Reframing a Brand—The Hofstede

Onion Method
 When You Use It
• When you want to understand the different
associations that a brand creates in the minds of its
customers
– Does the brand have a healthy or a rotten core?
– Does it have vital or tired-looking attributes surrounding
(and feeding into) the core?
– Is there a disconnect between the deeper-held values and
more visible attributes of a brand?
– Within my portfolio, are my sub-brands building or
borrowing from the mother brand’s values and attributes?
 Origin
• Geert Hofstede (“Cultures and Organizations” -
1991) used an onion to demonstrate how cultures
can be understood at different levels of depth or
accessibility
– Ogilvy London’s 1997 pitch for Laura Ashley used the
onion approach to ‘reframe’ the brand (a technique now
used extensively in Malaysia)

– ‘Brand Onions’ illustrate the different layers that exist in

a brand’s equity
 What It Gives You
• Help us understand the different layers of a
brand, from the easily-accessible outward
signs to the inner core values which
underpin them
• Thus, a typical ‘brand Hofstede’ is built up
(from the outer layer in) of
– visible expressions
– associated meanings
– core values
 How It Works
• Explore the insights uncovered in the Brand
Audit
• List all key attributes according to the layers in
the onion
• Decide in which layer the problem lies
• Explore ways to address this weakness
 How It Works

• There are many different ways of building up

a brand onion, but the two most common are
– brand culture
– brand associations
 What Is ‘Brand Culture’?
• Just as cultures can be categorized at
different levels (national, regional, gender,
generational, social class, organizational), so
brands can appeal to different aspects of our
lives
• We all have different ‘social belonging’ needs
(family, friends, work, hobbies etc) which
underpin the activities we do, and the way
we do them
 What Is ‘Brand Culture’?
• The elements that contribute to this sense of
belonging can be classified into different
levels of meaning
– to help us understand what forces are at work in
creating attachment between brands and their
customers.
The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion
Symbols

Heroes

Rituals

Values Practices
 The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion
Words, gestures, pictures Symbols
or objects that carry a
particular meaning
of unique
significance to
the brand’s
customers.
They can be
changed or
copied easily.
Jargon, dress
or hair styles,
flags or status
symbols belong
here.
 The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion

Heroes

People, alive or dead,

real or imaginary, who
possess characteristics
highly prized by, and
act as role models for,
the brand’s customers
 The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion

Collective activities (which

may or may not have any
real ‘function’) which are
Rituals
considered essential as part
of the brand experience.
Special ways of using,
preparing, or associating
products or activities belong
here. A classic example is
when people used to wear
a new pair of jeans in the
bath to ensure a snug fit!
The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion
Symbols
Where there is an obvious link
between the symbols,
heroes and rituals,
Heroes these become
‘practices’.
Rituals These are the
very visible
Practices manifestations
of a ‘brand
culture’, and
can be easily
understood by
outsiders -
although their
deeper meaning can
remain mysterious and
hidden.
The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion

Inherent beliefs, emotions or

attitudes that illustrate a
particular view of the world.
Each individual has a ‘value
system’ by the age of 10. And
each brand evolves its own Values
value system over time. These
are often inferred, or
unconsciously subscribed to,
though there are some
examples of brands making
their values very visible indeed
(eg: Nike’s “Just do it!”)
The ‘Brand Culture’ Onion
Symbols

Colours
Heroes Signs

Sounds
Rituals

Smells Practices
Values

Brand/consumer
Looks relationship

Role models
Tastes
Graphics

Mnemonics
 What Are ‘Brand Associations’?
• We need to evaluate where strengths and weakness
lie in terms of the overall health of the brand, and
how they inter-relate with each other
• Using the ‘brand associations’ onion, we can identify
where to address our efforts to correct the problems
we identify, eg:
– a core with eroded social relevance?
– a sub-brand in search of its own core identity?
– a healthy core in need of a change of outer clothes?
– a limited core that needs expanding to bring it alive?
A Simplified Onion
Visible Expressions

Associated
Meanings

Core Values
 Using The Onion
1. Core With Eroded Social Relevance

Old-fashioned
look/feel Visible Expressions
Traditional Associated
imagery Meanings

Outdated
Core Values
Core

Redefined New!
core
 Using The Onion
Sub-brand
2. Sub-brand In Search Of A Core
Visible Expressions
Mother Brand

Visible Expressions
Associated
Meanings

Core
Values
Stage 3

Stage 1

Associated Core Values

Meanings
Stage 2
 Using The Onion
3. A Healthy Core In Need Of New Outer Clothing

Old-fashioned Visible Expressions

look / feel
Healthy Associated
imagery Meanings

Healthy
Core Values
Core
 Using The Onion
4. A Core In Need
Visible Expressions
Of Expanding
Associated
Meanings

Core
Values
Allen Solly (menswear)
The carry bag

Oval logo Non-conformists who

succeed - Bill
Gates/Steve Jobs
Creative mind-
thinking differently
Adventure Triumph A restrained expression
hobbyists Non- of the
confor- Individual of self against the
Bright -trekkers system
mism
colors Controlled
-scuba irreverence to
divers norms
Innovators - people who made
anything from cease-fire to
notepads possible

Colour-led
shelves in store
Brand Associations Examples

• Scott’s Emulsion
– a healthy core that needed a change of outer clothes
• Volvo
– looking for a compelling core beneath the known
established core
Scott’s Emulsion
Scott’s Emulsion
A healthy core in need of a change of clothes

Cod Liver Oil

Kids with
One Healthy
strong healthy
table- Happy
lungs and
spoon a Kids
immune
day ritual
system

Conservative
traditional
families
 Changing With Times

• Health is more than avoidance of sickness

(though still important)
• Health is about your kids getting ahead (not
losing out)
• Health is giving your kids the best preparation
and opportunities to succeed in life
 Active participants in life
Superlative
kids:
Medical Cod Liver Oil Individualistic
Endorsements achievers

Scott’s Kids with

One Healthy Brand’s
School strong healthy
table- Happy involvement in
Computer lungs and
Club spoon a Kids extracurricular
immune
day ritual activities
system
Tastier Conservative Scott’s Kids
Fruitier Swimming
traditional
Flavors
families Championships

Line Extension that fulfill brand

vision: Raising Tough Kids for a
Tough World
Volvo
 Volvo
A compelling core beneath the known core

Women drivers
with children
passengers
Suburban Boxy cars
Responsible
Educated
Family Family
Safety Multiple
Doctor values
Familiar (dull) safety
driver
features
imagery Children
Conservative
& wives

Driver to family
Crash
Big
test
bumpers
 Opportunity

Redefine safety and driver imagery

in terms that are relevant and
motivating to today's drivers
 Safety Meant ...

• Staying indoors
• Life can be fearful
• If you go out, protect yourself. Overly!
• Drive a tank. Volvo
 Safety Could Mean ...
• Being the same responsible and self-controlled and
intelligent person that I am
• Seeking to enrich my life with excitement, satisfaction
and adventure
• Being in control of the risks I take when I have to
• By being more knowledgeable and allying myself with
smart and dependable machines and aids
• Volvo is a care I can believe in (as I enjoy life’s
adventures on the road)
 Safety
Safety Redefined
Redefined As
As
“Intelligent
“Intelligent Risk
Risk Taking”
Taking”
Volvo
Volvo Drivers
Drivers Redefined
Redefined
As
As “Intelligent
“Intelligent Risk
Risk
Takers”
Takers”
Safety
(Sexy)
 Knowledgable

Intelligent Being in
control
Excitement
Safety
Enjoying
Adventure (Sexy) Life

Freedom Power

Happy drivers and

happy passengers
 Red
Stationwagons
“dangerous”
that thrill
Volvos
Sharp Fast
drivers Knowledgable Volvos
Intelligent Being in
control
Publications
performanc Excitement
e reviews
Safety Sleek
Enjoying
versus Adventure (Sexy) Life Volvos
BMW and
Mercedez
Freedom Power
Softer
Happy drivers and curves
Motor happy passengers
sports
Open airy
New Breed showrooms
of Drivers
depicted