Brand Image Identity

To manage any brand effectively, you must constantly be in touch with what you think about your brand and what
your consumers think about your brand. You must address both elements of a brand when doing this: brand
identity and brand image. To do this it helps to know a couple of key terms.
Brand identity: the aspirational associations the company has of its brand.
Brand image: the emotional associations consumers have with the brand.
Understanding how the brand is perceived internally and externally is critical to build and manage a strong brand.
1. Develop your business concept by answering the following questions. Then formulate this concept into a
paragraph.
a. Why do you do what you do?
b. How do you do it?
c. What benefits, features, advantages does it create for the consumer?
2. Assess your brand identity.
a. What are the first five words that you associate with your product/business.
b. What are three positive things your product/business is not. For example, what are three areas of
incompetence?
3. Assess your brand image by talking to others about your idea. This will be a great conversation to have
with students in some of the other GIV strands.
a. Each member of your group should ask two people to answer these questions:
i. What are the first five words that come to mind when you hear my business concept?
ii. What are three positive things my business is not?
iii. YOU SHOULD COME TO OUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION WITH THESE WORDS
4. From the words you all come back with from these interviews, create a Wordle (wordle.com) to help you
hone in on your brand image and identity. If Wordle doesnt work on your machine, you can also use
tagcrowd.com or any other online word cloud generator you want to download.
5. Analyze your findings:
a. Are there any discrepancies between your brand identity and your image?
b. Would it be important to address the gaps? If yes, what steps can you take to close them?

6. Create your positioning statement. The template below identities each component that should be either
explicitly or implicitly in your positioning statement.

Start with the positioning statement.

A positioning statement is a concise description of your target market as well as a compelling picture of how you want
that market to perceive your brand. Though it may read like something from your promotional materials, your positioning
statement is an internal tool. Every product and marketing decision you make regarding your brand has to align with and
support your positioning statement. A good positioning statement is a guidepost for your marketing efforts. It helps you
maintain focus on your brand and its value proposition while you work on market strategy and tactics.

Guidelines for Good Positioning Statements

What makes a good positioning statement? Here are six keys to keep in mind:

1.

It is simple, memorable, and tailored to the target market.

2.

It provides an unmistakable and easily understood picture of your brand that differentiates it from your competitors.

3.

It is credible, and your brand can deliver on its promise.

4.

Your brand can be the sole occupier of this particular position in the market. You can own it.

5.

It helps you evaluate whether or not marketing decisions are consistent with and supportive of your brand.

6.

It leaves room for growth.

Positioning Statement Template

___________________________(your business/product name)__________________________(product/brand)

Is_____________________________________________________(unique and important claim)
Among all___________________________________________________________(competitive set)
For ______________________________________________________________________(target audience)
Because________________________________________________________________(concrete support).