1.2 The Brand Development Process

While we call this a marketing class, it’s really a branding and marketing class. If you don’t first build the basic foundation for a strong brand, marketing—the things you do to promote your brand—are meaningless. Brands are developed through careful planning and strategy. A successful brand requires years to develop and must be managed with consistent execution. This book uses the blueprints of the brand management process developed and perfected by the Procter & Gamble Company and its brands over the past fifty years, which has set the standard in the industry for branding and marketing excellence.

Brand Components Overview

A brand story is a platform from which recognition, loyalty, and revenue is driven. A brand is composed of three core components: brand strategy, brand positioning, and brand identity (its visual attributes). These components must have a symbiotic and consistent relationship to maximize marketing effectiveness. Great marketers will translate their brand into an integrated marketing communications program by utilizing this approach.

The Brand Development Process

Brand strategies are not created overnight. It usually takes months of research and strategy discussion to define the foundational brand strategy. The process starts with research among consumers and the marketplace (which leads to identifying the target consumer) then development of a differentiated brand positioning strategy. This leads to developing the brand voice, visual identity, marketing strategies and plans, and ultimately, the execution of your marketing plans.