HOW TO BE A SPOTTED ZEBRA IN A LAND OF STRIPES

Transcription

1 web creations HOW TO BE A SPOTTED ZEBRA IN A LAND OF STRIPES BRAND WORKBOOK BRANDING AND MARKETING INSIGHTS FROM A LARGE FLYING MAMMAL

2 1 Is It Time to Change Your Stripes? Exercises to Help Your Brand Stand Out From the Pack In this world of social media and iphones (more on this in a moment), we value emotion and connection over simple products and services. The brands and products that we buy are purchased as much for what they communicate about us as people as they are for their utility or convenience. We develop our individual identities by our collection of brand associations. This couldn t be more apparent for brands than in the simple technology that many use every day: An iphone. Is an iphone the cheapest or most-functional product on the market? Clearly not. Many phones cost hundreds of dollars less and there are phones that have more advanced technology. Then, why, I ask, does Apple remain in such a dominant market position year in and year out? THE ANSWER IS: THE BRAND. Apple s iphone is a prime example of a product that has moved beyond its existence as a physical product and rooted itself deep in the heart of its fans. People don t use iphones, they are iphones. Owning an iphone becomes not only a club, but a piece of identity. You can assume certain characteristics about an iphone user that separate them as a person from Android users. And, you ll usually be correct. The same is true for most of Apple s other products. Their brand has become a defining piece of many identities in the 21st century. This special status hasn t come lightly. Apple has fought for decades to create and defend this mental ERIC GROVES PRINCIPAL AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR and emotional connection with consumers. And, likewise, you won t transform a commodity product into a beloved brand in the blink of an eye. But, as any journey, this transformation starts with the smallest of steps. This workbook was created as a way for companies to begin to understand the brand mentality of this new generation. It s an introduction to the principles that we use to help craft brands that rise above the competition. These exercises are taken from our Spotted Zebra Brand Workshop, where we lead organizations through a full day of analysis and discovery to develop and define their brand s identity, voice, and persona. Our desire is that these exercises will help move your brand to the head of the pack.

3 2 1 WHY IT MATTERS Every Zebra Has a Heart Great brands have meaning. They create an emotional experience for consumers who connect with that meaning, share the thoughts, and hold the same beliefs as the brand itself. This means that a brand needs emotion and human drive at its core.

4 3 Filling in Your Spots Defining Your IT To tell your brand story, you must first figure out what meaning drives your brand. We need to identify your IT. IT is short for Why does it matter? If you can answer that question in a way that moves beyond a literal description of what you do, and into meaning, you are on your way to the foundation of a potentially powerful brand. WHAT YOU DO A computer software company s IT may hinge on their dedication to making things simple for other small businesses, or a fruit vendor s IT may be driven by the vision of creating a sustainable local food economy. Either way, these brands are rooted in thoughts, ideas, and opinions that drive everything they do and tell a story about who they are, where they come from, and why consumers should believe in them. To identify your IT, you must dig deep into your brand and understand what emotional, human reasons it has for existence. But, even though we want to communicate from the inside out (communicating the why we do, not the what we do ), it s usually easiest to start simple the what and work our way inward, allowing each piece to build off each other. HOW YOU DO IT DIFFERENTLY WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO IT On the next page, we ll walk you through some steps to help uncover your brand s core your brand s IT. What is your IT?

5 4 Filling In Your Spots Getting to IT 1 What do you do? What do you sell? What is your business? 2 How do you do it? How is it better, different, or unique from your competitors? 3 Why does what you do matter to people? (This is where we identify the meaning behind your brand.)

6 5 2 THE ONE Your Spots Best Friend Every brand has an ideal customer. We call this The One. This section will help profile your One.

7 6 It s a Jungle Out There Defining The One What makes a customer The One? Everything about them should be perfectly aligned with your brand s core ideals, strengths, services, and pricing. The perfect customer values the kind of work that your organization does best (and better than your competitors). Their budget matches your pricing and their personal identity aligns with your brand s persona. This is the ideal situation for everyone. It leads to better work, more satisfaction, and higher margins. So, while every customer can t be the perfect fit, your brand should be intentionally crafted in a way that maximizes the number of ideal clients coming through your door. On the next page, you ll have an opportunity to identify which types of customers would be the best possible. It s important that you identify and target The One.

8 7 Spotting Your Type Defining The One BRAINSTORM LIST OF TRAITS List the traits of an ideal customer REFINED LIST OF TRAITS Narrow your traits down to no more than seven, and list them in order of importance EXAMPLES OF THE ONE List several current or potential real-world people/companies who fit your ideal profile SPOTTED ZEBRA ASSIGNMENT This week: Reach out to one of the names on your list of The One. This month: Develop a long-term strategy to identify and reach out to others that match your One criteria.

9 8 3 BRAND PERSONA Trading Stripes For Spots Your brand persona is the bridge that connects your brand s meaning with those that identify with that meaning.

10 9 How Does Your Zebra Sound, Look, and Behave? Building Your Brand Persona Your Brand Persona is a combination of three important elements: Brand Voice, Brand Style and Brand Behavior. Just like a person, your brand persona should exude personality and depth. It should be inviting and contagious, with a rich mix of human traits such as humor, charm, warmth and other desirable traits that are irresistibly attractive to those you are trying to reach The One. 1. Brand Voice: What does your brand sound like? What are your stories? What are your key messages? Is your voice attractive or descriptive? Does it contain personality traits such as charm, wit, and humor? Is anyone listening? Why should they? 2. Brand Style: What does your brand look like? Is it properly dressed for the occasion? Does it get noticed? Is it time for style make-over? Would The One be attracted to your style? IT BRAND Your Brand is the bridge that connects your It with The One. THE ONE! 3. Brand Behavior: Does the behavior of your brand match what it says it is? Beyond your voice and style, does your brand behavior say that you are authentic? How can you not just say, but actually do?

11 10 Categorize, Filter and Prioritize Building Your Brand Persona Use the cards on the next page to help shape and define your brand s unique persona following these directions: 1 CATEGORIZE 2 FILTER 3 PRIORITIZE 4 PLAN Notice the three cards at the top of the page for Voice, Style, and Behavior. These are the three main categories that you ll be placing cards under. To start, go through each of the cards and identify what your brand persona should be in order to attract The One. Place each card under the appropriate section. You don t have to use all of the cards, only the ones that make sense. If there are attributes that you think of that aren t on the list, by all means create your own! Here s where we have to start making the tough choices. Your brand needs to be authentic. Are there conflicts? Can you be both tactical and strategic? Why did you choose both cool and hip? What do these terms mean for your brand internally? Consider each card carefully. Narrow your focus as much as possible and resolve any issues that arise between the cards you ve chosen. Anything that you decide is a poor fit for your business or conflicts with other messages, remove. More tough decisions. Now that you ve narrowed down your traits, it s time to decide which are the most important. Do you want to emphasize the fact that you re international? Or, is it more important that people understand that you re consistent? Put all of your cards in a rank order no ties! Now that you have a clear set of adjectives that define your brand, it s time to start changing your stripes. Take a close look at all three areas of your brand and determine where things need to be shored up. Using the grid on page 12, develop an action plan to transform your brand into a Spotted Zebra and move your brand to the front of the pack.

12 11 VOICE COACHING DIPLOMATIC STYLE SIMPLE RUSTIC PATRIOTIC INSPIRATIONAL CANDID CLEVER NATURAL TRENDY OUTDOORSY COMMUNITY MINDED CASUAL IRREVERENT HUMOROUS CURRENT MINIMAL BOLD GREEN SEXY ACADEMIC WITTY FORMAL CLEAN LOUD CONSERVATIVE PROFESSIONAL WORLDLY AGGRESSIVE CASUAL ELITE RETRO LIBERAL URBAN SARCASTIC CHILL HIP ORIGINAL BEHAVIOR THOUGHT LEADER HEART-FELT HONEST LOUD CLASSIC ORNATE HIGH-TOUCH AGGRESSIVE UNDERSTATED ELITE QUIET TRADITIONAL FUNKY IRONIC HEALTH CONSCIOUS MYSTERIOUS MASCULINE ENERGETIC ELEGANT ECLECTIC AUTHENTIC CHARITABLE EMPOWERING FEMININE AGGRESSIVE URBAN CHIC SELECTIVE SOURCE LOCAL FUN CONFIDENT EXCLUSIVE SEXY GRUNGE RESPONSIVE REBEL FRIENDLY WISE DEFIANT TIMELESS SLEEK CONSCIENTIOUS ADVENTUROUS APPROACHABLE SMART SLANG PREMIUM PREPPY VISIONARY QUIRKY COMFORTING COUNTRY HIP MODERN COOL ECO-FRIENDLY CUTTING EDGE

13 12 Crafting Your Brand Persona Your Action Plan Now that you know the essence of your brand, take a close look at each area, identify the gaps that need attention, and develop a plan to address them. It s time to build a brand persona that will make you stand out from the pack and attract The One. 1 BRAND VOICE What are your stories? What are your key messages? Is your voice full of personality or full of descriptive content? Is anyone listening? Why should they? 2 BRAND STYLE What does your brand look like? Is it properly dressed for the occasion? Does it get noticed? Is it time for a style make-over? Would THE ONE be attracted to your style? 3 BRAND BEHAVIOR Does the behavior of your brand match what it says it is? What are some new behaviors that will improve your brand perception and/or the experience for your customers?

14 13 A Whole New Animal Your Brand Brief Use this page to write in the findings from each of the main exercises in one place. This will serve as a miniature brand guide as you move forward. OUR IT THE ONE TOP 7 ATTRIBUTES OUR BAND PERSONA VOICE: STYLE: BEHAVIOR: CONNECTING IT WITH THE ONE

15 WEB BANNER ADS 14 Spot On Managing Your Brand Going Forward E-MARKETING MATERIALS After working through each of these exercises, your organization will have a strong start on defining the core of your brand and informing a comprehensive brand strategy. The bad news is that this is just the beginning. Defining a brand through these exercises is only the first step to successfully executing a full brand strategy. The good news is that isn t quite as scary as it seems by looking at the huge list of touchpoints that this will effect. We never advise brands to try to tackle everything at once. It s too difficult to execute well when you allow yourself to focus on so many things. THINK BRAND FIRST. As you begin any new project, no matter the media, begin first by looking at your brand. This gives you the opportunity to integrate that strategy across each touchpoint as it becomes relevant, and without being overwhelmed by the idea of doing it all at once. Never lose sight of the importance of your brand. Reference the brand elements that you ve outlined in these exercises frequently. Don t let them sit on a shelf collecting dust. TV COMMERCIALS MAGAZINE / TRADE ADS NEWSPAPER ADS DIRECT MAIL BILLBOARDS RADIO ADS SOCIAL MEDIA PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNUAL REPORTS POSTERS POINT-OF-PURCHASE POWERPOINTS PROPOSAL SYSTEM WEBSITE AD SPECIALTIES CORP. VIDEOS PACKAGING CORP. BROCHURE ANNOUNCEMENTS BRAND ROLLOUT SALES SUPPORT MATERIALS PRODUCT LITERATURE PRODUCT CATALOGS PRODUCT DESIGN CORP. FOLDER / BINDER NEWSLETTERS CLIENT APPRECIATION VEHICLE GRAPHICS BRAND STANDARDS GUIDE INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS FORMS Brand Touchpoints INTERIOR SIGNAGE STATIONERY EXTERIOR SIGNAGE MARKETING MATERIALS TRADESHOW MATERIALS TRADESHOW DISPLAYS NAMING LOGO BRAND PERSONA Remember, in a land of stripes, it s critical that your brand is spot-on. Every touchpoint matters: If there is one, primary reason to strategically engineer your brand s personality inside and out it is to crystallize the flavor of the customer experience you deliver. ALINA WHEELER

16 web creations FLYING HIPPO HIP AND NERDY IN ONE CHUBBY BODY Flying Hippo is a one-of-a-kind breed of branding and digital agency. We re most definitely hip our branding and creative teams have consistently produced internationally award-winning creative work for our clients. And, yes, we re off-the-charts nerds as well and proud of it. Our nerd team consists of some of the brightest programmers and strategists around to make sure that all of that exceptional creative work not only looks great, but functions just as well. If you re looking for a unique team of branding experts, award-winning creatives, ultra-savvy digital strategists, and true-blue nerds to help grow your business, you ve come to the right place. Contact us to set up a full-day Spotted Zebra Brand Workshop with our team where we ll walk through exercises like these to discover and define your irresistible brand TH STREET DES MOINES, IOWA ph: INFO@FLYINGHIPPO.COM FLYINGHIPPO.COM