An evidence-based approach to brand development

CreativeInside AccordDigitalStrategyTravelWhite papers

12 Jul

As marketers, it can be easy to let our own beliefs, tastes, or internal company priorities cloud an objective assessment of a brand’s customers' values and how that brand is perceived in the marketplace.

This results in a missed opportunity for the brand in question to align with the needs, behaviours, and motivations of its target audience.

Through our work over many years, the Accord team has learned that by taking an evidence-based approach to brand development rooted in market and consumer research, we can move beyond assumption and toward fact.

When a brand is more closely aligned with market demands and consumer needs, it creates a deeper, more resonant connection with consumers that contributes to long-term success.

Embrace a market-orientated perspective

Becoming ‘market orientated’ involves shifting focus from internal assumptions toward a comprehensive understanding of the market in which a brand operates. This entails thorough research into market trends and competitive analysis. Another key research area is customer behaviour, whereby you can identify who your current and prospective customers are, how they behave, and especially how they think and feel.

The findings of this market-driven approach may surprise you, but these unbiased insights can guide subtle adjustments to build stronger connections with customers based on a genuine understanding and responsiveness to their needs.

Some tactics to develop a market-orientated perspective include desk research, primary market research, competitor analysis, customer surveys, and customer focus groups. Each of these research elements can be distilled into a powerful creative strategy to guide the rest of the brand development process.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

While it’s tempting to focus only on your brand’s strengths, understanding its weaknesses is a foundational step in developing a successful brand strategy. Identifying what sets your brand apart from competitors, such as a reputation for excellent customer service, will reveal opportunities to differentiate in the marketplace.

Equally important, however, is acknowledging and addressing any shortcomings, such as inconsistent brand messaging across channels and over time. By thoroughly understanding your brand’s past or current missteps, you can plan a path forward that mitigates those weaknesses and even turns them into new strengths.

One of the most effective means of developing a holistic picture of a brand’s strengths and weaknesses is to involve everyone in the business, from senior executives to the newest team member. You can host internal workshops, conduct surveys, interview key stakeholders, or, ideally, do all three. These methods allow for diverse perspectives, provide a sense of inclusion and ownership, and will undoubtedly uncover patterns and common themes that identify core values, unique selling points, and areas for improvement.

Be distinctive

In a crowded marketplace, standing out is essential. While unique selling propositions are an important piece of the marketing puzzle, evidence shows that at the top of the sales funnel, consumers often rely on quick, intuitive judgements rather than reflective and deliberate reasoning. This is why it’s crucial to develop distinctive brand assets that cut through the barrage of ads that consumers face each day.

Logos, colours, shapes, brand characters, sounds - all these elements have the potential to resonate with your target audience through simple, clear associations. By creating memorable and impactful assets, you can improve brand awareness and recall, leading to greater effectiveness and performance at the top of the sales funnel.

Tap into emotion

The American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is often attributed with the quote, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

You might not recall the specific content of the last advertisement you remember, but you likely remember how it made you feel. It is those strong, genuine emotional responses that stick with us and shape our perceptions of brands.

The tendency for consumers to make quick, intuitive judgements provides an opportunity to leverage emotion as a creative strategy to build brand equity. Research shows that emotionally charged marketing, such as a heartwarming Christmas ad, is more likely to be remembered and drive consumer interest more effectively. By exploring the emotional benefits of your products and services, you can craft a brand narrative that resonates deeply with your audience.

Conclusion: truth in branding

An evidence-based approach to brand development involves a thorough understanding of markets and consumers, your brand's strengths and weaknesses, and how to leverage emotion and distinctive brand assets to cut through the noise of a crowded marketplace.

Brand development is always a valuable and enlightening process. The results of an evidence-based approach can sometimes challenge cherished, long-held internal assumptions. Still, by embarking on the process with curiosity and flexibility, you can develop or reimagine a brand that feels authentic - both within the business and to the wider world.