Brand Strategy: Analysis at the core

How does a consolidated company revisit its brand positioning? And when was the last time they defined a campaign to clearly transmit its value proposition, the thing that makes it unique and extraordinary? These are the questions posed when we tackle a strategy for a brand already in the market looking to pivot in its positioning to enter new spaces because their communications are not transmitting a message that conquers audiences. This focus’s great advantage comes from an analytical base that serves as the jumping off point for developing a strategy based on the main elements that are stable and robust.

The process that defines the elements that shape this orientation can come from many points of reference. In Good Rebels, we consider that the definition of brand strategy should not be framed solely based on what those on the inside want to be transmitted. Developing an analysis that examines information sources that provide a broad overview of brand perception in digital environments is fundamental.

Taking all of this into account, we’ve defined a methodology that collects this wide-ranging brand perception analysis. We then move onto to the definition of brand strategy which will serve as the underlying base for all campaigns and actions we’ll carry out.

Analysis Phase

In this stage, we must create a common framework for all the information sources that will be a critical role in the brand perception analysis. To do this, we define several variables that are considered key for the brand within its market. Nonetheless, the element we’ll end up evaluating as part of the analysis must be relevant for both the company and its sector. These variables determine how we’ll be able to compare ourselves with our competitors and detect the marketing and communications spaces where we can find an opportunity.

As previously noted, we can consult a plethora of resources in the analysis phase.

Online Monitoring

Online monitoring consists in defining different search channels related to our brand that we derive from monitoring conversations of value generated through online and social media platforms (blogs, forums, Twitter, and others). We subsequently categorize them per the variables we previously defined and quantify them. By doing this, we’re able to detect brand associations, what people say about the brand, its products, and its services.

In the set-up process of this analysis through monitorization we should take the following aspects into account:

• Defining the searches, search channels where the brand should be present, and other key search teams

• Filtering search results by location

• Eliminating conversations that don’t add value along with those started by the brand

• Establishing automatic categorization rules

• Conducting workshops and interviewing employees and consumers

Workshops and Customer/Employee Interviews

These all complement the information derived in the monitoring phase, especially since these are discovered directly and first-hand from two especially relevant sources: customers and employees. How do they perceive the brand and the services it offers? To answer this question, we can either use more ubiquitous techniques like surveys and interviews, as well as conduct workshops that have both consumers and employees working collaboratively.

The Brand’s Own Online Communities

If the company has a branded community where customers can share information and advice, we have ourselves a treasured data source. Analyzing these conversations will let us discover what variables are present in those comments and the perceived competitive advantages from consumers and fans.

Competitive Analysis

And our competitors, how do they tackle the defined variables on their platforms and communication channels? What spaces are they occupying with their positioning? We should choose key competitors and objectively evaluate those points that add the most value in their sector to identify the elements where there are similarities and where there are differences.

Definition Phase

We define positioning graphics for every source based on all the information gathered throughout the analysis. Every variable gets a numerical value based on the weight it has, and from the sum of these, we’re able to derive an overall brand description. Here we clearly see how our brand’s perception and its competitors’ understanding in each of the variables. To visually capture and make the results understandable, we can place the variables in a matrix and locate them based on their location within the analysis.

Once this is done we move onto the definition, which will be different based on the objective we’re after. We can go back to the results of the analysis and collaborate with the creative team on a campaign based on the insights we got. Or we can be more ambitious and articulate a complete brand strategy with the key elements:

• Brand positioning

• Brand values

• Brand personality

The definition of brand actions based on this analysis makes facilitates advancement in conjunction with the company’s strengths, what makes it different, and develop a solid, unique focus that can generation the ideal brand perception that conquers consumers.