GLOBAL MARKETING STRATEGY

CONFERENCE 2008

STRATEGIC MARKETING KNOW-HOW FOR BUILDING

STRONG LOCAL BRANDS THAT CAN EVENTUALLY TAKE
A POSITION ON THE GLOBAL ARENA

BOLA AKINGBADE
09 OCTOBER 2008
PROTOCOLS:

Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen,

I join the Management of M2 Magazine in welcoming you all to this Global

Marketing Conference. I would also like to join fellow Nigerians to welcome
Professor Svend Hollensen and Darell Koftain, the Chief Executive of
Global Marketing Network (GMN) to Nigeria. Please permit me to welcome
back home to Nigeria, one of our own, Professor Temi Abimbola, Associate
Professor of Business Management at Warwick University, Coventry, UK.

On behalf of the Nigerian Chapter of the Global Marketing Network, of

which I have the privileged of being the Honorary President, I would also
like to thank all these Marketing experts for their gracious decision to share
their wealth of experience here with us in Nigeria. Coming from the
academia as they all are, I have no doubt that we will all be all the much
better from their presence in our midst.

I feel privileged to be on service this morning as part of this Conference

Faculty. I however believe the presence of our distinguished visitors has
made my job easier. While all the new cutting edge knowledge will flow
from them, I only have to share experiences from a practical context!

I wish you all a most rewarding time.

INTRODUCTION
In any context, the subject and process of Brand Building is one of the most
important issues in any progressive Business concern. This is because
over time, the Brand has become the soul of business. Sustainable
success of any enterprise depends on the strength of the ‘Brands’ that are
required to build the customer base which is very necessary to support
their Market Share, Revenue and Profit growth aspirations.
A weak brand is synonymous with ‘weak pillars’. They will crumble very
easily under any measure of appreciable pressure. It is therefore
inappropriate for use in any Business Context.
On the other hand, a strong brand with robust credentials is like a
‘Rock’ upon which a stable and profitable business can be built.

The very first step in the process is therefore the need to have a distinct
understanding of what a ‘Strong Brand’ is, and of what it takes to create
one. Without this knowledge, there will be no basis for any optimism about
what the future holds for any business; particularly if they must rely on
brands for success.

The next stage in the process should ideally focus on ‘Building the Strong
Brands’. The necessary steps in this process that can be classified as
follows:

i. Establishment of the Need(s) and Aspirations which the brand is

expected to satisfy in the market;
ii. Determination of Market Space(s) where the brand can feature as a
major player in the market;
iii. Envisioning the breadth and depth of Brand Relevance over the
long term;
iv. Positioning and Targeting; establishing target customer archetypes
as well as Brand relevance within and across geographies
v. Value Proposition Development; i.e. establishing the basic
components of the brand that will be necessary to induce a
compelling desire for sustained adoption and usage amongst target
customers. The components that usually feature in a typical Value
Proposition are as follows:
a. The ‘Products & Packaging’ vehicles for the consistent delivery
of the values of the Brand in a recognisable and consistent
manner over time;
b. The Prices at which these will be offered
c. Other engagement initiatives that will be necessary to reinforce
affinity for the brand and build loyalties over the long term.

vi. Communication of the Value Proposition via both conventional and

non-conventional media.
vii. Value Chain Management – co-ordinating the chain process from
ideation, to technical development, to production, through the
distribution chain and Marketing/Brand Management to the end-
consumer.

Strategic Marketing know-how which needs to be demonstrated in the

above brand building process must revolve around each of the 7-points
outlined above. The ‘eye’ for eventual ‘international’ player-status, either in
the short or long-term must run through the management approach
adopted at every stage.
APPROPRIATE ‘KNOW-HOW’ AND ‘KNOWLEDGE’ APPLICATION

i. What is a Strong Brand:

In its ordinary definition, a ‘Brand’ is an asset that conveys values,
ethos and purpose, all within contexts that must have appreciable
significance and relevance in its ability to meet specific needs and
aspirations of target customers.
As a rule, a strong brand must be underpinned by a concept
statement that clearly indicates the manner in which it intends to meet
the established needs and aspirations of the customer. The concept
must be clear about a number of things:
a) The purpose it is out to serve; i.e. its r’aison d’etre (i.e. its reason
for being). This should be well thought out and properly articulated.
It should be well researched and established as a reason that
relevant customer groups find strong enough to address currently
unmet needs. They should, in addition, find it exciting and
appealing;
b) How it intends to make it happen; via the tangible and
intangible benefits it intends to offer these customers. Again,
these must be benefits that should not only come across to the
target customers as a unique and practical way to satisfy their
needs and aspirations, they must also come across as having
the potential to deliver Experiences that will be Engaging,
Exciting and Endearing;
c) The standpoint from which it can credibly make these
 happen, in ways that are ownable and authoritative. These
will be largely influenced by the nature of “Pillars” upon which
the Brand must derive expression, relevance and
sustainable equity.

Following on from these, the knowledge about the construction

and deployment of Brand Pillars is essential for success.

Aaker, in his book “Managing Strong Brands”, makes reference to

the four (4) pillars on which a strong Brand should be built. These
are as follows:

a. A Products and Services dimension that should reflect the

concrete essence of the brand, along with the functional benefits
and advantages which it offers relative to competing alternatives.
b. A Heritage dimension that should reflect the strength of its ability
to own and claim appreciably high grounds on certain ‘ethos’ and
‘cultural images’ that target customers can find appealing and
attractive.
c. A ‘Personality’ dimension that should project the brand as an
entity which is alive and as one which has a soul, a conscience as
well as discernible character-traits.
d. An ‘Identity/Symbol’ dimension that should sum up its essence,
the standpoint from which the Brand can speak as well as visually
project the uniqueness of the character and personality of the
brand – all in symbols and identifiable colours.
 PILLARS of STRONG BRANDS
The Brand

Product &
Service Heritage Personality Symbols
Offering

• Awareness and
• Technology levers appreciation. • Distinct and Distinctive.
• Awareness of the inherent • Identification signs & colours
benefits & appreciation of • Should come across as • Must support Customer that must be distinct.
it’s strength as a key a ‘Reason Why’ end – value aspirations.
substantiator of the proposition & Brand • Should induce instant
Brand Value proposition promise is credible. • Must project admirable recognition of the brand
Identity. and its association with its
• Should fly off the shelf • Must underpin the basis values even when brand
(trial and adoption). of product association • Must endear the brand name is absent.
with its iconic to the Customer for this
• Iconic associations credentials. reason.

… customer appeal that is unending !!!

Deft and professional management of the process should lead to the

creation of a strong local Brand with a consumer appeal that is unending.

ii. Building the Strong Brand

It is one thing to have the knowledge of what a ‘Strong Brand’ should
be; it is another to know how to apply the knowledge in ways that are
appropriate. This knowledge should be aptly demonstrated in the
management of each of the applicable major steps that were outlined
in the preceding section, in the following manner.
a. Needs and Aspirations Establishment
What is needed here is a very good knowledge of Modern Market
Research; one that allows an actionable understanding of
Customer motivations.

UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER NEEDS

… end – value aspirations perspective

PRINCIPLE

– Customer Needs are not altogether driven by Functional

Benefits: or by linear combination(s) of “functional”
functional” and
“emotional”
emotional” benefit deliverables;

– Rather, they are driven by end – value aspirations;

aspirations; the
underlying reason for the desire for particular types of
“Functional”
Functional” and “Emotional”
Emotional” benefits.

… a statement reflecting “what the combined impact of

The functional and emotional benefits say about the
customer”
customer” SELF EXPRESSIVE BENEFIT

Traditional Market Research knowledge application has over time

failed to address this basic but not very well known fact. It has
therefore failed to avert or prevent avoidable marketing failures.

For doubters, the following questions raised by Jan Callebaut,

Hendrix Hendrickx and Madeleine Janssen in their publication
“The Naked Consumer” are pertinent:
- Why did the first car that was the product of extensive
customer research – The Edsel – become a byword for
failure
- Why did “New Coke” become an abject lesson for
misunderstanding what customers perceive in the
products they buy?
- Why did Microsoft ever try to introduce “Microsoft Bob;
only to abandon it shortly thereafter?

Coming home to our Market in Nigeria,

- Why did ‘Metex’ from Nestle, that had appeared to have
“Researched well” fail woefully soon after introduction?
- Why has it taken Legend Extra Stout so long to make a
marginally significant impact in the Nigerian Stout
Market?
- Why has it been near impossible for Harp Lager to regain
its strong position in the Nigerian Beer market after a
number of re-launches and usage boosting promotions?

In short, why are there so many marketing failures if market research,

in its traditional form, is so compelling and insightful? Perhaps, at
best, traditional market research is at best very precise about the
wrong questions”!
The truth is that there are different types of insights into the nature of
customer needs and aspirations. Some are obvious “insights”, which
by definition should ideally not qualify to be described as “Insights”.
Some others are “subcutaneous” and by definition need to be
unravelled only when you can get “under the skin” of the customer to
have a good knowledge of who they really are, and what motivates
them. To the extent that they provide unusual, but very rich
information about the “reasons why” behaviours, attitudes and
dispositions are the way they are, they rightly qualify to be referred to
as “Insights”. It is “insights” of the latter description that can facilitate
thorough knowledge of the genuine nature of customer Needs and
Aspirations, in any market. This is why a very good knowledge of
Motivational Research is absolutely crucial for successful Brand
Building.

Again, according to ‘Jan Callebaut’ and ‘Professor Hendrickx’, the

“Key to determining what the correct questions are, is the form of
Motivational Research that adopts the “Psychodynamic
Techniques”. Its goal is to understand individuals within their specific
“consumption environment”; as opposed to just measuring
consumption behaviour in a general way and drawing very linear
conclusions from the unreliable results.

Psychodynamic Research approach does not initially provide

numbers. Rather, it aims to provide a richer understanding of
motivations and satisfaction strategies that can attract the consumer
to specific products or brands. This type of Research can be
conducted on a Global basis, because the fundamental basis of
human nature is the same around the world. What could be different
are the specific cultural contexts that could have dramatic effect on
buying behaviour. The key is to have a compelling and uniform
psychological model that can be deployed worldwide. This model
should yield insights into common motivations among consumers. It
should also yield insights into how these motivations are mediated by
different cultures. The net results should be findings that enable
correct customer profiling along lines that reflect the true nature of
what their true motivations are:
 THE SYNOVATE (formerly CENSYDIAM)
DISTILLATION
Extroverted
(active / unrestrained personality trait)

”
of on
er s a ti of
e e k r ifi c k er s a l i ty
* S l g lo ee v i
I na * S onv i
rso C WE
(more p e
“ (more pluralistic
individualistic contexts)
contexts)
of of i ng
rs rs
e ke ess e k e lo n g
e c e e
* S S uc * S o f) b
e
ns
(S e

Introverted
(more controlled personality trait)
Notes:
Notes:

1. Examples, NOT exact needs in all situations; although very much illustrative of the of the
nature of ‘Customer Needs’
Needs’ that are driven by “end – value aspirations”
aspirations” within each quadrant.

2. Exact description of Customer Needs should be ideally established

established via professional
Qualitative Research along the lines established by the SYNOVATE (Censydiam) model.

It also enables:
− Product Development that is based on ‘base ingredients’ which
can deliver desirable results amongst target customers across
cultures.
− Correct identification of values that are truly personal and which
underpin customer NEEDS and ASPIRATIONS
− Businesses to properly communicate Brand relevance and
benefits in ways that appropriately and adequately mirror the
end-value aspirations of the target customers across the globe.
 Applying the “MEANS-END” theory, “Personal Values” are the ENDS
(Aspirations) that people seek. MEANS are the things that people
use to reach these ends. Motivational Research allows Marketers to
identify these ENDS (i.e. Needs and Aspirations) and therefore
facilitates the ability to construct the MEANS (i.e. the Pillars of the
Brand Value Proposition) to these ENDS.

Motivational Research is not an academic exercise, even though it

has academic underpinnings. It allows fundamental understanding of
customer motivations instead of just measuring actual behaviour or
taking superficial answers to superficial questions as basis for
strategic marketing decisions!

b. ‘Market Space’ Entry Decisions

Knowledge of ‘market space’ analysis and strategic decision making
is very key for success here. However, armed with the insights from
motivational research, it should be possible to map the market on the
basis of the different motivations driving consumer behaviour and
preferences within a variety of product categories and cultures.
The follow-up exercise here is to establish the extent to which
existing brands are satisfying these motivations via existing products
and services and the reasons why? Results of this exercise should
facilitate the establishment of ‘motivational gaps’ that need to be filled
via the appropriate components of the 4 ‘Brand Pillars’.
These ‘Brand Pillar’ components should ideally constitute the
foundation of any new Brand building aspirations and should be
 produced in the number of options that are consistent with the
plethora of opportunities thrown up by the gap analysis.
Each option should be evaluated, via post – motivational quantitative
research, for:
− size of potential customer adoption in preference to existing
branded alternatives;
− usage behaviour/reasons therefore;
− propensity to buy at different price levels;
− strength of preference vs. alternatives;
− revenue potential over the long term;

For brands with aspirations for international player status, the

motivational research as well as the post-motivational quantitative
research should be carried out on each of the key countries where
the brand is expected to debut in the short-term.
The market space of choice should be the one where the best
combinations of the characterisations of each one of the 4 Brand
Pillars, have the best scores on each of the above evaluation criteria.
Here, excellent knowledge of market analysis from a quantitative
perspective is very essential. What is however more important is that
this knowledge should be built on a foundation of strong motivational
Research Knowledge.

c) Envisioning the Breadth and Depth of Brand Relevance

The purpose of Business is Value Creation. This is a a direct result of the
Power of Brand Equity. A robust Brand Equity results only from Brands with
strong foundations and from a strong and sustainable customer relevance.
Brand building is therefore all about Value Creation, To this extent, the
process of Brand building should therefore be seen as an all important part
of Business Management. Envisioning the breadth and depth of the
anticipated relevance of the Brand, how this can be leveraged to create a
Value of yet unimaginable quantum and strong thoughts on how to make
this happen, should therefore occupy a central place in the overall process
of Brand building, even when it is starting up as a local brand.

In these circumstances, knowledge of the Visioning process is key. It is

also essential that professional know-how of how to construct a Road Map
from conception to the concrete realities of the Vision is regularly
demonstrated in the management of the entire process.

Even to this day, the horizon of the “Vision” does not usually extend beyond
the immediate boundaries of the local market. This has been largely
influenced by growing challenges within local markets (e.g. growing
competition) and the increasing need for focus. It has also been influenced
by the increasingly daunting challenges posed by Market forces in “foreign
markets”. However, to the extent that growing competition within local
markets is constraining the scope and size of value creation opportunities
therein, replicating successes in markets outside of the original “home
base” is becoming a necessity. As a result, the scope of the Visioning
process should usually extend beyond local market frontiers.

Global brands like Heineken, Toyota etc would not be as BIG as they are
today if they had chosen to restrict their geographical relevance to their
original local markets – i.e. the Netherlands and Japan – at the early stages
of conception and introduction as local brands. A key part of what has
transformed these ‘once local brands’ into the global phenomena they have
now become is the nature of the foundations upon which these brands
were built – foundations of timeless sustainability of relevance and
continuous appeal anywhere in the world!

The demonstration of ‘VISION’ in the building of the Heineken brand, in

particular, is a major lesson in how the foundation building task should be
managed very early in the life of the Brand development process.
The story started with the purchase of a Brewery in Holland and the
determination of the ‘young’ Gerard Heineken (late Alfred Heineken’s grand
father) to the transform the Brewery into a major success. At that point, it is
doubtful if his vision went beyond the Netherlands. However, even as a
local brand, he had a vision of producing the ‘best beer’ possible and to
brand it with his personal identity – Heineken – and what that name stands
for. Towards this end, he put his brand pillars together in the following
manner:

− The Product:
- to reflect the finest of beers; to be produced from
only natural raw materials (Barley, Water and
Hops) – no sugar; no artificial ingredients of any
form
- use of fermenting yeast that was specially
developed by the best chemist of his time; a
Frenchman called Louis Pasteur. This is very note
 worthy. In his quest to produce the best beer
there is, he chose to go beyond the boundaries of
the Netherlands to go employ the specialised
world class services of the best in this regard;
- the determination not to use the specially
developed “A-yeast” more than once for every
production batch.
- the added decision to adopt a lagering process
that went as long as it took to ensure that the final
beer was totally free of all metabolites of yeast
fermentation
- the underpinning of all of these by a personal
guarantee to retrieve any defective bottle of
Heineken free of charge and with profuse
apologies!

- The Heritage
In consonance with the decision to adopt a Brand Name that should
exude the essence of the Heineken family values, personality and heritage,
the brand was built on a heritage that reflected the values of their native
Germany and their adopted home and country – The Netherlands. Thus,
the brand took on a set of heritage values that were evocative of what the
two countries stood for in the minds of all and sundry - ‘Quality’ and
‘Respect’; a set of Brand values which in their own rights, have global
relevance!
- Personality
Again in consonance with the ‘dynamic’ and ‘entrepreneurial’ personality of
the Heineken family, the brand was made to take on a personality that was
masculine in ways that are ‘dignifying’ and ‘appealing’ across the sexes.

-Symbols
The colour ‘green’ was adopted to reinforce the natural quality credentials
of the product and to communicate ‘freshness’ and ‘purity’ and to
demonstrate “respect” for the timeless desire of people all over the world
for healthy products.

In all, these brand pillars presented the Heineken brand as a purveyor of

‘Quality’ Product, produced to show ‘Respect’ for the needs and
aspirations of the ‘Dignified’ customers who should find the beer worthy of
their patronage, and, in the process, identify themselves with the ‘Green’
credentials.

These underpinnings of the brand were established since the 18th century,
are still very much relevant till this day. If this is not Vision at its best, then
what is it?

They are underpinnings strong enough for Alfred Heineken to leverage for
his eventual decision to internationalise the brand. Even in this effort, he
did not depart from the ‘personal guarantee’ that his grand father, before
him, gave for the quality of every drop of Heineken. Albeit in a way that
would minimise the need for any product recall or apologies for dissatisfied
customers.
He did this via a stern declaration to his Production and Quality Assurance
teams, in the following words:

“This Brand bears my name and the product is

associated with that name 100%. Therefore, any
defective glass of Heineken is a desecration of the
Heineken name. To this extent, I will take any incidence
of less than excellent quality of Heineken as a personal
insult, particularly if it is allowed to find its way to the
consumer’s table”!

Today, Heineken is present in more than 170 countries, where the brand is
easily accepted as a top-premium beer. Under a strict “One Heineken”
policy, taste, packaging and everything about the brand is replicated in the
same original manner in all of them. So, the Heineken you drink in
Amsterdam is the same as the Heineken you drink in Lagos!

The lessons here are as follows:

− Vision should be demonstrated in the design and implementation of
the Brand Foundations – look beyond today and focus on the very
long term in these matters for the sort of sustainability that will outlive
the founding fathers and long string of direct descendants
− Secondly, it should at some point be leveraged for extra value
creation via elevation of customer relevance onto the global arena.
d) Targeting and Positioning
Knowledge of how to identify and connect with target customers is very key
for success. In the situation where markets are made up of a variety of
people within populations, the sort of knowledge that needs to be
demonstrated in this regard MUST be more than ordinary.

In their book, Research for Marketing Decisions, Paul Green and Donald
Tull provide the following straight forward definition of what is required in
these circumstances – Market Segmentation:

“Briefly stated, market segmentation is concerned with individual or

inter-group differences in response to market-mix variables. The
managerial presumption is that if these response differences exist,
can be identified, are reasonably stable over time and the segments
can be effectively reached, the firm may increase its sales and profits
beyond those obtained by assuming Market homogeneity”.

Moreover, this is essential for safeguarding the efficiency and effectiveness

of the Value Creation process.
According to ‘Bill Neal’ and ‘Ron Straws’ in their book ‘Value Creation’,
locating and specifically targeting unique market segments across
geographies, are essential in today’s hyper-competitive market place”.

Going by these assertions, it is imperative that knowledge in this regards is

demonstrated in ways that satisfy the following criteria:
− The behavioural response difference amongst the different customer
groups must be recognised well enough to correctly influence how
the brand will be positioned to perfectly connect with the appropriate
customer groups within the market/markets.
− The identified segment(s) must exist in the environment (and not be a
figment of the imagination of the marketer)
− The segment must be identifiable repeatedly and consistently
− The segment must be reasonably stable over time
− One must be able to efficiently reach such segments (through
specifically targeted distribution and communication initiatives)
− The segment must offer appreciable value – creation opportunities
and potential, even in the situation of long-standing presence of more
established alternative

Post-identification of target customers and follow-up segmentation

exercise must be built upon by knowledge of how the Brand can be
positioned to match the identified and established aspirations of the
target customers. This extra knowledge must be further demonstrated
via correct and useful articulation of the Brand positioning statement,
with the same components as we outlined earlier on in this paper in our
articulation of the key considerations for Building strong brands. They
are repeated here for emphasis and to underscore their timeless
relevance in the process of facilitating enduring customer connection
with the Brand:

− Reason for Being (thus must be unique in the entire market place)
 − Customer benefits being offered
− Inherent advantages vs. competing alternatives/substitutes
− Standpoint from which it can authoratively claim these benefit
platforms
− Customer end-value aspirations being addressed
− What it says about the customer
− The desired response from the customer

THE POSITIONING FRAMEWORK and the

PRODUCTS and SERVICE CONNECTION
… Remember that an appropriate Targeting initiative must be linked
linked to
Positioning which should, in turn revolve around the significance and relevance of
each of the elements of the Marketing Mix.

Products & Services

– What ‘Products & Services’
Services’ are needed / necessary to address Customer needs from a
functional – and emotional – benefit perspective.
– How can the ‘Products & Services’
Services’ be delivered in ways that can induce ‘Innovation –
Leader’
Leader’ associations with the brand.

Product & Services Benefits Offered End-Value Associations

Aspirations
End Value

• Target Customer needs - What does it do for me? - What can it say about me?

• Product Design - How does it make me feel? - How credible can this be?

• Usage Manner & Time - What advantages vs - What heritage can it leverage
Competition? to support this?

- How consistently can the brand

make this happen?
Mandatories

State of Widespread Trial Adoption Affinity / Loyalty /

Innocence Customer Preference Brand
Interest Ambassador

On a regular basis, brand performance should be evaluated against these

positioning components, particularly the extent to which the customer
experience is consistent with the desired customer response.
e) Value Proposition Development
This is the process of giving practical expression to the promise inherent in
the Brand Positioning. It is the process of matching established customer
Needs with the Brand deliverables, given the nature of what is possible
within the boundaries of the evocations of the Brand Pillars.

In the more classical process components of customer needs that must be

satisfied will be listed as follows: (illustrations here are within the context of
an International Beer Brand).

∗ Key Customer Insight: e.g. the desire for freedom, modality and
progress.
∗ Aspirational Needs: … a satisfying life of fulfilment and self-
expression as progressive
∗ Benefits Desired
Functional: A truly refreshing beer taste with estering character
Emotional: Special enjoyment of moments of fun and fulfilment
with friends.
∗ Reference Occasion: Moments of relaxation and fun-filled enjoyment
in everyday beer drinking occasions.
∗ Reference Consumer: Adult males
− Urbane and international
− Dynamic, knowledgeable and programme
− Loves adventure
 Components Of Consumer Needs That Must Be
Established

Using BrandXXX
(International
Desire Beer) as the
Key Consumer
for freedom, Case study.
Insight modernity
& progress

… a satisfying life of
Aspirational
Needs fulfillment and self –
expression as progressive

Functional
Emotional Enjoyment of Truly Refreshing Beer Needs
Needs Moments of Taste with character
Fulfillment with friends & appropriate strength

Reference
Occasion Moments of “inspiration and fulfillment” in everyday beer
drinking occasions

Urban Males, 18 – 34 years Dynamic, Knowledgeable; Creative

Reference and Progressive. Loves Challenges
Consumer

… these call for adoption of credible international brands reflecting quality and novelty
values … for inspiration and the association of relevant images

This is followed by an assessment of the scope and effectiveness of

Brand Deliverables – i.e. what is possible from the Brand that are clearly
reflect ‘ownable’ MEANS of meeting identified customer needs
(i.e. the “ENDS”).
For the same International beer example, the following is a good
illustration of what the major components of these ownable MEANS are:

∗ Source of Authority: International Quality brewing tradition dating

back hundreds of years.
 ∗ Key visual features: Established origins and the associations of
strength, internationality and style
∗ Deliverables Benefits:
− Functional: Refreshing, estery taste very drinkable quality beer.
− Emotional: Pleasurable and convenial that come with plural timely
occasions.
∗ Brand Character & Attitudes: Urbane, with positive and modern
outlook; competent, creative and progressive.
∗ Values: Progress and enjoyment
∗ Brand essence: Sharing in the pleasure of fulfilment

Assessing Scope and Effectiveness of Brand Deliverables

… Ownable Values & Properties

(International) Quality Brewing Tradition Established origins; strength (horses);

Source of … dating back to 1870 Red Colour – reflecting Dynamism Key Visual
Authority and fun Features

Pleasure (fun – filled)

Refreshing Taste of
Emotional Associations with Taste.
Quality Beer Functional
Benefit Competence &
Progress Benefit

Urbane, with positive & modern outlook;

Brand Competent, creative and progressive
Character
& Attitude
Progress, Dynamism,

Brand Fun & Friendship

Values
Sharing … the
pleasures of
Fulfillment
Brand Essence

Brand Proposition Brand XXX inspires and supports aspirations for Progress … and guarantees
Fun – filled experiences that are richer than the usual.
A follow-up matching exercise of the clearly (established ENDS (i.e.
consumer needs) with the MEANS (i.e. established Brand Deliverables)
should lead to a proposition statement that clearly reflects the appropriate
platform for customer engagement … in a manner that is unique to the
brand.

Establishing the Platform for Customer Engagement

… in a manner unique to the Brand … the Consumer Proposition

BABOL
Brand Evocations /
Values Progress, Fun (+Dynamism)
and Friendship

SHARING (… (… the inspiration for,

& the rare pleasures of realisable
Essence PROGRESS)

Brand XXX inspires and rewards PROGRESS

Brand Proposition … therefore guarantees
Fun-filled experiences that are richer than the usual

Desire to be seen
Key Consumer as PROGRESSIVE and
Insight FUN – Loving
Individuals and Groups

Professionals; Young (18 – 29) &

Reference Progressive Urban Dwellers
Consumer
Consumers

In this same exercise, the Brand Proposition statement reads thus:

“Brand xxx inspires and supports aspirations for Progress … and
guarantee fun-filled experiences that are richer than usual.
f) Communication:
The Marketing Management process can be summarised in a simple
statement:
“Value Proposition Development, Communication and Value
Chain Management”.

All the aforementioned ‘knowledge areas’ are pre-requisites for solid value
proposition development. However, these must go hand in hand with
excellent knowledge of how to manage the very important Communication
component of the statement. Without a robust knowledge of how to
communicate the proposition for excellent customer connection, the
preceding efforts will not deliver the right results.
Good knowledge of communication strategy development is necessary.
The difficult task can be made easier with the Adoption of a Customer
Connection Cycle framework.

KEY OUTPUTS OF AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

2) FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT

) BRAND PROMISE (re

inf
ion o
ta t rce
c ili me
(fa nt)

Value Proposition BRAND

(BRAND COMMUNICATION
SUBSTANTIATORS) (customer connection)

• Products & Services • What to say in

• Pricing / Price Levels Communicating the Value
• Packaging / Pack Formats Proposition
• Presence • Relevant Contexts
• Affinity Builders • How to Say It (…
(… to induce
• Lifestyle Shapers desired customer response
• Loyalty Reinforcers - end value aspiration)
This gives a vivid picture of how the Value Proposition elements that are in
place to substantiate the basic Brand Promise can be leveraged via
Communication to reinforce the credibility of the Brand. Once Customer
experience matches the essence of this routinely advertised basic Brand
Promise, the Equity of the Brand will naturally enhanced. However, without
Advertising, the customer will not have any upfront reason to engage the
Brand even for the purpose of trial.

Therefore, knowledge of communication development and exposure on all

relevant media is critical. The main challenge is how to guarantee steady
equity enhancements over time by taking the customers successfully and
steadily through the following stages:
− Brand Awareness Creation (focusing more on the associating
the brand knowledge with the differentiating components of the
value proposition)
− Sustainable Interest generation
− Constant Desire to adopt and use
− Actual adoption and usage action as frequently as necessary
and at all times when the relevant Need must be satisfied.

External Agency Involvement (particularly Advertising Agencies) is

critical to success in this very important process. Knowledge of External
Agency Management for excellent results is very critical. This should cover
the whole gamut of selection process, remuneration considerations,
empowerment, mutual respect and the need for genuine spirit of
Partnership.
It is also essential that excellent understanding of the channels for
successful customer contact and engagement – the wheel of total
communication - is demonstrated in the joint Client – Agency working
relationship.

THE WHEEL of TOTAL COMMUNICATION

Must be deployed to
… communicate the Value Proposition to target customers in ways that
that will
¾ Excite / Induce Trial
¾ Engage the customer in relevant usage / customer connection occasions
occasions
(Adoption / Affinity)
¾ Endear the brand to the customer in all circumstances where Brand
Brand offering is
relevant (Loyalty / Preference)

Vehicles – Wheel of Total Communication

Role, Relevance,
Priority, Strategy & Plans + Role, Relevance,
Budget Allocation WEB Priority, Strategy &
TV Plans + Budget
Allocation
Sponsorships & Radio
Events
Brand
Merchandising / Street Offering
Level visibility Press

“ Sales
Promotion Outdoor “
“ Communication Policy & Strategy “

Competencies in the following areas are essential in the following key

areas:
- Strategic Planning;
- Creative Advertising Development;
- Media Planning and Buying for effective use of
scarce Marketing Budget.
- Web Site Management
g) Value Chain Co-ordination and Management

Traditionally, this is an area which Marketers do not see as a necessary

part of their day-to-day Brand Management process. If we all agree that
there is a strong link between Brand Building and Value Creation, then it is
very important that we unlock the components of the chain from ideas
conception all through the technical development, raw materials supply,
production, sales and distribution and Marketing to ensure that we can
optimise the profit potential of our strong brands.

CONCLUSION:
Strategic Brand Building arguably represent the most important task within
Business Organizations. The intrinsic link with Value Creation is just ONE
of the supporting arguments. The facilitating knowledge areas are vast. For
best results, Marketers are enjoined to school themselves thoroughly in
every aspect of it. Whilst it may be difficult to be experts in all areas, it is
nevertheless important that knowledge base in every area is robust enough
to enable excellent contribution to the process of building strong brands.

Thank you for listening.

BOLA AKINGBADE
9th October, 2008.