Brand as an investment talk w/ Sep & Stephan
Target: professional services firms such as accounting and law firms with a +1m turnover that don't have a marketing person/resource.
Mini insight: Post-pandemic, there seems to be a thirst for networking opportunities.
Concept: A client (or prospect) hosts a networking evening for their clients and prospects, featuring an insightful 20-minute presentation about the elusive topic of branding.
Win-win-win
What’s in it for them?
It makes them look good and allows them to invite prospects and clients and network with them. Moreover, they get a heap of ‘free branded content’ (later paid as part of hosting plus package) that they can use for weeks.
The host covers the guest list, venue, drinks and nibbles. If their boardroom/office is not available, we organise a central WeWork location or similar.
We do the promotion material for their channels and the documentation, which gives them (and us) branded, ready-for-their-use content in various formats: text, image and clips, both long and short. Exact deliverables TBC. Some will be reusable and customised with Q&A content.
We start with people we know to get case studies and then offer the format to a list of prospects when we have good testimonials.
What do the client’s client and prospects gain on top of networking opportunities?
In a compact and insightful presentation, they learn about brand development. They get to ask questions about brand and branding they always wanted to ask.
The presentation unfolds from the general to the specific: Why branding → How to lay good foundations → What needs to be done in concrete terms.
Introduction: host, SW and SH
- Legal and or accounting aspects related to brand and branding, such as IP, copyright, etc.
- How do we know each other? And a bit of background about us.
Brand as an investment: SH
- Story: Coca-Cola. Imagine…
- Everything depreciates. The brand is the only (or one of the very few) assets that can appreciate if done properly. ⇒ Investment
Brand and cashflow: SH
- Sales growth, faster market penetration, customer loyalty, premium pricing ⇒ better cashflow ⇒ higher shareholder value
Elements of brand strategy: SH
- Origin/values & believes; purpose/mission; winning aspiration/vision
- Value proposition; brand platform: identity and positioning
- Brand expression: verbal, visual, behavioural, spacial and sonic
- Brand driving rather than part of marketing
Transition/summary of foundation: SH → SW
- In essence, four questions: What do you stand for? Who needs to know? How do they find out? Why should they care?
Translating strategy into action: SW
- What are we trying to achieve? What do we want the audience to experience? What do we want them to do?
brand ≠ logo;the verbal, visual, behavioural, spatial and sonic elements: SW
Understanding Brand Brand Foundations: Future Proofing, Vision & Pillars Brand Comms: Identifying Funnels and Touchpoints, Customer avatars, Brand Tone of Voice and Messaging, Visual/Sonic
- brand stewardship
- brand-driven innovation
Steps of our proven approach: SW
- Process diagram on how to rebrand/activate?
Blindspots, pitfalls and opportunities: SW & SH
Could be around how to write a proper agency brand brief, the dangers of using 'designers', and the importance of branding to customer needs, not personal taste. Ensuring and promoting Brand Consistency. How to educate your own staff (Brand Workshop by Stephan/Seb :)
Conclusion/summary of the process: SW
- Knowing what means knowing how. Start with the end in mind.
Q&A: SW & SH
Final thoughts: host
- The host picks up on points from the talk and relates them back to their business.
Networking with drinks and nibbles
- What did you find valuable? What surprised you? Could you imagine hosting an event like this for your prospects and clients?
Why should we do that?
Credible content, awareness, leads, and possibly work on the back of it. Learn what the actual questions are regarding branding.
If it proves a winning offer for clients, we might be able to charge for branded promotion material, documentation and content preparation.