BrandActive CMO Brand Implementation Playbook by 16mcmillan16

A CMO’s Brand Implementation Playbook

Dear Leaders of Change, Over the past two decades I’ve been fortunate to meet with senior executives charged with safeguarding the world’s most valuable brands during times of change. It’s the part of my job I love the most. I’ve learned that leaders, especially CMOs, are searching for insights, proven processes, and tools to help their teams implement rebrands effectively. That’s why I’ve developed this CMO Brand Implementation Playbook of best practices based on our firm’s 25 years of experience focusing exclusively on the strategy, financial analysis, and logistics of rebrand implementation and brand and marketing operations. Use it to lock in the many rewards of a successful rebrand: increased brand impact, cost savings, better processes, resource efficiency, and global quality and consistency. I hope you find this guidebook helpful. As always, I am here to answer questions and discuss thoughts or topics you would like to explore. Sincerely, Philip Guiliano Partner, BrandActive p.guiliano@brandactive.com

Table of Contents 01

Understand the ecosystem ........................................... 07

The art and science of powerful questions .................. 13

The strategic blueprint ................................................... 17

Assess strategic options ............................................... 25

From high-level scoping to flawless execution ............ 37

Design the perfect team ................................................ 43

Leverage your rebrand to improve operations .............. 49

Seek specialized help .................................................... 61

What’s your end game? A rebrand presents both opportunity and risk, whether it’s in response to a merger or acquisition, or a new direction for the organization. It’s not enough to show the rest of the C-suite and the board your end game. They want—and deserve—justification. How much will it cost to get there? How long will it take? What metrics prove the value of the endeavor? That’s where our blueprint comes in. In this roadmap, we will illustrate how professional rebrand implementation works and how to make it a critical success factor in how you achieve your end game. We’ll dive into fundamental questions that every CMO needs to consider and answer to execute an effective rebrand. We will reveal the opportunities and hazards, and suggest the safe passages that can hasten the journey. Let’s begin.

Understand the ecosystem.

Understand the ecosystem. Rebrand implementation is a highly specialized endeavor that can rarely be accomplished with internal resources alone. Seldom do your current team members have the knowledge and experience to optimize it. Indeed, dealing with a rebrand could almost double the workload of your team. You’ll need a village – ideally, of rebrand veterans.

“

Experience is a master teacher, even when it’s not our own. – Gina Greenlee, Author and Organizational Development Professional

Left Hemisphere, meet Right Hemisphere. Logic and creativity. Analysis and intuition. While branding agencies will bring research and strategic expertise to the table, you need more. To successfully operationalize your rebrand, you also require deep analysis of your organization’s strengths and weaknesses, the ability to fully scope the potential savings and opportunities, and the foresight to develop a long-term roadmap to success.

Rebrand Implementation

Creative Agency

Asset scoping

Brand/consumer research

Scenario modeling

Customer experience mapping

Cost analysis and savings

Brand strategy

Opportunity analysis

Identity/creative design

Operational brand governance structure

Communications planning

Optimal planning and execution

Employee engagement

Procurement support

Launch events

Parallel paths. Two distinct disciplines. These are not linear activities that happen after the brand is developed. They happen along parallel tracks and timelines.

Creative Agency Scope and Assess

Plan and Prepare

Rollout and Manage

Close and Maintain

Research

Application guidelines

Brand strategy

Templates and asset families

Brand culture and training

Launch events

Brand engagement

Brand tracking

Brand toolkits

Brand experience improvement

Ongoing measurement

Identity/logo design Brand architecture Brand guidelines Brand messaging

Marketing and advertising Corporate communications Brand tools Websites

Rebrand Implementation Scope and Assess

Plan and Prepare

Rollout and Manage

Close and Maintain

Technical/financial audits

Transition strategies

Project management

Transition options

Detailed transition plans

Reporting tools

Post-implementation audit

Project communications

Process automation

RFP creation management

Manufacturing and installation

Budgets and timelines Prioritization Rationalization Value engineering Process improvement Vendor strategies Project organization

Procurement optimization Technical specifications Implementation tools

Field support help desk

Vendor management Project governance Direct procurement of assets Brand operational governance

Brand management technology Asset maintenance Brand operations help desk Ongoing governance Merger playbooks Agency analysis management Close out rebrand project

The art and science of powerful questions.

Asking the right questions. The most effective rebrands begin with a process of answering a range of critical questions. You need to start with due diligence—from proper scoping to defining what you have and the options that exist to convert them, to understanding interdependencies and risks, to defining project structure. If you don’t, the benefits can remain hidden, outcomes can be fuzzy, and the entire process can be costly and painful, not to mention a drag on your resources. On the other hand, applying rigor in answering the tough questions provides early insight and the clarity to gain executive buy-in, determines exactly how you will execute and manage the program, defines how to most effectively use resources, and saves money. This ultimately maximizes the impact of your brand change.

“

Success is where preparation and opportunity meet. – Bobby Unser, Three-time Indy 500 Winner

Questions for clarity What is the complete scope of this project?

Which launch strategy is right for our rebrand?

What business strategies and goals must our rebrand support?

What resources and/or technology will be required?

Which stakeholders need to be part of the process?

How much will this cost?

What are the biggest obstacles to your success? Who are the vendors you currently work with to produce assets, collateral, signage, and other branded touchpoints? Are there legal implications to keep in mind for this rebrand?

What are the options? When will the various stages of the rebrand happen? What are the interdependencies and/or risks of rebranding? How will this rebrand move our company forward? Who should be on our core rebranding team and how can we support them?

Powerful outcomes Gain buy-in and align expectations.

Improve time-to-market.

Save millions of dollars (20-35% typically).

Achieve operational efficiencies.

Reduce year-over-year spend (10-25%).

Rationalize and standardize the process.

Maximize brand impact and ROI.

Improve employee and consumer quality and engagement.

Reduce resource strain.

Finish what you start on-time.

Simplify rebrand execution.

The strategic blueprint.

Create a strategic blueprint. Rebranding is more than a process leading to a one-off event where you flip a switch, cheer, and then life returns to “normal.” It’s the one time you’re going to be touching everything, everywhere your brand lives. And everything could mean thousands of branded assets distributed across multiple operational areas. A rebrand affords a perfect opportunity to look for strategic and tactical efficiencies in what you do every day, how you do it, who you do it with, what you pay, and how standardized and repeatable it all is. It’s also not just about getting to and through launch – it’s about having a plan to maintain momentum and finish what you start. It’s about the right strategies and prioritization, the right degree of centralization for decentralized execution, how you will control and support it, and much more. If you look at the process from this perspective, the rebrand itself sets up structures that provide payback in operational efficiencies week in and week out, year in and year out.

A typical rebrand of a large enterprise might have over 600 touchpoints across 25 major asset groups. Advertising Billboards Blue book directories Co-op advertising Direct mail Lamp post advertising Magazine ads Online ads Online banner ads Outdoor ads Print ads Radio ads Sandwich boards Third-party advertising Trade publications Transit advertising TV advertising signatures White/yellow pages directories Branded Environments Brand wall panels Branded murals Brochure racks Cafeteria/dining rooms Customer waiting areas Display cases Donor walls Elevator interiors Exterior building walls Furniture Glass vinyl graphics Interior brand walls

Interior walls Kiosks Libraries Lobbies Meeting rooms Notice boards Office desk mats Painted walls Podiums Stair treads Super graphics Themed areas Visitor arrival areas Visitor centers Visitor routes Window film Business Forms Accounts payable checks applications Appointment cards Appointment slips Bill of lading Checks Consent forms Contracts Corporate checks Electronic forms Estimate forms External use form Information forms Inserts Internal forms

Invoices Lab requisition forms Operations forms Order forms Participant forms Patient charts Patient forms Prescription forms Purchase orders Quality reports Records Referral forms Reports Requisitions Returns Shipping forms Volunteer applications

Invitations Labels Letterhead Mailing labels Maps Memos Microsoft Office templates Notepads Notices Patient cards Patient education booklets Patient education pamphlets Patient fact sheets Patient information sheets Patient instruction sheets

Business Papers

Annual reports Backgrounders Corporate overviews Corporate presentations Email alerts Employee broadcasts Employee communications plans Employee events Employee magazines Executive messages External e-newsletters External print newsletters Fact sheets Financial reports

Account statements Agendas Appointment sheets Bank machine receipts Binders Business cards Confirmations Corporate checks Envelopes Express checks Facsimile templates File folders Greeting cards Information sheets

Corporate Communication

… and yes, there’s more... Internal e-newsletters Internal print newsletters Internal publications Investor news Leadership communications toolkits Magazines Media consent forms Media releases Newsletters Presentation templates Quarterly reports Quick facts Retiree communications Stockholder communications Summary reports Educational Materials Graduation certificates Training booklets Training materials Equipment Bins/containers Catering kits Construction tools and equipment Drums Field tanks Industrial equipment (lifts, cable laying equipment) Industrial materials (pipes, cable, etc.)

Instrumentation Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) ISO containers IV bags Keys Mailing equipment Nursing chairs/wheelchairs Office supplies Patient diet kits Portable toilets Time cards Time clocks Tray covers Exhibits Self standing displays Badge holders Badges Display cases Event backdrops and podiums Exhibit banners Floor displays, hospitality and VIP centers Promotional material Table cloths Trade show exhibit/booths Exterior Signs Awnings Banners Box signs Building identification

Canopies Corporate flags Digital displays Directional ground mounts Directional wall mounts Directories Door decals Door identifiers (rollups, man doors) Emergency signs Exterior wayfinding signs Fascia signs (flat panel) Flat panel signs Gobo lighting Historical plaques Illuminated channel letters Information signs Interior wayfinding signs Monuments Parking signs Portable signs Post and panel signs Pylons Regulatory signs Safety signs Security signs Traffic control signs Vinyl graphics Temporary exterior signs Finance Credit cards Financial reports

Human Resources Adhesive name badges Auxiliary communications Awards Badge clips Badge reels Benefits materials Central employee message boards Certificates Departmental/employee directories Employee badges Employee recognition awards Employment applications Generic badges HSE materials Insurance certificates Job descriptions Newsletters Orientation materials Parking stickers Payment cards Payroll service screens Pension details for retirees Plaques Policies and procedures Policy wallet cards Recruiting materials Research paper/thesis Security and access badges

Service pins Talent management programs Time cards Time clocks Visas Volunteer badges Information Technology Antenna Audio systems Back-up storage Black fibers Business applications Cable testers Call center systems Cameras Cisco call manager Cloud computing Clusters/servers Coax cables Computer screen wallpapers Conduits Configuration Customer-facing systems Data rooms Desktops Direct email programs Electrical panels Electronic calendars Electronic presentation materials Electronic templates

Email addresses and signatures Emergency telephones Employee-facing systems Ethernet Cables Cat5 Cat 6 Extranet Fax server Fiber optics indoor/outdoor Fire systems Graphical interfaces Headsets Health hotlines Identity manager Internet URL Intranet URL IOS IP cameras IP phones Junction boxes Juniper Keypads access control Laptops Layer 2 testing equipment Linux Microsoft Office templates Multimedia presentations Network diagrams Online forms Online shipping Order entry forms

Phone screen displays PowerPoint presentations Printers Program icons Programmed fax headers Routers Screensavers Server names Software programs Sound paging intercom Switches Telecom lines Telnet sessions Test equipment Thermal efficiency equipment Third-party websites Topology diagrams Video conferencing Voice response units Messages and scripts Web servers Windows Wireless access points Interior Signs Bulletin boards Corporate directories Display cases Elevators directories Entrances Facility maps Flags

Floor identification Floor standing signs Information signs Kiosks Main lobby signs Name plates Plaques Podium signs Portable signs Reception signs Regulatory signs Restroom identification Room identification Room plaques Rugs/door mats Stairs identification Temporary interior signs T-stand posters Wayfinding signs Window vinyl graphics Workspace identification Legal Articles of amendment Company name (international entities) Company name (legal entity) Contracts, agreements, licenses Corporate registrations Corporate stamps Governance documents Insurance certificates

…still more… and there’s even more than this. Insurer payments Leases (equipment rentals) Medical governing organization accreditations Medicare/Medicaid/HMO materials Notice to partner organizations Products registrations Stock exchange listings Trademark databases

Patient billing inserts Patient gifts materials Posters Presentation covers Product catalogs Product materials Sales catalogs Sales materials Sales videos Scripts, plans, tools White papers

Marketing Communication

Operational

Booklets Brochure racks Brochures Business folders Calendars Capabilities brochures Corporate videos Customer case studies Digital images Electronic direct mail Executive briefs Flyers Greeting cards Hardcover books International communications International doc formats Investor communications Maps Newsletters Partner/dealer magazines

Bulletin boards Operational manuals Rubber stamps Packaging Adhesive tape Bags, binders Boxes Hang tags Inserts, in-store displays Membership cards Holders Product boxes Product labels Shipping cartons/crates Shopping bags Software installation User manuals Warranty cards Wrappers

Products and Packaging Adhesive tape Bags Binders Hang tags In-store displays Membership cards, holders, etc. Product boxes Product labels Shipping cartons/crates Shopping bags Wrappers Retail gift shops Plastic bags Point-of-sale products Third-party vendors Promotional Merchandise Apparel Bags Balloons Ballpoint pens Bandages Baseball caps Binders Calculators Calendars Can/bottle openers Card holders Chewing gum Clocks Drink ware

Event merchandise Flashlights Golf balls Golfing equipment Hats Jackets Key chains Lapel pins Laundry bags/nets Luggage tags Mouse pads Mugs Online stores Pens and pencils Pins Portfolios Rulers and tape measures Serviettes Sporting equipment Standard clothing items Stress toys Sugar packets Tire gauges Umbrellas and rain coats Retail Gift shops Licensed product distributors Plastic bags Point-of-sale products

Security Asset tags Contractor passes ID badges Parking stickers Patient ID bracelets Security and risk offices Visitor badges Visitor logs Visitor passes Visitor safety videos Social Media Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Reddit SnapChat Social media management systems Social media plans TikTok Twitter Sponsorship Associations Business event sponsorship Charity sponsorship materials Corporate events Co-sponsorship Cultural events Local events

National events Partnerships Sports sponsorship Trade show materials Vehicles Airplane Ambulance Blimp Commercial vehicles Delivery vehicles Fleet graphic wraps Fuel cards Golf carts Health mobile units Helicopter Landscaping vehicles Passenger cars Pickup trucks Promotional vehicles Shuttle buses Special event vehicles Trailers Trucks Vehicle magnet signs Vessels

gowns, sheets, diapers, etc.) Jackets Lab coats Laundry hampers Non-medical staff scrubs Patches Safety equipment (hard hats, vests, etc.) Scrubs Seasonal uniform style Security uniforms Service standard uniforms Smocks Vests Volunteer uniforms

Workwear and Uniforms Aprons Casual standard uniforms Coveralls Hard hat decals Headgear (hats, caps, etc.) Hospital linens (towels,

Assess strategic options.

You’re about to spend millions. Consider your options for better payback. However many assets your rebrand touches, considerations of time, scope, asset strategy and segmentation, quality, and global implications, dependencies, and other complexities should ultimately inform your decisions on how best to roll out your brand. How much of the rebrand needs to be complete when you launch? How could switching out branded assets over time save money? What assets are simply not needed? Where can quality never be sacrificed, and where can lower quality still produce an effective and acceptable result? Working with substantiated data to assess strategic options becomes the most valuable exercise you will ever undertake as a brand leader in the company. It will give you the assurance of true due diligence and empower you with options. It will win over skeptics. And it will drastically lower the risk of unpleasant surprises.

“

Completing a $25 million, marketing-focused project ahead of schedule and under budget is truly a notable feat and one that the branding industry can learn from. – Angie Specic, Director of Marketing, Allstream

Dozens of major decisions must be made that affect cost return. Factors of time, scope and quality all need to factor into the development of your brand implementation plan.

TIME Launch Period Weeks

Completion Speed Months

Months

Years

SCOPE Brand Scope Rebrand All

Branded Assets Selective Rebrand

All Branded Assets

Selective Branded Assets

QUALITY Production Quality Gold

Silver

Brand Application Bronze

High

Medium

Low

Region / Affiliate Timing All Brands Simultaneously

Touchpoint Prioritization Individual Schedule

Prioritized HighSpeed Transition

Launch and Completion “Big Bang” Launch

Operational Replacement

Resourcing Soft Launch

Additional

Existing

Quality Prioritization Equal Quality

Lower Quality

Asset prioritization, segmentation and strategy evaluation. Healthcare system example: Cost by complexity and brand impact It’s important to understand the impact/value you get out of each branded asset, as well as the complexity of chaning them. This can help identify opportunities for neutralization, increased ROI of under-leveraged assets, must-haves, and areas where you need additional support. This gets even more powerful when you segment each asset type and develop different strategies for each segment. High-profile locations may get a different level of signage application than others. You may invest in converting only 30% of your products that account for 85% of your revenue – leaving the others for operational cycles. And so on.

COMPLEXITY

HIGH

IT Applications

Signage Legal / Regulatory

Uniforms / PPE & Workwear

Websites Marketing Comms

Branded Env.

Events / Sponsorship Biz. Forms

BRAND IMPACT

LOW

Internal impact/visibility

ID Badges

External impact/visibility

*size of the bubble indicates the typical approximate proportion of rebrand cost estimates.

HIGH

Detail each scenario with asset conversion timelines. Once you define the asset strategies, timing, quality, vendor strategies, and other variables, you can then build a timeline for each scenario including all dependencies.

Year 1 Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Brand

Dec

Remaining brand templates & portal

Marketing Sales

Nov Phase 1 collateral Phase 1 assets

Sample welcome kits for Sales team

Events

Priority banners

Civic Affairs

Logo swaps

Digital & IT

Email domains, priority websites and portals

CRNS & Provider

Phase 1 assets

Supply Chain

Phase 1 assets

Legal & IP

Contracts and remaining trademarks Security vehicles Signage and environmental branding (design playbook and site surveys)

Legend Planning activities Division launch assets Phase 1 – priority assets in market Phase 2 – majority assets in market Phase 3 – remaining assets in market

Year 2 Q1

Phase 2 collateral

Year 3 Q3

Phase 3 collateral

Phase 2 collateral

Phase 3 collateral

Remaining assets Scholarship Remaining digital properties

Lower impact

Remaining assets Remaining assets

All 16 vehicles Top 5 sites

Remaining 20 sites

Scenario pricing / planning (example) Pricing out options removes theoretical roadblocks and replaces them with defined and very real line items. It shifts the conversation from “we couldn’t possible afford that,” or “we can’t change our name because it’s too expensive” to a realistic assessment of cost vs. benefit. Options can help you secure more budget and disarm your CFO from blindly cutting the budget down without understanding the implications of doing so.

Asset Category

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Administration (finance and human resources)

$369,460

$200,044

$40,766

Branded environments (brand walls)

$444,955

$322,039

$114,792

Business forms and papers

$693,753

$264,852

$78,585

Interior and exterior signage

$3,945,042

$2,046,227

$1,049,931

Information technology and telecom

$2,806,644

$2,552,622

$1,297,799

Legal and regulatory

$660,000

$495,000

$165,000

Marketing collateral and promotional items

$76,884

$48,755

$15,000

Security (includes ID badges)

$16,158

Web and social media

$6,143,334

$4,754,583

$2,611,200

Event materials

$115,326

$109,974

$75,000

Brand identity, architecture and guidelines, and design (concepts and advertising campaign)

$2,560,000

$2,360,000

$1,760,000

Branding incentives

$1,295,651

$863, 768

$431,844

Brand engagement (launch activities)

$2,757,900

$2,750,700

$2,701,100

Brand identity management system

$1,050,000

$960,000

$645,000

Specialized implementation support

$1,588,064

$1,327,012

$1,087,715

$19,055,576

$12,073,732

$4,763,894

$3,018,433

$23,819,470

$15,092,165

Subtotal $24,523,171 Contingency (25%) $6,130,793 TOTAL $30,653,963

Cost estimate by CapEx and OpEx Another useful lens you can use to assess your brand implementation plans is through CapEx versus OpEx. Every rebrand entails a blend of capital and operational expenses, and the decisions you make relative to asset strategy impact how much of the cost can be accounted for in each bucket. Understanding these dynamics, and the decisions used to arrive at them, can not only improve ROI, but is also very important financial information that will help people weigh the options vs. true financial impact of the cost.

SCENARIO 01 16% 84%

CapEx: $4,959,757 OpEx: $25,694,207 Total: $30,653,963

SCENARIO 02 11% 89%

CapEx: $2,551,590 OpEx: $21,267,881 Total: $23,819,470

SCENARIO 03 9% 91%

CapEx: $1,316,716 OpEx: $13,775,449 Total: $15,092,165

From high-level scoping to flawless execution.

From high-level scoping to flawless execution. It’s time to get into the nitty-gritty. In the next few pages, we’ve provided some examples of the process diagrams, spreadsheets, and dashboards that will ensure the devil never has a hand in the details of a rebrand implementation. The more detailed and precise you are in making sure every aspect of operations and execution are covered, the better the result.

“

From up-front planning and strategy, to execution and follow through, BrandActive was thorough, accurate and forward-thinking which helped us successfully rebrand ourselves and continue to serve our community in their time of need. We couldn’t have done it without them. – Rob Lee, Executive Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Garnet Health

Transitioning from high-level scoping to detailed planning. The Scope and Assess phase lays the foundation with a deep dive into different implementation scenarios, aligning expectations surrounding cost, timing, quality, and other factors. From there, with the right implementation scenario selected, the real work of detailed planning and optimization begins. BrandActive works with clients to establish overall project governance, engage the operational area workgroup leaders in planning every asset, and then integrates it all into the CMO’s single holistic plan. Ideally, this will occur at least six months before launch.

Scope and Assess

Branded Asset Conversion

Scoping Signage

IT systems

Branded environement

Websites

Products & packaging

Detailed Planning

Marketing collateral

Prioritzed asset inventories Transition strategies Refined budgets

HR materials

Project Plans

Business cards

Launch materials

Integrated schedule

Forms & papers

Workwear

Interdependencies

Fleet

Communications Risk identification

Timing Wave 1 > Wave 2 > Wave 3

Organization Project structure

Costing

Stakeholder identification

Cost estimates

Vendor engagement

Opportunities Brand expression Brand consistency Brand governance Branded materials refresh

Governance Processes Brand compliance Progress tracking Reporting Budget governance

Good plans need to be supported with good systems, processes, and details to provide clarity and keep the project on track.

Sample product dashboard

# of items completed

Marketing Collateral N/A

Marketing Collateral - North America

$131,055

Total # of items

150

Estimate cost

155

100 50 0

Budget

155

250

$109,994

Total # completed

3/10 3/13 3/20 4/3 4/10 4/17 4/24 5/1 5/9 5/15 5/22 5/29 6/5 6/12 6/20 7/1 7/14 7/22 8/1 Dates

Items Completed - Plan

Actual cost

Marketing Collateral - Latin America

$21,061

Items Completed - Actual

Variance

Total # of items

Technical Publications

IT Assets

# of items completed

Total # completed

250 150 100 50 0

Total # of items

Technical Publications

3/10 3/13 3/20 4/3 4/10 4/17 4/24 5/1 5/9 5/15 5/22 5/29 6/5 6/12 6/20 7/1 7/14 7/22 8/1 Dates

Items Completed - Plan

231

Neutralized

231

Rebranded

Total # of technical publication assets

Total # completed

Items Completed - Actual

Facilities Facilities (Signage)

Facilities (ID badges)

Total locations

IR branding assets

Need to be neutralized

Neutralized

Neutralized Rebranded

Rebranded 0

Uniforms Bloomington

Freemont

Has IR branding

Rebranded to TT

N/A

Neutralized

Rebranded to TT

Hastings

No N/A

Products

Has IR branding

Neutralized

N/A

Neutralized

Rebranded to TT

Total locations IR branding assets Neutralized 0

Sample packaging and labels rebrand dashboard Submission Que

Rebranded 1st Proofs Delivered to Date:

258

Proofs Moved to Approval Workflow:

170

Total for submission: 452 Already submitted: 224

Final Proofs Approved (BA)

91% of 186 submitted

Submitted by Item Type

Returned to cluster: 38

44% of 170 submitted

Total in Smartsheet: 5,938

Average Time per Item to Date

42 days

Average Revisions

By process step: Avg wait time for 1st proof: 19 days

Cluster B Cluster C Cluster D Cluster E Cluster F

Onboarded 2 new temporary resources to help with artwork request process Initiated weekly meeting between requesters and designers to facilitate workflow

Avg. X revs/item to bring to completion

Avg wait time for approval: 7 days

Cluster A

Headlines

2.5

Avg wait time for submission: 16 days

Submitted by Cluster

Boxes Labels Documents Packaging Other

Progress Status Overview

Progress Impediments

200 150 100

Additional resources needed to submit job requests for clusters (issue resolved)

50 0

Initiating approval process between designers and job requesters was initially cumbersome, have reworked the process *Dashboard does not include label templates being redesigned by IT team

Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Apr-18 May-18 Jun-18 Jul-18 Aug-18 Sep-18 Oct-18 Nov-18 Dec-18 Ready for Studio M

Submitted to InMotion

Proof created

Proof approved

Financial management workflow (example) START

Workgroup

Reviewer*

Identify need and associated cost

Does request align with brand strategy and budget?

END

Provide additional information and resubmit for approval

Submit funding request/quote to approved Reviewer

Share PO with vendor

Send back to workgroup and align on strategy

Receive notification of PO release

NO YES

Share with workgroup

Raise PO for approved amount

Brand Management Group

Raise to Executive Leadership, if needed

Executive Leadership

Review and approve any escalated requests or large expenditures (typically for signage)

Review the request

Is request approved?

Process invoices towards PO

YES

Release the PO

Set up project cost center

Finance

Track POs and spend against overall budget in cost center Provide frequent reports

Design the perfect team.

Design the perfect team. It will come as no surprise that a team that includes a cross-section of corporate stakeholders can lead to a greater embrace of a rebrand among your employees. But how the project team is organized has a huge impact on how much time you will spend moving forward versus time spent herding cats. Here are three things to consider:

Define the right level of centralized control and decentralized execution that is unique to your objectives and operating model, and how you will support operational areas, regions, business units, etc.

Create explicit roles for different contributors, from the executive level to your core brand team, to implementation teams.

Map out the project organization in a way that reveals the interdependencies and how you will leverage internal resources, outsourced conversion with vendors, and your agency partners to play to their strengths.

Top level organization. Every team in your organization has skin in this game and skills to contribute. But just as you wouldn’t ask your special teams coach to call the plays for your quarterback on third-and-long, it’s up to the CMO to determine and direct the overall strategy. Here are the six teams needed to successfully implement a rebrand.

Executive Leadership Team

Business Advisors Team

Provides overarching business strategy in which to align brand strategy.

Guides alignment of brand to all divisions and audiences using the overarching business strategy set by the Executive Leadership Team.

Brand Core Team Partner in development of brand objectives and strategy.

Brand Management Team

Provides business unit viewpoints and expertise.

Executes macro strategies to create detailed strategies for rebrand.

supported by agency partners

Reviews funding requests and brand application as needed.

Central Workgroups Gathers information as required. Finalizes asset and location-specific strategies.

Coordinates dependencies and activities between all key agencies. Receives ongoing support from Finance, Procurement, Accounting, and Legal.

Creates detailed plans. Identifies risks, escalates issues and reports progress.

Local Implementation Teams

Tracks budget and manages suppliers and asset quality.

Assists the above groups in data gathering and implementation activities by providing information and resources at a site level. Executes brand workgroup plans. Tracks spend and reports it to workgroups.

Develop the project organization. Roles. Responsibilities. Lanes. How do internal functions and external partners support the project? A thoroughly considered project organization ensures control, simplicity, the smooth flow of information, and most importantly, no surprises at any level.

Executive Steering Committee

Agency Support (brand agency, BrandActive)

Updates

Rebrand Implementation Team (marketing and brand senior leaders)

Executive Leadership

Functional Support (legal, finance)

Implementation Leads (IL) / Project Management (PM)

Physical Assets

Customer Communications

signage

marketing & communications

finance

health & safety (PPE)

security

business forms & papers

IT & telecom

operations management

facilities related

community third party agency & organizations

legal gov’t & regulatory

work wear & rental uniforms

customer group

procurement

fleet & equipment

Administrative

human resources

Operations

Process definition ensures clarity and control. Processes need to be defined centrally, otherwise it’s challenging to ensure operations and the field are doing things the right way, at the right time. Processes need to be in place to control approvals, finances, quality, and project communications and reporting.

Helpdesk

Communications & reporting

Issue and risk escalation process

Budget approval process and financial governance

Project structure and clearly defined roles and responsibilities

Quality control and brand compliance

Leverage your rebrand to improve operations.

How to leverage your rebrand for operational improvement. One of the most overlooked opportunities in any rebrand is how to leverage it to improve ongoing operational efficiency – not just for the rebrand – but year over year well into the future. After all, this is the one moment in time when you are going to be looking over everything. There are tactical opportunities to rework how you collaborate with agencies and partners, rationalize vendors, reduce the number of assets you manage, and many other operations. And, there are strategic opportunities to finally realize a future state of simplified, standardized, and repeatable brand and marketing operations. Clear and effective brand governance is an essential bridge between brand strategy and brand deliverables, and a critical success factor. Many CMOs and senior marketers have a vision for how marketing should operate, and many others haven’t had time to evaluate and capture the opportunities and efficiencies they know must be there. Leveraging a rebrand to look at what your teams do, who they do it with, and how they do it can unlock clarity, save money, focus resources on activities that drive business value, improve time-to-market, and increase ROI. Rigorously examining your processes for approvals, agency management, vendor optimization and pricing, technology usage, and more, can unlock 10-35% efficiency in any of these brand and marketing operatoins.

Operations is an important link between strategy and delivery. Most organizations put significant emphasis on brand strategy and execution. Operations is often overlooked in achieving brand delivery, yet it drives efficiency and the CMO can leverage it to make a compelling case for investment.

Brand Strategy

Brand Governance

Brand Delivery

Strategy

Operations

Execution

Brand positioning

Roles and responsibilities

Customer experience

Processes and approvals

Social media

Brand attributes Brand architecture Visual/verbal identity guidelines Key messages Go-to-market strategy

Help desk and feedback channels

Advertising Marketing programs Sponsorships

Vendor strategies

Websites

Agency management

Events / fundraisers

Training and engagement

Media relations

Tools, resources, and technology

What to assess. Branded assets is just one of four areas we recommend you consider to have the larget long-term impact on ongoing operatoinal savings. You should also include people and processes, technology, and training.

Assets

People & process

Technology

Training

How standardized, repeatable and efficient are you? How could implementing a digital asset management system increase efficiency during the rebrand and beyond? What are the components of a training program that will move the needle internally?

People & Process

Technology

Staff roles and responsibilities

Existing technology vs. opportunities for new

Activities, hours, costs Documentation / playbooks Brand standards Agency map Agency management Transparency, tracking, dashboards Centralization vs. decentralization Decision making and communication

Brand management Workflow management Project management Campaign management Collaboration Agency/vendor management Costs and opportunities

Support structure

Training

Assets

Training materials

Quality and consistency

Training plans

Vendors

Team understanding

Outsource vs insource

Empowerment

Costs and opportunities

Employee onboarding

Rationalization

Agency and vendor onboarding/cadence

Simplification

Brand culture

Maintenance plans Marketing influence/role

ROI Opportunities. They’re out there, if you know where to look. Start with an opportunity analysis to understand all of the broad opportunities and then focus on the most compelling areas for improvement.

Opportunity Analysis

Branded Asset Optimization

Agency/Vendor Optimization

Identify the gaps and opportunities in your current brand operations and develop a roadmap to realize an optimized future state that protects the investment you make in your brand and marketing initiatives, and frees resources to focus on activities that drive business value.

Rationalize, simplify, and improve the quality of assets, and unlock repeatable, sustainable improvements in how you create, manage and use your branded assets, including everything from building signage to printed and digital materials and everything in between.

Map agency capabilities and scopes of work against marketing objectives to identify gaps and overlaps in service needs, costs and resource efficiencies; develop an evaluation process to measure performance; and document working principles and agency expectations in an agency management playbook.

Integrated Program Management

Process Redesign & Implementation

Enhance your team’s productivity by tapping into specialized skills and shortterm resources that deliver best-in-class internal and external brand and marketing programs.

Improve your brand operations moving forward by finding smarter ways of doing things that cost less time, money, and effort, and empower your internal teams to spend more time on activities that really impact your brand and marketing initiatives.

Tangible ROI vs. Investment is critical to the equation. It’s essential to question what opportunities truly produce ROI. It is also essential to evaluate that answer against how implementable that change is within the organization, as well as how it might align with your strategic direction or values. Some opportunities are just worth investing in for employee engagement, brand equity, improved customer experience, and standardization.

Asset Type

Investment

ROI

FTE Savings

Processes

$350,000

$950,000

800 (hrs)

Opportunity 01

$75,000

$500,000

200

Opportunity 02

$75,000

$300,000

300

Opportunity 03

$200,000

$150,000

300

Assets

$650,000

$550,000

650 (hrs)

Opportunity 01

$100,000

$50,000

150

Opportunity 02

$200,000

$50,000

245

Opportunity 03

$350,000

$250,000

255

Vendors & Agencies

$550,000

$650,000

900 (hrs)

Opportunity 01

$50,000

$100,000

300

Opportunity 02

$250,000

$200,000

400

Opportunity 03

$250,000

$350,000

200

Technology

$950,000

$350,000

400 (hrs)

Opportunity 01

$500,000

$75,000

100

Opportunity 02

$300,000

$75,000

200

Opportunity 03

$150,000

$200,000

100

Training

$1,000,000

750 (hrs)

Opportunity 01

$350,000

Opportunity 02

$250,000

Opportunity 03

$400,000

ROI 26%

14%

Processes Assets 22%

Vendors & Agencies Technology

38%

29%

Investment

10%

Processes Assets 18%

Vendors & Agencies Technology

27% 16%

Training

Cost vs. Benefit (market return + efficiencies – cost = ROI) Viewing your rebrand as an investment and adjusting plans accordingly can help you determine where to target your efforts and track achievement. And, based on the scenario you choose to move forward with, it is possible to create a payback model that shows the ROI you will achieve by doing things more efficiently post-rebrand.

$4B $3B $2B $1B

$335M 15-yr Operational Savings*

$400M

(Marketing & Brand Mgmt)

$350M

$285M Total Implementation Costs

$300M $250M $200M $150M

12-year payback operational savings

$100M $50M $M 1

Year

*Operational Savings Include: Implementation costs: total cost of implementation across all branded assets Operational savings: XYZ Agency marketing ops efficiencies (assumed $4.1M/year efficiency ongoing past year 5) Improved branded asset management efficiencies (signage, fleet, uniforms, and collateral)

Seek specialized help.

Specialized help is available. Our goal with this booklet is to provide a rebrand roadmap that will empower you in conversations with your finance and operations-minded leadership through clear and actionable financial analysis, operational strategy, and the logistics of rebrand implementation and marketing operations. But you don’t have to do it alone. For over 24 years, BrandActive has focused exclusively on effective and efficient rebrand implementation. That is all we do and all we have ever done. We are the perfect complement to your branding agency and business consultants, because while we don’t come up with creative or design customer experience, what we do bring to the table – the financial analysis, strategy and logistics of brand implementation – is just as critical to the hundreds of companies we’ve worked with. Those companies have typically realized savings of 10–35% over the cost of doing everything internally, while also reducing their ongoing operational spend. We can manage the entire rebranding process, so you don’t have to divert your team members from the primary responsibilities. Maximum ROI and impact. That’s what we deliver. Opposite are just a cross-section of the organizations we’ve helped. Looking to rebrand or improve your brand and marketing operations? Contact us to put our experience to work.1.720.446.5632 contact@brandactive.com brandactive.com © 2022 BrandActive

Rebrand implementation experience.

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2022