Brand is a business tool

Brand is a really valuable business tool, but so often it's overlooked by companies. I think the reason for this is that you can't see it, or touch it. Yes, you can see a logo (but a logo's not a brand). Yes, you can touch a product, or the staff delivering a service (but not every business considers their product or staff as part of the brand).

Brand is seen as something etherial, something intangible. But this video that I came across last week has a different perspective. It's looking at the role of design in innovation, and arguing the business case. There are some interesting ideas to consider...

Design's Role in Innovation from Design Council on Vimeo.

Now, design is not brand, if you're thinking of design as creating a new logo, for example. But if you think of design as fundamental to creating the structure of a business, to giving meaning to the products and services on offer, to the strategy of a business, then that's a very different proposition. It that instance I think the word design and the word brand are interchangeable.

So, with that in mind, here are the three things that stuck out for me:
The origin of the word 'design'. From the Latin 'designare' - to designate. To give things meaning. If you think of your logo, and the other elements of your visual identity, they are all there to give meaning to your company. To be more than just colours, shapes and words. To make your company more than just a provider of a product or service... So do they? What is the meaning behind your business? Or are you just a provider of a product or service?

Design (brand) is about giving people what they need whether or not they know they need it. Brand isn't always about answering questions. Sometimes it's about asking them. Why don't you do it this way? How useful would it be to have this product? Just look at Apple. They've built an empire on giving consumers what they need, not asking them what they want. They've developed a loyal customer base by focusing on customer needs. So look at your customers. Do you give them what they need? Or do you just give them what they want?

The storm is the time to fish. I love this Inuit proverb! When the environment is at it's worst it's very tempting to stay somewhere safe and familiar. But the opportunities are still out there, if you want them. Harder to get to, certainly. But they're still there, and there's probably less competition to catch them. So what are you going to do? Jump in your canoe, brave the icy waves and going looking for the fish? Or stay somewhere comfortable and hope the fish come to you?


So when you look at your business and your brand do you see something tangible? Does your brand make a positive impact on your bottom line every month? Or is it just a logo on your business card? Or some ideas bouncing round your head?

Green business: A threat or an opportunity?

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Sir Winston Churchill said this (as Prime Minister during the war he needed to be optimistic). This week I used it in a workshop I was running. I had been invited to talk about 'Visual language and communication' at the 'Sustainable Business by Design' Focus Event. So why was I talking about Churchill?



It's all about context. Any business that is developing a 'green' or 'sustainable' position needs to be really clear about why they're doing it. There are two, and only two, business benefits to being 'green': Reducing costs or creating competitive advantage. There are many ways of defining those benefits and many variations, but everything comes back to one of those two. (Wanting to 'save the planet' is not a business benefit. It might be the starting point. But you need to apply that motive to one of those two).

I'm always attracted to opportunities to create competitive advantage - it's what we do for our clients. So I was interested to read earlier this month that, according to research by The Carbon Trust, over 50% of SMEs see a greener economy as a threat. More than half the SMEs in the UK! That's where Churchill comes in. If you've got ambition, vision and some optimism there's a lot of business out there to win - the green market is worth £112m in the UK. If you want a slice it's all about communication. (And the good news is half your competitors aren't even trying).

But this attitude to 'change' isn't unique to the challenges of a greener economy. The wider economic challenges of the past few years have forced every business to make a choice: Are we looking at a threat or an opportunity? But while the economy will (eventually) return to 'normal', the likelihood is that the need to adapt to a greener economy will continue. So how long before the pessimists become optimists? Or will they all become extinct before they get the chance?

All change! New logo for Eurostar

Following on from last weeks post about when to change your logo, a perfectly timed case study from Eurostar!



Yesterday Eurostar announced that they will be launching a new logo (above, right) on April 5th. (You can read the article from Marketing Week here). The thing that's interesting is not how they have changed the logo, but why. In my last post I talked about Proactive change - and this is a great example.

Changes in European law have created opportunities for Eurostar to offer new services. Through partnerships with other rail operators they can offer new destinations, and begin to compete with short-haul airlines. There are new business opportunities to be exploited. So to reflect these changes - and other developments in their service - they have decide to develop their brand.

The image that the old logo was communicating was no longer relevant to the business - it was time to change.

Change is always a risk, but it is also a great opportunity.

Your brand: Time for a change?

I came across an article on the Time magazine site that looked at the changing logos of some established (mainly US) brands. It's demonstrating how they're trying to adopt a 'gentler' image. I'm not sure about that particular argument, but it's interesting to see them side by side and see the process of transition.



It got me thinking about logos (and brands) and changing them. It's a question I often get asked at networking events: 'When should I change my logo?' The best thing about this question is that there is a very simple answer. There's only one situation when it's appropriate to change your logo or your brand: When your business experiences some kind of 'change'.

I put 'change' into one of two categories: Proactive or Reactive

Proactive change is driven from within the business. It's often triggered by an opening in a new market or sector, and a desire to exploit that opportunity. It's usually part of a wider business plan. It can be the result of a merger or acquisition. But it's all about taking control of a situation and influencing it in your favour. (The recent change to the Starbucks logo is an example of this).

Reactive change is driven by external influences, and is not part of a long-term business plan. It can be triggered by new competitors moving into the marketplace, or changes in technology that lead to changes in behaviour (either by the business or by its customers). It's a response to a changing situation that the business can't control or influence.

Whether the need for change is proactive or reactive, the reason for change is the same. The image that the brand is communicating is no longer relevant, either to the business (typically proactive change) or the target audience (typically reactive change).

So the question you ask yourself shouldn't be 'Is it time for a change?', but 'What's changed?'. When you can answer that, then you can take the next step.

If you do want to take the next step, you might be interested in our free seminar: Unlock the value of your brand.

10 big lessons from 10 big brands

On Wednesday 16 March we're going to be delivering 10 big lessons from 10 big brands. As part of the next Business Network SW lunch in Exeter, we're hosting the pre-lunch seminar, where we’ll be looking at some of the challenges companies face in a competitive market. We'll take 10 big lessons from 10 big brands and explain how they can have a big impact on your business.

As a business are you:
• Disappointed in the number of new enquiries?
• Struggling to stand out from competitors?
• Frustrated by missed opportunities?
• Finding it hard to sell to your target audience?

If the answer is 'yes', then you should join us. The seminar is aimed at business owners who are ambitious about growing their business, and serious about taking action.

You will learn how your brand can:
• Increase your volume of new business, by raising your profile
• Make you first choice, and differentiate you from your competitors
• Nurture loyalty, by clearly communicating the benefits you provide
• Grow your business, by reaching a particular market or sector.

So come and join us. It's an event that could change your business!

As well as our seminar, you'll have the opportunity to sit down to lunch with over eighty business leaders. The seminar and lunch costs £32.50. If you want to grow your business, it's a great way to spend 4 hours!

To book a place for the seminar and lunch contact Sean Humby.

Brand: Light up your business

“It was really useful attending the ‘Unlock the Value of Your Brand’ event as it ignited ideas in my head and provided me with a strategic checklist of how we can maximise our brand”.
Kate Came, St. Loye's

We get really good feedback from our seminars, which is great (obviously!), but what I liked about Kate's feedback was the word 'ignite'. It's such a powerful word - the first step in a process. But it also begins to paint a picture of your brand as this ball of combustible material, just waiting for the spark to unleash it!



And I think that's such a great metaphor for your brand, because your brand can play so many roles for your business.

Your brand can be a beacon - guiding customers to you through a sea of confusion and uncertainty.

Your brand can shed light - helping customers to understand more about your business and the benefits you can bring to them.

Your brand can provide energy - giving customers the momentum they need to move forward.

Your brand can give you confidence - when you take a new path and need support on your journey.

Your brand can provide protection - keeping competitors at bay when they come looking for your customers.

Your brand can give off a warm glow - drawing customers to you and making them feel comfortable and relaxed.



So what do you want your brand to do? Are you brave enough to strike the match? What's stopping you? Just think what it could do to your business!

If you'd like to find out more about what your brand can do for your business, join us at one of our free seminars.

Brand position: What's yours?

When you look at your sector and your competitors, where do you position yourself? Are you at the top end, targeting the customers with high expectations and budgets to match? Are you at the bottom end, with the customers looking for a cheap deal? Or do you sit in the middle, hoping to catch everything else?

The question of positioning is an interesting one, and it's a topic that came up during our last brand seminar, in January. We had the usual interesting mix of organisations join us for the evening, from a start-up in their first 12 months of business, to one company close to celebrating 25 years of trading. There were not-for-profits, manufacturers and professional service firms. A variety of backgrounds, but one purpose: to understand what their brand can do for their organisation.

We were discussing customers, and the importance of identifying who they are, and what it is they're looking for from you. One of the guests gave an example of their experience as a customer, and the poor service they had received, at Primark. Their point was that it wouldn't take a lot to improve customer service at Primark, and with a profit of £340m, they can afford to invest in it! The response from another guest was: if you can make a profit of £340m with poor service, why change?

And this is where the question of positioning comes in. It doesn't really matter where you position your business, as long as you can make a profit. The Primark model is fairly crude: Low quality product, low quality service, low cost, but massive profits. A successful business model. Their brand proposition is value. Customers know what to expect. If they want higher quality - and higher prices - they'll go somewhere else.

So what lesson can we learn from Primark?
• Choose where you want to position your business.
• Be clear about who that positioning will appeal to.
• Use your brand to engage that audience.
And if you get it right, you'll make a healthy profit too!

If you would like to unlock the value of your brand and join us at one of our free seminars, you can book a place here. It would be good to meet you.