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How To Develop A Brand Framework That Gets Results

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By Goldie Chan

Branding is the most important part of your marketing strategy, without a recognizable brand, potential customers won’t know who you are.

The Nike tick, and the McDonalds sign are two of the most popular logos in the world. But there’s much more to a brand than a logo, colours and a slogan. Branding gives your audience insight into who your organization is outside of its corporate name. Therefore, a brand framework that gets results must answer five critical questions, and it starts with defining the vision for your brand. Once you are clear about the direction you want to take, everything else falls into place. But without a firm foundation in place, you’ll find it difficult to build. If you want to crush your company goals, start by developing a powerful brand framework that will guarantee results.

1) What is the Vision For Your Brand?

Start with the end in mind, think about where you see the company five, ten, and fifteen years from now. Please keep in mind that a vision is not strategy, at this point, you are not working out how to get to your destination. You are defining where you are now and where you want to go. Here are seven steps to help define your vision:

Step 1: What Are Your Goals? What do you hope your company will achieve?

Step 2: What Are Your Values? Define your values, it can be a sentence such as, “Adding a creative edge to education.” Or, words such as, “communication” and, “innovation.”

Step 3: Build Your Mission Statement: Your vision is an extension of what you are currently doing; therefore, build on your mission statement to further crystalize your vision.

Step 4: Make it Measurable: Dreams without deadlines will remain dreams. Put a deadline on the things you hope to achieve. A five or a ten year plan is a good place to start.

Step 5: Be Specific: Being wishy washy won’t get you very far, you can compare it to wearing a pair of glasses that are too weak for your eyes. You won’t be able to see anything. When you know exactly what you want, you are better able to aim for it.

Step 6: Think Ahead: Pay attention to the changes that are taking place in your industry and plan accordingly.

Step 7: Keep it Simple: Be as ambitious as you want, but keep it simple. Refrain from over defining your vision.

2) What is the Voice of Your Brand?

Have you ever answered your phone without looking at your caller ID but recognized the persons voice immediately? That’s because you’ve spoken to them so many times that you know what they sound like. That’s what your brands voice should be like. What you say and do should be so consistent across all channels that your customers immediately know it’s you when they come into contact with your brand.

3) What is Your Brand’s Story?

Every brand has a story, it gives your audience deeper insight into what a company is about, and the motivation behind why it started. Brand stories are important because we all remember a good story. It helps build an emotional connection with your audience especially if it’s inspiring and heartfelt.

4) Who is Your Target Audience?

Defining your target audience is the key to success. When you know exactly who you’re selling to and why, it is a lot easier to reach potential customers. For example, a nursery will want to target mothers and families with toddlers. Therefore, all advertising should be targeted towards this people group.

5) Who Are Your Competitors?

Regardless of the industry, there will always be competition. The good news is that competition can work to your advantage if you study them the right way. One of the best ways is to evaluate their bad reviews. In this way, you get to find out what they’re doing that their customers don’t like. You can use that as a marketing tactic to gain potential customers based on giving them what you know they want.

If you want to build a brand that performs, see a return on your investment, and gain a competitive advantage in your industry, the first step is developing an effective brand framework. We are living in an era where consumers demand authenticity, and the most effective way to deliver this, is through the right branding.

Feature Image Credit: GETTY

By Goldie Chan

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

I’m a personal branding expert, keynote speaker, creative and cancer survivor. I’m known as the “Oprah of LinkedIn” and one of…. read more

Sourced from Forbes

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14 Expert Tips for Building a Successful Personal Brand

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BY ROLLING STONE CULTURE COUNCIL

Building a successful brand means understanding who you are and staying true to it.

IN SO MANY areas of culture, building a successful personal brand is key to getting ahead. Who you are, what you’re known for and what value you provide to others all play a role in creating your brand, and those who create positive ones are likely to find more opportunities coming their way.

But creating a personal brand isn’t as simple as some may think. It requires intentionality and a deep understanding of self to get started. Here, 14 leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of the other steps you’ll need to take if you want to build a successful personal brand, in life and in business.

Start With ‘Why’

Remember Simon Sinek? Start with why. Personal branding starts with purpose and passion. Explain and show what you are about and why. Don’t rely on social media alone — it will only show a very fragmented part of your personal brand. What would your Wikipedia page or bio say and why? – Igor Beuker, Igor Beuker

Deliver Excellent Value Consistently

Demonstrate your unique skills and values through consistent excellence in your work. Authenticity fosters trust and attracts opportunities, enabling you to differentiate yourself and excel in your career. Consistently delivering value builds your reputation and opens doors to advancement and success in your chosen field. – Matthew Miller, Orlando Informer

Align Your Expertise With Your Passion

Don’t spend time working out what will make sense on paper. Find the alignment between your expertise and passion, and go with that. If you overthink it, you’ll spend too much time turning your wheels. If it’s not what you are excited about, people can easily tell. – Steven Le Vine, GVG Agency

Engage in Thought Leadership Online

Build your own brand by investing in thought leadership on professional networks online. One key platform for this is LinkedIn. Stay active and engaged by building your LinkedIn profile, adding your experience and features, and creating a personal brand that demonstrates your expertise. Be sure to post regularly, comment on industry professionals’ posts and share your knowledge! – Dan Serard, Cannabis Creative Group

Find the Center of Your Personal Venn Diagram

There’s never been anyone else quite like you. What one-of-a-kind Venn diagram does your professional history, personal interests, life experiences and identities make? The center of that diagram is your personal brand. – Amanda McLoughlin, Multitude

Live Your Values Every Day

One of the best ways to build a personal brand is to be genuine and walk the walk. For your brand to be sustainable and appealing, you need to do more than simply cultivate an image; you need to live your values and the values of your company. Customers can tell when your brand aligns with who you are, and they will respond positively to your authenticity. – Evan Nison, NisonCo

Figure Out What You Want to Be Known For

Have you thought about how you would want people to speak about you when you are not in the room? This “brand message” should be consistent. Take the time to build out what you want to be known for professionally and personally. Personal branding is not only about what work you do, the people you surround yourself with or your behavior; it’s also about what you wear and how you present yourself. – Angelique Kuiper, Resonance

Give Respect to Get Respect

I’ve been part of nonprofit outreaches for years, including working with many members of gang organizations. A common saying on the streets is, “You’ve got to give respect to get respect.” This is true from tough environments through to the boardroom. Lead with respect. Make it a central part of your brand. Figure out how to show respect in each environment, and incredible doors will open for you. – Jed Brewer, Good Loud Media

Reach Out to Your Peers for Help

Personal branding doesn’t mean branding alone, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. Gather your creative, supportive and qualified team that knows and understands not only your goals and ultimate mission but also your unique personality and core values. They will offer you critical feedback and reliable insights. – Magen Baker, Bell + Ivy

Pledge to Stand by Your Word

When building a brand, integrity is your most valuable asset. My journey toward building a sustainable salon taught me a hard but invaluable lesson: Compromising your values for short-term gain is betraying others and yourself. Pledge to stand by your word, even when faced with the toughest choices; it’s the foundation upon which successful brands are built. Your brand reflects who you are. – Kelley Swing, Head Case Hair Studio

Think ‘What,’ ‘Who,’ ‘How’ and ‘Why’

Start small: What do you do and who do you help? For example, I help business owners and entrepreneurs be seen and heard to make a bigger impact on this world by helping them build credibility, authority and visibility in the media. From there, you can build your brand by answering questions like, “How and why do you achieve your ‘what’ and ‘who’?” – Victoria Chynoweth

Consider How New Opportunities Fit in Your Brand Story

Think of your brand development like a book with several chapters, each building upon the previous one. When considering new opportunities, ask yourself how they fit into the larger story of the brand that you are creating. Do they reflect your core beliefs and support your worldview? Can you make them uniquely your own? It will help you create something that is both urgent and distinctive. – Michael Klein, cannabisMD

Define Your Unique Value Proposition

Start by defining your unique value proposition and core values. Consistently share authentic content that reflects your expertise and personality across relevant platforms. Engage with your audience, offering value and building trust. A strong personal brand sets you apart and makes you unique, opening doors to opportunities and career advancement. – Sonia Singh, Center of Inner Transformations

Focus on Authenticity and Integrity

Without authenticity and integrity, nothing will work. Some leaders are flashy, and some are quiet. Some are bookish, and others are rough. But those are their personal styles. What all followers want from their leader is someone they can trust, who understands them and has the answers to their problems. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Jaffer Foundation

Feature Image Credit: HIXEL — STOCK.ADOBE.COM

BY ROLLING STONE CULTURE COUNCIL

Sourced from RollingStone

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Five Powerful Ways To Use Storytelling In Digital Marketing

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By Ana Bubolea

In today’s digitally-driven world, where consumers are inundated with a constant barrage of advertisements and content, storytelling serves as a potent antidote to ad fatigue. By crafting narratives that resonate with the audience’s aspirations, challenges, and desires, brands can cut through the noise and forge genuine connections that foster loyalty and trust.

As the founder of a consultancy that leaders’ stories into their competitive business advantage, I’ve found that people remember stories more than facts. I focus on making the founder’s journey relatable and engaging through stories. I dive deep into their journey, focusing on the raw, unfiltered moments that shaped their vision. It’s effective because people crave genuine connections, and by sharing these stories, we foster a bond based on shared experiences and values.

To help leaders humanize their message, I asked members of the Marketing & PR Group, a community I lead through Forbes Business Council, for ways they’ve been using storytelling as content strategy in digital marketing — and why they’ve been successful.

1. Real-Life Customer Success Stories

Storytelling has a profound impact, particularly on entrepreneurs. By spotlighting real-life customer success stories, banking is infused with humanity, fostering trust and connection. Storytelling’s success lies in transforming impersonal financial services into experiences that resonate, creating a narrative that entrepreneurs can see themselves in, thus fostering deeper engagement and trust. – Aleesha Webb, Pioneer Bank

2. Brand Narratives

You can showcase your product through sheer brand narratives that connect with audiences. Start by creating a compelling story that revolves around the brand’s values, mission, passion and journey. This way, you can create an emotional connection with consumers by developing brand loyalty and engagement. I’ve found this strategy works well since it humanizes the brand and people can connect with the product more easily. – Vinay Chandrashekar, Long Boat Brewing Co.

3. Captivating Hooks

Captivating hooks will always be a pillar for any successful content strategy online. Without engaging hooks on each piece of content, you cannot capture the audience and “win the click.” Start each piece of content by immediately stating a problem, goal or emotion to your audience. This will lead to much stronger engagement and reach. – Reggie Young, Exit Advisor

4. Social Media Reporting

YouTube and social media reporting have become so impactful that they can even work against you. During the early creation of the company, we begrudged internet trolls which led to tons of false negative content being posted all over the internet. It taught us the importance of owning your content channel (YouTube especially) and being proactive in telling your own story and that of your customers. – Ali Mahvan, Terasynth

5. Brand Videos

Utilizing brand videos to weave compelling narratives around the brand’s values and products has been successful. This strategy emotionally connects with the audience, leading to better brand recall, increased engagement and higher conversion rates. – Mohammad Bahareth, MBI

Feature Image Credit: NOPPADON – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

By Ana Bubolea

Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Founder of Buzzworthy Brands. Follow me on LinkedIn for daily personal branding insights. Read Ana Bubolea’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

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After 75 Years, McDonald’s Just Quietly Rolled Out Its Most Brilliant Idea Yet

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By JASON ATEN,

It turns out, your brand is about more than logos and slogans.

The French fry has been around for a long time. McDonald’s first served them in 1949, replacing potato chips on its menu. Since then, the McDonald’s French fry has gone through a few changes–they are no longer cut fresh, and they aren’t cooked in beef fat, but over the past 75 years, they’ve become the most widely sold fast-food item in the world.

They are also synonymous with the McDonald’s brand. If you walk into a McDonald’s restaurant, the first thing you experience is the smell, and it’s something you’d recognize anywhere. That smell is the smell of French fries.

If you’re McDonald’s, there is a lot behind that smell. There are 75 years of people coming to your restaurant with friends or for birthday parties. That’s 75 years of memories people have made and associated with, well, a smell. At least, that’s the bet the company is making in a campaign in the Netherlands called “Smells Like McDonald’s.”

The company built billboards with nothing on them and placed them in public places near a number of its restaurants. Seriously, McDonald’s put up large yellow or red billboards with no logo, pictures, or words at all. The trick is that as people approach the billboards, they are greeted with the smell of French fries, which is wild, if you think about it.

First, there’s the technical side of building a scratch-and-sniff billboard, without the scratch, of course. McDonald’s used vents in the face of the billboards to emit the scent as people approach.

Then, there’s the idea that the smell of McDonald’s French fries would be so powerful that the company didn’t need to put anything else on the signs. I imagine a giant red box in the middle of a plaza would attract some degree of attention, but it’s the smell that would really capture people.

“Smell has been proved to be more effective at sparking clear and emotional memories than images,” McDonald’s Netherlands chief marketing officer Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan told Adweek. “With the inclusion of this next sense in our advertising, we found a new way to remind people of good times at McDonald’s.”

There’s a lot in that statement, but the thing I think is so smart is that the company is leaning into the idea that the most powerful form of marketing is to remind people of “good times.” Smell, it turns out, does that better than almost anything.

Sure, you can look through a photo album on your phone or computer, and remember the various moments you captured. Photos of your favourite pet or a place you love to visit can certainly elicit an emotional reaction, but there is something different about smells. It’s just science, really.

Our sense of smell is handled by the olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to your limbic system, the part of your nervous system that handles mood and emotions. As a result, a familiar smell takes you back to a place and moment in time as though you are suddenly there again. It can generate the strongest of memories and emotional reactions.

Look, we can debate whether the smell of french fries is a good or bad smell. If you’re not a fan of McDonald’s, this whole thing probably seems pretty silly. But there is something incredibly smart about the idea that McDonald’s built an entire ad campaign not around a slogan or a familiar image but around a smell.

“The smell of McDonald’s is an iconic asset for the McDonald’s brand, as recognizable as its products, golden arches, or jingle,” TBWA/Neboko chief creative officer Darre van Dijk said in a statement to Adweek. “That made us wonder: Can we make an outdoor where the McDonald’s smell is the ad? So we wanted to test that a red or yellow billboard with nothing on it but the iconic smell could make people think of McDonald’s.”

There’s a lesson here, which is that your brand isn’t about slogans or logos. Your brand is about the way people feel about your business. One of the most powerful and effective things you can do is to remind people of the positive connection they have with your brand. That part isn’t surprising at all. No, the surprising part is that–for McDonald’s–the most effective way to do that was to simply let its most iconic smell be the entire marketing campaign.

Feature Image Credit: Matthias Balk/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

By JASON ATEN,

TECH COLUMNIST @JASONATEN

Sourced from Inc.

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How frictionless experiences can grow loyalty

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Ease of use stands out as a particularly strong loyalty driver when evaluating a good brand experience, a Mailchimp survey found.

Dive Brief:

  • Frictionless experiences — and the removal of barriers to shopping journeys — are a key aspect of building loyalty, according to an Intuit Mailchimp report on the science of loyalty released Monday. Canvas8 surveyed about 4,000 consumers from the United States, U.K., Australia and Canada on behalf of Mailchimp.
  • Nearly all customers who made repeat purchases — 97% — said their preferred brand made purchasing quick and easy.
  • “One theme that unites the most prestigious behavioural scientists — such as Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman and Richard Thaler — is their belief that one of the most influential behavioural nudges is: ‘make it easy,’” Richard Shotton, author of “The Illusion of Choice” said in the report. “They argue that we overestimate the impact of appeal and underestimate the impact of friction.”

Dive Insight:

While there are many different aspects that go into developing brand loyalty — from consistency to emotional connection — a seamless experience is vital to getting customers to come back time and again.

“Our study found that consumer loyalty is often the result of subconscious cues that factor in routine, availability, ability, motivation, and convenience,” Mark DiCristina, VP of brand experience at Mailchimp, told CX Dive in an email. “In this landscape, loyalty exists at the intersection of emotion and pragmatism.”

Ease of experience greatly influences functional loyalty, the idea that a product or service functions the way it’s supposed to, according to Alexander Chernev, a professor of marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and the author of “Customer Science.”

Removing friction also allows for easy decision-making. One example is providing customers with a look at new products via email. Nearly half of email subscribers look at product offerings in brand emails, and nearly 2 in 5 make a purchase after reading the message, according to the report.

The survey highlighted the success of oral care company Quip, which offers a subscription plan for new toothbrush heads. The subscription model removes friction for customers, who don’t have to go in and make the purchase themselves every three months.

However, when friction is introduced into the experience, that can affect behavioural loyalty — the purchases customers make out of habit, Chernev said. He pointed to Tropicana, which redesigned its packaging about 15 years ago.

“It confused a lot of consumers” who were unsure where the orange juice they normally bought was, and disrupted sales, Chernev said. “When there is tension in the purchase process, it can disrupt behavioural loyalty.”

Feature Image Credit: Portra via Getty Images

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Sourced from CX Dive

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Dove rejects AI beauty standards in powerful new campaign

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By Daniel John

“We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness.”

Personal care brand Dove has become known for its campaigns championing real people with real bodies, as exemplified by its shunning of TikTok ‘beauty’ filters. And now, the brand is targeting AI in the latest iteration of its decades-old Real Beauty campaign.

The brand announced this week that it will never use AI-generated imagery to represent “real bodies” in its ads. And in a powerful short film, it takes aim at the generic and unrealistic beauty standards depicted in images churned out in text prompts such as “the most beautiful woman in the world.” (For more great ad campaigns, check out the best print ads of all time.)

Alessandro Manfredi, chief marketing officer at Dove, adds, “At Dove, we seek a future in which women get to decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new and emerging technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion Real Beauty. Pledging to never use AI in our communications is just one step. We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness, not anxiety, for every woman and girl.”
Indeed, over the 20 year course of its Real Beauty campaign, Dove has repeatedly proven itself to be a force for good. From shunning AI to helping game developers code natural hair in an effort to increase diversity in video games, the brand’s inclusivity credentials continue to impress.
Feature Image Credit: Dove

By Daniel John

Daniel John is Senior News Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of art, design, branding and lifestyle tech (which often translates to tech made by Apple). He joined in 2020 after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more.

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

 

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The rise of sonic design: how sound is key to brand success

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By John Taite

McDonald’s, Old Spice and Corona prove the best branding is multi-sensory.

Multi-sensory branding is on the rise because of one simple human truth; consumers perceive the world using all of their senses. For a brand to succeed in the modern age, it needs to be more than meets the eye, and savvy marketers are building holistic expressions that consider what people see, hear, feel and believe.

When your messaging uses a strategic combination of visual and sonic branding, all boats rise with the tide. Visual branding works on a cognitive level, sonic assets deliver on a deeper emotional level. When they’ve been designed to work in harmony, these sensory dance partners leave a lasting impression that improves performance exponentially (see our pick of the best sonic logos).

By John Taite

Sourced from CREATIVE BLOQ

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How to say something compelling in a world of headline-readers

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By Jamie Bailey, 

Ever shared an article on social media after reading only its headline? Jamie Bailey of Ledger Bennett explains that slowing down can be key to making meaningful content.

“Polar bears face starvation threat as ice melts.”

What’s the point of a headline? To give the newspaper reader a clear picture of an event.

That’s a good newspaper headline because the message has been shared concisely and clearly. You don’t really need to know anything else. You can infer that the melting ice results in a lack of food for polar bears. It doesn’t take much work.

But there’s a big difference between newspapers reporting a factual story and the kind of thing we tend to see in the marketing articles all over our LinkedIn feeds. Polar bears starving is one thing, a deep dive into the transformative power of AI-driven omnichannel marketing is quite another.

Unfortunately, we’re all guilty of reading a headline and assuming we know what the rest of the content will say – and that affects how we read it, if we read it at all. And we’re just as guilty of forming opinions based on those initial assumptions.

It’s the same with B2B content. We see a snappy headline like: “AI-driven omnichannel marketing is the future of B2B marketing“ and share it on social media, without really knowing what the content is about.

Before you know it, there’s a ripple of: “AI-driven omnichannel marketing is the future of B2B marketing“ posts on social media from people who couldn’t tell you the first thing about omnichannel marketing – or all the other considerations and caveats that come with it.

And that’s a dumb thing for us to do.

Think slowly to avoid wrong conclusions

Many compelling stories are just waiting to be heard. But to be able to dive into world-changing arguments, we first need to get past the clickbait world of headlines.

Because some ideas need several paragraphs, not 70 characters.

So why do we often pay more attention to compelling headlines than the content that comes after?

Thankfully, it’s not our fault for thinking this way.

In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman outlines two systems of thought. System one (thinking fast) is responsible for our intuitive knowledge and the split-second decision-making we don’t even notice taking place. System two (thinking slow) is responsible for deeper, more deliberate, more active thought and decision-making.

But system two is notoriously lazy. If it can leave the heavy lifting to system one, it will.

The problem with system one? Its ability to map stored knowledge onto new events leads to a tendency to jump to conclusions. And they aren’t always right.

Deciding “ice melts“ means less food sources for polar bears – and less food for polar bears means a heightened risk of starvation – is an example of our system one jumping to a correct conclusion.

But deciding: “AI-driven omnichannel marketing is the future of B2B marketing“ means that all you need to succeed in 2024 is some more AI-driven omnichannel marketing – whatever that means – and you can ditch everything else?

That’s clearly a bit dumb.

And yet, that’s what you might end up thinking if you scour LinkedIn posts re-sharing the article.

It’s not all bad news

The good news is – it isn’t all bad. I’m not lamenting every single marketer in existence. Consider this more of a rallying cry to engage your system two brain a bit more and take the time to properly think about what the experts in our industry are really trying to tell us.

Think deeper. Think slower. Stop taking things at face value.

It won’t end world hunger.

But it might end a LinkedIn feed full of know-nothings.

Feature Image Credit:  Ian Maina via Unsplash

By Jamie Bailey, 

Sourced from The Drum

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