Brand Vision

David Taylor is Founder and Managing Partner of thebrandgym, a network of brand coaches that helps teams develop an inspiring vision and the action plans to turn it into growth.David was recently named by the CIM as one of the world’s 50 top marketing thinkers. He has worked with many acclaimed companies including T-Mobile, Unilever, Kraft, the BBC and SAB Miller to help them boost performance. He began in brand management with P&G before completing an MBA at INSEAD, France. He then started and successfully grew the Paris office of Added Value, Europe’s leading marketing consultancy (now part of WPP).David is the author of two previous books. His first, thebrandgym, quickly became Amazon.co.uk’s best-selling branding title; his sequel, brandstretch, was the world’s first and only focused examination of brand extension. He is a regular speaker at conferences and in the media, having written for publications including The Guardian, Marketing, Market Leader, Brand Strategy and Marketing Business.

• Warning: don’t read this book xiTools xibrandgym network xibrandgym.com xiiwheresthesausage.com xiiThe Oscar Acceptance Speech xiiiIntroduction: be a brand CEO, not a strategy tourist 1We’re busy. Do we really need a vision? 1Why so much strategy sucks 6The strategy tourism guidebook 10The T-Mobile story 15Fits all sizes and shapes 26Over to you 29Checklist: Introduction 31I. Search for True Insight 331. Create an insight springboard 37Research-itis 37Competition: what market are we really in? 38Consumer: opening the door to your brand 42Brand: look back, look forward 52Company: where should we fish for growth? 56Checklist 1: Create an insight springboard 58II. The Visioning Journey 612. What are you going to fight for? 65Bland not brand 66The brand manifesto 67Writing the story of your brand 69Checklist 2: What are you going to fight for? 723. Where’s the sausage? 77Brandicide 79Back to why brands were born 84The power of the product 85Searching for truth 89Sharpening the vision 95Checklist 3: Where’s the sausage? 964. Sizzle that sells 101Leave the ladder in the garage 101Pasta sauce or Prada? 103Selling your product story 106The Geek Squad 109Brand personality devices 113Bringing your personality to life 115Put some pizzaz in your personality 117Checklist 4: Sizzle that sells 118Handover 1195. Big brand ideas beat brand essence 123What’s the big idea? 123Your brand story takes shape 127Eureka moments 129Checklist 5: Big brand ideas 129III. Bring the Vision to Life 1316. Test drive the vision 135Consumers are not marketing directors 135Think less, do more 135Exploration has its limits 137Bring your vision to life 141Getting the most out of research 144Time to sign up 147Make it real 151Checklist 6: Test drive the vision 153IV. Brand-led Business 1557. Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 159Brandwashing 159Focus on fundamentals 163Step 1: Hire the right people and treat them right 164Step 2: Make it easier to do the right thing 168Step 3: Lead by example 171Step 4: Sell the cake not the recipe 171The 5-month itch 175Checklist 7: Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 1768. Create hero products 179Kill the dwarves 179Start close to home 181iPod: the hero of a new vision 187Virtual venture capital 189Elastic brands 190Family ties 196Checklist 8: Create hero products 1999. Communicating without ego tripping 203Brand ego tripping: the movie 203Getting a killer mix 206Design: The face of your new vision 211Communication with cut-through 213When you hit gold . . . 221The Tyskie turnaround 224Checklist 9: Communicating without ego tripping 230Brand Vision to Action Toolkit 231brandgym network 251References 253Index 255

"…what Taylor has done…is set out a process to achieve exactly what the book says: create a brand vision…" (Brand Strategy, March 2007)