BRAND
It's actually quite simple: a brand is a promise. A promise that customers will get exactly what they expect and what they want from the brand – functionally and emotionally. A brand offers orientation, creates desire, and differentiates from the competition. And if it keeps its promise, it keeps its fans loyal for the long term.
It's actually quite simple. And actually, all of us already know how important good branding is for long-term success. How often do we read that, besides its human capital, the brand is a company's biggest asset?
But the reality often looks different. Branding has long been a challenge that is intensely discussed but frequently underestimated or even misunderstood. An image that has developed largely unchecked over time is often confused with a brand strategy. Time and again we see the lack of any clear vision as to how a brand's positioning can be realized consistently across all areas of a company. It's not uncommon for brand strategies to be made for the advertising agencies rather than for their customers. And sometimes a company's employees do not even know what their brand stands for.
The growing challenges of our era make it particularly advisable to adopt a very conscientious approach to the topic. In view of the rising complexity, dynamics, interconnectedness, and the ensuing overall uncertainty of the markets it is indispensable for a company to have a clear idea of where it wants to get to with its brand or brands, and absolutely vital to take actions consistent with this goal.
KEYLENS has spent many years helping companies along the path to successful brand management; ideally companies that approach business from a primarily procurement, production, distribution, or similar focus and recognize the potential that lies in continuously and consistently taking care to strengthen their brand.
Some of the aspects our consultancy focuses on:
- Brand audit/status quo analyses
- Brand benchmarking
- Market segmentation
- Needs-based strategy development
- Brand architecture
- Brand implementation
- Portfolio strategy
- Strategy operationalization and 360° implementation
- Internal branding/brand behavior
SELECTED KEYLENS PROJECT EXAMPLES
Chain of clothing stores
CHAIN OF CLOTHING STORES
Issue:
Repositioning the company
Objective:
Strengthening retail brand profiling as a basis for expanding the customer base in the regional markets
Results:
- We created a knowledge base by means of analyses/market research
- Determined a new positioning with precise definition of customer benefit
- Identified adjustments to be made in all corporate functions, incl. drawing up a business case
- Closely supported the concept implementation with monthly team meetings
KEYLENS success levers:
Extremely pragmatic transfer of know-how from big business to meet the needs of a medium-sized enterprise
Primary insurer
PRIMARY INSURER
Issue:
Holistic implementation of a new brand strategy in the company
Objective:
Differentiating the brand in a homogeneous competitive environment and thereby tapping new growth potential
Results:
External impact
- New brand image, incl. logo and marketing communications
- New image for the insurance agencies (offline and online)
- A reworked product program that conforms with the brand
- All touchpoints between the company and its customers adjusted
Internal impact
- Program for internal brand management
- Business processes and organizations adapted
- Controlling mechanisms introduced
- Change management at all managerial levels: brand focus as a new management dimension in the company
KEYLENS success levers:
Ensuring consistency in externally and internally focused brand management. Thereby creating a high level of consistency between the brand proposition as presented by the marketing and the subsequent brand experience as perceived by the customer
IT service provider
IT SERVICE PROVIDER
Issue:
Sharpening the company's positioning
Objective:
Strengthening the brand positioning as a basis for expanding the customer base in the markets
Results:
- We created an extensive knowledge base by means of internal and external market research
- Developed a new positioning with precise definition of customer benefit
- Derived the necessary adjustments in all corporate functions, incl. drawing up a business case
- Formulated an implementation plan, with responsibilities and timings
KEYLENS success levers:
Highly pragmatic yet comprehensive approach to sharpening and implementing a brand positioning
Reinsurer
REINSURER
Issue:
Optimizing the brand portfolio for the German-speaking markets to exploit market and individual customer potential cost effectively
Objective:
Identifying brand perception and brand strength from the employee and customer perspective and compared with the competition; deciding which brands should be continued and developing actions to sharpen their profile
Results:
- We analyzed and evaluated the status quo in terms of the positioning and strength of the master brand and individual brands from an internal and external perspective and in comparison with the main competitors
- Recommended which brands should be continued based on strategic business logic
- Defined actions to sharpen the brand profiles to improve loyalty among the most important customers and to generate profitable growth
- Defined and implemented specific actions to strengthen the brand internally and externally, incl. developing and introducing a new mission statement and claim
KEYLENS success levers:
In-depth market understanding; result focus/pragmatism; personal and intensive involvement of those responsible for the brands in order to ensure quality and get the project results implemented
European manufacturer of paints, varnishes, and thermal insulation materials
EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER OF PAINTS, VARNISHES, AND THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS
Issue:
Positioning the three brands of composite thermal insulation systems in the professional market
Objective:
Reviewing and realigning the current three-brand strategy with the aim of reducing internal conflicts and making much better use of market potential
Results:
- We realigned the core brand with a pronounced brand spread and an all-new market presence; thereby initiating the biggest strategy and change project of recent years
- Initiated a whole new understanding of commercialization with a focus on the private and public-sector investor as the purchase decision maker
- Relaunched or sharpened the profile of the other two professional brands
- Established an overarching group marketing function
- Ensured the adoption and authorization of a comprehensive master plan for realizing the project results
KEYLENS success levers:
Mirroring the client's specific management structure with two KEYLENS Partners displaying complementary character profiles; combining "flawless" project work and a highly professional internal communication process with the maintenance of absolute neutrality
Tourism group
TOURISM GROUP
Issue:
Brand strategy and development of new, high-margin products
Objective:
Creating new tourism products with high gross profits, with which to secure future profitable growth in the tour operator business
Results:
- We developed a novel form of customer segmentation, unique in a European context, that links lifestyle data, travel needs, and specific travel behavior
- Identified high-revenue and high-profitability customer segments
- Developed various showcase tourism products for these segments (brand/service proposition, product concept, price point positioning, marketing concept)
- Developed a range of tools to present the results at the travel agency level (consultations) and the hotel level
KEYLENS success levers:
Substantial methodological expertise in segmenting and modeling, combined with brand and positioning expertise in new product development
Company in the dental industry
COMPANY IN THE DENTAL INDUSTRY
Issue:
Brand strategy
Objective:
Refining the brand strategy with the aspiration of confidently communicating to the outside world the company's 'Champions League' position as one of the top players in the global dental market through its brand and communication strategy
Results:
- We conducted an extensive survey of the status quo, incl. internal/external brand status, the company's strategic parameters, market potential, benchmarking, and customer insights
- Conducted a gap analysis and derived necessary actions for brand strategy/customer approach/implementation externally, i.e. in the marketing mix, and internally
- Formulated a brand strategy incorporating the brand's vision, USP, emotional/functional utility, and attributes/values
- Worked out a brand architecture, incl. defining the vertical/horizontal logic between the corporate brand, house brands, and product/family brands
- Broke down the brand strategy and ensured 360° implementation in the marketing mix, internal branding/brand behavior, corporate culture/organization, and processes
- Formulated and implemented a communication strategy, incl. agency pitch with subsequent development of a new CI/CD and new corporate campaign
KEYLENS success levers:
An established approach and always "on an equal footing" with the client in the process of development and coordination
