Beginners Guide to Developing a Brand

Branding: 

Some of the world's most known brand logo's are in the image on the left - recognise them?!

What do you think of when you see the logos? Probably the products they are known for but think beyond that....how does each brand differ from one another? If Google was a person, how would they be different to Microsoft, or how would KFC differ to McDonalds?

The point is, 'brand' is critical and it goes way way WAY beyond just the name or logo.

Sure you could have a quick brainstorming session to come up with a witty and memorable company name over a pint on a Friday night but what's a name without direction or strategy.....honestly pretty much nada.

Branding is about starting with the solid foundation of a sound business strategy, where insights and direction are based upon a thorough understanding of the marketplace and your potential audiences. One you have defined and understand your audience, the challenges, the opportunity, and developed a positioning statement, only then are you ready to deep dive into truly defining the why, how and what of your brand.

I created this three part 'Beginners Guide To Developing a Brand' off the back of educating and helping a friend develop his brand from scratch for his business startup of setting up a new Yoga School brand called Bright Light Yoga.

If you are new to marketing, setting up a new business, or simply want a quick recap on some of the fundamentals of branding, then this three part guide is for you.

As mentioned within the guide, there are various methodologies and approaches to creating a brand, some of which are not mentioned in this guide - the clue is in the title of this document, it's a guide. You may decide to complete all the points within it, you may decide to only do a few, or you may have another approach - that's completely fine. The point is, take what works for you - it's more about ensuring you do your research, consider the longer term picture, and really define how best to position your brand to your primary audiences.

I hope you benefit from it.

How to create a Digital Marketing & Analytics Measurement Model

Data. 

Those who work in the marketing world (and probably those who don't) will contest that this small four letter word that is often preceded by words like 'big' or 'small' has become so ruthlessly banded about that it is almost a commodity. Within a marketing context this 'commodity' can and should be used to continually optimise business success.

But you know the above already, it's obvious and 'data' isn't a new thing....

'Data' is banded about so often that it would seem everyone is an expert in it. Surely all the 'experts' out there are maximising data-analytics to drive continued ROI uplift, customer satisfaction, a 360 degree view of their customers, personalised dialogue with the customer to drive engagement and minimise churn; all of which equates to arming their brand with that competitive advantage.....right?!

Wrong.

This post isn't about what data is and isn't, there are too many great (and crap) posts on that. Nor am I yet another self confessed data junkie trying to preach that data is the all and everything in digital marketing because all of the other cool kids are saying it; creativity has never been more important and most definitely has its place (Previous blog post Imagination is more important than knowledge). Having a very digital acquisitions focused background where ROI and accountability is everything, this experience has however moulded me to believe that data is the backbone to digital marketing, which should be used to plan, benchmark, measure, understand and optimise our digital marketing initiatives.

The problem in this day and age (as I see it) for many digital marketers isn't really about the collection of data itself - there are hoards of sufficient analytics tools and tutorials out there with simple implementation processes to collect basic and complex data. The problem is the abundance of data and the ease of turning the tap on to get that data vs (the lack of) a considered data strategy prior to turning that 'data tap' on and an on-going measurement plan to benchmark against.

It continually amazes me at how often marketers jump head first into a digital marketing initiative - be that development (e.g - website / app build), optimisation (e.g landing page / sales funnel), campaign (e.g channel performance/attribution and ROI) before having a considered digital measurement strategy that ties back into the fundamental business objectives. And let's be honest, too often the business objectives are either so generic or just generally unclear.

If every person who works within the digital marketing space - client and agency side - knew, understood, and utilised something as simple and fundamental as the digital marketing and measurement framework explained below at the start of every digital marketing initiative, more brands would be dominating within this space. Dominating defined as real measurable results that meet real business objectives as cost effectively as possible. Despite the pure magnitude of self proclaimed marketing 'guru's', 'ninja's' and general know-it-alls, the sad reality is that something as simple, basic and fundamental as a digital marketing measurement plan is often forgotten, neglected or simply not used. 

21 Things you need to know before entering the Marketing World (Slideshare)

Whatever the subject that you have studied and think you have mastered at University, School, or College there is always going to be quite a huge disparity between theoretical knowledge and reality in practice. That is not to take away the valuable knowledge that you have worked hard to gain from your studies but more a healthy reminder, understanding and expectation that your greatest learnings will always come from real-life practice in the workplace.

If studying is the preparation of food for a dinner party - like finding a recipe, having the right ingredients, marinating the meat, having the right cooking tools - then real-life experience is the actual cooking of the food. Cooking without the initial preparation may be detrimental to the end result, however you will learn through failure and success as you go, and preparation without the cooking makes for an incomplete dish!

The deck below created by Hubspots Inbound Marketing Manager Anum Hussain focuses on '21 things you actually need to know before entering the marketing world' and is aimed at Graduates of Marketing. Whilst graduates are the primary audience for this I think some of the learnings are a healthy reminder to us all and ring true no matter what your level.

A few thoughts about what digital is, and is not

We live in a world where 'always on' digital is the norm, where women are kick boxers and guys wear cosmetics, where small startup companies are becoming the biggest companies, and where some of the formerly biggest companies are no longer in business. (Or rapidly losing marketshare and being squeezed out)

Why?

If I wrote about and discussed all the reasons here it would probably make for a chunky sized book, however I believe there a few top level reasons why that I mention below. This is by no means an exhausted list, just some key thoughts that immediately come to mind.

The What & How of the Creative Brief




Article Summary:

In my nine years of working in Advertising / Marketing industry, I have seen, written, signed off on, and rejected many a creative brief; and that's just it, they are all very different in quality. The quality of the creative brief will have a profound affect on the end result; that is the creative and advertising itself. 

As per the old children's song of the 'Wise man built his house upon the rocks' versus the 'Foolish man who built his house upon the sand' - your 'house' (creative) will only really be as effective as its foundations (the creative brief) will allow. If the creatives don't clearly understand the point of the required advertising, its objectives, the audience and the strategy, then you are fighting a losing battle from the onset, and the advertising will demonstrate that. It probably isn't the creative's fault, it is result of the (bad) process.

The content within this post has been largely influenced by one of the first books I ever read regarding Advertising; Jon Steel's Truth, Lies, & Advertising. Although technology and the industry have evolved since he wrote this brilliant book, I believe his core thoughts regarding many elements of advertising, such as the Creative Brief, still ring very true. 

As a Digital Strategist and someone who believes Digital is often and unfortunately added to the conversation too late in the creative process, it goes without saying that I believe 'Digital' should be a paramount consideration throughout the entire creative process. 

One last thing - this post is not a guide to the perfect 'one hat fits all' creative brief, because that simply is not possible. It should be used a reference guide to understand the key core elements that I believe should be presented, challenged, and answered within a creative brief. 

The Zero Moment of Truth - It's implications and history

ZMOT - Most marketers worth their salt will have at least heard of ZMOT (Zero Moment Of Truth), whether they truly understand its implications though is a completely different thing.

Some brands get it, it makes sense, and the implications of it are seriously considered in all marketing communications, online properties, and customer service approach and response. These are the brands that are growing, expanding, increasing their revenues, and have a satisfied customer base who by-and-large are more likely to recommend said product/service to their friends. Sadly, these brands are still the significant few, relative to the majority.

For some ZMOT is just another overused, overhyped, trendy yet misunderstood buzz word that has been added to the heap of other overused buzz words that continue to flood the marketing industry. It can be regularly used to confuse the hell out of most people in meetings, and further inflate already over-inflated ego's of those significant few so trigger happy to use it, without really understanding it, and more importantly its implications.

And yet miraculously, there are still some who simply haven't heard about it, and therefore should take time out to learn about it.

This post is a short recap about the Zero Moment Of Truth (ZMOT); it's history, what it really means and represents, and how brands/marketers can and should utilise it through all their business and marketing decisions.

A brief history of Marketing in an infographic

"Marketing started with the first human beings. Using the first Bible story as an example, we see Eve convincing Adam to eat the forbidden apple. But Eve was not the first marketer. It was the snake that convinced her to market to Adam."

The point being made in the excerpt from Kotler Marketing is that Marketing, in one form or another, has been around for a very long time. For as long as people have had something to trade or sell with one another, they have used a medium of marketing to persuade, manipulate, and influence people to choose their product over that of another.

From the birth of printed newspapers and advertising in the 15th century, to the tactics, intelligence, big data complexities, and creativity utilised in some modern day advertising. Marketing mediums and practice has changed dramatically and evolved astronomically over the years.

The history of modern marketing makes for an interesting read, and as with any evolutionary lineage gives you a nice understanding of how we got to the now, and who was involved. From the key dates, to the companies and people involved, the infographic below created by Hubspot provides an interesting top level history of marketing.

6 Steps to help you create a successful brand (Part 1 of 2)

You have a new business idea, you're are bursting with enthusiasm and energy to get the product or service to market, you have hopefully spent a decent amount of time researching the marketplace and have a clear understanding of your audience and goals.

Before you can get the ball rolling with all the many things you need to do to, you find you are stumped... you need a name. You may or may not know this but in fact you need a lot more than just a name, you need an identity - you need a brand.

When you look over the many brand logos in the image above, you probably look beyond the logos themselves - each logo represents more than a design - they represent a feeling, a lifestyle, a memory, a want, a need, a dream, a promise, a product.

Major brands are abundantly clear about who they are and invest significant amounts of money to ensure they preciously guard 'their brand' across all of their customer touch-points.

Hypothetically speaking - if things like cost and convenience were equal, what makes you choose Nike over Adidas, Ferrari over Porsche, Starbucks over Costa Coffee, San Pellegrino sparkling water over Perrier sparkling water, Shangri la over the Intercontinental hotel? Or maybe you chose Adidas, Porsche, Costa Coffee, Perrier and the Intercontinetal Hotel instead.....why?

Email & Newsletter Design Best Practice Infographic

Like Woody and Buzzlight in Toy Story, there are times were old and new can happily co-exist, especially in the marketing world.

Despite the rapid rise of Social Media, email remains a very effective marketing medium; caveat if done correctly, and should remain a handy weapon in every marketers arsenal alongside its counterparts.

Below is an email design best practice infographic.

Digital Marketing & Social Media tools guide

Digital Marketing - How do I....? 

Here's a generic situation, which may sound very familiar to some.

A buddy approaches me and asks for some marketing help. The last few years of slogging it out in a job they care little about has paid off, they now have a business idea of their own, some money in the bank, and a revived focus for their career. They are untouchable, fired up with energy and ambition, and all they want to do is get stuck straight into their new project, make things happen and make some $. It's time for them to let the world know, but the problem is they don't know how to, or better put, they don't know the best way to do so. So they look on the web and can quite easily be pulled in every direction by the pure volume of articles, 101's, books, video's, guides and expert opinions.

So after spending a few weeks/months learning, trying, failing, succeeding (repeat), they ask their buddy who works in Marketing for help, as he must know!...

• How do I get my site ranked on Google?
• How do I know if my marketing is working?
• What marketing should I be doing?
• Should I set my brand up on Social Media?
• How do I monitor my brand on Social Media?
• Should I use 'this' tool? Should I pay for 'this' service?
• Etc

10 Great Blogging tools for beginners and seasoned pros alike

If like me you are new to blogging, or you are seasoned pro that is just researching the blogging landscape for new tools then 10 Best Blog Tools for Beginners post by Alison posted on May 21, 2012 is exactly what you need. Being new to it myself, I have read a lot of good (and bad) posts on Blogging tools - this is a good post and I wanted to share it.

Short extract to wet your appetite. 

"Blogging can be challenging for beginners. We’ve all been there: the early days of blogging when it’s exciting just to receive a single comment on one of your posts, when writing good content takes up all of your free time, and when it feels like you’re talking to no one on social media.

So today, I wanted to share with you all the best blog tools for beginners. These tools can help you make friends online, find new readers, save time, and avoid common blogging mistakes.And of course, I hope there are a few tricks in here for experienced bloggers too! I didn’t start using some of these tools until late in the game, simply because I didn’t know about them."

Full article