A performance measurement system that relates directly to customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the company's ability to learn and improve. This focuses on financial measures and three sets of operational measures that drive future financial performance.
An objective method for rating one's own activities against similar activities performed by those recognized for best practice. This provides methods for self–evaluation and aims to identify opportunities for process improvement.
An individual who receives value from a purchase, and is not the buyer or user. (e.g., The dinner guests benefited from their host's new gas grill.)
An analysis of relevant consumer needs, wants and desires as they apply to the brand offering.
Any factor that serves as a competitive advantage, enhancing consumers' perception of the brand.
A clear and compelling 10-to-30-year goal that serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines.
From James Collins' and Jerry Porras' 1996 article entitled "Building Your Company's Vision."
Brand, product, and/or marketing development that is driven by the external forces (consumers).
See: Top Down
A promise to deliver a clearly stated, unique and relevant benefit that is consistently expressed both tangibly and intangibly to differentiate the offering from competitors.
The tangible components of a brand, such as the brand's name and logo, are often trademarked to create defendable assets for the organization.
"A brand is an experience living at the intersection of promise and expectation."
—Mark Gallagher, Brand Expressionist®, Blackcoffee®
See: Branding
A consumer who preaches the merits of a given brand when prompted.
The organization and structure of a brand portfolio which details the relationship between a parent company, it's products and/or sibling brands.
Consumers’ feelings, beliefs and knowledge about a given brand. These associations are driven by consumers’ experience with the brand, it’s positioning and basis of differentiation.
The associations, either functional or emotional, that an audience (consumers and prospects) assigns to the brand. Brand attributes can be either negative or positive and can have varying degrees of relevance and importance to different audiences.
A comprehensive and systematic examination of a brand’s strategy (brand positioning, basis of differentiation, market position and consumers views) and/or a brand’s identity (brand signals, collateral and advertising).
Ability for customers to recognize a brand’s name, logo, offering, and unique point of difference.
As a branding metric Brand Awareness is not measure of a brand’s strength, as it measures of consumer knowledge rather than preference.
Storytellers who spread the brand vision, brand values and cultivate the brand within an organization.
Consumers’ perception of a brand concept. The brand promise (statements, actions and experience) is interpreted by consumers and manifested as an expectation (the assumption that the brand will act in a given manor).
The degree of loyalty that consumers have for a given brand in that they are likely to re-purchase the offering in the future. As a brand metric this indicates the degree to which a brand’s customer base is protected from competitors.
See: Brand Loyalty
An knowledgeable adviser who acts as brand counsel provides an organization with expert branding guidance and recommendations in the combine fields of brand positioning strategy and brand identity.
See: Brand Strategy, Brand Identity
See: Brand Tribe
Brand culture is a business management technique that aligns business objectives, and consumer needs to form a cultural system that defines the organizations decisions and actions. In order to be effective brand culture must be championed by the CEO and senior management and engage and inspire employees throughout the organization.
Comparison of the percentage of a brand's sales in a given market to the percentage of the national population in that same market.
The state that exists when the majority of consumers believe that one brand outperforms all competitors.
Revenues that can be attributed strictly to the brand.
An individual who preaches the merits of a given brand without encouragement. It is important to recognize that this individual may or may not be a buyer, user, or beneficiary of the brand.
1) A measure of the tangible and intangible assets (Intangible Assets: differentiating qualities, thoughts and feelings - Tangible Assets: patents, trademarks and market share) that contribute to how a brand is positioned in the marketplace and the value of the brand as a corporate asset. 2) The financial premium derived from loyal consumers committed to a brand and willing to pay a premium for that brand, as compared to a generic product or service in the same category.
Is the implementation of strategies to reduce risk and liability from the effects attributable to counterfeiting, trademark infringement, tampering, black/grey market sales, and the like.
The distillation of a brand into a succinct core concept. This concept directly equates to the brand in the simplest, most single-minded terms and is fundamentally rooted in customer need. (e.g.: Volvo = safety).
See: Strategic Intent
Exposure of a brand to a broader target consumer or geographic market.
The collective experience a consumer has with the brand, both controlled (such as products/services, brand signals, advertising, etc…) and uncontrolled (such as journalistic comment and word of mouth). Brand value is derived from a positive, clear, differentiated overall brand experience.
See: Brand Signals
Brand expression is the brand as defined and articulated by the organization. This integrates brand strategy and brand identity to express a multi-sensory brand experience through a portfolio of brand signals. These signals manage consumer expectations by carrying and conveying the brand promise, ensuring that the brand remains consistent and relevant while responding to market changes.
A statement outlining the brand's points of differentiation, relevance, and authenticity. Unlike a brand’s positioning statement, a Brand Expression Statement is consumer-facing and written in the brand's aesthetic.
Blackcoffee® employees who practice brand expression (the fusion of strategy and identity into a singular discipline). Brand Expressionists serve as brand counsel, looking beyond traditional deliverables to help organizations create brand systems and multi-sensory brand signals.
Brand Expressionist® is a registered trademark of Blackcoffee®.
The vertical expansion of a brand by leveraging the brand's value to stand for different products/services in new, unrelated, markets. (e.g., Crest's extension from toothpaste to mouthwash, toothbrushes, floss…)
See: Elasticity
The distance between promise (how the business presents its brand) and expectation (consumer's opinions/beliefs of that brand).
The synchronization of all brand identity elements, across a line of products or services and/or across geographic markets.
The synchronization of all elements and experiences consistent with positioning and identity. This strengthens customers' impressions of the brand, not by how many times the customer sees an ad, or by how clever that ad is, but by how well all the experiences a customer has with your brand, blend to create a sensible, cumulative experience.
Decreasing or eliminating marketing expenditure of a given brand when sales and profits begin to decline, relying on the purchases of loyal customers to sustain it.
The unique set of signals that identifies the brand and expresses the brand promise. (e.g., the name, symbols, colors and sonicons by which the brand can be identified)
Presenting a brand identity that does not reflect the strategic intent of the brand strategy. This often results in ineffective tactical decisions that damage both brand equity and brand value.
See: Brand Image Map
Consumers’ informed impressions in terms of what the brand represents (associations), what the brand currently stands for (brand promise) and its ability to meet expectations. Additionally, non-users based their opinion of brand image upon association, attitudes and beliefs.
See: Brand Promise
The criteria established to guide the development of the brand identity within the strategic intent of the brand strategy. This helps to ensure that the brand identity delivers on the brand promise, to meet expectations.
See: Brand Identity, Brand Image
Applying methods for Strategic Change to an offering's features and/or benefits to create new, uncontested market space.
See: Strategic Change
The leasing of the brand, by the brand owner use by another company, usually through licensing fee or royalty rate will be agreed for the use of the brand. Brand Licensing is often either a form of Brand Extension of Line Extension, depending on application.
See: Brand Extension, Joint Venture
The degree to which a consumer prefers, insists upon, and is willing to pay a premium for a particular brand, as compared to other similar available offerings. As a brand metric, Brand loyalty is a measure of the strength of preference for a brand in terms of repeat purchase behavior or price sensitivity.
See: Switching
Managing the tangible and intangible aspects of the brand by overseeing and directing the implementation of the brand strategy and/or brand guidelines.
The person responsible for managing a specific brand (often within a portfolio of brands owned by the same organization), to ensure that the brand remains on strategy to increase brand and shareholder equity.
A technique to identify and visually present a brand's market position (consumer perception, opportunity, competition…).
Any part of the brand's visual identity that is synonymous with the brand. (e.g., logo, symbol or design element)
The primary message used to express the brand promise. This reflects the desired position of the brand.
A consumer who, within a specific category, has no knowledge and/or preference of one brand over another.
A brand metric which measures the perceived similarity/difference between brands competing in the same category. The similarity/difference varies widely from category to category (e.g.: Consumers may view differences between gasoline brands Shell and BP as being marginal, while they may see differences between motorcycle brands Harley Davidson and Suzuki as being extreme).
The brand’s image or brand identity, expressed in terms of human characteristics which personify the brand message. (e.g., warmth, concern, caring, seriousness, imagination etc…). The attribution of these human traits to a brand as a way to achieve differentiation through both prepared communications and through people who represent the brand (employees and management).
See: Brand Message
A consumer who, when prompted, will question the merits of a given brand.
The the differentiating factors which frame the brand’s scope of influence, Promise and the core brand signals that consumers will equate to the brand. The brand platform is driven by the organization's view of the future, goals and objectives. This core concept acts as a benchmark to measure behaviors and performance.
See: Brand Identity, Brand Promise
The range of brands held by a single company. Assembling a portfolio of brands with significant diversification can reduce risk by amortizing exposure.
The market space a brand occupies in the mind of consumers, based on the brand's ability to deliver on its Brand Promise.
See: Brand Promise
Creating a distinctive position for an offering that ensures that consumers can identify and differentiate a brand. The goal of positioning a brand is to develop an obtainable, sustainable and profitable market position that influences consumers to consider, prefer and ultimately purchase the brand offering.
A statement conveying the brand’s unique and intended position within its market (consumer perception). A brand’s positioning statement is an internal facing document.
The statement typically details the offering, the audience and points of differentiation. (e.g., To [target audience] [brand] is [offering] that [point of differentiation])
The unique benefit that the brand intends to deliver to its consumers.
The point at which the buyer is aware of a particular brand but has no preference for it.
The alignment of a brand’s strategy and identity to provide a clearly stated benefit that addresses a need, want or desire of a given consumer or consumer segment.
Developing and operationalizing a new strategy to move a brand to a new market position by influencing new consumers to consider, prefer and ultimately purchase the brand offering, or by influencing existing consumers to assign greater value to the brand.
A strategy to recapture lost sources of brand equity and identify and establish new sources of brand equity. This may include product modification or brand repositioning.
Resurrection of a brand that is being harvested or which has been eliminated.
A set of actions that consumers equate to a specific brand. Brand rituals may coincide with specific occasions or be built into the product or service itself to exemplify the cultural connection between brand and consumer. By translating actions into brand-specific meaning, rituals can help build lifelong bonds between brands and consumers.
e.g: Placing a wedge of lime in a bottle of Corona
See: Brand Signals
Brand Signals are tangible cues (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell or action) that directly equate to the brand. These multi-sensory signals communicate the unique position that a brand has taken by allowing consumers to differentiate and authenticate that brand. Brand signals work individually and collectively to drive consumers' perceptions and expectations.
See: Brand Expression, Brand Image
The use of nonverbal sound to convey brand related information and aesthetics. Sound is often under utilized, yet can be a very powerful brand signal.
See: Sonicon, Brand signals
A document or manual designed to outline the do's and don'ts of the brand identity, across a wide range of applications.
A term used to refer to any individual whose responsible for managing brand compliance within an organization. This extends from product development to brand identity. Note: while all brand manages are Brand Stewards, not all brand Stewards need to be Brand Managers.
See: Brand Manager
An action plan to create a competitive advantage by leveraging the unique factors that form an offering, to build sustainable relationships between a brand and a consumer audience. Driven by differentiation and sustained consumer appeal, brand strategy acts as both a beacon and litmus test, this ensures consistent brand behavior and experience. The brand strategy influences the total operation of a business to ensure consistent brand behaviors and brand experiences.
Formal and/or informal groups of consumers whom share the same awareness, passion and loyalty for a brand and/or portfolio of brands.
Identifying and defining the economic strengths and weaknesses of a brand.
See: Brand Equity
The unique benefit, actively communicated to develop preference within a predefined category.
The unique set of characteristics that contribute to how a brand is, and/or will be, positioned in the marketplace.
A consumer who holds either a positive or negative bias to a given brand, based on a set of false associations. (e.g., Beautiful people drink Veuve Clicquot. I drink Veuve Clicquot. Therefore, I am beautiful.)
The brand identity as applied to a three–dimensional physical space. Typically a retail environment.
The process by which an organization expresses its brand promise to a target audience, preconditioning consumers to prefer a given offering and establish a favorable position within a given market by manipulating the tangible and intangible attributes that form the brand.
"The art and science of managing consumers' expectations." —Laura Savard, Brand Expressionist®, Blackcoffee®
See: Brand, Brand Signal
A team of people brought together in one place to gain common understanding and/or develop innovative solutions to a particular brand related problem. Workshops are often held off–sight to keep team members focused on their mission and minimize the interference of daily tasks.
The unauthorized, unlicensed use of a brand name or other trademark. (e.g., A Web domain pointing to a Web site that isn't owned by the trademark holder or an online user name that is not associated with the trademark holder.)
The belief that a strong brand impression can be created by repeated exposure to a creatively presented offer. This approach dominates the advertising industry.
Consumer anguish arising from a misalignment between consumer expectation and brand experience of a product and/or service.
Offering goods or services at greatly reduced pricing to establish majority market share.
This week’s term:
Monadic Testing: Product testing where the respondent is only given one product to test, rather than comparing two or more.
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