Connective Branding: Building Brand Equity in a Demanding World

Connective Branding: Building Brand Equity in a Demanding World

by Claudia Fisher, Christine Vallaster
Released December 2008
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470512401

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Book description

This book bridges the gap between strengthening the 'employee brand' and the building 'external brand image' by synthesizing the two approaches. The result is a blurring of the boundaries and assigning creative powers to both. A customer has a number of interactions with the company, and each of these interactions has an impact on the brand equity account – either positive or negative. Examples of interactions include: the product itself, the purchasing process, the consumption experience, the 'face' of the organization, the call center, media etc. The real issue for the company is how to translate the optimized 'ideal' customer journey into effective company programmes, how to track their progress and their actual impact on brand equity, customer satisfaction and loyalty.

This book takes a holistic view to brand management and distills this complex system into palatable chunks, involving all functions of the company. The book demonstrates the effect of an organization that facilitates and rewards employee brand commitment on 'external brand equity (eg: customer satisfaction and loyalty) and 'internal brand equity' (eg: product improvement and innovation potential resident in the organization).

While the more obvious benefits of this approach include the usual suspects such as increased sales and revenues, less obvious benefits include employee stress reduction through the elimination of tensions and incongruity between external and internal value systems. The result is a significant contribution to creativity, brand commitment, overall employee satisfaction and, finally, a company's ability to attract and retain talent.

The above is achieved via a very practical, step-by-step guide, lavishly illustrated with case studies from over 100 fascinating brands (the authors have researched and surveyed companies such as: Aer Lingus, BMW, BP, Deutsche Bank, Ducati, Edun, Google, innocent drinks, Lacoste, Lego, Manner, Maggi, Orange, Old Mutual, Rabobank, Sony, SOS Childrens Villages, Siemens, Thomas Sabo, TED/United, TUI, UBS, Vauxhall, Wal-Mart, Wikimedia, any many more) the authors are able to paint a very real picture of the issues facing business and provide powerful solutions. Refreshingly, this book draws on examples from across the globe, giving the book cultural depth. Each case helps demonstrate the arguments put forward by the authors.

After reading this book the audience should be able to answer the following questions:

  • How can I build a strong brand? Where do I start? Which analyses do I have to conduct? Who needs to be involved?

  • How can I make sure every part of the organisation lives the brand?

  • How can I revive the brand ? How can I create a new and relevant connection between the brand and key target audiences?

  • How can I develop and expand the brand? How can future orientation become part of the brand?

  • How can I best structure the brand portfolio? Which role should each of the brands adapt in order to optimise results?

  • How do I best manage the brand? How do I cultivate and empower brand enthusiasts in the organisation? How do I foster and leverage networked collaboration?

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    Table of contents

    1. Cover Page
    2. Title Page
    3. Copyright
    4. Dedication
    5. CONTENTS
    6. PROLOGUE
    7. INTRODUCTION
      1. BRANDS MUST ADDRESS MULTIPLE AUDIENCES
      2. BRAND VALUES MUST BE LIVED FROM WITHIN
      3. BRANDS ARE BUILT ON INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
      4. CONNECTIVE BRANDING
      5. SNEAK PREVIEW – DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL BRANDING CONCEPTS AND CONNECTIVE BRANDING
        1. From external image to lived values
        2. From insular to networked
        3. From targeting customers to addressing all key stakeholders
    8. PART I: SETTING THE STAGE
      1. CHAPTER 1: MARKET FORCES
        1. AN ENVIRONMENT OF DISTRUST
        2. CONTROL ISSUES
        3. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR 9) – TREND OR REMEDY?
        4. THE INTERNET MEGAPHONE
      2. CHAPTER 2: EMERGING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS MARKET FORCES
        1. BRINGING THE CORPORATION INTO THE BRAND
          1. Corporate brands are value based
          2. Single set of values (“value core”)
          3. Role of employees
          4. Impact on brand architecture
          5. Focus
          6. Target
          7. Creation and Brand Carriers
          8. Delivery
          9. Organisational level
          10. Time horizon and importance
        2. CASE STUDY: SUCCESSFUL DIFFERENTIATION THROUGH CORPORATE BRANDING IN INSURANCE
          1. Background
          2. Challenge
          3. Approach
          4. FOCUS ON AUTHENTICITY
          5. Authenticity does not prescribe values
          6. Authenticity is not the same as CSR
          7. Authenticity is not heritage branding
          8. Authenticity is not a marketing strategy
          9. A few dimensions of authenticity
        3. CASE STUDY: INNOCENT DRINKS IS STAYING AUTHENTIC
          1. Background
        4. FOCUS ON CSR
          1. CSR is here to stay
          2. Consumers are looking to brands for guidance
          3. Not every company needs to be a leader in CSR
          4. CSR includes a wide range of topics and issues
        5. CASE STUDY: BP – “BEYOND PETROLEUM” 21
        6. CASE STUDY: STARBUCKS
        7. ONLINE CUSTOMER INTERACTION
          1. Online interaction with individual customers
          2. Online interaction with communities
          3. Engaging with customer-led communities
        8. CASE STUDY – BRINGING THE ONLINE WORLD INTO THE LEGO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
          1. Brand success that is rooted in heritage
    9. PART II: A FRAMEWORK FOR COPING
      1. CHAPTER 3: BRAND FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING CONNECTIVE BRANDS
        1. BRAND STRATEGY – THE FACE OF BUSINESS STRATEGY
          1. Role of the brand vis-à-vis business strategy
          2. Strategic role of the brand in the organisation
          3. Brand content
          4. Brand principles
          5. A small number of brand principles (value core)
          6. Hierarchy of brand principles
          7. Brand principles on value level
          8. Differentiation
          9. Heritage versus aspirational
          10. Brand promise
          11. Brand vision
          12. Brand architecture
          13. House of brands strategy
          14. Branded house strategy
        2. BRAND MANAGEMENT
          1. Brand ownership
          2. Structure of the branding team
          3. Core team
          4. Extended team
          5. Interaction with all other functions and departments
          6. Responsibilities of the core branding team
          7. Metrics and monitoring
          8. What should be measured?
          9. Key issues
        3. BRAND BUILDING THROUGH ENGAGEMENT
          1. Employee engagement
          2. Key issues
          3. Approach to employee engagement for connective brands
          4. The employee engagement programme needs to embody the brand promise
          5. Connective brands engage all levels of the organisational hierarchy
          6. Connective brands engage employees with the help of brand role models
          7. Connective brands engage employees by employee type
          8. Connective brands engage employees across all phases of brand building
          9. Initial brand training
          10. Check-up
          11. Celebrate early successes
          12. Embracing the brand
        4. CASE STUDY: AWARD-WINNING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME AT GM
          1. Including brand in incentive metrics
          2. Brand reminders and energisers (regular and spontaneous)
          3. Induction for new hires
          4. Connective brands work with the idea of a “signature experience” for new hires
        5. CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
          1. Connective brands engage customers along the loyalty pathway
        6. CASE STUDY: ARAL – THE LARGEST FILLING STATIONN ETWORK IN GERMANY
          1. Engaging other stakeholders
          2. NGOs
          3. Partners and suppliers
          4. Retailers
          5. Shareholders and financial community
          6. Multi-stakeholder engagement
          7. Conclusion
        7. BRAND BUILDING THROUGH ALIGNMENT OF PROCESSES AND STRUCTURES
    10. PART III: CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN
      1. CHAPTER 4: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS – STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
        1. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
          1. Critical success factor #1: Engaging top management
          2. Critical success factor #2: Engaging role models
          3. Critical success factor #3: Networked collaboration
          4. Critical success factor #4: Building brands on simple and powerful ideas
          5. Critical success factor #5: Ensuring that employees experience the brand values first hand
          6. Critical success factor #6: Demonstrating relevance to employees
          7. Critical success factor #7: Translating the meaning of values
          8. Critical success factor #8: Maintaining employee engagement
        2. CASE STUDY: TED – HOW ORGANISATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES IMPACT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
        3. ENGAGING CUSTOMERS
          1. Critical success factor #1: Authenticity (Do as you say)
          2. Critical success factor #2: Focusing on the most important moments of truth
          3. Critical success factor #3: Bringing “online” into the brand
          4. Critical success factor #4: Retaining relevancy to core users
          5. Key success factor #5: Engaging different cultures
          6. Key success factor #6: Paying attention to detail
          7. Key success factor #7: Find simple but powerful ways to connect
        4. ENGAGING OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
          1. Critical success factor #1: Reaching out to other stakeholders
          2. Critical success factor #2: Translating the brand promise into engaging ideas for all key stakeholders
        5. THE CASE OF DUCATI – ENGAGING EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
          1. Background
          2. Creating a dialogue that engages
          3. The bike – an expression of design and innovation
          4. Racing
          5. Ducati Desmo Owners Club (DOC)
          6. Ducati Museum
          7. Ducati University/Riding school
          8. Events
          9. Ducati stores
          10. Accessories and merchandise
          11. Engaging media, celebrities
          12. Achievements and challenges ahead
      2. CHAPTER 5: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS – THE PROCESS OF ALIGNMENT
        1. STEP 1 – DESIGN BRAND STRATEGY
          1. Critical success factor #1: Aligning competing values
        2. CASE STUDY: OLD MUTUAL GROUP
          1. Critical success factor #2: Aligning business strategy and brand strategy
        3. CASE STUDY: AER LINGUS
          1. Critical success factor #3: Aligning brand strategy and corporate culture
        4. CASE STUDY: WIKIPEDIA
          1. Critical success factor #4: Aligning brand architecture and brand vision
        5. CASE STUDY: TUI
        6. STEP 2 – DESIGN BRANDING TEAM
          1. Critical success factor #5: Aligning strategic role and power to act
          2. Critical success factor #6: Aligning different brand perspectives
        7. CASE STUDY: GATEGROUP
          1. Critical success factor #7: Aligning strategic role and standing in the organisation
        8. CASE STUDY: NETAPP
        9. STEP 3 – DESIGN AND ENABLE BRAND EXPERIENCE
          1. Critical success factor #8: Aligning brand promise and brand experience (design)
          2. Critical success factor #9: Aligning processes and structures for brand delivery (enable)
        10. STEP 4 – MEASURING BRAND EXPERIENCE
          1. Critical success factor #10: Aligning brand goals and metrics (measure the right things)
          2. Critical success factor #11: Aligning brand measurement strategies across the organisation
        11. STEP 5 – IMPROVING BRAND EXPERIENCE
          1. Critical success factor #12: Aligning intended brand experience with actual brand experience
        12. FINAL STEP: REGULAR REVIEW OF BRAND STRATEGY
        13. CASE STUDY: SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES
          1. Changing society
          2. Key issue – adapting to a new world
          3. Approach
          4. The “new” SOS Children's Village brand
          5. Transforming the concept
          6. Re-engaging with key stakeholders
          7. Results and challenges ahead
        14. SHOWCASE: VAUXHALL
          1. Background
          2. Challenges
          3. Approach
          4. Project outcomes
          5. Major challenges ahead
        15. CONCLUSION
    11. EPILOGUE – THE LAW OF THE SEVENTH GENERATION?
    12. INDEX

    Product information

    • Title: Connective Branding: Building Brand Equity in a Demanding World
    • Author(s): Claudia Fisher, Christine Vallaster
    • Release date: December 2008
    • Publisher(s): Wiley
    • ISBN: 9780470512401