Brand CommunicationsBrand Communications

Brand communicationsBrand communications

• Communication happens when the consumer meets the brand

• Imperative to ensure that every ‘brand meeting’ builds the brand

• Is it happening?

Brand communicationsBrand communications

• Consumers are constantly meeting the brand– Through advertising– With editorial mentions– By sponsorships– On the point of purchase materials– Over the supermarket shelves

• They often meet our brands, but how often do they notice them?

The need for communicationThe need for communication

• The need for impact

• The need for an involving, positive experience

• The need to affect behaviour

• The need for high payback

Communication imperativesCommunication imperatives

• Communication process begins after identity process is clearly laid out

• Remember, brand communication is just a reflection of strategy

• Put differently, strategy leads creative and not the other way around

Communication modelCommunication model

Non-receipt of messageNon-receipt of message

• Selective AttentionSelective Attention– Due to message explosion

• Selective DistortionSelective Distortion– Receive what fits into their belief systems

• Selective RetentionSelective Retention– Only a few remain in memory

Effectiveness influencersEffectiveness influencers

• The greater the influence of communication source over recipient, the greater the recipient’s change/effect in favour of source

• Communication effects are greatest where the message is in line with the receiver’s existing opinion, beliefs and dispositions

• Communication can produce the most effective shifts on unfamiliar, lightly felt, peripheral issues that do not lie at the core of the recipient’s value system

Effectiveness influencersEffectiveness influencers

• Communication is more likely to be effective if the source is believed to have expertise, high status, objectivity or likeability

• The social context, group, or reference group will mediate the communication and influence whether or not the communication is accepted

The communication processThe communication process

• Communication is not a one-way street anymore

• Communication is an interactive dialogue between the company and its customers– Takes place during the pre-selling, selling, consuming

and post-consuming stages

• Companies must ask not only ‘How can we reach our customers?’ but also, ‘How can our customers reach us?’

Communication imperativeCommunication imperative

• Managing and coordinating the entire communications process calls for a unifying mechanism

Integrated Marketing CommunicationsIntegrated Marketing Communications

Integrated marketing communicationsIntegrated marketing communications

• IMC is a concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan

• It evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communications disciplines and combines all these disciplines– To provide clarity, consistency and maximum impact– Through the seamless integration of discrete

messages

Why IMCWhy IMC

• Fragmenting mass markets into a multitude of mini-markets, each requiring its own approach

• Proliferation of new types of media

• Growing sophistication of customers

Advantages of IMCAdvantages of IMC

• IMC produces stronger message consistency and greater sales impact

• Forces management to think about every way the customer comes in contact with the company– How positioning is communicated– Importance of each vehicle and timing issues

• Assigns responsibility to unify the company’s brand images and messages as they come through thousands of company activities

In essence…In essence…

IMC will improveIMC will improvethe company’s abilitythe company’s ability

to reach the right customersto reach the right customerswith the right messageswith the right messages

at the right timeat the right timeand in the right place!and in the right place!

Communication ApproachCommunication Approach

Communication planCommunication plan

• The communications plan is an investment plan

• Establish goals, identify alternative routes, weigh up the risks, potential benefits and decide which route is likely to be effective, within your financial limitations

• By using this as a model for investing, in different channels, brand value can be increased

Hallmark of a good communication planHallmark of a good communication plan

• A good plan will provide a strategic framework to identify the different goals for brand communication– Assign these to channels which will be most effective

• Will provide a blueprint against which campaigns in different channels will be briefed and evaluated

• Will aid priority setting, and a check on how realistic brand objectives are

• Will provide an overall work plan for the communication team, company and agency

Role for communicationRole for communication

• What role would the communication play in the overall scheme of things?– Introduce the brand– Make Brand TOM– Reinforce attitudes– Claim leadership

• Define the role creatively and persuasively– ‘I have to’ to ‘I want to’– ‘Move the brand from the shelf to the hand bag’

Communication strategyCommunication strategy

• What would be the overall communication strategy?– The strategic route to achieving our intended goals

• Some examples…– Shift focus from functional to emotional benefits– Increase visibility– Establish brand superiority– Create launch excitement

Taking a creative leap…Taking a creative leap…

• Vaseline lip guard– ‘Appropriate the property of smile’

• MasterCard– ‘Give an emotionally bankrupt brand, a heart’

Tone of voiceTone of voice

• Define the tone and manner of communication

• Some examples…– Leadership– Empathy– Humour– News

The 8 EssentialsThe 8 Essentials

1.1. Address the key business issueAddress the key business issue

• Communication to be developed in context of business goals and brand strategy

• In effect, what is required is a clear definition of the role of our brand communications – a need to be able to answer the questions– What is the purpose of this communication?– How does our Communication fit into the life of the

brand?

• The question to ask are:The question to ask are:– What is the business-based purpose of the What is the business-based purpose of the

communication? Why are we doing it?communication? Why are we doing it?

2.2. Build consistent long-term Brand EquityBuild consistent long-term Brand Equity

• Ensure that all brand communication delivers a clear, relevant and competitive consumer benefit

• Communication should bring consumer close to brand and enhance the quality status of brand

• Need to make people feel that brand is playing a real role in their lives, and is relevant to them

• The question to be asked: Is every communication The question to be asked: Is every communication derived from and reflective of the BPSderived from and reflective of the BPS??

3.3. Be focused on single-minded Strong IdeaBe focused on single-minded Strong Idea

• A ‘Strong Idea’ binds all communication together so that they are cohesive / consistent

• What constitutes a ‘Strong Idea’?What constitutes a ‘Strong Idea’?– Must be related to the brand; must involve the brandMust be related to the brand; must involve the brand– Must be related to, or evolved from BPSMust be related to, or evolved from BPS– Must be involving for the consumer and hold their attentionMust be involving for the consumer and hold their attention– Should be uniqueShould be unique– Is proprietaryIs proprietary– Should work across all forms of communicationShould work across all forms of communication– Should be enduring over timeShould be enduring over time

4.4. Be highly visibleBe highly visible • It costs the same to run a TVC whether it is dull

and boring or whether it is relevant and involving– A good ad is the best media discount possible

• Ensure all communication investment is money well spent, and this means communications have impact– Impact that is relevant to our brand

• Some possible ‘clutter breakers’ include…– Making communication simple– Developing additional communication channels– Being innovative in media– Making better use of sampling and relationship marketing

5.5. Be locally relevant to core targetBe locally relevant to core target

• Need to catch the eye by planting a relevant idea in the consumer’s mind– ‘This is just right for me and the way I live my life’

• Focus the message / execution on the core target and not over-worrying about the ‘alienating’ effect on others

6.6. Be likeableBe likeable

• All communication should be likeable– Achieve best scores in tracking research for

‘likeability’ of brand vs. competitors

• All communication should be contemporary, both in content and tone– Reflecting life as it is lived today, and

positioning the brand as relevant to today’s way of life

7.7. Be executionally excellentBe executionally excellent

• Many brands are consumed for pleasure, enjoyment and indulgence– Consumption shots should realistically communicate

this in a totally credible way

• Unique, proprietary product shots and mouth-watering consumption sequences appeal to senses– Help create appetite appeal, differentiate our products

and motivate purchase

8.8. Bring about a saleBring about a sale

• Seek to create communications which have…– The consumers’ interests at heart– That are involving in content and execution– That are original and provocative– That get talked about– Have the ‘must see again’ factor

• To help ring in the cash registers!

Unilever Principles for Great Advertising Unilever Principles for Great Advertising (UPGA)(UPGA)

1.1. Concentrates on one big ideaConcentrates on one big idea

Brand’s benefit is conveyed, not just by a selling message or a series of messages– But single-mindedly, by one big idea

• A visual and or aural expression of that one big concept exclusively linked to the brand

• Example: Example: DoveDove

2.2. Promise discriminates brand from competitorsPromise discriminates brand from competitors

The advertisement must communicate a benefit– But different from competitive brands

• The brand must therefore communicate uniqueness– Uniqueness in physical brand itself or in some other

value inextricably associated with brand

• Example: Example: Close Up, VaselineClose Up, Vaseline

3.3. Involves target consumerInvolves target consumer

It elicits a favourable emotional response by appealing to the consumer’s self interest– Relating to a known need or problem– Promising satisfaction of that need– Solution to the problem

• Example: Example: SurfSurf

4.4. Establishes relationship with consumerEstablishes relationship with consumer

The ad should induce a strong feeling in favour of the brand

• It should establish a preference for brand, so consumer feels confident choosing it

• Example: Example: Vim, WheelVim, Wheel

5.5. It’s credible / feels genuineIt’s credible / feels genuine

Though manner of presentations may involve humour/hyperbole, the fundamental benefit must be obtainable

• Example: Example: Bru, HamamBru, Hamam

6.6. It is simple and clearIt is simple and clear

The execution should be simple and the expression unambiguous

• It should be clear from the ad what target is expected to do– This does not mean everything needs to be spelled out

• Communication is two-way. The consumer should participate

• Example: Example: LuxLux

7.7. Integrates brand name with central ideaIntegrates brand name with central idea

The big idea must be inextricably linked to the brand name

• It must be remembered only in association with the brand

• Example: Example: Lifebuoy, Clinic PlusLifebuoy, Clinic Plus

8.8. Takes advantage of each mediumTakes advantage of each medium

Ideally, big idea should find expression in all media– TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor, Direct mail

• Each medium has its own characteristics, which offer opportunities for exploitation

• The big idea itself is fundamental but the ad should take maximum advantage of the media possibilities available

• Example: RinExample: Rin

9.9. Idea must be campaignableIdea must be campaignable

The big idea will and must endure– It is not a single ad but a campaign– It is not one campaign but a series of campaigns– This is more than simple repetition or even variations

on a theme– The big idea will not only endure, it will grow

• Example: Example: AxeAxe

10.10. Must help build brand personalityMust help build brand personality

Each ad affects consumer’s perception of the brand– If any ad conflicts with that perception it will cause a

negative feeling and several such ads will begin to weaken brand personality

• It is vital therefore to ensure consistency – Each ad helps to build or reinforce the desired brand

personality

• Example: Example: Pond’s DFT, Magic TalcPond’s DFT, Magic Talc