Imagine that every time you go to a doctor, no matter what is wrong with you and how you describe the problem, he writes out a prescription for the same medicine every time. Unfortunately that’s how far too many ‘brand strategies’ begin. And more often than not, the medicine is an advertising campaign.

At Fusionbrand we insist on working with our clients to understand where their brand is today, what it’s doing right, and wrong and where it’s people, suppliers, prospects and customers think it is and how effectively the brand communicates with those prospects and customers to deliver the value they require.

More often than not there is a massive gap between what the people in the organization think is their role in the delivery of the brand, what the brand thinks it offers, what customers see and want from the brand and how and through which channels the brand engages with prospects and customers.

It’s this stage of the process that allows Fusionbrand to discover the data needed to determine what the brand needs to do to deliver on brand promises, narrow any gaps quickly and efficiently whilst preparing to take advantage of new customer environments.

Depending on the nature of the business and the needs of the client, during the discover stage activities may include:

• Internal and external brand audit
• Corporate brand identity audit
• Communications audit (print & digital)

Are your staff good with people or were they hired because of their qualifications? If it’s the latter, they could be doing long term damage to your brand.

Do you know to whom you are selling? Do you understand their requirements for value? If not you are hoping to make sales and may get lucky, but you will never build a brand. Do you know anything about your customers? Do you know which of your customers are unhappy and how they are voicing their unhappiness? Are you collecting data on your customers? If not, why not? And if you are, are you collecting the right data? And if you are collecting the right data, are you using it effectively?

Never before have customers been so accessible. The internet has created a global environment not dissimilar to the sundry shop you went to as a kid and where the owner knew everyone and often had a product on the counter at a certain time on a certain day so a regular customer could walk in and purchase the product with minimum fuss.

But too many companies believe they simply have to open their door to do business. Fusionbrand helps companies make sense of their markets and their customers, gather insights, identify the right data to collect, and prepare the organization to move forward effectively and immediately.

During this stage of the process, activities may include:

• Experience audit
• Site and/or showroom audit to analyse wayfinding and other experience related issues
• Internal brand audit
• Sales process skills & analysis

The branding environment has evolved dramatically over the last 10 years. There was a time when you could create a brand and strategically position that brand in the mind of the consumer. That was all that was required to build a brand.

You needed very deep pockets to make it happen, it took time and it didn’t always work but it was the only option. And even though many brands are still trying to do this, that model belongs in an economy that no longer exists.

But you still need to define your brand so that your employees know what it is they represent, the company’s values by which they must live and ensure they understand customer requirements for economic, experiential and emotional value so that they behave the right way all the time and at every touch point.

Fusionbrand works with you to build a brand framework that your employees embrace and guides them to engage with your customers so that you become the brand of choice of those customers.

Defining the brand is based on the findings generated during the Discover and Understand stages:

• Brand architecture
• Brand playbook
• Brand manual
• Brand identity
• Brand training
• Brand narrative development

Many companies refuse to accept that customers are no longer sold to. These companies are in the fast lane to oblivion. Smart brands understand that engaging customers in a transparent, collaborative manner and understanding their requirements for economic, experiential and emotional value is the key to building future proofed brands.

Fusionbrand works with you to challenge existing conventions in your organization, prepare the right employees to engage consumers and give them the skills to interact with those customers in transparent new ways.

We’ll work with you to develop a communications strategy that will ensure you are able to engage consumers in the right way, using the right channels and at the right time.

We’ll help you navigate your way through the social media minefield, identify what technology, tools and platforms you need to use and those you don’t and ensure your engagement strategy is effective from the start.

• Brand communications – customer & prospect
• Dealer & channel support
• Employee communications
• Traditional and digital/social advertising
• Public relations

70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels she is being treated. A critical element of your brand strategy revolves around how your suppliers, prospects and customers feel when they are interacting with your brand.

Every department within your firm must deliver an exceptional customer experience. It may be common for a company to make a one off customer service mistake or a production error and the company will often be forgiven for one mistake, maybe even two.

But repeated mistakes will lead to a bad reputation that will be very difficult to shake off. The experiences of suppliers, prospects, customers, partners and anyone else who interacts with your brand, will define your brand and drive your success.

• Digital media
• Social media
• Reach out programmes for influencers
• Narrative implementation & encouraging/influencing participation
• Physical experiences (industry dependent)

To be successful, brands must become customer obsessed. Yet even though many firms spend a lot of time, effort and money acquiring customers, they spend very little time on nurturing them.

Fusionbrand’s focus throughout the brand development process is on the customer. The ultimate goal is to know how to nurture the relationship with him so that he will not only buy from you again but also become a brand influencer and brand advocate.

That requires some creative thinking, a lot of logic and for many firms, a radical new way of thinking. From critics to fans to advocates, we’ll work with you to ensure lines of communication are open for all of them to become part of your brand.

• Contributor engagement & development
• Customer loyalty
• Retention & winback integration
• Measurement