Connective Branding: Building Brand Equity in a Demanding World

CHAPTER 5

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS – THE PROCESS OF ALIGNMENT

The process of implementing a connective branding approach requires five key steps as depicted in Figure 5.1. We know from practical experience that most companies do not tackle branding issues in such a systematic and holistic way; therefore, the process is designed in a modular fashion, allowing companies either to work through the entire sequence or to focus on individual steps of particular relevance to their competitive situation and business goals.

Each step in the alignment process is characterised by a number of challenges and critical success factors which we will discuss in the following paragraphs. In addition, we will provide an activity guide at the end of each section.

Figure 5.1 Connective branding – process of aligning brand promise and brand experience

STEP 1 – DESIGN BRAND STRATEGY

A new brand strategy is typically designed when a company has grown quickly and finds the need to formalise what they have done intuitively to date; or when more established companies see the necessity to inject new energy into the brand (e.g. to regain currency or relevance or to facilitate integration after a merger or major acquisition), respond to changing market dynamics (e.g. new entrants, new markets, or new products) or express a change in focus (e.g. new business strategy, new leadership, or repositioning).

For example, ...