9
Uncovering Your Key Brand Attributes
To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success.
—H. J. Heinz, printed on the back of a ketchup bottle
When it comes to marketing and branding, one very simple question seems to trip up firm after firm. That question is:
What should we say about ourselves?
We know from the previous chapter that we can deliver messages of our value to the market and clients in a number of different ways. We also know that to build the strongest possible messages, we must combine resonance, differentiation, and substantiation. With or without this knowledge, firms struggle to figure out what the core components of their messaging should be.
The diagram in Figure 9.1 offers you a review of where we have been to this point. In Chapter 13 we address how to approach combining, crafting, and creating your messages from a core set of building blocks. In this chapter, you learn how to discover what those building blocks are for you and how to categorize them. And, when you are finished, you will see how to figure out what to say about yourself.
Figure 9.1 Value Proposition Strength and Delivery
Nine Questions: Finding the Strength of Your Value Proposition
To articulate the messages about your firm that will contribute to your growth by connecting with the market and helping you sell, you first need to answer nine questions dealing with two topics: value and differentiation. ...
