Develop Your Operational Requirements A “touch point” with your market occurs whenever your prospects and customers talk with an employee, review a piece of literature or invoice, or visit your offices. You have an opportunity to represent your brand at every touch point. You make an impression-‐-‐positive, negative or neutral-‐-‐so strive you communicate your brand and brand promise each and every time. To fully deliver on your brand promise, make sure that every interaction they have with you “says” the same thing. In this exercise you’ll identify every touch point your prospects and customers have with your company, then carefully evaluate whether the touch points are delivering on your brand promise. For example: If your value proposition is customer intimacy and your brand is built around service, but your account managers don’t return calls properly or your receptionist is rude, you’re not going to look like a service organization.
Summary EXERCISE SUMMARY When to Address
Who Should Participate
Where to Use the Results Why it’s Important
After you’ve developed your brand strategy & story Business leaders: company founders, owners, presidents and vice presidents Marketing and sales leaders Creative team Operational manages Strive to communicate your brand at every inbound touch with your market
Your brand is more than just a logo or creative design. To be most effective, your company must live and breathe your brand and brand promise.
Brand Strategy Define Your Operational Requirements
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It delivers an impression to your entire market. The subtleties can positively or What Builds Upon it negatively affect sales over time. Timeframe to Completion Potential Business Impact
A few hours to a few days, depending on your situation
High – for all Brand Strategy exercises
Deliverable
You’ll list your market operational touch points and evaluate how to deliver your brand at each point.
Next Steps
It’s all about execution; focus on delivering your brand promise to the marketplace each day
Target Completion Date
PARTICIPANTS TASKS
Brand Strategy Define Your Operational Requirements
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DUE DATE
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TASKS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DUE DATE
Notes
Brand Strategy Define Your Operational Requirements
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Develop Your Operational Requirements
What to Complete
1. DEFINE BRAND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 2. MATCH OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO EXISTING BRAND
Where it Fits in Brand Strategy Summarize Your Brand Audit Your Brand Internally Audit Your Brand Externally Analyze Audit Results Choose Brand Type Confirm Your Value Proposition Select a Brand Theme Determine Value of Your Features & Benefits Chart Your Emotional Benefits Determine What Your Brand Means Create Your Brand Personality Traits Create Your Brand Promise Define Your Brand Strategy Create Your Brand Positioning Statements Write Your Brand Story Select Brand Visual Requirements Match Visual Requirements to Existing Brand Define Brand Operational Requirements Match Operational Requirements to Existing Brand
1. DEFINE BRAND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS First, consider your entire company operations and list all inbound touch points with your market. Each time a customer, prospect or outsider communicates with your company is an opportunity to represent your brand.
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OPERATIONAL TOUCHPOINT
DEPARTMENT
2. MATCH OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO EXISTING BRAND Now, review each and every touch point and determine if you’re currently supporting your brand and brand promise. You may wish to review exercises 24 and 26. The promise our brand delivers to the marketplace is: OUR BRAND PROMISE
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Here are some suggestions in case you missed any. Add your own touch points not covered on the list. CUSTOMER TOUCHPOINTS
ARE WE DELIVERING ON OUR BRAND?
ACTION ITEMS
TELEPHONE Main answering system Responsiveness of each department On-‐hold messaging Employee voicemails Other
Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement
Y Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement
Y Y Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement
Y Y Y Y Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement
EMAIL Email responsiveness Email signatures Email stationery Other
PRINT MATERIALS Logo Letterhead Ad campaigns Printed materials Business cards Envelopes Labels Other
SALES TOOLS & COLLATERAL Website Sales Literature Folders Powerpoint presentations Case studies/white papers Other
PERSONAL INTERACTIONS AND OTHER AREAS Sales representatives Other employees Design
Y Y Y
Needs improvement Needs improvement Needs improvement
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CUSTOMER TOUCHPOINTS Other
ARE WE DELIVERING ON OUR BRAND? Y Needs improvement
ACTION ITEMS
Explain what you’ll need to do to ensure that your brand lives within all of your employees: What kind of training will you need to do to accomplish this goal? How will you review your operations on an ongoing basis to make sure you’re delivering on your brand promise? Action plan NEXT STEPS
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
DUE DATE
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Brand Strategy Define Your Operational Requirements
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