Brand positioning isn't just a logo. It's researching your target audience, understanding the value of what you do, and then articulating that both verbally and visually. Consider the questions offered, find answers, and then act!

1. BRAND POSITIONING
Close new business.
Set the stage with effective

2. Presented by
Jennifer Larsen Morrow
Creative Company, Inc.
Track 1:
Building Bridges

3. If someone is looking
for what you offer,
where are they
looking?
Brand positioning

4. If they find you,
what will they see?
Will they understand
why they should
choose you?
Brand positioning

5. What do they want from you?

6. A surprise … quick,
simple, easy …
information… answer
my questions … talk to
me …WIIFM
Brand positioning

7. What’s unexpected?
Surprise me!

8. It’s just a garbage truck

9. Or it’s a WOW truck!

10. Why should I care? How does this work?
I get it!

11. What’s in it for me?
Looks easy, simple!

12. Make it easy to choose
Good
information!

13. I know what they sell …

14. And here’s how to buy

15. Be relevant to your audience
Engage me

16. See the product in
context and understand
why it’s better

17. Architects need information…

18. Differentiate and communicate …

19. We live in an
overwhelmed,
time-starved
culture
packed with
too many choices

20. A well-positioned
brand helps your
audiences
understand and
choose

22. What is a brand?
A brand is more than a logo
A brand requires a visual and verbal
vocabulary
• A distinctive “look and feel”
• A common voice, tone and style
• A system of colors and typography
• A series of images that build a cohesive whole

23. What’s a brand?
“REAL Branding is personal. REAL Branding is
integrity. REAL Branding is consistency and
freshness. REAL Branding is the answer
to WHO ARE WE? WHY ARE WE HERE?”
Tom Peters, brandpower
“It takes as much time to build a brand as it
takes a person to build a reputation. The
difficulty is not as much to perfect a strategy as
to be focused, differentiated, and consistent
everywhere, every time.”
The Fundamentals of Branding, Vincent Grimaldi

24. What builds brands?
• Brands are being built with or without
management
• Publicity build brands
• Blogs, social media, marketing and websites
build brands
• Environments build brands
• Each contact with the company builds the
brand experience and context
What is a brand?

25. Perception is reality
• Your brand is based on what people
think about your organization
• Communicate clearly from the
audience’s point of view
• Provide value to those you serve
…a brand is still
about people …
and perceptions

26. Perception is reality
• Your brand is based on what people think
about your company
• Opinions and perceptions are constantly
changing
• To be effective you must communicate clearly
from your audience’s point of view
Audiences

27. A well-positioned brand
• Is visually appealing and memorable
• Is perceived as unique and distinctive, and
stands out from the competition
• Communicates essential messages clearly and
consistently
• Focuses on value and benefits to the target
audiences
Brand positioning

28. Do you know your audiences?
• Do you understand everyone you must
connect with to be successful?
• Do you know what they expect from you?
• You must speak in their language; be clear
and concise (no acronyms!)
• Understanding the generations helps you
choose the right channel
Connect with your audiences

29. each
generation
is different
Brand positioning

30. The Generations
Effective marketing requires first
understanding the audiences you’re trying
to reach.
For the first time in history there are four
different generations in the workplace, each with
different values, perspectives and expectations

31. Four generations to address
The Silent Generation –
1925 to 1945
The Boomers – 1946 to 1964
Gen X – 1965 to 1987 Gen Y – 1988 to 2000

32. Four generations to reach
Reliable, formal, low-tech,
traditional media, mentoring,
take the time to read and visit
70% of nation’s wealth, time-
starved lifestyle, must look and feel
good while aging, career-focused
Self-reliant, results instead of
process, savvy and cynical
consumers, technology
adopters, less career-focused
Smart, tech-savvy, idealistic, girls
are equals, want to contribute,
multi-taskers, want authenticity,
family-oriented

33. From Inc.
magazine
November
2012

34. Features vs. Benefits
Be clear about the services or products
you’re offering, what are the benefits?
How can you frame the benefits to connect with
the expectations of each generation and each
audience?
How does each generation prefer to
communicate? (reading vs. watching vs. sharing
… online or offline, social or not)

35. communicate
your value
not just what you do
Brand positioning

36. Think about why instead of what
• Why do they need to connect with you?
• What purpose do you serve?
• Avoid just listing the “stuff” you do
• Consider their perspectives – who are they?
How do they communicate or take in
information?
• What’s the role in the purchase?
Audiences

37. Identify how you’re different
• What is expected or assumed?
• What else is available to your target
audiences?
• Avoid the usual “quality” and “service”
• What are your “hot buttons”?
• Where are the “wow” responses or results?
Differentiate

39. What value do you provide?
• Go beyond the “stuff”
• Identify ideas, messages that address “why
should I care?” or
• “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)
• Where’s the “wow!”?
Define the message

40. Features vs. Benefits
Features:
Here’s what the product does, or what the
service is and how it works. Descriptive.
Benefits:
Here’s the outcome, what you audience will
receive from the product or service.
Often emotional or personal.

41. They’re not buying
house plans.
They’re buying ideas,
vision, experience and
confidence … a dream.
Features vs. Benefits

42. You will see all the messages and
tools, your audiences won’t
• Consistency creates a connection
• Visually connect all elements, from website to
mailings to office environment to stationery
to displays, Emails and brochures…
• Define messages that are specific and unique
to you, that tell a story
• Uncover stories and information to share
(social media, blog, website, white papers)
Communicate effectively

43. Brand building requires focus
• Focus on your audiences and the benefits
• Branding requires consistency in all
communications, visual and verbal
• It’s a long-term program to build recognition
of your brand and positioning
Brand positioning

44. Cascade Employers Association - Before

45. Cascade Employers Association – Messaging hierarchy

46. Cascade Employers Association – Banners

47. Cascade Employers Association – Business cards

48. Cascade Employers Association – Website reskin

49. Where are the contact points?
• Where do your audiences connect with you?
• At what level, for what purpose?
• How are those contact points branded?
• Which contacts are critical to the organization,
the points of choice?
Point of choice

50. Today the buyer is in charge
• Explosion of information sources (websites,
blogs, reviews, discussion boards, social)
• An era of self-serve information
• Talking to a person is a last resort, not first
• B2B – 60% of the purchase decision is made
before contacting a sales person
• 2010 – 5.3 sources of information needed,
2013 – 12 sources needed before making a
buying decision
A longer sales cycle

51. The essential “point of choice”
What is a “point of choice”?
A point of choice is the situation where someone
will take action, to move to the next step in
working with you. The point of choice is focused
on immediate response—choosing to take the
next step.
Call | Click | Sign-up | Inquire | Refer | Join |
Request | Enroll | Visit | Share

52. Focus first on the points of choice
• You will see a bigger return on your marketing
• Your website is an essential point of choice
• Build a website that is about the visitor, the
viewer, the potential client
• Provide information of value, less “we” and
more “you”
• Simple, brief, visual information … to scan, not
read
Point of choice

53. Johnson Glaze & Co CPAs – Website before

54. Johnson Glaze
& Co CPAs –
Messaging

55. Johnson Glaze & Co CPAs – Website after

56. Build the brand on a continuum
• Consider the sales process, “dating” vs. “let’s
get married”
• What information can you provide to help
them choose? (Help vs. sell)
• Build a continuum of contact, each with a call
to action, a way to choose
• Begin online, build the digital brand
Multiple points of choice

57. Be relevant and valuable
• When you help instead of sell, you make a
customer for life
• Discover customer needs first – listen,
research, talk to front line people
• What are trends, challenges and issues in
your category?
• Integrate offline and online information
• Provide resources to inform, educate,
enlighten
Positioning that’s relevant

58. Build the brand internally, too
• Staff, sales team, service people should know
the key messages, understand and support
the brand positioning
• Help them build your brand
• Provide templates and tools to make it easier
• Educate and inform
Positioning that’s relevant

59. Cascade Employers Association – Messaging posters

60. Your brand positioning
• Reflects where you fit in the market
• Separates you from the competition
• Clarifies key messages for staff and sales
teams
• Establishes the foundation and framework for
ongoing communication
• Ties together visual and verbal
• Makes it easier to capture new business
Brand positioning

61. Go forth and brand!
• Brand responsibly
• Position the brand to be unique
• Provide value to your audiences
• Connect where they communicate
• Build content that builds trust
• Integrate online and offline
• Evaluate website, mobile, social media
Because focused brand positioning = bigger sales
Build your brand

62. Thank you!

63. Creative Company, Inc.
726 NE 4th Street
McMinnville, Oregon 97128
503.883.4433
Toll-free 866.363.4433
www.creativeco.com
Email: jlmorrow@creativeco.com
Blog: www.optimizemybrand.com
LinkedIn: in/jenniferlarsenmorrow
Facebook: /jenniferlarsenmorrow
Facebook Company: /creativeco
Give us a call to discuss your brand!