Brand Identity

10 Questions You Should Ask Before Branding Or Re-branding

There are dozens of questions that Ad4! Group asks when doing a brand development project. We ask questions of the brand owners, employees and the brand’s customers and vendors.

We design these questions to give us a strong understanding of key information that’s necessary before even starting the branding or re-branding process. As every company is unique, our questionnaires vary according to the client; however, we regularly use the following 10 questions because the responses help us build a foundation of understanding where the branding process should lead.

1. What value does your brand provide the market?

This question comes in lots of different flavors, but it boils down to “What is your Unique Sales Proposition (USP)? In other words, what do you provide the market that no other brand provides in quite the same way, with the same quality, timeliness or whatever variable you think is important.

If we had to pick between your business and another business down the street that appears to me to be the same, why would we pick yours?

 2.Why should the market believe you?

What evidence can you provide for question 1 above? You SAY you’re the best at something, so how can you prove to the market that your story is true?

3. Do you understand the market’s perception of your brand?

What does the market think of your brand? Not what you want, hope or desire, but what do the individuals in the market really think about your company? It’s easy to get yourself turned around on this question because you want the market to love your brand. You want to be like Nike or Apple, but you’re not. Understanding where you stand can be a sobering proposition. But if you want to develop a remarkable brand, you need to understand the truth. You need to know how the market views your brand so you can begin to improve.

The above is an excerpt. To learn the 10 Questions You Should Ask Before Branding Or Re-branding, click HERE to read the full article in the Fall/Winter 2017 issue of Tools for Success magazine. You can also pick up a print copy of the magazine at a Progress Bank location near you. Click for a complete list of LOCATIONS.

Author: Felica Sparks is the founder of Ad4! Group, Communications that Counts! Her focus is on assisting companies with all their growth strategies, beginning with their brand.

Clearly, creating or rejuvenating a company’s brand is a critical initiative. Creating or establishing a strong, vibrant brand is not about creating advertising, an ad campaign, or a new slogan. It is a strategic issue that should be undertaken with a disciplined approach because if done properly, the initiative should be a long-term investment that stands the test of time.

However, to be truly effective, a company’s brand cannot just be an external projection or some creative “face” applied to a company.  We believe an organization’s brand must be developed “inside out.”  Having a clear understanding of corporate culture, core values, as well as business strategy is vital to the creation of a strong company brand—a brand that is not based on short term marketing positioning, but rather is anchored deeply in the “DNA” of the organization.

So is it time to redefine or rejuvenate your brand?

There are many events that can signal the need for rebranding such as a merger, a major acquisition, a significant change in business strategy, or a new business venture.  Even if you are not experiencing one of these milestone events, you can assess your current brand by asking yourself the following questions along 6 simple dimensions of brand strength.

If you are expecting dynamic company growth, category leadership, or a distinctive and superior competitive position and the answers to the following questions do not seem to align with the expectations for your company, perhaps it is time to consider a strategic branding initiative.

1. Loyalty – Is this a brand for which a customer is willing to pay a premium?  Is the brand consistently in the top 3 of the customer’s considered set?  How easily will the customer switch brands?  Is retention high?
2. Perceived Quality – Compared to other alternatives, is the brand seen as the best, or one of the best?
3. Distinctiveness – Is the brand seen as distinctively different on dimensions that are important to a large number of potential users?  Does the brand have a “deep drawer” with many rich and positive associations?  Is the brand highly respected, trusted, liked, with strong functional and emotional ties.
4. Awareness – Is the brand top-of-mind in awareness?  Is it a leader in unaided awareness?  In recognition?

Visual Imagery/Deployment      

Of Brandable Assets

Are the visual representations of the brand consistent across applications and geography?  Do they consistently enhance the strategy/position of the brand?  Do they help the brand stand apart and above the competition?  Do they contribute to strong recognition and deliver positive cues for the brand?  Are the brandable assets deployed in a manner that maximizes the effectiveness of available brand support resources?

Market Performance

Is share growing? Are sales growing? Is distribution expanding? Is the % of business done on promotion increasing or decreasing?

One final recommendation, if you think it may be time, work with a proven, professional brand development firm to help you create and establish a strong, vital brand that endures over time.

AUTHOR: Terry Slaughter is President and Senior Creative Officer of the Slaughter Group, a consulting and design firm specializing in the creation of external corporate identities and the development of internal cultures. Learn more at our Contributors tab.