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Action Points
I. Advertising Advertising
Advertising agencies are in the business
of creating brands for their clients but
may shortchange themselves in the
process.

The chief executives from Gearon Hoffman Inc., the Goodness

Company, and Renard Group Advertising on:

Developing Your
Branding Strategy
to Boost Sales

II. Benefits of Branding

The creation of a successful brand
creates an emotional connection
between the needs of the customer and
the attributes of a service or product.
III. Challenges of Branding Initiatives
The greatest challenges for large
companies in branding initiatives are
integration and implementation.

Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

IV. Golden Rules of Branding

Advertising is more art than science,
and one size does not fit all.

Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company

V. Essential Take-Aways
A brand is more than a symbol. Its an
ever-evolving relationship between a
company and its customer.

Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising

A
Contents
About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2
Dan Gearon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3
Patrick Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.6
Michael P. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.8
Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.10

brand is more than just a label. Its the key to making an emotional connection between a company and its customers.
Because branding in the twenty-first century is all about the
emotional connection, the construction of the value proposition is most
effective when it begins with the customer. When the customers emotional needs and wants are established, its then a matter of finding
product attributes that will make a connection with those needs. The
values and qualities associated with the client are, in effect,
burned into the minds of its customers, creating a pathway for relationships and loyalty. To be successful, a brand must be integrated
throughout a companyfrom the top-level executives to the customer
service staff to the packaging and handouts at a trade show. Otherwise,
all the time and energy spent building the brand will have been wasted.
Advertising agencies attract creative people with outgoing personalities who think outside the box and can see the possibilities that
lie beyond accepted practices, but often fail to do for themselves what
they do for clients: advertise to grow their business.

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About the Authors

Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

an Gearon formed Gearon

Hoffman Inc. in 1982 with his
partner Bob Hoffman. Previously,
Mr. Gearon was part of management
teams at Cunningham & Walsh and
BBDO, and he later served as general manager of a mid-sized Boston advertising
firm.

Mr. Gearons prior experience includes

stints as a brand manager for Standard
Brands and as vice president and account
supervisor at BBDO/NY, working on such
accounts as Campbell Soup and Hunt
Wesson. His branding successes include
Chunky Soups, Sam Adams, Rockport
Footwear, Brown & Co., Scottrade, and
Tufts Health Plan.

Mr. Gearon has a B.S. from the

Columbia School of Engineering and an
M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Read Dans insights on Page 3

Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company

atrick Goodness, a fifteen-year

veteran of advertising, marketing,
and public relations, founded the
Goodness Company in 1994. Prior to
launching his company, Mr. Goodness
started his career with the Leo Burnett
Company in Chicago, working on such
accounts as Oldsmobile, United Airlines,
Nintendo, Tropicana, and Philip Morris
Companies.
Mr. Goodnesss successful track record
with client relationships is the primary

reason the Goodness Company has held

tight to valued clientele while most agencies experience dramatic annual client
turnover. His ability to drive remarkable
levels of positive publicity and buzz
from a limited budget is the primary reason. The Goodness Company is the
smallest agency in the United States with
multiple Fortune 50 accounts.
Mr. Goodness also has several years
of international consultation experience,
offering consultation services to such

notables as American Airlines and the

governments of Argentina and Costa
Rica.

Read Patricks insights on Page 6

Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising

ichael P. Smith founded Renard

Group Advertising in 1977,
and the firm is now one of the
largest agencies in East Texas. Clients
have included Frito-Lay, United
Telephone of Texas, Ferro Corporation,
Bryant Beverage, Royal Crown Cola,
Tyler Pipe, Trane, Climatic Corporation,
the Chambers of Commerce in
Tyler, Athens, Corsicana, and Odessa,
Texas, and local furniture, financial,
real estate, and retail clients.
Mr. Smith has also handled municipal
bond elections and political campaigns for
local, regional, and national candidates.

Books24x7, 2007

Client services include full agency service

for most and specialized services such as
video, print, and audio for some.
Mr. Smith has a bachelors degree in
public administration from Texas Tech
University in Lubbock. He has been honored with Telly Awards, Effie Awards,
Addy Awards, and by the International
TV and Film Festival of New York. He
has received certificates of commendation
from the cities of Lubbock, Austin, and
Tyler, Texas, and he is listed in Whos
Who in American Advertising.
Mr. Smith was a charter member
of the Tyler Crimestoppers board of

directors, and he has served on the City

of Tyler Historic Preservation Board and
the City of Tyler Planning and Zoning
Commission. His civic involvement also
includes the Red Cross and YMCA.

Read Michaels insights on Page 8

About the Authors

ExecBlueprints

Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

Creating branding initiatives

involves agency staff in research,
account management, and creative.
Every agency has a process for
branding. At our agency, we have
used both quantitative and qualitative research in determining the
strengths, weaknesses, and insights
into the relevant category. We call
it the human experience.
We believe most strongly in
qualitative, as opposed to quantitative, research. For us, branding
involves identifying motivating,
functional product attributes and
leveraging those attributes into an
emotional resonance with the customer. The goal is to convert a
transactional relationship to an
emotional relationship with a
customer.
Our firm works frequently in
financial services, which is a very
large, very competitive, commoditized industry. Brands in this sector
have very few distinguishing or differentiating product attributes. The
brands are always attempting to
differentiate on product attributes.
The product attributes for all competitive brands are very similar,
difficult for consumers to understand, and easily copied.
In this environment, we first focus
our branding system on investigating
the emotional wants and needs of the

customer. After clearly and succinctly defining the emotional dimension we wish to brand on, we then
explore rational product attributes
that best support the brands emotional benefit. Our value proposition
will always be based on the emotional reward of our brand, not the
product attributes. This is a very challenging approach, and it requires
experienced people and a client that
is willing to invest time and product
development into the process. But we
have had great success with it.
Brown & Co., OneBeacon Insurance,
CGM Funds, and Scottrade have all
benefited from our approach.
It is difficult to estimate the
impact of branding on sales in
advance. There are too many variables to account for with a high
degree of confidence. Nevertheless,
there are many forecasting models
available, and they are expensive.
The Internet has made it easier and
less expensive to do online positional testing. An online trial predictor can provide a metric of the
initial trial and repeat purchase of
a new branding initiative, against
which the firm will apply standard
benchmarks. While lacking the
implied precision of algorithmic
forecasting models, it is a costefficient green light metric for
launching a market test.

The Internet does offer several distinct

advantages. It has revolutionized database and
customer relationship management, thereby
solidifying the emotional connection between the
brand and the customer and providing a wealth
of marketing information about individual
customers.
Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.
Books24x7, 2007

Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer
Gearon Hoffman Inc.

Television and radio are still the most

effective media outlets for establishing
an emotional brand value proposition.
Co-founder of Gearon Hoffman Inc.
B.S., Columbia School of
Engineering; M.B.A., Columbia
Business School
Branding successes include Chunky
Soups, Sam Adams, and Rockport
Footwear
Mr. Gearon can be e-mailed at
dan.gearon@execblueprints.com

In summary, in developing a
branding strategy, it is important to
avoid focusing on product attributes. It is more effective to think of
a brand promise that connects
emotionally with a customer. The
toothpaste brand does not just
make teeth whiter. It makes the customer feel confident, empowered,
and sexy. Southwest Airlines does
not sell low fares. It sells freedom.

Constructing a Branding
Initiative
There are two types of branding:
initial branding and re-branding, or
repositioning. The mission of
branding is to identify a perceptual
dimension a brand can occupy that
Dan Gearon

ExecBlueprints

Dan Gearon
(continued)

Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

is meaningful, substantial, and resonates with prospects. In the past,

branding emphasized functional
product attributes to provide product differentiation, notably features and benefits. While many
technical and business-to-business
brands still take this approach, it is
less common among consumer
products. This is an internally
driven model, often preferred by
companies dominated by engineers,
that loops the prospect in at certain
checkpoints. It is product-driven,
highly rational, and often easy to
replicate by competitors. It also
sometimes confuses cost of entry
product attributes with truly
motivating attributes.
More current approaches begin
with the consumer, not the product.
Agencies identify, through qualitative testing and sophisticated
account planning techniques, the
emotional wants and needs of
prospective consumers and develop
a brand value proposition to satisfy
those needs.
The value proposition always
includes cost of entry product
attributes
and
motivating

product attributes as proof points,

but agencies obtain the ultimate
brand leverage by packaging these
rational attributes to deliver a benefit and a brand personality that resonates emotionally with prospects.
Connecting on an emotional level
elevates the brand from a pure
transactional experience to a
customer relationship.
The biggest challenges facing
large companies in branding initiatives are integration and implementation. Companies are doing a
poor job educating and training all
employees, at all touch points,
concerning the brands value proposition and how it translates to their
individual performance. Often,
companies expend considerable
time and energy on developing an
effective value proposition that is
never distributed or discussed outside marketing/sales and top management. To be successful, the
value proposition must be integrated into all aspects of marketing,
advertising, publicity, promotion,
sales, sales support, trade shows,
packaging, and customer service.

Defining the Brand Value Proposition

Customers
Emotional
Need

Supporting
Product
Attributes

Emotional Reward
Books24x7, 2007

Large, global corporations also

often face the challenge of integrating and implementing new
branding initiatives into embedded
silos within the corporation. Senior
management must identify change
agents within the corporation and
work with them to break down
resistance to new branding
programs.
It is easier to create a new brand
than to reposition an old one.
Having a clean palette allows firms
to shape the perceptual dimension
without regard to any residual perceptual baggage an established
brand may have. Changing existing
perceptions is much harder than
shaping new ones. In re-branding,
the firm starts by assembling an
accurate representation of what the
brands existing positioning is, and
how broadly and deeply held the
perception is.
For instance, when Gearon
Hoffman repositioned the Grolsch
brand for Seagrams Beverages, we
held a series of buddy groups in bars
and restaurants nationally. We
brought two or three drinking partners together to get a real-life
understanding of the emotional
dynamics taking place when ordering alcoholic beverages and where
Grolsch fit in that dynamic.
Based on this information, we
projected how much effort, time,
and money it would take to move
the Grolsch brand from existing
perceptual Point A to desirable
Point B. We then created some
award-winning radio and print ads
that repositioned Grolsch. Within
two years, follow-up research confirmed the brand had successfully
migrated to its new positioning.
Another repositioning example
to think about is how Altoids was
able to brand around a lifestyle.
Dan Gearon

ExecBlueprints

Dan Gearon
(continued)

Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

It is easier to create a new brand than to reposition an old one. Having a

clean palette allows firms to shape the perceptual dimension without regard
to any residual perceptual baggage an established brand may have.
Changing existing perceptions is much harder than shaping new ones. In rebranding, the firm starts by assembling an accurate representation of what
the brands existing positioning is, and how broadly and deeply held the
perception is.
Dan Gearon
Chief Executive Officer, Gearon Hoffman Inc.

They segmented the marketplace to

appeal to an upscale, hip, cuttingedge lifestyle and created quirky,
funny advertising that had little or
nothing to do with the product. The
brand said more about the customer
than the product. It became a huge
success.

The Internet
The effect of the Internet on branding and return on investment has
been substantial, but few if any
brands have succeeded only from
Internet advertising. Television and
radio are still the most effective
media outlets for establishing an

Books24x7, 2007

emotional brand value proposition. Internet advertising works

well in combination with both
these media, in reinforcing and integrating various aspects of the brand
value proposition, linking with
special interests, and extending reach.
The Internet does offer several
distinct advantages. It has revolutionized database and customer
relationship management, thereby
solidifying the emotional connection between the brand and the customer and providing a wealth of
marketing information about individual customers. The return on
investment aspect of the Internet
enables chief marketing officers to

better defend their marketing budgets to chief financial officers via a

host of metrics that track buyer
behavior on the Internet. Some of
these data are close to real-time
data, allowing marketers to adjust
messaging and media on a daily
basis. The efficacy of Internet marketing varies greatly by product category and distribution channel. The
more direct the channel, the greater
the efficacy. For dealer-distributed
and packaged goods categories, the
efficacy is less.

Dan Gearon

ExecBlueprints

Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company

The term branding has a long history that sheds light on our current
usage of the term. From ancient
times to the present day, branding
described the act of using a searing
tool to mark livestock as property.
Today, the art and science of branding connotes the act of cognitively
and emotionally burning ideas,
values, and qualities generally associated with products, services, or
companies into the minds of consumers, creating a conduit for
customer relationships and loyalties.
Whether used on an animal or
even a human, a brand has been historically implemented for purposes
of identification. Modern branding,
however, is a quest to convey to
consumers a series of identifiable
and even defining attributes that
create a consumer-focused relationship with a product, service, or
company. As such, branding is
now synonymous with the consumer science and advertising art of
relationship-building.
When asked to define the term
brand, many will rudimentarily
assign trademarks, logos, or other
graphical elements as one and the
same. While these graphical representations are the most clearly
identifiable visual signifiers of
brands, they are in fact defined by
the subtext of the relationship
between the consumer and the
product, service, or company.
Branding is a fluid science that
evolves as our relationships evolve.
As a company works to market its
products to new target segments,
the brand itself will change in
relation to the targeted consumer.
In the advertising industry, most
branding initiatives come from the
top down, typically from the chief
executive officer, and often involve
the input of creative directors and
Books24x7, 2007

At the Goodness
Company, our optimal
branding tool is our
corporate Web site.
Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer
The Goodness Company

the account team. However, the customer should be the starting point
for every branding effort. If branding is the art and science of relationship building, we must first
know the people with whom we
desire a relationship. We cannot
impact or affect their senses and
decisions when we have not taken
the time to understand what makes
them laugh, cry, be angry, or be sad.
It is only when we take the time and
energy to listen to and understand
our customers that we can discern
the optimal response indicators to
create branding that elicits the
desired call to action.
In branding, honesty is critical.
And customers are as honest as they
come. If customers like your product and find it useful, theyll buy it.
If they dont like it, or if the value
proposition is weak, your sales will
reflect this customer disconnect.
Often, the best decisions for branding development are derived from
direct customer conversations and
experiences.

Ad Agency Branding
Strategy
As an advertising agency, it is critical to have your own branding
strategy. At the Goodness Company,
our optimal branding tool is our
corporate Web site. Our richly
visual site is thought-provoking
and emotive without engaging in

Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer
The Goodness Company

In branding, honesty is critical.

Fifteen years of advertising,
marketing, and public relations
experience
Founder of the Goodness Company
Clients include U.S. government,
Microsoft, Allstate, and American
Airlines
Mr. Goodness can be e-mailed at
patrick.goodness@execblueprints.com

cutting-edge terminology that tends

to be more pretentious than enlightening. Rather than including a
treatise on branding, we believe it
is more important to demonstrate
how our agency may be a perfect fit
for a prospective client. More often
than not, we can expect that if a
prospective client feels a connection
with our Web site, they will be a
good match for our agency. We prefer to work with companies that
desire a long-term agency built on
honesty and integrity. Our Web site
communicates this goal effectively,
and it consequently attracts those
clients that value the type of
relationship we offer.
The best advertising agencies
generally intuit their ideal client type
and create branded materials that
Patrick Goodness

ExecBlueprints

Patrick Goodness
(continued)

Chief Executive Officer, The Goodness Company

speak to them. The best advice I

give to agency colleagues is to be
clear on the clientele you desire. An
advertising agency, much like an
interior decorator, must choose
clients that reflect its personal style.
We cant be a great fit for everyone.
And by trying to appeal to everyone, you lose your vision in the
process and inevitably end up in a
quagmire spending the bulk of
your time appeasing clients who will
never be happy with your value
proposition.
At the inception of our agency,
we accepted business from every
client, regardless of vision
and client matches. The bills had to
be paid, and consequently we took
business from every client that
could help us pay them. We learned
our lesson the hard way. But at least
we learned. When the time came to
revamp our branding, Web site, and
print collateral, we subtly emphasized our commitment to long-term
relationships with clients. As we

Using the Web to Establish Your Niche

Create a Web site that is thought-provoking
but not intimidating.

Let the images and words represent

the type of client you seek.

Demonstrate how your agency could

be a perfect fit for that type of client.

anticipated, we stopped getting

queries from companies looking for
quick and dirty solutions. We now
have the freedom to create durable
partnerships with our clients that

allow us to invest more of our energies into their continued growth and
success. And remarkably, they often
feel the same way about us.

The best advertising agencies generally intuit their ideal client type and
create branded materials that speak to them. The best advice I give to agency
colleagues is to be clear on the clientele you desire. An advertising
agency, much like an interior decorator, must choose clients that reflect its
personal style. We cant be a great fit for everyone. And by trying to appeal
to everyone, you lose your vision in the process and inevitably end up in a
quagmire spending the bulk of your time appeasing clients who will never
be happy with your value proposition.
Patrick Goodness
Chief Executive Officer
The Goodness Company

Books24x7, 2007

Patrick Goodness

ExecBlueprints

Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising

Advertising agencies are much like

the mechanics car that never runs
right or the barber who always
needs a haircut. Advertising agencies typically do very poor public
relations for themselves and almost
never advertise. Rather, advertising
agencies tend to spend all their
energy on their clients, losing sight
of the need for the agency itself to
gain new clients.
Many advertising agencies
believe, just like a good certified
public accountant or attorney, that
they should not solicit business in
a conventional way, but rather
that they should rely on word of
mouth. Typically, strong agencies do
not enter most competitions,
because what good would an ad be
that won an award but lost the
client money? Advertising agencies
are in the business of making
money for clients, and that is the
sole measurement of success or failure. Sometimes clients call and say
they do not like a particular
commercialbut sales are up 15
percent, so it clearly works.
While advertising agencies do not
advertise, they will pitch themselves
to particular clients. For instance,
my firm once tried to convince a

An agency can stay

open only as long as it
keeps its employees
happy and provides a
worthwhile service for
clients.
Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal
Renard Group Advertising

client that billboards work. To do

that, we bought a billboard and told
everyone who saw it to call the
client. Eventually, the client called
the ad agency and was livid because
his phone was ringing off the hook.
We had made our point. But most
medium-sized, strong advertising
agencies do not like to do spec
work. Rather, they use references.

Using Word of Mouth

Companies that are competing for
business typically list the bestknown or most visible clients that
have customer mindshare. In our
case, we always list our plumbing,
heating, and air conditioning client.
We outline the work performed,
detail the campaign and results, and

Keys to Success
Happy
Employees

Worthwhile
Service

Ad Agency Success
Books24x7, 2007

Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal
Renard Group Advertising

Advertising agencies are in the

business of making money for clients,
and that is the sole measurement of
success or failure
Founded Renard Group Advertising
Clients include Frito-Lay, Royal
Crown Cola, and Trane
Bachelors degree, Texas Tech
University
Mr. Smith can be e-mailed at
michael.smith@execblueprints.com

provide client testimony regarding

satisfaction.

Training Employees
Typically, advertising agencies look
for people with good personalities
good people with a gift for gab. It
is also important to be able to think
outside the box. Far too much creativity is lost by narrow parameters
and accepted practices. In addition,
there are numerous little signs that
someone is suited for advertising. I
used to tell prospective employees
to feel free to smoke during an
interview. The smart ones looked
around first to see if there was an
ashtray, and less successful candidates would light up and put the
ashes in their hands.
Michael P. Smith

ExecBlueprints

Michael P. Smith
(continued)

Owner and Principal, Renard Group Advertising

It is part of the agencys job to think outside of the box and come up with
innovative ideas that are unusual and will be successful. A Chinese
restaurant run by a couple named Wong asked us to develop an advertising
slogan for their restaurant, and we came up with the Royal Pagoda, where
two Wongs make it right. Many felt it might offend ethnic sensibilities.
However, the Wongs loved it and have now used it for some 20 years.
Michael P. Smith
Owner and Principal
Renard Group Advertising

When a new employee starts at

an agency, most agencies offer
training. At my agency, I tell new
employees that the three most
important things in their lives are
God, family, and the firm, not necessarily in that order. Next, I
explain that advertising is the most
fun and exciting job in the world
because its always different, and
that it is our job to maintain that
fun and excitement by producing
for our clients. In an ad agency, people are the primary assets. They are
the heavy machinery. An agency can
stay open only as long as it keeps
its employees happy and provides a
worthwhile service for clients.
Unlike most businesses, an advertising agencys assets leave each
night on the elevator.
New employees need to understand that client needs, wants, and
desires are paramount. When a
client spends $100,000 on a new
ad campaign, the client may be

Books24x7, 2007

nervous and need its hand held.

That is also part of the agencys job.
In addition, it is part of the
agencys job to think outside of
the box and come up with innovative ideas that are unusual and will
be successful. A Chinese restaurant
run by a couple named Wong
asked us to develop an advertising
slogan for their restaurant, and we
came up with the Royal Pagoda,
where two Wongs make it right.
Many felt it might offend ethnic
sensibilities. However, the Wongs
loved it and have now used it for
some 20 years.
In another case, my agency
worked with a land bank that
recently expanded to work with city
dwellers, who are typically unaware
of land banks. To explain about this
resource, we created a commercial
with a professional couple. The couple, dressed in suits and carrying
briefcases, run into a house. We
hear the door close and see their

clothes scattered along the floor.

Then we hear a creaking sound and
see that they are wearing jeans
and sitting on rocking chairs looking out at the lake. This commercial made viewers think of a sexual
trystvery daring for a financial
institution. It was a tough sale to a
conservative, religious ownership
and management. The commercial
fit into, and enhanced, the concept
of the desire of city folk to escape
their pressures and get back to the
country.
In the end, advertising is really
more of an art than a science, and
it is always difficult to determine
what works, how well, and why.
J.C. Penney used to say he knew
that 50 percent of his advertising
dollars were wasted, but he never
figured out which 50 percent. I suspect that attitude is true for most
people. But in the end, if advertising increases sales, it was probably
a good investment.

Michael P. Smith

ExecBlueprints

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points

I. Advertising Advertising
Advertising agencies are in the business of creating brands for their
clients, but they may shortchange
themselves in the process.

III. Challenges of Branding

Initiatives

V. Essential Take-Aways

The greatest challenges for large

companies in branding initiatives
are integration and implementation.

A brand is more than a symbol. Its

an ever-evolving relationship
between a company and its
customer.

If you are in the business of

branding, you should have a
strong brand of your own.

All employees must understand

the brand and how it relates to
them individually.

Trademarks and logos are the

graphical representations of a
brand.

Like other professionals, some

ad agencies rely on word of
mouth and references.

Time and energy is wasted

when the value proposition of
a brand is not effectively
integrated throughout the
company.

As a company targets new

segments of the market, a
brand will change in
relationship to the target
customer.

A value proposition must

be part of all aspects of
marketing, advertising,
publicity, promotion, sales,
sales support, trade shows,
packaging, and customer
service.

Understanding the customer is

paramount, and the Internet
can be a good source for
gathering specific and general
information about individuals
as well as segments of the
population.

An outstanding Web site can

show an agency to its best
advantage and filter
prospective clients by
clarifying the companys niche.

II. Benefits of Branding

The creation of a successful brand
creates an emotional connection
between the needs of the customer
and the attributes of a service or
product.

IV. Golden Rules of

Branding

Branding can help a company

find its niche in the marketplace.

Advertising is more art than science,

and one size does not fit all.

Effective branding creates

customer loyalty.

Like all businesses, ad agencies

must mine for new business to
stay competitive.

Branding can serve as a kind of

shorthand, letting prospective
customers decide if the
company is offering what they
need.

Books24x7, 2007

Be clear about the clientele you

want to attract.

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points

ExecBlueprints

10

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points

(continued)

?
10 KEY QUESTIONS AND D ISCUSSION POINTS
1

Who drives branding initiatives at your company? Who are the other key players in
branding? Is this arrangement optimal? Why or why not?

How is branding utilized at your company? What percentage of branding initiatives is

companywide? What percentage of branding initiatives is tailored to a specific product
line?

What data do you use to construct benchmarks for branding initiatives? Do you expect
this data to change in the next 12 months?

Could you give an example of a branding strategy that was particularly successful in
boosting sales? What made this branding strategy so successful? What learning can
be taken from this experience?

On the flip side, can you give an example of a branding strategy that was not
successful in boosting sales? What learning was taken from this experience?

What process is used at your company to develop branding strategies to boost sales?
Do you expect this process to change in the next 12 months? Why or why not?

How can you accurately estimate the impact of branding on sales? What steps can be
taken if the branding strategy is not achieving the expected results?

How many new branding campaigns do you expect to implement over the next 12
months? How does that number compare to last year? What do you hope will be the
effect on sales?

How do you calculate ROI for branding initiatives? How can ROI be improved for these
efforts?

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What training is offered to advertising or marketing employees in your company

regarding the use of branding to boost sales? In the next 12 months, what percentage
of your marketing staff will complete this training?

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Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points

ExecBlueprints

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