Introducing Brand Story®

Engage your customers with a brand experience they care about

Your brand is your most important asset. It's how you connect to your customers. Every thought or feeling the public has about your business forms the substance of your brand. The goal is to keep those thoughts and feelings about your brand positive and on target.

Design Coup has developed Brand Story® to make sure your brand experience is on target. It's designed to get everyone in your organization who "touches your brand" on the same page. It's a learning and discovery process coupled with in-depth exercises that build and implement your Brand Platform.

We recently put Brand Story into action for AGCO Corp, a major agricultural manufacturer, by taking their four core brands through our Brand Story process. The goal was to create a new level of brand synergy in the global marketplace. Read more here.

Why is this important? – Really smart companies like Nike, Apple, and Coke understand that customers identify with brands, not products. Products have features while brands have emotional appeal. Successful brands connect emotionally with consistent messaging and clear positioning.

Why Brand Story? – Design Coup approaches brand development from a "Brand Story" point of view because Brands and Stories are very similar. Brands and stories both create emotional experiences where we identify with the brand or character. Successful brands persuade the customer to feel that "this brand – and not that one – is for me!"

Brand Platform – The Brand Platform identifies the distinctive DNA at the core of your brand. At its heart is the key brand concept, the key idea that distinguishes your brand from the competition. Example: When you think Volvo, what one word comes to mind?

Design Coup’s 10-Point Brand Platform includes:

1. Brand Concept

2. Brand Promise

3. Brand Vision

4. Target Customer

5. Brand Positioning

6. Brand Statement & Tagline

7. Brand Drivers

8. Brand Character

9.Brand Voice

10.Brand Look

Brand Story Goal – We want you to wake up in the morning and feel that your brand is alive. The workshop process delivers a Brand Platform – an executable brand strategy that guides every individual who touches your brand – marketing managers, designers, copywriters, sales people, PR personnel, outside vendors and more. Imagine bringing your entire team into alignment, so that all creative executions, product decisions and messaging are "on brand."

Even better, imagine if that "one word" always comes to mind when people think about your company. In the case of Volvo, we have polled scores of people in multiple countries and 100 percent respond with "safety."

The Brand Story can also realign product strategy. We helped a franchise restaurant client completely revamp their menu concept as a result of our Brand Story process.

Workshop Format – Design Coup leads one-day events as well as in-depth explorations. A typical workshop might include:

  1. Introduction
    • Introducing attendees and brand responsibilities
    • Purpose of the session
    • Role of Design Coup as facilitator

  2. Brand Story – Slide presentation on the genesis of leading brands
    • Defining the Brand Story – The 4 C’s
      • Customer
      • Clarity
      • Consistency
      • Character

    • Communication elements supporting brand story
      • Messaging
      • Structure
      • Design

    • Brand Story applied – As exemplified by leading global brands
    • Extending the Brand Story – How leading companies extend the brand experience

  3. Building Our Brand Story – Interactive group exercise to identify:
    • Target customer: Describe tractor owner and his or her farm in detail
    • Clarity: What are our unique benefits and features?
    • Character: What is our brand personality?
    • Consistency: What elements should play out in every communication
    • Creative Exercises
      • Brand analysis: How would you improve a global brand?
      • Character profile: Understanding your customer
      • Brand associations:  Linking other brands to your Brand Story
      • Effective use of Messaging, Structure, Design

  4. Brand Review 
    • Collateral analysis – Identify usage of brand story in your existing materials
    • How should our brand story be portrayed through:

      1. Messaging
      2. Structure
      3. Design

    • Creative exploration and mock-ups

  5. Next Steps
    • How can brand story shape our future projects?

      1. Collateral
      2. Web
      3. Point of purchase
      4. Extending the brand

    • Timeline
    • Deliverables and follow-up
    • Thank you & conclusion

Ready to Get Your Brand Focused? Whether you need a one-day workshop or an in-depth, company-wide process, call Bruce Miller or Michael Higgins at 404 378-9029 to envision the growth of your brand.