• Brand is everywhere

French On Brand

~ by GroPartners Consulting CEO Greg French

French On Brand

Tag Archives: brand experience

Extreme Branded Entertainment

04 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by French On Brand in Branding

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brand experience, brand marketing, branding, Engagement strategies

270214-gaga

Brands are getting close to out-and-out owning music entertainers. What’s next?

In a promotional age more complex than any time in history, brands continue to look for ways to capture consumers at the visceral level. This is a tall order in societies like ours that splinter out consumers into ever-narrowing segments conditioned to deflect promotional messages as a default behavior.

In contrast, the music industry’s heritage is built on understanding and appealing to values, attitudes, interests and lifestyle. Music genres span every taste for every mood. So it’s no wonder that over the years, brands and bands have enjoyed a cozy fit: brands provide the money, bands provide the cache and association with lifestyles and values. Think Jimmy Buffett and you instantly taste the salted rim of a seaside margarita (Sandals Resorts?). Think Pink and you might get the urge to work out till you drop (Under Armour?).

A June 2016 Huffington Post blog packages the symbiosis well, citing three factors that attract brands to sponsor bands:

  • Compelling content
  • Cultural relevance
  • Authentic connection

Bands Forced to “Sell Out”

The balance between the non-conformist, no “sell-out” image of bands, and the opposite commercially-driven essence of brands has always been tricky business, but recently has become totally one-sided. As reported in a NY Times article, streaming music services have crushed the revenue structure of the music business, leaving bands with only touring and brand sponsorships to put fuel in the bus and pay for new guitar strings.

Now deprived of revenues formerly generated by record sales, music entertainers are broke without sponsorships. Brands have poured buckets of money into live music sponsorships to the point they’re literally taking over the show. For example, an entire tour of Lady Gaga shows actually integrated Doritos product placement on stage and around the event. So where does all this lead? It seems as if brands are getting pretty close to out-and-out owning music entertainers.

Pure Branded Entertainment

That scenario might not be too far off the trend. Since consumers drench themselves in music every day and position it as a mood identity device in their lives, what better way to entrench in consumer value systems than for brands to develop bands and solo artists of their own that write and perform songs projecting the values created by the brand. Not to suggest Mickey D’s Fat Pack or The Viagras as band names, but rather real bands with real names and real music and lyrics that never (or rarely) mention the brand name. The difference between this concept and blatantly sponsored bands of today is that the band/entertainer would be developed from the ground up by the brand that owns exclusive sponsorship rights. The music, lyrics, and image would project the brand’s values and image (Brad Paisley and Dove Men?). The original “values-aligned” music could be leveraged (instead of licensed) for brand advertising, events, videos, internal morale and alignment, and many more applications limited only by the boundaries of creativity. A hit song could mean a boon for the brand. And vice versa. If the music is good, does it make any difference how it’s funded?

Would the market buy into this kind of low profile “brand-backed band?” What do you think?

 

3088_GP logo_final_4_med

 

 

perf6.000x9.000.indd

 

For more perspective on bridging strategy and execution, including practical tools and processes for brand operationalization, get a copy of Getting There From Here: Bridging Strategy and Execution, by Greg French, founder of GroPartners Consulting. E-book at iBooks or hard copy from Amazon.com.

http://amzn.to/1Jcli0A

Brand Strategy Roadmap

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by French On Brand in Branding

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

brand, brand experience, brand marketing, brand metrics, brand positioning, brand promise, brand ROI, brand scope, brand strategy map, branding, branding ROI, change management, marketing strategy, operationalization, positioning, virgin companies

A strong corporate brand strategy is one of the most powerful forces an organization can marshal. Properly operationalized, it can mRoad mapeasurably improve top-line effectiveness for product brands and bottom line efficiencies throughout the organization from the stock room to the board room − and everywhere between. In the best brands, the strategy acts as a guide for every stakeholder decision, from the highest level to the most granular, which can result in reduced management costs and greater employee satisfaction.

But just as any other kind of strategy, the true power of brand strategy is activated only with aligned execution. A brand strategy road map helps brands stay on track with clear process, aligning business, vision, people, and process.

Brand strategy originates in your organization’s  vision and values. Aligning business goals, customer wants and needs, and employee satisfaction with that vision is critical to sustainable growth.

Virgin Logovirgin brandsVirgin operates 53 separate brands, as diverse as airlines, records, books, and health. All Virgin brands are based on the same vision and values:

“Virgin believes in making a difference. We stand for value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challenge. We strive to achieve this by empowering our employees to continually deliver an unbeatable customer experience.”

Experience…Founder Richard Branson showcases the Virgin brand with his swashbuckling extreme sports, spaceships and experience-steeped TV commercial roles. By contrast, many organizations mistake the branding process for an identity exercise. And while that is an essential piece of brand, there are three major components to branding:

  • Brand Strategy
  • Brand Development
  • Brand Engagement
Brand Strategy Road Map

A brand strategy road map helps communicate the process to senior management and provides “gates” that must be sequentially satisfied to move through the process. (Click graphic to enlarge)

Your company’s best branding strategies will almost always come from aligning customer insights with organizational vision, values and business objectives. Those strategies are brought to life with brand development (logos, messaging, governance, programs, products, services) and should permeate your organization’s processes and culture/employees. Only on this strategic footing is the brand ready to push outward to customers through sales and marketing touch points. This process helps organizations “live the brand,” so customers’ and consumers’ brand experience is consistent with what the brand stands for. This consistency provides a host of business benefits from enhanced productivity, support for premium pricing, and deflection of competition, to higher revenues and margins.

shutterstock_32689690Mergers & Acquisitions

When a merger or acquisition occurs, though there may be solid business due-diligence behind the transaction, brand misalignment is likely. Rarely are two brand cultures so similar that an alignment action isn’t needed to optimize business performance. Developing a brand strategy roadmap, along with some seasoned facilitation and guidance, helps resolve brand misalignment issues so people and processes support a common goal.

Get the (big) picture?

Alignment essentially assures that people, processes, and business goals all understand the vision and support each other. Alignment of talent, brand delivery, marketing, operations, and other functional areas and stakeholder groups make up the entire alignment picture. “People” include not only employees, but also distributors and customers.

Chicken and egg

There’s a debate among brand consultants about whether business strategy drives the vision or vice-versa…that business strategy may change the organizational vision. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Leave a comment (see top of post).

3088_GP logo_final_3

Recent Posts

  • Instantly Align Stakeholders with Edutainment
  • Extreme Branded Entertainment
  • Color Creatively Inside the DOL Rule
  • ‘Edutainment’ is the New Financial Marketing
  • Cause-Driven Business: Galvanizing the Value Chain

Archives

  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • May 2016
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • May 2012
  • February 2012
  • April 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010

Categories

  • Alignment
  • Branding
  • Financial Literacy
  • Measurement
  • Messaging
  • Social Media and Branding
  • Strategy

Blogroll

  • Follow me on Twitter!

Supporting sites

  • Follow me on Twitter!
  • GroPartners Consulting

Twitter link

Follow me on Twitter!

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • French On Brand
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • French On Brand
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...