David A. Aaker: Building Strong Brands
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I recently finished reading Building Strong Brands (1996) by David Aaker.
It finishes with 10 guidelines that provide a good overview of the book’s main themes. I thought I’d summarise them here in case others find them useful.
01. Brand Identity: Brand image is how the brand is perceived, brand identity is how the brand aspires to be perceived. It gives direction, purpose & meaning to the brand. Identity is central to the brand’s strategic vision and is the primary driver of brand associations.
02. Value Proposition: A brand’s value proposition is a statement of the emotional, functional and self expressive benefits delivered by the brand that provide value to the consumer.
03. Brand Position: A position is the part of the brand identity that is to be actively communicated. A brand position must provide clear guidance to those implementing a communications program.
04. Execution: A logical position isn’t worth implementing if a brilliant execution can’t be found. Too often comms don’t break out of the competitive clutter. To avoid this be patient & insistent on achieving brilliance. It’s too easy to assume media spend is enough. It isn’t.
05. Consistency: Have as a goal a consistent identity, position and execution over time. Maintain symbols, imagery and metaphors that work. Understand and resist organisational biases towards change.
06. Brand System: Make sure each brand in the portfolio has a synergistic role. Use silver bullet products to support struggling brands. Use subbrands to clarify range navigation. Know which brands represent strategic priorities for the future health of the company.
07. Brand Leverage: A brand is usually the most powerful asset a firm owns. A strategic question, then, is how that brand can be leveraged across new categories or price tiers. Take care to manage the integrity of the brand identity as it is extended.
08. Tracking Brand Equity: Track brand equity over time including awareness, perceived quality, price premium & brand associations. Have specific communication objectives. Especially note areas where the brand identity is not reflected in the brand image.
09. Brand Responsibility: Have someone who is ultimately responsible for developing the identity, defining the position, coordinating the execution and tracking the brand equity across organisational units, media and markets.
10. Invest in Brands: Continue investing in brands even when the financial goals are not yet being met. Equity is built over the long term. Identify which equity measures your program is and isn’t impacting. Adjust your approach accordingly.
Overall, the book provides a clearly explained and well illustrated guide to building strong brand strategies. This summary only scratches the surface.
I recommend reading the whole thing.
Get your copy here.