E3 global insight magazine issue16

Global Insights Magazine Issue 16 - Edited by OZ Branding 2014

The Brand Promise & Branding In

Inside this issue

A platform for continuous growth and improvement

2 4 6 10 What is your brand promise?

Branding out & branding in

The branding in method

The sum of the parts makes a (new) whole

Looking at the brand from the inside out

Ensuring that your promise is kept

Including employees who take part in the branding in process

Merging teams into one brand promise

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What's your brand promise Much has been written about the strength of a brand,

ensure that you stay true to the values underlying

about your product or service as a brand, about the

that promise to leverage your competitive

premium your customers will pay if you bring real

advantages.

value to them, and about the loyalty you gain that strengthens your company's stability.

What exactly is your brand promise? "A brand promise is everything a brand is, everything it does,

This magazine is dedicated to the brand promise and

everything it stands for, and every way it affects the life

what we call “branding in.” We will be looking at the

of the consumer” (William J. McEwen with Jennifer

brand from the inside out. We’ll see how the brand

Robison, Gallup Business Journal).

promise can be used as a tool and as a platform to build and strengthen your company through internal

It’s the commitment you make to your customers,

processes that align with your marketing efforts.

and by extension, the value you create in their world.

When you see your brand as a promise, you will

And we believe it is also the glue that gives meaning

realize that your employees are the promise keepers.

and adds value to your employees, your teams, and

By connecting management and employees across

your whole organization.

the entire organization to your brand promise, you

2

Happy reading :) The OZ Branding Team

Sales team

There are countless contact points between your brand and its ecosystem.

Distributors Tech support Exhibitions Dealers Social media Magazines Seminars

Customer service Employees Conferences Suppliers Store shelves Company trucks And many more...

Marketing materials Websites

" Every time you keep the promise, you strengthen your brand... " Monica Skipper, Director, FedEx Global Brand Management The Philips brand promise: Delivering "sense and simplicity" Philips is more than just a company name — it’s a brand that promises an experience to people.

Whether it was lighting lives in 1891 when we introduced our first incandescent light bulb, to saving lives with the HeartStart defibrillator, people have always been at the heart of Philips.

Prior to the launch of “sense and simplicity,” we did not have a consistent way within our organization to deliver a one-Philips brand experience to customers. The launch of our brand promise — “sense and simplicity” — in 2004 was an important milestone in our brand journey. This step guided the organization to deliver a consistent, differentiated brand experience; helping us to build our brand in the hearts and minds of people.

This brand promise encapsulates our commitment to deliver solutions that are advanced, easy to use, and designed around the needs of all our users and customers.

Philips.com 3

The market

Branding out

The connection between branding out and branding in

Brand Promise

Operations & logistics

Marketing

Sales Products & services

Quality assurance

HR

How do you ensure that your promise is kept at every contact point?

4

Finance

R&D

How do you help all employees understand they play a crucial role in the success of the company?

The organization

Branding in

The

IT

How do you connect all employees to the meaning behind the promise?

"Go Further" Brand Message Is Aimed at Ford's Employees, Too | by Dale Buss, Forbes

For the full article, see- http://www.forbes.com/

Sarah Tatchio, manager of global integrated

sites/dalebuss/2012/06/14/go-further-brand-

communications for Ford, explained that the

message-is-aimed-at-fords-employees-too/

goal is to make “Go Further” important to Ford employees — “not something else I have to do but

Ford’s new branding effort has two important

really who we are, and giving a voice to it. Like, I’m

audiences: the world of car buyers — and Ford

going further when I make a certain decision or do

employees. So when the company urges all within

something for this customer. It’s a slightly different

hearing to “Go Further,” it’s not just appealing to

framework for thinking about things.”

consumers in America or China to take that extra step and check out a Ford vehicle; and it’s not just

To succeed … programs such as “Go Further”

promising that new Ford models will exceed their

must begin by making sure every constituency

expectations.

in the company is fully apprised of the common platform and expectations about it; then break it

The company is exhorting its 166,000 worldwide

down to help individual employees understand

employees to “Go Further,” too, because

what it means for them in their roles; then

executives believe that making Ford’s “internal

obtain commitments from employees and

brand” consistent with its new external messaging

begin measuring behaviors that will indicate

can create profound synergies that benefit the

the internal branding effort is taking hold; and,

company in significant ways.

finally, seriously recognize and reward the desired behaviors.

“What we aim to do is inspire behavior,” Matt VanDyke, Ford’s director of global

An added important element for Ford is that “Go

communications, told me. “Go Further” is

Further” has become its global rallying cry, so the

“more than an advertising tagline. We want to

internal-branding campaign has to be translatable

institutionalize it as part of

across the company’s operations worldwide.

our culture.”

How do you create a process for continuing improvement in which many voices can be heard?

By connecting the whole company to the promise and using it as the focal point 5

Our "branding in" method Connecting the organization to its promise A top-down, bottom-up, cross-team effort produces a circular and inclusive process The branding-in process starts at

Middle managers are trained to

Each team devises its own specific

the top with senior management.

“pass it forward.” They conduct

work plan to adopt, incorporate,

They generate “buy in” and lead

discussions at the department

and implement the brand

the efforts to define and translate

and team levels, so that every

promise into their day-to-day

the company values and brand

employee in every role is

responsibilities.

promise into a tool that permeates

exposed to the company values

throughout the organization.

and the brand promise in order

Through interactive workshops and meetings, middle management examines the company values to gain greater understanding and to shape and give meaning to the brand promise.

Senior management

Middle management

Teams

6

to understand their relevance from the employee, team, and organizational perspectives.

Inter-team meetings and connection points are created to strengthen the common language and commitment across the company.

Added values of branding in Connects employees to overall success

Becomes a tool for analyzing gaps

Employees who take part in the branding in process

When a company realizes what (and where)

are more likely to be happier and more satisfied on the

the gaps are, it can work effectively and continuously

job. They’ve been heard. They have a voice. They have

to close them by asking, “Where do we need to

influence.

improve?” or “What do we need to do better to meet

Even for those employees who are not in direct

our promise?”

contact with customers or end-users, the branding in process brings real meaning to their everyday work, which, in turn, helps to strengthen the perception of the company in the market.

Serves as a platform for communication A number of the day-to-day problems in an organization stem from a lack of communication between workers, departments or offices. The branding in process produces a common language

Empowers managers Because the branding in process is implemented at all levels of management, managers feel empowered.

throughout the company. The brand and the brand promise platform presents an opportunity to communicate using this common language.

They speak the language of the brand promise and company values. They start a dialogue with their teams, and they use the promise and values as a measure by which to evaluate performance.

Focuses the whole company on the same goal Sometimes individual employees or entire teams feel they operate in a void. The branding in process gives a focal point to the entire organization. No matter which

Infuses the company with energy The branding in process is energizing. In addition

department or at what level, each employee can connect to the promise and the values underlying it.

to the “network of communication” it produces,

The brand promise also becomes the focal point for

the process generates tremendous enthusiasm and

other organizational processes, ensuring maximum

camaraderie among the participants that continues

results at all touch points.

long after the workshops and meetings.

7

Case study

True to the promise -- globally Connecting employees from around the world to the brand promise Most global companies started local. Their company

To answer these questions, we’ll look at Maytronics, an

culture and values were key to their success and often

Israeli company that 30 years ago pioneered the pool-

formed the foundation for growth.

cleaning robot.

How can a global company keep its culture? How can

Our challenge was to help Maytronics strengthen its

it make sure the values and behaviors are maintained

global brand as a tool to drive growth and continued

in every office around the world? How can it connect

success. Together, we worked with the company to

employees from different cultures to the company and

bring meaning to their brand promise “exceptional

its values? How can it form the foundation to create

experience,” and to build a common language based

something bigger and drive future growth?

on that promise and the company's values.

The Maytronics promise:

Exceptional experience

8

You purchase an

The product is backed by

It's produced by a team that has an

EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCT

EXCEPTIONAL EXPERTISE

EXCEPTIONAL Commitment,

that performs well, gives value

From pioneers in the field and

love what they do, care for

for money, is easy to use and

leaders in pool robotics technology,

the customers, always come

maintain, offers superb results

who have years of experience,

through and deliver on what

(a clean, healthy pool), is fully

operate all over the world, and are

they promise, are really nice

guaranteed, and is supported

always innovating and developing

and friendly, have great spirit,

by the company.

the next generation of products.

and absolutely believe in their product.

“At the beginning of the process it was difficult to predict just how effective it would be. As we moved forward and went deeper, it became apparent that the strength and clarity of our brand promise became even more powerful and more precise, the more it was translated into practices and linked, across the organization, to authentic corporate values."

Yuval Beeri, CEO, Maytronics

The Maytronics promise of "exceptional experience" has been implemented throughout the organization. From Israel to France and from Australia to the United States, all Maytronics managers and employees are aligned and connected to a clear brand promise and meaningful corporate values.

“…If we can truly achieve this

“The benefits of implementing a global brand strategy as it relates

'branding in' process, then

to helping connect employees to our promise and our values

the level of connection with

supports our efforts in creating a consistent culture, enhances our

the company grows from the

ability to communicate a consistent message both internally and

employees – they genuinely

externally about our company, and defines our company's behavioral

feel important and part of the

characteristics- during both good and bad times...”

bigger family of Maytronics, rather than just an employee number. The translation of this

Larry Ruizzo Maytronics USA

becomes extremely powerful in connection with day-to-day tasks, how employees behave every day: Do they aspire to meet the values and behave in line with them or not? This can create a significant point of difference versus competitors."

Dan Kwaczynski Maytronics Australia 9

The sum of the parts Merging teams from different companies to the brand promise

When two companies merge or when rumors fly about an acquisition, ripples (and sometimes waves) spread throughout the entire organization. Management may not communicate often enough or clearly enough because of ongoing negotiations. Employees fear for their jobs and feel less secure. Productivity slips.

The main opportunities (and the main challenges) of branding a merged company is building a compelling, ambitious vision; leveraging the strengths of the combined companies; creating synergy and adding value to both entities and the market (customers, partners, shareholders).

Change and synergy depend on people. When there is a behavioral shift, one that is supported by clear and compelling values, messages, and a brand promise, change and synergy will occur.

Employees

For employees to get behind the change, they must understand the values of the merged brand.

Market

For the market to “buy in� to the change, it must understand the benefits of the merged brand.

+

=

The brand promise serves as a powerful tool in a merger by connecting two companies and enabling them to create a new joint future while maximizing the potential of the merger. The branding in process serves as an effective method for working together to find the strengths of both companies and to 10

build a new brand promise that reflects the merged company.

make a (new) whole The four main objectives that lead to change and synergy in M&As:

[1]

To understand the joint vision and strategy

[ 2]

To define the core values of the merged company,

of the merged company

the brand promise and the differentiating advantages of the various business units

[ 3]

To build the brand architecture and hierarchy,

[ 4]

To develop authentic and compelling messages

including products, services, and market segments

that best articulate all the above and support the companies’ business activities and growth over the coming years

When the people from both companies believe in the merger and have obtained these objectives, they will have succeeded in achieving the main goal: To align and connect all parts of the merged company to a clear corporate vision, strategy, brand promise — and culture.

11

The brand promise reflects the commitment that a company makes to its customers and the unique value it creates in their world. It is everything a company strives to do and the way in which it operates.

The promise...which is also the heart...gives meaning to employees and is an effective platform for continuous improvement and growth.

Adsmith / China Advertigo / Romania Aloft Group/USA Ansel & Möllers / Germany Audacity / USA Base One / UK BB&B / France BBC / Belgium Bernstein / Germany

Media Consulting / Portugal

BMLab / Russia

OZ Branding / Israel

Café Design / Hungary

Preferendum / France

C&COM Advertising / Czech Republic

Quarry/Canada

D.A.G Communication / Italy

Rainfall / Romania

Igriega / Spain

Recommended/Finland Recommended / Sweden S'P'S Marketing / Austria SanderWerbung / Germany Schindler Parent / Germany TANGRAM / Liechtenstein TANGRAM / Switzerland

E3 Network

Truly Deeply / Australia

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This issue of the E3 Global Insights

coalition of independent brand strategy and

exists a broad range of global brand expertise.

Magazine was published by OZ

marketing communications firms from around the

From branding in to corporate brand identity

Branding, a creative agency in Israel

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