Consulting

 

Your Story

Your brand is your story.  It should answer the “what and why” of your organization, product or service.  And your story must be so compelling that your audience is intrigued and interested enough to want to engage with you at the next level.

A good marketer must know how to creatively and effectively craft and tell your Brand Story and supporting messaging. Doing marketing well involves following a process. BrandAlive has a defined proven phased process that has successfully worked for our clients, no matter their size or area of focus. We have found that when this disciplined approach is not followed, or shortcuts are taken, you appear disjointed in the market which creates confusion among your target segments.

Strategy versus Tactics

There are key differences working with BrandAlive versus an agency. My team and I are very knowledgeable marketing consultants who have 30+ years of experience in a wide variety of industries.  Because of our marketing and business experience, we view and approach engagements from a strategic perspective and not a transactional one, such as agencies do.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference between BrandAlive and agencies is when they are asked if a tactic is possible, they will always reply “yes” because agencies think tactically, and they are generally paid per transaction or project.

When BrandAlive is asked such a question, we ask “why?” for we act as our clients’ business partners as well as marketing partners.  We are always looking at the larger picture and working to understand the impact that every action and decision makes to our clients’ overall businesses.

Our Process

We follow a disciplined defined process when working with clients regardless of the scope and focus of the engagement.

The What and Why

Taking the time to develop your story is imperative to your success. If you cannot clearly articulate your “what and why” then will people listen and care about your product and ultimately buy it? Effectively communicating your “what and why” sounds simple, but it is anything but.

We must first write your story before the creation of any material occurs or the execution of any program begins. And even before we create the story, we must understand the foundation of your messaging.  Research is how we get to that foundation. Asking the right questions of such constituents as key stakeholders, customers, partners and employees is how we begin to learn directly what your story should be.  For if your story is not based in fact, then it will not ring true nor connect with the “who”.

The Who

Failing to define the “Who” is where so many companies fail as they try to be all things to all people or they never take the time to determine and or validate with whom their story will resonate.

And for our small and mid-size clients, it is imperative that we prioritize the target segments as we understand there are often budgets and resources constraints in these initial phases.

The How

We have developed your Story.  We have identified to whom we need to tell it.  Now we will work to determine what are the most effective ways to communicate it – that is the “How”.

Not all people want to be marketed to in the same way.  The way we would approach millennials is very different than how we would reach out and communicate to boomers.  During the “How” Phase, we develop an integrated marketing plan that contains the tactics and channels we recommend doing and using to tell your story so that it reaches the defined “Who”.

Execution

Now it’s time for execution and we can help in a variety of ways.  We can manage the entire execution of the Plan including the selection of vendors and creative partners.  Or we can support and augment your internal team. We are here to help in any way that works for your organization.