Know-How Exchange : Branding

Branding is more complex than just looking at a checklist of items and ensure you have them. Most brands exhibit similar external factors (brand name, marketing, price, presentation (how the solution/good are shown)). For service and B2B you MUST add people to this list.

But internally (where the real branding takes place), things are much different. Consumer products are interested in category management, low cost operations, differentiation, where B2B are more interested in the client relationship, NPD, internal training etc.

That said, here is a very generic checklist that you will need to add to and develop for your individual company:

EXTERNAL:

Can you/do you charge a brand premium
Do you have excellent customer satisfaction/loyalty or have excellent customer relationships.
Are you perceived to be a quality supplier
Are you perceived to have good market leadership / or are you popular
Can you brands personality be easily recognised
Do you have good brand awareness in the market
Do you have one of the best market shares
Do your products shout “buy me” from the shelves!

INTERNAL:
Do you have brand values
Do you have internal communications
Do you regularly reinforce the brand values to your staff
Do you have great supplier relationships
Do you truly understand your customers/prospects and why they buy from you.
Do you innovate in product development
Are you front line employees fully behind your brand values

BRAND:
Are the top management supporting of the brand and its values
Does your brand generate an emotion response (A brand should strive to evoke emotions and create sensory experiences)
Does your brand exhibit admirable human qualities.
Does your brand actually stand for something.

I hope that this helps a little!

You definately need to worry more about geting to market rather than trying to rate.

Unless, of course, you already have a successful series of brands that warrant the time involved in a score sheet!

Good Luck!