Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

32
Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Transcript of Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Page 1: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

ContentsIntroduction 2

What is a resilient brand 4

Brand as belief 8

Brand as strategy 16

Brand as experience 21

Conclusion 28

ldquoI canrsquot think of an industry not touched by technology Technology has turbo-charged disruption lowering barriers to entry and making it possible to scale new ideas quickly because of the way in which our world is now so interconnected So why are so many established businesses not waking up to the opportunities and the threatsrdquo

Jonathan Mildenhall Chief Marketing Officer Airbnb1

IntroductionResilient Brands

1 httpsmagazinecontagiouscomarticlesdo-the-wrong-thing

1 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The rules of branding are changing radically Established brands are taking too long to adapt Born and raised on image message and surface they look at the new winners in the digital age and try to copy surface when they need to copy substance

Even smart marketers do it

Letrsquos make an apphellip Letrsquos make a viral videohellip Letrsquos do a Red Bull space jump-style stunthellip

Itrsquos not about the app the video the stunt Resilient brands brands that endure are ones where the brandrsquos truth runs deeper than a strapline and a campaign

We are living through a time of radical change Digital technologies have transformed the way we communicate learn and shop They are disrupting the way we consume news and media

Our relationships with brands have changed as a result We increasingly demand responsive engaging brands and authentic brand experiences

As businesses transform to adapt to the digital age there is an imperative to reimagine what brands are and how they behave

How do we build brands that are relevant and resilient in a time of rapid change

This book explores this question and outlines

bull The three elements of a resilient brand bull The strategic models needed to create a resilient brand bull How to apply this to your own business

5Introduction

What is a resilient brand

ldquoWe live in a world that is changing so fasthellip a VUCA world volatile uncertain changing and ambiguoushellip Therefore there is a constant need to re-evaluate the way we adapt to this changing environmentrdquo

Marc Mathieu Unilever in Contagious Issue 40 Q3 2014

2 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 2: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

ContentsIntroduction 2

What is a resilient brand 4

Brand as belief 8

Brand as strategy 16

Brand as experience 21

Conclusion 28

ldquoI canrsquot think of an industry not touched by technology Technology has turbo-charged disruption lowering barriers to entry and making it possible to scale new ideas quickly because of the way in which our world is now so interconnected So why are so many established businesses not waking up to the opportunities and the threatsrdquo

Jonathan Mildenhall Chief Marketing Officer Airbnb1

IntroductionResilient Brands

1 httpsmagazinecontagiouscomarticlesdo-the-wrong-thing

1 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The rules of branding are changing radically Established brands are taking too long to adapt Born and raised on image message and surface they look at the new winners in the digital age and try to copy surface when they need to copy substance

Even smart marketers do it

Letrsquos make an apphellip Letrsquos make a viral videohellip Letrsquos do a Red Bull space jump-style stunthellip

Itrsquos not about the app the video the stunt Resilient brands brands that endure are ones where the brandrsquos truth runs deeper than a strapline and a campaign

We are living through a time of radical change Digital technologies have transformed the way we communicate learn and shop They are disrupting the way we consume news and media

Our relationships with brands have changed as a result We increasingly demand responsive engaging brands and authentic brand experiences

As businesses transform to adapt to the digital age there is an imperative to reimagine what brands are and how they behave

How do we build brands that are relevant and resilient in a time of rapid change

This book explores this question and outlines

bull The three elements of a resilient brand bull The strategic models needed to create a resilient brand bull How to apply this to your own business

5Introduction

What is a resilient brand

ldquoWe live in a world that is changing so fasthellip a VUCA world volatile uncertain changing and ambiguoushellip Therefore there is a constant need to re-evaluate the way we adapt to this changing environmentrdquo

Marc Mathieu Unilever in Contagious Issue 40 Q3 2014

2 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 3: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

ldquoI canrsquot think of an industry not touched by technology Technology has turbo-charged disruption lowering barriers to entry and making it possible to scale new ideas quickly because of the way in which our world is now so interconnected So why are so many established businesses not waking up to the opportunities and the threatsrdquo

Jonathan Mildenhall Chief Marketing Officer Airbnb1

IntroductionResilient Brands

1 httpsmagazinecontagiouscomarticlesdo-the-wrong-thing

1 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The rules of branding are changing radically Established brands are taking too long to adapt Born and raised on image message and surface they look at the new winners in the digital age and try to copy surface when they need to copy substance

Even smart marketers do it

Letrsquos make an apphellip Letrsquos make a viral videohellip Letrsquos do a Red Bull space jump-style stunthellip

Itrsquos not about the app the video the stunt Resilient brands brands that endure are ones where the brandrsquos truth runs deeper than a strapline and a campaign

We are living through a time of radical change Digital technologies have transformed the way we communicate learn and shop They are disrupting the way we consume news and media

Our relationships with brands have changed as a result We increasingly demand responsive engaging brands and authentic brand experiences

As businesses transform to adapt to the digital age there is an imperative to reimagine what brands are and how they behave

How do we build brands that are relevant and resilient in a time of rapid change

This book explores this question and outlines

bull The three elements of a resilient brand bull The strategic models needed to create a resilient brand bull How to apply this to your own business

5Introduction

What is a resilient brand

ldquoWe live in a world that is changing so fasthellip a VUCA world volatile uncertain changing and ambiguoushellip Therefore there is a constant need to re-evaluate the way we adapt to this changing environmentrdquo

Marc Mathieu Unilever in Contagious Issue 40 Q3 2014

2 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 4: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

The rules of branding are changing radically Established brands are taking too long to adapt Born and raised on image message and surface they look at the new winners in the digital age and try to copy surface when they need to copy substance

Even smart marketers do it

Letrsquos make an apphellip Letrsquos make a viral videohellip Letrsquos do a Red Bull space jump-style stunthellip

Itrsquos not about the app the video the stunt Resilient brands brands that endure are ones where the brandrsquos truth runs deeper than a strapline and a campaign

We are living through a time of radical change Digital technologies have transformed the way we communicate learn and shop They are disrupting the way we consume news and media

Our relationships with brands have changed as a result We increasingly demand responsive engaging brands and authentic brand experiences

As businesses transform to adapt to the digital age there is an imperative to reimagine what brands are and how they behave

How do we build brands that are relevant and resilient in a time of rapid change

This book explores this question and outlines

bull The three elements of a resilient brand bull The strategic models needed to create a resilient brand bull How to apply this to your own business

5Introduction

What is a resilient brand

ldquoWe live in a world that is changing so fasthellip a VUCA world volatile uncertain changing and ambiguoushellip Therefore there is a constant need to re-evaluate the way we adapt to this changing environmentrdquo

Marc Mathieu Unilever in Contagious Issue 40 Q3 2014

2 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 5: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

What is a resilient brand

ldquoWe live in a world that is changing so fasthellip a VUCA world volatile uncertain changing and ambiguoushellip Therefore there is a constant need to re-evaluate the way we adapt to this changing environmentrdquo

Marc Mathieu Unilever in Contagious Issue 40 Q3 2014

2 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 6: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brands arenrsquot working as hard as they could They are too often symbols of reassurance rather than agents of change

Why is this Resilient brands are able to adapt to change direction take knocks and setbacks and come back stronger They are able to extend to new products new business models and take their customers with them

Resilience comes by moving away from the idea of a brand as a sacred designed thing guarded by high priests in agencies or internal brand teams dispensed for use in sales marketing materials with instructions of rituals of layout and language to be strictly observed Look and feel brand iconographies and colour schemes and grid layouts are important but they are not the sum of the brand

Resilient brands run far deeper than fonts logotypes and tone of voice They are truths about how the company goes about its work

The context disruption

As technology transforms markets and creates new opportunities incumbent and disruptor brands are battling it out for audience attention

The incumbents - the established market leaders - are defending their position using their scale and legacy brand loyalty to maintain their market share They are aware of the changing market but because of their governance size leadership and culture it takes them time to transform and adapt Their brands are used as symbols of trust credibility and emotional reassurance They are built around vision positioning personality values names and logos

Disruptors - a new set of digitally-led competitors - take advantage of changes in customer behaviour and business models to re-define markets to their advantage They are disrupting established brands by uncovering new market space

7What is a resilient brand

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 7: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Characteristics of incumbent and disruptor brands

8What is a resilient brand

ATTACK

DISRUPTORINCUMBENT

LEAN PRODUCT CANVAS

MINIMUM HIERACHY

REALTIME

USER TESTING

DEFEND

FAIL LESS

OUR OFFER

DATA IS FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE

HISTORY

CUSTOMER-OBSESSED

MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT

PURPOSE

LISTENING LEARNING

CUSTOMER IS AN ABSTRACT PERSONADEMOGRAPHIC

DETAILED BUSINESS CASE

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

REPORTING

FOCUS GROUP

DATA FOR INSIGHT amp DECISION-MAKING

NOW amp NEAR

FAIL FASTER

CUSTOMER PROBLEMS

COPYING OTHER INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

VISION

BEST PRACTICE amp CASE STUDIES

MARKET RESEARCH

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 8: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as a tool for transformation

Many incumbent brands are carefully crafted monoliths - impressive but only if you decide to pay attention to them Otherwise they become part of the background things you work around and live among without worrying too much about them like the fountains and lions in Trafalgar Square on a busy hot day - designed as icons of power they become paddling pools and playgrounds

Brands were designed to be unchanging certain stable and not ambiguous Brands were decrees carved in stone inviolable - holy books were created and handed around agencies and media about how to treat the brand venerate it use it sparingly and in accordance with strict laws There was faith involved in this magical thinking - that the brand was something that could be owned and prescribed and controlled

Resilient brands have three elements Brand as beliefA common purpose that provides a platform for meaningful expression and conversation The place where the business and customer beliefs meet

Brand as strategy A framework for use that creates competitive advantage

Brand as experience A brand is only as strong as the last experience in a customerrsquos eyes What can take years to build can take seconds to destroy

9What is a resilient brand

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 9: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as belief

ldquoBe interested in what people are interested in Compete for their attention on their terms not on yours

Gareth Kay Chief Strategy Officer Goodby Silverstein and Partners2

2 httpwwwthinkwithgooglecomarticlesbrand-new-with-gareth-kayhtml

3 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 10: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Common purpose

Common purpose moves brands from messages to relationships with customers It unlocks a whole new set of interactions creating value differentiation and advocacy

Resilient brands are born out of a belief that is shared with customers They recognise and value common purpose

A common purpose is credible and meaningful for both customers and employees It appeals to both heart and mind creating a relationship that is both emotional and rational

To create value from a common purpose brands need to get close and stay close to what their customers need today

One exercise that Cynthia Montgomery Professor of Business Administration at Harvard and author of The Strategist suggests is to think about the death of your business What would the world be like without it Would it be the same If you dont make a difference nobody will mourn you when youre gone And if they wont miss you then how much do they need you now Knowing what makes you matter to your customers is critical

A brand with a common purpose owns a space where value is created for both the business and its customers

11Brand as belief

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 11: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as belief 12

Patagonia from a founders belief to a business mission

Patagonia founder Raymond Chouinard has built his companyrsquos brand on the lsquoresponsible economyrsquo purpose Its website states

ldquoWe at Patagonia are mandated by our mission statement to face the question of growth both by bringing it up and by looking at our own situation as a business fully ensnared in the global industrial economy3

The brandrsquos Worn Wear campaign is an example of brand as belief Customers voices demonstrate how the business acts and what its values are

3 httpwwwpatagoniacomuspatagoniagoassetid=33514 httpadagecomarticleguest-columnistsfuture-brands-creating-shared296046

ldquoWhat is also powerful about a shared value lens is that it creates a north star for the future development of the brand and its businesses and with that a compelling sense of accountability How impactful it will be for both brands and the world when brands adopt their shared-value north star and begin to ask themselves lsquoIf this is true of our brand and business and if this is true of where we started then where do we go from here with what we endeavour to put into the world

Kirk Souder Co-Founder Enso Collaborative4

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 12: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as belief 13

Finding a common purpose

Common purpose emerges when we consider how customers use advocate or connect with our products and services It doesnrsquot come from considering how to message customers

Common purpose goes beyond messaging It allows brands to have relevant meaningful interactions with customers at each step of their decision journey

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 13: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

How does it work

On the left side list what customers believe and need This can be informed by analytics customer research and social media monitoring

On the right side do the same exercise with the brand Consider brand values vision products and promise This can be informed by stakeholder interviews

Once both sides are full of ideas keep the common elements and decide on the strongest idea that is meaningful to both sides

Brand as belief 14

COMMON PURPOSE

WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BELIEVE IN

WHAT YOUR BRAND BELIEVES IN

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 14: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Looking back at the Patagonia example Both brand and customer agree to producemake things that donrsquot cause unnecessary harm This provides a platform for campaigns and communications

This isnt revolutionary Its customer-first marketing

Brand as belief 15

I WANT MY THINGS TO LAST

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY A NEW THING

COMMON PURPOSE

BUY THINGS THAT DONT CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 15: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as belief 16

Chipotle putting the customer first

Chipotle has been reimagining its brand and how it engages with a new generation of customers5 It developed a common purpose that was unique in its market fast food can be sourced responsibly

This common purpose answers the needs of Chipotlersquos audience and is communicated through actions and content that are true to their lifestyle

These include its Back to the Start and Scarecrow campaigns which questioned industrial food production methods its Cultivating Thought author series curated by Jonathan Safran Foer and featuring the work of Toni Morrison Malcolm Gladwell and Sarah Silverman and its free Cultivate Festival which takes place across a number of cities in the US and focusses on food ideas and music

In Q3 2014 Chipotlersquos revenue increased 311 to $108 billion compared to Q3 20136

The way the brand communicates is grounded in an understanding of what its customers believe and how they consume media In the old advertising days planners would call this an insight A common purpose is an insight on steroids because of the volume and granularity of data we have access to

Common purpose builds a bridge between what customers are interested in and what your brand is good at It gives your business a strategic roadmap that no competitor can claim

5 httpwwwforbescomsitesscottdavis20140606beyond-the-burrito-chipotles-next-big-move6 httpirchipotlecomphoenixzhtmlc=194775ampp=irol-newsArticleampID=1979465

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 16: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as belief 17

I WANT GOOD FAST FOOD

WE BELIEVE IN FAST FOOD WITH

INTEGRITY

COMMON PURPOSE

FAST FOOD DOESNT HAVE TO BE BAD

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 17: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as Strategy

4 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 18: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

The second element of a resilient brand is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

In a hyper-connected world brands canrsquot rely on being proxies for quality7 Customers are always a click away from online reviews or comparison sites that scrutinise a brandrsquos ability to deliver on its promise

In The Strategist Cynthia Montgomery defines effective strategy as a lsquosystem of advantagersquo She argues that the advantage cannot be realised unless there is clarity and purpose at the core

She uses Gucci as an example The brand was able to re-establish itself in the market and challenge its competitors after enduring a challenging period when it lost touch with its values and its audiencersquos needs8

Gucci started by understanding what people thought of the brand Based on this data it reconstructed the businessrsquo design process production supply chain marketing and retail In 2013 Gucci took the lead on mobile sales for a luxury brand9

Resilient brands drive business strategy

Netflix using brand as a tool for change

Netflix has been through constant transformation since its inception Understanding customer need has been part of Netflixrsquos business model since the days of DVDs by mail Its recently released Netflix Long Term View highlights how people no longer enjoy the linear TV experience - something the company is primed to exploit10 As such Netflix has made its product distinctive by creating a customer-first business

19Brand as strategy

7 httpwwwnewyorkercommagazine20140217twilight-brands8 httpcynthiamontgomerycomwp-contentuploads201204FT-Reviewpdf9 httpwwwwarccomNewsDefaultaspxID=3111810 httpirnetflixcomlong-term-viewcfm

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 19: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as strategy 20

The hourglass model brand as strategy

The challenge for marketers is to drive consideration of a brandrsquos product and services while maintaining a consistent experience across all touchpoints

The hourglass model helps to organise brand activity around common purpose

It is a framework to make decisions and respond to customers and the market The model provides a resilient framework that enables a common purpose to inform all interactions across all communication channels

It also provides a framework for rebalancing the role paid media plays in bringing the brand to life

LINEARIMPRESSION-DRIVENCOMPANY CENTRIC

MESSAGE ON-OFF

ONE-TO-MANY

COMMON PURPOSE

ITERATIVEDATA-DRIVEN

USER CENTRICNARRATIVEALWAYS-ON

SOCIAL - MOBILE

Downstream ActionsPilots

UpstreamAdvocacy

Support

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 20: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as strategy 21

How does it work

The top-down approach is the traditional world of advertising where messages are linear and delivered at scale and where brand communications are delivered through campaign planning

Top-down is on-off communication that focuses on messages about the company and its products It typically gathers little knowledge about the customer The main purpose is to create brand consideration The message is focused on benefits for potential buyers and is geared to deliver against awareness and acquisition targets

Bottom-up is an always-on approach that is connected and iterative It supports a narrative that builds over time that feels fresh and in-sync with whatrsquos happening in the world It supports dialogue with the customer It has personality and supports personalisation The goal isnrsquot always to push a product but to build trust - to create a meaningful relationship with both existing customers and those who are considering the brand

Bottom-up activities are geared to engagement acquisition and advocacy targets It allows brands to try new initiatives and new service development

Ideally the top and the bottom of the hourglass are in balance creating constant value around the common purpose for both customers and the business

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 21: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Why does it work

No brand can shift away from a campaign mindset overnight The effect of traditional campaigns is understood comfortable and just about measurable However it is unsustainable to carry on using digital as just another messaging channel

The hourglass model provides the balance between a traditional top-down campaign mode and an always-on bottom-up activity stream The dynamic between the two creates value when the data and lessons learned from bottom-up programmes feed into the top-down ones and vice versa An example of this is the recent campaign from Nike where the company turned its audiencersquos running data into 100000 different videos dubbed Your Year11

When this happens the brand owns a unique platform in which predictability is higher and benefits are more measurable This is a system of advantage organised around a common purpose This is lsquobrand as strategyrsquo

Brand as strategy 22

11 httpsyouryearnikeappcom

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 22: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Brand as experience

ldquoA great digital experience is no longer a nice-to-have itrsquos a make-or-break point for your businessrdquo

Forrester Research 2014 Top technology trends for 2014 and beyond12

5 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

12 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES104141

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 23: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

The term ldquocustomer experiencerdquo has become increasingly commonplace However there is still a lot of uncertainty about what customer experience actually is and ndash crucially ndash how this emerging discipline can produce positive value for a brand Forrester Research cuts through a lot of this uncertainty by defining customer experience as simply

ldquoHow customers perceive their interactions with your companyrdquo13

A key characteristic of resilient brands is that they are obsessed with how their brand is perceived by their customers because to a great extent brand is perception All brands would naturally wish their customers to like them to respect them to have a good perception of them ndash and of course to buy from them again and again ndash but is this wishing enough to invest in true customer experience improvement efforts

A recent survey conducted by Accent found that customers that have a positive experience with brands are

bull 80 more likely to make additional purchases bull 27 more likely to join a loyalty programme bull 79 more likely to tell family and friends bull 36 more likely to write online reviews bull 32 more likely to subscribe to email updates 14

The key takeouts from the research is that in order to maximise return on investment organisations need to understand and engage with customers across the entire lifecycle not just pre-purchase

24Brand as experience

13 httpblogsforrestercomharley_manning10-11-23-customer_experience_defined

14 httpwwwaccentonlinecomwp-contentuploadsACCENT-Beyond-the-Point-of-Purchase-Surveypdf

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 24: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

How to create a positive branded experience

The traditional way of viewing how customers make a purchase ndash the so-called ldquopurchase funnelrdquo ndash is dead and gone Resilient brands embrace new ways of understanding their customers and how their customers engage with their businesses

At Brilliant Noise we have adopted McKinseyrsquos ldquoCustomer Decision Journeyrdquo (CDJ) model to visualise customer-first brand experiences The CDJ details the different phases a customer goes through with a brand from consideration to buying bonding and advocating

There is a natural point in the customer decision journey model when a customer decides whether or not they will use a brandrsquos products or services again The single factor that most influences this decision is the quality of the interactions experienced by the customer Forrester research shows that good customer experience also correlates positively to the most potent business metrics willingness to consider another purchase likelihood of making a recommendation and also likelihood to switch to a competitor15

25Brand as experience

15 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES113421

CONSIDER

ADVOCATE

EVALUATEBOND

ENJOY

BUY

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 25: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Resilient brands know that a brand is a fragile thing and that itrsquos at risk from the most empowered generation of customers ever known ndash customers who have instant access to always-on instantaneous broadcast channels (eg Twitter Facebook) to make their true unfiltered feelings known when they have a poor experience with a brand

One disastrous example comes from Vodafone Australia Vodafone was a well respected global brand with a solid market share in Australia but in 2010 its mobile phone network became unreliable Customers experienced dropped calls and outages for hours sometimes even days at a time Out of nowhere a website and Twitter hashtag appeared vodafail And then a class action lawsuit from customers whose complaints were largely ignored by Vodafone Customers fled Vodafone in their hundreds of thousands And Vodafone Australia has still not fully recovered - five years on vodafail is still alive and well ndash and still racking up very public complaints16

Heeding instructive stories like this resilient brands move beyond brand image management to ldquocustomer experience managementrdquo They identify brand interactions at the customer level and convert these into a series of branded moments They focus on creating experiences that build both short-term connections and long-term relationships They understand that every customer interaction will either reinforce the brand image or risk damaging it

One such resilient brand is First Direct the UKrsquos ldquomost recommended bankrdquo17 winner of the ldquoWhich Best banking brand 2014rdquo and number one in Nunwoodrsquos Customer Experience Excellence League18 No small feat

Brand as experience 26

16 httpwwwtheregistercouk20140619vodafone_au_network_stalked_by_new_vodafail17 Source - Charterhouse Research Customer contact survey18 httpwwwnunwoodcomthe-customer-experience-excellence-centre2014-uk-experience- excellence-results

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 26: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

How do brand and customer experience connect for First Direct They are one and the same First Directrsquos brand proposition is a better customer experience than you would find in high street banks ndash despite having no physical branches

In its television advertising for example we meet a talking lizard character chasing a pizza delivery guy down the street for delivering the wrong kind of pizza ldquoI flipping hate bad servicerdquo he yells

No mention of interest rates or financial products or special offers The message is if you want a good experience do business with us This is emphasised on its website where it says ldquoWe offer you all the usual banking services like a current account savings cards mortgages loans and insurance but where were different is the way we offer them We listen we have a conversation and we recognise that its your money not oursrdquo

In another example ASOS identified the need for style advice to drive the purchase of fashion products It sounds obvious but not easy for an online retailer to offer ASOS was able to leverage the opportunity via a new Google product called Helpouts19 It allowed customers to join video chat sessions with ASOS stylists to get free style advice20

During the launch campaign there was a 243 increase in traffic to ASOScom and 84 of Helpouts attendees were new customers21

Shoshana Zuboff in her book Creating Value in the Age of Distributed Capitalism writes

ldquoThe old logic of wealth creation worked from the perspective of the organisation and its requirements The new logic starts with the individual end user Instead of lsquoWhat do we have and how can we sell it to yoursquo good business practices start by asking lsquoWho are yoursquo lsquoWhat do you needrsquo and lsquoHow can we helprsquo This inverted thinking makes it possible to identify the assets that represent real value for each individual Cash flow and profitability are derived from those assetsrdquo

This is the essence of brand image and customer experience being absolutely inseparable And judging from First Direct and ASOSrsquos numerous accolades a very powerful combination indeed

Brand as experience 27

19 httpshelpoutsgooglecom103410992963919123763lsb4b8db03a7e7bc3a20 httpwwwasoscomdiscoverpersonal-stylist21 httpwwwslidesharenetlovieawardslovie-white-paper-2014

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 27: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

How does it work

In a connected world ndash or what Forrester has dubbed the ldquoAge of the Customerrdquo22 ndash a brand is judged on its actions and the experiences it provides In order for your brand to become resilient and customer obsessed you need to think about brand interactions at a granular level - as a sum of many experiences starting with customers and their needs

How can you translate traditional brand assets into a brand experience One approach is to extrapolate values into distinctive aspects of the experience By matching brand manifestations and customer expectations you can create value for both sides throughout the decision journey

Building brand through customer experience is not exclusive to the marketing function It also requires commitment from the leadership team to support the necessary cultural shift throughout the business

It requires an expanded way of thinking that goes beyond single channels or campaigns Resilient brands need to start thinking in terms of a larger ldquoecosystemrdquo in which they live and operate Forrester defines this ldquoCustomer Experience Ecosystemrdquo as

ldquoThe complex set of interdependent relationships among your companyrsquos employees partners and customers that determines the quality of all customer interactionsrdquo

Kerry Bodine Principal Analyst Customer Experience Forrester Research

Brand as experience 28

22 httpswwwforrestercomgoobjectid=RES103702

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 28: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

Why does it work

Resilient brands donrsquot over invest in the consideration phase They are present throughout the customer journey Moving away from brand messaging and starting to use the brand as a customer experience design tool can be daunting When achieved it creates high levels of consumer engagement The business can ultimately deliver growth through customer loyalty and advocacy - essential for success in the digital age

Brand as experience 29

VALUE CREATED FOR THE BRAND

BUILD TRUST

STRONGER CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

VALUE CREATED FOR THE CUSTOMER

CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE

EASE OF USE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT

RELEVANCY (PERSONALISATION)

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 29: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

ConclusionManaging brand identity is not enough to create and maintain a great brand A resilient brand

If you were to assess your brand health tomorrow many branding consultancies would provide you with a report that looks at the messaging and consistency How does the brand look in different platforms Is the identity consistent Are the messages and the narrative coherent and differentiated

This branding method asks ldquoAre we saying the right thingsrdquo when a better question is ldquoAre we doing the right thingsrdquo

Every customer touchpoint matters Every interaction is an opportunity to create a branded moment

Successful leaders create resilient brands Brands that share a common purpose with their customers that build a system of advantage and deliver a consistently outstanding experience

Where are you in your marketAre you an incumbent or a disruptor Do you share a common purpose with your customersIs your brand a tool for transformationDoes it provide a system of advantageIs the brand experience good enoughItrsquos time to build your resilient brand

6 Resilient BrandsA framework for brand building in the digital age

Conclusion 30

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 30: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

The digital revolution changes everything Itrsquos the force driving shifts in markets customers and organisations Businesses face a dual challenge staying ahead of the competition while transforming their own organisation

Wersquore a digital strategy agency We create fast change with lasting impact in four critical connected areas experience brand content and culture We do this through strategy and a bias for action

Improvement in any of these areas delivers fast measurable benefits but we see the greatest impact when theyrsquore aligned and working together

To find out how Brilliant Noise can help you see and make your future get in touch

hellobrilliantnoisecom

Brilliant Noise fast change lasting impact

Conclusion 31

wwwbrilliantnoisecom

Page 31: Resilient Brands: A framework for brand building in the digital age

wwwbrilliantnoisecom