Brand Vision

David Taylor's third book lifts the lid on why so many brand visioning projects end in failure: an overly theoretical and complex approach he calls 'strategy tourism'. By contrast, his straightforward, no-nonsense programme will ensure that you end up with an inspiring vision and a hands-on action plan to drive growth.

Designed in a highly practical format, brandvision shows how to lead your team on a step-by-step 'visioning journey' that builds engagement, energy and alignment. Powerful tips, tools and tricks help you start applying the principles to your business today:

• Searching for true insight: creating a springboard for visioning by using different 'insight catalysts' that cover consumers, markets and competition
• The visioning journey: creating a compelling brand purpose, a big idea and a rallying call; combining product 'sausage' and emotional 'sizzle'
• Test-driving the vision: bringing the vision to life by exploring it within your business and with consumers
• Brand-led business: translating the vision into a business building mix that covers 'hero product' innovation, communication and internal engagement

Thought-provoking and irreverent, brandvision demonstrates all the dos and don'ts of brand visioning with many stories of success (and screw-ups) including T-Mobile, Dove, Porsche, Absolut and James Bond. It is an invaluable toolkit for anyone interested in rethinking a brand vision - whatever its shape or size.

Warning: don’t read this book xi

Tools xi

brandgym network xi

brandgym.com xii

wheresthesausage.com xii

The Oscar Acceptance Speech xiii

Introduction: be a brand CEO, not a strategy tourist 1

We’re busy. Do we really need a vision? 1

Why so much strategy sucks 6

The strategy tourism guidebook 10

The T-Mobile story 15

Fits all sizes and shapes 26

Over to you 29

Checklist: Introduction 31

I. Search for True Insight 33

1. Create an insight springboard 37

Research-itis 37

Competition: what market are we really in? 38

Consumer: opening the door to your brand 42

Brand: look back, look forward 52

Company: where should we fish for growth? 56

Checklist 1: Create an insight springboard 58

II. The Visioning Journey 61

2. What are you going to fight for? 65

Bland not brand 66

The brand manifesto 67

Writing the story of your brand 69

Checklist 2: What are you going to fight for? 72

3. Where’s the sausage? 77

Brandicide 79

Back to why brands were born 84

The power of the product 85

Searching for truth 89

Sharpening the vision 95

Checklist 3: Where’s the sausage? 96

4. Sizzle that sells 101

Leave the ladder in the garage 101

Pasta sauce or Prada? 103

Selling your product story 106

The Geek Squad 109

Brand personality devices 113

Bringing your personality to life 115

Put some pizzaz in your personality 117

Checklist 4: Sizzle that sells 118

Handover 119

5. Big brand ideas beat brand essence 123

What’s the big idea? 123

Your brand story takes shape 127

Eureka moments 129

Checklist 5: Big brand ideas 129

III. Bring the Vision to Life 131

6. Test drive the vision 135

Consumers are not marketing directors 135

Think less, do more 135

Exploration has its limits 137

Bring your vision to life 141

Getting the most out of research 144

Time to sign up 147

Make it real 151

Checklist 6: Test drive the vision 153

IV. Brand-led Business 155

7. Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 159

Brandwashing 159

Focus on fundamentals 163

Step 1: Hire the right people and treat them right 164

Step 2: Make it easier to do the right thing 168

Step 3: Lead by example 171

Step 4: Sell the cake not the recipe 171

The 5-month itch 175

Checklist 7: Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 176

8. Create hero products 179

Kill the dwarves 179

Start close to home 181

iPod: the hero of a new vision 187

Virtual venture capital 189

Elastic brands 190

Family ties 196

Checklist 8: Create hero products 199

9. Communicating without ego tripping 203

Brand ego tripping: the movie 203

Getting a killer mix 206

Design: The face of your new vision 211

Communication with cut-through 213

When you hit gold . . . 221

The Tyskie turnaround 224

Checklist 9: Communicating without ego tripping 230

Brand Vision to Action Toolkit 231

brandgym network 251

References 253

Index 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) 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. David Taylor’s third book lifts the lid on why so many brand visioning projects end in failure: an overly theoretical and complex approach he calls ‘strategy tourism’. By contrast, his straightforward, no-nonsense programme will ensure that you end up with an inspiring vision and a hands-on action plan to drive growth.

Designed in a highly practical format, brandvision shows how to lead your team on a step-by-step ‘visioning journey’ that builds engagement, energy and alignment. Powerful tips, tools and tricks help you start applying the principles to your business today:

• Searching for true insight: creating a springboard for visioning by using different ‘insight catalysts’ that cover consumers, markets and competition
• The visioning journey: creating a compelling brand purpose, a big idea and a rallying call; combining product ‘sausage’ and emotional ‘sizzle’
• Test-driving the vision: bringing the vision to life by exploring it within your business and with consumers
• Brand-led business: translating the vision into a business building mix that covers ‘hero product’ innovation, communication and internal engagement

Thought-provoking and irreverent, brandvision demonstrates all the dos and don’ts of brand visioning with many stories of success (and screw-ups) including T-Mobile, Dove, Porsche, Absolut and James Bond. It is an invaluable toolkit for anyone interested in rethinking a brand vision - whatever its shape or size.

For brands of all shapes and sizes, a great vision can inspire and guide brilliant marketing that creates more meaning, clarity and differentiation for consumers and employees. However, most visioning projects sink without trace under the weight of theory, complexity and lack of focus. Now, David Taylor brings his trademark no-nonsense approach to this critical area.
brandvision shows how to create a truly inspiring vision that really will drive growth, illustrated with cases including T-Mobile, Dove, Porsche, Absolut and James Bond.

"brandvision cuts to the chase and provides refreshingly candid insights and practical how-to information. That's why it is required reading for the all MBAs and Executives who come to INSEAD to learn about branding. Read it. It will change the way you do business."
—Pierre Chandon, Assistant Professor of Marketing, INSEAD

"This is one of the first books that tackles the real challenges of 21st Century brand building and offers practical solutions to overcome them. If you are looking for help to really understand your customers, position your brand and engage your organisation, you should start with brandvision."
—Mark Ritson, Associate Professor of Marketing, Melbourne Business School

"David's passion for great brands which inspire is infectious. He offers an easy to use toolkit to help on the journey to brand greatness, always challenging, but with a gift for keeping things down-to-earth and practical."
—Phil Chapman, Marketing Director, T-Mobile UK

"Do you have the ambition to create a brand as powerful as Absolut? If so, then this book provides the inspiration and practical advice you need. It's packed with fascinating case studies to help you create an inspiring vision, and turn it into a brilliant marketing mix."
—Michael Persson, Global Brand Director, Absolut

"If you want to build a truly unique and authentic brand, David’s book is a great place to start. It shows how companies like the Geek Squad have created a differentiated point-of-view and inspiring vision, and offers valuable insights on how to create your own."
—Robert Stephens, Founder and Chief Inspector, The Geek Squad

"Keeping a copy of brandvision close by is like having a legal performance-enhancing drug for your business."
—Hugh Burkitt, Chief Executive, The Marketing Society