytics set up to record goals, you can appreciate the \u0022page value\u0022 of your content. Why is this metric important?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge with Google Analytics is that the data tells you what people did, not why they did it. In theory, someone on a page for five\u0026nbsp;minutes may suggest that they really read and enjoyed the article. But that\u0027s a guess. It\u0027s as likely that they found the article confusing and needed to re-read it three\u0026nbsp;times to make sense of it. Or, more charitably, the person started reading the content, was then interrupted by a phone call for four minutes, looked at the content for one minute then popped off to another page.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe only way to know if the content was useful is to tie it to a defined outcome. If you\u0027ve set up Google Analytics correctly, by creating site goals\u0026nbsp;which have a set value when that goal is achieved,\u0026nbsp;or through the e-commerce reporting, you can understand how valuable your content is in achieving your goals. Page value is one of these strange metrics that seem tricky, but once you\u0027ve got your head around it, it\u0027s pretty straightforward. Have a look at how Google explains \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/2695658?hl=en\u0022\u003EPage Value\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u0027s an excellent metric for helping you get past the fluff around engagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s take a look at a real-world example. Here are the top ten\u0026nbsp;pages for the Journal section on our site.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2390\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Google Analytics chart around Good\u0026apos;s Journal content\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-11-25_overview.png\u0022 width=\u00221872\u0022 height=\u00221040\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPretty standard. To work out how the content is performing, you could take a look at the engagement numbers as a guide.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2391\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Google Analytics chart showing the highly engaged content\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-11-25_highlighted.png\u0022 width=\u00221870\u0022 height=\u00221040\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs you can see, some of the engagement numbers are pretty good. We should all be feeling good about this. Then you remember that you don\u0027t know quite why these numbers are the way they are. If you add in the Page Value metric, you can start to get a little more insight into the effectiveness of your content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2392\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Google Analytics chart highlighting the Page Value column\u0022 data-delta=\u00225\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-11-25_page_value.png\u0022 width=\u00222069\u0022 height=\u00221040\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s interesting is that the most popular content has a below-average page value. This is possibly because it\u0027s pretty well ranked on Google, the content itself is pretty niche, so we know people are coming in, reading, then heading out. Of course, it could also be that content around brand onions isn\u0027t actually that good. We\u0027d need to get into more detail to understand that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most interesting line though is around content that we wrote some time ago:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022 id=\u0022file-2393\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 alt=\u0022Google Analytics chart highlighting well engaged but poorly rated page value\u0022 data-delta=\u00226\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-11-25_hightlights.png\u0022 width=\u00222069\u0022 height=\u00221040\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s an article we wrote back in 2017 about a mental health campaign we liked. It gets a fair amount of traffic from search engines. Most importantly, we wrote it before we defined our content strategy statement. It\u0027s nowhere near what we would create today. As such, it is no surprise that the Page Value metric says that it has contributed nothing to the goals we\u0027ve set for the content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPage Value adds much-needed context to your goals. It shouldn\u0027t be the de facto metric for your content, other factors will come into play, but does help you start to lift your head from the frippery of engagement numbers that you can be hit with.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is just the start of the content strategy journey. We\u0027re not getting into content operation, a full dive into the placement of content, the best ways to approach reporting or the rest of the activity you\u0027ll need to make sure that your content strategy is embedded and working. These tips should set some firm foundations for the path ahead. We\u0027ll be writing more on this topic, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/sign-good-newsletter\u0022\u003Esign up to the mailing list\u003C\/a\u003E to be kept up to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also had a chat about content strategy in our podcast, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/podcast\/\u0022\u003EGood Round Up\u003C\/a\u003E. Have a listen below for some more thoughts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E*How are we doing with our content statement? \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003ELet me know\u003C\/a\u003E if this helped you out or if there is anything that needs more explanation. Thanks for reading.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nStrap in. We\u0026#039;re going to talk about the latest, most fabulous digital marketing experience. Creating content that people want to look at, read and engage with. \nContent, from a flyer to a tweet to a billboard to a blog post, has always been a business need. You need to tell customers what you\u0027re doing, how you do it, and why it is relevant to that customer. This isn\u0027t the latest thing; we\u0027re just going through the latest evolution of content.And what an evolution. Here\u2019s a chart that shows Google searches for \u0022Content Marketing\u0022 between 2004 and 2019.\u0026nbsp;The rise of content marketing has put pressure on businesses to become publishers. So, your core business may be around commercial fish food, but you\u0027re still expected to create useful content.\u0026nbsp;And the keyword here is \u0022useful\u0022. You can create content all day long, but it means nothing if you can\u0027t make it useful, both for your business and your customers.I\u0027m not going to lie, content creation is hard. Day 1 is easy, a whole load of ideas are at your fingertips. Everyone loves a bit of Thought Leadership. Francesca over in Sales is full of great ideas, she\u0027s always firing off forthright opinions that would stimulate debate. Easy! To the blog!Fast forward to day 100. Turns out that Francesca is excellent at the chat, not so great at writing it down. You\u0027d settle for a thought around any content to make live, never mind thought leadership. The content you have written just seems to sit there, you can\u0027t tell if it\u0027s a hit or a miss. The energy around the content initiative has gone. \u0026nbsp;How did it get to this? More importantly, how do you get it back?The main issue is that content is seen as a tactical exercise rather than a strategic one. This isn\u0027t surprising, content has been traditionally seen at the tactical end of the marketing spectrum; it\u0027s what\u0027s in a flyer or as a product description. When you started thinking about \u0022Content Marketing\u0022, you\u0027ve elevated content to a strategic level. Your thinking has to be respected as that.This is a big topic, one that I\u0027m not going to cover in its entirety in one cheeky post. The best we can do is to provide some of our hard-earned advice to you to at least create a strong foundation for your content strategy.1.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Understand what your content is forTry and have a strategy statement for your content. This can be really helpful when you\u0027re looking at all of the content available to you. Does it fit the strategy statement?\u0026nbsp;For example, our content\u0027s strategy statement is:To demonstrate the strategic thinking that sits behind our creative work, we\u0027ll provide, useful, straightforward content that helps marketing and brand managers make better decisions and that positions us as a potentially useful partner in the future.*\u0026nbsp;This statement ties in four main components:Content product (what type of content we should produce)Customer focus (who is it for)Customer needs (what will our customer look for in this content)Business goals (what this content helps us achieve)This allows us to quickly determine if what we have or what we need to produce is worth putting on the site. It\u0027s a useful benchmark to put in place at the beginning.\u0026nbsp;2.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Understand your customerUnderstanding your customer\u0027s focus, their needs and their emotional state is vital for making sure that your content stand out. The content is written for your customers, it isn\u0027t written for you. So, it stands to reason that the best content you can create is tied to what your customer\u2019s buying journey\u0026nbsp;is. Tying content to your customer seems blindingly obvious. But the number of times we\u0027ve seen companies create content that they are interested in seeing rather than what a client needs beggars belief. You just can\u0027t continually create useful content without understanding what the customer needs, and when.3.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Less is moreWe\u0027d recommend having few, excellent quality pieces of content rather than lots of average content. This ties back to the strategy statement. We\u0027re looking for people to take us seriously, to find us attractive to the point that they are taking something away from it and that they may want to work with us in the future. To that end, we just can\u0027t be in a high volume, poor quality output game.4.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0022Test and Learn\u0022 rather than \u0022Make and See\u0022There is always a tendency to lean into the sexier side of content. That\u0027s usually based around coolio videos such as webinars or customer case studies. These can really work, but you need to know if they\u2019ll provide a return on investment. Will the customer find this useful? We suggest you start with the cheapest form of content, such as a blog article, and see if it resonates with your customers. If you see it getting read a lot, having an active engagement on your social channels, then it may make sense to generate a video on that topic.5.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Review and repurposeIf you\u0027ve already started on your content strategy and it hasn\u0027t quite taken off in the way that you expected, don\u0027t panic. We\u0027ve worked with companies that have a ton of content that wasn\u0027t focused on a goal or customer, but with a little tweaking, it starts to perform better. It\u0027s easier to repurpose content than create new content. Look at your current content through the lens of your strategy statement, define precisely where it should sit on the customer journey, and see what changes could be made to bring it in line.6.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Measure successHow do you know that the content you\u0027re creating is contributing to the success of your business? Hopefully, you\u0027ve defined the digital contribution to your overall business goals\u0026nbsp;and understood how a content strategy helps achieve that. If you have Google Analytics set up to record goals, you can appreciate the \u0022page value\u0022 of your content. Why is this metric important?The challenge with Google Analytics is that the data tells you what people did, not why they did it. In theory, someone on a page for five\u0026nbsp;minutes may suggest that they really read and enjoyed the article. But that\u0027s a guess. It\u0027s as likely that they found the article confusing and needed to re-read it three\u0026nbsp;times to make sense of it. Or, more charitably, the person started reading the content, was then interrupted by a phone call for four minutes, looked at the content for one minute then popped off to another page.The only way to know if the content was useful is to tie it to a defined outcome. If you\u0027ve set up Google Analytics correctly, by creating site goals\u0026nbsp;which have a set value when that goal is achieved,\u0026nbsp;or through the e-commerce reporting, you can understand how valuable your content is in achieving your goals. Page value is one of these strange metrics that seem tricky, but once you\u0027ve got your head around it, it\u0027s pretty straightforward. Have a look at how Google explains Page Value. It\u0027s an excellent metric for helping you get past the fluff around engagement.Let\u0027s take a look at a real-world example. Here are the top ten\u0026nbsp;pages for the Journal section on our site.\u0026nbsp;Pretty standard. To work out how the content is performing, you could take a look at the engagement numbers as a guide.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As you can see, some of the engagement numbers are pretty good. We should all be feeling good about this. Then you remember that you don\u0027t know quite why these numbers are the way they are. If you add in the Page Value metric, you can start to get a little more insight into the effectiveness of your content.\u0026nbsp;What\u0027s interesting is that the most popular content has a below-average page value. This is possibly because it\u0027s pretty well ranked on Google, the content itself is pretty niche, so we know people are coming in, reading, then heading out. Of course, it could also be that content around brand onions isn\u0027t actually that good. We\u0027d need to get into more detail to understand that.\u0026nbsp;The most interesting line though is around content that we wrote some time ago:\u0026nbsp;It\u0027s an article we wrote back in 2017 about a mental health campaign we liked. It gets a fair amount of traffic from search engines. Most importantly, we wrote it before we defined our content strategy statement. It\u0027s nowhere near what we would create today. As such, it is no surprise that the Page Value metric says that it has contributed nothing to the goals we\u0027ve set for the content.Page Value adds much-needed context to your goals. It shouldn\u0027t be the de facto metric for your content, other factors will come into play, but does help you start to lift your head from the frippery of engagement numbers that you can be hit with.This is just the start of the content strategy journey. We\u0027re not getting into content operation, a full dive into the placement of content, the best ways to approach reporting or the rest of the activity you\u0027ll need to make sure that your content strategy is embedded and working. These tips should set some firm foundations for the path ahead. We\u0027ll be writing more on this topic, sign up to the mailing list to be kept up to date.We also had a chat about content strategy in our podcast, the Good Round Up. Have a listen below for some more thoughts.\u0026nbsp;*How are we doing with our content statement? Let me know if this helped you out or if there is anything that needs more explanation. Thanks for reading.  ","summary":"Strap in. We\u0027re going to talk about the latest, most fabulous digital marketing experience. Creating content that people want to look at, read and engage with.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-11-26T08:54:34+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5491","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-mbo-learnings-journey","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Good MBO - Learnings From The Journey","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe recently completed a Management Buyout at Good. Keith, my co-founder and partner of 15 years, left the business and I now have four new partners from the management team.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKeith recently wrote about his experience\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/good-advice-succession-planning\u0022\u003Eon the agency MBO\u003C\/a\u003E, and I wanted to do something similar, but from a slightly different perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, I led the team in buying out the majority of Keith\u2019s shares and allowing them to help drive and shape the agency for the next 15 years. There\u2019s no doubt it\u2019s the right plan - and when we announced it to the staff, it was relatively underwhelming news for most of them. Which is a good thing. Nothing\u2019s really changing. It\u2019s business as usual.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAround two years ago, Keith and I began to discuss what we should do with the next phase of the agency. Keith\u2019s a bit older than me and he\u2019d really begun to firm up on his view that he felt it was the right time to move on. He\u2019d done his job of bringing the creative team through to pick up the reins and wasn\u2019t enjoying what was left of his role: business development, bits of client servicing and the general minutiae of running the business.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur first thought was that we could merge or sell to another, larger business and turbocharge our growth, offering opportunity and development for everyone in the business. Perhaps we were a bit idealistic, but it was one option. The other, as we were told by our non-exec advisor, was to look at a Management Buy\u00a0Out. This seemed a bit far-fetched at the start, but the more we considered it, the more we felt it was right for us.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe ended up exploring both paths (the sale and the MBO) to find out more about ourselves as much as anything else. Keith and I both knew that eventually one of the options would come out as a clear winner.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReaching a decision was quite the journey and we took away a lot in the process, here are our learnings:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You need someone objective\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the most important thing. And you want someone who has some experience of selling businesses. Being a founder and spending 15 years building the business with only your business partner to share things with (who is a mirror of you) isn\u2019t the best way to develop clarity around your best options. We were lucky to have an experienced non-exec who was able to make us see through certain claims, and fully understand the value in what we had. He was key in helping us see that we could structure an MBO in a way that would be a better deal for all of the stakeholders involved.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Keeping things the same is important\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the central aspect of the MBO. Everything changes, but nothing does. So, although this was the biggest news to me, Keith and the new management team - to clients and staff it was a bit of non-event. That\u2019s good. One thing that hadn\u2019t been that clear to me, until we told one client of the MBO, is that our independence is a strong selling point for us. This client said, \u201cthat\u2019s great - I\u2019m pleased for\u00a0all of you that are involved. If you\u2019d told me you were selling to Omnicom, then we\u2019d be having a different conversation\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s pretty obvious, but when you\u2019re so close to it, you forget.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It gives you a new perspective on the business\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPreparing to sell your business is like selling a house. You have to try and look at it through different eyes, seeing things for what they really are, and doing a bit of DIY on the financials here and there. It\u2019s a great process to go through and allows you to see the business within the context of its development curve. I\u2019d say that was (surprisingly to me) one of the most satisfying parts of the process. The other thing is - the numbers have to be in good shape. Let\u2019s be honest, you\u2019re not being purchased for your creative abilities alone. It\u2019s the bottom line and your ability to grow it that holds the appeal.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The market is all about bottom-line \u0026amp; your ability to contribute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not sure if I\u2019m astonishingly naive, or maybe just deluded, but I couldn\u2019t believe just how much the acquisition conversations were driven by financial performance. This wasn\u2019t true in every case, but most of the conversations we had were with agency network groups who were all looking to grow quickly through acquisition. This growth was invariably funded by venture capital money, which means a return is needed sooner rather than later. Inevitably this meant that a fair bit of the conversation focused on our profitability and whether our growth plans could be improved.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It takes longer than you think\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou just need more time than you think. We tried to run the consultation for sale over a period of six\u00a0months and we probably could have done with twice that time. The process has got to allow for time to create a prospectus or schedule for the business, seeding that to market, initial contact chemistry meetings, follow up meetings, \u2019talk turkey\u2019 meetings, offers and due diligence. None of that happens particularly quickly. And remember you\u2019ve got the business to run whilst all of this is distracting noise is going on.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re now a month after the signing, and the dust is beginning to settle. There\u2019s no lingering doubt. Both Keith and I know that we made the right decision. The new team of owners have a fresh lease of life, and I\u2019m adjusting to and enjoying these new partnership relationships. This can only be good for the business in the long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s to the next 15 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe recently completed a Management Buyout at Good. Keith, my co-founder and partner of 15 years, left the business and I now have four new partners from the management team.  \nKeith recently wrote about his experience\u00a0on the agency MBO, and I wanted to do something similar, but from a slightly different perspective.\nSo, I led the team in buying out the majority of Keith\u2019s shares and allowing them to help drive and shape the agency for the next 15 years. There\u2019s no doubt it\u2019s the right plan - and when we announced it to the staff, it was relatively underwhelming news for most of them. Which is a good thing. Nothing\u2019s really changing. It\u2019s business as usual.\u00a0\nAround two years ago, Keith and I began to discuss what we should do with the next phase of the agency. Keith\u2019s a bit older than me and he\u2019d really begun to firm up on his view that he felt it was the right time to move on. He\u2019d done his job of bringing the creative team through to pick up the reins and wasn\u2019t enjoying what was left of his role: business development, bits of client servicing and the general minutiae of running the business.\u00a0\nOur first thought was that we could merge or sell to another, larger business and turbocharge our growth, offering opportunity and development for everyone in the business. Perhaps we were a bit idealistic, but it was one option. The other, as we were told by our non-exec advisor, was to look at a Management Buy\u00a0Out. This seemed a bit far-fetched at the start, but the more we considered it, the more we felt it was right for us.\nWe ended up exploring both paths (the sale and the MBO) to find out more about ourselves as much as anything else. Keith and I both knew that eventually one of the options would come out as a clear winner.\nReaching a decision was quite the journey and we took away a lot in the process, here are our learnings:\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You need someone objective\nThis is the most important thing. And you want someone who has some experience of selling businesses. Being a founder and spending 15 years building the business with only your business partner to share things with (who is a mirror of you) isn\u2019t the best way to develop clarity around your best options. We were lucky to have an experienced non-exec who was able to make us see through certain claims, and fully understand the value in what we had. He was key in helping us see that we could structure an MBO in a way that would be a better deal for all of the stakeholders involved.\n2. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Keeping things the same is important\nThis is the central aspect of the MBO. Everything changes, but nothing does. So, although this was the biggest news to me, Keith and the new management team - to clients and staff it was a bit of non-event. That\u2019s good. One thing that hadn\u2019t been that clear to me, until we told one client of the MBO, is that our independence is a strong selling point for us. This client said, \u201cthat\u2019s great - I\u2019m pleased for\u00a0all of you that are involved. If you\u2019d told me you were selling to Omnicom, then we\u2019d be having a different conversation\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s pretty obvious, but when you\u2019re so close to it, you forget.\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It gives you a new perspective on the business\u00a0\nPreparing to sell your business is like selling a house. You have to try and look at it through different eyes, seeing things for what they really are, and doing a bit of DIY on the financials here and there. It\u2019s a great process to go through and allows you to see the business within the context of its development curve. I\u2019d say that was (surprisingly to me) one of the most satisfying parts of the process. The other thing is - the numbers have to be in good shape. Let\u2019s be honest, you\u2019re not being purchased for your creative abilities alone. It\u2019s the bottom line and your ability to grow it that holds the appeal.\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The market is all about bottom-line \u0026amp; your ability to contribute\nI\u2019m not sure if I\u2019m astonishingly naive, or maybe just deluded, but I couldn\u2019t believe just how much the acquisition conversations were driven by financial performance. This wasn\u2019t true in every case, but most of the conversations we had were with agency network groups who were all looking to grow quickly through acquisition. This growth was invariably funded by venture capital money, which means a return is needed sooner rather than later. Inevitably this meant that a fair bit of the conversation focused on our profitability and whether our growth plans could be improved.\u00a0\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It takes longer than you think\nYou just need more time than you think. We tried to run the consultation for sale over a period of six\u00a0months and we probably could have done with twice that time. The process has got to allow for time to create a prospectus or schedule for the business, seeding that to market, initial contact chemistry meetings, follow up meetings, \u2019talk turkey\u2019 meetings, offers and due diligence. None of that happens particularly quickly. And remember you\u2019ve got the business to run whilst all of this is distracting noise is going on.\nWe\u2019re now a month after the signing, and the dust is beginning to settle. There\u2019s no lingering doubt. Both Keith and I know that we made the right decision. The new team of owners have a fresh lease of life, and I\u2019m adjusting to and enjoying these new partnership relationships. This can only be good for the business in the long term.\nHere\u2019s to the next 15 years.\n  ","summary":"We recently completed a Management Buyout at Good. Keith, my co-founder and partner of 15 years, left the business and I now have four new partners from the management team. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-11-25T10:40:19+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5492","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-advice-succession-planning","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Good Advice on Succession Planning","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the time this hits our blog I\u2019ll have left the design company I helped start. And that\u2019s a good thing. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELife dictates that we all need to evolve and grow personally and professionally, in\u00a0order to reach our potential and make the most of the time we have. This is also true of\u00a0businesses and is particularly pertinent in the case of the creative industries, where the pace\u00a0of progression is relentless.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we started, the first question our accountant asked Chris and me was if we were\u00a0aiming to build a \u2019Lifestyle\u2019 business. We had no idea what that was. Still don\u2019t to be honest, but\u00a0in accountancy vernacular, it\u2019s making enough to fund how you want to live, but you\u2019re not\u00a0going to scale it to take on the world! We didn\u2019t want to be big, as in headcount and square\u00a0footage, but we did want to offer value to global businesses. To grow our expertise, the\u00a0quality of our client engagements and ultimately our bottom line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI trained as a designer, but I knew I didn\u2019t want to be \u2018on the tools\u2019 forever. Being honest, I\u00a0simply wasn\u2019t good enough. And this is a good place to start. Knowing your weaknesses and\u00a0accepting the circle of your expertise is a strength. Going into business you need to partner\u00a0with people that can really nail the shit you\u2019re poor at and even more important, seek out\u00a0people that are even better at what you think you\u2019re good at.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoom! You\u2019ve created a catalyst for positive change and continual evolution via personal and\u00a0professional challenge. Every day.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom its first week of existence, Good has been built on these foundations. We\u2019ve always\u00a0looked to employ better and better people to continually challenge our thinking. But never at\u00a0the cost of our culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIntelligence and brilliance are all well and good but if it\u2019s not grounded in the values of your\u00a0organisation, your goose is cooked at gas mark Ego. We\u2019ve been careful to cultivate experts\u00a0who are grounded in straight-talking integrity and want to find the very best solutions for our\u00a0clients. Simple as that? I\u2019m afraid to say, it isn\u2019t. Getting even small groups of very smart\u00a0people to work together, putting aside personal glory for the common good, is a daily mission\u00a0in effective\u00a0diplomacy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd so, with a bit of help to sharpen the edges and round off the corners, you start to build\u00a0leaders across every facet of your business. In our case \u2013 In Creative. Digital. Analysis.\u00a0Planning. Account Management. Finance. Front of House. Everywhere the business is\u00a0touched by suppliers, partners and clients, it\u2019s robust and singing from the same hymn sheet.\u00a0It\u2019s consistent, smart, engaging and delivers on its promises where others can\u2019t. It\u2019s our\u00a0brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo coin a sporting analogy, as time has gone on I\u2019ve found myself spending less and less time\u00a0playing for the 1st team, and more and more time on the bench.\u00a0The young girls and boys\u00a0we\u2019ve brought through the \u2018academy system\u2019 have become a helluva team. And they\u2019re\u00a0winning way more than we did when I was playing! For some, I\u2019m sure this sounds like a\u00a0nightmare, one where they would put their foot down and reclaim the captaincy, but not to me. I\u2019ve relished my latter-day coaching role and I can\u2019t tell you how proud I am of the team\u00a0and what they\u2019re achieving together.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnity around a shared vision coupled with real, quantifiable expertise leads to success -\u00a0however, you want to quantify that. The key being, success for all. The best work comes from\u00a0teams and if you\u2019re serious about competing at the top, you need to maintain the best\u00a0people. You need to dismantle the glass ceiling on occasion to create room for them to\u00a0breathe and need enough gas in the tank to get them where they want to go. I think that\u2019s\u00a0enough analogies for this piece.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut you get the picture I\u2019m sure. Knowing who you are, when to start and what you want to\u00a0build is vital. Knowing how and when you are going to affect an exit in the most positive and\u00a0virtuous way possible, is critical. Planning for succession takes time, money, effort and really\u00a0good people with a collective vision for growth. It\u2019s not for the faint-hearted. It\u2019s not for\u00a0those that love being at the coalface. And it\u2019s certainly not for those that love the sound of\u00a0their own voice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor everyone else who\u2019s hung in thus far, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. \u00a0 \u00a0Know yourself\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReal fortitude and clarity of vision come from embracing your weaknesses. The ability to\u00a0dismantle your own ego, to ensure you are offering your customers the right solutions via the\u00a0best possible people, is vital to building strength in depth. Ultimately it also guarantees your\u00a0human\u00a0foundations are of a quality and depth to support your agency after you\u2019ve gone.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u00a0 \u00a0Employ future leaders\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour greatest asset is your people. Never forget it. Don\u2019t settle for average, look for the\u00a0diamonds in the rough. The genius thinkers, that can be difficult, but make all the difference.\u00a0Not the ones that want to bask in their own magnificence, but the well-rounded, down to\u00a0earth thinkers that want to share their knowledge. The ones that know they need others\u00a0working with them to really shine. The oil in creatively stormy waters.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. \u00a0 \u00a0Have a vision for growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETurnover is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is king. Never a set of truer words when thinking\u00a0about succession. You cannot chase growth at any cost. Taking anything that\u2019s thrown at you\u00a0to purely build numbers around turnover, headcount and square footage is na\u00efve. You must\u00a0focus on consistently creating\u00a0differentiated and quantifiable value for clients via problem-solving intelligence. Smart thinking to deliver more with less, for sustainable and stable,\u00a0profitable\u00a0growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. \u00a0 \u00a0Underpin with financial rigour\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetailed monthly reporting, supported by bombproof financial systems and processes is\u00a0critical to running a tight, well run ship. Time capture, variance analysis, GP% versus the cost of\u00a0sales, and accurate cash flow forecasts are just some of the basic metrics you\u2019ll need at your\u00a0fingertips. Intuitive reviewing of the myriad of data outputs at your fingertips, in order to\u00a0make informed decisions at the right time, is the heartbeat of a well-run outfit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. \u00a0 \u00a0Get advice from those in the know\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the best will in the world, with succession planning, you\u2019re entering a field of expertise you\u00a0almost certainly didn\u2019t train for. Fortunately, there\u2019s plenty of help out there for the\u00a0uninitiated. A Non-Exec or Chairman with a track record in this arena can be invaluable,\u00a0especially when you have to start talking to the accountants, lawyers and the taxman!\u00a0Expertise and trust are watchwords at this juncture but given you\u2019ve been honest with\u00a0yourself in building a world-class team, this should be an instinctive piece of cake.\u00a0So there you have it. The ramblings of a man who\u2019s living the dream of building something of\u00a0worth and being able to step aside to let it prosper without him. Undoubtedly one of my\u00a0proudest achievements.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo find out more, or indeed to engage with the amazing team that has made my transition\u00a0so easy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Eget in touch\u003C\/a\u003E with Chris or Julie at Good. They\u2019ll be happy to help.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd finally, if you\u0027re interested have a read on\u00a0Chris thoughts on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/good-mbo-learnings-journey\u0022\u003EGood\u0027s recent management\u00a0changes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nBy the time this hits our blog I\u2019ll have left the design company I helped start. And that\u2019s a good thing. \nLife dictates that we all need to evolve and grow personally and professionally, in\u00a0order to reach our potential and make the most of the time we have. This is also true of\u00a0businesses and is particularly pertinent in the case of the creative industries, where the pace\u00a0of progression is relentless.\nWhen we started, the first question our accountant asked Chris and me was if we were\u00a0aiming to build a \u2019Lifestyle\u2019 business. We had no idea what that was. Still don\u2019t to be honest, but\u00a0in accountancy vernacular, it\u2019s making enough to fund how you want to live, but you\u2019re not\u00a0going to scale it to take on the world! We didn\u2019t want to be big, as in headcount and square\u00a0footage, but we did want to offer value to global businesses. To grow our expertise, the\u00a0quality of our client engagements and ultimately our bottom line.\nI trained as a designer, but I knew I didn\u2019t want to be \u2018on the tools\u2019 forever. Being honest, I\u00a0simply wasn\u2019t good enough. And this is a good place to start. Knowing your weaknesses and\u00a0accepting the circle of your expertise is a strength. Going into business you need to partner\u00a0with people that can really nail the shit you\u2019re poor at and even more important, seek out\u00a0people that are even better at what you think you\u2019re good at.\nBoom! You\u2019ve created a catalyst for positive change and continual evolution via personal and\u00a0professional challenge. Every day.\nFrom its first week of existence, Good has been built on these foundations. We\u2019ve always\u00a0looked to employ better and better people to continually challenge our thinking. But never at\u00a0the cost of our culture.\nIntelligence and brilliance are all well and good but if it\u2019s not grounded in the values of your\u00a0organisation, your goose is cooked at gas mark Ego. We\u2019ve been careful to cultivate experts\u00a0who are grounded in straight-talking integrity and want to find the very best solutions for our\u00a0clients. Simple as that? I\u2019m afraid to say, it isn\u2019t. Getting even small groups of very smart\u00a0people to work together, putting aside personal glory for the common good, is a daily mission\u00a0in effective\u00a0diplomacy.\nAnd so, with a bit of help to sharpen the edges and round off the corners, you start to build\u00a0leaders across every facet of your business. In our case \u2013 In Creative. Digital. Analysis.\u00a0Planning. Account Management. Finance. Front of House. Everywhere the business is\u00a0touched by suppliers, partners and clients, it\u2019s robust and singing from the same hymn sheet.\u00a0It\u2019s consistent, smart, engaging and delivers on its promises where others can\u2019t. It\u2019s our\u00a0brand.\nTo coin a sporting analogy, as time has gone on I\u2019ve found myself spending less and less time\u00a0playing for the 1st team, and more and more time on the bench.\u00a0The young girls and boys\u00a0we\u2019ve brought through the \u2018academy system\u2019 have become a helluva team. And they\u2019re\u00a0winning way more than we did when I was playing! For some, I\u2019m sure this sounds like a\u00a0nightmare, one where they would put their foot down and reclaim the captaincy, but not to me. I\u2019ve relished my latter-day coaching role and I can\u2019t tell you how proud I am of the team\u00a0and what they\u2019re achieving together.\nUnity around a shared vision coupled with real, quantifiable expertise leads to success -\u00a0however, you want to quantify that. The key being, success for all. The best work comes from\u00a0teams and if you\u2019re serious about competing at the top, you need to maintain the best\u00a0people. You need to dismantle the glass ceiling on occasion to create room for them to\u00a0breathe and need enough gas in the tank to get them where they want to go. I think that\u2019s\u00a0enough analogies for this piece.\nBut you get the picture I\u2019m sure. Knowing who you are, when to start and what you want to\u00a0build is vital. Knowing how and when you are going to affect an exit in the most positive and\u00a0virtuous way possible, is critical. Planning for succession takes time, money, effort and really\u00a0good people with a collective vision for growth. It\u2019s not for the faint-hearted. It\u2019s not for\u00a0those that love being at the coalface. And it\u2019s certainly not for those that love the sound of\u00a0their own voice.\nFor everyone else who\u2019s hung in thus far, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned.\n1. \u00a0 \u00a0Know yourself\nReal fortitude and clarity of vision come from embracing your weaknesses. The ability to\u00a0dismantle your own ego, to ensure you are offering your customers the right solutions via the\u00a0best possible people, is vital to building strength in depth. Ultimately it also guarantees your\u00a0human\u00a0foundations are of a quality and depth to support your agency after you\u2019ve gone.\n2. \u00a0 \u00a0Employ future leaders\nYour greatest asset is your people. Never forget it. Don\u2019t settle for average, look for the\u00a0diamonds in the rough. The genius thinkers, that can be difficult, but make all the difference.\u00a0Not the ones that want to bask in their own magnificence, but the well-rounded, down to\u00a0earth thinkers that want to share their knowledge. The ones that know they need others\u00a0working with them to really shine. The oil in creatively stormy waters.\n3. \u00a0 \u00a0Have a vision for growth\nTurnover is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is king. Never a set of truer words when thinking\u00a0about succession. You cannot chase growth at any cost. Taking anything that\u2019s thrown at you\u00a0to purely build numbers around turnover, headcount and square footage is na\u00efve. You must\u00a0focus on consistently creating\u00a0differentiated and quantifiable value for clients via problem-solving intelligence. Smart thinking to deliver more with less, for sustainable and stable,\u00a0profitable\u00a0growth.\n4. \u00a0 \u00a0Underpin with financial rigour\nDetailed monthly reporting, supported by bombproof financial systems and processes is\u00a0critical to running a tight, well run ship. Time capture, variance analysis, GP% versus the cost of\u00a0sales, and accurate cash flow forecasts are just some of the basic metrics you\u2019ll need at your\u00a0fingertips. Intuitive reviewing of the myriad of data outputs at your fingertips, in order to\u00a0make informed decisions at the right time, is the heartbeat of a well-run outfit.\n5. \u00a0 \u00a0Get advice from those in the know\nWith the best will in the world, with succession planning, you\u2019re entering a field of expertise you\u00a0almost certainly didn\u2019t train for. Fortunately, there\u2019s plenty of help out there for the\u00a0uninitiated. A Non-Exec or Chairman with a track record in this arena can be invaluable,\u00a0especially when you have to start talking to the accountants, lawyers and the taxman!\u00a0Expertise and trust are watchwords at this juncture but given you\u2019ve been honest with\u00a0yourself in building a world-class team, this should be an instinctive piece of cake.\u00a0So there you have it. The ramblings of a man who\u2019s living the dream of building something of\u00a0worth and being able to step aside to let it prosper without him. Undoubtedly one of my\u00a0proudest achievements.\nTo find out more, or indeed to engage with the amazing team that has made my transition\u00a0so easy, get in touch with Chris or Julie at Good. They\u2019ll be happy to help.\nAnd finally, if you\u0027re interested have a read on\u00a0Chris thoughts on Good\u0027s recent management\u00a0changes.\n  ","summary":"By the time this hits our blog I\u2019ll have left the design company I helped start. And that\u2019s a good thing.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-10-29T11:36:50+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5493","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/challenge-brand-equity-kill-or-keep-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Challenge of Brand Equity: To Kill or Keep a Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMeasuring the value of your brand is one of the hardest judgements in marketing. And one of the most dangerous. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrands have value. That\u2019s no secret.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen your name and identity holds even a hint of awareness, recall or loyalty, then it\u2019s undeniably an \u2018asset\u2019 \u2013 of sorts. If not literally sitting on the balance sheet, it\u2019ll be there quietly helping drive your day-to-day sales or underpinning your share price.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesign folk like us sometimes call this Brand \u2018Equity\u2019. Which sounds simple enough. The trouble is, measuring it and planning around it is anything but. And if you get it wrong, the consequences can be disastrous.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy is it so hard?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome briefs aren\u2019t just about design. In branding, many carry hefty business implications and considerable risks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShould your refresh be an evolution, or a revolution? Does your business need a new name, to grow digitally and globally? Should your killer new product or service have a sub-brand of its own? Should you keep the brand of the company you\u2019ve just acquired?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese questions don\u2019t just influence creative. They shape the strategic direction of a business. And they\u2019re founded on judging just how much equity is locked up in the brand you have, and what impacts there will be should you change it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd what makes this such a minefield is the risk attached to getting it wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you consolidate a brand portfolio by retiring smaller identities, the savings can be colossal. Plus you increase your chance of growing one, more powerful and diversified brand for the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, tinker unwisely or too deeply with a successful brand, or even kill it completely, and you risk audience abandonment, corporate backlashes and sales decline.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a high stakes game.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn uncomfortable brand truth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving worked on these kinds of projects down the years, there is a key learning. Just because a brand is well known, sells well and is even loved by many \u2013 it\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Edoesn\u2019t\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;mean that\u0026nbsp;it\u0027s the brand\u0026nbsp;driving sales.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes, some brands contain undeniable value. You don\u2019t buy a Prada bag for the quality of the leather. There are plenty of good coffee shops, but the queue in Starbucks is always longer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut, there\u2019s a flipside. I may have heard of BP and Shell, but their \u2018brands\u2019 play little role in my purchase choice. When I need fuel, I need fuel. I go to the closest, or the cheapest.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is why measuring equity can also be painful. The truth is, most brands probably don\u2019t have the value their own marketeers, sales teams and (in-particular) founders think they do.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost people rather make their choices based on a far less romantic rationale: availability, ease, circumstance and of course, value.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes your brand may be well-known, but maybe people are just buying from you because the product or service is great and easily available.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simple test is \u2013 if you covered up the logo, would people buy it anyway?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA good example\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn apt case in point is playing out in the UK banking sector.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA decision has been made by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank\u2019s Australian owners CYBG to gradually rebrand both as Virgin Money. A decision which seems extraordinary \u2013\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eif\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re from Scotland or Yorkshire. Hundreds of years of combined heritage, household names in their home markets and thousands of loyal customers. Surely a slam-dunk for brand equity?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut then ask those difficult questions. Would their respective names attract you to change bank? Are they globally scalable? Why is it that the Virgin Money brand is growing faster? Brands are there to drive business, not the other way around.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s trickier than\u0026nbsp;it appears.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENavigating the minefield\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is no easy answer. Making these judgements is not something business leaders can rush when they write their strategies. But here\u2019s some advice from us on how to start:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDon\u2019t make assumptions.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;What often kills effective strategy work are too many sweeping statements, not backed up by evidence. You don\u2019t know a brand is strong unless you\u2019ve measured it. Remember the old adage: shit in, shit out. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYou are not the best judge.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;If you\u2019re working within a business, then you cannot hope to have a fair and accurate viewpoint of its strengths and weaknesses. Seek external advice. Then listen to it. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDo your field work.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Lazy research is the next biggest killer to great strategy. If you want to know what your audience thinks \u2013 you have to ask them. Yes, it will be expensive. But otherwise, you\u2019re flying blind. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDon\u2019t forget the internal audience.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Companies are driven by people, and brands are powered by culture. So talk to your staff. Use their knowledge. If you bring your stakeholders with you, from the top to the bottom, it makes the launch a whole lot easier.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EErr on the cautious\u003C\/em\u003E. It\u2019s pretty easy to say \u2018be brave\u2019. But business is not a game of chicken and peoples\u2019 jobs are on the line. Most brands move slowly and take a long time to change direction. So unless you have rock solid evidence than a drastic strategic change is needed, then careful evolution is usually the smarter choice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow much real value your brand has, and what impact that has on both creative work and business planning, is rarely black and white. But if you do your research, ask the right questions and have the due diligence up your sleeve, you\u2019ll be in a much stronger position with it, than without it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you want to talk about your business, brand or challenges, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Egive us a call\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMeasuring the value of your brand is one of the hardest judgements in marketing. And one of the most dangerous. \nBrands have value. That\u2019s no secret.\u0026nbsp;When your name and identity holds even a hint of awareness, recall or loyalty, then it\u2019s undeniably an \u2018asset\u2019 \u2013 of sorts. If not literally sitting on the balance sheet, it\u2019ll be there quietly helping drive your day-to-day sales or underpinning your share price.\u0026nbsp;Design folk like us sometimes call this Brand \u2018Equity\u2019. Which sounds simple enough. The trouble is, measuring it and planning around it is anything but. And if you get it wrong, the consequences can be disastrous.Why is it so hard?Some briefs aren\u2019t just about design. In branding, many carry hefty business implications and considerable risks.\u0026nbsp;Should your refresh be an evolution, or a revolution? Does your business need a new name, to grow digitally and globally? Should your killer new product or service have a sub-brand of its own? Should you keep the brand of the company you\u2019ve just acquired?These questions don\u2019t just influence creative. They shape the strategic direction of a business. And they\u2019re founded on judging just how much equity is locked up in the brand you have, and what impacts there will be should you change it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;And what makes this such a minefield is the risk attached to getting it wrong.If you consolidate a brand portfolio by retiring smaller identities, the savings can be colossal. Plus you increase your chance of growing one, more powerful and diversified brand for the future.\u0026nbsp;However, tinker unwisely or too deeply with a successful brand, or even kill it completely, and you risk audience abandonment, corporate backlashes and sales decline.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s a high stakes game.\u0026nbsp;An uncomfortable brand truthHaving worked on these kinds of projects down the years, there is a key learning. Just because a brand is well known, sells well and is even loved by many \u2013 it\u0026nbsp;doesn\u2019t\u0026nbsp;mean that\u0026nbsp;it\u0027s the brand\u0026nbsp;driving sales.\u0026nbsp;Yes, some brands contain undeniable value. You don\u2019t buy a Prada bag for the quality of the leather. There are plenty of good coffee shops, but the queue in Starbucks is always longer.\u0026nbsp;But, there\u2019s a flipside. I may have heard of BP and Shell, but their \u2018brands\u2019 play little role in my purchase choice. When I need fuel, I need fuel. I go to the closest, or the cheapest.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;This is why measuring equity can also be painful. The truth is, most brands probably don\u2019t have the value their own marketeers, sales teams and (in-particular) founders think they do.\u0026nbsp;Most people rather make their choices based on a far less romantic rationale: availability, ease, circumstance and of course, value.\u0026nbsp;Yes your brand may be well-known, but maybe people are just buying from you because the product or service is great and easily available.\u0026nbsp;The simple test is \u2013 if you covered up the logo, would people buy it anyway?\u0026nbsp;A good exampleAn apt case in point is playing out in the UK banking sector.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A decision has been made by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank\u2019s Australian owners CYBG to gradually rebrand both as Virgin Money. A decision which seems extraordinary \u2013\u0026nbsp;if\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re from Scotland or Yorkshire. Hundreds of years of combined heritage, household names in their home markets and thousands of loyal customers. Surely a slam-dunk for brand equity?But then ask those difficult questions. Would their respective names attract you to change bank? Are they globally scalable? Why is it that the Virgin Money brand is growing faster? Brands are there to drive business, not the other way around.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s trickier than\u0026nbsp;it appears.\u0026nbsp;Navigating the minefieldThere is no easy answer. Making these judgements is not something business leaders can rush when they write their strategies. But here\u2019s some advice from us on how to start:Don\u2019t make assumptions.\u0026nbsp;What often kills effective strategy work are too many sweeping statements, not backed up by evidence. You don\u2019t know a brand is strong unless you\u2019ve measured it. Remember the old adage: shit in, shit out. You are not the best judge.\u0026nbsp;If you\u2019re working within a business, then you cannot hope to have a fair and accurate viewpoint of its strengths and weaknesses. Seek external advice. Then listen to it. Do your field work.\u0026nbsp;Lazy research is the next biggest killer to great strategy. If you want to know what your audience thinks \u2013 you have to ask them. Yes, it will be expensive. But otherwise, you\u2019re flying blind. Don\u2019t forget the internal audience.\u0026nbsp;Companies are driven by people, and brands are powered by culture. So talk to your staff. Use their knowledge. If you bring your stakeholders with you, from the top to the bottom, it makes the launch a whole lot easier.\u0026nbsp; Err on the cautious. It\u2019s pretty easy to say \u2018be brave\u2019. But business is not a game of chicken and peoples\u2019 jobs are on the line. Most brands move slowly and take a long time to change direction. So unless you have rock solid evidence than a drastic strategic change is needed, then careful evolution is usually the smarter choice.\u0026nbsp;How much real value your brand has, and what impact that has on both creative work and business planning, is rarely black and white. But if you do your research, ask the right questions and have the due diligence up your sleeve, you\u2019ll be in a much stronger position with it, than without it.\u0026nbsp;If you want to talk about your business, brand or challenges, give us a call.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Measuring the value of your brand is one of the hardest judgements in marketing. And one of the most dangerous.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-10-29T11:01:29+0000","author":{"name":"Mark Cullen"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5494","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/digital-strategy-stakeholders","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Digital Strategy: Stakeholders","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo many digital strategy documents, created with the very, very best of intentions, end up lonely, forlorn and forgotten. I hate that.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI long to see digital strategies being embedded and to show that digital activity in any size of business can be seen to be a revenue generator.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy is your digital strategy stuck in that drawer? Why isn\u0027t it embedded? There are so many reasons for that. In our experience, it\u0027s not really about the thinking, the legwork. We\u0027ve seen challenging business goals, outstanding customer journeys, insightful content plans. And still, the drawer. And the common denominator for this is always the same.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOwnership.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople don\u0027t feel ownership of the plan. It\u0027s been handed down from on high, the digital business goals seem arbitrary, the customer journey doesn\u0027t reflect their experience and the content plans seem pointless. And you can understand this. Plans work best if the people that need to implement and understand them can see themselves in them. This all comes down to stakeholder management.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPoor stakeholder management is the number one reason that digital strategies fail. If you can\u0027t get people on board and bought into the strategy, they\u0027ll ignore it. They\u0027ll see the holes, they\u0027ll be able to know the road\u00a0that\u0027s informed the decisions that inform the strategy. Without this insight, without creating digital advocates across your business, then your digital strategy won\u0027t flourish.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy does poor stakeholder management raise its head time and time again? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes it\u0027s felt that you can move quickly with a small, tight team. Other times, it\u0027s been developed by one person in marketing or IT and then handed\u00a0down, like the digital ten commandments. We\u0027ve even seen a digital strategy emailed out to an organisation, and it\u0027s considered \u0022job done\u0022. Fast forward a few months and\u00a0people are surprised, nay flabbergasted, that their well-intentioned plan is now consigned to the bin.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo how do you get buy-in? Here are the top tips:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Diverse teams make for better strategies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt should go without saying, but digital is now beyond the scope of the IT or Marketing teams. Not one area of your company is untouched by digital so getting groups together from all functions within the business helps inject diverse and challenging thinking. It also starts to build advocates across the entire organisation which, in turn, breaks down silos that resist change. This is key to the ongoing adoption and success of the digital strategy.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You can\u0027t participate and facilitate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u0027ve been in the room when a range of disciplines have been asked to participate in the creation of the digital strategy. We\u0027ve then seen it all fall apart as the person running the workshop, either from IT or Marketing, is perceived to have a bias and that everyone\u0027s else participation in the session is just seen to be a tick box exercise. The way around that is to get a third party in to run these workshops. This means that every discipline feels that they\u0027re on an equal footing and can contribute.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be open to stupid questions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving a third party moderator for these initial sessions means that the burden of knowledge about your company is lifted. You then have the freedom to be asked those intelligently naive questions that can help uncover some real insights that can add value. If you have an internal moderator it\u0027s natural to fall into assumptions but this is the ideal time to challenge and to be challenged on the way things are and to find new, innovative ways to do things.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Go for the small wins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople get excited about new strategies with\u00a0new and improved ways of working. This excitement is a great motivator but sometimes needs to be carefully reigned in. We\u0027ve been involved in projects where everything feels like a priority and everyone\u0027s energy is behind it. Then, as you get into the weeds, enthusiasm starts to flag, and the projects begin to die on the vine. Look at building success from small wins, acorns and all that. Yes, there is always pressure for results to be demonstrated, but it\u0027s best to take the long view than to burn out and fade away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Get ready to over-communicate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe like to start with a good size stakeholder group\u00a0for the initial kickoffs, and then work with a smaller steering group on the day to day creation and implementation of the digital strategy. However, this doesn\u0027t mean that the initial stakeholder group should be forgotten about. Make sure that you\u0027re communicating with them on progress and on the certain sticking points that are going to arise on this journey. You may also want to hold monthly showcase meetings that keep the stakeholder group up to date on progress. This helps foster the sense of camaraderie and build advocacy across disciplines in this core team. Also have a plan in mind for communicating the digital strategy beyond the core team when you start implementing the digital strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe get that the term \u0022stakeholder management\u0022 isn\u0027t one that puts fire into your creative belly, but it\u0027s vital in not only getting your digital strategy in play.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSo many digital strategy documents, created with the very, very best of intentions, end up lonely, forlorn and forgotten. I hate that.  \nI long to see digital strategies being embedded and to show that digital activity in any size of business can be seen to be a revenue generator.\u00a0\nWhy is your digital strategy stuck in that drawer? Why isn\u0027t it embedded? There are so many reasons for that. In our experience, it\u0027s not really about the thinking, the legwork. We\u0027ve seen challenging business goals, outstanding customer journeys, insightful content plans. And still, the drawer. And the common denominator for this is always the same.\u00a0\nOwnership.\nPeople don\u0027t feel ownership of the plan. It\u0027s been handed down from on high, the digital business goals seem arbitrary, the customer journey doesn\u0027t reflect their experience and the content plans seem pointless. And you can understand this. Plans work best if the people that need to implement and understand them can see themselves in them. This all comes down to stakeholder management.\u00a0\nPoor stakeholder management is the number one reason that digital strategies fail. If you can\u0027t get people on board and bought into the strategy, they\u0027ll ignore it. They\u0027ll see the holes, they\u0027ll be able to know the road\u00a0that\u0027s informed the decisions that inform the strategy. Without this insight, without creating digital advocates across your business, then your digital strategy won\u0027t flourish.\nWhy does poor stakeholder management raise its head time and time again? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes it\u0027s felt that you can move quickly with a small, tight team. Other times, it\u0027s been developed by one person in marketing or IT and then handed\u00a0down, like the digital ten commandments. We\u0027ve even seen a digital strategy emailed out to an organisation, and it\u0027s considered \u0022job done\u0022. Fast forward a few months and\u00a0people are surprised, nay flabbergasted, that their well-intentioned plan is now consigned to the bin.\nSo how do you get buy-in? Here are the top tips:\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Diverse teams make for better strategies\nIt should go without saying, but digital is now beyond the scope of the IT or Marketing teams. Not one area of your company is untouched by digital so getting groups together from all functions within the business helps inject diverse and challenging thinking. It also starts to build advocates across the entire organisation which, in turn, breaks down silos that resist change. This is key to the ongoing adoption and success of the digital strategy.\u00a0\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You can\u0027t participate and facilitate\nWe\u0027ve been in the room when a range of disciplines have been asked to participate in the creation of the digital strategy. We\u0027ve then seen it all fall apart as the person running the workshop, either from IT or Marketing, is perceived to have a bias and that everyone\u0027s else participation in the session is just seen to be a tick box exercise. The way around that is to get a third party in to run these workshops. This means that every discipline feels that they\u0027re on an equal footing and can contribute.\u00a0\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be open to stupid questions\nHaving a third party moderator for these initial sessions means that the burden of knowledge about your company is lifted. You then have the freedom to be asked those intelligently naive questions that can help uncover some real insights that can add value. If you have an internal moderator it\u0027s natural to fall into assumptions but this is the ideal time to challenge and to be challenged on the way things are and to find new, innovative ways to do things.\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Go for the small wins\nPeople get excited about new strategies with\u00a0new and improved ways of working. This excitement is a great motivator but sometimes needs to be carefully reigned in. We\u0027ve been involved in projects where everything feels like a priority and everyone\u0027s energy is behind it. Then, as you get into the weeds, enthusiasm starts to flag, and the projects begin to die on the vine. Look at building success from small wins, acorns and all that. Yes, there is always pressure for results to be demonstrated, but it\u0027s best to take the long view than to burn out and fade away.\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Get ready to over-communicate\nWe like to start with a good size stakeholder group\u00a0for the initial kickoffs, and then work with a smaller steering group on the day to day creation and implementation of the digital strategy. However, this doesn\u0027t mean that the initial stakeholder group should be forgotten about. Make sure that you\u0027re communicating with them on progress and on the certain sticking points that are going to arise on this journey. You may also want to hold monthly showcase meetings that keep the stakeholder group up to date on progress. This helps foster the sense of camaraderie and build advocacy across disciplines in this core team. Also have a plan in mind for communicating the digital strategy beyond the core team when you start implementing the digital strategy.\nWe get that the term \u0022stakeholder management\u0022 isn\u0027t one that puts fire into your creative belly, but it\u0027s vital in not only getting your digital strategy in play.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"So many digital strategy documents, created with the very, very best of intentions, end up lonely, forlorn and forgotten. I hate that. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-10-29T10:37:50+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5495","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/importance-customer-journey","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Importance of the Customer Journey ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ERelax. This isn\u0026#039;t an in-depth look at how to create a digital strategy for your business. Great Guns, no. We both don\u0026#039;t have the time.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, we\u0027re going to look at two key areas that we feel are hugely important in making sure that the digital strategy works and more importantly, adds value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExpect to learn nothing new here. You\u0027re welcome. However, the number of businesses that we talk to about this and come up short on the detail would surprise you. We may not be original here, but we\u0027re going to bang on the drum as loud as we can to make sure we\u0027re doing our best to raise standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen starting on the digital strategy journey, I can guarantee that uttering one sentence will doom the whole process. If anyone in a kick-off meeting states, \u0022Do you know what I think we should have on the site?\u0022 then buckle up buttercup, you\u0027re in for a long painful and, ultimately, worthless ride.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst things first, who is a digital strategy for? Internal teams? Agency partners? C-Suite comfort blanket? We\u0027d argue that it\u0027s for your customers. A digital strategy is a document that understands how you can solve your customer\u0027s problems with your product or service.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf that\u0027s the basis of the document, it then stands to reason that you understand your customers. What could be simpler? You know their motivations, their emotions, their places to go to get advice, who they talk to, and why they talk to them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027d think that. But you probably don\u0027t.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere\u0027s the thing. 74% of sales go to the first company that is useful\u003Csup\u003E1\u003C\/sup\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s just highlight that; \u003Cstrong\u003EUseful\u003C\/strong\u003E. Being useful is a hugely overlooked facet of a digital strategy. Having a product page, bulging with features, with video smattered all over the page and big, bold call to actions may not be \u0022useful\u0022. Possibly informative, but very likely, not useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother way to avoid being useful is if someone in your business says that they know customers and they can create a customer journey. If this is raised, get out the big stick. What tends to happen is that you end up with an operational map of how a customer is supposed to go through your sales funnel. It rarely reflects the customer\u0027s choice; it tends to focus on what you would like the customer to do, rather than reflect on the reality of the customer experience, an experience that is as influenced by emotion as it is by logic. The customer journey that\u0027s been created internally tends to miss this. You end up changing very little that helps the customer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe only way that you can make a digital strategy work for your customers and, in turn, your business is to make sure that you can understand what your customer needs at critical points of the journey. And the only way to do gain that understanding is by talking to your customers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETalking to customers seems straightforward; the trick is to forget what you know. Don\u0027t guide, nudge or imply. You need to listen to them and follow their lead. That\u0027s why bringing in a third party like us in is worthwhile. We have no baggage; we have no skin in that game. We can ask the question that kicks off the whole journey and see where it goes. What\u0027s that question? It\u0027s so apparent it\u0027ll burst your head:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Take me back to the day when you first decided to evaluate a new \u003Cem\u003Einsert your product\/service here\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and tell me what happened.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd let the customer take you on the crazy, convoluted, surprising journey. You\u0027ll learn why they started, where they went to, what made them happy, what made them anxious, who they had to convince, what held them back, what pushed them forward. Oh, the things you will learn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd how does that learning shape your digital strategy? It\u0027s important to realise that this is the foundation of the whole approach. The first thing that you\u0027ll understand is how the digital journey influences the offline journey. Understand the complete journey, online and off, is important. Are your customers doing a lot of research online that influences the visit to a store or to your office? It will provide context to a whole range of areas that may have previously been hidden from you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ll gain insight into what\u0027s important to your customer, what they need to complete a purchase, not just what you want them to do. It\u0027s ok to challenge their preconceptions. Your research may uncover a Harley Davidson when they feel they\u0027re after a faster horse. Combined with the digital goals that you\u0027ve set for your business, this stage of creating your digital strategy provides direction and focus on delivering for your customers rather than just starting with the sentence that kills a thousand digital projects, \u0022Do you know what I think we should have on the site?\u0022. Let\u0027s not think, let\u0027s talk to the customer so that we know and give your digital strategy the very best chance of success. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Csup\u003E1\u003C\/sup\u003EKristina Jaramillo, \u201cB2B Buyers Are Calling for a Change in How You Socially Sell to Them on LinkedIn,\u201d Salesforce, April 20, 2016.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nRelax. This isn\u0026#039;t an in-depth look at how to create a digital strategy for your business. Great Guns, no. We both don\u0026#039;t have the time.  \nInstead, we\u0027re going to look at two key areas that we feel are hugely important in making sure that the digital strategy works and more importantly, adds value.Expect to learn nothing new here. You\u0027re welcome. However, the number of businesses that we talk to about this and come up short on the detail would surprise you. We may not be original here, but we\u0027re going to bang on the drum as loud as we can to make sure we\u0027re doing our best to raise standards.When starting on the digital strategy journey, I can guarantee that uttering one sentence will doom the whole process. If anyone in a kick-off meeting states, \u0022Do you know what I think we should have on the site?\u0022 then buckle up buttercup, you\u0027re in for a long painful and, ultimately, worthless ride.First things first, who is a digital strategy for? Internal teams? Agency partners? C-Suite comfort blanket? We\u0027d argue that it\u0027s for your customers. A digital strategy is a document that understands how you can solve your customer\u0027s problems with your product or service.If that\u0027s the basis of the document, it then stands to reason that you understand your customers. What could be simpler? You know their motivations, their emotions, their places to go to get advice, who they talk to, and why they talk to them.\u0026nbsp;You\u0027d think that. But you probably don\u0027t.Here\u0027s the thing. 74% of sales go to the first company that is useful1.Let\u0027s just highlight that; Useful. Being useful is a hugely overlooked facet of a digital strategy. Having a product page, bulging with features, with video smattered all over the page and big, bold call to actions may not be \u0022useful\u0022. Possibly informative, but very likely, not useful.Another way to avoid being useful is if someone in your business says that they know customers and they can create a customer journey. If this is raised, get out the big stick. What tends to happen is that you end up with an operational map of how a customer is supposed to go through your sales funnel. It rarely reflects the customer\u0027s choice; it tends to focus on what you would like the customer to do, rather than reflect on the reality of the customer experience, an experience that is as influenced by emotion as it is by logic. The customer journey that\u0027s been created internally tends to miss this. You end up changing very little that helps the customer.The only way that you can make a digital strategy work for your customers and, in turn, your business is to make sure that you can understand what your customer needs at critical points of the journey. And the only way to do gain that understanding is by talking to your customers.\u0026nbsp;Talking to customers seems straightforward; the trick is to forget what you know. Don\u0027t guide, nudge or imply. You need to listen to them and follow their lead. That\u0027s why bringing in a third party like us in is worthwhile. We have no baggage; we have no skin in that game. We can ask the question that kicks off the whole journey and see where it goes. What\u0027s that question? It\u0027s so apparent it\u0027ll burst your head:\u0022Take me back to the day when you first decided to evaluate a new insert your product\/service here\u0026nbsp;and tell me what happened.\u0022And let the customer take you on the crazy, convoluted, surprising journey. You\u0027ll learn why they started, where they went to, what made them happy, what made them anxious, who they had to convince, what held them back, what pushed them forward. Oh, the things you will learn.And how does that learning shape your digital strategy? It\u0027s important to realise that this is the foundation of the whole approach. The first thing that you\u0027ll understand is how the digital journey influences the offline journey. Understand the complete journey, online and off, is important. Are your customers doing a lot of research online that influences the visit to a store or to your office? It will provide context to a whole range of areas that may have previously been hidden from you.You\u0027ll gain insight into what\u0027s important to your customer, what they need to complete a purchase, not just what you want them to do. It\u0027s ok to challenge their preconceptions. Your research may uncover a Harley Davidson when they feel they\u0027re after a faster horse. Combined with the digital goals that you\u0027ve set for your business, this stage of creating your digital strategy provides direction and focus on delivering for your customers rather than just starting with the sentence that kills a thousand digital projects, \u0022Do you know what I think we should have on the site?\u0022. Let\u0027s not think, let\u0027s talk to the customer so that we know and give your digital strategy the very best chance of success. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;1Kristina Jaramillo, \u201cB2B Buyers Are Calling for a Change in How You Socially Sell to Them on LinkedIn,\u201d Salesforce, April 20, 2016.  ","summary":"Relax. This isn\u0027t an in-depth look at how to create a digital strategy for your business. Great Guns, no. We both don\u0027t have the time. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-09-23T15:23:16+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5496","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/tips-working-internationally","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Tips on Working Internationally","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen we started, our first ambition was to open an office in London. It\u2019s an inconvenient truth that we needed to have an office there in order to be taken seriously by clients. (Thankfully, I think it\u2019s beginning to change now). \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe started small and, arguably, the first London space wasn\u2019t even in central London - Twickenham being the base. But, over time, and with a growing business, we moved further into central London, finally arriving in Farringdon in 2013.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince then the nature of our business and the type of work we do has changed a lot. We grew some of our UK and EMEA clients within the US and embraced a truly international way of working. We now have three major clients in the US and have learnt a lot about what it means to work on an international basis. Here\u2019s a summary of our observations on the best way to nail it\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Your work has to be excellent \u0026amp; bring something different\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo compete in the US, you have to deliver an excellent product - there\u2019s no shortage of substitute agency offerings on a client\u2019s doorstep. It also has to do something different. With one client we were told that we\u2019d struggle to break into the central team in the US, but over time, they couldn\u2019t ignore the quality of the work we were producing in the UK and EMEA. And this eventually led to the introduction and opportunity to show them what we could do.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s at this point you realise that having a different perspective on some of the work actually made it better for the rest of their markets. For example, we were able to temper the tendency to make much of the brand communication work too US-centric. Our UK perspective brought something different.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Geography works for us\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with luck. By a quirk of fate, the UK sits in the middle of the world, and this tends to be beneficial when you\u2019re working for a global business that\u2019s headquartered in the US. The ability to talk to marketing teams in Asia at the end of their day, the EMEA teams in the same timezone and the US teams at the start of their days helps keep projects rolling along in real-time. As one US client commented \u2018You help us balance the clocks\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Strategic focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m not saying it\u2019s impossible, but I believe it helps if the work you do is more strategic in nature. The distance and time changes involved mean that high frequency, quick turnaround work is significantly more challenging to deliver.\u00a0\u00a0A more strategic, or consultancy based engagement means that there\u2019s more time between meetings and the ultimate deliverable. A typical engagement for us tends to be a face-to-face briefing (ideally, but not essential), multiple Skype or conference call check-ins throughout which build to another face-to-face meeting to present final solutions.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Evolved ways of working\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve learned over time that you can\u2019t run a single US account on a purely UK timeframe. Something has to give, and it makes sense to make changes to how the account is serviced, both for the client and for the agency team. Some of these things seem small, but when you aggregate them, they can make a real difference for all involved\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGet a good conference phone.\u003C\/em\u003E You\u2019re going to be spending hours on it, so make sure it\u2019s up to the task.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAdapt presentation styles for Skype \/ Conference call meetings.\u003C\/em\u003E You have to learn to navigate the dynamics of presenting work to a group over the phone. It\u2019s definitely a skill that needs patience, regular check-ins to make sure everyone\u2019s following and not taking the long silences personally. (You\u2019re on mute).\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOffer flexible hours to teams working on US business.\u003C\/em\u003E Sometimes you can\u2019t get away from the fact that you\u2019ll have to jump onto calls or emails late at night. Allow the team late starts, or early finishes to compensate.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen travelling, border preparation is important.\u003C\/em\u003E With groups of people flying back and forth to the US pretty frequently, it can draw some attention from the officials at the border. We took some advice from a US immigration specialist to make sure that we \u2018present well\u2019 when called forward. Essentially this means being clear about why you\u2019re entering the US and saying the right things at the right times. It might sound silly, but there are lots subtleties around saying you\u2019re there \u2018to work\u2019 versus \u2018on business\u2019, which can raise questions about visas. Get the right advice.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be prepared to travel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESounds like an obvious one, but you do need to make sure that you\u2019re allowing\u00a0enough\u00a0time. Because it\u2019s a business trip and time is seen as money, there\u2019s a tendency to try and pack too much into not enough time. And when you cross more time zones, it gets worse. Our rule of thumb is that a two day US trip just doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s barely time to relax before you find yourself stumbling off a plane back in Blighty, exhausted and mentally drained. The best bet is to allow a working week and protect the weekends for recovery. It\u2019s better for business and for the travelling team.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo there you go. Not really earth-shattering in terms of insights, but it\u2019s a work in progress. We\u2019re always looking at ways to remove the friction and add to the list.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhen we started, our first ambition was to open an office in London. It\u2019s an inconvenient truth that we needed to have an office there in order to be taken seriously by clients. (Thankfully, I think it\u2019s beginning to change now). \nWe started small and, arguably, the first London space wasn\u2019t even in central London - Twickenham being the base. But, over time, and with a growing business, we moved further into central London, finally arriving in Farringdon in 2013.\u00a0\nSince then the nature of our business and the type of work we do has changed a lot. We grew some of our UK and EMEA clients within the US and embraced a truly international way of working. We now have three major clients in the US and have learnt a lot about what it means to work on an international basis. Here\u2019s a summary of our observations on the best way to nail it\u2026\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Your work has to be excellent \u0026amp; bring something different\nTo compete in the US, you have to deliver an excellent product - there\u2019s no shortage of substitute agency offerings on a client\u2019s doorstep. It also has to do something different. With one client we were told that we\u2019d struggle to break into the central team in the US, but over time, they couldn\u2019t ignore the quality of the work we were producing in the UK and EMEA. And this eventually led to the introduction and opportunity to show them what we could do.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s at this point you realise that having a different perspective on some of the work actually made it better for the rest of their markets. For example, we were able to temper the tendency to make much of the brand communication work too US-centric. Our UK perspective brought something different.\u00a0\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Geography works for us\nThis has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with luck. By a quirk of fate, the UK sits in the middle of the world, and this tends to be beneficial when you\u2019re working for a global business that\u2019s headquartered in the US. The ability to talk to marketing teams in Asia at the end of their day, the EMEA teams in the same timezone and the US teams at the start of their days helps keep projects rolling along in real-time. As one US client commented \u2018You help us balance the clocks\u2019.\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Strategic focus\nI\u2019m not saying it\u2019s impossible, but I believe it helps if the work you do is more strategic in nature. The distance and time changes involved mean that high frequency, quick turnaround work is significantly more challenging to deliver.\u00a0\u00a0A more strategic, or consultancy based engagement means that there\u2019s more time between meetings and the ultimate deliverable. A typical engagement for us tends to be a face-to-face briefing (ideally, but not essential), multiple Skype or conference call check-ins throughout which build to another face-to-face meeting to present final solutions.\u00a0\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Evolved ways of working\u00a0\nWe\u2019ve learned over time that you can\u2019t run a single US account on a purely UK timeframe. Something has to give, and it makes sense to make changes to how the account is serviced, both for the client and for the agency team. Some of these things seem small, but when you aggregate them, they can make a real difference for all involved\u2026\nGet a good conference phone. You\u2019re going to be spending hours on it, so make sure it\u2019s up to the task.\nAdapt presentation styles for Skype \/ Conference call meetings. You have to learn to navigate the dynamics of presenting work to a group over the phone. It\u2019s definitely a skill that needs patience, regular check-ins to make sure everyone\u2019s following and not taking the long silences personally. (You\u2019re on mute).\u00a0\nOffer flexible hours to teams working on US business. Sometimes you can\u2019t get away from the fact that you\u2019ll have to jump onto calls or emails late at night. Allow the team late starts, or early finishes to compensate.\nWhen travelling, border preparation is important. With groups of people flying back and forth to the US pretty frequently, it can draw some attention from the officials at the border. We took some advice from a US immigration specialist to make sure that we \u2018present well\u2019 when called forward. Essentially this means being clear about why you\u2019re entering the US and saying the right things at the right times. It might sound silly, but there are lots subtleties around saying you\u2019re there \u2018to work\u2019 versus \u2018on business\u2019, which can raise questions about visas. Get the right advice.\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Be prepared to travel\nSounds like an obvious one, but you do need to make sure that you\u2019re allowing\u00a0enough\u00a0time. Because it\u2019s a business trip and time is seen as money, there\u2019s a tendency to try and pack too much into not enough time. And when you cross more time zones, it gets worse. Our rule of thumb is that a two day US trip just doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s barely time to relax before you find yourself stumbling off a plane back in Blighty, exhausted and mentally drained. The best bet is to allow a working week and protect the weekends for recovery. It\u2019s better for business and for the travelling team.\nSo there you go. Not really earth-shattering in terms of insights, but it\u2019s a work in progress. We\u2019re always looking at ways to remove the friction and add to the list.\n  ","summary":"When we started, our first ambition was to open an office in London. It\u2019s an inconvenient truth that we needed to have an office there in order to be taken seriously by clients. (Thankfully, I think it\u2019s beginning to change now).","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-09-17T10:01:05+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5497","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-advice-embedding-sustainability","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Good Advice on Embedding Sustainability","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMy recent ramblings on good branding, featuring our client Interface, got me thinking about a topic there\u0026#039;s no escaping. The environment. How, as businesses, can we do our bit? How can we embed sustainable practices and behaviours in our organisations? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0027s plenty of good examples out there to learn from, but some are hard acts to follow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0027s take an old favourite of mine. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.patagonia.com\/the-activist-company.html\u0022\u003EPatagonia\u003C\/a\u003E. Its founder Yvon Chouinard is an environmentalist at heart, spending his formative years living as close to nature as he could. Travelling only to climb, surf, fish and to stick two fingers up at the establishment. Activism and purpose, with nature and the planet at its heart, are by definition part of his brand\u0027s DNA. His vision, personality, passions and drive have shaped not only a company but a movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPatagonia is staffed by like-minded individuals who embody their founder\u0027s spirit for adventure, but not at any cost. They collectively strive for quality products that have no impact on the planet, while using significant profits to campaign vociferously for causes they believe in. I haven\u0027t managed to dig up any data, but I suspect the more they\u0027ve campaigned, the more profits have grown \u2014 a real virtuous circle and genuinely inspirational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, we aren\u0027t all outdoor brands led by a natural activist!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the other end of the scale, we might be a heavy manufacturing giant with a global footprint. What then? Well, then you might look at Interface. I\u0027ve written about Ray Anderson before, but for the sake of repetition, in 1994 he had an epiphany and set about overhauling his company\u0027s products and processes to have no impact on the planet by 2020. He died in in 2011, but his company hit its \u0027Mission Zero\u0027 target early and have now committed to Climate Take back, giving back to the planet, under current CEO Jay Gould.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe path to sustainability has been a monumental journey for Interface. One of innovation, guts, determination and financial commitment to a vision. Turning a heavy polluter into a shining example of zero impact \u2013 a carbon-neutral leader in floor coverings. Innovation, design, product quality and sustainability are pillars of an organisation whose purpose is clear and motivating to staff and customers alike.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo it can be done, even by the most significant and worst offenders. However, there are so many challenges facing the planet that it can seem daunting at times. Where do we start? Sometimes it pays to focus on a specific issue to make things more achievable. Take \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bureo.co\/pages\/bureo-collection2\u0022\u003EBureo\u003C\/a\u003E, for example. A small company based in California set up by a group of friends. They decided to take on fishing nets, specifically off the coast of Chile, the most harmful form of plastic in our oceans. A narrow focus to help to solve one of the most significant issues facing our planet. They now make skateboards and sunglasses from recycled nets, as well as supporting the likes of Humanscale and Trek with innovating new products and processes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll well and good but we can\u0027t all suddenly start our own Bureos. However, we can have an impact. The individual, with a purpose and the will, is still a pretty powerful catalyst for change. If we all made small changes collectively, the impact could be enormous. Have a meat-free dinner once or twice a week. Turn your thermostat down by one degree. Do you need to wash your jeans after every wear? Hiut denim advocate every six months at the most!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink different; look at changing little things with a potentially big impact. Look at Patagonia\u0027s \u0027Worn Wear\u0027 repurpose rather than buy new. Or Interface\u0027s ReEntry \u2013 cleaning used carpet tiles, so they have a life outside of a landfill. Alternatively, be inspired by Norway\u0027s plastic bottle deposit return scheme \u2013 97% of all bottles in the country are recycled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0027s no end to the great thinking going on out there. Here at Good, we try to do our part, but being honest, we\u0027re also guilty of brushing it under the carpet when things get busy or tough. It\u0027s easy to transfer the onus to others, isn\u0027t it? But we are trying.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently in our sights is travel \u2013 with multiple offices and global clients, we need to make an effort to reduce our footprint. We\u0027ve been using the train for a while rather than flying domestically but can we make it mandatory for commuting between our offices in Glasgow and London? Face-to-face meetings with our clients in the USA and further afield is necessary and valuable, but flying from London Heathrow to Minneapolis St. Paul and back generate about 948 kg CO2 per passenger. With this in mind, increased use of Skype for meetings has vastly reduced the need to be on the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELots to do, but baby steps are better, rather than no forward motion at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what can we learn from our experiences and those of people we admire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELead the Way.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENothing new here. Strong, integrity-based leadership with a vision for genuine change is key to success. Without it, as we all know, things can go awry. This is never truer than in the case of sustainability initiatives which may adversely affect the bottom line. Equally, if they\u0027re seen as not \u0027mission-critical\u0027 to the business, with a KPI at board level, they\u0027re the first thing in the middle management firing line.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmpower Advocates.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Purpose\u0022 has unfortunately become a marketing buzzword, but we\u0027d all prefer to be working for genuine organisations that have a positive impact beyond what they make or sell. It motivates teams as much as any incentive and done right permeates to the very core of an organisation. Nurturing internal leaders with the responsibility to own and embed initiatives that will be supported and monitored, breeds advocates. This, in turn, ensures genuine ownership and engagement with the best chance of sustainable success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELittle and Often.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Don\u0027t try to do too much too soon. Do something everyone can be a part of. Something that\u0027s simple and doable on a day-to-day basis. Recycling. Switching lights and computers off when not in use or needed. Cycle to work or car share when you can. Get these initiatives up and running, show progress and build steadily from there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThink Laterally.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEveryone likes to think creatively, and with the environment, there\u0027s plenty of challenges that need left-field thinking. It can invigorate a team that\u0027s used to dealing with routine or mundane everyday tasks. What\u0027s the carbon footprint of the internet? Would using less internal e-mail have any measurable effect? Can we stop getting physical industry publications\/reports and only use online versions? Could the entire workforce stop eating fast food? I suspect the list is endless and there will be environmental nuggets in amongst the inevitable unworkable dreams. But if you don\u0027t try...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeasure and Celebrate.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re taking it seriously, you need to measure impact. If you\u0027re investing people\u0027s time and potentially capital expenditure into a project, you\u0027ll all want to know it\u0027s working. It\u0027s motivating, and if proving successful, will drive commitment to greater success. Help this along by building in a suitable mechanism to celebrate achieving, or surpassing, agreed targets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027m well aware this is the tip of the iceberg - to coin a relevant phrase. This is a microcosm of some of the amazing work being done to combat climate change. You only have to follow The World Economic Forum to be equally inspired and horrified. We all have to do something, and the good news is, we can all do something. So let\u0027s get on with it. No excuses.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nMy recent ramblings on good branding, featuring our client Interface, got me thinking about a topic there\u0026#039;s no escaping. The environment. How, as businesses, can we do our bit? How can we embed sustainable practices and behaviours in our organisations? \nThere\u0027s plenty of good examples out there to learn from, but some are hard acts to follow.Let\u0027s take an old favourite of mine. Patagonia. Its founder Yvon Chouinard is an environmentalist at heart, spending his formative years living as close to nature as he could. Travelling only to climb, surf, fish and to stick two fingers up at the establishment. Activism and purpose, with nature and the planet at its heart, are by definition part of his brand\u0027s DNA. His vision, personality, passions and drive have shaped not only a company but a movement.Patagonia is staffed by like-minded individuals who embody their founder\u0027s spirit for adventure, but not at any cost. They collectively strive for quality products that have no impact on the planet, while using significant profits to campaign vociferously for causes they believe in. I haven\u0027t managed to dig up any data, but I suspect the more they\u0027ve campaigned, the more profits have grown \u2014 a real virtuous circle and genuinely inspirational.However, we aren\u0027t all outdoor brands led by a natural activist!At the other end of the scale, we might be a heavy manufacturing giant with a global footprint. What then? Well, then you might look at Interface. I\u0027ve written about Ray Anderson before, but for the sake of repetition, in 1994 he had an epiphany and set about overhauling his company\u0027s products and processes to have no impact on the planet by 2020. He died in in 2011, but his company hit its \u0027Mission Zero\u0027 target early and have now committed to Climate Take back, giving back to the planet, under current CEO Jay Gould.The path to sustainability has been a monumental journey for Interface. One of innovation, guts, determination and financial commitment to a vision. Turning a heavy polluter into a shining example of zero impact \u2013 a carbon-neutral leader in floor coverings. Innovation, design, product quality and sustainability are pillars of an organisation whose purpose is clear and motivating to staff and customers alike.So it can be done, even by the most significant and worst offenders. However, there are so many challenges facing the planet that it can seem daunting at times. Where do we start? Sometimes it pays to focus on a specific issue to make things more achievable. Take Bureo, for example. A small company based in California set up by a group of friends. They decided to take on fishing nets, specifically off the coast of Chile, the most harmful form of plastic in our oceans. A narrow focus to help to solve one of the most significant issues facing our planet. They now make skateboards and sunglasses from recycled nets, as well as supporting the likes of Humanscale and Trek with innovating new products and processes.All well and good but we can\u0027t all suddenly start our own Bureos. However, we can have an impact. The individual, with a purpose and the will, is still a pretty powerful catalyst for change. If we all made small changes collectively, the impact could be enormous. Have a meat-free dinner once or twice a week. Turn your thermostat down by one degree. Do you need to wash your jeans after every wear? Hiut denim advocate every six months at the most!Think different; look at changing little things with a potentially big impact. Look at Patagonia\u0027s \u0027Worn Wear\u0027 repurpose rather than buy new. Or Interface\u0027s ReEntry \u2013 cleaning used carpet tiles, so they have a life outside of a landfill. Alternatively, be inspired by Norway\u0027s plastic bottle deposit return scheme \u2013 97% of all bottles in the country are recycled.There\u0027s no end to the great thinking going on out there. Here at Good, we try to do our part, but being honest, we\u0027re also guilty of brushing it under the carpet when things get busy or tough. It\u0027s easy to transfer the onus to others, isn\u0027t it? But we are trying.Currently in our sights is travel \u2013 with multiple offices and global clients, we need to make an effort to reduce our footprint. We\u0027ve been using the train for a while rather than flying domestically but can we make it mandatory for commuting between our offices in Glasgow and London? Face-to-face meetings with our clients in the USA and further afield is necessary and valuable, but flying from London Heathrow to Minneapolis St. Paul and back generate about 948 kg CO2 per passenger. With this in mind, increased use of Skype for meetings has vastly reduced the need to be on the ground.Lots to do, but baby steps are better, rather than no forward motion at all.So what can we learn from our experiences and those of people we admire.Lead the Way.Nothing new here. Strong, integrity-based leadership with a vision for genuine change is key to success. Without it, as we all know, things can go awry. This is never truer than in the case of sustainability initiatives which may adversely affect the bottom line. Equally, if they\u0027re seen as not \u0027mission-critical\u0027 to the business, with a KPI at board level, they\u0027re the first thing in the middle management firing line.Empower Advocates.\u0022Purpose\u0022 has unfortunately become a marketing buzzword, but we\u0027d all prefer to be working for genuine organisations that have a positive impact beyond what they make or sell. It motivates teams as much as any incentive and done right permeates to the very core of an organisation. Nurturing internal leaders with the responsibility to own and embed initiatives that will be supported and monitored, breeds advocates. This, in turn, ensures genuine ownership and engagement with the best chance of sustainable success.Little and Often.How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Don\u0027t try to do too much too soon. Do something everyone can be a part of. Something that\u0027s simple and doable on a day-to-day basis. Recycling. Switching lights and computers off when not in use or needed. Cycle to work or car share when you can. Get these initiatives up and running, show progress and build steadily from there.Think Laterally.Everyone likes to think creatively, and with the environment, there\u0027s plenty of challenges that need left-field thinking. It can invigorate a team that\u0027s used to dealing with routine or mundane everyday tasks. What\u0027s the carbon footprint of the internet? Would using less internal e-mail have any measurable effect? Can we stop getting physical industry publications\/reports and only use online versions? Could the entire workforce stop eating fast food? I suspect the list is endless and there will be environmental nuggets in amongst the inevitable unworkable dreams. But if you don\u0027t try...Measure and Celebrate.If you\u0027re taking it seriously, you need to measure impact. If you\u0027re investing people\u0027s time and potentially capital expenditure into a project, you\u0027ll all want to know it\u0027s working. It\u0027s motivating, and if proving successful, will drive commitment to greater success. Help this along by building in a suitable mechanism to celebrate achieving, or surpassing, agreed targets.I\u0027m well aware this is the tip of the iceberg - to coin a relevant phrase. This is a microcosm of some of the amazing work being done to combat climate change. You only have to follow The World Economic Forum to be equally inspired and horrified. We all have to do something, and the good news is, we can all do something. So let\u0027s get on with it. No excuses.  ","summary":"My recent ramblings on good branding, featuring our client Interface, got me thinking about a topic there\u0027s no escaping. The environment. How, as businesses, can we do our bit? How can we embed sustainable practices and behaviours in our organisations?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-09-11T17:25:53+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5498","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/setting-your-digital-goals","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Setting your Digital Goals","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge when looking at digital is that it is seductive to fall for the lure of the big numbers. There is comfort in big numbers, especially if it comes at a low price. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn theory, (the two best words when it comes to talking about digital marketing), we can reach millions of people with a comparatively modest budget. It seems incredible, the natural evolution of mass media advertising.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImpressions, likes, click-throughs, comments, retweets. All the numbers, all the time. And they can really impress. The challenge is taking a step back and understanding how those numbers roll up to make a contribution to the overall business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen going through any annual operating plan, it\u0027s easy to understand the top-line goals for a business. For this example, we\u0027re going to go top-line too for ease of understanding. So, if the target is to grow 8%, it\u0027s usually based around selling more or increasing efficiencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reason we like to define this before we get into any form of digital strategy or campaign planning is that it helps to focus the mind. When the ideas are flying, and the creative juices are flowing, it\u0027s useful to ask the question, \u0022Will this help us achieve the goals we\u0027ve set out?\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe usually run a session with a group of internal stakeholders to get a consensus across a range of disciplines from a business. I\u0027m not going to lie; when we run these sessions, there is a fear in the room that you can almost taste. There is an aversion to committing to a number. It is always easy to get behind a global business number that everyone can get around, but you can rub up against some resistance when that number becomes a tangible goal for your particular department.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe counter this fear with two main points. The first is that\u00a0this isn\u0027t about holding people personably accountable. You shouldn\u0027t get fired for not hitting this target. But you do need a focus to make sure that digital activity is seen as a revenue generator rather than an expense. The only way to do that is to understand and demonstrate the digital contribution to the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecondly, it focuses your digital activity on what\u0027s essential; outcomes. If a campaign doesn\u0027t have a result that is tied to business growth, what\u0027s the point? The focus on outcomes subtlety changes the conversations around campaigns. Reporting then all ladders up to the business goals, and there is a healthy discussion about continual improvement. We\u0027ve worked with clients who reported a fantastic click-through rate from social channels but had a 0.01% conversion rate on the landing page. Activity trumped outcomes. Defining the digital contribution to the business goals helps shift the reporting from vanity metrics to business metrics.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, how do you start mapping out the digital contribution to the business? It\u0027s not rocket science, we take a simple approach to this. It\u0027s done in four stages\u00a0that can be understood at every level within a business, an approach advocated by\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kaushik.net\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAvinash Kausik\u003C\/a\u003E,\u00a0a digital marketing evangelist at Google and all-round good guy. Let\u0027s get stuck in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EStage 1: Overall Business Goal\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGetting your overall business goal should be the easy bit. What\u0027s the overarching business objective for the next year?\u00a0For this exercise, we\u0027re going to use metrics that we tend to get handed to us a lot.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2380\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Business Goal 1\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/bg0_0.png\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022798\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor our purposes, using percentages isn\u0027t optimal. We\u0027re looking for numbers that we can measure against, not percentages. Usually, business goals are presented like this as a generalisation. We\u0027re looking to get specific.\u00a0The deeper understanding you need is how the business plans to achieve this goal. That influences\u00a0how the digital contribution is defined.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESometimes you can get that information easily, but we\u0027ve been involved with businesses that don\u0027t get into that detail and share. I know. What we\u0027re looking for is something like:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2381\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg title=\u0022Business Goals 2\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/bg1.png\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022798\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u0027m conscious that you can get lost in the weeds here, the devil\u0027s in the detail. But this example is to demonstrate the direction for the business. Now that you have an overall number, not a percentage, to work with, the next step is to work out how the digital channels can help hit that goal.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EStage 2: Define Digital Contribution\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDepending on your business, the level that digital can influence the business goal can fluctuate. Digital marketing can help this goal in two ways: driving demand and\/or raising awareness. These are two separate goals and should be measured separately. We\u0027ll look at how we\u0027re going to generate demand for the product. All about the \u00a3.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor this example, demand relies on generating leads through the website. The business has a number of routes to market, so the digital contribution doesn\u0027t need to cover 100% of the leads that the overall business goal lays out.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough discussions with stakeholders, it\u0027s agreed that we are going to set ourselves a target of 5,000 new customers that will convert through digital channels.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGreat Happiness! We can\u00a0now measure the digital contribution to the business:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2382\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Business Goals 3\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/bg2.png\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022798\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is great. We now know what the digital channels need to deliver to help contribute to the business goals. Ideal. You may have a couple of ways to measure digital contributions. Try not to push more than three so that you can keep focus.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EStage 3: KPI\u0027s\u00a0\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWho doesn\u0027t love themselves a Key Performance Indicator? This is the barometer of success, the way you know that you\u0027re on target and what you\u0027ll be measuring your tactics against. So, to our example. We know our digital contribution is to generate 5,000 customers. At the moment, we\u0027ve got a 5% conversion rate on leads to sales. We need to produce 100,000 leads to hit our target. We\u0027d then suggest that you report on a monthly basis, so that means, all things being equal, that you have to generate around 8,400 leads a month.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIs it squeaky bum time yet? Is this a walk in the park? Can the tactics you\u0027ve used historically\u00a0achieve this? Do you need to explore new channels? The point is that you\u0027re having meaningful discussions with your team and agency partners around the business goals and how to achieve them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKPI\u0027s can also be around costs of leads, cost of sale, time to sales, anything that is useful in determining the performance of your activity to produce outcomes.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2394\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Business Goal Example KPI\u0027s\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00227\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-08-27_business_goals_1.png\u0022 width=\u00221154\u0022 height=\u0022782\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDepending on the digital maturity that you\u0027re dealing with, focus on the critical KPI\u0027s. Don\u0027t start chucking everything into the KPI pot. We try to focus on five KPI\u0027s at the very, very most. Usually, we hit on four.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EStage 4: Segmentation\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAggregated KPI\u0027s are useful at a certain level. But you\u0027re going to get into the weeds at some point. We like to outline the segmentation that we\u0027re going to apply to the KPI\u0027s, again to keep focus. Falling into the rabbit hole of analytics can send you off on crazy directions and take you down pointless paths. Agreeing on the segmentation with all your key stakeholders is important for setting expectations and delivering focused, meaningful reports.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome segmentation is pretty straightforward; it can be around channels, it can be mobile visits versus desktop, it can be by country. We\u0027ve even seen segmentation around display sizes. Which is where we ask, \u0022what\u0027s the point?\u0022. We aim for five key segments to look at, knowing all too well that each segment can drag you into more and more stuff. That stuff can throw up some insight, no doubt, and it\u0027s up to your agency partners to find that and present that to you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2395\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-png\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Business Goal Example Segmentation\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00228\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/2019-08-27_business_goals_2.png\u0022 width=\u00221154\u0022 height=\u0022782\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in the first instance, look at segments that can drive actionable insight into the business. Earn your stripes there, then look at adding value.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EBring it all together\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ve got four columns;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E- Overarching Business Goal\u003Cbr \/\u003E- Digital Contribution\u003Cbr \/\u003E- KPI\u0027s\u003Cbr \/\u003E- Segmentation\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom here, you can start measuring this against the campaign work ahead (will a certain tactic help deliver on the KPI?), help rein the enthusiastic idea generators within your team back in. We once had someone suggest that they\u0027d like\u00a0to see a bear pull a caravan across the homepage. Sure, a nice idea but will it really help push the conversion that we\u0027re after? Understanding your digital contribution helps to put guard rails on your campaigns to keep focus and prove to the business that digital generates business rather than being an expense.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the tactics have launched, it starts to help shape conversations around continual improvement. Segmenting the lead KPI\u0027s can help find where the best channels are coming from, understanding the cost per lead KPI may help know that the best generator of leads is also the most expensive and perhaps putting more money into another channel that could do with a boost. Lots of conversations, all pulling towards a commonly agreed goal.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe joy doesn\u0027t end there. Down the line, reporting becomes more manageable as it starts to follow a structure that everyone has agreed and signed off. It can also be tiered with those higher up\u00a0the chain getting the overview of\u00a0the KPI\u0027s while those closer to the tactical coalface may get more segmented reports to help improve activity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EActivity without defined outcomes is rife in digital, the shiny, shiny lure of activity is where people head to. But without this crucial stage, you can miss the best opportunity to make sure that you\u0027re squeezing every bit of value from your digital activity while proving that you are an income generator for your business. Boom!\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe challenge when looking at digital is that it is seductive to fall for the lure of the big numbers. There is comfort in big numbers, especially if it comes at a low price. \nIn theory, (the two best words when it comes to talking about digital marketing), we can reach millions of people with a comparatively modest budget. It seems incredible, the natural evolution of mass media advertising.\u00a0\nImpressions, likes, click-throughs, comments, retweets. All the numbers, all the time. And they can really impress. The challenge is taking a step back and understanding how those numbers roll up to make a contribution to the overall business.\nWhen going through any annual operating plan, it\u0027s easy to understand the top-line goals for a business. For this example, we\u0027re going to go top-line too for ease of understanding. So, if the target is to grow 8%, it\u0027s usually based around selling more or increasing efficiencies.\u00a0\nThe reason we like to define this before we get into any form of digital strategy or campaign planning is that it helps to focus the mind. When the ideas are flying, and the creative juices are flowing, it\u0027s useful to ask the question, \u0022Will this help us achieve the goals we\u0027ve set out?\u0022\nWe usually run a session with a group of internal stakeholders to get a consensus across a range of disciplines from a business. I\u0027m not going to lie; when we run these sessions, there is a fear in the room that you can almost taste. There is an aversion to committing to a number. It is always easy to get behind a global business number that everyone can get around, but you can rub up against some resistance when that number becomes a tangible goal for your particular department.\nWe counter this fear with two main points. The first is that\u00a0this isn\u0027t about holding people personably accountable. You shouldn\u0027t get fired for not hitting this target. But you do need a focus to make sure that digital activity is seen as a revenue generator rather than an expense. The only way to do that is to understand and demonstrate the digital contribution to the business.\nSecondly, it focuses your digital activity on what\u0027s essential; outcomes. If a campaign doesn\u0027t have a result that is tied to business growth, what\u0027s the point? The focus on outcomes subtlety changes the conversations around campaigns. Reporting then all ladders up to the business goals, and there is a healthy discussion about continual improvement. We\u0027ve worked with clients who reported a fantastic click-through rate from social channels but had a 0.01% conversion rate on the landing page. Activity trumped outcomes. Defining the digital contribution to the business goals helps shift the reporting from vanity metrics to business metrics.\nSo, how do you start mapping out the digital contribution to the business? It\u0027s not rocket science, we take a simple approach to this. It\u0027s done in four stages\u00a0that can be understood at every level within a business, an approach advocated by\u00a0Avinash Kausik,\u00a0a digital marketing evangelist at Google and all-round good guy. Let\u0027s get stuck in.\nStage 1: Overall Business Goal\nGetting your overall business goal should be the easy bit. What\u0027s the overarching business objective for the next year?\u00a0For this exercise, we\u0027re going to use metrics that we tend to get handed to us a lot.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nFor our purposes, using percentages isn\u0027t optimal. We\u0027re looking for numbers that we can measure against, not percentages. Usually, business goals are presented like this as a generalisation. We\u0027re looking to get specific.\u00a0The deeper understanding you need is how the business plans to achieve this goal. That influences\u00a0how the digital contribution is defined.\nSometimes you can get that information easily, but we\u0027ve been involved with businesses that don\u0027t get into that detail and share. I know. What we\u0027re looking for is something like:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nI\u0027m conscious that you can get lost in the weeds here, the devil\u0027s in the detail. But this example is to demonstrate the direction for the business. Now that you have an overall number, not a percentage, to work with, the next step is to work out how the digital channels can help hit that goal.\nStage 2: Define Digital Contribution\nDepending on your business, the level that digital can influence the business goal can fluctuate. Digital marketing can help this goal in two ways: driving demand and\/or raising awareness. These are two separate goals and should be measured separately. We\u0027ll look at how we\u0027re going to generate demand for the product. All about the \u00a3.\nFor this example, demand relies on generating leads through the website. The business has a number of routes to market, so the digital contribution doesn\u0027t need to cover 100% of the leads that the overall business goal lays out.\u00a0\nThrough discussions with stakeholders, it\u0027s agreed that we are going to set ourselves a target of 5,000 new customers that will convert through digital channels.\u00a0\nGreat Happiness! We can\u00a0now measure the digital contribution to the business:\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nThis is great. We now know what the digital channels need to deliver to help contribute to the business goals. Ideal. You may have a couple of ways to measure digital contributions. Try not to push more than three so that you can keep focus.\nStage 3: KPI\u0027s\u00a0\nWho doesn\u0027t love themselves a Key Performance Indicator? This is the barometer of success, the way you know that you\u0027re on target and what you\u0027ll be measuring your tactics against. So, to our example. We know our digital contribution is to generate 5,000 customers. At the moment, we\u0027ve got a 5% conversion rate on leads to sales. We need to produce 100,000 leads to hit our target. We\u0027d then suggest that you report on a monthly basis, so that means, all things being equal, that you have to generate around 8,400 leads a month.\nIs it squeaky bum time yet? Is this a walk in the park? Can the tactics you\u0027ve used historically\u00a0achieve this? Do you need to explore new channels? The point is that you\u0027re having meaningful discussions with your team and agency partners around the business goals and how to achieve them.\nKPI\u0027s can also be around costs of leads, cost of sale, time to sales, anything that is useful in determining the performance of your activity to produce outcomes.\u00a0\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nDepending on the digital maturity that you\u0027re dealing with, focus on the critical KPI\u0027s. Don\u0027t start chucking everything into the KPI pot. We try to focus on five KPI\u0027s at the very, very most. Usually, we hit on four.\u00a0\nStage 4: Segmentation\nAggregated KPI\u0027s are useful at a certain level. But you\u0027re going to get into the weeds at some point. We like to outline the segmentation that we\u0027re going to apply to the KPI\u0027s, again to keep focus. Falling into the rabbit hole of analytics can send you off on crazy directions and take you down pointless paths. Agreeing on the segmentation with all your key stakeholders is important for setting expectations and delivering focused, meaningful reports.\nSome segmentation is pretty straightforward; it can be around channels, it can be mobile visits versus desktop, it can be by country. We\u0027ve even seen segmentation around display sizes. Which is where we ask, \u0022what\u0027s the point?\u0022. We aim for five key segments to look at, knowing all too well that each segment can drag you into more and more stuff. That stuff can throw up some insight, no doubt, and it\u0027s up to your agency partners to find that and present that to you.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nBut in the first instance, look at segments that can drive actionable insight into the business. Earn your stripes there, then look at adding value.\nBring it all together\nYou\u0027ve got four columns;\n- Overarching Business Goal- Digital Contribution- KPI\u0027s- Segmentation\nFrom here, you can start measuring this against the campaign work ahead (will a certain tactic help deliver on the KPI?), help rein the enthusiastic idea generators within your team back in. We once had someone suggest that they\u0027d like\u00a0to see a bear pull a caravan across the homepage. Sure, a nice idea but will it really help push the conversion that we\u0027re after? Understanding your digital contribution helps to put guard rails on your campaigns to keep focus and prove to the business that digital generates business rather than being an expense.\nWhen the tactics have launched, it starts to help shape conversations around continual improvement. Segmenting the lead KPI\u0027s can help find where the best channels are coming from, understanding the cost per lead KPI may help know that the best generator of leads is also the most expensive and perhaps putting more money into another channel that could do with a boost. Lots of conversations, all pulling towards a commonly agreed goal.\u00a0\nThe joy doesn\u0027t end there. Down the line, reporting becomes more manageable as it starts to follow a structure that everyone has agreed and signed off. It can also be tiered with those higher up\u00a0the chain getting the overview of\u00a0the KPI\u0027s while those closer to the tactical coalface may get more segmented reports to help improve activity.\nActivity without defined outcomes is rife in digital, the shiny, shiny lure of activity is where people head to. But without this crucial stage, you can miss the best opportunity to make sure that you\u0027re squeezing every bit of value from your digital activity while proving that you are an income generator for your business. Boom!\n  ","summary":"The challenge when looking at digital is that it is seductive to fall for the lure of the big numbers. There is comfort in big numbers, especially if it comes at a low price.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-08-27T16:24:05+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5499","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/importance-brand-expertise","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Importance of Brand Expertise","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been asked to prepare a presentation on how Good has come to appreciate and sell the value of design. When I sat down to think about this journey, it was hard to plot how we got to where we are. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt made me reflect on the importance of being able to demonstrate that we\u2019re experts. That expertise is, or at least should be, why we\u2019re hired.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we developed as an agency, we knew that the \u2018artistry\u2019 part of our output would become increasingly commoditised. It\u2019s a shame because in many cases it\u2019s the reason why a creative agency exists, or what the principals were trained in and what all of the team are passionate about. But it\u2019s also a trap. Someone is always willing to do it for less. And unless you make some tough decisions about positioning, the agency can suffer death from a thousand (budget) cuts and over-servicing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EQuite early on in our existence, we made the explicit decision to invest in the strategic side of brand consultancy. We had a hunch that this was a more \u201cbusinessey\u201d thing to do and would attract the attention of other, more senior people within an organisation. It\u2019s a step away from straightforward design, but our mantra was \u201cwe\u2019ll get to design, but it\u2019s not where we start\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis decision meant it naturally took us out of the very financially led or transactional conversations that typically surround design buying. And further away from the design-led pitch competitions. These are the ones where we have to start solving the clients\u2019 problems with pictures in a beauty contest as proof of our ability to solve problems. Nonsense. How can we possibly start to solve problems before we\u2019re even able to understand them properly? Is this the behaviour of expert consultants? Do Bain and McKinsey offer skin-deep solutions fired randomly from the hip? Of course they don\u2019t.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat all sounds easy and sensible. But, making these decisions and sticking to them is hard. There is such a power imbalance between a buying client and a selling agency that the prevailing mindset is that we should participate in pitches and accept a subservient role in the purchase process. The first time you have to turn your back on a potential opportunity is the hardest. All your agency schooling is telling you to embrace the challenge and pitch. There\u2019s a contentment within an agency preparing for a pitch. It seems natural. It feels normal. Turning away from it feels like an act of sabotage. It can be hard to explain to colleagues - some of whom think we\u2019re scared to take it on. That we\u2019ve lost our bottle. But I think it\u2019s one of the bravest things you can do in running your business. And over time, as it normalises as an agency position, it almost feels like the noble thing to do. There\u2019s nothing better than responding to pitch requests with the message that we\u2019d prefer to spend our time on the clients who are already prepared to pay for our expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESo - what did we do instead?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy developing and codifying our own process for working with brands we were able to demonstrate that a request to pitch is flawed. For both parties. This begins to make you stand out and break free of the competition. Rather than slavishly following the rules and not questioning the approach, you can really differentiate yourself from the others. Of course, this can go either way. In many cases, you\u2019re seen as too difficult. The political momentum behind the chosen approach is too great and the person running the pitch doesn\u2019t have the necessary clout to change things. So, you bow out and wish them all the best with the pitch, offering your services if they don\u2019t get what they\u2019re looking for. (But at least you\u2019ve sown the seed of doubt).\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve walked away from lots of these \u2018opportunities\u2019 and we\u2019re getting bolder and braver all the time. It\u2019s in this sense that I believe we\u2019re now beginning to reap the benefits of developing our process and consultation model. This iterative process, constantly refined over years and across jobs and clients, has honed our brand expertise into four key areas:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStrategy \u0026amp; thinking\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ECreative articulation\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDigital manifestation\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBrand architecture\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team has grown in confidence and credibility within client engagements (as we\u2019re clearly positioned as the experts) which means we now have a mature perspective on the role brand and design plays in business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis codification \u0026amp; process development has another benefit. It takes us higher within the client organisation. You find yourself in partnership and investment territory, rather than the more prosaic supplier\/cost dynamic that exists further down the chain when negotiating design only. As one of our senior client friends once said to us \u201cI know you can design. What else can you do?\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow. It\u2019s not all cocktails and canap\u00e9s. We\u2019re still on that journey and sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater Good. So, that means that we still take on work that\u2019s not necessarily core to our aspiration. It serves a purpose and keeps the wolf from the door. We know why we\u2019re doing it, but it doesn\u2019t change the overall direction of travel. The important thing is we know the type of firm we want to be: expert brand consultants. One where we\u2019re sought out by clients who are prepared to pay for quality advice. Where we\u2019re allowed to direct the process and where the engagement isn\u2019t defined by increments of hours, days and charge out rates.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a race. The learning process never stops, and we must stay ahead to be able to offer clients the expertise they can\u2019t get elsewhere.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proof\u0027s in the pudding. Have a\u00a0read of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/journal\u0022\u003Eour other articles\u003C\/a\u003E that\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0our expertise and then\u00a0see how that influences the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/work\u0022\u003Ework\u00a0we do\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI\u2019ve been asked to prepare a presentation on how Good has come to appreciate and sell the value of design. When I sat down to think about this journey, it was hard to plot how we got to where we are. \nIt made me reflect on the importance of being able to demonstrate that we\u2019re experts. That expertise is, or at least should be, why we\u2019re hired.\nAs we developed as an agency, we knew that the \u2018artistry\u2019 part of our output would become increasingly commoditised. It\u2019s a shame because in many cases it\u2019s the reason why a creative agency exists, or what the principals were trained in and what all of the team are passionate about. But it\u2019s also a trap. Someone is always willing to do it for less. And unless you make some tough decisions about positioning, the agency can suffer death from a thousand (budget) cuts and over-servicing.\nQuite early on in our existence, we made the explicit decision to invest in the strategic side of brand consultancy. We had a hunch that this was a more \u201cbusinessey\u201d thing to do and would attract the attention of other, more senior people within an organisation. It\u2019s a step away from straightforward design, but our mantra was \u201cwe\u2019ll get to design, but it\u2019s not where we start\u201d.\nThis decision meant it naturally took us out of the very financially led or transactional conversations that typically surround design buying. And further away from the design-led pitch competitions. These are the ones where we have to start solving the clients\u2019 problems with pictures in a beauty contest as proof of our ability to solve problems. Nonsense. How can we possibly start to solve problems before we\u2019re even able to understand them properly? Is this the behaviour of expert consultants? Do Bain and McKinsey offer skin-deep solutions fired randomly from the hip? Of course they don\u2019t.\nThat all sounds easy and sensible. But, making these decisions and sticking to them is hard. There is such a power imbalance between a buying client and a selling agency that the prevailing mindset is that we should participate in pitches and accept a subservient role in the purchase process. The first time you have to turn your back on a potential opportunity is the hardest. All your agency schooling is telling you to embrace the challenge and pitch. There\u2019s a contentment within an agency preparing for a pitch. It seems natural. It feels normal. Turning away from it feels like an act of sabotage. It can be hard to explain to colleagues - some of whom think we\u2019re scared to take it on. That we\u2019ve lost our bottle. But I think it\u2019s one of the bravest things you can do in running your business. And over time, as it normalises as an agency position, it almost feels like the noble thing to do. There\u2019s nothing better than responding to pitch requests with the message that we\u2019d prefer to spend our time on the clients who are already prepared to pay for our expertise.\nSo - what did we do instead?\nBy developing and codifying our own process for working with brands we were able to demonstrate that a request to pitch is flawed. For both parties. This begins to make you stand out and break free of the competition. Rather than slavishly following the rules and not questioning the approach, you can really differentiate yourself from the others. Of course, this can go either way. In many cases, you\u2019re seen as too difficult. The political momentum behind the chosen approach is too great and the person running the pitch doesn\u2019t have the necessary clout to change things. So, you bow out and wish them all the best with the pitch, offering your services if they don\u2019t get what they\u2019re looking for. (But at least you\u2019ve sown the seed of doubt).\u00a0\nWe\u2019ve walked away from lots of these \u2018opportunities\u2019 and we\u2019re getting bolder and braver all the time. It\u2019s in this sense that I believe we\u2019re now beginning to reap the benefits of developing our process and consultation model. This iterative process, constantly refined over years and across jobs and clients, has honed our brand expertise into four key areas:\nStrategy \u0026amp; thinking\nCreative articulation\nDigital manifestation\nBrand architecture\nThe team has grown in confidence and credibility within client engagements (as we\u2019re clearly positioned as the experts) which means we now have a mature perspective on the role brand and design plays in business.\nThis codification \u0026amp; process development has another benefit. It takes us higher within the client organisation. You find yourself in partnership and investment territory, rather than the more prosaic supplier\/cost dynamic that exists further down the chain when negotiating design only. As one of our senior client friends once said to us \u201cI know you can design. What else can you do?\u201d.\nNow. It\u2019s not all cocktails and canap\u00e9s. We\u2019re still on that journey and sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater Good. So, that means that we still take on work that\u2019s not necessarily core to our aspiration. It serves a purpose and keeps the wolf from the door. We know why we\u2019re doing it, but it doesn\u2019t change the overall direction of travel. The important thing is we know the type of firm we want to be: expert brand consultants. One where we\u2019re sought out by clients who are prepared to pay for quality advice. Where we\u2019re allowed to direct the process and where the engagement isn\u2019t defined by increments of hours, days and charge out rates.\nIt\u2019s a race. The learning process never stops, and we must stay ahead to be able to offer clients the expertise they can\u2019t get elsewhere.\u00a0\nThe proof\u0027s in the pudding. Have a\u00a0read of our other articles that\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0our expertise and then\u00a0see how that influences the work\u00a0we do.\n  ","summary":"I\u2019ve been asked to prepare a presentation on how Good has come to appreciate and sell the value of design. When I sat down to think about this journey, it was hard to plot how we got to where we are.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-08-14T17:00:19+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5501","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/go-beyond-digital-transformation-digital-maturity","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Go Beyond Digital Transformation to Digital Maturity ","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EDigital Maturity is a term to describe how developed a brand or business is within the digital environment. It\u2019s important because the most digitally mature brands communicate best with today\u2019s digital-first customers. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003ETo understand how digitally mature your company or brand is, you have to be honest. How embedded, and effective are your digital processes? Digital is one of those words that now means something and nothing. Getting to each business\u0027s slightly nuanced view of their digital activity is critical to producing a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EThis process is usually defined as \u0022digital transformation\u0022. I\u0027m not a big fan of this phrase for two reasons. The first is that \u0022digital transformation\u0022, like \u0022digital\u0022, is a phrase so overused and abused that it has lost its meaning. It can now mean anything.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003ESecondly, we find that any significant \u0022transformations\u0022 tend not to stick within a business. When a fantastic new online ordering tool is introduced into a business, it usually has to compete with a legacy system that may be inefficient but is widely understood. Any new solution needs to be presented to both internal and external stakeholders deliberately and thoughtfully. Otherwise, that paper and pen system of old will trump a million-dollar investment every time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EWe have to start with understanding the digital maturity of an organisation. Digital maturity as a phrase accurately reflects the journey that a business is about to embark on. Maturity suggests changes over time as opposed to a transformation. \u0026nbsp;In our experience, helping modernise brands to communicate with digital-first customers takes time, it\u0027s a journey rather than a transformative destination.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003ESo, how do you start to understand your digital maturity? Here are some top-line questions you can ask yourself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EWhen you run digital campaigns, is it because you feel you have to or do they actually deliver meaningful business growth?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EDo you understand the broader customer journey across all channels, not just digital? Do you know what their challenges and their internal customer challenges are? Are your teams such as product, marketing, sales and service in agreement on this?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EWhat\u0027s the strategic advantage that your digital activity provides you over your competitors?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EWhen you add new technologies to your marketing stack, are they being added with a clear purpose and thoughtfully integrated into your teams? Do they achieve tangible business results?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EDoes the collection of various data points result in providing actionable insights that deliver more business value?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EIs the entire business aware of the results of your digital activity?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EIf your answers to any of the above questions are unclear, you probably need to look at how to improve the way you approach digital to increase maturity. Our process talks to various teams across the business, reviewing digital activity and understanding the tools that are used in marketing functions. We then come up with a roadmap over a specific period to help improve the digital maturity of the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp align=\u0022left\u0022\u003EOver the past ten years, we\u0027ve helped clients understand where they are and how to get to where they need to be. This has led to making fundamental, lasting changes that deliver\u0026nbsp;on the aspirations of your business. Want to take the first step? Let\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com?subject=Digital%20Maturity%20Chat\u0022\u003Ehave a chat\u003C\/a\u003E about your particular situation and see how we can help.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nDigital Maturity is a term to describe how developed a brand or business is within the digital environment. It\u2019s important because the most digitally mature brands communicate best with today\u2019s digital-first customers. \nTo understand how digitally mature your company or brand is, you have to be honest. How embedded, and effective are your digital processes? Digital is one of those words that now means something and nothing. Getting to each business\u0027s slightly nuanced view of their digital activity is critical to producing a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.This process is usually defined as \u0022digital transformation\u0022. I\u0027m not a big fan of this phrase for two reasons. The first is that \u0022digital transformation\u0022, like \u0022digital\u0022, is a phrase so overused and abused that it has lost its meaning. It can now mean anything.Secondly, we find that any significant \u0022transformations\u0022 tend not to stick within a business. When a fantastic new online ordering tool is introduced into a business, it usually has to compete with a legacy system that may be inefficient but is widely understood. Any new solution needs to be presented to both internal and external stakeholders deliberately and thoughtfully. Otherwise, that paper and pen system of old will trump a million-dollar investment every time.We have to start with understanding the digital maturity of an organisation. Digital maturity as a phrase accurately reflects the journey that a business is about to embark on. Maturity suggests changes over time as opposed to a transformation. \u0026nbsp;In our experience, helping modernise brands to communicate with digital-first customers takes time, it\u0027s a journey rather than a transformative destination.So, how do you start to understand your digital maturity? Here are some top-line questions you can ask yourself.When you run digital campaigns, is it because you feel you have to or do they actually deliver meaningful business growth?Do you understand the broader customer journey across all channels, not just digital? Do you know what their challenges and their internal customer challenges are? Are your teams such as product, marketing, sales and service in agreement on this?What\u0027s the strategic advantage that your digital activity provides you over your competitors?When you add new technologies to your marketing stack, are they being added with a clear purpose and thoughtfully integrated into your teams? Do they achieve tangible business results?Does the collection of various data points result in providing actionable insights that deliver more business value?Is the entire business aware of the results of your digital activity?If your answers to any of the above questions are unclear, you probably need to look at how to improve the way you approach digital to increase maturity. Our process talks to various teams across the business, reviewing digital activity and understanding the tools that are used in marketing functions. We then come up with a roadmap over a specific period to help improve the digital maturity of the business.Over the past ten years, we\u0027ve helped clients understand where they are and how to get to where they need to be. This has led to making fundamental, lasting changes that deliver\u0026nbsp;on the aspirations of your business. Want to take the first step? Let\u0027s have a chat about your particular situation and see how we can help.  ","summary":"Digital Maturity is a term to describe how developed a brand or business is within the digital environment. It\u2019s important because the most digitally mature brands communicate best with today\u2019s digital-first customers.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-07-25T11:27:09+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5502","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-advice-good-branding","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Good advice on Good branding","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo far in this series on what we feel constitutes Good branding, I\u2019ve talked about Filson and its reach with the far-flung members of its family. And, I\u2019ve waxed lyrical about Nike\u2019s discipline in using brand to drive decisions where others wouldn\u2019t. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my finale to this little trilogy, I\u2019m going to pay homage to one of our longest and closest client relationships, Interface.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we set out on our journey with Good, over 15 years ago, our vision was \u2018to work at the heart of global brands that care.\u2019 Interface embody that vision.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStarted by Ray Anderson in 1973, Interface has grown to become one of the world\u2019s largest and leading flooring system manufacturers. In 1994, Ray had an epiphany. His company was having a serious impact on the planet and the environment. He couldn\u2019t live with this and resolved to be Carbon Neutral by 2020. Interface\u2019s \u201cMission Zero\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If not me then who. If not now, then when?\u2019 \u2013 Ray Anderson.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe made a decision that made no immediate financial sense for the business but made every sense to him as an individual. This decision was transformative. For him. For his business. For everyone working for Interface. For everyone who bought product from Interface. For all heavy manufacturers. For the planet and the countless millions living on it. At the time it was seen as an irrational decision to many but by its very nature a great brand decision. And this, I believe, lies at the core of what constitutes a great brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s move to the present day. Unfortunately, Ray passed away in 2011 but his brand legacy lives on in the decision making within the company. The R\u0026amp;D, Design and Manufacturing divisions are still driven by Ray\u2019s original thinking. \u2018Is it great design? Will it have a positive impact on people and the planet?\u2019 Every decision runs through that brand filter. His ethos and principles are the very lifeblood of the company, its people, its products and their goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s take a recent example. Interface\u2019s corporate headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Up until recently, they had long-standing, but perfectly decent offices in a standard tower block in the suburbs. But it wasn\u2019t \u2018On Brand\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrent CEO Jay Gould is cut from the same cloth as Ray. Having helped achieve Mission Zero early, he has set new ambitious goals with Climate Take Back, to actually give back to the planet and its people. Carbon Neutral is not enough. He could easily have made a sensible \u2018balance sheet\u2019 decision to stay where they were, but he didn\u2019t. He knew they needed a new home that better reflected Interface\u2019s brand. It would be a positive move both for the team and their customers. But it was going to cost millions of dollars. Integrity, belief and vision won the day and an old disused building in central Atlanta was identified and repurposed as Interface\u2019s new \u2018Base Camp\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEverything about it was driven by the company\u2019s mission, to \u2018Move people with life-changing design\u2019. From its location close to the metro to reduce reliance on cars for commuting staff, to rainwater collection systems to fill the cisterns. Building materials were reclaimed where possible and Biophilic design and wellbeing principles were applied throughout the space. Co-working and flexibility were built in to encourage cross-team pollination and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready Interface are seeing the positive benefits of the decision. Staff are loving it. Customers visits are soaring. The model is being replicated across multiple global locations. A decision that would make little initial sense on a balance sheet has made a whole lot of sense for the brand, its people and its growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2375\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 title=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/interface-atlanta-office-1.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221067\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2376\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 title=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00222\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/interface-flooring-office-12.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221067\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2377\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 title=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00223\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/interface-flooring-office-main.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022733\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2378\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 title=\u0022Interface headquarters\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00224\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/interface-georgia-atlanta-head-office-building-interior-5.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022800\u0022 height=\u0022516\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand and branding are ultimately, emotional spanners in an organisation\u2019s toolbox. They often don\u2019t make rational sense but have the ability to move people and change lives if courage and vision are applied in equal measure.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what does Interface teach us on how to create good branding?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPurpose is ground zero\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Why. The Ethos. The reason for being. Call it what you like. You can\u2019t back engineer it. You can\u2019t \u2018create it\u2019 if it isn\u2019t there. It\u2019s at the heart of everything the organisation does. It drives people to want to work for you and customers to want to buy from you. It can, if used properly, drive every decision you make as a company, for the better.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EIgnore the balance sheet\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you see branding as a cost, you\u2019re goosed. Good branding takes time and money if you\u2019re taking it seriously and have a clear vision for your future. To see the impact and growth that can come from consistently relevant branding, you have to see it as a long-term investment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDesign is a given\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI can hear the gnashing of teeth from the creatives. Fear not, I\u2019m not dissing your undoubted talents. However, as a client commissioning a branding project, the baseline for talking to a studio is their ability to design. The differentiator is the way a team thinks and prescribes before it finally executes. The approach should light a fire, the creative should fan the flames.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ELanguage does the heavy lifting\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe written word has the power to change the world and lift the soul. It\u2019s never been more important in an age where a wee Tweet can wield disproportionate power for your brand. Tone of Voice isn\u2019t a luxury, it\u2019s critical to how you say what you want to say to ensure your staff and your customers are properly engaged and coming back for more.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EPeople are the brand\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s been emotional! Never lose sight of the fact that you\u2019re trying to elicit a response, be it undying loyalty or an instinctive purchase, from human beings. We all want to be moved. We\u2019re drawn to integrity and things that make a difference for others or indeed ourselves. Product or service, they\u2019re run by people for people. They want to care.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood branding is by definition relatively simple. Founders and leaders can\u2019t evangelise everywhere, to everyone, about their passion. Branding is your individual personality, brought to life physically and digitally for the benefit of anyone who cares. Done right, it has the best return on investment potential for any organisation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is an illustration of the way we work. If it interests you, or indeed you just want to know more about how we tackle these types of challenges, drop us a line. We care about good branding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDid you miss the first two articles in this series? Have a read about\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/what-good-branding\u0022\u003Ewhat good branding is\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0and how Nike are the masters of the\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/more-good-branding\u0022\u003Eeverywhere brand\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSo far in this series on what we feel constitutes Good branding, I\u2019ve talked about Filson and its reach with the far-flung members of its family. And, I\u2019ve waxed lyrical about Nike\u2019s discipline in using brand to drive decisions where others wouldn\u2019t. \nIn my finale to this little trilogy, I\u2019m going to pay homage to one of our longest and closest client relationships, Interface.\nWhen we set out on our journey with Good, over 15 years ago, our vision was \u2018to work at the heart of global brands that care.\u2019 Interface embody that vision.\nStarted by Ray Anderson in 1973, Interface has grown to become one of the world\u2019s largest and leading flooring system manufacturers. In 1994, Ray had an epiphany. His company was having a serious impact on the planet and the environment. He couldn\u2019t live with this and resolved to be Carbon Neutral by 2020. Interface\u2019s \u201cMission Zero\u201d.\n\u2018If not me then who. If not now, then when?\u2019 \u2013 Ray Anderson.\n\n\n\n\nHe made a decision that made no immediate financial sense for the business but made every sense to him as an individual. This decision was transformative. For him. For his business. For everyone working for Interface. For everyone who bought product from Interface. For all heavy manufacturers. For the planet and the countless millions living on it. At the time it was seen as an irrational decision to many but by its very nature a great brand decision. And this, I believe, lies at the core of what constitutes a great brand.\nLet\u2019s move to the present day. Unfortunately, Ray passed away in 2011 but his brand legacy lives on in the decision making within the company. The R\u0026amp;D, Design and Manufacturing divisions are still driven by Ray\u2019s original thinking. \u2018Is it great design? Will it have a positive impact on people and the planet?\u2019 Every decision runs through that brand filter. His ethos and principles are the very lifeblood of the company, its people, its products and their goals.\nLet\u2019s take a recent example. Interface\u2019s corporate headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Up until recently, they had long-standing, but perfectly decent offices in a standard tower block in the suburbs. But it wasn\u2019t \u2018On Brand\u2019.\nCurrent CEO Jay Gould is cut from the same cloth as Ray. Having helped achieve Mission Zero early, he has set new ambitious goals with Climate Take Back, to actually give back to the planet and its people. Carbon Neutral is not enough. He could easily have made a sensible \u2018balance sheet\u2019 decision to stay where they were, but he didn\u2019t. He knew they needed a new home that better reflected Interface\u2019s brand. It would be a positive move both for the team and their customers. But it was going to cost millions of dollars. Integrity, belief and vision won the day and an old disused building in central Atlanta was identified and repurposed as Interface\u2019s new \u2018Base Camp\u2019.\nEverything about it was driven by the company\u2019s mission, to \u2018Move people with life-changing design\u2019. From its location close to the metro to reduce reliance on cars for commuting staff, to rainwater collection systems to fill the cisterns. Building materials were reclaimed where possible and Biophilic design and wellbeing principles were applied throughout the space. Co-working and flexibility were built in to encourage cross-team pollination and innovation.\nAlready Interface are seeing the positive benefits of the decision. Staff are loving it. Customers visits are soaring. The model is being replicated across multiple global locations. A decision that would make little initial sense on a balance sheet has made a whole lot of sense for the brand, its people and its growth.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nBrand and branding are ultimately, emotional spanners in an organisation\u2019s toolbox. They often don\u2019t make rational sense but have the ability to move people and change lives if courage and vision are applied in equal measure.\nSo, what does Interface teach us on how to create good branding?\nPurpose is ground zero\nThe Why. The Ethos. The reason for being. Call it what you like. You can\u2019t back engineer it. You can\u2019t \u2018create it\u2019 if it isn\u2019t there. It\u2019s at the heart of everything the organisation does. It drives people to want to work for you and customers to want to buy from you. It can, if used properly, drive every decision you make as a company, for the better.\nIgnore the balance sheet\nIf you see branding as a cost, you\u2019re goosed. Good branding takes time and money if you\u2019re taking it seriously and have a clear vision for your future. To see the impact and growth that can come from consistently relevant branding, you have to see it as a long-term investment.\nDesign is a given\nI can hear the gnashing of teeth from the creatives. Fear not, I\u2019m not dissing your undoubted talents. However, as a client commissioning a branding project, the baseline for talking to a studio is their ability to design. The differentiator is the way a team thinks and prescribes before it finally executes. The approach should light a fire, the creative should fan the flames.\nLanguage does the heavy lifting\nThe written word has the power to change the world and lift the soul. It\u2019s never been more important in an age where a wee Tweet can wield disproportionate power for your brand. Tone of Voice isn\u2019t a luxury, it\u2019s critical to how you say what you want to say to ensure your staff and your customers are properly engaged and coming back for more.\nPeople are the brand\nIt\u2019s been emotional! Never lose sight of the fact that you\u2019re trying to elicit a response, be it undying loyalty or an instinctive purchase, from human beings. We all want to be moved. We\u2019re drawn to integrity and things that make a difference for others or indeed ourselves. Product or service, they\u2019re run by people for people. They want to care.\nGood branding is by definition relatively simple. Founders and leaders can\u2019t evangelise everywhere, to everyone, about their passion. Branding is your individual personality, brought to life physically and digitally for the benefit of anyone who cares. Done right, it has the best return on investment potential for any organisation.\nThis is an illustration of the way we work. If it interests you, or indeed you just want to know more about how we tackle these types of challenges, drop us a line. We care about good branding.\nDid you miss the first two articles in this series? Have a read about\u00a0what good branding is\u00a0and how Nike are the masters of the\u00a0everywhere brand.\n  ","summary":"So far in this series on what we feel constitutes Good branding, I\u2019ve talked about Filson and its reach with the far-flung members of its family. And, I\u2019ve waxed lyrical about Nike\u2019s discipline in using brand to drive decisions where others wouldn\u2019t.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-07-11T12:38:36+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5503","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-build-brand-start-words","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to build a brand: Start with words","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom time to time we face an interesting moment during that first client presentation when we\u2019re introducing a new brand. We\u2019ll take them through values and positioning matrices. Through the insight we\u2019ve gleaned to give the brand the best possible start. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe then get to the grand unveiling of the brand. The tension is palpable. We put up a slide. It\u2019s usually the name of the business and a line that defines the values of the brand. Once every so often the client looks up and asks the question that they\u2019ve been dying to ask since they sat down for the meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhere\u2019s the logo?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, why don\u2019t we start the creative execution of a new brand with a beautiful shiny logo?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re brand designers, not graphic designers. Darren, our creative director has always said this, and I\u2019ll admit that it took me a while to really understand how the two differed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s the difference? It\u2019s words. Or copy. And the understanding that the solution starts here, rather than with design.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we \u2018build a brand\u2019 we build out the foundations first. From the basic values through to a Simple Truth. This work is all driven by words and it\u2019s the most important part. If this stuff\u2019s not right, all the design that\u2019s laid on top is reduced to subjective \u2018pretty\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn brand terms, words are more powerful than anything else. Because words deliver meaning, feeling and emotion. And in the laws of psychology and behavioural economics this is how humans ascribe value. It\u2019s not because of what something physically is, it\u2019s what something means that delivers the value. That\u2019s a whole other blog post, but you get the gist.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, the initial stages of our branding process require deep, reductive thinking to create something meaningful, distinctive and ownable for the brand. Not the usual clich\u00e9s of \u2018integrity\u2019, \u2018professionalism\u2019 and \u2018customer service\u2019. It\u2019s hard and takes time poking around the dark recesses of the client\u2019s mind as well as meeting and talking to lots of people to get an aggregated idea of what makes them, them. Then you\u2019ve got to find a way of putting this into words. And doing it in a way that allows them to instantly recognise themselves, seeing it as distinctive and human in comparison to the cold, mechanical jargon it\u2019s likely to be replacing. Getting clients to feel this meaning in their brand is one of the best parts of the job. It can move and energise people to see their organisation with fresh eyes. And this is before you\u2019ve shown them any pictures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a member of the creative team, if you want to take part in this process, you have to be able to get to grips with words, feelings and emotions. You have to be drawn to the rhetoric and want to play around with it, weighing up the effect of overlap, alliteration and repetition. Pull on idioms, metaphors and hyperbole to create something meaningful that will convey feeling and emotion. This is a creative exercise and the keystone of our branding process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom here we\u2019re able to develop a brand tone of voice mirroring our meaning and values which facilitates compelling brand communication messages. In a world where tweets, comments and clicks are valuable marketing currency, you can begin to understand its value.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese compelling, evocative and ownable elements will form the basis of the graphic branding. The task here is to take the language concept and design the feeling into it. All of the graphic elements must mirror or reflect the meaning in the language platform. In the same way a good whisky picks up character and style from the oak it\u2019s aged in; we must do the same with the design elements from our language and meaning. It\u2019s simply not enough just to take the language platform and design elements around it. This is just design for the sake of design which will miss the mark and create a diluted brand expression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t get me wrong. Design is important in our work, but it\u2019s always going to be subjective. For us, the words are the starting point. And we think it\u2019s impossible to develop a strong brand without a foundation that sums up what the brand means. To misquote David Ogilvy \u201cbranding is the business of words\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave a look at our other articles around \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/journal\/brand-strategy\u0022\u003Ebrand strategy\u003C\/a\u003E or give us a shout if you think \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Ewe can help you\u003C\/a\u003E with your brand\u2019s words.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nFrom time to time we face an interesting moment during that first client presentation when we\u2019re introducing a new brand. We\u2019ll take them through values and positioning matrices. Through the insight we\u2019ve gleaned to give the brand the best possible start. \nWe then get to the grand unveiling of the brand. The tension is palpable. We put up a slide. It\u2019s usually the name of the business and a line that defines the values of the brand. Once every so often the client looks up and asks the question that they\u2019ve been dying to ask since they sat down for the meeting.\u201cWhere\u2019s the logo?\u201dSo, why don\u2019t we start the creative execution of a new brand with a beautiful shiny logo?We\u2019re brand designers, not graphic designers. Darren, our creative director has always said this, and I\u2019ll admit that it took me a while to really understand how the two differed.What\u2019s the difference? It\u2019s words. Or copy. And the understanding that the solution starts here, rather than with design.When we \u2018build a brand\u2019 we build out the foundations first. From the basic values through to a Simple Truth. This work is all driven by words and it\u2019s the most important part. If this stuff\u2019s not right, all the design that\u2019s laid on top is reduced to subjective \u2018pretty\u2019.In brand terms, words are more powerful than anything else. Because words deliver meaning, feeling and emotion. And in the laws of psychology and behavioural economics this is how humans ascribe value. It\u2019s not because of what something physically is, it\u2019s what something means that delivers the value. That\u2019s a whole other blog post, but you get the gist.So, the initial stages of our branding process require deep, reductive thinking to create something meaningful, distinctive and ownable for the brand. Not the usual clich\u00e9s of \u2018integrity\u2019, \u2018professionalism\u2019 and \u2018customer service\u2019. It\u2019s hard and takes time poking around the dark recesses of the client\u2019s mind as well as meeting and talking to lots of people to get an aggregated idea of what makes them, them. Then you\u2019ve got to find a way of putting this into words. And doing it in a way that allows them to instantly recognise themselves, seeing it as distinctive and human in comparison to the cold, mechanical jargon it\u2019s likely to be replacing. Getting clients to feel this meaning in their brand is one of the best parts of the job. It can move and energise people to see their organisation with fresh eyes. And this is before you\u2019ve shown them any pictures.As a member of the creative team, if you want to take part in this process, you have to be able to get to grips with words, feelings and emotions. You have to be drawn to the rhetoric and want to play around with it, weighing up the effect of overlap, alliteration and repetition. Pull on idioms, metaphors and hyperbole to create something meaningful that will convey feeling and emotion. This is a creative exercise and the keystone of our branding process.From here we\u2019re able to develop a brand tone of voice mirroring our meaning and values which facilitates compelling brand communication messages. In a world where tweets, comments and clicks are valuable marketing currency, you can begin to understand its value.These compelling, evocative and ownable elements will form the basis of the graphic branding. The task here is to take the language concept and design the feeling into it. All of the graphic elements must mirror or reflect the meaning in the language platform. In the same way a good whisky picks up character and style from the oak it\u2019s aged in; we must do the same with the design elements from our language and meaning. It\u2019s simply not enough just to take the language platform and design elements around it. This is just design for the sake of design which will miss the mark and create a diluted brand expression.Don\u2019t get me wrong. Design is important in our work, but it\u2019s always going to be subjective. For us, the words are the starting point. And we think it\u2019s impossible to develop a strong brand without a foundation that sums up what the brand means. To misquote David Ogilvy \u201cbranding is the business of words\u201d.Have a look at our other articles around brand strategy or give us a shout if you think we can help you with your brand\u2019s words.  ","summary":"From time to time we face an interesting moment during that first client presentation when we\u2019re introducing a new brand. We\u2019ll take them through values and positioning matrices. Through the insight we\u2019ve gleaned to give the brand the best possible start.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-06-24T16:30:12+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5504","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/gated-content-gate-or-not-gate","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Gated Content- To gate or not to gate?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EGated content is one of those terms used by marketers rather than real people. Marketers see it as a lead generator, a transaction of information for your details by filling out a form and only then can you download that sweet, sweet PDF. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the other side of the coin, people visiting your website see it as a pain in the butt and a way to obstruct their journey to getting\u00a0that sweet, sweet PDF of Knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been on both sides of that fence. I understand why companies will gate their content. It can be a reliable lead generator if your content is of value. On the other hand, I\u2019ve filled out long forms on sites\u00a0only to get content that was ultimately underwhelming. And then came the unrelenting sales\u00a0calls. And the emails. The cost of that download was not worth the price.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt doesn\u2019t need to be this way. While the Internet has conditioned us to get everything for free online, you can create a positive experience with gated content that you offer. At Good, we don\u2019t gate content. You can learn all about \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-don-t-work\u0022\u003Ebrand onions\u003C\/a\u003E, your \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/talking-talk-five-ways-nail-your-brand-s-tone-voice\u0022\u003Ebrand tone of voice\u003C\/a\u003E and why we think \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/why-do-whisky-brands-suck-digital\u0022\u003Ewhisky websites are terrible\u003C\/a\u003E. All for nothing. We\u2019re happy to share. For us, the sharing of our knowledge is key to people to understand our point of view. It helps us get clients and helps current clients understand us better. But if you have to gate it, do it right.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, when should you do gated content? Here\u2019s my checklist:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYour content is sensational\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI mean it, it has to be fantastic. The person that downloads your content should be in line for a promotion after reading it. It can\u2019t just be run of the mill, it can\u2019t be found elsewhere, and it has to offer\u00a0a unique point of view.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYou already have great content that you can access for free\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we have great content that relates to our area of expertise. I\u2019d be happy if we decided to create some sensational content that would provide massive value to those who choose to fill out a form. But without that foundational free content, it wouldn\u2019t seem credible for us to gate content. You wouldn\u2019t necessarily believe that we would have great content if you hadn\u2019t sampled some delicious insights before we asked you for your name and email address.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThere is no other significant way to generate leads\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the tricky one. If you\u2019re getting leads in another way, like a free trial, then don\u2019t gate content. If you\u2019re providing a high range product that has a long and complicated buying cycle and you want to add to your top of the funnel sales pipeline, then think about using gated content. If your\u00a0primary offering is content then it makes sense to gate it; you can\u2019t give that away. But if you\u2019re a manufacturer and content isn\u2019t your primary service, getting leads through content may work. Just make sure that the content is sensational.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo you\u2019ve made the decision. You\u2019ve got excellent content to gate that provides real value to your customers. Great. But the work isn\u2019t finished, you need to start thinking about how to gate the content. It all revolves around trust. Here are my tips.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExplain why it is worth downloading\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not enough to go \u201cDownload our great PDF about XYZ\u201d. You need to get into why it is worth entering in your details to download. What is someone going to learn when they receive this content? This is vital for taking someone to the next step. You may know the value, but you still have to sell it. This may seem obvious, but I was amazed when I went around looking at gated content that just the fact that the content was on offer was deemed enough for me to fire in my details. You need to\u00a0tell me why I\u2019m going to get a promotion for giving you my personal information. This leads on to my next point.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EExplain why you need the personal info\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIdeally, the value of the content is commensurate with the amount of personal information you\u2019re asking for. If you\u2019re looking for a name, an email and a telephone number I\u2019d suggest that you explain why you need this information. Under GDPR, even if you ask for this information, you still need consent to use it. I\u2019ve often wondered why I\u2019m being asked for a telephone number when it doesn\u2019t seem obvious why it is vital for that content. The more information I\u2019m being asked for, the less likely I am to sign up as it just isn\u2019t clear why all that info is needed. Consider explaining why you need this information and why it\u2019s being used. If you feel that giving that detail out front and centre would put people off signing up, then I\u2019d say you need to consider this whole approach. If you can\u2019t be honest with your intentions, then it needs some more thought. Probably around my next point...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHave a clearly defined customer journey\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou have placed the best content ever behind a form. You\u2019ve explained the benefits of this content brilliantly. The form is concise and transparent. You\u2019re getting loads of leads in. But none are converting? Could it be that your\u00a0next step, what do to do with your information, isn\u2019t fully fleshed out?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve had the full range on this. A call from a company 60 seconds after submitting the form. They\u2019re never going get a sale from me; it\u2019s too creepy. And then I\u2019ve had someone call two months after the download which is way too late to be any use.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd then there is the worst of all \u2014 the continual calls. I had one company call me three times from three different people all with the same script. Not good and just put me off.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best approach I\u2019ve seen is where, after the download, you get an email from the company hoping that you enjoy the content in the download, asking for feedback on the content and then stating that someone from the organisation may give me a call in a few days to see if I have any questions further to reading the content. I like this, it makes me feel in control, I know what\u2019s going to happen next, and my opinion is being sought. When someone does call, I\u2019m more likely to take the call to at least say I\u2019m not interested in having a question asked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIdeally, all content should be free on the Internet. I get that purist view, but I\u2019m also pragmatic enough to understand that some businesses only valuable\u00a0asset at a certain point of the journey is their content. Some companies can\u2019t give away free trials for products so need to gather leads through the content. It can work, but it needs to be built on trust:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETrust that the content that\u2019s gated is first class\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETrust that the information gathered is equal to the value of the content being downloaded\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETrust that the information given is going to be used in the correct manner\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe whole gated content thing is a minefield. I know that. Let me know if you\u2019d like to chat through your options, and I\u2019d be \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Edelighted to help\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027d\u00a0like to read more on our views on content, you can read about the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/starting-your-content-strategy\u0022\u003Efirst steps in your content strategy\u003C\/a\u003E and goes a little deeper with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/content-strategy-and-why-you-need-one\u0022\u003Ewhat\u00a0content strategy is and why you need one\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nGated content is one of those terms used by marketers rather than real people. Marketers see it as a lead generator, a transaction of information for your details by filling out a form and only then can you download that sweet, sweet PDF. \nOn the other side of the coin, people visiting your website see it as a pain in the butt and a way to obstruct their journey to getting\u00a0that sweet, sweet PDF of Knowledge.\nI\u2019ve been on both sides of that fence. I understand why companies will gate their content. It can be a reliable lead generator if your content is of value. On the other hand, I\u2019ve filled out long forms on sites\u00a0only to get content that was ultimately underwhelming. And then came the unrelenting sales\u00a0calls. And the emails. The cost of that download was not worth the price.\nIt doesn\u2019t need to be this way. While the Internet has conditioned us to get everything for free online, you can create a positive experience with gated content that you offer. At Good, we don\u2019t gate content. You can learn all about brand onions, your brand tone of voice and why we think whisky websites are terrible. All for nothing. We\u2019re happy to share. For us, the sharing of our knowledge is key to people to understand our point of view. It helps us get clients and helps current clients understand us better. But if you have to gate it, do it right.\nSo, when should you do gated content? Here\u2019s my checklist:\nYour content is sensational\nI mean it, it has to be fantastic. The person that downloads your content should be in line for a promotion after reading it. It can\u2019t just be run of the mill, it can\u2019t be found elsewhere, and it has to offer\u00a0a unique point of view.\nYou already have great content that you can access for free\nAt Good, we have great content that relates to our area of expertise. I\u2019d be happy if we decided to create some sensational content that would provide massive value to those who choose to fill out a form. But without that foundational free content, it wouldn\u2019t seem credible for us to gate content. You wouldn\u2019t necessarily believe that we would have great content if you hadn\u2019t sampled some delicious insights before we asked you for your name and email address.\nThere is no other significant way to generate leads\nThis is the tricky one. If you\u2019re getting leads in another way, like a free trial, then don\u2019t gate content. If you\u2019re providing a high range product that has a long and complicated buying cycle and you want to add to your top of the funnel sales pipeline, then think about using gated content. If your\u00a0primary offering is content then it makes sense to gate it; you can\u2019t give that away. But if you\u2019re a manufacturer and content isn\u2019t your primary service, getting leads through content may work. Just make sure that the content is sensational.\u00a0\nSo you\u2019ve made the decision. You\u2019ve got excellent content to gate that provides real value to your customers. Great. But the work isn\u2019t finished, you need to start thinking about how to gate the content. It all revolves around trust. Here are my tips.\nExplain why it is worth downloading\nIt\u2019s not enough to go \u201cDownload our great PDF about XYZ\u201d. You need to get into why it is worth entering in your details to download. What is someone going to learn when they receive this content? This is vital for taking someone to the next step. You may know the value, but you still have to sell it. This may seem obvious, but I was amazed when I went around looking at gated content that just the fact that the content was on offer was deemed enough for me to fire in my details. You need to\u00a0tell me why I\u2019m going to get a promotion for giving you my personal information. This leads on to my next point.\nExplain why you need the personal info\nIdeally, the value of the content is commensurate with the amount of personal information you\u2019re asking for. If you\u2019re looking for a name, an email and a telephone number I\u2019d suggest that you explain why you need this information. Under GDPR, even if you ask for this information, you still need consent to use it. I\u2019ve often wondered why I\u2019m being asked for a telephone number when it doesn\u2019t seem obvious why it is vital for that content. The more information I\u2019m being asked for, the less likely I am to sign up as it just isn\u2019t clear why all that info is needed. Consider explaining why you need this information and why it\u2019s being used. If you feel that giving that detail out front and centre would put people off signing up, then I\u2019d say you need to consider this whole approach. If you can\u2019t be honest with your intentions, then it needs some more thought. Probably around my next point...\nHave a clearly defined customer journey\nYou have placed the best content ever behind a form. You\u2019ve explained the benefits of this content brilliantly. The form is concise and transparent. You\u2019re getting loads of leads in. But none are converting? Could it be that your\u00a0next step, what do to do with your information, isn\u2019t fully fleshed out?\nI\u2019ve had the full range on this. A call from a company 60 seconds after submitting the form. They\u2019re never going get a sale from me; it\u2019s too creepy. And then I\u2019ve had someone call two months after the download which is way too late to be any use.\nAnd then there is the worst of all \u2014 the continual calls. I had one company call me three times from three different people all with the same script. Not good and just put me off.\nThe best approach I\u2019ve seen is where, after the download, you get an email from the company hoping that you enjoy the content in the download, asking for feedback on the content and then stating that someone from the organisation may give me a call in a few days to see if I have any questions further to reading the content. I like this, it makes me feel in control, I know what\u2019s going to happen next, and my opinion is being sought. When someone does call, I\u2019m more likely to take the call to at least say I\u2019m not interested in having a question asked.\nIdeally, all content should be free on the Internet. I get that purist view, but I\u2019m also pragmatic enough to understand that some businesses only valuable\u00a0asset at a certain point of the journey is their content. Some companies can\u2019t give away free trials for products so need to gather leads through the content. It can work, but it needs to be built on trust:\nTrust that the content that\u2019s gated is first class\nTrust that the information gathered is equal to the value of the content being downloaded\nTrust that the information given is going to be used in the correct manner\nThe whole gated content thing is a minefield. I know that. Let me know if you\u2019d like to chat through your options, and I\u2019d be delighted to help.\nIf you\u0027d\u00a0like to read more on our views on content, you can read about the first steps in your content strategy and goes a little deeper with what\u00a0content strategy is and why you need one.\n  ","summary":"Gated content is one of those terms used by marketers rather than real people. Marketers see it as a lead generator, a transaction of information for your details by filling out a form and only then can you download that sweet, sweet PDF.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-05-03T09:44:47+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5505","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/more-good-branding","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"More Good Branding","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI recently wrote a post on the definition of good branding, where I used a young Filson store assistant in Portland as a great example of how good branding can positively influence behaviour in both staff and customers. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo an extent, this is the base level of what branding can be expected to achieve. But it can also be the tip of the iceberg with regard to the reach and influence of branding within any given organisation. It can and arguably should be the filter through which all business decisions can be filtered. From internal communications to employment criteria. Digital content to guidance for successful mergers and acquisitions. The list is frankly endless.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI recently came across a good example of this that ties to my previous article about \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/what-good-branding\u0022\u003EGood branding\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only did we have a tremendous wee experience in our aforementioned Filson store, but we were also lucky enough to get a tour of Nike\u2019s Global Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. As you\u2019d expect, these guys know a bit about brand and branding. They know who they are, what they\u2019re doing and where they\u2019re going, and the brand is alive and well in every single touchpoint.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2236\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Nike Headquarters\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00227\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/nike_headquarters_0.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022720\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe campus is a symphony to Nike\u2019s history and ambition. Buildings named after athletes old and new. Physical and graphic homages to exploits, records and achievements. Everywhere you look Nike apparel and shoes are worn by staff with gusto. Phil Knight\u2019s sales van and the original sketches of the Nike \u2018swoosh\u2019 take pride of place. In every building, gyms, basketball courts, swimming pools and climbing walls encourage all to live the dream. Visiting college American football teams go through drills on training pitches. Banners and slogans to the good and great of Nike\u2019s sponsored athletes are around every corner, on every walkway. I was delighted to see that \u0027Bo still doesn\u2019t know Diddly!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECross-pollination of teams is encouraged in cafes and breakout spaces inside and out. Innovation is in the blood of the company and is prevalent everywhere and in everybody. And if all this gets a little too much, head to the Japanese garden - a living salute to Phil Knight\u2019s original investors - to chill out, recharge and seek inspiration.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u2019t a headquarters it\u2019s a brand experience of the highest calibre, focused not on the consumer, but on the very people who bring \u2018Just Do It\u2019 to the max every day. Nike\u2019s 14,000 staff who pour through its gates each morning to push the brand forward and establish an unassailable lead for others to follow.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf I\u2019m honest, I kind of expected all of that. What I didn\u2019t expect were the lengths to which these guys use their brand to influence and drive decisions where others simply wouldn\u2019t bother. Let\u2019s talk about one of Nike\u2019s parking garages.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo begin with, architecture plays a big part on campus. Great design and innovation run through all the building\u2019s DNA. Reference the latest pantheon to Seb Coe. The latest in a long line of stunning buildings by premier architects that hug the lake in the centre of the campus. I could count four more under construction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2240\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Seb Coe Building\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00229\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/seb_coe_building.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022675\u0022 height=\u0022900\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyway, done for the day, we were offered a lift to another location to catch our Uber back into Portland. Wandering through the immaculate gardens - tended by a dedicated Nike gardening team - we were led toward a stunning black and orange structure. Another edifice to an iconic athlete? Nope! This fantastic piece of architecture was a Car Park. Iconic, cool, original and innovative, I simply couldn\u2019t wait to get to it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2239\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Nike Basketball\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00228\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/nike_basketball.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022720\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow many car parks do you know have a basketball court incorporated into its entranceway with concrete bleachers for those that just want to chill and watch. This isn\u2019t going home for the night. This is an opportunity to show the employees how much the brand cares and to once again underline the ethos of the company. Meet friends before you shoot home. Get some exercise, swap ideas, push yourself just a little further. Interact. Grow. Enjoy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome monstrosities I\u2019ve used for parking are generally well \u2018tagged\u2019 by local worthies, it\u2019s often less than inspiring. Here the brand has used its roots and previous campaigns, employing a host of individual artists, to execute graffiti and murals to illustrate the company\u2019s many amazing stories.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2234\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Nike Mural\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00225\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/mural_nike.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022720\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGreat lighting. Charging Stations. Beautifully designed bike racks. Hopscotch if you fancy it and a game of giant chess for those that fancy exercising their cerebral cortex, as well as their muscles, before leaving for home.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2235\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Nike Chess\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00226\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/nike_chess.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022720\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could have been a garage. It\u2019s not. Its an experience, because Nike takes branding very seriously indeed. Oh, and I believe their Director of Buildings and Construction is Scottish, which is also a good sign!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf all the great things I experienced on the Nike campus, that garage is going to stick with me. If you\u2019re going to \u2018Just Do It\u2019 in branding terms. Do it all. Do it right.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHave a look at the\u00a0first part of\u00a0my \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/what-good-branding\u0022\u003EGood branding\u003C\/a\u003E series.\u00a0You\u0027ll find the third and final part on how Nike are the masters of the\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/good-advice-good-branding\u0022\u003Eeverywhere brand\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI recently wrote a post on the definition of good branding, where I used a young Filson store assistant in Portland as a great example of how good branding can positively influence behaviour in both staff and customers. \nTo an extent, this is the base level of what branding can be expected to achieve. But it can also be the tip of the iceberg with regard to the reach and influence of branding within any given organisation. It can and arguably should be the filter through which all business decisions can be filtered. From internal communications to employment criteria. Digital content to guidance for successful mergers and acquisitions. The list is frankly endless.\nI recently came across a good example of this that ties to my previous article about Good branding.\nNot only did we have a tremendous wee experience in our aforementioned Filson store, but we were also lucky enough to get a tour of Nike\u2019s Global Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. As you\u2019d expect, these guys know a bit about brand and branding. They know who they are, what they\u2019re doing and where they\u2019re going, and the brand is alive and well in every single touchpoint.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nThe campus is a symphony to Nike\u2019s history and ambition. Buildings named after athletes old and new. Physical and graphic homages to exploits, records and achievements. Everywhere you look Nike apparel and shoes are worn by staff with gusto. Phil Knight\u2019s sales van and the original sketches of the Nike \u2018swoosh\u2019 take pride of place. In every building, gyms, basketball courts, swimming pools and climbing walls encourage all to live the dream. Visiting college American football teams go through drills on training pitches. Banners and slogans to the good and great of Nike\u2019s sponsored athletes are around every corner, on every walkway. I was delighted to see that \u0027Bo still doesn\u2019t know Diddly!\u2019\nCross-pollination of teams is encouraged in cafes and breakout spaces inside and out. Innovation is in the blood of the company and is prevalent everywhere and in everybody. And if all this gets a little too much, head to the Japanese garden - a living salute to Phil Knight\u2019s original investors - to chill out, recharge and seek inspiration.\nThis isn\u2019t a headquarters it\u2019s a brand experience of the highest calibre, focused not on the consumer, but on the very people who bring \u2018Just Do It\u2019 to the max every day. Nike\u2019s 14,000 staff who pour through its gates each morning to push the brand forward and establish an unassailable lead for others to follow.\nIf I\u2019m honest, I kind of expected all of that. What I didn\u2019t expect were the lengths to which these guys use their brand to influence and drive decisions where others simply wouldn\u2019t bother. Let\u2019s talk about one of Nike\u2019s parking garages.\nTo begin with, architecture plays a big part on campus. Great design and innovation run through all the building\u2019s DNA. Reference the latest pantheon to Seb Coe. The latest in a long line of stunning buildings by premier architects that hug the lake in the centre of the campus. I could count four more under construction.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nAnyway, done for the day, we were offered a lift to another location to catch our Uber back into Portland. Wandering through the immaculate gardens - tended by a dedicated Nike gardening team - we were led toward a stunning black and orange structure. Another edifice to an iconic athlete? Nope! This fantastic piece of architecture was a Car Park. Iconic, cool, original and innovative, I simply couldn\u2019t wait to get to it.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nHow many car parks do you know have a basketball court incorporated into its entranceway with concrete bleachers for those that just want to chill and watch. This isn\u2019t going home for the night. This is an opportunity to show the employees how much the brand cares and to once again underline the ethos of the company. Meet friends before you shoot home. Get some exercise, swap ideas, push yourself just a little further. Interact. Grow. Enjoy.\nSome monstrosities I\u2019ve used for parking are generally well \u2018tagged\u2019 by local worthies, it\u2019s often less than inspiring. Here the brand has used its roots and previous campaigns, employing a host of individual artists, to execute graffiti and murals to illustrate the company\u2019s many amazing stories.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nGreat lighting. Charging Stations. Beautifully designed bike racks. Hopscotch if you fancy it and a game of giant chess for those that fancy exercising their cerebral cortex, as well as their muscles, before leaving for home.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nThis could have been a garage. It\u2019s not. Its an experience, because Nike takes branding very seriously indeed. Oh, and I believe their Director of Buildings and Construction is Scottish, which is also a good sign!\nOf all the great things I experienced on the Nike campus, that garage is going to stick with me. If you\u2019re going to \u2018Just Do It\u2019 in branding terms. Do it all. Do it right.\nHave a look at the\u00a0first part of\u00a0my Good branding series.\u00a0You\u0027ll find the third and final part on how Nike are the masters of the\u00a0everywhere brand.\n  ","summary":"I recently wrote a post on the definition of good branding, where I used a young Filson store assistant in Portland as a great example of how good branding can positively influence behaviour in both staff and customers.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-01-10T16:33:29+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5506","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-good-branding","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What is Good Branding?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo the call comes in from on high. We need a blog post on our definition of branding. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027You\u2019re travelling with time on your hands during flights. Can you draft some thoughts?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is a well-documented area already isn\u2019t it?\u2019\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Yes, but what\u2019s our take on it?\u2019\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI need an angle that isn\u2019t going to bore the pants off everyone. Something simple. Something honest that shows the love. I\u2019ve just been in Portland for a few days, and I\u2019m hopping down to Atlanta for meetings. Anything spring to mind to help the cause? I spent some time at Nike\u2019s Global HQ in Beaverton - they know who they are and what they\u2019re about. Even their car park was on brand! That\u2019s a post for another day. Something smaller maybe, a metaphor for what we feel good branding can achieve?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What about the assistant in the Filson shop in the Pearl District?\u2019 Perfect.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re going to try to simply define what branding is you should start with what a brand is. It\u2019s often misused and misunderstood. These days, every piece of design you see is labelled as branding, a re-brand, a brand refresh. Companies large and small describe their products and services as brands. It\u2019s all very grand, and it\u2019s usually very wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA good brand knows what it is. From day one it\u0027s created for a singular purpose, and it never deviates from the North Star of its being.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our wonderful example, Clinton C. Filson wanted to make tough as old boots workwear for the prospectors heading to the gold rush. Boom, Filson was born in Seattle, Washington in 1897 to do just that and only that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA good brand delivers on its promise to its customer. Day in day out. Year after year. Decade after decade. The longer you can deliver on your promise, the more trust you build with your happy customers. The more trust you build, the more your happy customers will tell others about your \u2018brand\u2019 of brilliance. And the virtuous circle perpetuates growth and greatness. Hopefully!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo this day, that\u2019s what Filson does. We don\u2019t have enough prospectors anymore to sustain the brand, but we do have men and women in the USA and throughout the world who demand tough as old boots clothing, made from traditional materials and built to last a lifetime in the outdoors. Whether working or playing. Filson has maintained their promise to their customers for over 100 years. Built to last or your money back. If damaged and you still love it, we\u2019ll fix it and get it back to you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo simple directives for a good brand. Know who and what you are. Deliver on that promise. Always and forever.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, if you work hard enough and if you do it for long enough, you\u2019re going to build a brand. And as it grows you\u2019re going to start talking to more and more people, and you\u2019re going to need more and more staff to help you keep up with demand. You can\u0027t personally talk to each and every one of them to give them your insight, vision and ethos. Why you\u2019re doing it. Your promise to them. This is where branding comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBranding is simply manifesting your reason for being and your promise to your customers into an easily understandable and memorable identity. Words, pictures and materials that honestly represent your personality, so you can really \u2018engage\u2019 with potential new customers and loyal old customers who unfortunately you\u2019ll never meet in person.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhich brings me neatly to our young assistant in our wee Portland Filson store, and the very definition of the power of good branding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s get the basics out of the way first. The quality and relevance of the location. The close proximity of a broad cross-section of their target audience. Signage, fixtures, fittings, materials and graphics, all well-executed, bang on brand and consistent with on and offline communications. We\u2019re getting it!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2232\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Great Branding\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/img_3883.jpg\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022970\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u2019s the clincher. The human factor. A young assistant, in the latest of many Filson outposts, could easily be overlooked or left to her own devices. Not here. Welcoming and knowledgeable she unprompted tells us in a sentence what the brand is all about. It\u2019s her words not a script, and it\u2019s simple, engaging, memorable and informative.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only that but she illustrated her simple story with an undeniable proof point. A Lineman\u2019s jacket, worn every day for 25 years. A thing of humanly destroyed beauty and the nail in the coffin of my bank balance. I really need a Waxed Tin Cloth Cruiser jacket. It costs a bomb, but hey, it\u0027s going to last me a lifetime!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood branding is simple and direct enough to reach, convert and nurture advocates. Both internal and external, far and wide, from inception to death.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESounds easy. It isn\u2019t. In an ever more complicated, fast-moving and saturated world, standing for something and clearly getting that simple message to the people who care is getting ever more challenging.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that\u2019s where we come in.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis is the first of three articles in my series on Good branding. Check out the follow-up stories\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/more-good-branding\u0022\u003Eabout good branding\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0and \u003Ca href=\u0022\/articles\/good-advice-good-branding\u0022\u003Ethe way Interface have embraced their brand\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSo the call comes in from on high. We need a blog post on our definition of branding. \n\u0027You\u2019re travelling with time on your hands during flights. Can you draft some thoughts?\u2019\n\u2018This is a well-documented area already isn\u2019t it?\u2019\u00a0\n\u2018Yes, but what\u2019s our take on it?\u2019\u00a0\nI need an angle that isn\u2019t going to bore the pants off everyone. Something simple. Something honest that shows the love. I\u2019ve just been in Portland for a few days, and I\u2019m hopping down to Atlanta for meetings. Anything spring to mind to help the cause? I spent some time at Nike\u2019s Global HQ in Beaverton - they know who they are and what they\u2019re about. Even their car park was on brand! That\u2019s a post for another day. Something smaller maybe, a metaphor for what we feel good branding can achieve?\n\u2018What about the assistant in the Filson shop in the Pearl District?\u2019 Perfect.\nIf you\u2019re going to try to simply define what branding is you should start with what a brand is. It\u2019s often misused and misunderstood. These days, every piece of design you see is labelled as branding, a re-brand, a brand refresh. Companies large and small describe their products and services as brands. It\u2019s all very grand, and it\u2019s usually very wrong.\nA good brand knows what it is. From day one it\u0027s created for a singular purpose, and it never deviates from the North Star of its being.\nIn our wonderful example, Clinton C. Filson wanted to make tough as old boots workwear for the prospectors heading to the gold rush. Boom, Filson was born in Seattle, Washington in 1897 to do just that and only that.\nA good brand delivers on its promise to its customer. Day in day out. Year after year. Decade after decade. The longer you can deliver on your promise, the more trust you build with your happy customers. The more trust you build, the more your happy customers will tell others about your \u2018brand\u2019 of brilliance. And the virtuous circle perpetuates growth and greatness. Hopefully!\nTo this day, that\u2019s what Filson does. We don\u2019t have enough prospectors anymore to sustain the brand, but we do have men and women in the USA and throughout the world who demand tough as old boots clothing, made from traditional materials and built to last a lifetime in the outdoors. Whether working or playing. Filson has maintained their promise to their customers for over 100 years. Built to last or your money back. If damaged and you still love it, we\u2019ll fix it and get it back to you.\nTwo simple directives for a good brand. Know who and what you are. Deliver on that promise. Always and forever.\nNow, if you work hard enough and if you do it for long enough, you\u2019re going to build a brand. And as it grows you\u2019re going to start talking to more and more people, and you\u2019re going to need more and more staff to help you keep up with demand. You can\u0027t personally talk to each and every one of them to give them your insight, vision and ethos. Why you\u2019re doing it. Your promise to them. This is where branding comes in.\nBranding is simply manifesting your reason for being and your promise to your customers into an easily understandable and memorable identity. Words, pictures and materials that honestly represent your personality, so you can really \u2018engage\u2019 with potential new customers and loyal old customers who unfortunately you\u2019ll never meet in person.\nWhich brings me neatly to our young assistant in our wee Portland Filson store, and the very definition of the power of good branding.\nLet\u2019s get the basics out of the way first. The quality and relevance of the location. The close proximity of a broad cross-section of their target audience. Signage, fixtures, fittings, materials and graphics, all well-executed, bang on brand and consistent with on and offline communications. We\u2019re getting it!\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n\u00a0\nBut here\u2019s the clincher. The human factor. A young assistant, in the latest of many Filson outposts, could easily be overlooked or left to her own devices. Not here. Welcoming and knowledgeable she unprompted tells us in a sentence what the brand is all about. It\u2019s her words not a script, and it\u2019s simple, engaging, memorable and informative.\u00a0\nNot only that but she illustrated her simple story with an undeniable proof point. A Lineman\u2019s jacket, worn every day for 25 years. A thing of humanly destroyed beauty and the nail in the coffin of my bank balance. I really need a Waxed Tin Cloth Cruiser jacket. It costs a bomb, but hey, it\u0027s going to last me a lifetime!\nGood branding is simple and direct enough to reach, convert and nurture advocates. Both internal and external, far and wide, from inception to death.\nSounds easy. It isn\u2019t. In an ever more complicated, fast-moving and saturated world, standing for something and clearly getting that simple message to the people who care is getting ever more challenging.\u00a0\nAnd that\u2019s where we come in.\u00a0\nThis is the first of three articles in my series on Good branding. Check out the follow-up stories\u00a0about good branding\u00a0and the way Interface have embraced their brand.\n  ","summary":"So the call comes in from on high. We need a blog post on our definition of branding.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2019-01-07T14:44:11+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5507","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/creating-right-marketing-strategy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":" Creating the right marketing strategy","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis might sound overly simplistic, but one of the questions we keep asking ourselves (and our clients) is \u2018how does this contribute to the plan?\u2019 \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur plan is a simple one that\u2019s focused on growing our business with the right type of clients and projects. We\u2019re clear on what type of work and client we work best with, and this clarity helps us make easy decisions about where we should spend our time and money to develop this business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, we\u2019re a small business and our philosophy is about keeping it simple, so it\u2019s easy to execute and communicate a plan. Working backwards, we know some basic things about what we want to do:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWe want to grow our business by 8% year on year.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETo do that we need to retain some clients. (And maintain or manage their spends).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWe also need to shed some clients. (The ones that don\u2019t fit our sweet spot).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAnd we need to attract the right new clients. (The ones that fit a predetermined profile - i.e. the right type of work with the right type of client).\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach of these tasks are related and they\u2019re all wrapped up into the headline growth objective. The senior team know how to guide and manage the processes and decisions that contribute to the target. It\u2019s not rocket science and it\u2019s not perfect, but it works and has done for the last 15 years. So we\u2019re sticking with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI suppose the main thing is that there IS a plan. And that\u2019s the bit that always surprises me when we meet clients that don\u2019t seem to be working to any sort of meaningful short, medium or long-term plan. Whether it\u2019s in brand, marketing or business in general. Or there may well be a plan, but it might be so overly complicated with charts, graphs and tracking data that any obvious or meaningful conclusions are lost.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problems then surface within the business when the sales team are dancing to a different tune to the marketing team. Departments are siloed, politics come into play and the whole thing starts to spin out of control. The higher purpose is lost and decision making (particularly in brand) becomes subjective rather than objective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne little trick we\u2019ve developed to combat this challenge is what I call the \u0027Russian Doll\u0027 Plan. And it\u2019s quite useful to use at the start of a project to contextualise precisely what it is that we\u2019re being asked to do. It forces you to concede that the work is tethered to a higher objective and allows you to make more effective decisions against that larger objective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrand Level\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat are we being asked to do and why?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMarketing Level\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow does this brand project contribute to a marketing plan \u0026amp; objectives?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommercial Level\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow do both tie into the broader-based commercial or business objective?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey all fit into each other (The Russian Doll) and help create a virtuous circle of coherent activity which is going to work for the business. Resist the temptation to overcomplicate, or embellish with too much detail. The simpler it is, the easier it is for everyone to understand and act against.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we\u2019re big fans of a simple plan and we love getting our sleeves rolled up to facilitate a planning session. So, if you think you could do with creating yourself a Russian Doll plan, give us a shout and we can collaborate.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThis might sound overly simplistic, but one of the questions we keep asking ourselves (and our clients) is \u2018how does this contribute to the plan?\u2019 \nOur plan is a simple one that\u2019s focused on growing our business with the right type of clients and projects. We\u2019re clear on what type of work and client we work best with, and this clarity helps us make easy decisions about where we should spend our time and money to develop this business.\nNow, we\u2019re a small business and our philosophy is about keeping it simple, so it\u2019s easy to execute and communicate a plan. Working backwards, we know some basic things about what we want to do:\nWe want to grow our business by 8% year on year.\nTo do that we need to retain some clients. (And maintain or manage their spends).\nWe also need to shed some clients. (The ones that don\u2019t fit our sweet spot).\nAnd we need to attract the right new clients. (The ones that fit a predetermined profile - i.e. the right type of work with the right type of client).\nEach of these tasks are related and they\u2019re all wrapped up into the headline growth objective. The senior team know how to guide and manage the processes and decisions that contribute to the target. It\u2019s not rocket science and it\u2019s not perfect, but it works and has done for the last 15 years. So we\u2019re sticking with it.\nI suppose the main thing is that there IS a plan. And that\u2019s the bit that always surprises me when we meet clients that don\u2019t seem to be working to any sort of meaningful short, medium or long-term plan. Whether it\u2019s in brand, marketing or business in general. Or there may well be a plan, but it might be so overly complicated with charts, graphs and tracking data that any obvious or meaningful conclusions are lost.\nThe problems then surface within the business when the sales team are dancing to a different tune to the marketing team. Departments are siloed, politics come into play and the whole thing starts to spin out of control. The higher purpose is lost and decision making (particularly in brand) becomes subjective rather than objective.\nOne little trick we\u2019ve developed to combat this challenge is what I call the \u0027Russian Doll\u0027 Plan. And it\u2019s quite useful to use at the start of a project to contextualise precisely what it is that we\u2019re being asked to do. It forces you to concede that the work is tethered to a higher objective and allows you to make more effective decisions against that larger objective.\nBrand LevelWhat are we being asked to do and why?\nMarketing LevelHow does this brand project contribute to a marketing plan \u0026amp; objectives?\nCommercial LevelHow do both tie into the broader-based commercial or business objective?\nThey all fit into each other (The Russian Doll) and help create a virtuous circle of coherent activity which is going to work for the business. Resist the temptation to overcomplicate, or embellish with too much detail. The simpler it is, the easier it is for everyone to understand and act against.\nAt Good, we\u2019re big fans of a simple plan and we love getting our sleeves rolled up to facilitate a planning session. So, if you think you could do with creating yourself a Russian Doll plan, give us a shout and we can collaborate.\n  ","summary":"This might sound overly simplistic, but one of the questions we keep asking ourselves (and our clients) is \u2018how does this contribute to the plan?\u2019","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-12-18T14:35:28+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5508","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/five-tips-your-next-naming-project","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Five Tips for your next Naming Project","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ETalkTalk have launched FibreNation \u2013 a company to help build a new broadband network for Britain. And we worked with them to name and brand the new organisation. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFibreNation is entering a hugely competitive market. The government has set ambitious targets to increase the number of homes served by full fibre, and the competition is hotting up. Openreach and Virgin Media are in there, along with Gigaclear, Hyperoptic and Cityfibre as new players. Even though they\u2019re B2B, we\u2019re going to be seeing a lot of these names over the coming months and years on the sides of vans, hoardings, hard hats and high vis vests.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-default\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-2066\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg alt=\u0022Fibre Nation\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-default\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/talktalk_fibrenation_journal_header-squashed.jpg\u0022 width=\u00221336\u0022 height=\u0022400\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENaming \u2013 essentially a subset of the branding process \u2013 is one of the hardest things to do.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt takes years of experience and professional objectivity to be able to plot a path through the pitfalls of these projects. In this case, the time was tight, but the process seemed to work smoothly. I wanted to try and identify the key enablers that made the project as frictionless as possible \u2013 which might act as a blueprint for future briefs.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. \u00a0 \u00a0Lack of Time Creates Focus\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis can be a blessing as well as a curse. From receipt of brief to finalisation was around 3 months. Those in the world of branding know that this isn\u2019t a long time \u2013 particularly when naming is involved. However, in this instance, it helped focus the minds of all concerned. It was treated as a priority and the client was well engaged throughout. That\u2019s key. Agencies generally move at the speed of the slowest stakeholder on the client slide. When they\u2019re streamlined, we can all move really quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u00a0 \u00a0Right Heads at the Right Times\u00a0\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is probably the most important aspect in getting a project over the line \u2013 and it\u2019s a credit to the client. Their project team was small and very senior. The Head of Marketing and Chief Executive took advice and made decisions. They did report back into a broader stakeholder group and we did meet them at some of the meetings, but I can\u2019t undersell the benefit of a small senior team who are able to cut through the various roadblocks and politics to get the decisions made.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. \u00a0 \u00a0A Clear Brief\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u2019s an old favourite, but it\u2019s true. TalkTalk came to us with absolute clarity around what they felt they needed. It wasn\u2019t a self-diagnosis which couldn\u2019t be challenged, but they\u2019d laid enough of the groundwork to make it clear where they felt the solution lay. These tight parameters really help the creative team in the process, providing focus and clarity of thought to the challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. \u00a0 \u00a0Agency Experience\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENaming\u2019s a specialism, and the more you do it, the better you get at it. Our team have been around the block a bit and although no two jobs are the same, the iterative process surfaces common themes. When facing tight timelines, this means we\u2019re able to take some shortcuts in the rapid prototyping of names, descriptors and language. These elements are important as they place a name within a context and that makes it easier to evaluate quickly. All of this is\u00a0in\u00a0addition to the other capabilities of availability checks at the Intellectual Property Office, collaboration with legal teams, rolling with the feedback and tweaking or evolving names and creative to get to consensus.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. \u00a0 \u00a0Pragmatism\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis bites quite early on in the naming process. Given we live in a world where there are fewer and fewer \u2018free\u2019 names, tough decisions need to be made. Our advice to clients is always to create a long list, then a shortlist \u2013 but keep an open mind until you know which one carries least baggage. TalkTalk were great here, looking to take between 5 and 10 options forward for legal consideration. They didn\u2019t get too attached to any of them (which can be a problem), and made their decision based on a mix of availability, legal clearance and consensus of preference.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we\u2019re experts in naming and branding \u2013 so if you\u2019re facing a similar challenge to TalkTalk, why don\u2019t you \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Egive us a shout\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nTalkTalk have launched FibreNation \u2013 a company to help build a new broadband network for Britain. And we worked with them to name and brand the new organisation. \nFibreNation is entering a hugely competitive market. The government has set ambitious targets to increase the number of homes served by full fibre, and the competition is hotting up. Openreach and Virgin Media are in there, along with Gigaclear, Hyperoptic and Cityfibre as new players. Even though they\u2019re B2B, we\u2019re going to be seeing a lot of these names over the coming months and years on the sides of vans, hoardings, hard hats and high vis vests.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nNaming \u2013 essentially a subset of the branding process \u2013 is one of the hardest things to do.\nIt takes years of experience and professional objectivity to be able to plot a path through the pitfalls of these projects. In this case, the time was tight, but the process seemed to work smoothly. I wanted to try and identify the key enablers that made the project as frictionless as possible \u2013 which might act as a blueprint for future briefs.\n1. \u00a0 \u00a0Lack of Time Creates FocusThis can be a blessing as well as a curse. From receipt of brief to finalisation was around 3 months. Those in the world of branding know that this isn\u2019t a long time \u2013 particularly when naming is involved. However, in this instance, it helped focus the minds of all concerned. It was treated as a priority and the client was well engaged throughout. That\u2019s key. Agencies generally move at the speed of the slowest stakeholder on the client slide. When they\u2019re streamlined, we can all move really quickly.\n2. \u00a0 \u00a0Right Heads at the Right Times\u00a0This is probably the most important aspect in getting a project over the line \u2013 and it\u2019s a credit to the client. Their project team was small and very senior. The Head of Marketing and Chief Executive took advice and made decisions. They did report back into a broader stakeholder group and we did meet them at some of the meetings, but I can\u2019t undersell the benefit of a small senior team who are able to cut through the various roadblocks and politics to get the decisions made.\n3. \u00a0 \u00a0A Clear BriefIt\u2019s an old favourite, but it\u2019s true. TalkTalk came to us with absolute clarity around what they felt they needed. It wasn\u2019t a self-diagnosis which couldn\u2019t be challenged, but they\u2019d laid enough of the groundwork to make it clear where they felt the solution lay. These tight parameters really help the creative team in the process, providing focus and clarity of thought to the challenge.\n4. \u00a0 \u00a0Agency ExperienceNaming\u2019s a specialism, and the more you do it, the better you get at it. Our team have been around the block a bit and although no two jobs are the same, the iterative process surfaces common themes. When facing tight timelines, this means we\u2019re able to take some shortcuts in the rapid prototyping of names, descriptors and language. These elements are important as they place a name within a context and that makes it easier to evaluate quickly. All of this is\u00a0in\u00a0addition to the other capabilities of availability checks at the Intellectual Property Office, collaboration with legal teams, rolling with the feedback and tweaking or evolving names and creative to get to consensus.\n5. \u00a0 \u00a0PragmatismThis bites quite early on in the naming process. Given we live in a world where there are fewer and fewer \u2018free\u2019 names, tough decisions need to be made. Our advice to clients is always to create a long list, then a shortlist \u2013 but keep an open mind until you know which one carries least baggage. TalkTalk were great here, looking to take between 5 and 10 options forward for legal consideration. They didn\u2019t get too attached to any of them (which can be a problem), and made their decision based on a mix of availability, legal clearance and consensus of preference.\u00a0\nAt Good we\u2019re experts in naming and branding \u2013 so if you\u2019re facing a similar challenge to TalkTalk, why don\u2019t you give us a shout.\n\u00a0\nDig Deeper | The Good Roundup Podcast\nViews, thoughts, and commentary for clients and agencies.\u00a0\n\n  ","summary":"TalkTalk have launched FibreNation \u2013 a company to help build a new broadband network for Britain. And we worked with them to name and brand the new organisation.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-11-27T13:30:10+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5510","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/measuring-design-effectiveness","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Measuring Design Effectiveness","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELet\u0026#039;s be honest. There\u2019s no straightforward methodology to measuring design effectiveness.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u0022Design\u0022 is such a broad term and can take so many forms that there\u2019s never going to be a one size fits all approach. The work we do is based on brand, so it\u2019s primarily graphic design I\u2019m referring to in this piece.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause design is abstract and difficult to isolate, it\u2019s hard to objectively measure its impact. And it\u2019s certainly true that some projects are much easier to measure than others. For example, consumer packaging projects tend to lend themselves very easily to measurement. You have an old pack with sales performance data vs a new pack with sales performance data. Providing you control for everything else (e.g. advertising, sales effort, market conditions etc.) you can easily come to a reasonable conclusion about the impact of the newly designed pack. But, what about other projects, where the lines are more blurred? Corporate branding, internal comms, employer brands, digital design - in these cases design may be applied in a piecemeal fashion, or work in conjunction with other initiatives, and that makes it harder to evaluate.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, that doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t try. And it\u2019s a very healthy mindset to have when embarking on a project. Having worked in the industry for 20 odd years and being a big advocate of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/effectivedesign.org.uk\u0022\u003EDesign Effectiveness Awards\u003C\/a\u003E, here are my tips on how to prepare to measure the impact of the \u2018design\u2019 you\u2019re about to deploy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1. Get your agency on side\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf the agency\u0027s not up for it (for whatever reason) then it\u2019ll never work. They have to be as invested in proving that the work works as you are. The best design effectiveness projects are the ones where the client and the agency collaborate closely to create compelling entries. This is the most important point and I can tell you from experience that you\u2019re wasting your time if you\u2019re not aligned on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2. Broaden your definition of design\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis doesn\u2019t just have to be graphic design. It can be design thinking in a broad sense. Remember that the strategy you adopt in attempting to solve a business challenge is as much design as a logo rendered on a page. By contextualising this strategy within a commercial setting, you may be able to demonstrate savings or economies which play into design effectiveness.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3. Objectives\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou must understand what you are trying to achieve. In the first instance, this should come from the client and may be at quite a high level e.g. \u2018contribute to the business objective of XXXX\u2019. Generally, these are too broad for you to measure pre and post project. You\u2019ll have to spend some time breaking that down to create sub-objectives that are more directly applicable to this project. Think laterally - what other micro-objectives can you carve out from the main business objective?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4. Allocate budget for research\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarve out a small amount of money from the budget for dipstick research. It doesn\u2019t have to be huge, but you need some sort of objective measure about recall, impact, or awareness. This should be focussed on the central part of the project and should be done pre-activity and post-activity so you can see how far the needle has moved.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E5. Give it time to breathe\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon\u2019t rush the analysis. Often results are rushed out in too short a period to make an entry deadline. Give the activity time to bed in and take effect. I\u2019m always sceptical of periods that are less than 12 months and think a year offers a well-rounded trading period and irons out seasonality.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is just a start, each project will have change this approach in nuanced ways but these broad rules are foundation for a solid start.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve been thinking about design effectiveness for years and are big fans of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dba.org.uk\u0022\u003EDBA\u003C\/a\u003E\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.effectivedesign.org.uk\u0022\u003Eawards program\u003C\/a\u003E. So, if you think we can help, feel free to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:chris@wearegood.com?subject=Measuring%20Design%20Effectiveness\u0022\u003Egive us a shout\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nLet\u0026#039;s be honest. There\u2019s no straightforward methodology to measuring design effectiveness.  \n\u00a0\u0022Design\u0022 is such a broad term and can take so many forms that there\u2019s never going to be a one size fits all approach. The work we do is based on brand, so it\u2019s primarily graphic design I\u2019m referring to in this piece.\nBecause design is abstract and difficult to isolate, it\u2019s hard to objectively measure its impact. And it\u2019s certainly true that some projects are much easier to measure than others. For example, consumer packaging projects tend to lend themselves very easily to measurement. You have an old pack with sales performance data vs a new pack with sales performance data. Providing you control for everything else (e.g. advertising, sales effort, market conditions etc.) you can easily come to a reasonable conclusion about the impact of the newly designed pack. But, what about other projects, where the lines are more blurred? Corporate branding, internal comms, employer brands, digital design - in these cases design may be applied in a piecemeal fashion, or work in conjunction with other initiatives, and that makes it harder to evaluate.\nBut, that doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t try. And it\u2019s a very healthy mindset to have when embarking on a project. Having worked in the industry for 20 odd years and being a big advocate of the Design Effectiveness Awards, here are my tips on how to prepare to measure the impact of the \u2018design\u2019 you\u2019re about to deploy.\n1. Get your agency on sideIf the agency\u0027s not up for it (for whatever reason) then it\u2019ll never work. They have to be as invested in proving that the work works as you are. The best design effectiveness projects are the ones where the client and the agency collaborate closely to create compelling entries. This is the most important point and I can tell you from experience that you\u2019re wasting your time if you\u2019re not aligned on it.\n2. Broaden your definition of designThis doesn\u2019t just have to be graphic design. It can be design thinking in a broad sense. Remember that the strategy you adopt in attempting to solve a business challenge is as much design as a logo rendered on a page. By contextualising this strategy within a commercial setting, you may be able to demonstrate savings or economies which play into design effectiveness.\u00a0\n3. ObjectivesYou must understand what you are trying to achieve. In the first instance, this should come from the client and may be at quite a high level e.g. \u2018contribute to the business objective of XXXX\u2019. Generally, these are too broad for you to measure pre and post project. You\u2019ll have to spend some time breaking that down to create sub-objectives that are more directly applicable to this project. Think laterally - what other micro-objectives can you carve out from the main business objective?\n4. Allocate budget for researchCarve out a small amount of money from the budget for dipstick research. It doesn\u2019t have to be huge, but you need some sort of objective measure about recall, impact, or awareness. This should be focussed on the central part of the project and should be done pre-activity and post-activity so you can see how far the needle has moved.\n5. Give it time to breatheDon\u2019t rush the analysis. Often results are rushed out in too short a period to make an entry deadline. Give the activity time to bed in and take effect. I\u2019m always sceptical of periods that are less than 12 months and think a year offers a well-rounded trading period and irons out seasonality.\nThis is just a start, each project will have change this approach in nuanced ways but these broad rules are foundation for a solid start.\nWe\u2019ve been thinking about design effectiveness for years and are big fans of the DBA\u0027s awards program. So, if you think we can help, feel free to give us a shout.\n  ","summary":"Let\u0027s be honest. There\u2019s no straightforward methodology to measuring design effectiveness. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-07-26T07:26:59+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5511","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/getting-digital-buy","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Getting Digital Buy-In","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe seem to be in an interesting time for digital marketing. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the past decade, the prevailing sentiment was the big social channels would offer the marketing nirvana: ads which were highly targeted to specific customers at a low, low cost. Print, television, all that old stuff could suck it. The future\u2019s digital, baby!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lot of this sentiment seemed to grabbed by those higher up the chain. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kaushik.net\/avinash\/\u0022\u003EAvinash Kaushik\u003C\/a\u003E calls it \u0022marketing by in-flight magazine\u201d. We\u2019ve seen it in action, the marketing manager coming from the board meeting with the instruction to \u201cget some Web 2.0\u201d as quickly as you like. Why? Because buzzwords are easy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ll look back at that time as the good ole days when online media promised us the most for the least amount of money. Looking at it now though, those in-flight magazine, online business journals, are now adding some cynicism into the mix. This social stuff isn\u2019t all that was promised. Companies spent a fortune building a following on social only to find that they need to spend another fortune maintaining it. And even then, the return on investment is seemingly negligible. Some of this naysaying is warranted, but some of it is just clickbait. The good thing is that now, between the hype and the huff around digital marketing, the reality is coming into focus.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow do you persuade against the naysayers? If P\u0026amp;G is pulling their digital spend, what chance do we have? How do you get the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person\u2019s Opinion) to buy-in to your digital vision?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe had success by showing those who need to be persuaded that we\u2019re basing it on some solid foundations rather on enthusiasm. Here are our tips for putting together a solid business case for digital which is based on reality, not nonsense.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1.\u00a0\u00a0 Define clear, understood objectives\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny digital campaign needs an endpoint, a journey that ties back to an overall business goal. Awareness isn\u2019t enough; you\u2019re focusing your efforts to get someone to do something specific. Understanding what this is is key to how you structure the digital campaign.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2.\u00a0\u00a0 Understand your customer\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERegardless if you\u2019re B2B or B2C, you have to know how your customer tends to buy. This may be the start of a customer journey; you need to know how you can be as useful as possible. We recommend doing some customer interviews if possible, nothing too crazy, just understand the stages customers go through on their buying journey to make sure you\u2019ve got the bases covered. This research isn\u2019t costing the Earth, can be done in a couple of weeks and can provide invaluable insights on what your customer is looking for when they research online. This approach is especially important for high consideration purchases. Knowing how your customer using online to educate themselves means a more impactful campaign with less wastage in media spend. Look at tools such as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/\u0022\u003ESEMRush\u003C\/a\u003E to see what people are searching for and create content around that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3.\u00a0\u00a0 Right media for the right customer\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou\u2019ve done your research so know you\u2019ll know where best to put your media spend. I\u2019m always amazed to see high end, B2B promoting themselves on Facebook. I don\u2019t feel that\u2019s always the right channel. We generally don\u2019t recommend\u00a0display ads. They are generally cheap but not effective. They tend to deliver poor quality traffic, and a chunk of that would be fraudulent through bad bots. Even if you get a great placement, the fraud rate can be high. Whatever the best approach is, make sure that you share the reasons with the HiPPO\u2019s that it\u2019s based on a solid understanding, rather than just what the latest buzz is around. And not every nail needs a digital hammer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4.\u00a0\u00a0 Test and spend, test and spend\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe joy of digital is that you can test and reiterate until you nail it. Spend \u00a3100 per test, get the insight and apply it for the next test. If it doesn\u2019t work, kill it and move on. This approach helps persuade the HiPPO\u2019s that you\u2019re using budget effectively and correctly, not just in one big blast. Once you hit upon something that works, put more budget against it. Even then, keep looking at performance as the campaign develops.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E5.\u00a0\u00a0 Understand the journey, end to end\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can put money into the media, but if the place that you\u2019re sending people to isn\u2019t directing the customer to the next stage of the journey, you\u2019re burning money. You\u2019d be amazed at the amount of campaign landing pages that don\u2019t have calls to action. Always consider the next step in the journey, even if that\u2019s from a CRM or offline perspective.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E6.\u00a0\u00a0 Clear Reporting\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReport on the goals you set in point 1. If the goal was to sign up 1,000 people to your mailing list, report on that figure. Don\u2019t use conversion metrics to report topline numbers, this tends to confuse. What\u2019s easier to understand: we got 800 new emails or that you got a conversion rate of 1.4%? Conversion is useful but not when going to your boss to explain outcomes. Generally, if I hear conversion being reported first, it means that the actual numbers are going to be poor. Don\u2019t hide behind conversion.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E7.\u00a0\u00a0 Bring the brand with you\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe excitement of getting involved with something new can be painful for the brand. People\u2019s best intentions start to impact on the look and feel of the brand as it moves into digital. It may look funky to add a drop shadow here or add a new brand colour there. All this tweaking starts to make your digital endeavour look like something brand new which can scare a HiPPO into rejecting it. Work with the brand in the first instance, not just visually but by using the brand\u2019s tone of voice, to prove that you\u2019re building on existing work rather seemingly creating a whole new sub-brand (and additional cost) online.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s our solid start for at least having a meaningful conversation with management on getting buy-in on running digital campaigns. Focus on the business requirements and the customer journey, not the in-flight magazine advice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re up for chatting through this, even just as a sounding board, you can reach at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Estewart@wearegood.com\u003C\/a\u003E or on the Twitters, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.twitter.com\/steelso\u0022\u003E@steelso\u003C\/a\u003E. Good luck!\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe seem to be in an interesting time for digital marketing. \nFor the past decade, the prevailing sentiment was the big social channels would offer the marketing nirvana: ads which were highly targeted to specific customers at a low, low cost. Print, television, all that old stuff could suck it. The future\u2019s digital, baby!\nA lot of this sentiment seemed to grabbed by those higher up the chain. Avinash Kaushik calls it \u0022marketing by in-flight magazine\u201d. We\u2019ve seen it in action, the marketing manager coming from the board meeting with the instruction to \u201cget some Web 2.0\u201d as quickly as you like. Why? Because buzzwords are easy.\nWe\u2019ll look back at that time as the good ole days when online media promised us the most for the least amount of money. Looking at it now though, those in-flight magazine, online business journals, are now adding some cynicism into the mix. This social stuff isn\u2019t all that was promised. Companies spent a fortune building a following on social only to find that they need to spend another fortune maintaining it. And even then, the return on investment is seemingly negligible. Some of this naysaying is warranted, but some of it is just clickbait. The good thing is that now, between the hype and the huff around digital marketing, the reality is coming into focus.\nHow do you persuade against the naysayers? If P\u0026amp;G is pulling their digital spend, what chance do we have? How do you get the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person\u2019s Opinion) to buy-in to your digital vision?\nWe had success by showing those who need to be persuaded that we\u2019re basing it on some solid foundations rather on enthusiasm. Here are our tips for putting together a solid business case for digital which is based on reality, not nonsense.\n1.\u00a0\u00a0 Define clear, understood objectives\nAny digital campaign needs an endpoint, a journey that ties back to an overall business goal. Awareness isn\u2019t enough; you\u2019re focusing your efforts to get someone to do something specific. Understanding what this is is key to how you structure the digital campaign.\n2.\u00a0\u00a0 Understand your customer\nRegardless if you\u2019re B2B or B2C, you have to know how your customer tends to buy. This may be the start of a customer journey; you need to know how you can be as useful as possible. We recommend doing some customer interviews if possible, nothing too crazy, just understand the stages customers go through on their buying journey to make sure you\u2019ve got the bases covered. This research isn\u2019t costing the Earth, can be done in a couple of weeks and can provide invaluable insights on what your customer is looking for when they research online. This approach is especially important for high consideration purchases. Knowing how your customer using online to educate themselves means a more impactful campaign with less wastage in media spend. Look at tools such as SEMRush to see what people are searching for and create content around that.\n3.\u00a0\u00a0 Right media for the right customer\nYou\u2019ve done your research so know you\u2019ll know where best to put your media spend. I\u2019m always amazed to see high end, B2B promoting themselves on Facebook. I don\u2019t feel that\u2019s always the right channel. We generally don\u2019t recommend\u00a0display ads. They are generally cheap but not effective. They tend to deliver poor quality traffic, and a chunk of that would be fraudulent through bad bots. Even if you get a great placement, the fraud rate can be high. Whatever the best approach is, make sure that you share the reasons with the HiPPO\u2019s that it\u2019s based on a solid understanding, rather than just what the latest buzz is around. And not every nail needs a digital hammer.\n4.\u00a0\u00a0 Test and spend, test and spend\nThe joy of digital is that you can test and reiterate until you nail it. Spend \u00a3100 per test, get the insight and apply it for the next test. If it doesn\u2019t work, kill it and move on. This approach helps persuade the HiPPO\u2019s that you\u2019re using budget effectively and correctly, not just in one big blast. Once you hit upon something that works, put more budget against it. Even then, keep looking at performance as the campaign develops.\n5.\u00a0\u00a0 Understand the journey, end to end\nYou can put money into the media, but if the place that you\u2019re sending people to isn\u2019t directing the customer to the next stage of the journey, you\u2019re burning money. You\u2019d be amazed at the amount of campaign landing pages that don\u2019t have calls to action. Always consider the next step in the journey, even if that\u2019s from a CRM or offline perspective.\n6.\u00a0\u00a0 Clear Reporting\nReport on the goals you set in point 1. If the goal was to sign up 1,000 people to your mailing list, report on that figure. Don\u2019t use conversion metrics to report topline numbers, this tends to confuse. What\u2019s easier to understand: we got 800 new emails or that you got a conversion rate of 1.4%? Conversion is useful but not when going to your boss to explain outcomes. Generally, if I hear conversion being reported first, it means that the actual numbers are going to be poor. Don\u2019t hide behind conversion.\n7.\u00a0\u00a0 Bring the brand with you\nThe excitement of getting involved with something new can be painful for the brand. People\u2019s best intentions start to impact on the look and feel of the brand as it moves into digital. It may look funky to add a drop shadow here or add a new brand colour there. All this tweaking starts to make your digital endeavour look like something brand new which can scare a HiPPO into rejecting it. Work with the brand in the first instance, not just visually but by using the brand\u2019s tone of voice, to prove that you\u2019re building on existing work rather seemingly creating a whole new sub-brand (and additional cost) online.\nThat\u2019s our solid start for at least having a meaningful conversation with management on getting buy-in on running digital campaigns. Focus on the business requirements and the customer journey, not the in-flight magazine advice.\nIf you\u0027re up for chatting through this, even just as a sounding board, you can reach at stewart@wearegood.com or on the Twitters, @steelso. Good luck!\n  ","summary":"We seem to be in an interesting time for digital marketing.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-07-26T07:17:16+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5512","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-do-whisky-brands-suck-digital","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why do Whisky Brands Suck at Digital?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhisky brands and digital have never felt like comfortable bedfellows. In fact, digital highlights the challenges in whisky branding. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo show you what I mean, let me - without a showing a single screenshot - describe the three typical kinds of whisky sites:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. \u0022We\u2019re a Whisky, and we have a special story.\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYes, you may have a special story - but you\u2019re going to have trouble exploring that when everyone else has a special story, too. That\u2019s the thing about whisky; it\u2019s made the same way, no matter where you make it. So, it\u2019s hard to build upon having the cleanest water\/purest malt\/hairiest man in the village to lift out of the basic manufacturing story when a load of other whisky brands are playing the same game. Here\u2019s a fun exercise: take a whisky website and swap the logo from that brand with another and see if it feels right. (Spoiler: it\u2019ll feel fine. They\u2019re usually interchangeable).\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u0022We\u2019re a lifestyle brand that sells a whisky.\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou have no story. You\u2019re distilled in a grim business park somewhere in Scotland\u2019s industrial central belt. You may have a heritage story, but it\u2019s shallow. What is a brand to do? Chuck money at it, of course. First, hire a film director with a reasonable CV to create a brand movie, which is around 8 minutes and has a solid lead actor whose name was in smallish print on the poster for last year\u2019s Marvel blockbuster. Usually (but not always) the drink has little to do with the film, but - sweet Jesus - it\u2019ll get the viral hits on the YouTubes because of cars and hills and cars and, if the budget stretches, maybe a boat like the ones from Miami Vice. Don\u2019t forget; you need to pay the big bucks to\u00a0promote your viral hit to make it viral. But, no bother, you\u2019re relevant. Boom! Rinse and repeat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E ((node\/295|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/tamdhu_50_pack_6.jpg?itok=gRuj4YM7|Luxury branding? Time to get back to basics.|Read more))\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. \u0022We\u2019re a whisky that wants to be a lifestyle brand.\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou sell good whisky, you don\u2019t have a global budget, and you\u2019re being pushed to sell your \u0022Loch Whit-Ever\u0022 whisky driving gloves. Because, like, diversification. So, let\u2019s start by getting some amazing renders of the bottles, mind-blowing shots of pictures of brown liquid in lovely glasses with ice. Then we\u2019ll tell you how to make a whisky cocktail like you\u2019re a young David Niven. Big pictures, little text. And a social wall, because we\u2019re skating to where the puck is. And who doesn\u2019t love having big bottle renders pushed to you when you\u2019re looking at pictures of your mate\u2019s arse on Facebook? You\u2019ll have that \u201cLoch Whit-Ever\u201d\/Samsonite brand tie-up done in no time at this rate.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019ve made it this far, you\u2019ll be asking yourself, \u201cHey, Fatboy! What\u2019s your big idea?\u201d. Here are my top tips:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Whisky brand, know thyself\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt\u2019s all about your brand, all about your values, all about why you\u2019re doing it and who you\u2019re doing it for. It\u2019s \u003Cem\u003Enot\u003C\/em\u003E about the most excellent ingredients, it\u2019s about \u003Cem\u003Ewhat drives you to get\u003C\/em\u003E those ingredients. It\u2019s the simple truth of what inspires you to make the best whisky that you can. You need to articulate that as directly as you can, share it, and only then look at the Internets.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. There is no U in \u201cWhisky\u201d on the digitals\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe best experiences online are well-considered services. Customer-focused services. And this is (relatively) easy if you\u2019re an Uber or an Amazon, but how does it work for a company distilling the water of life? Not got a clue - it comes from who you are, not what you\u2019re doing. It\u2019s not easy. Offline, it\u2019s been easy. It\u2019s been brand building through association. Music sponsorship was the big one. So was sponsoring the arts. And it worked. But that approach doesn\u2019t translate well online, which is less about who you are, and all about what you can do for your customers.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. If you really have to use your heritage, bring it up to date\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYup, we get that whisky is an ancient craft, drank in bothies with the purple heather rolling down the glens. But Thor and Wren are drinking it now in a Sky Garden in the heart of the throbbing metropolis surrounded by all the beautiful people, all of them. What part of your heritage relates to the here and now? Build on your past, don\u2019t live off it. But for the love of the malted barley, don\u2019t brief your agency that you\u2019re looking for \u201cTraditional Modernity\u201d because they\u2019ll kill you. In their heads. And then take your money anyway.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Join it all up\u2028\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost of what I\u2019ve put forth could be equally applied to the brand offline. I know that. And that\u2019s the point - it shouldn\u2019t just look the same, it needs to feel the same.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet\u2019s not beat around the bush - \u003Cem\u003Ethis is hard\u003C\/em\u003E. Creating a meaningful experience online for an activity which is distinctly offline is hard. How can looking at a website or interacting with a tweet even begin to compare with supping on a glass of your favourite tipple?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, look at your brand values and understand how they can enrich the lives of your customers, even in the smallest of ways. Look at providing the gentlest of services, little moments of delight that will make people look at the brand with some slight fondness when they\u2019re scanning the gantry for their next tipple. It may be enough to move them from \u0027interested\u0027 to \u0027purchase\u0027.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe love this kind of challenge. \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003EGet in touch\u003C\/a\u003E if you\u2019d like to spend a couple of hours chatting about the possibilities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhisky brands and digital have never felt like comfortable bedfellows. In fact, digital highlights the challenges in whisky branding. \nTo show you what I mean, let me - without a showing a single screenshot - describe the three typical kinds of whisky sites:\n1. \u0022We\u2019re a Whisky, and we have a special story.\u0022Yes, you may have a special story - but you\u2019re going to have trouble exploring that when everyone else has a special story, too. That\u2019s the thing about whisky; it\u2019s made the same way, no matter where you make it. So, it\u2019s hard to build upon having the cleanest water\/purest malt\/hairiest man in the village to lift out of the basic manufacturing story when a load of other whisky brands are playing the same game. Here\u2019s a fun exercise: take a whisky website and swap the logo from that brand with another and see if it feels right. (Spoiler: it\u2019ll feel fine. They\u2019re usually interchangeable).\u00a0\n2. \u0022We\u2019re a lifestyle brand that sells a whisky.\u0022You have no story. You\u2019re distilled in a grim business park somewhere in Scotland\u2019s industrial central belt. You may have a heritage story, but it\u2019s shallow. What is a brand to do? Chuck money at it, of course. First, hire a film director with a reasonable CV to create a brand movie, which is around 8 minutes and has a solid lead actor whose name was in smallish print on the poster for last year\u2019s Marvel blockbuster. Usually (but not always) the drink has little to do with the film, but - sweet Jesus - it\u2019ll get the viral hits on the YouTubes because of cars and hills and cars and, if the budget stretches, maybe a boat like the ones from Miami Vice. Don\u2019t forget; you need to pay the big bucks to\u00a0promote your viral hit to make it viral. But, no bother, you\u2019re relevant. Boom! Rinse and repeat.\n ((node\/295|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/tamdhu_50_pack_6.jpg?itok=gRuj4YM7|Luxury branding? Time to get back to basics.|Read more))\n3. \u0022We\u2019re a whisky that wants to be a lifestyle brand.\u0022You sell good whisky, you don\u2019t have a global budget, and you\u2019re being pushed to sell your \u0022Loch Whit-Ever\u0022 whisky driving gloves. Because, like, diversification. So, let\u2019s start by getting some amazing renders of the bottles, mind-blowing shots of pictures of brown liquid in lovely glasses with ice. Then we\u2019ll tell you how to make a whisky cocktail like you\u2019re a young David Niven. Big pictures, little text. And a social wall, because we\u2019re skating to where the puck is. And who doesn\u2019t love having big bottle renders pushed to you when you\u2019re looking at pictures of your mate\u2019s arse on Facebook? You\u2019ll have that \u201cLoch Whit-Ever\u201d\/Samsonite brand tie-up done in no time at this rate.\u00a0\nIf you\u2019ve made it this far, you\u2019ll be asking yourself, \u201cHey, Fatboy! What\u2019s your big idea?\u201d. Here are my top tips:\n1. Whisky brand, know thyselfIt\u2019s all about your brand, all about your values, all about why you\u2019re doing it and who you\u2019re doing it for. It\u2019s not about the most excellent ingredients, it\u2019s about what drives you to get those ingredients. It\u2019s the simple truth of what inspires you to make the best whisky that you can. You need to articulate that as directly as you can, share it, and only then look at the Internets.\n2. There is no U in \u201cWhisky\u201d on the digitalsThe best experiences online are well-considered services. Customer-focused services. And this is (relatively) easy if you\u2019re an Uber or an Amazon, but how does it work for a company distilling the water of life? Not got a clue - it comes from who you are, not what you\u2019re doing. It\u2019s not easy. Offline, it\u2019s been easy. It\u2019s been brand building through association. Music sponsorship was the big one. So was sponsoring the arts. And it worked. But that approach doesn\u2019t translate well online, which is less about who you are, and all about what you can do for your customers.\u00a0\n3. If you really have to use your heritage, bring it up to dateYup, we get that whisky is an ancient craft, drank in bothies with the purple heather rolling down the glens. But Thor and Wren are drinking it now in a Sky Garden in the heart of the throbbing metropolis surrounded by all the beautiful people, all of them. What part of your heritage relates to the here and now? Build on your past, don\u2019t live off it. But for the love of the malted barley, don\u2019t brief your agency that you\u2019re looking for \u201cTraditional Modernity\u201d because they\u2019ll kill you. In their heads. And then take your money anyway.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a04. Join it all up\u2028Most of what I\u2019ve put forth could be equally applied to the brand offline. I know that. And that\u2019s the point - it shouldn\u2019t just look the same, it needs to feel the same.\u00a0\nLet\u2019s not beat around the bush - this is hard. Creating a meaningful experience online for an activity which is distinctly offline is hard. How can looking at a website or interacting with a tweet even begin to compare with supping on a glass of your favourite tipple?\u00a0\nSo, look at your brand values and understand how they can enrich the lives of your customers, even in the smallest of ways. Look at providing the gentlest of services, little moments of delight that will make people look at the brand with some slight fondness when they\u2019re scanning the gantry for their next tipple. It may be enough to move them from \u0027interested\u0027 to \u0027purchase\u0027.\nWe love this kind of challenge. Get in touch if you\u2019d like to spend a couple of hours chatting about the possibilities.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"Whisky brands and digital have never felt like comfortable bedfellows. In fact, digital highlights the challenges in whisky branding.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-06-19T07:20:30+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression","Product Positioning","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5513","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-write-perfect-brief","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to write the perfect brief","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen you have a look at our branding work, the first thing that hits you is the diversity. From sausage skins to car dealerships to carpet tiles to whisky. We cover a lot of ground. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe one thing that has made these projects successful is the bedrock of all rebrands; a solid brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEach agency has a slightly different briefing process, although they are all trying to get to the heart of the problem that the client has. They outline the top-level stuff, deadlines, asset requirements, channels for activation, etc. They\u2019re all integral to the brief, but the best briefs have an added little extra. Here are some additional pointers for making those good briefs, great\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. What\u2019s the problem?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe best briefs tell us about a problem the client has within the business. The brand may not be expressing itself, or sales of a product may need a boost in the market. For us to create the best solution, the more detail that you can give us around what the problem is, gives us the best start.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Focus on outcomes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat do you want to see happen? Can you put a number on it? Don\u2019t use the brief to outline the channels you feel we should use, focus on the outcomes of the work, not on the activity. A strategy can get lost if we start to put the activity front and centre.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Don\u2019t try to solve the problem\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen you\u2019re writing the brief, it\u0027s natural that along the way you also start to solve it. Every client we work worth is a creative problem solver. They are a key part of solving the problem outlined in the brief, but the solution shouldn\u2019t lie within it. That\u2019s something that the combined might of the agency and client can bring to bear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Collaborative Input\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeel free to share a rough draft with your agency Account Manager as you\u2019re creating the brief. We don\u2019t expect clients to know all the answers, they can pull from several sources to highlight the problem, but sometimes it\u2019s worth getting another pair of eyes on the brief to help shape it. We\u2019re here to help you write the best brief possible \u2013 use us!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. Tell us the budget\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeriously, tell us. When we hear, \u201cIf we tell you the budget, then you\u2019ll spend it\u201d it makes us grimace. Which is a polite way of saying \u201cswear like a trooper\u201d. The best work is built on trust; you tell us how much budget you have and trust us to spend it in the most responsible manner. When we\u2019re responding to a brief, we need to understand the constraints, and budget is one of the biggest constraints we have. It\u2019s also one of the ways that we can be creative. We can be honest and tell you if your ambition is beyond your budgetary reach. Then re-group and re-plan. Being up-front about the budget from the start saves valuable time and money further down the track. No surprise that the paragraph about the budget is the biggest paragraph.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6. When are we talking to customers?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery brief should talk about who we\u2019re trying to influence. But beyond the \u201cwho\u201d we need to know the \u201cwhere\u201d and the \u201cwhen\u201d. More than 70% of the average buying process is completed by the buyer alone before they even talk to a salesperson. Understanding the customer journey is vital to know where the best place is to solve the brief\u2019s problem. Again, reach out to your agency to help understand the customer journey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7. Managing the Hippos\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to stakeholder management, who is signing the work off? Is it the CMO? Is it a\u0026nbsp;HiPPO (Highest Paid Person\u2019s Opinion) in the boardroom? Who should see the work, who gets sign off, how long will that take, what meetings are essential to show progress, do you want the agency there to present the work (nobody better). Lousy stakeholder management and not bringing people along on the journey is a surefire way to turn good work mediocre.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8. Kick it off good\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlways insist on having a meeting when the brief goes to the wider team within the agency. Even the best briefs miss the nuance and insight that a conversation around it will provide. Not only will it help give better work but it starts to build the world-beating team with a strong client and trusted agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s more I could\u2019ve added here, but this is our starter. We always refer to a strong brief throughout the process; it\u2019s our North Star for the project, reminding us along the way of what we set out to achieve in the beginning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne other quick thing; every brief should tie into the marketing plan. We\u0027ve got some tips for creating \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/creating-right-marketing-strategy\u0022\u003Ea great marketing plan\u003C\/a\u003E that you may find useful.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWhen you have a look at our branding work, the first thing that hits you is the diversity. From sausage skins to car dealerships to carpet tiles to whisky. We cover a lot of ground. \nThe one thing that has made these projects successful is the bedrock of all rebrands; a solid brief.Each agency has a slightly different briefing process, although they are all trying to get to the heart of the problem that the client has. They outline the top-level stuff, deadlines, asset requirements, channels for activation, etc. They\u2019re all integral to the brief, but the best briefs have an added little extra. Here are some additional pointers for making those good briefs, great\u2026\u0026nbsp;1. What\u2019s the problem?The best briefs tell us about a problem the client has within the business. The brand may not be expressing itself, or sales of a product may need a boost in the market. For us to create the best solution, the more detail that you can give us around what the problem is, gives us the best start.\u0026nbsp;2. Focus on outcomesWhat do you want to see happen? Can you put a number on it? Don\u2019t use the brief to outline the channels you feel we should use, focus on the outcomes of the work, not on the activity. A strategy can get lost if we start to put the activity front and centre.\u0026nbsp;3. Don\u2019t try to solve the problemWhen you\u2019re writing the brief, it\u0027s natural that along the way you also start to solve it. Every client we work worth is a creative problem solver. They are a key part of solving the problem outlined in the brief, but the solution shouldn\u2019t lie within it. That\u2019s something that the combined might of the agency and client can bring to bear.\u0026nbsp;4. Collaborative InputFeel free to share a rough draft with your agency Account Manager as you\u2019re creating the brief. We don\u2019t expect clients to know all the answers, they can pull from several sources to highlight the problem, but sometimes it\u2019s worth getting another pair of eyes on the brief to help shape it. We\u2019re here to help you write the best brief possible \u2013 use us!\u0026nbsp;5. Tell us the budgetSeriously, tell us. When we hear, \u201cIf we tell you the budget, then you\u2019ll spend it\u201d it makes us grimace. Which is a polite way of saying \u201cswear like a trooper\u201d. The best work is built on trust; you tell us how much budget you have and trust us to spend it in the most responsible manner. When we\u2019re responding to a brief, we need to understand the constraints, and budget is one of the biggest constraints we have. It\u2019s also one of the ways that we can be creative. We can be honest and tell you if your ambition is beyond your budgetary reach. Then re-group and re-plan. Being up-front about the budget from the start saves valuable time and money further down the track. No surprise that the paragraph about the budget is the biggest paragraph.\u0026nbsp;6. When are we talking to customers?Every brief should talk about who we\u2019re trying to influence. But beyond the \u201cwho\u201d we need to know the \u201cwhere\u201d and the \u201cwhen\u201d. More than 70% of the average buying process is completed by the buyer alone before they even talk to a salesperson. Understanding the customer journey is vital to know where the best place is to solve the brief\u2019s problem. Again, reach out to your agency to help understand the customer journey.\u0026nbsp;7. Managing the HipposWhen it comes to stakeholder management, who is signing the work off? Is it the CMO? Is it a\u0026nbsp;HiPPO (Highest Paid Person\u2019s Opinion) in the boardroom? Who should see the work, who gets sign off, how long will that take, what meetings are essential to show progress, do you want the agency there to present the work (nobody better). Lousy stakeholder management and not bringing people along on the journey is a surefire way to turn good work mediocre.\u0026nbsp;8. Kick it off goodAlways insist on having a meeting when the brief goes to the wider team within the agency. Even the best briefs miss the nuance and insight that a conversation around it will provide. Not only will it help give better work but it starts to build the world-beating team with a strong client and trusted agency.\u0026nbsp;There\u2019s more I could\u2019ve added here, but this is our starter. We always refer to a strong brief throughout the process; it\u2019s our North Star for the project, reminding us along the way of what we set out to achieve in the beginning.One other quick thing; every brief should tie into the marketing plan. We\u0027ve got some tips for creating a great marketing plan that you may find useful.  ","summary":"When you have a look at our branding work, the first thing that hits you is the diversity. From sausage skins to car dealerships to carpet tiles to whisky. We cover a lot of ground.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-05-31T08:18:51+0100","author":{"name":"Gail Bryce"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5514","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-marketing-can-work-better-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How Marketing Can Work Better With I.T.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf there is any certainty in my job, it\u0026#039;s the moment that you chat with the marketing department about how they work with their IT team.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rolling eyes. The furrowed brows. The gnashing of teeth. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand\u201d, they cry. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny disintegration of the relationship has probably been years in the making, slowly eroding one meeting, one email at a time. Like any relationship, the one between IT and marketing needs to be built on trust and understanding. If it sounds like I\u2019m setting myself up as a geeky couples counsellor, then yes. Yes, I am. In fact, I have five steps for a marketing team to take to bring back that loving feeling. So, put on some whale song, dim the lights and acknowledge that this journey is more important than the destination, etc., etc.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Share the big picture\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYour IT team is not a machine. It\u2019s made up of people who are looking to find meaning in their work. Just like you. So, share the overarching goals of your digital strategy. Explain why it\u2019s vital to your business, and how it all fits together. A common theme between IT and Marketing is that IT doesn\u2019t know why things are being done, so up throws a wall. So, start with the big picture. Which then leads to\u2026\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Explain the little things\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne complaint I\u2019ve heard from IT teams is that Marketing just lobs demands for changes over the wall, wrapped in the proverbial brick, with no explanation. The brief usually comes down to:\u003Cbr \/\u003E- We need this\u003Cbr \/\u003E- We need it yesterday\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhich is never the most inspiring brief. It\u0027s the kind of brief that wouldn\u2019t be accepted by an agency, so it\u2019s no surprise that the IT team aren\u2019t full of the joys of spring about it, either. An internal team needs the same amount of time and respect as an external team, arguably more so. The better the brief - including giving business reasons as to why the change is needed - the more respected your IT team will feel, and the better the final output.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Accept that there are no \u2018small changes\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cAll I wanted was to add bullets to the copy. That\u2019s all. A tiny change.\u201d\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour content management system is essentially software, like Word or Excel. Software is a tricky thing. So tricky, in fact, that it\u2019s not often that what seems a small change actually is a small change. There are a lot of variables to consider. How will it render on mobile? Can the entry box in the Content Management System deal with bullets? Is there a style to deal with bullets in a good way? How will that work on the multi-lingual sites? You get the idea. Your best bet here is about re-framing the request to avoid getting backs up. Rather than saying \u201cI want to add this...\u201d, change that to \u201cWhat\u2019s involved in adding\u2026?\u201d. That\u2019s the right question to understand the complexity that may lie behind your request.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Don\u2019t put up with any jargon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll my career I\u2019ve been surrounded by jargon. And it has its place - it helps people on the same team get things done quicker. When I was a lighting designer, it was easier (and more precise) to ask for two pieces of 213 for a Parcan than for a piece of a pale green plastic 255mm by 255mm for a theatre light.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while it has its place, it jargon can also be used to exclude people, set nonsense boundaries and make people feel stupid. It can be used to undermine colleagues. And that\u2019s unacceptable. I know, before I knew better, I used to do it a lot. I did it to mask my insecurities and pathetically build up my own self-worth.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you mix IT, which is just dripping with jargon, a feeling of disrespect (regardless if this is true or not) and possibly having to deal with people who have a skill that they may not understand (=hipster marketing people) then you have a situation where shields are raised. And nothing is more impenetrable than the IT department chucking around API\u2019s about CSS for AWS involving some guy called Jason. It makes you want to scream, \u201cGTF!\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf that happens, stop. Ask them to explain what they are talking about. It\u2019s all pretty straightforward. API\u2019s are software bridges between one system and another, for example. But, shine a light on the jargon, and you\u2019ll learn what\u2019s involved. You\u2019ll then be able to be part of the conversation. That\u2019s a good thing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. Remember Roles and Responsibilities\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen you take a brochure to a printer, they tend not to question the content or the style. They may have some suggestions from a technical point of view, but they tend to know that their job is to print, on time and on. Budget.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis acceptance of roles sometimes doesn\u2019t extend to the IT team. Traditionally, if it was on a computer, it was the domain of IT. Which is why you end up seeing IT teams involved in design decisions or content planning or whether to be on Facebook or not. I would argue that isn\u2019t IT\u2019s role. That\u2019s a marketing function.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E((node\/548|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/heart.png?itok=1mpqbBNF|We\u0027re all one big team. Most of the time. How I.T. can work better with Marketing.|Learn more))\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s not to say that IT doesn\u2019t have plenty areas of input. Content Management Systems, where to host the website, look to understand the best infrastructure for the website, does it need a Content Delivery Network, what\u2019s the best approach for caching? The list goes on. This isn\u2019t to say that you shouldn\u2019t be sharing your expertise across the teams - of course you should - but you need to be aware of who is responsible for what and why to make sure that you\u2019re all working together at the best level you can.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike any list, I\u2019ve made some sweeping generalisations to get the point across. IT are \u003Cem\u003Enot\u003C\/em\u003E the bad guys; I even wrote an article that highlights how IT can love their marketing team. However, when we go in and talk to companies and start opening the lines of communication and understanding, it is impressive and heartening how quickly turnarounds for requests happen, better quality work is achieved, and teams start to look forward to meetings and to celebrate the work together. If you want to talk more about the best way to approach your IT team, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stewart@wearegood.com\u0022\u003Edrop me a line\u003C\/a\u003E. I\u0027d be happy to chat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIf there is any certainty in my job, it\u0026#039;s the moment that you chat with the marketing department about how they work with their IT team.  \nThe rolling eyes. The furrowed brows. The gnashing of teeth. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand\u201d, they cry. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand!\u201d\nAny disintegration of the relationship has probably been years in the making, slowly eroding one meeting, one email at a time. Like any relationship, the one between IT and marketing needs to be built on trust and understanding. If it sounds like I\u2019m setting myself up as a geeky couples counsellor, then yes. Yes, I am. In fact, I have five steps for a marketing team to take to bring back that loving feeling. So, put on some whale song, dim the lights and acknowledge that this journey is more important than the destination, etc., etc.\u00a0\n1. Share the big pictureYour IT team is not a machine. It\u2019s made up of people who are looking to find meaning in their work. Just like you. So, share the overarching goals of your digital strategy. Explain why it\u2019s vital to your business, and how it all fits together. A common theme between IT and Marketing is that IT doesn\u2019t know why things are being done, so up throws a wall. So, start with the big picture. Which then leads to\u2026\u00a0\n2. Explain the little thingsOne complaint I\u2019ve heard from IT teams is that Marketing just lobs demands for changes over the wall, wrapped in the proverbial brick, with no explanation. The brief usually comes down to:- We need this- We need it yesterday\nWhich is never the most inspiring brief. It\u0027s the kind of brief that wouldn\u2019t be accepted by an agency, so it\u2019s no surprise that the IT team aren\u2019t full of the joys of spring about it, either. An internal team needs the same amount of time and respect as an external team, arguably more so. The better the brief - including giving business reasons as to why the change is needed - the more respected your IT team will feel, and the better the final output.\n3. Accept that there are no \u2018small changes\u2019\u201cAll I wanted was to add bullets to the copy. That\u2019s all. A tiny change.\u201d\u00a0\nYour content management system is essentially software, like Word or Excel. Software is a tricky thing. So tricky, in fact, that it\u2019s not often that what seems a small change actually is a small change. There are a lot of variables to consider. How will it render on mobile? Can the entry box in the Content Management System deal with bullets? Is there a style to deal with bullets in a good way? How will that work on the multi-lingual sites? You get the idea. Your best bet here is about re-framing the request to avoid getting backs up. Rather than saying \u201cI want to add this...\u201d, change that to \u201cWhat\u2019s involved in adding\u2026?\u201d. That\u2019s the right question to understand the complexity that may lie behind your request.\n4. Don\u2019t put up with any jargonAll my career I\u2019ve been surrounded by jargon. And it has its place - it helps people on the same team get things done quicker. When I was a lighting designer, it was easier (and more precise) to ask for two pieces of 213 for a Parcan than for a piece of a pale green plastic 255mm by 255mm for a theatre light.\u00a0\nBut while it has its place, it jargon can also be used to exclude people, set nonsense boundaries and make people feel stupid. It can be used to undermine colleagues. And that\u2019s unacceptable. I know, before I knew better, I used to do it a lot. I did it to mask my insecurities and pathetically build up my own self-worth.\nWhen you mix IT, which is just dripping with jargon, a feeling of disrespect (regardless if this is true or not) and possibly having to deal with people who have a skill that they may not understand (=hipster marketing people) then you have a situation where shields are raised. And nothing is more impenetrable than the IT department chucking around API\u2019s about CSS for AWS involving some guy called Jason. It makes you want to scream, \u201cGTF!\u201d.\nIf that happens, stop. Ask them to explain what they are talking about. It\u2019s all pretty straightforward. API\u2019s are software bridges between one system and another, for example. But, shine a light on the jargon, and you\u2019ll learn what\u2019s involved. You\u2019ll then be able to be part of the conversation. That\u2019s a good thing.\n5. Remember Roles and ResponsibilitiesWhen you take a brochure to a printer, they tend not to question the content or the style. They may have some suggestions from a technical point of view, but they tend to know that their job is to print, on time and on. Budget.\nThis acceptance of roles sometimes doesn\u2019t extend to the IT team. Traditionally, if it was on a computer, it was the domain of IT. Which is why you end up seeing IT teams involved in design decisions or content planning or whether to be on Facebook or not. I would argue that isn\u2019t IT\u2019s role. That\u2019s a marketing function.\n((node\/548|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/heart.png?itok=1mpqbBNF|We\u0027re all one big team. Most of the time. How I.T. can work better with Marketing.|Learn more))\nThat\u2019s not to say that IT doesn\u2019t have plenty areas of input. Content Management Systems, where to host the website, look to understand the best infrastructure for the website, does it need a Content Delivery Network, what\u2019s the best approach for caching? The list goes on. This isn\u2019t to say that you shouldn\u2019t be sharing your expertise across the teams - of course you should - but you need to be aware of who is responsible for what and why to make sure that you\u2019re all working together at the best level you can.\nLike any list, I\u2019ve made some sweeping generalisations to get the point across. IT are not the bad guys; I even wrote an article that highlights how IT can love their marketing team. However, when we go in and talk to companies and start opening the lines of communication and understanding, it is impressive and heartening how quickly turnarounds for requests happen, better quality work is achieved, and teams start to look forward to meetings and to celebrate the work together. If you want to talk more about the best way to approach your IT team, drop me a line. I\u0027d be happy to chat.\n  ","summary":"If there is any certainty in my job, it\u0027s the moment that you chat with the marketing department about how they work with their IT team. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-05-19T09:53:40+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5515","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-it-can-work-better-marketing","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How I.T. Can Work Better With Marketing","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf there\u2019s any certainty in my job, it\u0026#039;s that moment when you chat with an IT department about how they work with their marketing team.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rolling eyes. The furrowed brows. The gnashing of teeth. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand\u201d, they cry. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYeah, those cool kids in marketing. With their groovy glasses and obsessional use of hashtags. Firing out things to do without knowing how things actually get done. Marketing! Keeping it fluffy since 19-whenever.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake a deep breath, because I\u2019m going to talk about relationships. That\u2019s what you\u2019re in, a symbiotic relationship. You need each other, but, sometimes, it gets dysfunctional. At Good, I\u2019ve been in the position where I\u2019ve had to sit between the IT\u2019s and the Marketeers and look to see where we can mend fences and build bridges. Why? Because the best work comes from mutual appreciation and respect.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a massive generalisation, I\u2019m going to share five tips that IT can take on board to try and make things a little more constructive between the two groups.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Explain why there are no little things\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCan we just change this little thing on the site?\u201d\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u0027t fire an email back saying, \u201cNo\u201d. Look at this as an opportunity to provide some light-hearted education to your non-IT colleagues. Ask them to pop down (it\u2019s always down), and you can explain why it isn\u2019t just as easy a change at it might first appear. The reason for the \u201cno\u0022 maybe down to the fact that its part of an overarching style guide, and changes would have a knock-on effect. The bottom line is that there is always a reason for saying no, it\u0027s never, \u0022just because\u0022. Yes, it may seem simplistic, but it does lead to the second point...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. \u0022The road to hell...\u0022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI run this by my team and clients a\u003Cem\u003E lot\u003C\/em\u003E. When the website was initially created, it probably had a pretty defined scope of work. Then, when the site launched, someone else had a great idea to you know, add a carousel on the homepage, or something. The challenge here is that it isn\u2019t as easy as chucking up a carousel. There may have been something in the initial brief which means that the architecture of the site makes it difficult to add a carousel. That\u2019s not anyone\u2019s fault, it just wasn\u0027t thought of just at the time of the original site. By anyone.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat said, just because it might not be easy to do doesn\u2019t mean that it can\u2019t be done.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. Be proactive\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAsk clients what they would like to see from their agency, and \u201cbeing proactive\u201d is one of the top three requests. We recommend that internal IT teams do the same for their marketing team. Being proactive (and ideally creating something around business goals or something else on their list of \u2018things to do\u2019) shows that IT listen, understand and are seen to be a helpful part of the team. IT teams are often considered as being a blocker\u2026and while I think this classification is usually unfair and undeserved, the occasional \u2018gift\u2019 can help. It can go a long way to getting everyone working as a team. That said, little helpful things mean nothing if you don\u2019t\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Get on the same page\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMarketing departments have had a tough time over the last decade, with smaller budgets but massive targets. On top of that, they are relying on digital more than ever. They will have some tough targets to hit. They will be relying on the IT department to help deliver on those targets. You, as IT, ultimately deliver the service to your customers, but if you don\u2019t know what the endgame is, you can\u2019t be expected to add value. So, if you don\u2019t understand what you\u0027re doing to help with the big picture, ask. It will only make the work better. For everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. Don\u2019t accept crap briefs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI\u2019ve been in meetings where Marketing has complained about how IT \u201cjust don\u2019t get it\u201d when they\u2019re looking for updates to the site. When I ask to see the brief that marketing has supplied, I\u2019m not surprised. That\u2019s assuming, of course, there\u2019s a brief at all.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou need it nailed down, and you should ask for that.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way to do that, of course, is to write the brief together. You may be working with a team that knows what they want but aren\u2019t sure how to articulate it. Help them. With a smile. Again, look at this as an opportunity to share and to learn about each other and the challenges that you both have. The more that both sides share, the stronger the work that you\u2019ll produce.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI know I said five things, but I\u2019ve got one more thing\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6. Know your value\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen it comes to delivering service, IT is second to none. But know your strengths. You know how it gets your goat when someone says, \u201cI just want this one small thing added\u201d? Well, bear that in mind when you start asking questions about the design. Sure, if you\u2019ve been tasked with a quick site and the design is holding full-bleed, high-resolution images at 20mb a pop, fair enough - that has an impact on what you\u2019ve been asked to do. But your voice is best heard in when you\u2019re talking about your area of expertise. In your domain, your value is so much more, so don\u2019t dilute it by trying to be the expert in all things digital. Nail what you know. Let marketing deal with the design, and you deal with the delivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOK, so I\u2019m not saying that this is the case for every IT and Marketing team. And this isn\u0027t a one-way street, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/articles\/how-marketing-can-work-better-it\u0022\u003EMarketing department certainly\u00a0can work with IT better\u003C\/a\u003E. But it is surprising just how often it feels like you\u2019ve got two separate\u00a0departments working on two points of view of a problem, rather than it being one unified team.\u00a0Feel free to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Eget in touch\u003C\/a\u003E with me if you have any specific questions or are looking for a bit of advice. Happy to help.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIf there\u2019s any certainty in my job, it\u0026#039;s that moment when you chat with an IT department about how they work with their marketing team.  \nThe rolling eyes. The furrowed brows. The gnashing of teeth. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand\u201d, they cry. \u201cThey just don\u2019t understand!\u201d\nYeah, those cool kids in marketing. With their groovy glasses and obsessional use of hashtags. Firing out things to do without knowing how things actually get done. Marketing! Keeping it fluffy since 19-whenever.\nTake a deep breath, because I\u2019m going to talk about relationships. That\u2019s what you\u2019re in, a symbiotic relationship. You need each other, but, sometimes, it gets dysfunctional. At Good, I\u2019ve been in the position where I\u2019ve had to sit between the IT\u2019s and the Marketeers and look to see where we can mend fences and build bridges. Why? Because the best work comes from mutual appreciation and respect.\u00a0\nAs a massive generalisation, I\u2019m going to share five tips that IT can take on board to try and make things a little more constructive between the two groups.\n1. Explain why there are no little things\n\u201cCan we just change this little thing on the site?\u201d\u00a0\nDon\u0027t fire an email back saying, \u201cNo\u201d. Look at this as an opportunity to provide some light-hearted education to your non-IT colleagues. Ask them to pop down (it\u2019s always down), and you can explain why it isn\u2019t just as easy a change at it might first appear. The reason for the \u201cno\u0022 maybe down to the fact that its part of an overarching style guide, and changes would have a knock-on effect. The bottom line is that there is always a reason for saying no, it\u0027s never, \u0022just because\u0022. Yes, it may seem simplistic, but it does lead to the second point...\n2. \u0022The road to hell...\u0022I run this by my team and clients a lot. When the website was initially created, it probably had a pretty defined scope of work. Then, when the site launched, someone else had a great idea to you know, add a carousel on the homepage, or something. The challenge here is that it isn\u2019t as easy as chucking up a carousel. There may have been something in the initial brief which means that the architecture of the site makes it difficult to add a carousel. That\u2019s not anyone\u2019s fault, it just wasn\u0027t thought of just at the time of the original site. By anyone.\u00a0\nThat said, just because it might not be easy to do doesn\u2019t mean that it can\u2019t be done.\u00a0\n3. Be proactiveAsk clients what they would like to see from their agency, and \u201cbeing proactive\u201d is one of the top three requests. We recommend that internal IT teams do the same for their marketing team. Being proactive (and ideally creating something around business goals or something else on their list of \u2018things to do\u2019) shows that IT listen, understand and are seen to be a helpful part of the team. IT teams are often considered as being a blocker\u2026and while I think this classification is usually unfair and undeserved, the occasional \u2018gift\u2019 can help. It can go a long way to getting everyone working as a team. That said, little helpful things mean nothing if you don\u2019t\u2026\n4. Get on the same pageMarketing departments have had a tough time over the last decade, with smaller budgets but massive targets. On top of that, they are relying on digital more than ever. They will have some tough targets to hit. They will be relying on the IT department to help deliver on those targets. You, as IT, ultimately deliver the service to your customers, but if you don\u2019t know what the endgame is, you can\u2019t be expected to add value. So, if you don\u2019t understand what you\u0027re doing to help with the big picture, ask. It will only make the work better. For everyone.\n5. Don\u2019t accept crap briefsI\u2019ve been in meetings where Marketing has complained about how IT \u201cjust don\u2019t get it\u201d when they\u2019re looking for updates to the site. When I ask to see the brief that marketing has supplied, I\u2019m not surprised. That\u2019s assuming, of course, there\u2019s a brief at all.\u00a0\nYou need it nailed down, and you should ask for that.\u00a0\nThe way to do that, of course, is to write the brief together. You may be working with a team that knows what they want but aren\u2019t sure how to articulate it. Help them. With a smile. Again, look at this as an opportunity to share and to learn about each other and the challenges that you both have. The more that both sides share, the stronger the work that you\u2019ll produce.\nI know I said five things, but I\u2019ve got one more thing\u2026\n6. Know your valueWhen it comes to delivering service, IT is second to none. But know your strengths. You know how it gets your goat when someone says, \u201cI just want this one small thing added\u201d? Well, bear that in mind when you start asking questions about the design. Sure, if you\u2019ve been tasked with a quick site and the design is holding full-bleed, high-resolution images at 20mb a pop, fair enough - that has an impact on what you\u2019ve been asked to do. But your voice is best heard in when you\u2019re talking about your area of expertise. In your domain, your value is so much more, so don\u2019t dilute it by trying to be the expert in all things digital. Nail what you know. Let marketing deal with the design, and you deal with the delivery.\nOK, so I\u2019m not saying that this is the case for every IT and Marketing team. And this isn\u0027t a one-way street, the Marketing department certainly\u00a0can work with IT better. But it is surprising just how often it feels like you\u2019ve got two separate\u00a0departments working on two points of view of a problem, rather than it being one unified team.\u00a0Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any specific questions or are looking for a bit of advice. Happy to help.\u00a0\n  ","summary":"If there\u2019s any certainty in my job, it\u0027s that moment when you chat with an IT department about how they work with their marketing team. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-05-19T09:44:10+0100","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5516","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/internal-communications-and-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Internal Communications and Brand","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ELooking to get the most from your internal comms? You have to start with your brand. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe propensity for over complexity in large global organisations is nothing new, but it\u2019s an epidemic that does have a simple remedy. Brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the last few years, the consultancy remit of our little business has grown exponentially. We are engaging more and more with management and leadership teams of $billion businesses on the internal and external challenges they\u2019re facing. Understanding always requires long periods of time spent with a cross-section of employees and customers, getting under the skin of the issues, as well as the underlying positives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore often than not as you engage with various workshops and interviews, a siloed mentality rises to the surface. It\u2019s a law unto itself, working to extended timelines unrelated to business goals. Marketing is isolated from sales. HR doesn\u2019t liaise with PR. Legal, by their very nature, only want to engage with anyone to say no. Production and manufacturing are just getting on with it - while everyone else makes a fist of it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E((node\/402|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/panel_2_mb_6.jpg?itok=xJkV30gj|A low down on creating an Internal Comms strategy|Learn more))\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELayered on top of this is the fact that they all have their own budgets to manage and guess what, if you\u2019re not aware of wider issues, departmental directives and goals, you\u2019re going to focus on your own team\u2019s needs and objectives. Time and again we get this played back to us. HR, through no fault of their own, are working with their own Employer Brand with their own agency. PR, who need to communicate key initiatives internally, need a brand to communicate to the employees and have engaged with another agency. Marketing meanwhile are working with various teams on communications challenges using the master brand. IT, since no one knows how to talk to them, crack on regardless, ticking the myriad of boxes that are thrown at them without ever considering brand at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is no one\u2019s fault. Everyone involved is usually a good person trying hard to do their best. Most want the best outcome possible for the company and themselves. But, when you have so many moving parts, it\u2019s sometimes difficult to get your head above the parapet and see how you could be doing this better, more efficiently, with bigger returns.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe common thread that runs through all of this is brand. The lifeblood of why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing. Why you\u2019re different. Why your customers engage with you and why, you hope, your employees are working for you. Simple as that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you build your branding the right way, and this is the crux of it, it can do all of the above and more. Offering consistency. Saving money. Engaging employees. Selling to customers. And by osmosis - boosting shareholder value. The trick is, how you build it.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlenty of design companies claim to be experts in branding, but we are currently engaged with three global companies where they have been badly let down by a \u2018branding\u2019 solution coughed up by a supposed \u2018expert.\u2019 \u00a0Oversold and way under delivered by team\u2019s miss-selling good old fashioned design as a branding solution.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs one CEO said to me, \u0027Design is a given at this level within your sector. You can all design. What\u2019s your differentiator?\u2019 It lies in your definition of branding and what it can do. It lies in the foundations on which you build design. It lies in the power of language. It lies in the brutal simplicity of the core essence. It lies in the subtle management of, and input from, key stakeholders. It lies squarely in the ability of your execution to resonate with the shop floor, senior management and key customers.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E ((node\/519|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/panel_2_britishgas_06.jpg?itok=Oo7IaCBL|British Gas Health and Safety Campaign: Better for Everyone|Read more)) \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow all of this isn\u2019t easy, but it is doable. If you know how. The bottom line is you don\u2019t need a separate \u2018Employer Brand\u2019 or an \u2018Internal Communications Brand.\u2019 You need branding that\u2019s fit for purpose.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo if and when you may be faced with the dreaded word re-brand, make sure and ask the right questions of what\u2019s being presented to you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u201cCan you tell me how this platform will talk to Bob our warehouse manager and make him feel we really care?\u0022\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u201cYes, I see the logo looks great on the tailfin of a Lear jet, but how will it communicate with our sales team in the field? Can you show me how it works in a Tweet?\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u201cWill this ensure our IT team feel a closer alignment with Marketing and help build user experiences aligned with our values?\u201d\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u201cWe have been having issues recently with new employees understanding our unique culture. How will this work educate and engage in a meaningful way?\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAsk not only how any potential rebrand will engage your target audience and grow sales, but how it will ignite a new wave of employee loyalty and attract the best of new talent to want to be your latest acquisition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGreat branding isn\u2019t a panacea for all ills but done properly it unites and motivates workforces as well as exciting customers and growing shareholder value. If you want to find out more about how we approach these challenges for some of the worlds biggest companies, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Eplease drop us a line\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nLooking to get the most from your internal comms? You have to start with your brand. \nThe propensity for over complexity in large global organisations is nothing new, but it\u2019s an epidemic that does have a simple remedy. Brand.\nOver the last few years, the consultancy remit of our little business has grown exponentially. We are engaging more and more with management and leadership teams of $billion businesses on the internal and external challenges they\u2019re facing. Understanding always requires long periods of time spent with a cross-section of employees and customers, getting under the skin of the issues, as well as the underlying positives.\nMore often than not as you engage with various workshops and interviews, a siloed mentality rises to the surface. It\u2019s a law unto itself, working to extended timelines unrelated to business goals. Marketing is isolated from sales. HR doesn\u2019t liaise with PR. Legal, by their very nature, only want to engage with anyone to say no. Production and manufacturing are just getting on with it - while everyone else makes a fist of it.\n((node\/402|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/panel_2_mb_6.jpg?itok=xJkV30gj|A low down on creating an Internal Comms strategy|Learn more))\nLayered on top of this is the fact that they all have their own budgets to manage and guess what, if you\u2019re not aware of wider issues, departmental directives and goals, you\u2019re going to focus on your own team\u2019s needs and objectives. Time and again we get this played back to us. HR, through no fault of their own, are working with their own Employer Brand with their own agency. PR, who need to communicate key initiatives internally, need a brand to communicate to the employees and have engaged with another agency. Marketing meanwhile are working with various teams on communications challenges using the master brand. IT, since no one knows how to talk to them, crack on regardless, ticking the myriad of boxes that are thrown at them without ever considering brand at all.\nThis is no one\u2019s fault. Everyone involved is usually a good person trying hard to do their best. Most want the best outcome possible for the company and themselves. But, when you have so many moving parts, it\u2019s sometimes difficult to get your head above the parapet and see how you could be doing this better, more efficiently, with bigger returns.\nThe common thread that runs through all of this is brand. The lifeblood of why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing. Why you\u2019re different. Why your customers engage with you and why, you hope, your employees are working for you. Simple as that.\nIf you build your branding the right way, and this is the crux of it, it can do all of the above and more. Offering consistency. Saving money. Engaging employees. Selling to customers. And by osmosis - boosting shareholder value. The trick is, how you build it.\u00a0\nPlenty of design companies claim to be experts in branding, but we are currently engaged with three global companies where they have been badly let down by a \u2018branding\u2019 solution coughed up by a supposed \u2018expert.\u2019 \u00a0Oversold and way under delivered by team\u2019s miss-selling good old fashioned design as a branding solution.\u00a0\nAs one CEO said to me, \u0027Design is a given at this level within your sector. You can all design. What\u2019s your differentiator?\u2019 It lies in your definition of branding and what it can do. It lies in the foundations on which you build design. It lies in the power of language. It lies in the brutal simplicity of the core essence. It lies in the subtle management of, and input from, key stakeholders. It lies squarely in the ability of your execution to resonate with the shop floor, senior management and key customers.\u00a0 ((node\/519|\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/sidebar_component\/public\/case-study\/images\/panel_2_britishgas_06.jpg?itok=Oo7IaCBL|British Gas Health and Safety Campaign: Better for Everyone|Read more)) \nNow all of this isn\u2019t easy, but it is doable. If you know how. The bottom line is you don\u2019t need a separate \u2018Employer Brand\u2019 or an \u2018Internal Communications Brand.\u2019 You need branding that\u2019s fit for purpose.\nSo if and when you may be faced with the dreaded word re-brand, make sure and ask the right questions of what\u2019s being presented to you.\n\u201cCan you tell me how this platform will talk to Bob our warehouse manager and make him feel we really care?\u0022\n\u201cYes, I see the logo looks great on the tailfin of a Lear jet, but how will it communicate with our sales team in the field? Can you show me how it works in a Tweet?\u201d\n\u201cWill this ensure our IT team feel a closer alignment with Marketing and help build user experiences aligned with our values?\u201d\n\u201cWe have been having issues recently with new employees understanding our unique culture. How will this work educate and engage in a meaningful way?\nAsk not only how any potential rebrand will engage your target audience and grow sales, but how it will ignite a new wave of employee loyalty and attract the best of new talent to want to be your latest acquisition.\nGreat branding isn\u2019t a panacea for all ills but done properly it unites and motivates workforces as well as exciting customers and growing shareholder value. If you want to find out more about how we approach these challenges for some of the worlds biggest companies, please drop us a line.\n  ","summary":"Looking to get the most from your internal comms? You have to start with your brand.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-05-15T10:55:34+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5517","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/dont-let-internal-politics-cost-you-money","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Don\u2019t let internal politics cost you money","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBe aware of the impact internal politics can have on your marketing budgets. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPolitics is an honourable profession. Now that\u2019s a seriously debatable question these days,\u00a0but I\u2019m not here to ponder the vagaries of governments across the globe. Politics\u00a0undoubtedly has its place in the world, but I\u2019m here to table that if you want to be efficiently\u00a0successful, it has no place in business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe are a branding agency who prides ourselves on our ethics. We have a set of guiding\u00a0principles. A Good Book that outlines our values and all manner of behaviours and actions to\u00a0ensure each of our team understand what makes us Good. We have fought hard to eliminate\u00a0ego inside our doors - no mean feat when you\u2019re dealing with a lot of seriously smart people,\u00a0and angst-ridden creatives! We have done everything we can to ensure our focus is purely on\u00a0doing the very best work for our client\u2019s, our client\u2019s customers and ultimately, keeping our\u00a0client\u2019s shareholders happy. Period.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s the only way we can ensure the integrity of our advice. It\u2019s the only way we can keep our\u00a0calm and our heads up when we have to go to bat over a decision we really believe in. It\u2019s the\u00a0only way we can act as a cohesive and effective team. By leaving ego, politics and personal\u00a0preference at the door, to have a laser-like focus on the agreed vision and goals of the task at\u00a0hand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf only the same could be said of businesses everywhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn its most simple form, it\u2019s illustrated by this age-old question. \u2018Are you sure you can hit this\u00a0deadline?\u2019 My answer is usually the same, \u2018As an agency, we pride ourselves on never missing a\u00a0deadline due to our shortcomings. Unfortunately, experience dictates that it will be you, who\u00a0for whatever reason, cannot move at the speed or decisiveness necessary to deliver to your\u00a0timeline.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOuch! Even before I\u2019ve posted this I can feel heckles rising!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESadly it\u2019s true, and we all know it. Organisations large and small, across the planet, are\u00a0riddled with internal politics that are nothing to do with the ideals or goals of the company.\u00a0The bigger the team, the worse it gets. Very often from my experience, senior management\u00a0is aware and do everything in their power to stamp it out or at the very least manage it.\u00a0Acting as the oil poured liberally during a storm to calm the waters and facilitate a rescue.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEgo. Personal gain. Petty backstabbing. Jealousy. Laziness. Incompetence. And many more\u00a0ugly traits, are the killers of great ideas, good companies, and aspirational visions. Internal\u00a0politics, jostling for position, the next step up the ladder for the salary raise, title and corner\u00a0office take over. The history, legacy, vision and goals are forgotten. The very reason for being\u00a0there, for getting paid, cast aside and the needs of the customer relegated to a footnote on a\u00a0brief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI am being deliberately theatrical, but you\u2019ll recognise the point I\u2019m making.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhere this impacts on any service supplier, in our case branding and design, is primarily in\u00a0time. If you have clarity and united focus on your goals, driven by collective values and\u00a0purpose, you have the nirvana for delivering great work, very quickly. If however, as outlined\u00a0above, you have multiple stakeholders at personal loggerheads who have lost sight of why\u00a0they are there and what they are trying to achieve for their customers, you\u2019re in a time sink.\u00a0Not to mention, a world of pain.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDecisions cannot be made because COO - X doesn\u2019t like CMO - Y and whatever he or she may\u00a0propose, their opposite number is going to disagree with it. On top of that Department A\u00a0doesn\u2019t speak to Department B, because frankly \u2018What do they know about anything?\u2019 And\u00a0the icing on the cake. Everyone can say no, but only the boss can really say yes and because\u00a0she\u2019s busy we can\u2019t show her the first draft until a year past Wednesday.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWonderful. Not only is the work compromised as the agency will need to keep multiple\u00a0personalities with their own agendas happy, but the timeline is also now a work of fiction. The good\u00a0news for the agency, of course, is that the clock is ticking. More fees, please! Not our fault,\u00a0here\u2019s a contact report detailing a long list of, frankly avoidable, meetings, changes and\u00a0missed deadlines. Thank you very much.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow the news isn\u2019t all bad, there are companies out there who pour a massive amount of\u00a0time, money and energy into getting their culture, purpose and vision embedded. And these\u00a0guys are knocking it out of the park. Unified and motivated teams. Simply great products and\u00a0services driven by excellence and purpose, with the customer always front of mind. And best\u00a0of all, ecstatic shareholders. Patagonia is a good example of this mantra. I\u2019d also like to give\u00a0an honourable mention to Interface, who we\u2019re working closely with to help them get there.\u00a0You guys have what it takes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, there is no place in good business for internal politics or personal agendas. It\u2019ll steadily\u00a0erode everything you stand for and cost you dear in the short, medium and long-term.\u00a0Diagnose early, you\u2019ll be able to spot the signs and cut it out like a cancer, otherwise, it will\u00a0spread to affect the furthest reaches of your team.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnite your team around your ethos, vision and common goals and always, always have your\u00a0customer front of mind in every decision. Things will immediately improve. Morale will be\u00a0bolstered. Productivity will rise. Quality will improve. Decisiveness and cohesion will enter the\u00a0room and trust me your creative agency bills will go down. It\u2019s not rocket science, it\u2019s just\u00a0good business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nBe aware of the impact internal politics can have on your marketing budgets. \nPolitics is an honourable profession. Now that\u2019s a seriously debatable question these days,\u00a0but I\u2019m not here to ponder the vagaries of governments across the globe. Politics\u00a0undoubtedly has its place in the world, but I\u2019m here to table that if you want to be efficiently\u00a0successful, it has no place in business.\nWe are a branding agency who prides ourselves on our ethics. We have a set of guiding\u00a0principles. A Good Book that outlines our values and all manner of behaviours and actions to\u00a0ensure each of our team understand what makes us Good. We have fought hard to eliminate\u00a0ego inside our doors - no mean feat when you\u2019re dealing with a lot of seriously smart people,\u00a0and angst-ridden creatives! We have done everything we can to ensure our focus is purely on\u00a0doing the very best work for our client\u2019s, our client\u2019s customers and ultimately, keeping our\u00a0client\u2019s shareholders happy. Period.\nIt\u2019s the only way we can ensure the integrity of our advice. It\u2019s the only way we can keep our\u00a0calm and our heads up when we have to go to bat over a decision we really believe in. It\u2019s the\u00a0only way we can act as a cohesive and effective team. By leaving ego, politics and personal\u00a0preference at the door, to have a laser-like focus on the agreed vision and goals of the task at\u00a0hand.\nIf only the same could be said of businesses everywhere.\nIn its most simple form, it\u2019s illustrated by this age-old question. \u2018Are you sure you can hit this\u00a0deadline?\u2019 My answer is usually the same, \u2018As an agency, we pride ourselves on never missing a\u00a0deadline due to our shortcomings. Unfortunately, experience dictates that it will be you, who\u00a0for whatever reason, cannot move at the speed or decisiveness necessary to deliver to your\u00a0timeline.\u2019\nOuch! Even before I\u2019ve posted this I can feel heckles rising!\nSadly it\u2019s true, and we all know it. Organisations large and small, across the planet, are\u00a0riddled with internal politics that are nothing to do with the ideals or goals of the company.\u00a0The bigger the team, the worse it gets. Very often from my experience, senior management\u00a0is aware and do everything in their power to stamp it out or at the very least manage it.\u00a0Acting as the oil poured liberally during a storm to calm the waters and facilitate a rescue.\nEgo. Personal gain. Petty backstabbing. Jealousy. Laziness. Incompetence. And many more\u00a0ugly traits, are the killers of great ideas, good companies, and aspirational visions. Internal\u00a0politics, jostling for position, the next step up the ladder for the salary raise, title and corner\u00a0office take over. The history, legacy, vision and goals are forgotten. The very reason for being\u00a0there, for getting paid, cast aside and the needs of the customer relegated to a footnote on a\u00a0brief.\nI am being deliberately theatrical, but you\u2019ll recognise the point I\u2019m making.\nWhere this impacts on any service supplier, in our case branding and design, is primarily in\u00a0time. If you have clarity and united focus on your goals, driven by collective values and\u00a0purpose, you have the nirvana for delivering great work, very quickly. If however, as outlined\u00a0above, you have multiple stakeholders at personal loggerheads who have lost sight of why\u00a0they are there and what they are trying to achieve for their customers, you\u2019re in a time sink.\u00a0Not to mention, a world of pain.\nDecisions cannot be made because COO - X doesn\u2019t like CMO - Y and whatever he or she may\u00a0propose, their opposite number is going to disagree with it. On top of that Department A\u00a0doesn\u2019t speak to Department B, because frankly \u2018What do they know about anything?\u2019 And\u00a0the icing on the cake. Everyone can say no, but only the boss can really say yes and because\u00a0she\u2019s busy we can\u2019t show her the first draft until a year past Wednesday.\nWonderful. Not only is the work compromised as the agency will need to keep multiple\u00a0personalities with their own agendas happy, but the timeline is also now a work of fiction. The good\u00a0news for the agency, of course, is that the clock is ticking. More fees, please! Not our fault,\u00a0here\u2019s a contact report detailing a long list of, frankly avoidable, meetings, changes and\u00a0missed deadlines. Thank you very much.\nNow the news isn\u2019t all bad, there are companies out there who pour a massive amount of\u00a0time, money and energy into getting their culture, purpose and vision embedded. And these\u00a0guys are knocking it out of the park. Unified and motivated teams. Simply great products and\u00a0services driven by excellence and purpose, with the customer always front of mind. And best\u00a0of all, ecstatic shareholders. Patagonia is a good example of this mantra. I\u2019d also like to give\u00a0an honourable mention to Interface, who we\u2019re working closely with to help them get there.\u00a0You guys have what it takes.\nSo, there is no place in good business for internal politics or personal agendas. It\u2019ll steadily\u00a0erode everything you stand for and cost you dear in the short, medium and long-term.\u00a0Diagnose early, you\u2019ll be able to spot the signs and cut it out like a cancer, otherwise, it will\u00a0spread to affect the furthest reaches of your team.\nUnite your team around your ethos, vision and common goals and always, always have your\u00a0customer front of mind in every decision. Things will immediately improve. Morale will be\u00a0bolstered. Productivity will rise. Quality will improve. Decisiveness and cohesion will enter the\u00a0room and trust me your creative agency bills will go down. It\u2019s not rocket science, it\u2019s just\u00a0good business.\n  ","summary":"Be aware of the impact internal politics can have on your marketing budgets.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-03-12T13:34:15+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5518","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-design-effectiveness-good-news","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Design Effectiveness is Good News","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe DEA\u0026#039;s are the closest thing we have to a respected benchmark for design services that business can believe in. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of Good\u2019s driving principles has been to help move the needle on how design services, in\u00a0all their many forms, are bought and measured. To fly the flag for our professionalism and\u00a0expertise to be respected alongside the elite of professional services, the likes of lawyers,\u00a0accountants and management consultants. We firmly believe that true design and branding\u00a0consultancy, when done well with rigour, insight, integrity and imagination is more powerful\u00a0than any in driving sustainable change and shareholder value in business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnything we can do to further this end is front of mind on any project or initiative we\u00a0undertake, which brings me neatly to the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.effectivedesign.org.uk\/\u0022\u003EDesign Effectiveness Awards\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey are the only awards we enter for the very good reason outlined above and the only\u00a0awards, from my knowledge, that clients have ever shown any real interest in. The only\u00a0awards where the client, not designers, judge the quality of the work through the lens of\u00a0positive impact. Style and Substance.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe DEA\u2019s are the brainchild of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.dba.org.uk\u0022\u003EDesign Business Association\u003C\/a\u003E (DBA). If you haven\u2019t heard of\u00a0them, you should have. In my opinion, they are the closest thing the design industry has to a\u00a0governing body, and one that is mutually respected by the very calibre of client we aspire to\u00a0work with.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe DEA\u2019s are the only one of their kind. An award to prove the impact of design, in all its\u00a0glory, in society and business. And by definition it isn\u2019t easy to either enter or indeed, to win.\u00a0The process can take years. The goals set in the brief, at the inception of the project, have to\u00a0be monitored and measured. Data gathered. Markets and performance against trends\u00a0analysed. Competitors benchmarked and other influencing factors considered and factored in. And that\u2019s just for starters.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese awards are not for the faint-hearted or for the shiny shiny bullshit merchants so\u00a0prevalent in our industry. They are intrinsically difficult and rightly so. You need a client\u00a0partner who believes. A client who isn\u2019t afraid to be measured by ROI and that doesn\u2019t mean\u00a0\u2018page views\u2019 or \u2018likes\u2019. This group are the exception rather than the rule, welcoming the\u00a0interrogation that accompanies a robust entry as, no matter the outcome, they know it\u2019ll\u00a0make them better as marketers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe relish the challenge of entering the DEA\u2019s every year as it underpins our guiding principles\u00a0as an ethical and effective branding consultancy. The process of entry is a right of passage at\u00a0Good. We use it as a way of embedding a \u2018Put the client\u0027s client first\u2019 mentality in our team.\u00a0We\u2019re by no means the finished article, things fall through the net, the right metrics are\u00a0sometimes hard to expose and measure, but it acts as a focus to educate and grow our team in\u00a0our image. We must give the right advice, at all times, to achieve our client\u2019s goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the last 14 years of entering, we had many great successes, but equally, we\u2019ve had\u00a0frustrating failures. The wins are the icing on the cake of great work. We managed to prove,\u00a0beyond a shadow of a doubt, to a select group of the world\u2019s most respected businessmen\u00a0and women, that responsible and innovative design made all the difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe failures are never a total loss. The process and judging are so rigorous that it\u2019s never a\u00a0sure thing, but the journey always has learnings. Each entry helps us grow as individuals and\u00a0more importantly as a team. What went wrong? Where can we improve? What can we put in\u00a0place to help? New processes? New thinking? A whole new approach? We learn and grow,\u00a0and by osmosis, our clients and partners benefit from our deeper understanding and renewed\u00a0vigour.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing honest, I\u2019m actually not a big fan of awards full stop. Too often I\u2019ve seen the pursuit of\u00a0gongs take the eye off the goal\u2019s agreed in the brief for no better reason than misplaced ego.\u00a0However, the DEA\u2019s are unique, they involve the client and are judged by the client. Not for\u00a0being pretty, but for the impact the work has achieved. Not a creative or a subjective\u00a0viewpoint in sight.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAre they perfect?\u00a0No, they\u0027re not.\u00a0But they are the closest thing we have to a respected\u00a0benchmark for design services that business can believe in. They are a starting point that has\u00a0been continually questioned, adapted and honed by the DBA working closely with key client\u00a0bodies and responsible design teams over many years. For a relatively young industry that\u00a0sometimes\u00a0struggles for proper recognition and remuneration for its services, it\u2019s a vital ally in\u00a0helping us win the war on design charlatans and vapid creative.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWin or lose, our support for the DBA and the DEA\u2019s is resolute. The good far outweighs the\u00a0bad. Having the conviction and commitment to enter has massive benefits for both client and\u00a0agency in learnings, no matter the result. It\u2019s definitely got harder over the years as the\u00a0entries grow and competition becomes fiercer, and I suspect it\u2019s only going to get tougher as\u00a0momentum gathers globally over the coming years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is no excuse not to enter, other than the client\u00a0doesn\u0027t have the necessary data\u00a0or can\u0027t provide the\u00a0support needed.\u00a0Enter because you believe in the impact of\u00a0quality design and to benchmark yourself against the best. Enter for the learnings for you,\u00a0your client and your team. Enter to further the cause for design to be recognised for its\u00a0power to change the world. Or enter simply for the challenge. After all, what good ever came\u00a0out of taking the easy path?\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe DEA\u0026#039;s are the closest thing we have to a respected benchmark for design services that business can believe in. \nOne of Good\u2019s driving principles has been to help move the needle on how design services, in\u00a0all their many forms, are bought and measured. To fly the flag for our professionalism and\u00a0expertise to be respected alongside the elite of professional services, the likes of lawyers,\u00a0accountants and management consultants. We firmly believe that true design and branding\u00a0consultancy, when done well with rigour, insight, integrity and imagination is more powerful\u00a0than any in driving sustainable change and shareholder value in business.\nAnything we can do to further this end is front of mind on any project or initiative we\u00a0undertake, which brings me neatly to the Design Effectiveness Awards.\nThey are the only awards we enter for the very good reason outlined above and the only\u00a0awards, from my knowledge, that clients have ever shown any real interest in. The only\u00a0awards where the client, not designers, judge the quality of the work through the lens of\u00a0positive impact. Style and Substance.\nThe DEA\u2019s are the brainchild of the Design Business Association (DBA). If you haven\u2019t heard of\u00a0them, you should have. In my opinion, they are the closest thing the design industry has to a\u00a0governing body, and one that is mutually respected by the very calibre of client we aspire to\u00a0work with.\nThe DEA\u2019s are the only one of their kind. An award to prove the impact of design, in all its\u00a0glory, in society and business. And by definition it isn\u2019t easy to either enter or indeed, to win.\u00a0The process can take years. The goals set in the brief, at the inception of the project, have to\u00a0be monitored and measured. Data gathered. Markets and performance against trends\u00a0analysed. Competitors benchmarked and other influencing factors considered and factored in. And that\u2019s just for starters.\nThese awards are not for the faint-hearted or for the shiny shiny bullshit merchants so\u00a0prevalent in our industry. They are intrinsically difficult and rightly so. You need a client\u00a0partner who believes. A client who isn\u2019t afraid to be measured by ROI and that doesn\u2019t mean\u00a0\u2018page views\u2019 or \u2018likes\u2019. This group are the exception rather than the rule, welcoming the\u00a0interrogation that accompanies a robust entry as, no matter the outcome, they know it\u2019ll\u00a0make them better as marketers.\nWe relish the challenge of entering the DEA\u2019s every year as it underpins our guiding principles\u00a0as an ethical and effective branding consultancy. The process of entry is a right of passage at\u00a0Good. We use it as a way of embedding a \u2018Put the client\u0027s client first\u2019 mentality in our team.\u00a0We\u2019re by no means the finished article, things fall through the net, the right metrics are\u00a0sometimes hard to expose and measure, but it acts as a focus to educate and grow our team in\u00a0our image. We must give the right advice, at all times, to achieve our client\u2019s goals.\nOver the last 14 years of entering, we had many great successes, but equally, we\u2019ve had\u00a0frustrating failures. The wins are the icing on the cake of great work. We managed to prove,\u00a0beyond a shadow of a doubt, to a select group of the world\u2019s most respected businessmen\u00a0and women, that responsible and innovative design made all the difference.\nThe failures are never a total loss. The process and judging are so rigorous that it\u2019s never a\u00a0sure thing, but the journey always has learnings. Each entry helps us grow as individuals and\u00a0more importantly as a team. What went wrong? Where can we improve? What can we put in\u00a0place to help? New processes? New thinking? A whole new approach? We learn and grow,\u00a0and by osmosis, our clients and partners benefit from our deeper understanding and renewed\u00a0vigour.\nBeing honest, I\u2019m actually not a big fan of awards full stop. Too often I\u2019ve seen the pursuit of\u00a0gongs take the eye off the goal\u2019s agreed in the brief for no better reason than misplaced ego.\u00a0However, the DEA\u2019s are unique, they involve the client and are judged by the client. Not for\u00a0being pretty, but for the impact the work has achieved. Not a creative or a subjective\u00a0viewpoint in sight.\nAre they perfect?\u00a0No, they\u0027re not.\u00a0But they are the closest thing we have to a respected\u00a0benchmark for design services that business can believe in. They are a starting point that has\u00a0been continually questioned, adapted and honed by the DBA working closely with key client\u00a0bodies and responsible design teams over many years. For a relatively young industry that\u00a0sometimes\u00a0struggles for proper recognition and remuneration for its services, it\u2019s a vital ally in\u00a0helping us win the war on design charlatans and vapid creative.\nWin or lose, our support for the DBA and the DEA\u2019s is resolute. The good far outweighs the\u00a0bad. Having the conviction and commitment to enter has massive benefits for both client and\u00a0agency in learnings, no matter the result. It\u2019s definitely got harder over the years as the\u00a0entries grow and competition becomes fiercer, and I suspect it\u2019s only going to get tougher as\u00a0momentum gathers globally over the coming years.\nThere is no excuse not to enter, other than the client\u00a0doesn\u0027t have the necessary data\u00a0or can\u0027t provide the\u00a0support needed.\u00a0Enter because you believe in the impact of\u00a0quality design and to benchmark yourself against the best. Enter for the learnings for you,\u00a0your client and your team. Enter to further the cause for design to be recognised for its\u00a0power to change the world. Or enter simply for the challenge. After all, what good ever came\u00a0out of taking the easy path?\n  ","summary":"The DEA\u0027s are the closest thing we have to a respected benchmark for design services that business can believe in.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-02-22T12:22:41+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5522","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-gdpr-checklist","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Good GDPR Checklist","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHow Good is preparing to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the delight of working for an agency is the variety of work. But I never expected to be tasked with learning about new international legislation, how it could impact our business and forming the basis of a framework for implementing it, both for Good and our clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI am, of course, talking about\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/for-organisations\/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGDPR\u003C\/a\u003E. It seems to have been everywhere in the past few months, with most\u0026nbsp;articles leading with the scare stories -\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Efailure to comply will see fines of \u20ac20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher!\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;But we see GDPR as positive legislation. Currently, we don\u2019t really know who is holding what information about us. And we don\u2019t know where that information is or how that information is shared.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGDPR will be good. It\u2019s designed to protect\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/for-organisations\/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr\/individual-rights\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eour rights\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u2019s going to ensure companies do more to protect our\u0026nbsp;Personal Data\u0026nbsp;and make them\u0026nbsp;accountable. And it\u2019s going to make it easier for us to know what Personal Data a company holds about us and - if we want - have it deleted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what is GDPR? The General Data Protection Regulations are European legislation focused on user privacy. It becomes law on the 25th of May 2018 and is being described as the biggest data protection shakeup in two decades.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd how do we ensure that we\u2019re in full compliance come 25 May? Well, the approach we\u2019re taking is straightforward and based on the advice from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInformation Commissioner\u0027s Office (ICO)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EKnow what Personal Data we collect\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re undergoing a thorough audit of all Personal Data we collect. Some places to start include\u0026nbsp;data that is actively collected;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EContact forms on your website\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENewsletter signups\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECRM systems like SalesForce\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs well as information that is passively collected such as;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EInformation for Analytics packages\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShopping carts and related data\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EKnow where we keep the Personal Data and who has access\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Personal Data we collect lives somewhere. It could be an online database. It could be an email server or it could be printed and stored in a filing cabinet. Some of the questions we\u0027ll be asking;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhere are your\u0026nbsp;online databases hosted? Does that host have GDRP compliance?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAre your online databases are backed up? Where are the backups held?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, we need to identify who potentially has access to the data at each stage and how it\u2019s secured;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIs that filing cabinet locked?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAre the backup servers IP or password-restricted?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIs the Personal Data\u0026nbsp;encrypted?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is also the time that we double-check that the server environment has all security patches installed and any platform tools are up to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EKnow why we have the Personal Data\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GDPR expects us to have a\u0026nbsp;lawful basis\u0026nbsp;for collecting and processing data. Again, we examine each piece of data we collect and process and using the ICO guidelines identify the lawful basis and document it. In the unlikely event that we identify a piece of Personal Data that is collected or processed that doesn\u2019t fall into those guidelines, we would remove the collection point for it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EData Privacy Impact Assessment\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce we\u2019ve got that information we need to make sure that we have it thoroughly documented. We\u2019ll put everything in a\u0026nbsp;Data Privacy Impact Assessment\u0026nbsp;(PIA) document to ensure that in the event of any enquiry from a user, client or even the ICO, we can quickly respond with accurate information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EConsent\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike many agencies (and companies), we send occasional email newsletters letting people know what we\u2019ve been up to. We\u2019re confident that\u0026nbsp;we\u2019ve got consent\u0026nbsp;to send emails to everyone on our mailing list, but we\u2019re not relying purely on our confidence. After all, people change their minds over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo we\u2019re implementing a Permission Passing Campaign\u0026nbsp;which means we\u2019re going to ask everyone on our mailing list to opt-in to receive any further emails from us. Not only will this ensure we\u2019ve got specific consent to send to those who opt-in, but it also cleanses the list of any email addresses which no longer monitored.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure we continue to have guaranteed consent we\u2019ll switch our website newsletter signup to a two-stage confirmation system to ensure that users are electing to hear from us.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWorking with third parties and suppliers\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a multi-discipline agency, we do much of our own development. But sometimes we use third-party tools for efficiency, security or budget reasons. So we need to apply our own process to them. We need to identify\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhat Personal Data is\u0026nbsp;collected and processed\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWhere is\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s stored?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWho has access?\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany third parties are already providing their own GDPR compliance documents which we\u2019re collecting and adding to our repository of documents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUpdating internal procedures\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure that we will fully comply with all areas of GDPR we\u2019re updating some of our internal procedures:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFrom the end of May, we\u2019ll have a procedure in place which will allow us to quickly identify all Personal Data we hold about an individual and be able to supply them with a copy of it in a timely manner with no charge.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWe will also have procedures in place allowing users to request their data be erased and where it\u2019s legal. This isn\u2019t always possible - for instance payment and tax information has to be held for six years, but where it is possible, it will happen within the month.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn addition to the many procedures we have in place for monitoring the security and integrity of the Personal Data we hold, we will implement a new procedure for notifying the ICO in the event of any\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/for-organisations\/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr\/personal-data-breaches\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ebreach\u003C\/a\u003E. This is obviously a procedure we hope to never need, but unfortunately in life, the unexpected and unwelcome can happen. Despite best intentions and security, there can be break-ins, phones or laptops can be stolen and servers can be compromised. Should this happen we\u2019ll know what Personal Data is threatened and be able to inform the authorities within 72 hours.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EUpdating privacy documents\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of the changes we\u2019re making won\u2019t mean much if we don\u2019t properly communicate them to our clients and users. We\u2019ll ensure that our privacy documents - on our website, in our emails and in our contracts - reflect our new ways of working. The documents will be written in concise, easy to understand and clear language.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EPrivacy by design\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis phrase is getting a lot of attention at the moment. Essentially it comes down to ensuring that privacy and data protection are considered at the start of everything we do and not bolted on at the end as an afterthought. It\u2019s something that we agree with and will be the policy throughout the studio.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EClients\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGDPR doesn\u2019t have to be scary. I\u2019ve seen articles designed to sell the services of lawyers and consultants which are designed to terrify companies. That\u2019s not how we want to behave. We\u0027re helping our clients meet their GDPR obligations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t be scared by GDPR. Don\u2019t be frightened by articles that threaten the existence of your company if you make a mistake. This is new for everyone. The ICO doesn\u2019t want to punish or fine you. They\u2019re not going to look for companies to attack. Especially companies who are trying to comply. As long as you\u2019re aware and begin to take steps now, by the time the legislation is enacted you should be in a good place.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nHow Good is preparing to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations. \nPart of the delight of working for an agency is the variety of work. But I never expected to be tasked with learning about new international legislation, how it could impact our business and forming the basis of a framework for implementing it, both for Good and our clients.I am, of course, talking about\u0026nbsp;GDPR. It seems to have been everywhere in the past few months, with most\u0026nbsp;articles leading with the scare stories -\u0026nbsp;failure to comply will see fines of \u20ac20 million or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher!\u0026nbsp;But we see GDPR as positive legislation. Currently, we don\u2019t really know who is holding what information about us. And we don\u2019t know where that information is or how that information is shared.\u0026nbsp;GDPR will be good. It\u2019s designed to protect\u0026nbsp;our rights. It\u2019s going to ensure companies do more to protect our\u0026nbsp;Personal Data\u0026nbsp;and make them\u0026nbsp;accountable. And it\u2019s going to make it easier for us to know what Personal Data a company holds about us and - if we want - have it deleted.So what is GDPR? The General Data Protection Regulations are European legislation focused on user privacy. It becomes law on the 25th of May 2018 and is being described as the biggest data protection shakeup in two decades.And how do we ensure that we\u2019re in full compliance come 25 May? Well, the approach we\u2019re taking is straightforward and based on the advice from the\u0026nbsp;Information Commissioner\u0027s Office (ICO).Know what Personal Data we collectWe\u2019re undergoing a thorough audit of all Personal Data we collect. Some places to start include\u0026nbsp;data that is actively collected;Contact forms on your websiteNewsletter signupsCRM systems like SalesForceAs well as information that is passively collected such as;Information for Analytics packagesShopping carts and related dataKnow where we keep the Personal Data and who has accessThe Personal Data we collect lives somewhere. It could be an online database. It could be an email server or it could be printed and stored in a filing cabinet. Some of the questions we\u0027ll be asking;Where are your\u0026nbsp;online databases hosted? Does that host have GDRP compliance?Are your online databases are backed up? Where are the backups held?In addition, we need to identify who potentially has access to the data at each stage and how it\u2019s secured;\u0026nbsp;Is that filing cabinet locked?Are the backup servers IP or password-restricted?Is the Personal Data\u0026nbsp;encrypted?This is also the time that we double-check that the server environment has all security patches installed and any platform tools are up to date.Know why we have the Personal DataThe GDPR expects us to have a\u0026nbsp;lawful basis\u0026nbsp;for collecting and processing data. Again, we examine each piece of data we collect and process and using the ICO guidelines identify the lawful basis and document it. In the unlikely event that we identify a piece of Personal Data that is collected or processed that doesn\u2019t fall into those guidelines, we would remove the collection point for it.Data Privacy Impact AssessmentOnce we\u2019ve got that information we need to make sure that we have it thoroughly documented. We\u2019ll put everything in a\u0026nbsp;Data Privacy Impact Assessment\u0026nbsp;(PIA) document to ensure that in the event of any enquiry from a user, client or even the ICO, we can quickly respond with accurate information.ConsentLike many agencies (and companies), we send occasional email newsletters letting people know what we\u2019ve been up to. We\u2019re confident that\u0026nbsp;we\u2019ve got consent\u0026nbsp;to send emails to everyone on our mailing list, but we\u2019re not relying purely on our confidence. After all, people change their minds over time.\u0026nbsp;So we\u2019re implementing a Permission Passing Campaign\u0026nbsp;which means we\u2019re going to ask everyone on our mailing list to opt-in to receive any further emails from us. Not only will this ensure we\u2019ve got specific consent to send to those who opt-in, but it also cleanses the list of any email addresses which no longer monitored.To ensure we continue to have guaranteed consent we\u2019ll switch our website newsletter signup to a two-stage confirmation system to ensure that users are electing to hear from us.Working with third parties and suppliersAs a multi-discipline agency, we do much of our own development. But sometimes we use third-party tools for efficiency, security or budget reasons. So we need to apply our own process to them. We need to identifyWhat Personal Data is\u0026nbsp;collected and processedWhere is\u0026nbsp;it\u2019s stored?Who has access?Many third parties are already providing their own GDPR compliance documents which we\u2019re collecting and adding to our repository of documents.Updating internal proceduresTo ensure that we will fully comply with all areas of GDPR we\u2019re updating some of our internal procedures:From the end of May, we\u2019ll have a procedure in place which will allow us to quickly identify all Personal Data we hold about an individual and be able to supply them with a copy of it in a timely manner with no charge.We will also have procedures in place allowing users to request their data be erased and where it\u2019s legal. This isn\u2019t always possible - for instance payment and tax information has to be held for six years, but where it is possible, it will happen within the month.In addition to the many procedures we have in place for monitoring the security and integrity of the Personal Data we hold, we will implement a new procedure for notifying the ICO in the event of any\u0026nbsp;breach. This is obviously a procedure we hope to never need, but unfortunately in life, the unexpected and unwelcome can happen. Despite best intentions and security, there can be break-ins, phones or laptops can be stolen and servers can be compromised. Should this happen we\u2019ll know what Personal Data is threatened and be able to inform the authorities within 72 hours.Updating privacy documentsAll of the changes we\u2019re making won\u2019t mean much if we don\u2019t properly communicate them to our clients and users. We\u2019ll ensure that our privacy documents - on our website, in our emails and in our contracts - reflect our new ways of working. The documents will be written in concise, easy to understand and clear language.Privacy by designThis phrase is getting a lot of attention at the moment. Essentially it comes down to ensuring that privacy and data protection are considered at the start of everything we do and not bolted on at the end as an afterthought. It\u2019s something that we agree with and will be the policy throughout the studio.ClientsGDPR doesn\u2019t have to be scary. I\u2019ve seen articles designed to sell the services of lawyers and consultants which are designed to terrify companies. That\u2019s not how we want to behave. We\u0027re helping our clients meet their GDPR obligations.Don\u2019t be scared by GDPR. Don\u2019t be frightened by articles that threaten the existence of your company if you make a mistake. This is new for everyone. The ICO doesn\u2019t want to punish or fine you. They\u2019re not going to look for companies to attack. Especially companies who are trying to comply. As long as you\u2019re aware and begin to take steps now, by the time the legislation is enacted you should be in a good place.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"How Good is preparing to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-01-29T12:52:47+0000","author":{"name":"Scott Graham"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5523","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/role-brand-internal-comms","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Role of Brand in Internal Comms","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOur top 5 tips for creating effective internal comms. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve been involved in developing a lot of internal comms work - it\u2019s interesting work and takes you right to the heart of the organisation, which can be revealing. However, no matter the sector of the client organisation, there\u2019s always a pattern to the challenges these businesses face. Whether that\u2019s in the field of internal comms, or more specifically, within the area of Health and Safety. The difficulties they end up facing are always very similar.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, the biggest issue we see is that the responsibility of internal communications seems to fall between departments. Marketing often has some sort of input, but it tends to be the responsibility of HR, the Health and Safety team or Comms \u2013 or a collaboration of all four. That\u2019s never a good sign.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith no absolute master, the quality of what\u2019s produced suffers. Sometimes it\u2019s devolved to other members of a team who have an interest in design or creating posters \u2013 which is to be encouraged, but controlled. In these situations, what you tend to see is lots of piecemeal comms, with clip art, irregular fonts, forced acronyms and way too many exclamation marks. The main brand is lost to a wave of additional \u2018sub brands\u2019 or new initiatives which have all had new logos created. It\u2019s then poorly reproduced through an office printer and pasted up onto notice boards, doors and coffee stations \u2013 usually between the Macmillan coffee morning poster and the advert of the guy from IT selling a camper van. Together, all this stuff adds up to a tidal wave of wallpaper which is easy to ignore.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin Health and Safety, the comms can default to be compliance driven. At its worst this adopts a matronly, overly corporate tone and provides screeds of information with no thought to how a human might read it. The result? Nothing is read, but a box is ticked. Have you ever read the terms and conditions supplied by iTunes? I haven\u2019t, but I do literally tick the box to move on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut what we mustn\u2019t forget is that this stuff is important and is coming from the centre of the organisation. It should all be driven by the tone of the master brand. We don\u2019t need to create sub brands, or a patchwork quilt of new logos. We don\u2019t need to segment our audiences into discrete groups. We\u2019re all consumers and if the main brand has been articulated properly, then there should be scope to harness the brand, its values and its personality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen it\u2019s about keeping the messaging simple, breaking information into hierarchies and digestible chunks. Don\u2019t patronise and be human. Simple!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EOur Top Five Tips for creating effective Internal Comms:\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate an internal steering team with representation across all departments who have been involved (but make sure it\u2019s as small as possible).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00222\u0022\u003EInvolve and consult with stakeholders across the business from the bottom up. (This is where the culture really lives). Ask them what they think of the current work: what\u2019s wrong with it and how it can be improved. Listen to them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00223\u0022\u003EThe answer always lies in removing detail from what exists. Simple is ALWAYS better. Ask yourself what\u2019s core and what\u2019s superfluous. Cut it away.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00224\u0022\u003ELook to the main brand to guide the work. It must do the heavy lifting. You\u2019ll confuse and over-complicate things if you have to create something new.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli value=\u00225\u0022\u003EBe human and use humour. Fight hard to avoid falling into cold, mechanical corporate blah. Nobody reads it. (And it\u2019s patronising which fosters bad feeling).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;you\u0026nbsp;follow these tips you can get some work that not only looks great but is effective in driving home your\u0026nbsp;message. If you\u0027d like to talk further about internal comms, the challenges and how we can help, please feel free to \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:chris@wearegood.com?subject=Internal%20Comms%20Chat\u0022\u003Edrop me a line\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nOur top 5 tips for creating effective internal comms. \nWe\u2019ve been involved in developing a lot of internal comms work - it\u2019s interesting work and takes you right to the heart of the organisation, which can be revealing. However, no matter the sector of the client organisation, there\u2019s always a pattern to the challenges these businesses face. Whether that\u2019s in the field of internal comms, or more specifically, within the area of Health and Safety. The difficulties they end up facing are always very similar.Generally, the biggest issue we see is that the responsibility of internal communications seems to fall between departments. Marketing often has some sort of input, but it tends to be the responsibility of HR, the Health and Safety team or Comms \u2013 or a collaboration of all four. That\u2019s never a good sign.With no absolute master, the quality of what\u2019s produced suffers. Sometimes it\u2019s devolved to other members of a team who have an interest in design or creating posters \u2013 which is to be encouraged, but controlled. In these situations, what you tend to see is lots of piecemeal comms, with clip art, irregular fonts, forced acronyms and way too many exclamation marks. The main brand is lost to a wave of additional \u2018sub brands\u2019 or new initiatives which have all had new logos created. It\u2019s then poorly reproduced through an office printer and pasted up onto notice boards, doors and coffee stations \u2013 usually between the Macmillan coffee morning poster and the advert of the guy from IT selling a camper van. Together, all this stuff adds up to a tidal wave of wallpaper which is easy to ignore.Within Health and Safety, the comms can default to be compliance driven. At its worst this adopts a matronly, overly corporate tone and provides screeds of information with no thought to how a human might read it. The result? Nothing is read, but a box is ticked. Have you ever read the terms and conditions supplied by iTunes? I haven\u2019t, but I do literally tick the box to move on.But what we mustn\u2019t forget is that this stuff is important and is coming from the centre of the organisation. It should all be driven by the tone of the master brand. We don\u2019t need to create sub brands, or a patchwork quilt of new logos. We don\u2019t need to segment our audiences into discrete groups. We\u2019re all consumers and if the main brand has been articulated properly, then there should be scope to harness the brand, its values and its personality.Then it\u2019s about keeping the messaging simple, breaking information into hierarchies and digestible chunks. Don\u2019t patronise and be human. Simple!Our Top Five Tips for creating effective Internal Comms:Create an internal steering team with representation across all departments who have been involved (but make sure it\u2019s as small as possible).Involve and consult with stakeholders across the business from the bottom up. (This is where the culture really lives). Ask them what they think of the current work: what\u2019s wrong with it and how it can be improved. Listen to them.The answer always lies in removing detail from what exists. Simple is ALWAYS better. Ask yourself what\u2019s core and what\u2019s superfluous. Cut it away.Look to the main brand to guide the work. It must do the heavy lifting. You\u2019ll confuse and over-complicate things if you have to create something new.Be human and use humour. Fight hard to avoid falling into cold, mechanical corporate blah. Nobody reads it. (And it\u2019s patronising which fosters bad feeling).When\u0026nbsp;you\u0026nbsp;follow these tips you can get some work that not only looks great but is effective in driving home your\u0026nbsp;message. If you\u0027d like to talk further about internal comms, the challenges and how we can help, please feel free to drop me a line.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"Our top 5 tips for creating effective internal comms.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-01-22T10:21:05+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5524","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-your-brand-values-probably-arent-great","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why your brand values probably aren\u2019t great","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost brands fail to get their core values right. But then some don\u2019t, and those brands all have something in common.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToo often we think brands are just corporate entities, designed to sell us coffee and bank accounts. But \u2018brand\u2019 runs deeper. Take superstars like Kylie Minogue or Bjork. They don\u2019t have logos. They don\u2019t have design guidelines. Instead they\u2019re brands built on something much, much stronger.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll marketeers are aware of \u2018core values\u2019. They live, locked up in brand ladders, onions and doughnuts in marketing presentations. They\u2019re sort of the fluffy bit, before you get to the big sexy idea.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut I\u2019ll let you into a little secret. Take a step back, and a harder look at those fluffy values. Because the really successful brands are the ones that hit them on the head first, transforming their organisations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood brands are defined by the personalities beneath them.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues are what make you care about a brand. They humanise them, slowly helping shape a tangible personality.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey are what defines you far more clearly in the consumers\u2019 (and your internal staffs\u2019) mind, and have far more longevity and tangible value than any clever slogan. They elevate brands. Give them meaning, and a soul.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best don\u2019t even need words. You can already\u00a0\u003Cem\u003Esense\u003C\/em\u003E\u00a0what they are. What the depth and meaning is behind their logos, photos and design.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThink of Coca Cola and Red Bull. Virgin and British Airways. Converse with Nike. And yes, Lady Minogue and Dutchess Bjork. Same product.\u00a0Different personalities. \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd it\u2019s on this is where most brands trip up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGranted, they\u2019re much harder to articulate than you think. So most businesses end up squeezing as much strategy as they can into a collection of corporate words, losing all meaning and impact. They become generic and indistinct.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgencies are guilty of it too. Presentations are won and lost on the \u2018big reveal\u2019 moments. So our jazzy creative decks tend to build to a dramatic crescendo - the big campaign idea - the hero shot. Soft and complex core values just slow things down.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo below is a starter for ten on how to counter that. How to pause and figure out more accurately what those values could be.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E01. Think about behaviour.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues shouldn\u2019t be about the organisation - but the people within it. They should be pointers to help guide their behaviour. How to talk, how to sell, how to innovate, how to make decisions. Make them pointers for how to behave \u2013 not corporate-speak.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E02. Three. Simple. Ideas.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor values to be useful, they need to be remembered. And the brain remembers lists of three. Plus, keep them simple. If you find yourself writing \u201cPositively welcoming?\u201d, try \u2018friendly\u2019. \u201cElegantly reductive?\u201d Just say \u2018simple\u2019. Pretend you\u2019re talking to a six-year-old \u2013 it\u2019ll make your language much, much stronger.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E03. Think inside out.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead your values. Then ask yourself, would they interest and excite you enough to want to work for your company today? If the answer is no, then why would you want to\u00a0\u003Cem\u003Ebuy \u003C\/em\u003Efrom them? Focus your values inward on your team first. It\u2019s much easier to build advocates in the outside world, once you have some within.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E04. Ask your team first.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s impossible for core values to change a culture a full 180. They need to also reflect what you really are. So instead of just\u00a0\u003Cem\u003Ebriefing\u003C\/em\u003E\u00a0an agency to discover what makes you tick, insist that they talk to your people first. It\u2019ll lend whatever you create more internal credibility and be much more likely to nudge behaviour the right way.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E05. Don\u2019t be afraid of NO.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EValues work best when they tell you what\u00a0\u003Cem\u003Enot\u003C\/em\u003E\u00a0to do. We find ours come to life most strongly when we\u2019re each held to account by them or when we filter a tricky decision through them. If you have values that just say YES to everything you put in front of them - they\u2019re not working.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E06. Try the \u2018intern test\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill struggling? Imagine you\u2019re an intern, fresh in the door. At your induction, you\u2019re told your new values are \u2018\u003Cem\u003Eengagement\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019, \u2018\u003Cem\u003Edynamic partnerships\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019 and \u2018\u003Cem\u003Eequality and diversity\u003C\/em\u003E\u2019. Then ask - honestly - what does that really tell me? How is that going to change the way I behave?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinding them isn\u2019t easy, but is easily worth it when you do. If you need more support, then drop us a line. We\u2019d be happy to help.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nMost brands fail to get their core values right. But then some don\u2019t, and those brands all have something in common.  \nToo often we think brands are just corporate entities, designed to sell us coffee and bank accounts. But \u2018brand\u2019 runs deeper. Take superstars like Kylie Minogue or Bjork. They don\u2019t have logos. They don\u2019t have design guidelines. Instead they\u2019re brands built on something much, much stronger.\nValues.\u00a0\nAll marketeers are aware of \u2018core values\u2019. They live, locked up in brand ladders, onions and doughnuts in marketing presentations. They\u2019re sort of the fluffy bit, before you get to the big sexy idea.\nBut I\u2019ll let you into a little secret. Take a step back, and a harder look at those fluffy values. Because the really successful brands are the ones that hit them on the head first, transforming their organisations.\n\u00a0\nGood brands are defined by the personalities beneath them.\n\u00a0\nValues are what make you care about a brand. They humanise them, slowly helping shape a tangible personality.\nThey are what defines you far more clearly in the consumers\u2019 (and your internal staffs\u2019) mind, and have far more longevity and tangible value than any clever slogan. They elevate brands. Give them meaning, and a soul.\nThe best don\u2019t even need words. You can already\u00a0sense\u00a0what they are. What the depth and meaning is behind their logos, photos and design.\nThink of Coca Cola and Red Bull. Virgin and British Airways. Converse with Nike. And yes, Lady Minogue and Dutchess Bjork. Same product.\u00a0Different personalities. \u00a0\nAnd it\u2019s on this is where most brands trip up.\nGranted, they\u2019re much harder to articulate than you think. So most businesses end up squeezing as much strategy as they can into a collection of corporate words, losing all meaning and impact. They become generic and indistinct.\nAgencies are guilty of it too. Presentations are won and lost on the \u2018big reveal\u2019 moments. So our jazzy creative decks tend to build to a dramatic crescendo - the big campaign idea - the hero shot. Soft and complex core values just slow things down.\nSo below is a starter for ten on how to counter that. How to pause and figure out more accurately what those values could be.\n01. Think about behaviour.\nValues shouldn\u2019t be about the organisation - but the people within it. They should be pointers to help guide their behaviour. How to talk, how to sell, how to innovate, how to make decisions. Make them pointers for how to behave \u2013 not corporate-speak.\n02. Three. Simple. Ideas.\nFor values to be useful, they need to be remembered. And the brain remembers lists of three. Plus, keep them simple. If you find yourself writing \u201cPositively welcoming?\u201d, try \u2018friendly\u2019. \u201cElegantly reductive?\u201d Just say \u2018simple\u2019. Pretend you\u2019re talking to a six-year-old \u2013 it\u2019ll make your language much, much stronger.\n03. Think inside out.\nRead your values. Then ask yourself, would they interest and excite you enough to want to work for your company today? If the answer is no, then why would you want to\u00a0buy from them? Focus your values inward on your team first. It\u2019s much easier to build advocates in the outside world, once you have some within.\n04. Ask your team first.\nIt\u2019s impossible for core values to change a culture a full 180. They need to also reflect what you really are. So instead of just\u00a0briefing\u00a0an agency to discover what makes you tick, insist that they talk to your people first. It\u2019ll lend whatever you create more internal credibility and be much more likely to nudge behaviour the right way.\u00a0\n05. Don\u2019t be afraid of NO.\nValues work best when they tell you what\u00a0not\u00a0to do. We find ours come to life most strongly when we\u2019re each held to account by them or when we filter a tricky decision through them. If you have values that just say YES to everything you put in front of them - they\u2019re not working.\n06. Try the \u2018intern test\u2019\nStill struggling? Imagine you\u2019re an intern, fresh in the door. At your induction, you\u2019re told your new values are \u2018engagement\u2019, \u2018dynamic partnerships\u2019 and \u2018equality and diversity\u2019. Then ask - honestly - what does that really tell me? How is that going to change the way I behave?\nFinding them isn\u2019t easy, but is easily worth it when you do. If you need more support, then drop us a line. We\u2019d be happy to help.\n  ","summary":"Most brands fail to get their core values right. But then some don\u2019t, and those brands all have something in common. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-01-18T10:52:51+0000","author":{"name":"Mark Cullen"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5525","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/local-global","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Local to Global","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAn agency can achieve global reach by being an expert in their field with a proven track record of success. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow does an agency go\u00a0from local to global? It\u0027s the million dollar question with way more than one answer. Our story is unique to us, you\u2019ll have to write yours.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy starting up on your own, and if you do it with integrity and don\u2019t want to steal clients, you are by definition going to be local. We didn\u2019t have some super cool bankroll client that came with us. We didn\u2019t have a swanky address or indeed much in the way of funds for travel, so if Uncle Bob needed a new identity for his worm sanctuary, we were on it. Get the scoreboard and the bank balance ticking over, and you can start to think a wee bit bigger.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELuckily for us, because you always need a bit of luck, the old integrity thing started to pay dividends. Clients who had worked with us in the past, eventually approached us to say they still really wanted to work with us. Now we\u2019re getting somewhere. London, a lot, as it turned out. And so it goes on. Honest hard graft and doing the best job we could to make our clients\u2019 customers\u0027 dreams a reality. This is key. The best business development is the inbound call via a referral, and they only come when you have a reputation for being problem solvers who are great to work with.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd then it starts to get really interesting because technology allows the reach of your reputation to travel and the interest comes in from far and wide. That said, the bulk of that interest is useless, wanting the world with no brief, for a stick of gum and an old shoelace. The point being that as you get that bit older and a wee bit less desperate, you get a damn sight better at filtering the time wasters at point of contact. The \u00a350K minimum engagement clause usually sees them off.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo now you\u2019re getting quality leads driven by your existing client base singing your praises. Not as designers, that\u2019s a given now you\u2019re operating at the highest level, but on how you deal with people and problems and most importantly, how you solve them. Long-term solutions, hard yardage discussions and arguments based not on the shiny shiny but on awareness, growth, and shareholder value. Working to define strategies and unify individuals to a common cause and ultimately, collective betterment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy now the calls are coming in from overseas, and this is going to breathe life into your definition of global. Do you want to an acquisition behemoth with offices across the globe? Do you just want one or two bodies in a couple of key international cities where you have important clients? Do you simply want the badge of global because you once had a designer on a press pass in Bogata? Or, do you want to be local with a global reach because of your deep expertise in one area of creative services? We chose the latter, with current consultancy led clients in Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Singapore. All serviced from our London and Glasgow offices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReach comes from clear differentiation, being experts in your field with a proven track record of success. I\u2019m not entirely sure we\u2019re as clearly differentiated as we\u2019d like to be, to be honest, but over the last 30 years, we\u2019ve refined and honed the expert bit to a pretty sharp and succinct point. Lots still to do as you never stop learning and putting those learnings into practice, but we now have the confidence in our abilities to crack anything thrown at us. And that confidence, as in any team, is contagious.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo in our book, the journey from local to global isn\u2019t that hard if you keep in mind some simple rules.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1. The one all our mums and dads taught us and I\u2019m still trying to teach my kids - Be honest and do your best.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2. Put the client\u2019s needs and the needs of their customers before your own. Always.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3. Become an expert in your chosen field of design services.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4. Clearly differentiate from the competition. What\u2019s your brand?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E5. Nothing should ever be too much of a problem. You\u2019re in the service industry to help. So help. Ideally with a smile on your face. This isn\u2019t rocket science.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E6. Choose your clients as you would friends. There has to be a fit. There has to be mutual respect.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaster all these things and repeat. Day in, day out. For many years. Persevere against all setbacks and you will achieve your own definition of global.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAn agency can achieve global reach by being an expert in their field with a proven track record of success. \nHow does an agency go\u00a0from local to global? It\u0027s the million dollar question with way more than one answer. Our story is unique to us, you\u2019ll have to write yours.\nBy starting up on your own, and if you do it with integrity and don\u2019t want to steal clients, you are by definition going to be local. We didn\u2019t have some super cool bankroll client that came with us. We didn\u2019t have a swanky address or indeed much in the way of funds for travel, so if Uncle Bob needed a new identity for his worm sanctuary, we were on it. Get the scoreboard and the bank balance ticking over, and you can start to think a wee bit bigger.\nLuckily for us, because you always need a bit of luck, the old integrity thing started to pay dividends. Clients who had worked with us in the past, eventually approached us to say they still really wanted to work with us. Now we\u2019re getting somewhere. London, a lot, as it turned out. And so it goes on. Honest hard graft and doing the best job we could to make our clients\u2019 customers\u0027 dreams a reality. This is key. The best business development is the inbound call via a referral, and they only come when you have a reputation for being problem solvers who are great to work with.\u00a0\nAnd then it starts to get really interesting because technology allows the reach of your reputation to travel and the interest comes in from far and wide. That said, the bulk of that interest is useless, wanting the world with no brief, for a stick of gum and an old shoelace. The point being that as you get that bit older and a wee bit less desperate, you get a damn sight better at filtering the time wasters at point of contact. The \u00a350K minimum engagement clause usually sees them off.\nSo now you\u2019re getting quality leads driven by your existing client base singing your praises. Not as designers, that\u2019s a given now you\u2019re operating at the highest level, but on how you deal with people and problems and most importantly, how you solve them. Long-term solutions, hard yardage discussions and arguments based not on the shiny shiny but on awareness, growth, and shareholder value. Working to define strategies and unify individuals to a common cause and ultimately, collective betterment.\nBy now the calls are coming in from overseas, and this is going to breathe life into your definition of global. Do you want to an acquisition behemoth with offices across the globe? Do you just want one or two bodies in a couple of key international cities where you have important clients? Do you simply want the badge of global because you once had a designer on a press pass in Bogata? Or, do you want to be local with a global reach because of your deep expertise in one area of creative services? We chose the latter, with current consultancy led clients in Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Singapore. All serviced from our London and Glasgow offices.\nReach comes from clear differentiation, being experts in your field with a proven track record of success. I\u2019m not entirely sure we\u2019re as clearly differentiated as we\u2019d like to be, to be honest, but over the last 30 years, we\u2019ve refined and honed the expert bit to a pretty sharp and succinct point. Lots still to do as you never stop learning and putting those learnings into practice, but we now have the confidence in our abilities to crack anything thrown at us. And that confidence, as in any team, is contagious.\nSo in our book, the journey from local to global isn\u2019t that hard if you keep in mind some simple rules.\n1. The one all our mums and dads taught us and I\u2019m still trying to teach my kids - Be honest and do your best.\n2. Put the client\u2019s needs and the needs of their customers before your own. Always.\n3. Become an expert in your chosen field of design services.\n4. Clearly differentiate from the competition. What\u2019s your brand?\n5. Nothing should ever be too much of a problem. You\u2019re in the service industry to help. So help. Ideally with a smile on your face. This isn\u2019t rocket science.\n6. Choose your clients as you would friends. There has to be a fit. There has to be mutual respect.\nMaster all these things and repeat. Day in, day out. For many years. Persevere against all setbacks and you will achieve your own definition of global.\n  ","summary":"An agency can achieve global reach by being an expert in their field with a proven track record of success.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-01-16T13:43:20+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5526","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/were-all-digital-designers-now","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"We\u0026#039;re all digital designers now","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe best way to improve the customer experience of a website is to make the design process a partnership.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the Amazon homepage there is a reminder of how long you\u2019ve been a customer. Mine says 19 years. This marker of the passage of time made me reflect on some of the big changes we\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been involved in creating digital experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe biggest shift is that clients are no longer worshipping at the fount of your \u201cknowledge\u201d. The client is now as knowledgeable as you are on what\u2019s right and what\u0027s wrong when it comes to a good or bad digital experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is partly due to the homogeneous nature of digital. Amazon has the best shopping cart experience, so brands tend to follow that model. The template-based websites from the likes of Squarespace becomes a design norm. You start to see new websites popping up that gravitate to these design conventions as it helps brands navigate around the technobabble that exists in digital.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur instincts, and tolerance, to how digital experiences work are sharper than ever. It\u2019s rare now that we have to explain to our clients just why a certain navigation choice is maybe confusing. They get it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has created exciting possibilities for agencies like us. With less time spent educating about the basics of digital experiences, we can spend more time working with clients on honing that experience. We love working with clients on wireframing and prototyping. We\u2019ve been able to get greater stakeholder buy-in quicker and easier as we\u2019ve been on the journey together. Start quickly, hypothesize, test and refine.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, does this brave new world diminish the need for the designer? Not at all. In fact, it frees the designer to add the value that digital is screaming for. It allows designers to focus on the detail, on shaping the digital design to delight and to entertain, without simply getting in the way. We can start to finesse and incrementally improve the customer experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the customer\u2019s experience on your site is better than your competitors, you\u2019ll win. This battle isn\u2019t fought over large images or Amazon-esque shopping carts. It\u0027s about small interactions. It\u2019s about the text at the end of a shopping cart. It\u2019s how your brand, your values, your personality, shines through.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best way to improve the customer experience of a\u00a0website is to make the design process a partnership. A partnership between the client and the agency that adds real value to your digital channels through thoughtful branded interactions. These all become incremental improvements to the overall customer experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019d like to find out more about how we work to create the best digital experience for your business and, most importantly your customers, we\u2019d be delighted to chat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nThe best way to improve the customer experience of a website is to make the design process a partnership.  \nOn the Amazon homepage there is a reminder of how long you\u2019ve been a customer. Mine says 19 years. This marker of the passage of time made me reflect on some of the big changes we\u2019ve seen since I\u2019ve been involved in creating digital experiences.\nThe biggest shift is that clients are no longer worshipping at the fount of your \u201cknowledge\u201d. The client is now as knowledgeable as you are on what\u2019s right and what\u0027s wrong when it comes to a good or bad digital experience.\nThis is partly due to the homogeneous nature of digital. Amazon has the best shopping cart experience, so brands tend to follow that model. The template-based websites from the likes of Squarespace becomes a design norm. You start to see new websites popping up that gravitate to these design conventions as it helps brands navigate around the technobabble that exists in digital.\nOur instincts, and tolerance, to how digital experiences work are sharper than ever. It\u2019s rare now that we have to explain to our clients just why a certain navigation choice is maybe confusing. They get it.\nThis has created exciting possibilities for agencies like us. With less time spent educating about the basics of digital experiences, we can spend more time working with clients on honing that experience. We love working with clients on wireframing and prototyping. We\u2019ve been able to get greater stakeholder buy-in quicker and easier as we\u2019ve been on the journey together. Start quickly, hypothesize, test and refine.\nSo, does this brave new world diminish the need for the designer? Not at all. In fact, it frees the designer to add the value that digital is screaming for. It allows designers to focus on the detail, on shaping the digital design to delight and to entertain, without simply getting in the way. We can start to finesse and incrementally improve the customer experience.\nIf the customer\u2019s experience on your site is better than your competitors, you\u2019ll win. This battle isn\u2019t fought over large images or Amazon-esque shopping carts. It\u0027s about small interactions. It\u2019s about the text at the end of a shopping cart. It\u2019s how your brand, your values, your personality, shines through.\nThe best way to improve the customer experience of a\u00a0website is to make the design process a partnership. A partnership between the client and the agency that adds real value to your digital channels through thoughtful branded interactions. These all become incremental improvements to the overall customer experience.\nIf you\u2019d like to find out more about how we work to create the best digital experience for your business and, most importantly your customers, we\u2019d be delighted to chat.\n  ","summary":"The best way to improve the customer experience of a website is to make the design process a partnership. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2018-01-11T13:08:09+0000","author":{"name":"Stewart Steel"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5527","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-difference-between-branding-and-marketing","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What\u0026#039;s the Difference between Branding and Marketing?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe need to share our expertise in order to build a better understanding of difference between the two. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re working with a global client right now. We\u2019ve been appointed the lead agency and have got our teeth into a lovely brand project. It\u2019s everything we want to be doing: strategy, positioning, tone of voice and illustrating how brand can play an important role in delivering consistency and coherence across all marketing comms. The project\u2019s great. So is the client. But we\u2019ve recently run into little bit of turbulence and I think it\u2019s worth pondering it in a blog piece because there are learnings for us all in here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve said in a previous blog post that I used to think that when you got access to the top people in an organisation (the c-suite people) that everything will be easier. Because they\u2019ll obviously \u2018get it\u2019. We wouldn\u2019t have to spend days and weeks educating them on what we\u2019re doing and why it\u2019s important. Wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thing is. It\u2019s not them. It\u2019s us.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe sometimes criticise our clients for assuming their audience has more knowledge than they do. We do it too with our clients. And it doesn\u2019t matter whether that\u2019s with a junior Brand Manager or with the VP for Global Marketing. We tend to assume they know more about our topic than they do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s time we acknowledged this and that the way we sell to our clients can be confusing. Just because it makes sense to us, doesn\u2019t mean that it will automatically make sense to them. I\u2019ve been doing this for 20 odd years, and in the early days there were more marker visuals which helped the process of the sell. Today technology has played its part and things are just not as simple.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur clients\u2019 roles are much broader ranging than the narrow aspect of branding and marketing we focus our services around. We spend time obsessing about this stuff. We have so much knowledge and live with it every day that it begins to distort how much knowledge we think others have. We\u2019re the experts, and it\u2019s incumbent on us to break things down a bit more and take a little longer in explaining what we\u2019re doing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe spend almost all our time thinking about brands, branding and the marketing context in which they are deployed. We\u2019re like engineers in the way we break them into their constituent parts and discuss how they could be put back together to improve performance. There\u2019s a lot of abstraction and conceptual discussion that\u2019s quite a well-developed skill. We\u2019re also able to very rapidly manifest these ideas into graphic executions which help demonstrate the value of the thinking: showing how a brand can come to life. These skills are honed like an Olympic gymnast who can nimbly jump from the abstract and conceptual through to the tangible and executional. And this is where I think the problems arise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs I said, the field of branding tends to be abstract, conceptual and relatively slow moving. By this I mean that the cycle of branding or rebranding tends to happen every 3-5 years. This makes it more distant to the uninitiated. It\u2019s less familiar than \u2018marketing\u2019 and not as well understood. Marketing, on the other hand, is where branding lives. It\u2019s permanent. Certain. And is planned in annual cycles. In this sense, it\u2019s much better understood. Clients understand it when we show them visuals of things like adverts, websites or exhibition stands. They\u2019re familiar marketing deliverables. The challenge is: how do you showcase \u2018branding\u2019 unless it\u2019s within the context of the marketing deliverables in which it lives? You must demonstrate that the brand lives beyond the logo and identity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we sell branding services we often show our solutions within this marketing context as \u2018adcepts\u2019 or \u2018brandcepts\u2019. These are visual treatments that illustrate how all the key aspects of a brand come together in concert to showcase how the new or evolved brand might exist. This will include a combination of logo\/identity, typography, tone of voice, illustration or photography. They tend to look like adverts and are often misread as such. This is a subtle but important distinction: although they might look like ads, they\u2019re not necessarily meant to be ads. And, more importantly, we\u2019re not suggesting that advertising is a tool or channel that the brand should utilise in its marketing. It\u2019s the same if we show the brand mocked up on a mobile phone (\u201care you suggesting we create an app?) or an exhibition stand (\u201cdo you think we should be at trade conferences?).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn these instances, the client is mistaking concept for execution. We\u2019re guilty of feeding that misunderstanding because we assume they\u2019ll easily be able to separate the brand from the familiar context in which it\u2019s shown.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the problem is that these visuals do look very seductive and appeal to marketers\u2019 base instincts. The high quality digital finish of today\u2019s visuals just look too finished and complete. It\u2019s as if we\u2019ve jumped the approval stage straight into execution. In some extreme cases, we\u2019ve been asked if we can just print the posters from the Mac visual we\u2019ve cobbled together. This example illustrates both sides of the issue for me: how much the audience can struggle with understanding and just how finished the visuals can look.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what can be done to fix it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a difficult one and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s an easy solution. My feeling is that we need to look at ourselves first. We as an industry are hooked on the quick, high quality Mac visuals. They\u2019ve become a commodity and the old aphorism of \u201ca picture paints a thousand words\u201d isn\u2019t necessarily always true. Perhaps we need a thousand words (or a few bullet points at least!) to paint a picture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe must spend much more time teeing up these examples and explaining to the client what they are about to see. We need to be more specific when we jump from concept to execution and manage their expectations accordingly. This is particularly true when we move through the phases of our brand presentations. Divider slides and preface sections should help to manage the flow of what the reader is seeing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also really need to think about who it is within the client organisation that we\u2019re talking to and tailor the slides accordingly. A one size fits all presentation is never going to work. And, as my own recent experience points to, the further up an organisation you go, the more time you need to take.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we help clients create or improve their brands. If you think we can help you, why not \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wearegood.com\/contact\u0022\u003Egive us a shout?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nWe need to share our expertise in order to build a better understanding of difference between the two. \nWe\u2019re working with a global client right now. We\u2019ve been appointed the lead agency and have got our teeth into a lovely brand project. It\u2019s everything we want to be doing: strategy, positioning, tone of voice and illustrating how brand can play an important role in delivering consistency and coherence across all marketing comms. The project\u2019s great. So is the client. But we\u2019ve recently run into little bit of turbulence and I think it\u2019s worth pondering it in a blog piece because there are learnings for us all in here.I\u2019ve said in a previous blog post that I used to think that when you got access to the top people in an organisation (the c-suite people) that everything will be easier. Because they\u2019ll obviously \u2018get it\u2019. We wouldn\u2019t have to spend days and weeks educating them on what we\u2019re doing and why it\u2019s important. Wrong.The thing is. It\u2019s not them. It\u2019s us.We sometimes criticise our clients for assuming their audience has more knowledge than they do. We do it too with our clients. And it doesn\u2019t matter whether that\u2019s with a junior Brand Manager or with the VP for Global Marketing. We tend to assume they know more about our topic than they do.It\u2019s time we acknowledged this and that the way we sell to our clients can be confusing. Just because it makes sense to us, doesn\u2019t mean that it will automatically make sense to them. I\u2019ve been doing this for 20 odd years, and in the early days there were more marker visuals which helped the process of the sell. Today technology has played its part and things are just not as simple.Our clients\u2019 roles are much broader ranging than the narrow aspect of branding and marketing we focus our services around. We spend time obsessing about this stuff. We have so much knowledge and live with it every day that it begins to distort how much knowledge we think others have. We\u2019re the experts, and it\u2019s incumbent on us to break things down a bit more and take a little longer in explaining what we\u2019re doing.We spend almost all our time thinking about brands, branding and the marketing context in which they are deployed. We\u2019re like engineers in the way we break them into their constituent parts and discuss how they could be put back together to improve performance. There\u2019s a lot of abstraction and conceptual discussion that\u2019s quite a well-developed skill. We\u2019re also able to very rapidly manifest these ideas into graphic executions which help demonstrate the value of the thinking: showing how a brand can come to life. These skills are honed like an Olympic gymnast who can nimbly jump from the abstract and conceptual through to the tangible and executional. And this is where I think the problems arise.As I said, the field of branding tends to be abstract, conceptual and relatively slow moving. By this I mean that the cycle of branding or rebranding tends to happen every 3-5 years. This makes it more distant to the uninitiated. It\u2019s less familiar than \u2018marketing\u2019 and not as well understood. Marketing, on the other hand, is where branding lives. It\u2019s permanent. Certain. And is planned in annual cycles. In this sense, it\u2019s much better understood. Clients understand it when we show them visuals of things like adverts, websites or exhibition stands. They\u2019re familiar marketing deliverables. The challenge is: how do you showcase \u2018branding\u2019 unless it\u2019s within the context of the marketing deliverables in which it lives? You must demonstrate that the brand lives beyond the logo and identity.When we sell branding services we often show our solutions within this marketing context as \u2018adcepts\u2019 or \u2018brandcepts\u2019. These are visual treatments that illustrate how all the key aspects of a brand come together in concert to showcase how the new or evolved brand might exist. This will include a combination of logo\/identity, typography, tone of voice, illustration or photography. They tend to look like adverts and are often misread as such. This is a subtle but important distinction: although they might look like ads, they\u2019re not necessarily meant to be ads. And, more importantly, we\u2019re not suggesting that advertising is a tool or channel that the brand should utilise in its marketing. It\u2019s the same if we show the brand mocked up on a mobile phone (\u201care you suggesting we create an app?) or an exhibition stand (\u201cdo you think we should be at trade conferences?).In these instances, the client is mistaking concept for execution. We\u2019re guilty of feeding that misunderstanding because we assume they\u2019ll easily be able to separate the brand from the familiar context in which it\u2019s shown.Part of the problem is that these visuals do look very seductive and appeal to marketers\u2019 base instincts. The high quality digital finish of today\u2019s visuals just look too finished and complete. It\u2019s as if we\u2019ve jumped the approval stage straight into execution. In some extreme cases, we\u2019ve been asked if we can just print the posters from the Mac visual we\u2019ve cobbled together. This example illustrates both sides of the issue for me: how much the audience can struggle with understanding and just how finished the visuals can look.So, what can be done to fix it?It\u2019s a difficult one and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s an easy solution. My feeling is that we need to look at ourselves first. We as an industry are hooked on the quick, high quality Mac visuals. They\u2019ve become a commodity and the old aphorism of \u201ca picture paints a thousand words\u201d isn\u2019t necessarily always true. Perhaps we need a thousand words (or a few bullet points at least!) to paint a picture.We must spend much more time teeing up these examples and explaining to the client what they are about to see. We need to be more specific when we jump from concept to execution and manage their expectations accordingly. This is particularly true when we move through the phases of our brand presentations. Divider slides and preface sections should help to manage the flow of what the reader is seeing.We also really need to think about who it is within the client organisation that we\u2019re talking to and tailor the slides accordingly. A one size fits all presentation is never going to work. And, as my own recent experience points to, the further up an organisation you go, the more time you need to take.At Good we help clients create or improve their brands. If you think we can help you, why not give us a shout?  ","summary":"We need to share our expertise in order to build a better understanding of difference between the two.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-12-18T12:45:18+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5533","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/talking-talk-five-ways-nail-your-brands-tone-voice","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Talking the talk. Five ways to nail your brand\u2019s tone of voice.","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biggest challenges facing clients and agencies is how to keep a brand\u2019s tone of voice alive on day 1000, not just day 01. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo you\u2019ve jumped the first hurdle. You\u2019re a business that appreciates the commercial value a strong brand identity can bring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext you go to a creative agency. Good looking folk in trendy clothes present a 200-page PowerPoint, craft you a slick logo and build great website. Now you\u2019re getting somewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, you hit a wall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESix months or a year later you go to write a customer email, or a tweet, or a brochure. You write a HR memo or a staff induction. You start to try and bring your brand to life \u003Cem\u003Eyourself\u003C\/em\u003E - and it just doesn\u2019t click.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s a story playing out across the marketing world. \u2018Tone of Voice\u2019 - how your business speaks, sounds and comes across - is hard. Really hard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt some point in any relationship between a branding agency and a client, the stabilizers get removed. The protective filter of a creative director or copywriter gets pulled back, and you - the marketer - need to take over.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd slowly that polished and rounded brand from the 200-page PowerPoint starts to fray.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, you return back to the creative agency again to help you out. Like a drug, you get hooked on the good stuff. Great messaging, art directed imagery and agency-curated brand comms. Great for the agency, but all costing you a very pretty penny.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe frustrating thing is \u2013 tone of voice is worth it. People respond to personalities, not corporations. Talk consistently, and it lays the foundations for customers to build a relationship with you \u2013 long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo how can brands talk the talk a little more easily? Below are five tips we\u2019ve picked up along the way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. Focus on personality, not grammar. \u003C\/strong\u003EAgencies can get fixated on punctuation, grammar and writing styles. Short sentences. Flowing, romantic and always effective \u2018power-of-three\u2019 lists\u2026 The truth is, strong brands tend to be better built on intangible personalities. So pretend the business is a person. Give it a face even. Then ask, would they say this? Would they write like this?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. Tone is visual, not just verbal. \u003C\/strong\u003EA picture tells a thousand words. Nowadays, potential customers are more likely to look at your Instagram to understand you than read a brand story. So don\u2019t just focus on text. Give time to getting the imagery to match too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. To go global, work regional. \u003C\/strong\u003EIf you\u2019re a business that works globally, then it won\u2019t matter how crafted your brand voice is in English - it\u2019s going to have to translate. For this, there are limits to what your London or New York office can ever do. You need writers in-market to help bring that tone to life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. Invest in training, business-wide.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Don\u2019t just drill the brand into the marketing team. For the personality to filter through a company, it has to live business-wide. Sales, HR, recruitment, facilities\u2026 everyone needs to get it. The deeper it\u2019s embedded, the better it will stick.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. Invest in writing talent.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;At the end of the day, writing is hard. It\u2019s a skill. Very talented people get paid very well to do it. You wouldn\u2019t ask a cleaner to sort your accounts, or a marketer to use Photoshop. Whether you use agencies, PR or in-house resource, you need to think about writing as a distinct and valuable talent, worth investing in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nOne of the biggest challenges facing clients and agencies is how to keep a brand\u2019s tone of voice alive on day 1000, not just day 01. \nSo you\u2019ve jumped the first hurdle. You\u2019re a business that appreciates the commercial value a strong brand identity can bring.Next you go to a creative agency. Good looking folk in trendy clothes present a 200-page PowerPoint, craft you a slick logo and build great website. Now you\u2019re getting somewhere.Then, you hit a wall.Six months or a year later you go to write a customer email, or a tweet, or a brochure. You write a HR memo or a staff induction. You start to try and bring your brand to life yourself - and it just doesn\u2019t click.It\u2019s a story playing out across the marketing world. \u2018Tone of Voice\u2019 - how your business speaks, sounds and comes across - is hard. Really hard.At some point in any relationship between a branding agency and a client, the stabilizers get removed. The protective filter of a creative director or copywriter gets pulled back, and you - the marketer - need to take over.And slowly that polished and rounded brand from the 200-page PowerPoint starts to fray.So, you return back to the creative agency again to help you out. Like a drug, you get hooked on the good stuff. Great messaging, art directed imagery and agency-curated brand comms. Great for the agency, but all costing you a very pretty penny.The frustrating thing is \u2013 tone of voice is worth it. People respond to personalities, not corporations. Talk consistently, and it lays the foundations for customers to build a relationship with you \u2013 long term.So how can brands talk the talk a little more easily? Below are five tips we\u2019ve picked up along the way.1. Focus on personality, not grammar. Agencies can get fixated on punctuation, grammar and writing styles. Short sentences. Flowing, romantic and always effective \u2018power-of-three\u2019 lists\u2026 The truth is, strong brands tend to be better built on intangible personalities. So pretend the business is a person. Give it a face even. Then ask, would they say this? Would they write like this?2. Tone is visual, not just verbal. A picture tells a thousand words. Nowadays, potential customers are more likely to look at your Instagram to understand you than read a brand story. So don\u2019t just focus on text. Give time to getting the imagery to match too.3. To go global, work regional. If you\u2019re a business that works globally, then it won\u2019t matter how crafted your brand voice is in English - it\u2019s going to have to translate. For this, there are limits to what your London or New York office can ever do. You need writers in-market to help bring that tone to life.4. Invest in training, business-wide.\u0026nbsp;Don\u2019t just drill the brand into the marketing team. For the personality to filter through a company, it has to live business-wide. Sales, HR, recruitment, facilities\u2026 everyone needs to get it. The deeper it\u2019s embedded, the better it will stick.5. Invest in writing talent.\u0026nbsp;At the end of the day, writing is hard. It\u2019s a skill. Very talented people get paid very well to do it. You wouldn\u2019t ask a cleaner to sort your accounts, or a marketer to use Photoshop. Whether you use agencies, PR or in-house resource, you need to think about writing as a distinct and valuable talent, worth investing in.\u0026nbsp;  ","summary":"One of the biggest challenges facing clients and agencies is how to keep a brand\u2019s tone of voice alive on day 1000, not just day 01.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-09-19T14:06:50+0100","author":{"name":"Mark Cullen"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5535","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/positioning-makes-marketing-simple","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Positioning Makes Marketing Simple","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EA strong well positioned brand acts like a marketing rudder. It creates coherence and simplicity, effortlessly sorting tactics from strategic activity. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaybe I\u2019m guilty of hopelessly oversimplifying it, but the essence of marketing is simple. There are four parts. Identify what\u2019s unique (or at the very least distinctive) about your product or service. Identify your customer base(s). Tell them about the distinctive aspect of your product or service. Again. And again. And again. Keep doing it. More. More. More. That\u2019s it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIdentify what\u2019s distinctive.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIdentify your targets.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETell them about your product or service.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EKeep doing it.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is extremely simple from 40,000 feet. When you zoom in \u2013 that\u2019s when the confusion starts. It\u2019s in the breaking down that we see clients get themselves into difficulty and political arguments about who knows best and what can or can\u2019t be omitted.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll our clients are smart, clear thinking people. But what frequently gets in the way is corporate politics, over-complication and power plays which are the enemy of great brand and marketing initiatives. All this stuff stalls decision making and creates a kind of \u2018institutional confusion\u2019 about what marketing is and what role it should fulfil.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOften, we see organisations going around in circles, creating for the sake of creating, or to satisfy an internal mandate, but without any end product marketing application. It\u2019s amazing just how often this internal confusion is then mirrored on marketing output to the outside world. They are creating to make sense from the inside out, when it should be the other way around.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf we go back to the four stages; and look at them in a bit more detail, we can see how objectively simple it should be:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1. \u003Cstrong\u003EIdentify what\u2019s distinctive\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you haven\u2019t done this, you need to. And I don\u2019t just mean at a surface level. You need to peel back the layers and look deep into your organisation. Consult widely and arrive at a solution that\u2019s been well canvassed and considered. It also needs to be brutally simple. This is the tricky bit and given that the essence of strategy is knowing what not to do \u2013 this is a key point. You just can\u2019t be all things to all people. What\u2019s the one thing that makes you really stand out? The enemy of this simplicity is the \u2018brand onion\u2019. They\u2019re desperate things which invite marketeers to overcomplicate \u0026amp; obfuscate what should be a really simple truth that lies at the heart of their brand. Force yourself to be reductive, and keep chipping away at the stuff that\u2019s marginal. It\u2019ll pay dividends later. Outside, objective help can make this process easier, but marketing should lead this exercise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake soundings from across the business, but don\u2019t let anyone else take control. It\u2019s a strategic function, and must be considered within the wider context of audience and distribution. It\u2019s the foundation of your brand. Think BMW\u2019s \u201cThe Ultimate Driving Machine\u201d. Engineering\u2019s an aspect, but the benefit of all that engineering is in the driving experience for the end user.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2. \u003Cstrong\u003EWho is your user base?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAgain, focus is important, and this is the aspect that most organisations have already nailed. They have a lot of data about who buys what, when and where and are usually able to segment into light, medium and heavy user profiles.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe thing we MUST remember here is that whether you\u2019re a B2B or B2C brand, there\u2019s no need to speak to these groups in specialist or overly technical language \u2013 certainly not at the headline level. We are all \u2018consumers\u2019 and whether I\u2019m in the market to buy machine parts or a can of Cola; I\u2019ll respond best to simple, human-focused messaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t over segment, or you\u2019ll end up down the rabbit hole quicker than you can say \u201curban millennial males aged 18-24\u201d. It\u2019ll just cause more confusion. These audience sub-sets may be different and they may need tailored messages, but that doesn\u2019t mean that they need to be hived off into separate groups with alternative approaches. This complexity will kill the original concept.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3. \u003Cstrong\u003ETell them about your Product\/Service\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, we know our key brand differentiator (with a creative articulation) and we know who our audience is. We now need to tell them about it. But, it\u2019s a wee bit more complicated than that \u2013 and we often see clients getting stuck in a rut here. It goes to the heart of what it is you\u2019re going to tell your customers. You need to communicate different things to customers at different times. In these cases, it\u2019s often best to think about your marketing messages \u0026amp; timeframes like this\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-wysiwyg\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-1868\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg height=\u0022449\u0022 width=\u00221000\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-wysiwyg\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/styles\/embedded_in_wysiwyg\/public\/branding_marketing_timeline-3.jpg?itok=2DyN6tyt\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, think about BMW again and how they use The Ultimate Driving Machine (TUDM). They manage the hierarchy of their brand messaging brilliantly.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir \u003Cstrong\u003ETier 1\u003C\/strong\u003E messaging might just be at an awareness level \u2013 about driving any one of their cars \u2013 the ultimate driving machines \u2013 out on the open road. Roof down. Sun shining. What\u2019s not to aspire to?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 2\u003C\/strong\u003E might be a new car launch. It\u2019s still badged as TUDM, but the focus of the message is about the new car. They sell me on the benefits of this new model: performance, style, comfort etc.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETier 3\u003C\/strong\u003E could be flyers, emails or showroom posters. The subject matter might be more informational or factual e.g. opening hours or service plans. It will be endorsed as TUDM, but the messaging focus will be much more tactical: the nuts and bolts of everyday marketing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause the brand positioning work is simple and crystal clear, they don\u2019t need to reinvent the wheel every time they have Tier 2 or Tier 3 requirements. (So much marketing spend is wasted in this circular creative merry-go-round it\u2019s unbelievable). The lesson here is simple. If you have a clear positioning, it can flex to deal with high-minded aspirational messages, as well as more detail orientated, informational messages without compromising or confusing the overall direction of the brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is also a lot to be said here about which channels you use to push your messages. From ATL press to social media, but that\u2019s a whole other blog post. However, the over-riding message again, is: keep it simple and beware the emperor\u2019s new clothes! (The shiney new media channels aren\u2019t always the ones that deliver you the best return).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4. \u003Cstrong\u003EKeep Doing It\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the easy bit, but to big corporations it seems hard. It can get boring looking at the same creative again and again. Many stakeholders tire of it and ask for something new, or the boundaries pushed. But this is to miss the point. Internal boredom means you\u2019re doing something right. There\u2019s a consistency about what you\u2019re producing. So, stick at it. Remember that you are seeing it every day. Your customers aren\u2019t. The over-arching task is to build that \u201cmental availability\u201d Byron Sharp talks about. Building memory structures in your customers\u2019 heads to make your brand recognisable in the long term. You think Coke made red, white and their logotype the most identifiable brand on the planet by chopping and changing these elements for 130 years? It\u2019s really that simple.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe only time to consider a change is if it\u2019s time to evolve or update the brand identity (which should be an evolution) or if there\u2019s an over-riding commercial requirement. Otherwise, leave it alone. As Wally Olins used to say, \u201cif you don\u2019t need to change. Don\u2019t\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs I said at the start, this might be a horrible over-simplification of the marketing process, and of course, I accept that at each level there are other more complicated issues to be considered. However, there\u2019s something about that simplicity that\u2019s just irresistible to me when met with a branding \u0026amp; marketing challenge. It\u2019s always the best way to start.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we help companies figure out their brand communication challenges. Give us a shout if you think we can help.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nA strong well positioned brand acts like a marketing rudder. It creates coherence and simplicity, effortlessly sorting tactics from strategic activity. \nMaybe I\u2019m guilty of hopelessly oversimplifying it, but the essence of marketing is simple. There are four parts. Identify what\u2019s unique (or at the very least distinctive) about your product or service. Identify your customer base(s). Tell them about the distinctive aspect of your product or service. Again. And again. And again. Keep doing it. More. More. More. That\u2019s it.\nIdentify what\u2019s distinctive.\nIdentify your targets.\nTell them about your product or service.\nKeep doing it.\nThis is extremely simple from 40,000 feet. When you zoom in \u2013 that\u2019s when the confusion starts. It\u2019s in the breaking down that we see clients get themselves into difficulty and political arguments about who knows best and what can or can\u2019t be omitted.\nAll our clients are smart, clear thinking people. But what frequently gets in the way is corporate politics, over-complication and power plays which are the enemy of great brand and marketing initiatives. All this stuff stalls decision making and creates a kind of \u2018institutional confusion\u2019 about what marketing is and what role it should fulfil.\nOften, we see organisations going around in circles, creating for the sake of creating, or to satisfy an internal mandate, but without any end product marketing application. It\u2019s amazing just how often this internal confusion is then mirrored on marketing output to the outside world. They are creating to make sense from the inside out, when it should be the other way around.\nIf we go back to the four stages; and look at them in a bit more detail, we can see how objectively simple it should be:\n1. Identify what\u2019s distinctive\nIf you haven\u2019t done this, you need to. And I don\u2019t just mean at a surface level. You need to peel back the layers and look deep into your organisation. Consult widely and arrive at a solution that\u2019s been well canvassed and considered. It also needs to be brutally simple. This is the tricky bit and given that the essence of strategy is knowing what not to do \u2013 this is a key point. You just can\u2019t be all things to all people. What\u2019s the one thing that makes you really stand out? The enemy of this simplicity is the \u2018brand onion\u2019. They\u2019re desperate things which invite marketeers to overcomplicate \u0026amp; obfuscate what should be a really simple truth that lies at the heart of their brand. Force yourself to be reductive, and keep chipping away at the stuff that\u2019s marginal. It\u2019ll pay dividends later. Outside, objective help can make this process easier, but marketing should lead this exercise.\nTake soundings from across the business, but don\u2019t let anyone else take control. It\u2019s a strategic function, and must be considered within the wider context of audience and distribution. It\u2019s the foundation of your brand. Think BMW\u2019s \u201cThe Ultimate Driving Machine\u201d. Engineering\u2019s an aspect, but the benefit of all that engineering is in the driving experience for the end user.\n2. Who is your user base?\nAgain, focus is important, and this is the aspect that most organisations have already nailed. They have a lot of data about who buys what, when and where and are usually able to segment into light, medium and heavy user profiles.\nThe thing we MUST remember here is that whether you\u2019re a B2B or B2C brand, there\u2019s no need to speak to these groups in specialist or overly technical language \u2013 certainly not at the headline level. We are all \u2018consumers\u2019 and whether I\u2019m in the market to buy machine parts or a can of Cola; I\u2019ll respond best to simple, human-focused messaging.\nDon\u2019t over segment, or you\u2019ll end up down the rabbit hole quicker than you can say \u201curban millennial males aged 18-24\u201d. It\u2019ll just cause more confusion. These audience sub-sets may be different and they may need tailored messages, but that doesn\u2019t mean that they need to be hived off into separate groups with alternative approaches. This complexity will kill the original concept.\n3. Tell them about your Product\/Service\nSo, we know our key brand differentiator (with a creative articulation) and we know who our audience is. We now need to tell them about it. But, it\u2019s a wee bit more complicated than that \u2013 and we often see clients getting stuck in a rut here. It goes to the heart of what it is you\u2019re going to tell your customers. You need to communicate different things to customers at different times. In these cases, it\u2019s often best to think about your marketing messages \u0026amp; timeframes like this\u2026\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\nSo, think about BMW again and how they use The Ultimate Driving Machine (TUDM). They manage the hierarchy of their brand messaging brilliantly.\nTheir Tier 1 messaging might just be at an awareness level \u2013 about driving any one of their cars \u2013 the ultimate driving machines \u2013 out on the open road. Roof down. Sun shining. What\u2019s not to aspire to?\nTier 2 might be a new car launch. It\u2019s still badged as TUDM, but the focus of the message is about the new car. They sell me on the benefits of this new model: performance, style, comfort etc.\nTier 3 could be flyers, emails or showroom posters. The subject matter might be more informational or factual e.g. opening hours or service plans. It will be endorsed as TUDM, but the messaging focus will be much more tactical: the nuts and bolts of everyday marketing.\nBecause the brand positioning work is simple and crystal clear, they don\u2019t need to reinvent the wheel every time they have Tier 2 or Tier 3 requirements. (So much marketing spend is wasted in this circular creative merry-go-round it\u2019s unbelievable). The lesson here is simple. If you have a clear positioning, it can flex to deal with high-minded aspirational messages, as well as more detail orientated, informational messages without compromising or confusing the overall direction of the brand.\nThere is also a lot to be said here about which channels you use to push your messages. From ATL press to social media, but that\u2019s a whole other blog post. However, the over-riding message again, is: keep it simple and beware the emperor\u2019s new clothes! (The shiney new media channels aren\u2019t always the ones that deliver you the best return).\n4. Keep Doing It\nThis is the easy bit, but to big corporations it seems hard. It can get boring looking at the same creative again and again. Many stakeholders tire of it and ask for something new, or the boundaries pushed. But this is to miss the point. Internal boredom means you\u2019re doing something right. There\u2019s a consistency about what you\u2019re producing. So, stick at it. Remember that you are seeing it every day. Your customers aren\u2019t. The over-arching task is to build that \u201cmental availability\u201d Byron Sharp talks about. Building memory structures in your customers\u2019 heads to make your brand recognisable in the long term. You think Coke made red, white and their logotype the most identifiable brand on the planet by chopping and changing these elements for 130 years? It\u2019s really that simple.\nThe only time to consider a change is if it\u2019s time to evolve or update the brand identity (which should be an evolution) or if there\u2019s an over-riding commercial requirement. Otherwise, leave it alone. As Wally Olins used to say, \u201cif you don\u2019t need to change. Don\u2019t\u201d.\nAs I said at the start, this might be a horrible over-simplification of the marketing process, and of course, I accept that at each level there are other more complicated issues to be considered. However, there\u2019s something about that simplicity that\u2019s just irresistible to me when met with a branding \u0026amp; marketing challenge. It\u2019s always the best way to start.\nAt Good we help companies figure out their brand communication challenges. Give us a shout if you think we can help.\n  ","summary":"A strong well positioned brand acts like a marketing rudder. It creates coherence and simplicity, effortlessly sorting tactics from strategic activity.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-08-29T22:11:31+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Product Positioning"]},{"id":"5542","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/branding-too-complicated","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Is branding too complicated?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnyone else sick of hearing the word \u2018Branding\u2019? It seems to be everywhere and most of the noise is out of context and utter waffle. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the whole, the word is overused and\u00a0misunderstood. A word, bandied about by so-called professionals that have little or no idea\u00a0of what they\u2019re talking about. A word that our own sector has over-complicated to the point\u00a0that meaning is almost lost and sense has taken a back seat.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere\u2019s a quick glossary, gleaned from our friend the internet, of just some of the\u00a0terminology built around brand. Bear with me, there is a point.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand Association.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand\u00a0Anthropology (I kid you not!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Audit. (Fair Enough.)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Charter.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Culture.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Committee.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Consistency (Definitely.)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Development.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Disrupter (My\u00a0favourite)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Efficacy (Effectiveness to you and me.)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Equity.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Family.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand\u00a0Loyalty.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Management.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Meaning.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Message.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Mythology (That\u2019ll be\u00a0the history of the brand then!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Permission (Linked to the Brand Master I believe.)\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Personality (Sums it up really.)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Planning (This requires people smarter than me)\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Positioning.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Preference.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Product Relationship (Genius!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Promise\u00a0(Yes to that.)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Recall.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Recognition (Not to be confused with Brand Recall)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand\u00a0Steward (Totally different to a Brand Guardian before you ask!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Strategist (I think they\u00a0might be smarter than Planners, but don\u2019t quote me on that!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Strategy (Absolutely)\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand Style Guide (Fancier than Brand Guidelines but not as cool as a Brand Book)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrand\u00a0Trigger (Where would you be without one of those!) Brand\u00a0Visioning (Oh dear!)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBranded\u00a0House (Yes)\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrandface (Don\u2019t ever ask!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd so on and so forth.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, hidden in the word soup there is some perfectly good stuff, but this is a sign of an\u00a0industry disappearing up its own fundament, driven primarily by a breed of individuals desperate to play at branding, but totally unable to deliver. Branding is now the magic word\u00a0that you sprinkle liberally on everything to do with design to make it bigger, sexier and I\u2019m\u00a0assuming, command a bigger fee.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake packaging for example. You hardly hear about packs being re-designed or refreshed\u00a0anymore. They\u2019re \u2018Re-Branded\u2019 or even better \u2018Brand Engineered\u2019. No they bloody are not.\u00a0Not unless you\u2019ve fundamentally re-articulated the values, ethos and vision of the company\u00a0itself into a single compelling personality to engage the desired consumer and then\u00a0manifested that accurately in the design of the aforementioned pack.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we are continually brought in by organisations who have, as far as they are\u00a0concerned, been \u2018Re \u2013Branded\u2019 by some Brand Charlatan. (Thought I might as well add that\u00a0to the Brand Thesaurus!) This is not the client\u2019s fault. Often they don\u2019t know what they\u2019re\u00a0buying, as they\u2019ve not been educated or trained to sniff out \u2018Brand Wank\u2019. It\u2019s more than\u00a0likely the first time they\u2019ve had to engage with this muddy world and the outcome can be\u00a0seriously disappointing. \u201cIt looks fine, but it doesn\u2019t work. X simply doesn\u2019t talk to Y.\u201d X very\u00a0often being offline comms and Y the unfit for purpose digital platform commissioned by the\u00a0IT team; as it\u2019s in no way connected to branding apparently!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s all just not very good and is better summed up by someone who was, and always will be,\u00a0far better qualified than me.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s quite extraordinary that a recourse (branding\/identity) which is generally regarded as\u00a0so significant, and is now so ubiquitous, is so little understood.\u2019\u00a0Wally Olins.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, it\u00a0doesn\u2019t have to be this way, as Wally well knew. Branding has been around for\u00a0a long time and it\u2019s not fundamentally changed. It\u2019s your promise to your customer. It\u2019s\u00a0derived from who you are, who you want to be and how people perceive you to be. It\u2019s your\u00a0personality in a nutshell*. (*For some, of course, it\u2019s in the Super Groovy Brand Being Guide).\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood old fashioned branding that\u2019s fit for the 21st century, done by those that know what\u00a0they\u2019re doing, makes the complex simple and every piece of communications internally and\u00a0externally, online and offline, work together seamlessly. Forever. (I\u2019m being deliberately\u00a0obtuse here, but you certainly shouldn\u2019t have to re-do the damn thing every two years!)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBranding does require good designers of course, but they must be part of a broader\u00a0specialist team. The team you need will talk simply and honestly because they\u2019ll know what\u00a0they\u2019re talking about. They\u2019ll be multi-disciplined and they\u2019ll want to spend more time with\u00a0you questioning and understanding than producing any fancy designs. Oh, and at least one\u00a0of them will be a digital brain, ideally a digital team, as you will undoubtedly need X to talk\u00a0to Y if you want anyone born after 1965 to believe in you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey\u2019ll be friendly and collaborative, as you\u2019ll be working together for a while, but they\u2019ll be\u00a0clear, focused and will lead you on the journey. It can be difficult and sometimes complex,\u00a0especially if naming and multiple stakeholders need both a voice and management to\u00a0ensure success. They will educate, cajole and simplify everything into an easily\u00a0understandable guiding light for all. Done right, I\u2019d argue, it\u2019s not jaw-dropping or awe-inspiring but\u00a0a journey of hard work taken together; culminating\u00a0in an \u201cAhh, of\u00a0course\u201d moment. Something that\u2019s been there all along, made real for all to enjoy and use.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrands have to build trust. Branding Consultancies are no different. It\u2019s not complicated but\u00a0making it really simple, honestly isn\u2019t easy. That\u2019s why you need to avoid brand bullshit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAnyone else sick of hearing the word \u2018Branding\u2019? It seems to be everywhere and most of the noise is out of context and utter waffle. \nOn the whole, the word is overused and\u00a0misunderstood. A word, bandied about by so-called professionals that have little or no idea\u00a0of what they\u2019re talking about. A word that our own sector has over-complicated to the point\u00a0that meaning is almost lost and sense has taken a back seat.\nHere\u2019s a quick glossary, gleaned from our friend the internet, of just some of the\u00a0terminology built around brand. Bear with me, there is a point.\nBrand Association.Brand\u00a0Anthropology (I kid you not!)Brand Audit. (Fair Enough.)Brand Charter.Brand Culture.\u00a0Brand Committee.Brand Consistency (Definitely.)Brand Development.Brand Disrupter (My\u00a0favourite)Brand Efficacy (Effectiveness to you and me.)Brand Equity.Brand Family.Brand\u00a0Loyalty.Brand Management.Brand Meaning.Brand Message.Brand Mythology (That\u2019ll be\u00a0the history of the brand then!)Brand Permission (Linked to the Brand Master I believe.)\u00a0Brand Personality (Sums it up really.)Brand Planning (This requires people smarter than me)\u00a0Brand Positioning.Brand Preference.Brand Product Relationship (Genius!)Brand Promise\u00a0(Yes to that.)Brand Recall.Brand Recognition (Not to be confused with Brand Recall)Brand\u00a0Steward (Totally different to a Brand Guardian before you ask!)Brand Strategist (I think they\u00a0might be smarter than Planners, but don\u2019t quote me on that!)Brand Strategy (Absolutely)\u00a0Brand Style Guide (Fancier than Brand Guidelines but not as cool as a Brand Book)Brand\u00a0Trigger (Where would you be without one of those!) Brand\u00a0Visioning (Oh dear!)Branded\u00a0House (Yes)Brandface (Don\u2019t ever ask!)And so on and so forth.\nNow, hidden in the word soup there is some perfectly good stuff, but this is a sign of an\u00a0industry disappearing up its own fundament, driven primarily by a breed of individuals desperate to play at branding, but totally unable to deliver. Branding is now the magic word\u00a0that you sprinkle liberally on everything to do with design to make it bigger, sexier and I\u2019m\u00a0assuming, command a bigger fee.\nTake packaging for example. You hardly hear about packs being re-designed or refreshed\u00a0anymore. They\u2019re \u2018Re-Branded\u2019 or even better \u2018Brand Engineered\u2019. No they bloody are not.\u00a0Not unless you\u2019ve fundamentally re-articulated the values, ethos and vision of the company\u00a0itself into a single compelling personality to engage the desired consumer and then\u00a0manifested that accurately in the design of the aforementioned pack.\u00a0\nAt Good, we are continually brought in by organisations who have, as far as they are\u00a0concerned, been \u2018Re \u2013Branded\u2019 by some Brand Charlatan. (Thought I might as well add that\u00a0to the Brand Thesaurus!) This is not the client\u2019s fault. Often they don\u2019t know what they\u2019re\u00a0buying, as they\u2019ve not been educated or trained to sniff out \u2018Brand Wank\u2019. It\u2019s more than\u00a0likely the first time they\u2019ve had to engage with this muddy world and the outcome can be\u00a0seriously disappointing. \u201cIt looks fine, but it doesn\u2019t work. X simply doesn\u2019t talk to Y.\u201d X very\u00a0often being offline comms and Y the unfit for purpose digital platform commissioned by the\u00a0IT team; as it\u2019s in no way connected to branding apparently!\nIt\u2019s all just not very good and is better summed up by someone who was, and always will be,\u00a0far better qualified than me.\n\u201cIt\u2019s quite extraordinary that a recourse (branding\/identity) which is generally regarded as\u00a0so significant, and is now so ubiquitous, is so little understood.\u2019\u00a0Wally Olins.\nFortunately, it\u00a0doesn\u2019t have to be this way, as Wally well knew. Branding has been around for\u00a0a long time and it\u2019s not fundamentally changed. It\u2019s your promise to your customer. It\u2019s\u00a0derived from who you are, who you want to be and how people perceive you to be. It\u2019s your\u00a0personality in a nutshell*. (*For some, of course, it\u2019s in the Super Groovy Brand Being Guide).\u00a0\nGood old fashioned branding that\u2019s fit for the 21st century, done by those that know what\u00a0they\u2019re doing, makes the complex simple and every piece of communications internally and\u00a0externally, online and offline, work together seamlessly. Forever. (I\u2019m being deliberately\u00a0obtuse here, but you certainly shouldn\u2019t have to re-do the damn thing every two years!)\nBranding does require good designers of course, but they must be part of a broader\u00a0specialist team. The team you need will talk simply and honestly because they\u2019ll know what\u00a0they\u2019re talking about. They\u2019ll be multi-disciplined and they\u2019ll want to spend more time with\u00a0you questioning and understanding than producing any fancy designs. Oh, and at least one\u00a0of them will be a digital brain, ideally a digital team, as you will undoubtedly need X to talk\u00a0to Y if you want anyone born after 1965 to believe in you.\nThey\u2019ll be friendly and collaborative, as you\u2019ll be working together for a while, but they\u2019ll be\u00a0clear, focused and will lead you on the journey. It can be difficult and sometimes complex,\u00a0especially if naming and multiple stakeholders need both a voice and management to\u00a0ensure success. They will educate, cajole and simplify everything into an easily\u00a0understandable guiding light for all. Done right, I\u2019d argue, it\u2019s not jaw-dropping or awe-inspiring but\u00a0a journey of hard work taken together; culminating\u00a0in an \u201cAhh, of\u00a0course\u201d moment. Something that\u2019s been there all along, made real for all to enjoy and use.\nBrands have to build trust. Branding Consultancies are no different. It\u2019s not complicated but\u00a0making it really simple, honestly isn\u2019t easy. That\u2019s why you need to avoid brand bullshit.\n  ","summary":"Anyone else sick of hearing the word \u2018Branding\u2019? It seems to be everywhere and most of the noise is out of context and utter waffle.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-04-27T10:05:37+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5543","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-brand-onions-dont-work","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why brand onions don\u2019t work","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019ve always had a problem with the brand onion, aka brand wheel, brand key, brand house. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve never really understood what they\u2019re meant to do. That\u2019s because when I looked at them, although I understood all the statements and words in isolation, they never seemed to coalesce into something meaningful when I turned the page. They just exited my mind. Flew the marketing nest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve sat through countless meetings with brand managers methodically working their way through the brand presentation. The solemn sell in. The serious and detailed explanation of why Brand X really is better than Brand Y and Brand Z. Culminating in an attempt to sum it all up on a single page with type (point size 9) in little boxes, destined to be taped to a wall next to the office extension list.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/good_onion_3_0.jpg\u0022 alt=\u0022The Brand Onion\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the past, this used to intimidate me. I thought there must be a secret marketing masterclass that teaches you how to design a deep, meaningful and overly engineered brand onion. I assumed that others in the room got it, understood it and the value, coherence and clarity it brings to all brand marketing comms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow I know it\u2019s rubbish. Turns out people can only really hold a maximum of seven pieces of information in their head, plus or minus one or two. (Unless you\u2019re Dustin Hoffman in Rainman). There\u2019s a name for it too: Miller\u2019s Law \u2013 The Magical Number Seven Plus or Minus Two (loving the name!). He did this work in 1956, so it\u2019s been around a while. Looks like it wasn\u2019t just me: everyone\u2019s in the same boat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnyway \u2013 what of it? What does that mean for the Brand Onion and his pals? Well, to my mind it just means that it\u2019s not quite finished.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we approach the task of defining brands in an iterative and precise way. We think all brands must understand their foundations before they can build meaningful, coherent and consistent marketing comms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe brand onion and its exhaustive list of supporting values, beliefs, essence, reasons to believe, intrinsics and extrinsics are all very well as additional info - if you have to have them at all. \u0026nbsp;Like an iceberg, they\u2019re the 9 tenths that are underwater, out of sight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey should all support the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-does-positioning-really-mean\u0022\u003Evision, mission, values\u003C\/a\u003E and simple \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/7-reasons-why-brand-language-matters\u0022\u003Ebrand platform\u003C\/a\u003E (the key expression of your brand) we create from them. This is the bit that\u2019s visible, clear and simple to understand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd it works. These brand platforms act as a guiding light, an organising thought or a north star for a brand. It\u2019s a reduction of all the very best bits of the iceberg. Simple to understand. And you won\u2019t need to pin it to the wall to remember it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf the onion isn\u2019t working for you, the answer isn\u2019t a better-designed onion. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/brand-strategy-services\u0022\u003EHere\u2019s how we build something that actually holds.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nI don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019ve always had a problem with the brand onion, aka brand wheel, brand key, brand house. \nI\u2019ve never really understood what they\u2019re meant to do. That\u2019s because when I looked at them, although I understood all the statements and words in isolation, they never seemed to coalesce into something meaningful when I turned the page. They just exited my mind. Flew the marketing nest.I\u2019ve sat through countless meetings with brand managers methodically working their way through the brand presentation. The solemn sell in. The serious and detailed explanation of why Brand X really is better than Brand Y and Brand Z. Culminating in an attempt to sum it all up on a single page with type (point size 9) in little boxes, destined to be taped to a wall next to the office extension list.In the past, this used to intimidate me. I thought there must be a secret marketing masterclass that teaches you how to design a deep, meaningful and overly engineered brand onion. I assumed that others in the room got it, understood it and the value, coherence and clarity it brings to all brand marketing comms.Now I know it\u2019s rubbish. Turns out people can only really hold a maximum of seven pieces of information in their head, plus or minus one or two. (Unless you\u2019re Dustin Hoffman in Rainman). There\u2019s a name for it too: Miller\u2019s Law \u2013 The Magical Number Seven Plus or Minus Two (loving the name!). He did this work in 1956, so it\u2019s been around a while. Looks like it wasn\u2019t just me: everyone\u2019s in the same boat.Anyway \u2013 what of it? What does that mean for the Brand Onion and his pals? Well, to my mind it just means that it\u2019s not quite finished.At Good we approach the task of defining brands in an iterative and precise way. We think all brands must understand their foundations before they can build meaningful, coherent and consistent marketing comms.The brand onion and its exhaustive list of supporting values, beliefs, essence, reasons to believe, intrinsics and extrinsics are all very well as additional info - if you have to have them at all. \u0026nbsp;Like an iceberg, they\u2019re the 9 tenths that are underwater, out of sight.They should all support the vision, mission, values and simple brand platform (the key expression of your brand) we create from them. This is the bit that\u2019s visible, clear and simple to understand.And it works. These brand platforms act as a guiding light, an organising thought or a north star for a brand. It\u2019s a reduction of all the very best bits of the iceberg. Simple to understand. And you won\u2019t need to pin it to the wall to remember it.If the onion isn\u2019t working for you, the answer isn\u2019t a better-designed onion. Here\u2019s how we build something that actually holds.  ","summary":"I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019ve always had a problem with the brand onion, aka brand wheel, brand key, brand house.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-03-30T12:20:06+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5545","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/making-friends-digital-design-jargon","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Making Friends with Digital Design Jargon","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOur take on three of the most common abbreviations you may have seen populating digital articles and conversations. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf there\u2019s one thing us makers of digital things love it\u2019s nice bit of jargon. And it\u2019s natural that in something evolving as quickly as the digital domain there are going to be a lot of new terms of art, often helpfully abbreviated into 2 or 3-letter acronyms. Helpful for us, maybe less so for you.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there\u0027s no reason it has to be that way. So, as a starting point, here are our\u00a030-second takes on\u00a0three of the main offenders:\u00a0UI, UX and IA.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EUI, or User Interface\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the most general terms, UIs are the parts of technology that we directly interact with. The bits that we see, hear and touch. From the handle on a flint axe, to buttons, dials and switches, to high-resolution, touchable computer graphics. The UI is the (hopefully) comprehensible layer sitting on top of a piece of technology that lets us understand and control it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the area of digital design, UI has generally been synonymous with a related term, \u201cGUI\u201d, meaning a Graphical User Interface, or the graphics that appear on a computer screen. GUIs have evolved from green-on-black text command line interfaces, through windows-and-folder desktop metaphors to touch UIs that allow direct manipulation of content and where surrounding UI elements fade into the background or seem\u00a0to disappear entirely.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut on top of this evolution, our notion of what a UI is has expanded rapidly in other directions in the last few years. Your phone is becoming something you talk to as much as tap, where the UI has no physical form, but must be smart enough to engage you in conversation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe future of UI may be less Tom Cruise hand-waving at holograms and more a nice chat with an attentive pal.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EUX,\u00a0or User Experience\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUX describes a set of design practices that focus on the needs, goals and, ultimately, the experience a person has when using a piece of digital technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUX has always been a part of digital design, even before it was given its name. For example, think of the continuous refinement of Amazon\u2019s checkout process, which has been happening since its launch in 1994. That constant iteration, in response to user behaviour and feedback, is a cornerstone of a UX design process.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it\u2019s only in the last decade that awareness of UX approaches and practices has more-or-less taken over the digital design community. Symbolised by the ubiquity of the \u201cUX\u201d acronym, from the re-framing of long-established design principles in terms of digital experience, to the cottage industry in important-sounding job titles (why be a boring old Designer when you can be a UX Systems Architect?).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019d argue it\u2019s a little presumptuous to think you can actually design a person\u2019s experience of something. People and their personal experiences are all very different and change from moment to moment. But maybe that recognition is the point and the value of UX. Stepping back from a literal reading of the term, it gets us designers and developers out of our own heads, away from the cleverness of design and technology, and points us where we need to stay focused: on the goals of the people who use the things we make.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EIA, or Information Architecture\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike traditional architecture, IA is concerned with designing structures and environments, but (as the name would suggest) for information and data, rather than people.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo say there\u2019s a lot of information on the web is a bit of an understatement. But we\u2019re generally only interested in the tiny portion of it that is relevant to us and what we\u2019re currently up to. How easy it is to find that information, from using search engines at the largest scales, to navigating to the right page on a website and the right place on that page at the smallest scale, is down to good (or bad) IA.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIA sorts, categorises, shuffles and structures information into a form that users can get to quickly and make use of easily. And it\u2019s key to making websites and apps sustainable. A lack of IA planning and design will often lead to a website that can\u2019t scale and is overwhelmed as content is continuously added to it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood IA tends to be invisible, something it has in common with a of lot of good design. But if you\u2019re using a website and get where you need to be with little or no effort, or your intuition about searching for something turns out to be spot-on, it\u2019s probably the result of carefully considered IA behind the scenes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003ENo Secrets\u003C\/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHopefully you can see that what lies behind acronyms like these isn\u2019t some kind of forbidden occult knowledge. When we digital designers and developers use this jargon, it\u2019s certainly not to try and confuse anyone else. Our jobs become a lot easier when the people we work with have a clearer idea about what we do (and vice versa, of course). Any designer or developer worth their salt should feel the same way, and should be more than happy to explain things to anyone who takes the time to ask. So don\u2019t be shy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nOur take on three of the most common abbreviations you may have seen populating digital articles and conversations. \nIf there\u2019s one thing us makers of digital things love it\u2019s nice bit of jargon. And it\u2019s natural that in something evolving as quickly as the digital domain there are going to be a lot of new terms of art, often helpfully abbreviated into 2 or 3-letter acronyms. Helpful for us, maybe less so for you.\nBut there\u0027s no reason it has to be that way. So, as a starting point, here are our\u00a030-second takes on\u00a0three of the main offenders:\u00a0UI, UX and IA.\nUI, or User Interface\nIn the most general terms, UIs are the parts of technology that we directly interact with. The bits that we see, hear and touch. From the handle on a flint axe, to buttons, dials and switches, to high-resolution, touchable computer graphics. The UI is the (hopefully) comprehensible layer sitting on top of a piece of technology that lets us understand and control it.\nIn the area of digital design, UI has generally been synonymous with a related term, \u201cGUI\u201d, meaning a Graphical User Interface, or the graphics that appear on a computer screen. GUIs have evolved from green-on-black text command line interfaces, through windows-and-folder desktop metaphors to touch UIs that allow direct manipulation of content and where surrounding UI elements fade into the background or seem\u00a0to disappear entirely.\nBut on top of this evolution, our notion of what a UI is has expanded rapidly in other directions in the last few years. Your phone is becoming something you talk to as much as tap, where the UI has no physical form, but must be smart enough to engage you in conversation.\nThe future of UI may be less Tom Cruise hand-waving at holograms and more a nice chat with an attentive pal.\nUX,\u00a0or User Experience\nUX describes a set of design practices that focus on the needs, goals and, ultimately, the experience a person has when using a piece of digital technology.\nUX has always been a part of digital design, even before it was given its name. For example, think of the continuous refinement of Amazon\u2019s checkout process, which has been happening since its launch in 1994. That constant iteration, in response to user behaviour and feedback, is a cornerstone of a UX design process.\nBut it\u2019s only in the last decade that awareness of UX approaches and practices has more-or-less taken over the digital design community. Symbolised by the ubiquity of the \u201cUX\u201d acronym, from the re-framing of long-established design principles in terms of digital experience, to the cottage industry in important-sounding job titles (why be a boring old Designer when you can be a UX Systems Architect?).\nI\u2019d argue it\u2019s a little presumptuous to think you can actually design a person\u2019s experience of something. People and their personal experiences are all very different and change from moment to moment. But maybe that recognition is the point and the value of UX. Stepping back from a literal reading of the term, it gets us designers and developers out of our own heads, away from the cleverness of design and technology, and points us where we need to stay focused: on the goals of the people who use the things we make.\nIA, or Information Architecture\nLike traditional architecture, IA is concerned with designing structures and environments, but (as the name would suggest) for information and data, rather than people.\nTo say there\u2019s a lot of information on the web is a bit of an understatement. But we\u2019re generally only interested in the tiny portion of it that is relevant to us and what we\u2019re currently up to. How easy it is to find that information, from using search engines at the largest scales, to navigating to the right page on a website and the right place on that page at the smallest scale, is down to good (or bad) IA.\nIA sorts, categorises, shuffles and structures information into a form that users can get to quickly and make use of easily. And it\u2019s key to making websites and apps sustainable. A lack of IA planning and design will often lead to a website that can\u2019t scale and is overwhelmed as content is continuously added to it.\nGood IA tends to be invisible, something it has in common with a of lot of good design. But if you\u2019re using a website and get where you need to be with little or no effort, or your intuition about searching for something turns out to be spot-on, it\u2019s probably the result of carefully considered IA behind the scenes.\nNo Secrets\nHopefully you can see that what lies behind acronyms like these isn\u2019t some kind of forbidden occult knowledge. When we digital designers and developers use this jargon, it\u2019s certainly not to try and confuse anyone else. Our jobs become a lot easier when the people we work with have a clearer idea about what we do (and vice versa, of course). Any designer or developer worth their salt should feel the same way, and should be more than happy to explain things to anyone who takes the time to ask. So don\u2019t be shy.\n  ","summary":"Our take on three of the most common abbreviations you may have seen populating digital articles and conversations.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-03-16T13:54:25+0000","author":{"name":"Jamie Boyd"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5546","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/power-design","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The Power of Design","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter thirty years of delivering all manner of design services, I know my primary role in any engagement, large or small, is that of an educator. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI don\u2019t mean that in a disparaging way, it\u2019s a simple fact of a creative\u2019s life: facing that withered smirk of scepticism from everyone outside of marketing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout doubt knowledge and understanding of the value that our profession can deliver to business, government and society as a whole is growing. But, the pace is painfully slow and the gulf between the enlightened minority and the \u2018join the dots\u2019 design perception of the majority is vast. And that\u2019s where we come in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we don\u2019t always work with the sexiest brands on the planet. We\u2019re Scottish, we\u2019re pragmatic, we\u2019re honest. We want to offer best value for every pound spent and that\u2019s just not sexy in design speak. We started small and in our backyard, hard yardage, getting an impact and delivering on every brief we worked on. For sausage manufacturers, car dealers, thermostat specialists and power tool distributors. These people aren\u2019t interested in \u2018shiney shiney.\u2019 They\u2019re engineers, commercial managers, FD\u2019s, MD\u2019s, Sales managers and product demonstrators. Hard nosed haters of the unjustifiable cost of design frippery \u2013 or so they think.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur job has always been to grow the religion of design, to educate and convert one more sceptic into an advocate. It\u2019s missionary work, hard, thankless at times, but often rewarding and fired by the bigger vision of our profession: being truly recognised and respected by all as a true catalyst for change for the better.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most powerful tool in our armoury has always been the word \u2018NO\u2019. It\u2019s not for us. We can\u2019t achieve your goals for that budget. Without a brief we can\u2019t help you. We don\u2019t pitch. No, we don\u2019t do multiple ideas for free. We\u2019re not in the proposal writing business. It sets a tone. A benchmark for our professionalism and the value we put on our expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe always insist that understanding, foundations and clear goals need to be agreed before any design work can commence. Every facet of our design solutions need to be robustly justifiable through the filter of what we\u2019ve collectively agreed. That\u2019s why we only ever present one solution. This mitigates the \u2018my wife likes pink\u2019 scenario of the uninitiated, or the death by committee approach that results in a sanitised emptiness satisfying no one and achieving nothing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe put our money, where our mouth is. We\u2019ve started \u2018Good for Nothing\u2019. \u00a350,000 worth of design services every year to a recipient who can\u2019t afford our expertise but needs it to help the common good. This is the sharp end. Helping others by design. Taking time that might have been spent trying to win a gong and massage our collective ego and using it to underpin our positioning and values. This commitment to our cause, our \u2018Why,\u2019 resonates with our target audience, validating our approach and cementing our credentials.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately though, people buy people. Be honest, don\u2019t oversell yourself. Tell it straight. Keep it simple. It\u2019s not rocket science, so let\u2019s not over complicate it. We are after all a professional services provider. Act like one and deliver results like one. More than anything else, this down to earth approach to delivering on our promises has stood us in good stead. Building an understanding of the importance of our profession and simply making things better, one client partner at a time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the world changes and more people and services are replaced by machines and technology, creativity will be one of the few bastions of human dominance that cannot be replicated. Focused creativity that simply makes products and services better for the common man will be a hugely valuable commodity. The advocates we create today, no matter how difficult the conversion, will be vital to fulfilling that vision.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nAfter thirty years of delivering all manner of design services, I know my primary role in any engagement, large or small, is that of an educator. \nI don\u2019t mean that in a disparaging way, it\u2019s a simple fact of a creative\u2019s life: facing that withered smirk of scepticism from everyone outside of marketing.\nWithout doubt knowledge and understanding of the value that our profession can deliver to business, government and society as a whole is growing. But, the pace is painfully slow and the gulf between the enlightened minority and the \u2018join the dots\u2019 design perception of the majority is vast. And that\u2019s where we come in.\nAt Good, we don\u2019t always work with the sexiest brands on the planet. We\u2019re Scottish, we\u2019re pragmatic, we\u2019re honest. We want to offer best value for every pound spent and that\u2019s just not sexy in design speak. We started small and in our backyard, hard yardage, getting an impact and delivering on every brief we worked on. For sausage manufacturers, car dealers, thermostat specialists and power tool distributors. These people aren\u2019t interested in \u2018shiney shiney.\u2019 They\u2019re engineers, commercial managers, FD\u2019s, MD\u2019s, Sales managers and product demonstrators. Hard nosed haters of the unjustifiable cost of design frippery \u2013 or so they think.\nOur job has always been to grow the religion of design, to educate and convert one more sceptic into an advocate. It\u2019s missionary work, hard, thankless at times, but often rewarding and fired by the bigger vision of our profession: being truly recognised and respected by all as a true catalyst for change for the better.\nThe most powerful tool in our armoury has always been the word \u2018NO\u2019. It\u2019s not for us. We can\u2019t achieve your goals for that budget. Without a brief we can\u2019t help you. We don\u2019t pitch. No, we don\u2019t do multiple ideas for free. We\u2019re not in the proposal writing business. It sets a tone. A benchmark for our professionalism and the value we put on our expertise.\nWe always insist that understanding, foundations and clear goals need to be agreed before any design work can commence. Every facet of our design solutions need to be robustly justifiable through the filter of what we\u2019ve collectively agreed. That\u2019s why we only ever present one solution. This mitigates the \u2018my wife likes pink\u2019 scenario of the uninitiated, or the death by committee approach that results in a sanitised emptiness satisfying no one and achieving nothing.\nWe put our money, where our mouth is. We\u2019ve started \u2018Good for Nothing\u2019. \u00a350,000 worth of design services every year to a recipient who can\u2019t afford our expertise but needs it to help the common good. This is the sharp end. Helping others by design. Taking time that might have been spent trying to win a gong and massage our collective ego and using it to underpin our positioning and values. This commitment to our cause, our \u2018Why,\u2019 resonates with our target audience, validating our approach and cementing our credentials.\nUltimately though, people buy people. Be honest, don\u2019t oversell yourself. Tell it straight. Keep it simple. It\u2019s not rocket science, so let\u2019s not over complicate it. We are after all a professional services provider. Act like one and deliver results like one. More than anything else, this down to earth approach to delivering on our promises has stood us in good stead. Building an understanding of the importance of our profession and simply making things better, one client partner at a time.\nAs the world changes and more people and services are replaced by machines and technology, creativity will be one of the few bastions of human dominance that cannot be replicated. Focused creativity that simply makes products and services better for the common man will be a hugely valuable commodity. The advocates we create today, no matter how difficult the conversion, will be vital to fulfilling that vision.\n  ","summary":"After thirty years of delivering all manner of design services, I know my primary role in any engagement, large or small, is that of an educator.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-02-20T15:04:41+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5549","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-buy-design-services","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How to buy design services","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ENow, before I start, I want to make it clear. This isn\u2019t a rant. I\u2019m not using this piece to have a go at clients, the system, or any third party who has ever sought to influence how and where work is placed. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThings just are the way they are, and I know that there\u2019s very little that I can do to change them. You just have to accept that received and conventional wisdom is so strong that it\u2019s going to take a revolution of biblical proportions to change things.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut\u2026\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe way things are seems so ridiculously senseless that I feel compelled to point them out. We\u2019ve been through so many of these processes that we\u2019re in a really good place to point out what works, what doesn\u2019t, and how you could save a whole lot of time and money in finding out which is the right agency for you.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe prevailing mindset (what we see most commonly):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA brief which defines a problem in marketing terms only. (With no explanation of how this will link to the business in a wider commercial sense).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESent to as many as five agencies. (Sometimes more \u2013 I remember one where we were one of seven. We didn\u2019t participate).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENo leadership or discrimination in the buying process. Reaching out to a long list of agencies, usually through the \u2018info@\u2019 contact point from the website.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESelf-diagnosis of the problem and what\u2019s required in terms of deliverables to fix the marketing problem.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA request for pitch creative. (Which betrays an inexperience, especially if the task is in any way brand related).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA pitch date which averages out at around 2 weeks from first contact.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENo budget outlined. (So we\u2019re asked to take a blind punt on an opportunity with no idea of what the potential payday would look like, if we\u2019re selected).\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is all in addition to what is just a huge effort all round. Primarily from the agency. (I think the accepted figure is a \u00a310K average investment in a pitch). But it also affects the client too. A five-way pitch will take at least two whole days out of a client\u2019s schedule, since you can\u2019t really see more than three agency responses in a day, it slides into two. Multiply that by the number of client side stakeholders who are along for the ride and it all mounts up. I\u2019ve lost count of the times we cheerfully trot into a pitch presentation at a potential client\u2019s office only to be met by a group of weary, dishevelled, hollowed-out individuals. They\u2019ve already sat through two presentations and, honestly, they look like they\u2019d rather commit harikari than sit through a third.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, we see the pitch as the wrong answer to the right question \u2013 how do I pick the agency that\u2019s right for me? They\u2019re skin deep beauty contests that don\u2019t serve either party well. I mean, how can you even begin to address some of the deep, seemingly intractable brand challenges a complex organisation faces with a two-page brief and 10 working days to solve it? You can\u2019t. It takes longer. It takes effort and rigour and candour on both sides which builds over time to a solid relationship rooted in trust, professionalism and mutual respect. Yes, I might sound a touch idealistic and I realise not every agency appointment requires such a noble approach, but I believe it\u2019s worth trying to do things the right way, regardless of the size of the task or budget.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, how would we do it?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWell. First things first. Keep it simple and logical.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFrame what you think your problem is, but be prepared to be challenged. How does it ladder up to a wider business challenge? It\u2019ll never just sit in isolation. Is it a brand challenge, or is it just design execution? Do you need a campaign or a brand evolved or even a new one created?\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate a small lead team who have the power to say \u2018yes\u2019 as well as \u2018no\u2019. This is crucial. They must be the ones who make the final decision about who to appoint.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELook around and ask for recommendations from your network. Go to an agency body (e.g. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dba.org.uk\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EThe DBA\u003C\/a\u003E) and research the agency capabilities. You need to be quite disciplined and discerning here so some measure of experience is important. If you\u2019ve never purchased creative services before, how do you know what you\u2019re looking for and how can you tell one agency\u2019s core skill set versus another? Beware the Jack of all Trades! You need to be clear on the difference between generalists and specialists.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWork on a shortlist. Three is enough. Send them the brief. (Include expected budget and timings). Be clear about what it is you want to see from them.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAsk to go and visit them. Don\u2019t let them come to you. You can learn loads about a firm, its people and its philosophy by visiting their premises. Remember you\u2019re trying to find the best fit for you and your own organisation. Meet the people. Ask them about their experience. Get a feeling for their capability for the task. Don\u2019t devolve it to a tick list or a junior. This is the most important bit: The Chemistry. Ask to talk to their clients. Hear what they have to say.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPick the one that\u2019s best suited to you. Set out a straightforward engagement with them. Most agencies don\u2019t mind backing themselves when it\u2019s a 1:1 scenario, and they\u2019re not being played off against one another. You\u2019ve met. You\u2019re comfortable there\u2019s a fit and this is the first step in the relationship. At this stage, it\u2019s a big blank page, and the possibilities are endless! Remember to reserve the right to change your mind early in the process. But trust the process, your gut and them!\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnjoy it. This should be fun too.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou will be thanked by the agency \u2013 who should be smart enough to realise they\u2019re working with someone who knows what they\u2019re doing \u2013 and you\u2019ll get the best work out of them. They\u2019re hugely motivated by the fact you\u2019ve chosen them because of their proven capability in your area of need and not through some meaningless beauty contest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt works for both client and agency. Saves time, money and a ton of emotional turbulence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo if you think this sounds like a sensible plan for hiring a branding consultancy, give us a ring. We can figure out if we\u2019re right for each other over a cup of coffee and a chat.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nNow, before I start, I want to make it clear. This isn\u2019t a rant. I\u2019m not using this piece to have a go at clients, the system, or any third party who has ever sought to influence how and where work is placed. \nThings just are the way they are, and I know that there\u2019s very little that I can do to change them. You just have to accept that received and conventional wisdom is so strong that it\u2019s going to take a revolution of biblical proportions to change things.But\u2026The way things are seems so ridiculously senseless that I feel compelled to point them out. We\u2019ve been through so many of these processes that we\u2019re in a really good place to point out what works, what doesn\u2019t, and how you could save a whole lot of time and money in finding out which is the right agency for you.The prevailing mindset (what we see most commonly):A brief which defines a problem in marketing terms only. (With no explanation of how this will link to the business in a wider commercial sense).Sent to as many as five agencies. (Sometimes more \u2013 I remember one where we were one of seven. We didn\u2019t participate).No leadership or discrimination in the buying process. Reaching out to a long list of agencies, usually through the \u2018info@\u2019 contact point from the website.Self-diagnosis of the problem and what\u2019s required in terms of deliverables to fix the marketing problem.A request for pitch creative. (Which betrays an inexperience, especially if the task is in any way brand related).A pitch date which averages out at around 2 weeks from first contact.No budget outlined. (So we\u2019re asked to take a blind punt on an opportunity with no idea of what the potential payday would look like, if we\u2019re selected).This is all in addition to what is just a huge effort all round. Primarily from the agency. (I think the accepted figure is a \u00a310K average investment in a pitch). But it also affects the client too. A five-way pitch will take at least two whole days out of a client\u2019s schedule, since you can\u2019t really see more than three agency responses in a day, it slides into two. Multiply that by the number of client side stakeholders who are along for the ride and it all mounts up. I\u2019ve lost count of the times we cheerfully trot into a pitch presentation at a potential client\u2019s office only to be met by a group of weary, dishevelled, hollowed-out individuals. They\u2019ve already sat through two presentations and, honestly, they look like they\u2019d rather commit harikari than sit through a third.So, we see the pitch as the wrong answer to the right question \u2013 how do I pick the agency that\u2019s right for me? They\u2019re skin deep beauty contests that don\u2019t serve either party well. I mean, how can you even begin to address some of the deep, seemingly intractable brand challenges a complex organisation faces with a two-page brief and 10 working days to solve it? You can\u2019t. It takes longer. It takes effort and rigour and candour on both sides which builds over time to a solid relationship rooted in trust, professionalism and mutual respect. Yes, I might sound a touch idealistic and I realise not every agency appointment requires such a noble approach, but I believe it\u2019s worth trying to do things the right way, regardless of the size of the task or budget.So, how would we do it?Well. First things first. Keep it simple and logical.\u0026nbsp;Frame what you think your problem is, but be prepared to be challenged. How does it ladder up to a wider business challenge? It\u2019ll never just sit in isolation. Is it a brand challenge, or is it just design execution? Do you need a campaign or a brand evolved or even a new one created?\u0026nbsp;Create a small lead team who have the power to say \u2018yes\u2019 as well as \u2018no\u2019. This is crucial. They must be the ones who make the final decision about who to appoint.\u0026nbsp;Look around and ask for recommendations from your network. Go to an agency body (e.g. The DBA) and research the agency capabilities. You need to be quite disciplined and discerning here so some measure of experience is important. If you\u2019ve never purchased creative services before, how do you know what you\u2019re looking for and how can you tell one agency\u2019s core skill set versus another? Beware the Jack of all Trades! You need to be clear on the difference between generalists and specialists.\u0026nbsp;Work on a shortlist. Three is enough. Send them the brief. (Include expected budget and timings). Be clear about what it is you want to see from them.\u0026nbsp;Ask to go and visit them. Don\u2019t let them come to you. You can learn loads about a firm, its people and its philosophy by visiting their premises. Remember you\u2019re trying to find the best fit for you and your own organisation. Meet the people. Ask them about their experience. Get a feeling for their capability for the task. Don\u2019t devolve it to a tick list or a junior. This is the most important bit: The Chemistry. Ask to talk to their clients. Hear what they have to say.\u0026nbsp;Pick the one that\u2019s best suited to you. Set out a straightforward engagement with them. Most agencies don\u2019t mind backing themselves when it\u2019s a 1:1 scenario, and they\u2019re not being played off against one another. You\u2019ve met. You\u2019re comfortable there\u2019s a fit and this is the first step in the relationship. At this stage, it\u2019s a big blank page, and the possibilities are endless! Remember to reserve the right to change your mind early in the process. But trust the process, your gut and them!\u0026nbsp;Enjoy it. This should be fun too.You will be thanked by the agency \u2013 who should be smart enough to realise they\u2019re working with someone who knows what they\u2019re doing \u2013 and you\u2019ll get the best work out of them. They\u2019re hugely motivated by the fact you\u2019ve chosen them because of their proven capability in your area of need and not through some meaningless beauty contest.It works for both client and agency. Saves time, money and a ton of emotional turbulence.So if you think this sounds like a sensible plan for hiring a branding consultancy, give us a ring. We can figure out if we\u2019re right for each other over a cup of coffee and a chat.  ","summary":"Now, before I start, I want to make it clear. This isn\u2019t a rant. I\u2019m not using this piece to have a go at clients, the system, or any third party who has ever sought to influence how and where work is placed.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2017-01-16T12:46:22+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5551","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/advice-design-students-soup-trust-and-adulthood","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Advice for design students: Soup, trust and adulthood","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESix months into being the team\u2019s youngest designer, here\u0026#039;s some \u2018wisdom\u2019 for all the students out there keeping me on my toes.   \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis summer, amidst a year synonymous with cataclysmic change, I stepped out of art school fresh faced and into the Adult\u2122\u0026nbsp;world. A confusing time of\u0026nbsp;responsibilities, early starts, deadlines, Brexit\/Trump and mild binge-drinking. Feel free to conflate the last two.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a newly\u0026nbsp;inaugurated\u0026nbsp;Adult\u2122 in the design\u0026nbsp;world there\u2019s a lot to be learnt. About one\u2019s own\u0026nbsp;strengths and weaknesses, how the freedom and personal authority\u0026nbsp;of art school translates\u0026nbsp;into the\u0026nbsp;realities of\u0026nbsp;a client-facing\u0026nbsp;business and how to get the office microwave to heat up the soup and not\u0026nbsp;just the bowl.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the months that led up to the art school exit door I had\u0026nbsp;developed an idea of what a\u0026nbsp;Junior Designer\u2019s valuable traits might be. Worries about how well I knew Photoshop, how\u0026nbsp;quickly I could \u2018work up\u2019 a logo and how honed my\u0026nbsp;typographic skills were, plagued me.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut as it happens, above and beyond all of the industry-related skills, teamwork - that often\u0026nbsp;vacuous\u0026nbsp;barnacle on a teenager\u2019s CV - has without a doubt been the most important trait to get me where I am at this point and to set me up to become a much better designer in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBack in the halcyon days of 2015 when\u0026nbsp;I was a mere intern here at Good, I sensed quickly how critical this might be.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI made an effort be accommodating,\u0026nbsp;persistent,\u0026nbsp;show up early and never leave without asking if others working late\u0026nbsp;needed a hand. Simple things, but they all demonstrated that I was willing to be part of the studio, and not just here for myself. I\u0026nbsp;don\u2019t think I\u2019m wrong when I say that\u2019s why they asked me to come back as a Junior Designer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGetting your head around working as a unit also means you learn more \u2013 more quickly. I can\u2019t design and manage some of the world\u2019s biggest brands\u0026nbsp;single-handedly - at least not yet - but I can be a\u0026nbsp;part of the team that does.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd from this, I will become a far better designer than if I was just pretty good at typesetting for an art school student, but had the interpersonal skills of a brick.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI would also stress the importance of trust. Gaining the trust of the rest of your team is the first step to getting anything like the\u0026nbsp;freedom you were afforded at art\u0026nbsp;school.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore you get to do the big rebrands, you have to prove\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re a capable pair of hands with the smaller jobs. And that\u2019s okay; it\u2019s all part of the journey up.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo my advice to any design student\u0026nbsp;that finds themselves\u0026nbsp;standing wide-eyed at the open\u0026nbsp;door to Adulthood\u2122 - \u0026nbsp;assuming\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re already pretty good at what you do - is swallow the ego, work as a team and build up some trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFind some good people and throw\u0026nbsp;yourself into being a small, but\u0026nbsp;irreplaceable part of their team. That\u2019s when\u0026nbsp;you\u2019ll really begin to evolve as a designer, and hopefully nail the whole Adult\u2122 thing too.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nSix months into being the team\u2019s youngest designer, here\u0026#039;s some \u2018wisdom\u2019 for all the students out there keeping me on my toes.   \nThis summer, amidst a year synonymous with cataclysmic change, I stepped out of art school fresh faced and into the Adult\u2122\u0026nbsp;world. A confusing time of\u0026nbsp;responsibilities, early starts, deadlines, Brexit\/Trump and mild binge-drinking. Feel free to conflate the last two.\u0026nbsp;As a newly\u0026nbsp;inaugurated\u0026nbsp;Adult\u2122 in the design\u0026nbsp;world there\u2019s a lot to be learnt. About one\u2019s own\u0026nbsp;strengths and weaknesses, how the freedom and personal authority\u0026nbsp;of art school translates\u0026nbsp;into the\u0026nbsp;realities of\u0026nbsp;a client-facing\u0026nbsp;business and how to get the office microwave to heat up the soup and not\u0026nbsp;just the bowl.In the months that led up to the art school exit door I had\u0026nbsp;developed an idea of what a\u0026nbsp;Junior Designer\u2019s valuable traits might be. Worries about how well I knew Photoshop, how\u0026nbsp;quickly I could \u2018work up\u2019 a logo and how honed my\u0026nbsp;typographic skills were, plagued me.But as it happens, above and beyond all of the industry-related skills, teamwork - that often\u0026nbsp;vacuous\u0026nbsp;barnacle on a teenager\u2019s CV - has without a doubt been the most important trait to get me where I am at this point and to set me up to become a much better designer in the future.\u0026nbsp;Back in the halcyon days of 2015 when\u0026nbsp;I was a mere intern here at Good, I sensed quickly how critical this might be.I made an effort be accommodating,\u0026nbsp;persistent,\u0026nbsp;show up early and never leave without asking if others working late\u0026nbsp;needed a hand. Simple things, but they all demonstrated that I was willing to be part of the studio, and not just here for myself. I\u0026nbsp;don\u2019t think I\u2019m wrong when I say that\u2019s why they asked me to come back as a Junior Designer.\u0026nbsp;Getting your head around working as a unit also means you learn more \u2013 more quickly. I can\u2019t design and manage some of the world\u2019s biggest brands\u0026nbsp;single-handedly - at least not yet - but I can be a\u0026nbsp;part of the team that does.And from this, I will become a far better designer than if I was just pretty good at typesetting for an art school student, but had the interpersonal skills of a brick.\u0026nbsp;I would also stress the importance of trust. Gaining the trust of the rest of your team is the first step to getting anything like the\u0026nbsp;freedom you were afforded at art\u0026nbsp;school.Before you get to do the big rebrands, you have to prove\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re a capable pair of hands with the smaller jobs. And that\u2019s okay; it\u2019s all part of the journey up.So my advice to any design student\u0026nbsp;that finds themselves\u0026nbsp;standing wide-eyed at the open\u0026nbsp;door to Adulthood\u2122 - \u0026nbsp;assuming\u0026nbsp;you\u2019re already pretty good at what you do - is swallow the ego, work as a team and build up some trust.Find some good people and throw\u0026nbsp;yourself into being a small, but\u0026nbsp;irreplaceable part of their team. That\u2019s when\u0026nbsp;you\u2019ll really begin to evolve as a designer, and hopefully nail the whole Adult\u2122 thing too.  ","summary":"Six months into being the team\u2019s youngest designer, here\u0027s some \u2018wisdom\u2019 for all the students out there keeping me on my toes.  ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-11-30T14:49:17+0000","author":{"name":"Andrew Simpson"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5555","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/lost-pun-slation","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Lost in pun-slation","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe all love a good pun don\u2019t we. Well one would think so, living in the UK where puns can be seen and heard every day. But are they falling on increasingly deaf ears? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be a headline writer at the Sun newspaper is the \u2018pun-acle\u2019 of a tabloid writer\u2019s career. \u2018Elton takes David up the aisle\u2019, \u2018Sex tape Tulisa hasn\u2019t blown her job\u2019 and \u2018Super Caley go ballistic Celtic are atrocious\u2019 are just a few in a long line of front page power-puns from the recent past. Puns are the tabloids\u2019 daily meat and drink in their efforts to amuse the nation.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPuns go much further than the tabloids. They can be found in all forms of communication in the UK, be it advertising, entertainment or names for businesses. For example \u2018Curl Up And Dye\u2019 is the pun-tastic name of a mobile hairstylist. \u00a0\u2018Junk And Disorderly\u2019 was coined by a rubbish collection service in London.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven that very un-British behaviour of protesting is not immune to a good pun or two. Allotment owners campaigning to save their Farm Terrace in Watford held aloft such banners as \u201cLettuce be!\u201d, \u201cGive peas a chance\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t lose the plot\u201d.\u00a0All this creative wit was on display outside the Royal Courts of Justice of all places. If a pun can\u2019t make the Establishment think again, nothing can.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECreative writing has been a pastime of the British for many centuries.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile our continental cousins were pushing the boundaries of the visual arts (Michelangelo, Monet, Rembrandt, etc), we Brits were getting creative with words. From William Shakespeare to Robert Burns, we have been using the English language to prove our cerebral prowess.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFast forward to today\u2019s post-Commonwealth world where according to the British Council, 25% of the world\u2019s population has an understanding of English. Most global industries use it as their common language for example, science, technology, travel, entertainment and sport. One begins to realise why us Brits are feeling pretty smug about our language\u2019s status.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd what better way to display our command of this global phenomenon than by indulging ourselves in witty punning?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne morning while travelling on the London Underground, I was picking my way through pages of Metro newspaper puns.\u00a0Some of the headlines were so abstracted by punning, they made little sense to me. Which made me think, what would a non British person make of these puns?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELooking around the carriage, a lot of my co-passengers were definitely not British. One could hear Brazilian, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic \u2026 the many tongues of our capital and beyond. Over our heads in that train carriage was an advert for the Jordan tourist board. \u2018Extra-Jordanary\u2019 it quipped.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe were surrounded by puns. But how many of us in modern day Britain actually get it? Are these self indulgent puns falling on deaf ears?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than likely. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk\/2013\/mar\/11\/immigrants-english-second-language\u0022\u003EThe amount of people in the UK who speak English as their second language is increasing year on year.\u003C\/a\u003E The last census indicated that 4.2 million don\u0027t have English as a first language, which is approximately 8% of the total population.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of them is my wife. She has been living and working in London for 14 years since her move from the continent. What does she make of our glorious British puns? \u201cI fail to see the humorous side\u201d she said.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIntrigued by her indifference to the pun, I put a few more puns from the media to some friends and colleagues who have also journeyed to our shores from a non-English speaking land.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI get some of them, but not all of them\u201d was often the response. There were plenty of smiles but also some rolling of eyes and blank expressions. Especially from Seat\u2019s advertising campaign who\u2019s headline quipped \u2018Enjoyneering\u2019. Punderwhelming to say the least.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPuns as a writing style for tabloids is one thing, but using them to sell cars is another. Tabloids seek to entertain and so do brands, but only to a point.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m guilty of the occasional pun in conversation, but I would like to ask my British creative peers, why is a pun so often the solution? A hell of a lot of money goes into branding, communication and marketing, so why are we risking its effectiveness for the sake of a witty one-liner?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my experience in the creative industries, the pun is often well received in a client meeting. Marketing executives see a pun in a headline and admire the play on words.\u00a0\u201cDo you see what we\u2019ve done there?\u201d the creative team prods, with a nudge and a wink. Nobody really likes to admit that they don\u2019t.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd before you know it, the pun is in print or pixels and about 8% of the target audience are probably non the wiser.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt doesn\u2019t have to be that way.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake the dubious, dog-eat-dog world of online advertising. Those little boxes that keep popping up in your Facebook feed that are no bigger than a stamp and no more than 15 words long. \u201cI thought this website was crazy, but what happened next changed everything\u2026\u201d dot dot dot. No puns to be seen here, just \u2018clickbait\u2019.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPay-per-click (PPC) advertising has no choice but to be effective to earn any money. More clicks = more dosh. The two basic criteria for a successful online PPC advert is a) be instantly understood and b) curious enough to get you to click through to the desired website.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne could say that this clickbait onslaught has been an exercise in creative writing - an alternative, understandable formula to the tired puns that are still peppering tabloids, TV screens and advertising billboards.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot that I\u2019m condoning the clickbait approach, far from it.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVisual puns - not text puns - can be extremely effective in creative communications. And they\u2019re often not even funny, which makes them even better. Take the non-profit\u00a0sector for example. There has been a steady, graphic barrage over the years of anti-smoking adverts which really hit home through devastating visual puns.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou may have seen some of them, they\u2019re hard to ignore.\u00a0In one recent anti-smoking campaign a cigarette burns in a smokers mouth with mutating, cancerous flesh bubbling from the tobacco. The message is simple, \u201cEvery 15 cigarettes you smoke cause a mutation that can become cancer\u201d.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELoud and clear, whatever your nationality.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeo Burnett, a colossus of the advertising industry once said \u201cMake it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019d like to add one more thing to this - make it understandable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-wysiwyg\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-1242\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg height=\u0022450\u0022 width=\u00221000\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-wysiwyg\u0022 data-delta=\u00221\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/styles\/embedded_in_wysiwyg\/public\/puns_2.jpg?itok=300Vhkse\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe all love a good pun don\u2019t we. Well one would think so, living in the UK where puns can be seen and heard every day. But are they falling on increasingly deaf ears? \nTo be a headline writer at the Sun newspaper is the \u2018pun-acle\u2019 of a tabloid writer\u2019s career. \u2018Elton takes David up the aisle\u2019, \u2018Sex tape Tulisa hasn\u2019t blown her job\u2019 and \u2018Super Caley go ballistic Celtic are atrocious\u2019 are just a few in a long line of front page power-puns from the recent past. Puns are the tabloids\u2019 daily meat and drink in their efforts to amuse the nation.\u00a0\nPuns go much further than the tabloids. They can be found in all forms of communication in the UK, be it advertising, entertainment or names for businesses. For example \u2018Curl Up And Dye\u2019 is the pun-tastic name of a mobile hairstylist. \u00a0\u2018Junk And Disorderly\u2019 was coined by a rubbish collection service in London.\u00a0\nEven that very un-British behaviour of protesting is not immune to a good pun or two. Allotment owners campaigning to save their Farm Terrace in Watford held aloft such banners as \u201cLettuce be!\u201d, \u201cGive peas a chance\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t lose the plot\u201d.\u00a0All this creative wit was on display outside the Royal Courts of Justice of all places. If a pun can\u2019t make the Establishment think again, nothing can.\nCreative writing has been a pastime of the British for many centuries.\u00a0\nWhile our continental cousins were pushing the boundaries of the visual arts (Michelangelo, Monet, Rembrandt, etc), we Brits were getting creative with words. From William Shakespeare to Robert Burns, we have been using the English language to prove our cerebral prowess.\nFast forward to today\u2019s post-Commonwealth world where according to the British Council, 25% of the world\u2019s population has an understanding of English. Most global industries use it as their common language for example, science, technology, travel, entertainment and sport. One begins to realise why us Brits are feeling pretty smug about our language\u2019s status.\nAnd what better way to display our command of this global phenomenon than by indulging ourselves in witty punning?\nOne morning while travelling on the London Underground, I was picking my way through pages of Metro newspaper puns.\u00a0Some of the headlines were so abstracted by punning, they made little sense to me. Which made me think, what would a non British person make of these puns?\nLooking around the carriage, a lot of my co-passengers were definitely not British. One could hear Brazilian, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic \u2026 the many tongues of our capital and beyond. Over our heads in that train carriage was an advert for the Jordan tourist board. \u2018Extra-Jordanary\u2019 it quipped.\u00a0\nWe were surrounded by puns. But how many of us in modern day Britain actually get it? Are these self indulgent puns falling on deaf ears?\u00a0\nMore than likely. The amount of people in the UK who speak English as their second language is increasing year on year. The last census indicated that 4.2 million don\u0027t have English as a first language, which is approximately 8% of the total population.\nOne of them is my wife. She has been living and working in London for 14 years since her move from the continent. What does she make of our glorious British puns? \u201cI fail to see the humorous side\u201d she said.\u00a0\nIntrigued by her indifference to the pun, I put a few more puns from the media to some friends and colleagues who have also journeyed to our shores from a non-English speaking land.\u00a0\n\u201cI get some of them, but not all of them\u201d was often the response. There were plenty of smiles but also some rolling of eyes and blank expressions. Especially from Seat\u2019s advertising campaign who\u2019s headline quipped \u2018Enjoyneering\u2019. Punderwhelming to say the least.\nPuns as a writing style for tabloids is one thing, but using them to sell cars is another. Tabloids seek to entertain and so do brands, but only to a point.\u00a0\nI\u2019m guilty of the occasional pun in conversation, but I would like to ask my British creative peers, why is a pun so often the solution? A hell of a lot of money goes into branding, communication and marketing, so why are we risking its effectiveness for the sake of a witty one-liner?\u00a0\nIn my experience in the creative industries, the pun is often well received in a client meeting. Marketing executives see a pun in a headline and admire the play on words.\u00a0\u201cDo you see what we\u2019ve done there?\u201d the creative team prods, with a nudge and a wink. Nobody really likes to admit that they don\u2019t.\u00a0\nAnd before you know it, the pun is in print or pixels and about 8% of the target audience are probably non the wiser.\u00a0\nIt doesn\u2019t have to be that way.\u00a0\nTake the dubious, dog-eat-dog world of online advertising. Those little boxes that keep popping up in your Facebook feed that are no bigger than a stamp and no more than 15 words long. \u201cI thought this website was crazy, but what happened next changed everything\u2026\u201d dot dot dot. No puns to be seen here, just \u2018clickbait\u2019.\u00a0\nPay-per-click (PPC) advertising has no choice but to be effective to earn any money. More clicks = more dosh. The two basic criteria for a successful online PPC advert is a) be instantly understood and b) curious enough to get you to click through to the desired website.\u00a0\nOne could say that this clickbait onslaught has been an exercise in creative writing - an alternative, understandable formula to the tired puns that are still peppering tabloids, TV screens and advertising billboards.\u00a0\nNot that I\u2019m condoning the clickbait approach, far from it.\u00a0\nVisual puns - not text puns - can be extremely effective in creative communications. And they\u2019re often not even funny, which makes them even better. Take the non-profit\u00a0sector for example. There has been a steady, graphic barrage over the years of anti-smoking adverts which really hit home through devastating visual puns.\u00a0\nYou may have seen some of them, they\u2019re hard to ignore.\u00a0In one recent anti-smoking campaign a cigarette burns in a smokers mouth with mutating, cancerous flesh bubbling from the tobacco. The message is simple, \u201cEvery 15 cigarettes you smoke cause a mutation that can become cancer\u201d.\u00a0\nLoud and clear, whatever your nationality.\nLeo Burnett, a colossus of the advertising industry once said \u201cMake it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read\u201d.\nI\u2019d like to add one more thing to this - make it understandable.\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n  ","summary":"We all love a good pun don\u2019t we. Well one would think so, living in the UK where puns can be seen and heard every day. But are they falling on increasingly deaf ears?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-11-11T12:54:38+0000","author":{"name":"Jim Campbell"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5564","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/should-designers-learn-code","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Should designers learn code?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EOur Head of Backend Development comments on the argument that\u0026#039;s been dividing the internet since the first webpage was created. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWeb development pioneer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/zeldman\/status\/4818978868?lang=en-gb\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJeffrey Zeldman said it\u003C\/a\u003E as far back as 2009 and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thoughtworks.com\/insights\/blog\/should-designers-code\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eblogs\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/web-design\/empower-designers-code-41619919\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ejournals\u003C\/a\u003E agree. Even the Director of Design at Government Digital Services says design \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/designnotes.blog.gov.uk\/2015\/06\/10\/should-i-learn-to-code\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudents should learn to code\u003C\/a\u003E. They believe that designers who can\u2019t code aren\u2019t real designers. At last week\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.apple.com\/apple-events\/june-2016\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EApple World Wide Developers Conference\u003C\/a\u003E keynote, Tim Cook went further and said that coding should be required in all schools.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut with the ongoing argument over whether or not designers should learn to code there\u2019s a far bigger debate being missed. Should developers learn to appreciate design?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink about the developers and programmers you know. You\u2019re probably picturing a geeky male who\u2019s a bit introverted and likes sci-fi. That\u2019s me. But I\u2019m more than that. I graduated from art school with a design degree. I\u2019m a designer who has chosen to be a developer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI believe that gives me a unique approach to development. I appreciate good design and my approach is to put design first. When budget doesn\u2019t allow the desired design to be realised, I have a better chance of suggesting possible alterations in keeping with the initial design vision. Of course, the final decision remains the designers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI grew up in a different era to developers these days. The World Wide Web didn\u2019t exist when I was at school and it wasn\u2019t until my second year at Art School that we had a computer lab with WWW access. There certainly weren\u2019t Computer Science degrees specialising in web development languages the way there is today. So I didn\u2019t learn web development, I learned design and along the way I taught myself development.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDon\u2019t get me wrong. I\u2019m not advocating that all developers do a four year design degree, but there are some fundamental things developers should understand. At the very least a developer should understand the principles of UX design. We should understand the visual hierarchy. We should understand why the designer has made the decisions she has. At a basic level this involves questions, communications and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome creative agencies separate designers and developers. That\u2019s not how we work at Good. The digital designers are involved in brand work, the designers sit next to the developers and the Front and back end developers sit next to each other. Communication flows freely and everyone can ask questions without the need for a meeting. The project team is a tight group with no hierarchy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this environment our development team is exposed to the design team. They are given the opportunity, and encouraged to learn and appreciate design decisions. And equally importantly the developers feedback to the designers on the complexities and challenges we face. Just as I hope that developers will learn to appreciate design, I want designers to learn to appreciate development, but that doesn\u2019t mean they have to learn to code! Instead we recruit people \u2013 both developers and designers \u2013 who are sympathetic to each other\u2019s disciplines. We have developers with an eye for design and we have designers who are curious about development. With that, the rest comes naturally.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nOur Head of Backend Development comments on the argument that\u0026#039;s been dividing the internet since the first webpage was created. \nWeb development pioneer Jeffrey Zeldman said it as far back as 2009 and blogs and journals agree. Even the Director of Design at Government Digital Services says design students should learn to code. They believe that designers who can\u2019t code aren\u2019t real designers. At last week\u2019s Apple World Wide Developers Conference keynote, Tim Cook went further and said that coding should be required in all schools.But with the ongoing argument over whether or not designers should learn to code there\u2019s a far bigger debate being missed. Should developers learn to appreciate design?Think about the developers and programmers you know. You\u2019re probably picturing a geeky male who\u2019s a bit introverted and likes sci-fi. That\u2019s me. But I\u2019m more than that. I graduated from art school with a design degree. I\u2019m a designer who has chosen to be a developer.I believe that gives me a unique approach to development. I appreciate good design and my approach is to put design first. When budget doesn\u2019t allow the desired design to be realised, I have a better chance of suggesting possible alterations in keeping with the initial design vision. Of course, the final decision remains the designers.I grew up in a different era to developers these days. The World Wide Web didn\u2019t exist when I was at school and it wasn\u2019t until my second year at Art School that we had a computer lab with WWW access. There certainly weren\u2019t Computer Science degrees specialising in web development languages the way there is today. So I didn\u2019t learn web development, I learned design and along the way I taught myself development.Don\u2019t get me wrong. I\u2019m not advocating that all developers do a four year design degree, but there are some fundamental things developers should understand. At the very least a developer should understand the principles of UX design. We should understand the visual hierarchy. We should understand why the designer has made the decisions she has. At a basic level this involves questions, communications and collaboration.Some creative agencies separate designers and developers. That\u2019s not how we work at Good. The digital designers are involved in brand work, the designers sit next to the developers and the Front and back end developers sit next to each other. Communication flows freely and everyone can ask questions without the need for a meeting. The project team is a tight group with no hierarchy.In this environment our development team is exposed to the design team. They are given the opportunity, and encouraged to learn and appreciate design decisions. And equally importantly the developers feedback to the designers on the complexities and challenges we face. Just as I hope that developers will learn to appreciate design, I want designers to learn to appreciate development, but that doesn\u2019t mean they have to learn to code! Instead we recruit people \u2013 both developers and designers \u2013 who are sympathetic to each other\u2019s disciplines. We have developers with an eye for design and we have designers who are curious about development. With that, the rest comes naturally.  ","summary":"Our Head of Backend Development comments on the argument that\u0027s been dividing the internet since the first webpage was created.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-09-22T10:49:00+0100","author":{"name":"Scott Graham"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5565","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/can-you-build-solid-website","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Can you build a \u2018solid\u2019 website?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat does solid mean in the virtual world of digital design? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA design agency is an interesting place to create websites and digital products. I write code while sitting next to people creating world-class physical objects from paper, ink, glass, wood and metal. All that tangible stuff provides both an inspiration and a challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecently, it\u2019s also got me thinking a lot about a deceptively simple word:\u00a0Solid.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Tamdhu in its natural environment\u0022 data-fid=\u00221195\u0022 data-media-element=\u00221\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/styles\/embedded_in_wysiwyg\/public\/tamdhu_bar_18_72dpi.jpg?itok=x7sfqOYN\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a bottle of Tamdhu single malt, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearegood.com\/work\/tamdhu\u0022\u003Edesigned by Good\u003C\/a\u003E, and it is solid in many ways. The weight and balance when you pour. The reassuring grip of the fluting as you hold it. The design history it embodies. It just feels solid in a very pleasant way. And with that feeling comes other things: A sense of identity and quality. A feeling of trust. Being able to evoke those things is the foundation of designing something really engaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd yet, describing a piece of web design as \u2018solid\u2019 might seem a bit underwhelming. After all, the web is a dynamic, fluid place of infinite possibilities, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EActually, I think that\u2019s exactly what it is. But physical or digital, those fundamental solid qualities apply equally. That\u2019s why making a website\u00a0feel solid\u00a0is as fundamentally important as when creating a bottle for premium whisky. It allows the site to resonate with us at a much deeper level than the mere mechanics of using it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo how do we evoke feelings of trust, identity and quality in a website we\u2019re designing?\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHumans experience things in a very particular way. Our perception of light, sound and motion. How our attention is gained and lost. It\u2019s all intimately connected to the rules of the physical world we evolved in.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe can label this group of people, or that generation, as being digital natives, but biology has made all of us physical natives first. A well-designed website should align with\u00a0our natural sense of what is solid and trustworthy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are two simple but powerful approaches to help achieve this:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. Build a set of simple and coherent rules\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch like the real world, a website has a set of rules governing how things appear, move and behave. Unlike the real world, these rules are more or less anything we can imagine.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rules can and should vary with the goals of each website. Mass-produced IKEA tumblers have their place as much as bespoke single malt bottles, after all. But to create that sense of something solid, these rules need a coherent idea or theme underpinning them. They need to make sense as a single, coherent system.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is why designing a website by throwing together graphical, animation and content styles from different places is often a recipe for disaster. We find it much harder to understand and predict what is going on as the rules change before us. We feel confused and our willingness to trust both the\u00a0website and our own intuition will disappear.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Make it bulletproof\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe central principle of Dan Cederholm\u2019s 2005 classic \u201cBulletproof Web Design\u201d is that a website should adapt elegantly, but robustly, to whatever content it has to display, under whatever circumstances a user views it. To be bulletproof. The web is a fundamentally dynamic medium, from how content is created and presented to how it is consumed by users on a myriad of different devices. So to make a website feel solid actually means making it flexible and able to adapt to any circumstance.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe opposite is something rigid and brittle, breaking whenever a rare set of ideal conditions aren\u2019t met. We\u2019ve all seen websites where components seem to be fighting each other for space or where text bursts out of buttons. Where the layout breaks because a picture is too big or a paragraph\u2019s word count isn\u2019t quite right. It inspires as much confidence as a cracked bottle.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ETrust is the killer feature\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe web continues to grow exponentially in many different directions. The capabilities a website can have today are much greater than what was possible even 2 or 3 years ago. But this growth hasn\u2019t all been beneficial to users. Fraud and identity theft techniques continue to grow in sophistication, and as users become aware of new dangers the web can present, they are rightly growing warier.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a website to have a long-term future, trust is perhaps the most valuable thing it can create in users. To do that it needs to perform the functions it claims to offer, but it also needs to do so\u00a0in ways that match our intuition and real-world instincts.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWebsites will continue to delight and amaze us for a long time to come, in new and surprising ways. But I think the most successful ones will always need a solid core to them, that we\u2019ll notice at a deep level and that invites our trust.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhat does solid mean in the virtual world of digital design? \nA design agency is an interesting place to create websites and digital products. I write code while sitting next to people creating world-class physical objects from paper, ink, glass, wood and metal. All that tangible stuff provides both an inspiration and a challenge.\nRecently, it\u2019s also got me thinking a lot about a deceptively simple word:\u00a0Solid.\n\nThis is a bottle of Tamdhu single malt, designed by Good, and it is solid in many ways. The weight and balance when you pour. The reassuring grip of the fluting as you hold it. The design history it embodies. It just feels solid in a very pleasant way. And with that feeling comes other things: A sense of identity and quality. A feeling of trust. Being able to evoke those things is the foundation of designing something really engaging.\nAnd yet, describing a piece of web design as \u2018solid\u2019 might seem a bit underwhelming. After all, the web is a dynamic, fluid place of infinite possibilities, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0\nActually, I think that\u2019s exactly what it is. But physical or digital, those fundamental solid qualities apply equally. That\u2019s why making a website\u00a0feel solid\u00a0is as fundamentally important as when creating a bottle for premium whisky. It allows the site to resonate with us at a much deeper level than the mere mechanics of using it.\nSo how do we evoke feelings of trust, identity and quality in a website we\u2019re designing?\u00a0\nHumans experience things in a very particular way. Our perception of light, sound and motion. How our attention is gained and lost. It\u2019s all intimately connected to the rules of the physical world we evolved in.\u00a0\nWe can label this group of people, or that generation, as being digital natives, but biology has made all of us physical natives first. A well-designed website should align with\u00a0our natural sense of what is solid and trustworthy.\nHere are two simple but powerful approaches to help achieve this:\n1. Build a set of simple and coherent rules\nMuch like the real world, a website has a set of rules governing how things appear, move and behave. Unlike the real world, these rules are more or less anything we can imagine.\nThe rules can and should vary with the goals of each website. Mass-produced IKEA tumblers have their place as much as bespoke single malt bottles, after all. But to create that sense of something solid, these rules need a coherent idea or theme underpinning them. They need to make sense as a single, coherent system.\u00a0\nThis is why designing a website by throwing together graphical, animation and content styles from different places is often a recipe for disaster. We find it much harder to understand and predict what is going on as the rules change before us. We feel confused and our willingness to trust both the\u00a0website and our own intuition will disappear.\n2. Make it bulletproof\nThe central principle of Dan Cederholm\u2019s 2005 classic \u201cBulletproof Web Design\u201d is that a website should adapt elegantly, but robustly, to whatever content it has to display, under whatever circumstances a user views it. To be bulletproof. The web is a fundamentally dynamic medium, from how content is created and presented to how it is consumed by users on a myriad of different devices. So to make a website feel solid actually means making it flexible and able to adapt to any circumstance.\nThe opposite is something rigid and brittle, breaking whenever a rare set of ideal conditions aren\u2019t met. We\u2019ve all seen websites where components seem to be fighting each other for space or where text bursts out of buttons. Where the layout breaks because a picture is too big or a paragraph\u2019s word count isn\u2019t quite right. It inspires as much confidence as a cracked bottle.\nTrust is the killer feature\nThe web continues to grow exponentially in many different directions. The capabilities a website can have today are much greater than what was possible even 2 or 3 years ago. But this growth hasn\u2019t all been beneficial to users. Fraud and identity theft techniques continue to grow in sophistication, and as users become aware of new dangers the web can present, they are rightly growing warier.\u00a0\nFor a website to have a long-term future, trust is perhaps the most valuable thing it can create in users. To do that it needs to perform the functions it claims to offer, but it also needs to do so\u00a0in ways that match our intuition and real-world instincts.\nWebsites will continue to delight and amaze us for a long time to come, in new and surprising ways. But I think the most successful ones will always need a solid core to them, that we\u2019ll notice at a deep level and that invites our trust.\n  ","summary":"What does solid mean in the virtual world of digital design?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-09-20T11:53:18+0100","author":{"name":"Jamie Boyd"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5567","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/emojis-logos-life","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Emojis - The Logos of Life","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s your favourite emoji? Cheeky monkey? Glass of wine?  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMine changes daily, but the smiley turd seems to sit on my \u2018most used\u2019 emoji list constantly.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe growing influence of emojis on our daily lives is a joy to behold. Since I bought my new iPhone, I\u2019ve become hooked on the little critters. According to\u00a0research from eMarketer, 6 billion emojis are sent every day on smartphone devices across the world. Life will never be the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat is it that makes them so damn fun?!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs folk we need to empathise when we talk to each other. But raw words, when used on their own without face-to-face interaction, don\u2019t enable us to fully express ourselves or understand the person behind the message.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELets face it, \u2018lol\u2019 and ;-) just don\u2019t cut it any more. If you\u2019re still using these, hang your head in shame. Lol.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmojis add emotion and fun to our electronic dialogue. As a graphic designer, it doesn\u2019t surprise me that little pictures, accompanied by text, work well.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd here\u2019s the rub.\u00a0Logos \u2013 there\u2019s loads of them. New ones, old ones, some as big as your high street. There\u2019s a good reason why some of the most successful brands have a little picture as part of their logo (a.k.a. \u2018icon\u2019 or \u2019symbol\u2019).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike a face to a name, pictures make information more memorable. Nike\u2019s swoosh, Starbucks mermaid, Apple\u2019s apple.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThink of those pictures. While you\u2019re thinking of them, you\u2019re probably receiving \u2018bonus\u2019 information to your brain. Things like what that company - via the combined text and picture - means to you. Feelings, memories and emotions are being unpacked from that little visual parcel.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEt voila! The information finds its way into your brain much better than plain old text. The picture acts like the information\u2019s passport to the long term recall part of your memory.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHave picture, can understand. Have picture, can remember.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother advantage to pictures is that they don\u0027t need translating. The Apple symbol has instant meaning, no matter where you are in the world, or what language you speak.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe recent proliferation of emojis have reminded me just how important pictures are to communication. The fun logos of life in the ultra-digital age.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven that we all love pictures so much, \u201cWhy the hell do so many businesses decide to have a logo without a picture?\u201d I hear you cry. In the graphic design trade we call these symbol-free logos \u2018wordmarks\u2019. There are plenty of examples out there.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn my experience, some businesses feel that one iconic symbol just doesn\u2019t represent their company accurately enough. Some believe that a wordmark on its own, designed in a really cool font, is strong enough.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course there is a bigger picture beyond the logo (e.g. colours, tone of voice, photography, etc) which all help to build a unique and memorable brand. Think of CocaCola and that scripty wordmark, the devotion to the colour red and that iconic bottle shape.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we\u2019ve had quite a few branding briefs where the elements beyond the logo are equally important, for example Scotch Whisky branding. Product branding and service branding are two very different beasts\u2026 a whole different subject best left for another day!\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn this multicolour, multilingual and multicultural world, its safe to say that picture-less communication is a bit dull. Sure, its much more challenging to create an iconic symbol for a business than it is to pick an emoji for that text about your big night out. But its well worth the effort, believe me.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a bit of fun, I\u2019ve taken some wordmark logos and added an emoji.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESee what I mean?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022media media-element-container media-wysiwyg\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\u0022file-1187\u0022 class=\u0022file file-image file-image-jpeg\u0022\u003E\n\n        \u003C\/h2\u003E\n    \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cimg height=\u0022333\u0022 width=\u0022740\u0022 class=\u0022media-element file-wysiwyg\u0022 typeof=\u0022Image\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/legacy-articles\/styles\/embedded_in_wysiwyg\/public\/emoji.jpg?itok=vQ25Prjs\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhat\u2019s your favourite emoji? Cheeky monkey? Glass of wine?  \nMine changes daily, but the smiley turd seems to sit on my \u2018most used\u2019 emoji list constantly.\nThe growing influence of emojis on our daily lives is a joy to behold. Since I bought my new iPhone, I\u2019ve become hooked on the little critters. According to\u00a0research from eMarketer, 6 billion emojis are sent every day on smartphone devices across the world. Life will never be the same.\nWhat is it that makes them so damn fun?!\nAs folk we need to empathise when we talk to each other. But raw words, when used on their own without face-to-face interaction, don\u2019t enable us to fully express ourselves or understand the person behind the message.\u00a0\nLets face it, \u2018lol\u2019 and ;-) just don\u2019t cut it any more. If you\u2019re still using these, hang your head in shame. Lol.\nEmojis add emotion and fun to our electronic dialogue. As a graphic designer, it doesn\u2019t surprise me that little pictures, accompanied by text, work well.\u00a0\nAnd here\u2019s the rub.\u00a0Logos \u2013 there\u2019s loads of them. New ones, old ones, some as big as your high street. There\u2019s a good reason why some of the most successful brands have a little picture as part of their logo (a.k.a. \u2018icon\u2019 or \u2019symbol\u2019).\nLike a face to a name, pictures make information more memorable. Nike\u2019s swoosh, Starbucks mermaid, Apple\u2019s apple.\u00a0\nThink of those pictures. While you\u2019re thinking of them, you\u2019re probably receiving \u2018bonus\u2019 information to your brain. Things like what that company - via the combined text and picture - means to you. Feelings, memories and emotions are being unpacked from that little visual parcel.\u00a0\nEt voila! The information finds its way into your brain much better than plain old text. The picture acts like the information\u2019s passport to the long term recall part of your memory.\nHave picture, can understand. Have picture, can remember.\u00a0\nAnother advantage to pictures is that they don\u0027t need translating. The Apple symbol has instant meaning, no matter where you are in the world, or what language you speak.\nThe recent proliferation of emojis have reminded me just how important pictures are to communication. The fun logos of life in the ultra-digital age.\nGiven that we all love pictures so much, \u201cWhy the hell do so many businesses decide to have a logo without a picture?\u201d I hear you cry. In the graphic design trade we call these symbol-free logos \u2018wordmarks\u2019. There are plenty of examples out there.\u00a0\nIn my experience, some businesses feel that one iconic symbol just doesn\u2019t represent their company accurately enough. Some believe that a wordmark on its own, designed in a really cool font, is strong enough.\u00a0\nOf course there is a bigger picture beyond the logo (e.g. colours, tone of voice, photography, etc) which all help to build a unique and memorable brand. Think of CocaCola and that scripty wordmark, the devotion to the colour red and that iconic bottle shape.\u00a0\nAt Good we\u2019ve had quite a few branding briefs where the elements beyond the logo are equally important, for example Scotch Whisky branding. Product branding and service branding are two very different beasts\u2026 a whole different subject best left for another day!\u00a0\nIn this multicolour, multilingual and multicultural world, its safe to say that picture-less communication is a bit dull. Sure, its much more challenging to create an iconic symbol for a business than it is to pick an emoji for that text about your big night out. But its well worth the effort, believe me.\nAs a bit of fun, I\u2019ve taken some wordmark logos and added an emoji.\nSee what I mean?\n\n\n        \n    \n  \n  \n    \n\n  \n\n\n  ","summary":"What\u2019s your favourite emoji? Cheeky monkey? Glass of wine? ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-09-07T12:49:53+0100","author":{"name":"Jim Campbell"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5568","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/craft-word","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"The \u0026#039;Craft\u0026#039; Word","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat do you think when you hear the word \u2018craft\u2019?  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor me, it\u2019s an image of the artisan maker; locked away in a workshop, hands red raw from an honest day\u2019s work, surrounded by their tools.\u00a0It\u2019s part daydream, part throw back to my previous work as a letterpress printer (the job that inspired me to become a designer in the first place).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut times change, and just as my job description has evolved, so has the meaning of the word \u2018craft\u2019. We live in a world where terms like \u201chand crafted\u201d and \u201cartisan\u201d have become so overused that they carry absolutely no guarantee of the authenticity or quality of the products they\u2019re used to describe.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe use of \u2018craft\u2019 as a descriptive term has become every designer\u2019s worst nightmare: \u003Cem\u003Ea trend\u003C\/em\u003E. The type of thing that keeps us up at night with the fear that maybe we \u003Cem\u003Eare\u003C\/em\u003E just moving things around on a page to make them look pretty after all.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis notion of craft and authenticity began to rise in popularity as the public responded to the financial meltdown of the late noughties. Consumers felt they couldn\u2019t trust slick corporate brands and instead longed for simpler, more authentic experiences and products on a local scale. Which was all well and good. For a while.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome fantastic design work has been created in the pursuit of communicating brands\u2019 authenticity and dedication to their products. But over time it feels like everyone\u2019s had a go and we\u2019ve seen some brands adopting the language of craft when they really had no business doing so.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the same way words like \u2018artisan\u2019 have come to lose most of their meaning, so too has the visual language of craft, carrying little to no connection to what it once stood for.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPrinting labels on off-white paper with some \u2018vintage\u2019 fonts and a couple of stamps is now as little an indication of authenticity. See also: Costa referring to its coffee as \u2018hand-crafted\u2019. Sure, it\u2019s been made \u003Cem\u003Eby hand \u003C\/em\u003Ebut only in the same way all coffee anywhere has been made by someone at some stage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis sleight-of-hand \u2013 taking advantage of something that it\u2019s true on a literal basis \u2013 also applies to using visual cues that suggest something is more crafted than it truly is. You\u2019re not \u003Cem\u003Etechnically \u003C\/em\u003Elying, but you\u2019re only telling a fraction of the whole story.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs far back as 2011 \u2013 ancient history by today\u2019s standards \u2013 fast food outlets were being criticised for labelling their pizza as \u2018artisan\u2019 or their burgers as \u2018farm-to-fork\u2019 (which conjures some uniquely horrific mental imagery all of its own).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe point is that the overuse of craft language \u2013 both verbal and visual \u2013 has led to consumers distrusting craft brands in exactly the same way they did those slick corporate identities. You can only pull the wool over someone\u2019s eyes for so long until they realise that your \u00a39.00 bottle of hand crafted beer tastes exactly the same (and indeed, is exactly the same) as the mass-produced one their friend bought for half the price.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe question you might be asking at this point is \u201cSo what\u2019s next? What\u2019s the next big movement for consumers to latch on to?\u201d But this is still missing the point.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are brands and products out there that are still genuinely hand crafted by people who can honestly call themselves experts \u2013 some of whom I\u2019ve had the pleasure of working with. It seems like a real shame to me that they should have to change who they are or how they present themselves just because everyone else tried to piggyback on their success.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut here\u2019s the thing: those brands probably won\u2019t change much at all. In my experience, they tend to see the value in being yourself and staying true to what you do and what you believe in.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompletely changing your brand or your identity just to chase design trends isn\u2019t just a complete waste of money, it\u2019s dooming yourself to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe key to breaking that cycle and creating design that lasts is to always consider one fundamental aspect of all great brands: honesty. Honesty more often than not leads to simplicity, and simplicity lies at the heart of 99% of all great design.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re not comfortable with the \u2018truth\u2019 of your brand \u2013 well, then there\u2019s a bigger issue at play \u2013 and any branding that aims to hide rather than handle this is creating even bigger problems for itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s a very famous Mark Twain quote that I\u2019ve heard mentioned in our studio on more than one occasion: \u201cIf you tell the truth, you\u2019ll never need to remember anything.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, if your design communicates the honest truth behind your brand, it\u2019s easy to know where you\u2019re going next. And you don\u2019t need to worry about how you\u2019ll look getting there.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWhat do you think when you hear the word \u2018craft\u2019?  \nFor me, it\u2019s an image of the artisan maker; locked away in a workshop, hands red raw from an honest day\u2019s work, surrounded by their tools.\u00a0It\u2019s part daydream, part throw back to my previous work as a letterpress printer (the job that inspired me to become a designer in the first place).\nBut times change, and just as my job description has evolved, so has the meaning of the word \u2018craft\u2019. We live in a world where terms like \u201chand crafted\u201d and \u201cartisan\u201d have become so overused that they carry absolutely no guarantee of the authenticity or quality of the products they\u2019re used to describe.\nThe use of \u2018craft\u2019 as a descriptive term has become every designer\u2019s worst nightmare: a trend. The type of thing that keeps us up at night with the fear that maybe we are just moving things around on a page to make them look pretty after all.\nThis notion of craft and authenticity began to rise in popularity as the public responded to the financial meltdown of the late noughties. Consumers felt they couldn\u2019t trust slick corporate brands and instead longed for simpler, more authentic experiences and products on a local scale. Which was all well and good. For a while.\nSome fantastic design work has been created in the pursuit of communicating brands\u2019 authenticity and dedication to their products. But over time it feels like everyone\u2019s had a go and we\u2019ve seen some brands adopting the language of craft when they really had no business doing so.\nIn the same way words like \u2018artisan\u2019 have come to lose most of their meaning, so too has the visual language of craft, carrying little to no connection to what it once stood for.\nPrinting labels on off-white paper with some \u2018vintage\u2019 fonts and a couple of stamps is now as little an indication of authenticity. See also: Costa referring to its coffee as \u2018hand-crafted\u2019. Sure, it\u2019s been made by hand but only in the same way all coffee anywhere has been made by someone at some stage.\nThis sleight-of-hand \u2013 taking advantage of something that it\u2019s true on a literal basis \u2013 also applies to using visual cues that suggest something is more crafted than it truly is. You\u2019re not technically lying, but you\u2019re only telling a fraction of the whole story.\nAs far back as 2011 \u2013 ancient history by today\u2019s standards \u2013 fast food outlets were being criticised for labelling their pizza as \u2018artisan\u2019 or their burgers as \u2018farm-to-fork\u2019 (which conjures some uniquely horrific mental imagery all of its own).\nThe point is that the overuse of craft language \u2013 both verbal and visual \u2013 has led to consumers distrusting craft brands in exactly the same way they did those slick corporate identities. You can only pull the wool over someone\u2019s eyes for so long until they realise that your \u00a39.00 bottle of hand crafted beer tastes exactly the same (and indeed, is exactly the same) as the mass-produced one their friend bought for half the price.\nThe question you might be asking at this point is \u201cSo what\u2019s next? What\u2019s the next big movement for consumers to latch on to?\u201d But this is still missing the point.\nThere are brands and products out there that are still genuinely hand crafted by people who can honestly call themselves experts \u2013 some of whom I\u2019ve had the pleasure of working with. It seems like a real shame to me that they should have to change who they are or how they present themselves just because everyone else tried to piggyback on their success.\nBut here\u2019s the thing: those brands probably won\u2019t change much at all. In my experience, they tend to see the value in being yourself and staying true to what you do and what you believe in.\nCompletely changing your brand or your identity just to chase design trends isn\u2019t just a complete waste of money, it\u2019s dooming yourself to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.\nThe key to breaking that cycle and creating design that lasts is to always consider one fundamental aspect of all great brands: honesty. Honesty more often than not leads to simplicity, and simplicity lies at the heart of 99% of all great design.\nIf you\u2019re not comfortable with the \u2018truth\u2019 of your brand \u2013 well, then there\u2019s a bigger issue at play \u2013 and any branding that aims to hide rather than handle this is creating even bigger problems for itself.\nThere\u2019s a very famous Mark Twain quote that I\u2019ve heard mentioned in our studio on more than one occasion: \u201cIf you tell the truth, you\u2019ll never need to remember anything.\u201d\nSimilarly, if your design communicates the honest truth behind your brand, it\u2019s easy to know where you\u2019re going next. And you don\u2019t need to worry about how you\u2019ll look getting there.\n  ","summary":"What do you think when you hear the word \u2018craft\u2019? ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-09-07T02:54:29+0100","author":{"name":"Mike Hunter"},"tags":["Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5570","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/good-foundations","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Good Foundations","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EGood, timeless brands, like great architecture, are built on solid foundations. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout brilliantly engineered foundations, designed to fulfil the vision of the building they\u2019ll\u00a0support, no matter how pretty it is, no matter the plaudits, if they\u2019ve not been designed to\u00a0deal with every eventuality imaginable for the life of the structure, it will fail.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s exactly the same in branding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe less than glamorous trudge of internal and external research, trend and market analysis,\u00a0workshops, interviews and all the rest of the planning team\u2019s remit are the concrete and\u00a0steel of a robust positioning and a well-defined brand.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat said, it never ceases to amaze me in presentations, how often this piece of solid gold is\u00a0undervalued and ignored in favour of the shiny creative concepts that follow. Data,\u00a0reasoning, analytics, structure, values and promise seldom lights the fire in the belly like the\u00a0graphic interpretation. Similarly, architects don\u2019t get much elation from their foundation\u00a0schematics and loading calculations, but the client knows that without them, his building will\u00a0collapse.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDone well, by experts that understand location, usage, materials, competitors and\u00a0conditions, now and in the future, good foundations don\u2019t limit, but facilitate creativity and\u00a0ensure longevity.\u00a0Just ask any great architect from the creator of the Colosseum to Frank\u00a0Lloyd Wright, Santiago Calatrava and Norman Foster.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood foundations facilitate timeless brilliance.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGlass curtain walls, stunning unsupported spans and luscious curves in materials you simply\u00a0cannot believe are possible. Light and space to bring wellbeing and productivity. Soaring\u00a0atriums, transparent lift shafts and floating, interlocking floor-plates to raise the heartbeat,\u00a0improve productivity and spark the memory. Whatever was envisioned in the brief is\u00a0facilitated by the integrity of the foundations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd so it is in great, classic branding.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur foundations, positioning and definition, are the underpinnings of great work. Referred to\u00a0at every step to validate decisions and deliver informed inspiration where needed. Design\u00a0language\u00a0from copy to typefaces, colours to photography, communication templates to\u00a0interior guidelines. Good Brand foundations inform the building blocks of the brand, the\u00a0materials, allowing flexibility whilst consistently delivering to brief and maximising creativity\u00a0to differentiate and connect with the audience.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout foundations in either branding or architecture, design decisions are subjective,\u00a0personal and ultimately flawed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe beautiful rests on the foundations of the necessary\u201d\u00a0Ralph Waldo Emmerson, Lecturer and Poet.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe added benefit of solid foundations in branding is the ability to stay focused on the vision. Informed conclusions and decisions can be made without the distraction of creative\u00a0pyrotechnics. It allows large stakeholder groups, prevalent in large corporate structures, to\u00a0act as a focused, decisive and effective entity, devoid of subjective banana skins, personal\u00a0preferences and box ticking conformity. This in turn, if you\u2019re working with a good\u00a0consultancy, delivers great work.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, the values and promises, derived from your foundations can as a reference\u00a0point and filter to ratify\u00a0every decision you make as a brand. From the language, interactions\u00a0and content of your digital strategy to your employment policy. Good foundations literally\u00a0are the unsung hero of successful brands. Without them, you\u2019re wasting your time, your\u00a0customers time and your hard earned cash.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most vital part of branding is usually the bit you pay the least attention to. Unseen and\u00a0sitting quietly but stoically behind the scenes, it can be a bit boring, a bit grey and doesn\u2019t\u00a0look up to much in isolation. However, combine it with insight-driven and informed building\u00a0blocks in an imaginative and flexible way, determined by your foundations and you can\u00a0create magic.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo remember:\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGet your foundations right and don\u2019t trust creative execution built on sand.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EUse the outcome of your foundations to drive every decision you make for your brand.\u00a0\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EGood foundations should last a lifetime and foster creativity not restrict it.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWithout a solid foundation, you\u2019ll have trouble creating anything of value.\u201d\u00a0Erika Oppenheimer, Life Coach.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDrawing my rant to a close with a forthright opinion, human beings are built on the\u00a0foundations of their upbringing and experiences \u2013 a post for another day \u2013 but I\u2019m convinced\u00a0it\u2019s this depth of character that instinctively draws us to buildings and brands with substance,\u00a0flair and integrity that echo our vision of self.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nGood, timeless brands, like great architecture, are built on solid foundations. \nWithout brilliantly engineered foundations, designed to fulfil the vision of the building they\u2019ll\u00a0support, no matter how pretty it is, no matter the plaudits, if they\u2019ve not been designed to\u00a0deal with every eventuality imaginable for the life of the structure, it will fail.\nIt\u2019s exactly the same in branding.\nThe less than glamorous trudge of internal and external research, trend and market analysis,\u00a0workshops, interviews and all the rest of the planning team\u2019s remit are the concrete and\u00a0steel of a robust positioning and a well-defined brand.\u00a0\nThat said, it never ceases to amaze me in presentations, how often this piece of solid gold is\u00a0undervalued and ignored in favour of the shiny creative concepts that follow. Data,\u00a0reasoning, analytics, structure, values and promise seldom lights the fire in the belly like the\u00a0graphic interpretation. Similarly, architects don\u2019t get much elation from their foundation\u00a0schematics and loading calculations, but the client knows that without them, his building will\u00a0collapse.\u00a0\nDone well, by experts that understand location, usage, materials, competitors and\u00a0conditions, now and in the future, good foundations don\u2019t limit, but facilitate creativity and\u00a0ensure longevity.\u00a0Just ask any great architect from the creator of the Colosseum to Frank\u00a0Lloyd Wright, Santiago Calatrava and Norman Foster.\u00a0\nGood foundations facilitate timeless brilliance.\nGlass curtain walls, stunning unsupported spans and luscious curves in materials you simply\u00a0cannot believe are possible. Light and space to bring wellbeing and productivity. Soaring\u00a0atriums, transparent lift shafts and floating, interlocking floor-plates to raise the heartbeat,\u00a0improve productivity and spark the memory. Whatever was envisioned in the brief is\u00a0facilitated by the integrity of the foundations.\nAnd so it is in great, classic branding.\u00a0\nOur foundations, positioning and definition, are the underpinnings of great work. Referred to\u00a0at every step to validate decisions and deliver informed inspiration where needed. Design\u00a0language\u00a0from copy to typefaces, colours to photography, communication templates to\u00a0interior guidelines. Good Brand foundations inform the building blocks of the brand, the\u00a0materials, allowing flexibility whilst consistently delivering to brief and maximising creativity\u00a0to differentiate and connect with the audience.\u00a0\nWithout foundations in either branding or architecture, design decisions are subjective,\u00a0personal and ultimately flawed.\n\u201cThe beautiful rests on the foundations of the necessary\u201d\u00a0Ralph Waldo Emmerson, Lecturer and Poet.\nThe added benefit of solid foundations in branding is the ability to stay focused on the vision. Informed conclusions and decisions can be made without the distraction of creative\u00a0pyrotechnics. It allows large stakeholder groups, prevalent in large corporate structures, to\u00a0act as a focused, decisive and effective entity, devoid of subjective banana skins, personal\u00a0preferences and box ticking conformity. This in turn, if you\u2019re working with a good\u00a0consultancy, delivers great work.\nNot only that, the values and promises, derived from your foundations can as a reference\u00a0point and filter to ratify\u00a0every decision you make as a brand. From the language, interactions\u00a0and content of your digital strategy to your employment policy. Good foundations literally\u00a0are the unsung hero of successful brands. Without them, you\u2019re wasting your time, your\u00a0customers time and your hard earned cash.\nThe most vital part of branding is usually the bit you pay the least attention to. Unseen and\u00a0sitting quietly but stoically behind the scenes, it can be a bit boring, a bit grey and doesn\u2019t\u00a0look up to much in isolation. However, combine it with insight-driven and informed building\u00a0blocks in an imaginative and flexible way, determined by your foundations and you can\u00a0create magic.\nSo remember:\u00a0\nGet your foundations right and don\u2019t trust creative execution built on sand.\u00a0\nUse the outcome of your foundations to drive every decision you make for your brand.\u00a0\nGood foundations should last a lifetime and foster creativity not restrict it.\n\u201cWithout a solid foundation, you\u2019ll have trouble creating anything of value.\u201d\u00a0Erika Oppenheimer, Life Coach.\nDrawing my rant to a close with a forthright opinion, human beings are built on the\u00a0foundations of their upbringing and experiences \u2013 a post for another day \u2013 but I\u2019m convinced\u00a0it\u2019s this depth of character that instinctively draws us to buildings and brands with substance,\u00a0flair and integrity that echo our vision of self.\n  ","summary":"Good, timeless brands, like great architecture, are built on solid foundations.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-08-16T11:05:48+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Foundations"]},{"id":"5572","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/you-need-invest-building-brand-value","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"You need to invest in  building brand value","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EHow would you like your company to outperform the FTSE by 200 percent over the next decade? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBranding is the most powerful asset any company can have. But most of the time, it\u2019s also the area that gets the least investment. And yet study after study shows that investing in brand = better returns for the business.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe have known this for years. Back in 2003, The DTI Innovation Report tracked a group of companies identified as effective users of design \u2013 Boots, BA, Easyjet, Tesco, Unilever and more, over a decade. The study showed they outperformed the FTSE 100 by 200% over that time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven this, the neglect of brand is frankly, a staggering oversight by many business owners who lump \u2018off the books\u2019 branding in with the \u2018fluffy\u2019 stuff managed by their marketing team.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course this isn\u2019t the case with everyone. There are visionary companies that invest heavily in design and branding as an integral part of their plans to build shareholder value \u2013 but they\u2019re not the norm.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Interbrand\u2019s 2013 \u2018Best Global Brands\u2019 Report, they measured how much of a company\u2019s value could be attributed to brand.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey estimated that in B2B companies such as GE and Caterpillar, brand value could be worth 10% - 25% of their overall value.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn companies such as Google, Nike and Disney, this rose to between 40% - 50%, and in the likes of Jack Daniels, Burberry and Coke this rose to over 60% of the overall value of the company.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf we look at the sale of Linkedin \u2013 a company not yet making a profit \u2013 to Microsoft for $26 billion, it\u2019s safe to assume the value of the brand in the transaction was at the very least \u00a32.6 billion and possibly was more likely to be in the region of $13 billion. Not a bad considering the brand is only 14 years old.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo it\u2019s time to change this thinking and get brand and branding due prominence in the forum it deserves - the boardroom.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDavid Akker, VP of Prophet and a globally respected voice on the measurement of brand value said, \u201cWhen competition is driven by price rather than brand, brands start resembling commodities, and firms begin to treat them as such. Profits erode.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand value and shareholder value are now inextricably linked. If you claim to be a brand, you need to invest in building that value in your staff and your customers.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mistake so many make is seeing branding as a cost. A logo on their letterheads or on the top of a website; expensive and unused brochures and branded merchandise.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe smart money on the other hand, sees brand as a guiding light; an organising thought for their business. As something that can manifest in every facet of their people, product, service and communications and is continually and selfishly invested in to evolve, engage and grow.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGreat branding that has been created on robust and inspirational foundations can even inform your employment policies and help manage your internal comms and PR nightmares. It can drive your mergers and acquisitions strategy; segment your data, curate content and humanise the 404 error message on your website.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYour brand is what you stand for, everything you are, everything you do and everything you\u2019ll be. And moreover, for those who understand this\u00a0and invest accordingly, brand pays off big time.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nHow would you like your company to outperform the FTSE by 200 percent over the next decade? \nBranding is the most powerful asset any company can have. But most of the time, it\u2019s also the area that gets the least investment. And yet study after study shows that investing in brand = better returns for the business.\nWe have known this for years. Back in 2003, The DTI Innovation Report tracked a group of companies identified as effective users of design \u2013 Boots, BA, Easyjet, Tesco, Unilever and more, over a decade. The study showed they outperformed the FTSE 100 by 200% over that time.\nGiven this, the neglect of brand is frankly, a staggering oversight by many business owners who lump \u2018off the books\u2019 branding in with the \u2018fluffy\u2019 stuff managed by their marketing team.\nOf course this isn\u2019t the case with everyone. There are visionary companies that invest heavily in design and branding as an integral part of their plans to build shareholder value \u2013 but they\u2019re not the norm.\nIn Interbrand\u2019s 2013 \u2018Best Global Brands\u2019 Report, they measured how much of a company\u2019s value could be attributed to brand.\nThey estimated that in B2B companies such as GE and Caterpillar, brand value could be worth 10% - 25% of their overall value.\nIn companies such as Google, Nike and Disney, this rose to between 40% - 50%, and in the likes of Jack Daniels, Burberry and Coke this rose to over 60% of the overall value of the company.\nIf we look at the sale of Linkedin \u2013 a company not yet making a profit \u2013 to Microsoft for $26 billion, it\u2019s safe to assume the value of the brand in the transaction was at the very least \u00a32.6 billion and possibly was more likely to be in the region of $13 billion. Not a bad considering the brand is only 14 years old.\u00a0\nSo it\u2019s time to change this thinking and get brand and branding due prominence in the forum it deserves - the boardroom.\nDavid Akker, VP of Prophet and a globally respected voice on the measurement of brand value said, \u201cWhen competition is driven by price rather than brand, brands start resembling commodities, and firms begin to treat them as such. Profits erode.\u201d\nBrand value and shareholder value are now inextricably linked. If you claim to be a brand, you need to invest in building that value in your staff and your customers.\u00a0\nThe mistake so many make is seeing branding as a cost. A logo on their letterheads or on the top of a website; expensive and unused brochures and branded merchandise.\nThe smart money on the other hand, sees brand as a guiding light; an organising thought for their business. As something that can manifest in every facet of their people, product, service and communications and is continually and selfishly invested in to evolve, engage and grow.\nGreat branding that has been created on robust and inspirational foundations can even inform your employment policies and help manage your internal comms and PR nightmares. It can drive your mergers and acquisitions strategy; segment your data, curate content and humanise the 404 error message on your website.\u00a0\nYour brand is what you stand for, everything you are, everything you do and everything you\u2019ll be. And moreover, for those who understand this\u00a0and invest accordingly, brand pays off big time.\n  ","summary":"How would you like your company to outperform the FTSE by 200 percent over the next decade?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-07-28T15:10:57+0100","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5578","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/what-brand-architecture-and-how-should-b2b-company-structure-it","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What Is Brand Architecture and How Should a B2B Company Structure It?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand architecture is the system that defines how a company\u0026#039;s master brand, sub-brands, products, and services relate to one another. It determines whether customers understand what belongs to you, what each offer does, and how your portfolio fits together. For most B2B companies, the right brand architecture is simpler than they think, and the answer is almost always to consolidate around the parent brand rather than create more sub-brands. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cem node=\u0022[object Object]\u0022\u003EUpdated April 2026. Originally published June 2016\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat might sound counterintuitive. But after twenty years of working with B2B businesses on brand architecture, we\u0027ve seen the same pattern repeat: companies don\u0027t choose their architecture. It happens to them \u2014 through acquisitions, uncontrolled product development, and the natural human desire to create something new and shiny. By the time they call us, the result is confusion: for customers, for sales teams, and for the business itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy do most B2B companies get brand architecture wrong?\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem usually starts with admiration for B2C. The standalone and endorsed brand structures of companies like Unilever and Virgin are seductive. Multiple distinct brands, each with their own identity and personality, it looks like the sophisticated thing to do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut those structures exist because B2C companies serve millions of consumers across many categories. The budgets required to build and maintain awareness for each brand in the stable are enormous. B2B companies typically have customer bases in the hundreds or thousands, operating in focused categories. The economics don\u0027t support multiple brands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat happens instead is that B2B companies create \u0022sub-brands\u0022 for what are really just products. A new product launches, someone designs a logo and a colour palette, and suddenly it\u0027s treated as a brand. Multiply this across a few years of product development and a couple of acquisitions, and you end up with a portfolio that confuses everyone. Customers, most of all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EThe four main brand architecture models\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are four common approaches to brand architecture:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBranded house (corporate brand):\u003C\/strong\u003E Everything sits under one master brand. Products are described, not separately branded. (Example: Google - Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Cloud)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E**House of brands:\u003C\/strong\u003E Each product or business unit has its own independent brand. (Example: Procter \u0026amp; Gamble - Tide, Gillette, Pampers)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEndorsed brands:\u003C\/strong\u003E Sub-brands carry their own identity but are visibly linked to the parent. (Example: Marriott - Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHybrid:\u003C\/strong\u003E A mix of the above, usually the result of M\u0026amp;A or incremental decisions rather than deliberate strategy.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor B2B, the branded house (corporate brand) model is almost always the most appropriate. Here\u0027s why.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy the corporate brand structure works best for B2B\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThree reasons:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe equity lives in the parent brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E When we talk to B2B customers, they consistently tell us the same thing: they\u0027re buying from the company, not the sub-brand. They often can\u0027t recall the sub-brand name at all \u2014 it becomes a description of the product. The trust, reputation, and recognition sit with the corporate brand.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESub-brands in B2B are products, not brands.\u003C\/strong\u003E A real brand transcends its functional role \u2014 it embodies mission, vision, and values, and builds associations in customers\u0027 minds over time. That takes significant, sustained investment. If you\u0027re not going to invest at that level, what you have is a product with a logo, not a brand.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe cost of maintaining multiple brands is prohibitive.\u003C\/strong\u003E Each brand needs its own website presence, marketing materials, social channels, event presence, and people to manage it. These costs are incremental to the parent brand costs. For B2B companies with focused audiences, it\u0027s a cost that almost never pays back.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat to do instead of creating sub-brands\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce you accept that most sub-brands are products, the path forward is clear:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConsolidate under the parent brand.\u003C\/strong\u003E Tie everything back to the corporate brand and let it carry the equity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreate a sensible product naming structure.\u003C\/strong\u003E Use either descriptive names (what it does) or alphanumeric codes (model numbers) that complement the parent brand rather than competing with it.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEvolve the parent brand, don\u0027t reinvent it.\u003C\/strong\u003E Much of the work we do isn\u0027t radical change \u2014 it\u0027s evolving the parent brand to be fit for purpose today while respecting its heritage and equity.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis isn\u0027t about stripping creativity from the business. It\u0027s about directing that creative energy into building one strong brand rather than fragmenting it across many weak ones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ESigns your brand architecture needs restructuring\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf any of these sound familiar, it\u0027s time to review:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Customers are confused about what you sell and how products relate to each other\u003Cbr\u003E- Sales teams spend time explaining the portfolio rather than selling\u003Cbr\u003E- You\u0027ve accumulated sub-brands through acquisition or product development without a deliberate strategy\u003Cbr\u003E- Different parts of the business tell different stories about who you are\u003Cbr\u003E- You\u0027re running out of names, colours, and icons for new products (yes, this is a real thing)\u003Cbr\u003E- Marketing spend is fragmented across multiple brands with no clear return\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EKey takeaways\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E- Brand architecture is how your brands, products, and services relate to one another \u2014 it should reduce confusion, not create it.\u003Cbr\u003E- Most B2B companies don\u0027t deliberately choose their architecture. It accumulates through M\u0026amp;A and product development.\u003Cbr\u003E- The branded house (corporate brand) model is usually the best fit for B2B because the equity lives in the parent brand, and the economics don\u0027t support multiple standalone brands.\u003Cbr\u003E- Sub-brands in B2B are almost always products pretending to be brands. Call them what they are and structure them accordingly.\u003Cbr\u003E- The answer is nearly always simplification: consolidate under the parent brand with descriptive or alphanumeric product naming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027re untangling a brand architecture question - or trying to stop it getting more tangled - \u003Ca href=\u0022\/brand-architecture-naming\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00228bd1b5c2-78b7-4066-a68d-6bb500b118c7\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022 title=\u0022Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming\u0022\u003Ethat\u0027s exactly what we do\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nBrand architecture is the system that defines how a company\u0026#039;s master brand, sub-brands, products, and services relate to one another. It determines whether customers understand what belongs to you, what each offer does, and how your portfolio fits together. For most B2B companies, the right brand architecture is simpler than they think, and the answer is almost always to consolidate around the parent brand rather than create more sub-brands. \nUpdated April 2026. Originally published June 2016That might sound counterintuitive. But after twenty years of working with B2B businesses on brand architecture, we\u0027ve seen the same pattern repeat: companies don\u0027t choose their architecture. It happens to them \u2014 through acquisitions, uncontrolled product development, and the natural human desire to create something new and shiny. By the time they call us, the result is confusion: for customers, for sales teams, and for the business itself.Why do most B2B companies get brand architecture wrong?The problem usually starts with admiration for B2C. The standalone and endorsed brand structures of companies like Unilever and Virgin are seductive. Multiple distinct brands, each with their own identity and personality, it looks like the sophisticated thing to do.But those structures exist because B2C companies serve millions of consumers across many categories. The budgets required to build and maintain awareness for each brand in the stable are enormous. B2B companies typically have customer bases in the hundreds or thousands, operating in focused categories. The economics don\u0027t support multiple brands.What happens instead is that B2B companies create \u0022sub-brands\u0022 for what are really just products. A new product launches, someone designs a logo and a colour palette, and suddenly it\u0027s treated as a brand. Multiply this across a few years of product development and a couple of acquisitions, and you end up with a portfolio that confuses everyone. Customers, most of all.The four main brand architecture modelsThere are four common approaches to brand architecture:Branded house (corporate brand): Everything sits under one master brand. Products are described, not separately branded. (Example: Google - Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Cloud)**House of brands: Each product or business unit has its own independent brand. (Example: Procter \u0026amp; Gamble - Tide, Gillette, Pampers)Endorsed brands: Sub-brands carry their own identity but are visibly linked to the parent. (Example: Marriott - Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott)Hybrid: A mix of the above, usually the result of M\u0026amp;A or incremental decisions rather than deliberate strategy.For B2B, the branded house (corporate brand) model is almost always the most appropriate. Here\u0027s why.Why the corporate brand structure works best for B2BThree reasons:The equity lives in the parent brand. When we talk to B2B customers, they consistently tell us the same thing: they\u0027re buying from the company, not the sub-brand. They often can\u0027t recall the sub-brand name at all \u2014 it becomes a description of the product. The trust, reputation, and recognition sit with the corporate brand.Sub-brands in B2B are products, not brands. A real brand transcends its functional role \u2014 it embodies mission, vision, and values, and builds associations in customers\u0027 minds over time. That takes significant, sustained investment. If you\u0027re not going to invest at that level, what you have is a product with a logo, not a brand.The cost of maintaining multiple brands is prohibitive. Each brand needs its own website presence, marketing materials, social channels, event presence, and people to manage it. These costs are incremental to the parent brand costs. For B2B companies with focused audiences, it\u0027s a cost that almost never pays back.What to do instead of creating sub-brandsOnce you accept that most sub-brands are products, the path forward is clear:Consolidate under the parent brand. Tie everything back to the corporate brand and let it carry the equity.Create a sensible product naming structure. Use either descriptive names (what it does) or alphanumeric codes (model numbers) that complement the parent brand rather than competing with it.Evolve the parent brand, don\u0027t reinvent it. Much of the work we do isn\u0027t radical change \u2014 it\u0027s evolving the parent brand to be fit for purpose today while respecting its heritage and equity.This isn\u0027t about stripping creativity from the business. It\u0027s about directing that creative energy into building one strong brand rather than fragmenting it across many weak ones.Signs your brand architecture needs restructuringIf any of these sound familiar, it\u0027s time to review:- Customers are confused about what you sell and how products relate to each other- Sales teams spend time explaining the portfolio rather than selling- You\u0027ve accumulated sub-brands through acquisition or product development without a deliberate strategy- Different parts of the business tell different stories about who you are- You\u0027re running out of names, colours, and icons for new products (yes, this is a real thing)- Marketing spend is fragmented across multiple brands with no clear returnKey takeaways- Brand architecture is how your brands, products, and services relate to one another \u2014 it should reduce confusion, not create it.- Most B2B companies don\u0027t deliberately choose their architecture. It accumulates through M\u0026amp;A and product development.- The branded house (corporate brand) model is usually the best fit for B2B because the equity lives in the parent brand, and the economics don\u0027t support multiple standalone brands.- Sub-brands in B2B are almost always products pretending to be brands. Call them what they are and structure them accordingly.- The answer is nearly always simplification: consolidate under the parent brand with descriptive or alphanumeric product naming.If you\u0027re untangling a brand architecture question - or trying to stop it getting more tangled - that\u0027s exactly what we do.  ","summary":"Brand architecture is the system that defines how a company\u0027s master brand, sub-brands, products, and services relate to one another. It determines whether customers understand what belongs to you, what each offer does, and how your portfolio fits together. For most B2B companies, the right brand architecture is simpler than they think, and the answer is almost always to consolidate around the parent brand rather than create more sub-brands.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-06-16T16:46:15+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5581","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/whats-difference-between-logo-and-brand","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"What\u2019s the difference between a Logo and a Brand?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Tokyo Olympics identity system has re-raised the age old question. What is a logo and what is a brand? \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe had this discussion in the office recently. It was prompted by a blog post around the farce that is the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2015\/10\/21\/tokyo-2020-olympics-public-competition-replacement-logo-kenjiro-sano\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETokyo Olympics identity system\u003C\/a\u003E. (It\u2019s been turned into a public design competition, which essentially devalues the role of professional design).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe post pointed to some of the triumphs of historical Olympic identities: Mexico, Munich and London and the sheer depth of consideration given to them as design systems. This was in stark contrast to something dreamed up by a man on the street as a \u2018logo\u2019\u0026nbsp;for the coming Olympics in Japan. In our discussions, and referring to Mexico, Munich and London, someone said \u2018That\u2019s what makes them such good brands\u2019\u0026nbsp;which is where the whole debate started. You see, I\u2019d argue that they\u2019re not brands, but that they\u2019re identity systems. I\u2019d further argue that the Olympics is the brand, not the host city, but that\u2019s a different discussion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrand has become such an overused word that it\u2019s gradually ceased to carry any real meaning. Clients often come to us talking about their brands \u2013 and we understand that they\u2019re referring to their products and services. However, I think it\u2019s worth arguing that in very few cases are they true brands. Most often they are just graphic identity systems. It\u2019s a distinction that we don\u2019t point out to many clients, but it\u2019s worth making from a purist\u2019s point of view.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, although one function of brand is to identify one product or service from another, I think it\u2019s got to do more than that to be a successful brand \u2013 it\u2019s got to mean something. It\u2019s got to elicit feelings and emotions beyond the simple function of the product or service. I believe that\u2019s the case whether there\u2019s a brilliant design system behind it or not. So, in this sense it\u2019s entirely possible to have a great brand that\u2019s been poorly executed in design terms and vice-versa. There are lots around \u2013 just watch any ad break on commercial TV and you\u2019re blinded by them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere at Good we believe brand is a vital asset for any business. It\u2019s a shortcut to the essence of a business. It represents the values and guides the company in the way it acts and faces out. Whether that be to customers, staff or shareholders. However, some of this stuff can be seen as a bit abstract or a little bit fluffy. That\u2019s where the logo comes in. The logo is a graphic representation of a brand and it should be simple and easily understood in any media. It should clearly stand out on a giant poster on the roadside, as well as on a 4-inch screen in the palm of your hand. So, in this sense you can see that a logo is built as a design system to represent a business.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, the difference between logos and brands is important. Especially when it comes to stating clearly what it is we do, and how that links to taking on new projects. Brand leads, design follows. It\u2019s as simple as that. The brand thinking sets the foundations upon which the brilliantly executed and crafted design sits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good we\u2019re passionate about providing these brand solutions. And when we work with clients who are willing to go on that brand journey with us, we tend to create our best and most effective work.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nThe Tokyo Olympics identity system has re-raised the age old question. What is a logo and what is a brand? \nWe had this discussion in the office recently. It was prompted by a blog post around the farce that is the\u0026nbsp;Tokyo Olympics identity system. (It\u2019s been turned into a public design competition, which essentially devalues the role of professional design).The post pointed to some of the triumphs of historical Olympic identities: Mexico, Munich and London and the sheer depth of consideration given to them as design systems. This was in stark contrast to something dreamed up by a man on the street as a \u2018logo\u2019\u0026nbsp;for the coming Olympics in Japan. In our discussions, and referring to Mexico, Munich and London, someone said \u2018That\u2019s what makes them such good brands\u2019\u0026nbsp;which is where the whole debate started. You see, I\u2019d argue that they\u2019re not brands, but that they\u2019re identity systems. I\u2019d further argue that the Olympics is the brand, not the host city, but that\u2019s a different discussion.Brand has become such an overused word that it\u2019s gradually ceased to carry any real meaning. Clients often come to us talking about their brands \u2013 and we understand that they\u2019re referring to their products and services. However, I think it\u2019s worth arguing that in very few cases are they true brands. Most often they are just graphic identity systems. It\u2019s a distinction that we don\u2019t point out to many clients, but it\u2019s worth making from a purist\u2019s point of view.So, although one function of brand is to identify one product or service from another, I think it\u2019s got to do more than that to be a successful brand \u2013 it\u2019s got to mean something. It\u2019s got to elicit feelings and emotions beyond the simple function of the product or service. I believe that\u2019s the case whether there\u2019s a brilliant design system behind it or not. So, in this sense it\u2019s entirely possible to have a great brand that\u2019s been poorly executed in design terms and vice-versa. There are lots around \u2013 just watch any ad break on commercial TV and you\u2019re blinded by them.Here at Good we believe brand is a vital asset for any business. It\u2019s a shortcut to the essence of a business. It represents the values and guides the company in the way it acts and faces out. Whether that be to customers, staff or shareholders. However, some of this stuff can be seen as a bit abstract or a little bit fluffy. That\u2019s where the logo comes in. The logo is a graphic representation of a brand and it should be simple and easily understood in any media. It should clearly stand out on a giant poster on the roadside, as well as on a 4-inch screen in the palm of your hand. So, in this sense you can see that a logo is built as a design system to represent a business.So, the difference between logos and brands is important. Especially when it comes to stating clearly what it is we do, and how that links to taking on new projects. Brand leads, design follows. It\u2019s as simple as that. The brand thinking sets the foundations upon which the brilliantly executed and crafted design sits.\u0026nbsp;At Good we\u2019re passionate about providing these brand solutions. And when we work with clients who are willing to go on that brand journey with us, we tend to create our best and most effective work.  ","summary":"The Tokyo Olympics identity system has re-raised the age old question. What is a logo and what is a brand?","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2016-02-03T13:43:47+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5594","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/why-luxury-branding-should-just-be-branding","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Why Luxury Branding Should Just Be Branding","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s funny the way certain themes and strands emerge in the marketing world.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne that\u2019s been building a head of steam over the past few years is luxury which, as a sector (if we can call it that), has been fuelled partly by the \u2018greedy bankers\u2019 and \u2018emerging global economies\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s fascinating and infuriating in equal measure, is the way marketers attempt to separate luxury into an impenetrable secret club that only those equipped with special knowledge and understanding may enter.\u0026nbsp; Indeed, we often receive briefs with requests that \u2018the agency demonstrate their luxury credentials\u2019 and \u2018show us how you understand the mindset of our high net worth individual consumer base\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe major issue with luxury, of course, is that it\u2019s an abstract and subjective concept. In consumer terms, I guess you could loosely define \u2018luxury\u2019 as any purchase that lies beyond functional need. A Rolls Royce does the same functional thing as a Ford KA. A Rolex does the same thing as a Swatch etc. These are the obvious and extreme examples. But what about others? Ice Cream? Full-Fat Coke? A chocolate biscuit? Are they not sometimes elevated to luxuries in our everyday lives? And does that mean that Wall\u2019s, Coca-Cola and McVities are sometimes luxury brands? What about time itself? Surely it\u2019s the ultimate indulgence. It can all get a bit messy and shows that, as a consumer, there isn\u2019t a fixed line you cross into luxury.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Good, we do sometimes marvel at the unnecessary over complication of luxury as a concept. One quick look at high-end luxury brands tells you all you really need to know. Here\u2019s the checklist:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate an iconic mark or logo.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESet everything out of black.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAdd a simple typeface.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMix with a heavily retouched product shot.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFinish with a short, sharp emotive strapline.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s your luxury branding right there. That\u2019ll be \u00a3150K, please! I\u2019m joking of course but the serious point is that if there really was a specialist skill required for luxury branding, would the opposite also not be true? That you need to have a specialism in order to tackle commodity products too? (Surprisingly we\u2019ve never been asked!).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENowadays the role of brand is really important. In a world with thousands of SKUs, brand is the only differentiator: whether you\u2019re a high-end spirits product or a low-end soft drink. It matters a lot. But, please let\u2019s not pretend that luxury branding is somehow more complex, challenging or esoteric than any other type of branding. It just has a slightly different set of rules that any professional branding consultancy worth its salt understands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo let\u2019s leave it at this, shall we? It\u2019s the principles of branding and good design that matter here, not trying to prove that one product or service is more luxurious than the next and therefore deserving of specialist knowledge.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd, at the risk of coming across horribly pragmatic, every brand is made up of the same building blocks. Once you\u2019re clear of your foundations and essence, then it\u2019s down to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIdentity\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EColours\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EImagery\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ETone of voice\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether you\u2019re a Swiss Watch or a Swiss Roll.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \nIt\u2019s funny the way certain themes and strands emerge in the marketing world.  \nOne that\u2019s been building a head of steam over the past few years is luxury which, as a sector (if we can call it that), has been fuelled partly by the \u2018greedy bankers\u2019 and \u2018emerging global economies\u2019.What\u2019s fascinating and infuriating in equal measure, is the way marketers attempt to separate luxury into an impenetrable secret club that only those equipped with special knowledge and understanding may enter.\u0026nbsp; Indeed, we often receive briefs with requests that \u2018the agency demonstrate their luxury credentials\u2019 and \u2018show us how you understand the mindset of our high net worth individual consumer base\u2019.The major issue with luxury, of course, is that it\u2019s an abstract and subjective concept. In consumer terms, I guess you could loosely define \u2018luxury\u2019 as any purchase that lies beyond functional need. A Rolls Royce does the same functional thing as a Ford KA. A Rolex does the same thing as a Swatch etc. These are the obvious and extreme examples. But what about others? Ice Cream? Full-Fat Coke? A chocolate biscuit? Are they not sometimes elevated to luxuries in our everyday lives? And does that mean that Wall\u2019s, Coca-Cola and McVities are sometimes luxury brands? What about time itself? Surely it\u2019s the ultimate indulgence. It can all get a bit messy and shows that, as a consumer, there isn\u2019t a fixed line you cross into luxury.At Good, we do sometimes marvel at the unnecessary over complication of luxury as a concept. One quick look at high-end luxury brands tells you all you really need to know. Here\u2019s the checklist:Create an iconic mark or logo.Set everything out of black.Add a simple typeface.Mix with a heavily retouched product shot.Finish with a short, sharp emotive strapline.That\u2019s your luxury branding right there. That\u2019ll be \u00a3150K, please! I\u2019m joking of course but the serious point is that if there really was a specialist skill required for luxury branding, would the opposite also not be true? That you need to have a specialism in order to tackle commodity products too? (Surprisingly we\u2019ve never been asked!).Nowadays the role of brand is really important. In a world with thousands of SKUs, brand is the only differentiator: whether you\u2019re a high-end spirits product or a low-end soft drink. It matters a lot. But, please let\u2019s not pretend that luxury branding is somehow more complex, challenging or esoteric than any other type of branding. It just has a slightly different set of rules that any professional branding consultancy worth its salt understands.So let\u2019s leave it at this, shall we? It\u2019s the principles of branding and good design that matter here, not trying to prove that one product or service is more luxurious than the next and therefore deserving of specialist knowledge.\u0026nbsp;And, at the risk of coming across horribly pragmatic, every brand is made up of the same building blocks. Once you\u2019re clear of your foundations and essence, then it\u2019s down to:IdentityColoursImageryTone of voiceWhether you\u2019re a Swiss Watch or a Swiss Roll.  ","summary":"It\u2019s funny the way certain themes and strands emerge in the marketing world. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2015-04-01T11:40:18+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5596","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/creative-v-effective-debate","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Creative v Effective Debate","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026#039;Yes, you\u0026#039;re no doubt effective, but are you delivering real creativity?\u0026#039; \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe million dollar question and one I thought would be an interesting one to give some thought to.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECan you be effective and creative?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe simple answer is yes and if you want instant proof, talk to Lewis Moberly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey\u0027ve been winning awards at the highest level of effectiveness (DEA\u0027s) and creativity (D\u0026amp;AD) since they were invented.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut, it\u0027s not as simple as that, is it? This is a definition of \u0027creativity\u0027 based around winning awards from your peers. A worthwhile and rewarding endeavour, but a narrow interpretation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy definition, as consultants, we are commissioned by our clients to solve problems. Our first, and in my opinion only responsibility, is to the impact or change what we have been tasked to achieve. To that end the creativity we use has to be tailored to a vast array of criteria and by definition, the more complex the problem, the less sexy the client and the tougher the audience, the more creative you\u0027re going to have to be. But this level of \u0027creativity\u0027 will never win a D\u0026amp;AD. It\u0027s not been designed to do that. It\u0027s been created to conqueror a host of other less glamorous but no less meaningful challenges that will ideally result in success and a quantifiable ROI.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreativity has to have purpose. To put a smile on someone\u2019s face. To make you think. To surprise. To sell more of something. To save a life. To win awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf a client wants to win \u0027creative\u0027 awards with a piece of work as well as solving the more mundane business problems outlined in the brief. No problem. There are more creative awards out there than you can shake a stick at. If any creative company worth their salt puts their mind and resource to it, they can undoubtedly win some. The more prestigious the award however, the harder the team will have to work, the more hours they will have to put in to that killer idea and the exquisite craft necessary to win. That extra level of complexity takes time and expensive expertise. And in our line of business, that costs money.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere lies the rub. Award winning creativity and effectiveness at the highest level is possible, but it\u0027s the Holy Grail, as it generally requires time and money. That extra budget needed to push the boundaries of creativity further to win an award, unless the agency invests its time for free, is difficult to justify. Especially if the problem can be solved and the business target reached with a simpler, well designed, but cost effective solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, to all those who have ever asked the million dollar question. Your consultants are highly creative. They consistently and effectively solve your problems day in, day out, working with the hard earned budgets you\u0027ve allocated.\u0026nbsp; If you want them to win creative awards as well as deliver results, they can do it, but be prepared to dig deep.\u003C\/p\u003E ","content_text":" \n\u0026#039;Yes, you\u0026#039;re no doubt effective, but are you delivering real creativity?\u0026#039; \nThe million dollar question and one I thought would be an interesting one to give some thought to.Can you be effective and creative?The simple answer is yes and if you want instant proof, talk to Lewis Moberly.They\u0027ve been winning awards at the highest level of effectiveness (DEA\u0027s) and creativity (D\u0026amp;AD) since they were invented.But, it\u0027s not as simple as that, is it? This is a definition of \u0027creativity\u0027 based around winning awards from your peers. A worthwhile and rewarding endeavour, but a narrow interpretation.By definition, as consultants, we are commissioned by our clients to solve problems. Our first, and in my opinion only responsibility, is to the impact or change what we have been tasked to achieve. To that end the creativity we use has to be tailored to a vast array of criteria and by definition, the more complex the problem, the less sexy the client and the tougher the audience, the more creative you\u0027re going to have to be. But this level of \u0027creativity\u0027 will never win a D\u0026amp;AD. It\u0027s not been designed to do that. It\u0027s been created to conqueror a host of other less glamorous but no less meaningful challenges that will ideally result in success and a quantifiable ROI.Creativity has to have purpose. To put a smile on someone\u2019s face. To make you think. To surprise. To sell more of something. To save a life. To win awards.If a client wants to win \u0027creative\u0027 awards with a piece of work as well as solving the more mundane business problems outlined in the brief. No problem. There are more creative awards out there than you can shake a stick at. If any creative company worth their salt puts their mind and resource to it, they can undoubtedly win some. The more prestigious the award however, the harder the team will have to work, the more hours they will have to put in to that killer idea and the exquisite craft necessary to win. That extra level of complexity takes time and expensive expertise. And in our line of business, that costs money.Here lies the rub. Award winning creativity and effectiveness at the highest level is possible, but it\u0027s the Holy Grail, as it generally requires time and money. That extra budget needed to push the boundaries of creativity further to win an award, unless the agency invests its time for free, is difficult to justify. Especially if the problem can be solved and the business target reached with a simpler, well designed, but cost effective solution.So, to all those who have ever asked the million dollar question. Your consultants are highly creative. They consistently and effectively solve your problems day in, day out, working with the hard earned budgets you\u0027ve allocated.\u0026nbsp; If you want them to win creative awards as well as deliver results, they can do it, but be prepared to dig deep.  ","summary":"\u0027Yes, you\u0027re no doubt effective, but are you delivering real creativity?\u0027","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2015-02-23T09:51:47+0000","author":{"name":"Keith Forbes"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5599","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/theres-no-i-apple","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"There\u2019s No \u2018i\u2019 In Apple","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003ESince the big reveal of the Apple Watch, there has been some speculation on why the long-anticipated product ditched Apple famous \u2018i\u2019 prefix. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe were expecting the \u2018iWatch,\u2019 but what we got was the Apple Watch\u2014or rather, the Apple logo, followed simply by the word \u2018Watch\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome have suggested the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0had begun to feel stale, or simply wasn\u2019t \u2018fashionable\u2019 enough. But as yet, no one has come up with a really compelling answer as to why it\u2019s been dropped.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd though of course, we can\u2019t know the reason for sure\u2014there may not be a single reason why. But there are some really strong branding reasons why Apple would make such a significant change to a successful naming trope.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. Future proofing and flexibility\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy referring to the \u2018Apple Watch\u2019, Apple is removing the Watch from the family of iPods and iPhones. Though it does some of the same things, it\u2019s being marked as a separate product, or product line.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe know that Apple is branching out into other fields\u2014we\u2019ve now got Apple Pay, and Apple also recently purchased Beats by Dre Headphones. The iPrefix will simply not work for every item\u2014not without creating some fairly clunky brand names.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. Avoiding the generic\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u2018i\u2019 prefix isn\u2019t owned by Apple\u2014and can often be used by companies wanting a bit of the Apple gloss, or to indicate connectedness. And that\u2019s not to even consider those companies for whom the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0prefix is simply part of their name (ITV anyone?).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Apple symbol is much simpler as a brand mark, and is less easy to mimic without it being a clear infringement (think of the Nike \u2018tick\u2019). Apple could continue to use the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0and enforce it using the lawsuit route \u2013 but when you have to resort to requesting that people not use your brand name generically, the battle has already been lost. Just ask Hoover.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. Consistency\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some ways, the move to make the Apple the central link between all products is a move back to the way things were. Though we now use \u2018Mac\u2019\u00a0and \u2018iPad\u2019\u00a0as shorthand, they are still Apple Macs and Apple iPads\/iPods\/iPhones. Re-establishing the Apple as the core (sorry) of the brand places the company on a more stable base for future brand development, in any products it chooses.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nSince the big reveal of the Apple Watch, there has been some speculation on why the long-anticipated product ditched Apple famous \u2018i\u2019 prefix. \nWe were expecting the \u2018iWatch,\u2019 but what we got was the Apple Watch\u2014or rather, the Apple logo, followed simply by the word \u2018Watch\u2019.\nSome have suggested the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0had begun to feel stale, or simply wasn\u2019t \u2018fashionable\u2019 enough. But as yet, no one has come up with a really compelling answer as to why it\u2019s been dropped.\nAnd though of course, we can\u2019t know the reason for sure\u2014there may not be a single reason why. But there are some really strong branding reasons why Apple would make such a significant change to a successful naming trope.\n1. Future proofing and flexibility\nBy referring to the \u2018Apple Watch\u2019, Apple is removing the Watch from the family of iPods and iPhones. Though it does some of the same things, it\u2019s being marked as a separate product, or product line.\nWe know that Apple is branching out into other fields\u2014we\u2019ve now got Apple Pay, and Apple also recently purchased Beats by Dre Headphones. The iPrefix will simply not work for every item\u2014not without creating some fairly clunky brand names.\n2. Avoiding the generic\nThe \u2018i\u2019 prefix isn\u2019t owned by Apple\u2014and can often be used by companies wanting a bit of the Apple gloss, or to indicate connectedness. And that\u2019s not to even consider those companies for whom the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0prefix is simply part of their name (ITV anyone?).\nThe Apple symbol is much simpler as a brand mark, and is less easy to mimic without it being a clear infringement (think of the Nike \u2018tick\u2019). Apple could continue to use the \u2018i\u2019\u00a0and enforce it using the lawsuit route \u2013 but when you have to resort to requesting that people not use your brand name generically, the battle has already been lost. Just ask Hoover.\n3. Consistency\nIn some ways, the move to make the Apple the central link between all products is a move back to the way things were. Though we now use \u2018Mac\u2019\u00a0and \u2018iPad\u2019\u00a0as shorthand, they are still Apple Macs and Apple iPads\/iPods\/iPhones. Re-establishing the Apple as the core (sorry) of the brand places the company on a more stable base for future brand development, in any products it chooses.\n  ","summary":"Since the big reveal of the Apple Watch, there has been some speculation on why the long-anticipated product ditched Apple famous \u2018i\u2019 prefix.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2014-12-05T12:24:15+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Architecture \u0026amp; Naming"]},{"id":"5604","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/consumers-dont-care","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"Consumers Don\u2019t Care","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m amazed at how we can complicate this industry so much that we actually forget what\u2019s right in front of us.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe have an inbuilt tendency to over intellectualise and over rationalise to such an extent, that any feeling for what customers will do is lost in a smokescreen of received wisdom and industry habit.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe longer we do what we do at Good, the more and more we see it. Systems and processes that make absolute sense to businesses from the inside out, make absolutely no sense from the outside in. It\u2019s probably human nature and force of habit that makes us organise things that make sense to us, but never really consider that half the battle is the consumer, or end user proposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd what of the consumer? Well, another seemingly all pervasive belief is that they\u2019ll just know. In many, many sectors we work in, the spectre of \u2018assumed knowledge\u2019\u00a0looms large and it has the power to separate success from failure in a single sweeping blow. One of the most valuable things we can do in our roll of branding and communication consultants is unpicking this conceit and presenting it back to our clients with a sense of objective pragmatism.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut sometimes, things are so ingrained that we\u2019re swept along with them. We were recently involved in running a piece of research in the world of premium spirits packaging. There was a lot of talk about the labels (number, size, finishing), the bottle (size, shape, embossing), the closure (cork, screw cap) \u2013 all of the elements were pored over to decide which of the particular combinations were the most powerful for our target customers. In the event of the research, we found that this particular group of customers doesn\u2019t actually look at the bottle at all. For them, the box is the most important part of the purchase decision (after price). Once they\u2019d committed, they assumed that what was inside was \u2018fine\u2019. They didn\u2019t even open it. Why? They didn\u2019t care. They had other things to do. On further probing it became clear that they spent at most 90 seconds making that choice. And in the world of consumer goods, that\u2019s a lifetime! If ever I needed a reminder of the brutal reality of just how unengaged consumers are in their decision making it was there. We\u2019d spent 90% of our time and money focusing on the bottle and what was on it, when more consideration should have been given to the box. When you think about it, it\u2019s pretty self-evident isn\u2019t it? The consumer is presented with the product in a box on a shelf, why would they need to open it?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI love the searing obviousness of this basic insight. I\u2019m embarrassed to say that I didn\u2019t get it until after the point, but I always try to keep it at the front of my mind when thinking about other brands and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn researching and reading up on the topic over the past couple of years I came across the brilliant Byron Sharp whose book \u2018How Brands Grow\u2019 (in my opinion) is the best book ever written on marketing. His scientific approach strips away all marketing received wisdom (which is most of it) and bottoms out empirical evidence for the development of successful brands. Much of his valuable insight reflects what I found out at our research group: consumers have a lot of other things to worry about and spending a good deal of time considering \u2018brands\u2019\u00a0is pretty low on their agenda. Or in other words, and to be harsh: \u2018consumers don\u2019t care\u2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDoes this mean that the industry of branding is a false start? Well, some of it might be. The part that over complicates and over intellectualises everything in the pursuit of incremental fee generation might be. But for me it means that we should focus in on the things that really matter to the end user: distinctive look and feel with coherent messaging executed consistently and repeatedly over time. Oh, and good distribution too. (As Byron Sharp says: brands grow because of a combination of \u2018mental and physical availability\u2019).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe moment we get dragged away from these fundamental principles is when I know we\u2019re heading off in the wrong direction and it\u2019s time for a re-think.\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nI\u2019m amazed at how we can complicate this industry so much that we actually forget what\u2019s right in front of us.  \nWe have an inbuilt tendency to over intellectualise and over rationalise to such an extent, that any feeling for what customers will do is lost in a smokescreen of received wisdom and industry habit.\nThe longer we do what we do at Good, the more and more we see it. Systems and processes that make absolute sense to businesses from the inside out, make absolutely no sense from the outside in. It\u2019s probably human nature and force of habit that makes us organise things that make sense to us, but never really consider that half the battle is the consumer, or end user proposition.\nAnd what of the consumer? Well, another seemingly all pervasive belief is that they\u2019ll just know. In many, many sectors we work in, the spectre of \u2018assumed knowledge\u2019\u00a0looms large and it has the power to separate success from failure in a single sweeping blow. One of the most valuable things we can do in our roll of branding and communication consultants is unpicking this conceit and presenting it back to our clients with a sense of objective pragmatism.\nBut sometimes, things are so ingrained that we\u2019re swept along with them. We were recently involved in running a piece of research in the world of premium spirits packaging. There was a lot of talk about the labels (number, size, finishing), the bottle (size, shape, embossing), the closure (cork, screw cap) \u2013 all of the elements were pored over to decide which of the particular combinations were the most powerful for our target customers. In the event of the research, we found that this particular group of customers doesn\u2019t actually look at the bottle at all. For them, the box is the most important part of the purchase decision (after price). Once they\u2019d committed, they assumed that what was inside was \u2018fine\u2019. They didn\u2019t even open it. Why? They didn\u2019t care. They had other things to do. On further probing it became clear that they spent at most 90 seconds making that choice. And in the world of consumer goods, that\u2019s a lifetime! If ever I needed a reminder of the brutal reality of just how unengaged consumers are in their decision making it was there. We\u2019d spent 90% of our time and money focusing on the bottle and what was on it, when more consideration should have been given to the box. When you think about it, it\u2019s pretty self-evident isn\u2019t it? The consumer is presented with the product in a box on a shelf, why would they need to open it?\nI love the searing obviousness of this basic insight. I\u2019m embarrassed to say that I didn\u2019t get it until after the point, but I always try to keep it at the front of my mind when thinking about other brands and consumers.\nIn researching and reading up on the topic over the past couple of years I came across the brilliant Byron Sharp whose book \u2018How Brands Grow\u2019 (in my opinion) is the best book ever written on marketing. His scientific approach strips away all marketing received wisdom (which is most of it) and bottoms out empirical evidence for the development of successful brands. Much of his valuable insight reflects what I found out at our research group: consumers have a lot of other things to worry about and spending a good deal of time considering \u2018brands\u2019\u00a0is pretty low on their agenda. Or in other words, and to be harsh: \u2018consumers don\u2019t care\u2019.\nDoes this mean that the industry of branding is a false start? Well, some of it might be. The part that over complicates and over intellectualises everything in the pursuit of incremental fee generation might be. But for me it means that we should focus in on the things that really matter to the end user: distinctive look and feel with coherent messaging executed consistently and repeatedly over time. Oh, and good distribution too. (As Byron Sharp says: brands grow because of a combination of \u2018mental and physical availability\u2019).\nThe moment we get dragged away from these fundamental principles is when I know we\u2019re heading off in the wrong direction and it\u2019s time for a re-think.\n  ","summary":"I\u2019m amazed at how we can complicate this industry so much that we actually forget what\u2019s right in front of us. ","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2014-09-25T15:13:09+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]},{"id":"5609","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-get-best-out-rebranding-job","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How To Get The Best Out of a Rebranding Job","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn our 10 years we\u2019ve done quite a few of these jobs and we\u2019ve learned a fair bit about what happens and what matters when you\u0026#039;re doing them. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you think about it, a rebrand or brand evolution is a relatively infrequent task for a marketer, so while we roll from one job to another building up a load of knowledge, they don\u2019t. They\u2019re apprehensive and unsure of how they should go about doing it. There\u2019s a lot riding on it and they\u2019ve a ton of \u2018stakeholders\u2019\u00a0who\u2019ll be only too willing to stick the boot in if it goes wrong. In meeting these clients and developing solutions for them, here are five observations (from both sides) that are important in delivering a successful rebrand task:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E1. They (clients) want to know you\u2019ve done it before. And it worked.\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EObvious, but it\u2019s important to show them you\u2019ve got the right experience, at the right level. I encourage prospective clients to talk to our past and current clients to discuss the project and our approach. It provides context and offers them an unbiased, independent view of our skills and abilities. If you start the conversation about logos and design outputs you\u2019re starting in the wrong place.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E2. The website\u2019s part of the project\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn at least 50% of the jobs we do in this area, clients tell us that they don\u2019t want to include the website as part of the project. I can often understand their rationale for this (separate budgets, different internal owner etc.), but it\u2019s such a disproportionately important brand touchpoint that it must be included in the process. Downgrading the website to a logo change is entirely wrong \u2013 the way it works, sounds and feels is as important as the way it looks. In many cases, reviewing the site as part of the rebrand process asks some difficult questions of the role the site actually plays in the wider organisation, which ultimately creates a stronger solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E3. The collaborative process is as important as the output\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOr maybe, just maybe, it\u2019s more important. Identifying stakeholders across the business and getting them participating equally in the process is the most important aspect for the client. Every time. In our experience running a workshop, or consulting with all stakeholders separately and helping the group navigate their way through the branding process will yield the best results in the long run. Trying to shortcut or ignore this stage will definitely get you started, but it won\u2019t be long until the wheels come off \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t matter how good the creative execution is.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E4. Be down to earth, pragmatic and use plain English\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClients need to feel comfortable that you can represent them to the rest of their business.\u00a0 They probably don\u2019t want an agency of flouncy designers wanting to \u2018push the creative envelope\u2019\u00a0or \u2018redefine the industry paradigm\u2019. They want credible people who understand their commercial priorities, can talk to them and their stakeholders in a language they understand and follow a process to completion. It\u2019s amazing how often this is overcomplicated and can lead to a feeling of alienation and exasperation with the whole project on the client side.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E5. Don\u2019t forget \u2013 the work better be good!\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a small creative evolution, or a complete rebrand from the bottom up. Once you\u2019ve been through the process, done your research, held the brand workshops, analysed the results \u2013 the creative execution had better be good. As you talk the client through your findings, explaining the decisions you\u2019ve made, you can sense the anticipation building. The expression etched on their face is \u2018just show me what you\u2019ve got\u2019. In that moment their visceral, raw reaction to your creative solution will be plain to see; whether you\u2019ve hit the target or missed the mark.\u00a0Having been there many times now, I can say that there\u2019s nothing more professionally nourishing than knowing you\u2019ve knocked the ball out of the park!\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nIn our 10 years we\u2019ve done quite a few of these jobs and we\u2019ve learned a fair bit about what happens and what matters when you\u0026#039;re doing them. \nIf you think about it, a rebrand or brand evolution is a relatively infrequent task for a marketer, so while we roll from one job to another building up a load of knowledge, they don\u2019t. They\u2019re apprehensive and unsure of how they should go about doing it. There\u2019s a lot riding on it and they\u2019ve a ton of \u2018stakeholders\u2019\u00a0who\u2019ll be only too willing to stick the boot in if it goes wrong. In meeting these clients and developing solutions for them, here are five observations (from both sides) that are important in delivering a successful rebrand task:\n1. They (clients) want to know you\u2019ve done it before. And it worked.\nObvious, but it\u2019s important to show them you\u2019ve got the right experience, at the right level. I encourage prospective clients to talk to our past and current clients to discuss the project and our approach. It provides context and offers them an unbiased, independent view of our skills and abilities. If you start the conversation about logos and design outputs you\u2019re starting in the wrong place.\n2. The website\u2019s part of the project\nOn at least 50% of the jobs we do in this area, clients tell us that they don\u2019t want to include the website as part of the project. I can often understand their rationale for this (separate budgets, different internal owner etc.), but it\u2019s such a disproportionately important brand touchpoint that it must be included in the process. Downgrading the website to a logo change is entirely wrong \u2013 the way it works, sounds and feels is as important as the way it looks. In many cases, reviewing the site as part of the rebrand process asks some difficult questions of the role the site actually plays in the wider organisation, which ultimately creates a stronger solution.\n3. The collaborative process is as important as the output\nOr maybe, just maybe, it\u2019s more important. Identifying stakeholders across the business and getting them participating equally in the process is the most important aspect for the client. Every time. In our experience running a workshop, or consulting with all stakeholders separately and helping the group navigate their way through the branding process will yield the best results in the long run. Trying to shortcut or ignore this stage will definitely get you started, but it won\u2019t be long until the wheels come off \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t matter how good the creative execution is.\n4. Be down to earth, pragmatic and use plain English\nClients need to feel comfortable that you can represent them to the rest of their business.\u00a0 They probably don\u2019t want an agency of flouncy designers wanting to \u2018push the creative envelope\u2019\u00a0or \u2018redefine the industry paradigm\u2019. They want credible people who understand their commercial priorities, can talk to them and their stakeholders in a language they understand and follow a process to completion. It\u2019s amazing how often this is overcomplicated and can lead to a feeling of alienation and exasperation with the whole project on the client side.\n5. Don\u2019t forget \u2013 the work better be good!\nIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a small creative evolution, or a complete rebrand from the bottom up. Once you\u2019ve been through the process, done your research, held the brand workshops, analysed the results \u2013 the creative execution had better be good. As you talk the client through your findings, explaining the decisions you\u2019ve made, you can sense the anticipation building. The expression etched on their face is \u2018just show me what you\u2019ve got\u2019. In that moment their visceral, raw reaction to your creative solution will be plain to see; whether you\u2019ve hit the target or missed the mark.\u00a0Having been there many times now, I can say that there\u2019s nothing more professionally nourishing than knowing you\u2019ve knocked the ball out of the park!\n  ","summary":"In our 10 years we\u2019ve done quite a few of these jobs and we\u2019ve learned a fair bit about what happens and what matters when you\u0027re doing them.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2014-07-31T09:52:20+0100","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy","Creative Expression"]},{"id":"5621","url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/articles\/how-effective-are-we","external_url":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","title":"How Effective Are We?","content_html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe recently won another couple of Design Effectiveness Awards, which takes our tally of DEAs to ten since 2009. Six golds, three silvers and one bronze. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis news coincided with a book I was reading about how agencies need to be clear about what differentiates them from the countless other firms out there.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEffectiveness is very important to us and we think it helps with our differentiation when talking to clients. But the book got me thinking. Rather than referring to the DEA agency league table, which is pretty meaningless, I wondered if we could objectively quantify just how effective we are, using the DEA entries as a data source?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETurns out we can.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn analysis of our 10 entries reveals that the three most common \u2018results\u2019\u00a0across the board are: sales impact, performance in relation to market and return on investment. A quick spreadsheet and a spot of number crunching reveals that, on average, we\u2019ve delivered these clients some very impressive figures...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAverage impact on their brand sales: +47%\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAverage performance of their brand in relation to their market: +40%\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAverage return on investment: 2,888%\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, I\u2019m not jumping ahead of myself here. I know we\u2019re looking at a self-selecting set of projects, which don\u2019t reflect the majority of the work we do here at Good. But, the difference is, when we do get the opportunity to measure our work objectively, with a client who\u2019s willing, we grab it. We know what to look for, which questions to ask and which factors to isolate. It\u2019s becoming part of our make up. That\u2019s what counts and that\u2019s what I\u2019m enormously proud of. And I think it\u2019s a really effective differentiator.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the next time a potential client asks if we can justify our fee proposal, we can proudly say that our effectiveness track record suggests we\u2019ll increase their sales by almost half, outperform their market sector by 40% and make their money back many, many times over. And we can prove it. How Good is that?\u003C\/p\u003E\n ","content_text":" \nWe recently won another couple of Design Effectiveness Awards, which takes our tally of DEAs to ten since 2009. Six golds, three silvers and one bronze. \nThis news coincided with a book I was reading about how agencies need to be clear about what differentiates them from the countless other firms out there.\nEffectiveness is very important to us and we think it helps with our differentiation when talking to clients. But the book got me thinking. Rather than referring to the DEA agency league table, which is pretty meaningless, I wondered if we could objectively quantify just how effective we are, using the DEA entries as a data source?\nTurns out we can.\nAn analysis of our 10 entries reveals that the three most common \u2018results\u2019\u00a0across the board are: sales impact, performance in relation to market and return on investment. A quick spreadsheet and a spot of number crunching reveals that, on average, we\u2019ve delivered these clients some very impressive figures...\nAverage impact on their brand sales: +47%\nAverage performance of their brand in relation to their market: +40%\nAverage return on investment: 2,888%\nNow, I\u2019m not jumping ahead of myself here. I know we\u2019re looking at a self-selecting set of projects, which don\u2019t reflect the majority of the work we do here at Good. But, the difference is, when we do get the opportunity to measure our work objectively, with a client who\u2019s willing, we grab it. We know what to look for, which questions to ask and which factors to isolate. It\u2019s becoming part of our make up. That\u2019s what counts and that\u2019s what I\u2019m enormously proud of. And I think it\u2019s a really effective differentiator.\nSo, the next time a potential client asks if we can justify our fee proposal, we can proudly say that our effectiveness track record suggests we\u2019ll increase their sales by almost half, outperform their market sector by 40% and make their money back many, many times over. And we can prove it. How Good is that?\n  ","summary":"We recently won another couple of Design Effectiveness Awards, which takes our tally of DEAs to ten since 2009. Six golds, three silvers and one bronze.","image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","banner_image":"https:\/\/goodbrandconsultants.com\/","date_published":"2014-03-11T11:00:45+0000","author":{"name":"Chris Lumsden"},"tags":["Brand Strategy"]}],"expired":false}