Brand Paradigm

An outline of key factors that an organization needs to plan, perform, maintain and control in their strategic goal to build a brand, rebrand, advance brand placement and perception in the market and/or gain greater brand ROI.

Establish brand foundations

• Organization
• History / Origin
• Frame your Story
• Vision and Mission
• Value Proposition
• Health and Stability
• Competitors and Rivalries
• Differentiators
• Core Competencies
• Disciplines
• Culture
• Style Guide: Logo, Colors, Fonts, Symbols and Graphics
• Earned, Owned, Shared and Paid Channels
• Brand Orientation (inside) and Market Orientation (outside)
• DAM (Digital Asset Management) System

Compose brand lens

• Audit
• SWOT Analysis
• Evaluation and Comparison
• Equity and Assets
• Angle and Perspective
• Authenticity
• Flow
• Tailoring
• Points of Parity to distinguish the Brand
• Clarity and Presence

Form brand structure

• Reputation, Expertise and Authority
• Thought Leaders
• Intelligence
• Esteem and Pride
• Trust and Ethical Practices
• Nature and Personality
• Framework of Expressions
• Methods of Contribution
• Brand Image
• Ways to Cultivate Content

Create brand components

• Products
• Services
• Subscriptions / Memberships
• Packaging / Labels / Inserts
• Advertising
• Social
• In-Person
• Digital
• Mobile
• Physical Locations
• Collateral and Physical Assets
• Visuals
• People
• Customer Service
• Voice and Messaging Style
• Platforms

Design brand elements

• Logo
• Colors and White Space
• Fonts and Graphical Messaging
• Taglines
• Titles and Heading Level
• Images, Icons, Symbols
• Design Differentiators
• Rules, Margins, Borders
• Navigation
• Frameset
• Triggers and Call to Actions

Amplify brand discovery

• Awareness
• Organic Reach
• Rate of Exposure
• Tactical Positioning
• Ecosystem Penetration

Build brand strategy

• Compelling Content Tailored to the Channel
• Social Listening and Interaction
• Align with Customer Behaviors and Attitude
• Boosting and Scaling
• Organic Growth (meta, tags and links)
• Recognizing and Removing Barriers to Entry
• Campaigns, Promotions, Contests, Incentives
• Loyalty and Advocacy Rewards
• Tying Exposure to Goals
• Publishing Cadence, Timing and Frequency

Research and Market Awareness

• Industry Trends
• Markets and Direct Competition
• Insights and Knowledge
• Search Terms and Keywords

Brand audience

• Mass Markets
• B2B, B2C, D2C, C2C, C2B
• Professional, Personal, Private
• Followers
• Advocates
• Influencers
• Public Attitude and Sentiment
• Emotional Triggers
• Resonating Factors
• Relevancy
• Convenience
• Value (perceived and real)
• Connection
• Habits, Modes, Routines
• Preferred Touch Points

Cultivate brand relations

• Engagement
• Responsiveness and Impact
• Nurturing and Reinforcement
• Intention and Impression
• Retention and Repetition
• Social and Community
• Accessibility
• Brand Outreach
• Associations and Partnerships

Foster brand reputation

• Surveys and Feedback
• Reviews, Testimonials, Recommendations
• Lines of Communication (internal and external)
• Routing Inquiries – Chain of Command
• Flow Charts and Diagrams for Points of Contact
• Maintain Subject Matter Experts
• Avoid Bottlenecks
• Prearrange Responses to Common Comments
• Escalate Serious and Sensitive Issues
• Neutralize Negative Assertions, Claims and Criticism
• Action Plan for Response Approvals and Dissemination
• Trust Restoration Processes
• Monitor for Bots
• Prevent Trolls and Harassment
• Document and Record Activities
• Hold Trainings, Drills and Lessons Learned Exercises

Institute brand management

• Who has Brand Ownership and Serves as Leader
• Establish Brand Supporters and Champions
• Public Relations and Brand Management
• Strategy for Poor Performing Touch Points
• Monitor and Measure Brand Performance
• Identify Potential Vulnerabilities
• Prevention of Confidence Erosion
• Mitigating Impact of Brand Damage

Prepare for “What If”

• Negative Brand Experiences
• Diffuse Instances of Letdown
• Handle Offensive Incidents
• Work Through Setbacks
• Overcome Crisis Moments
• Remedies for Mistakes
• Rectify a Failure

Measure brand goals and performance

• Quantify [mentions, requests, visits]
• Qualitative [engagement, reviews, advocates]
• SOV (share of voice)
• SOC (share of communication)
• Purchasing Signals
• Competitor Intelligence
• Track Links and Performance
• Actionable Metrics vs Vanity Metrics
• Benchmarks and KPIs
• Reporting and Analysis

Net Promoter Score

• measures customer satisfaction
• identifies promoters, neutral, and detractors
• ranges from -100 to +100
• a score over 0 is considered ‘good’
• +50 or higher is ‘excellent’