We are all in the business of distinction. We can all see the advantage of brand development; defining and presenting what we do in a way that has meaning to a target audience.
Is it obvious to you or to your customers what your point of difference is? Can you describe your advantage consistently and simply? Perhaps these qualities have become less clear over time?
You want to grow your business but with so many other companies and messages competing for attention how can you be heard?
It’s obvious that, by not cutting through, your communication risks being wasteful. But perhaps “marketing” is not really your thing and resources are always tight?
What are we, what do we believe in, how are we seen, and how should we behave? We apply our cost-effective Brand ThinkingTM process to determine what distinguishes your business and how to communicate that advantage. We can then recommend and activate a simple and effective marketing plan.
Standing for something is very difficult AND very important. If you can’t explain what your business does and why anyone should care within the average attention span, you are wasting time and money.
Without a meaningful difference, we cannot connect, and we cannot be chosen. That’s why your “brand” is your company’s most important strategic tool. It is your personality, your look, and your voice. It must inspire your people and culture. It is the attractive customer truth that you choose to amplify through your marketing.
More than ever, business success and an efficient return on communication rely on a compelling brand proposition. If those two words sound a bit serious, they are. They are the most important words in your company.
Somewhere there is a single idea that defines you and must be consistently articulated.
Steve Copestake is a highly experienced Marketing & Communications expert with more than 36 years of corporate and agency achievement worldwide (he’s quite old). Over that time, he’s worked with non-profits, governments and companies like Disney, PepsiCo and Unilever, so he knows a thing or two about how to get brands and ideas across in a way that stands out and makes a connection.
He has lived and worked in the UK, Saudi Arabia, USA, Australia, Hong Kong and the UAE; all of which makes him even more glamorous and exciting.
Steve’s focus is on making complex messages seem much simpler and easy to relate to. He has successfully applied that to a long track record of delivering strategy, revenue growth and revitalisation across major brands and complex commercial challenges.
Successful brands identify a brutal simplicity of thought that has relevance to their audience. Your single Brand Idea will be compelling if it triggers an emotional AND rational customer response and allows you to present your proof-points as a thought that has value to them.
Brand Thinking is a series of simple steps to get to your BRAND IDEA. It is the essential pre-cursor to marketing planning and spending money on tangible assets.
Insight formulation via key stakeholders, plus additional desk research. To identify your Purpose, personality, strengths and weaknesses (the pillars that will inspire your Brand Idea). What is the business opportunity represented by refined brand thinking?
3-4 weeks required
How does the Brand Idea inspire the other components of your proposition – positioning, architecture, narrative, tagline, etc.
3 weeks required
Distil insights into target ‘territories’ of either functional or emotional benefits with strongest differentiation potential. Identify lead positioning hypotheses that are sufficiently distinct.
2 weeks required
Build a marketing and activation plan that is inspired by, and amplifies, your point of difference.
3 weeks requiredIf your marketing doesn’t represent what you’re about, it won’t cut through. We establish a meaning for your brand that customers recognise and care about, so that you build on that meaning over time in a way that makes your marketing more efficient and effective.
Your external Narrative and Tagline more clearly describe your offer and promote competitive growth, operational performance, and profitability.
Establish a clear Elevator Pitch that will be used consistently across the business.
Restated Purpose and Values, with messaging and tone that staff and customers buy into.
PR and Internal.
Visual and verbal.
Social, PPC, CRO, and Search.
Awareness, leads, engagement.
Inform your EVP & reduce churn.
Integrated events for audience connection.
A Brand Idea can transform the direction and unity of your business. It can build loyalty and advocacy. Your truth is already there; we just have to listen carefully to hear it and then find a compelling way to express it.
"I used to work for Steve and have always considered him one of the most brilliant marketing brains. Marketing is about understanding people and communicating which is effortless to him"
"Steve is a brilliant consultant - getting to the heart of the story and helping businesses and brands tell their story more effectively",
"Steve possesses great expertise in marketing, as well as in building brands. I worked with Steve; he is very results-oriented, and no project is ever too big or too small for him to champion and get to the finish line."
"Simplicity at the heart of the customer journey and communication, Steve has focus on how to simplify complex communication challenges into easier tasks to deal with. Lot to learn from!"
"Steve and I worked together; he is one of the most humble and supportive colleagues I've ever had. He built a fantastic team and brought to life eye-catching campaigns across markets and platforms. Steve is experienced, exceptionally well-mannered and a real joy to work with".
"Steve is highly strategic and achieves results through collaboration. His heart is in marketing and he truly believes in the power of an emotional connection. I learned a lot from Steve".
"Steve is one of the best marketeers that I have worked with. He can articulate in a very clear way the essence of a strategy so that everyone in his team is clear on the way forward. His attention to detail is second to none and this makes working with him very straightforward. He understands the creative process and the challenges of delivering complex projects".
"Steve is a creative force and inspirational leader, with superior communication, and marketing skills. He has an incredible eye for detail, a passion for marketing and his dedication inspires loyalty and creativity within a team".
"Steve was consistently one of the best senior marketing executives I have worked with. From a commercial and strategic perspective, Steve understands everything it takes to keep clients, talent and internal stakeholders happy; through every step of the process from pre-sale to post-sale to ongoing relationship management. He is always pushing the limits and challenging himself and his teams to deliver bigger and better results. Always calm and collected, Steve is the consummate professional, a strong charismatic leader, and great fun to work with".
Very few of us are naturally gifted communicators; it’s something that could always do with a bit of work.
We have to make a point or persuade someone virtually every day but does anyone actually look forward to that nerve-wracking board presentation or the ill-prepared wedding speech?
So, how to present an idea or speak in a concise and impactful manner?
We can promise to make the whole process a lot less painful.
The key is the growth in confidence that you will gain from steadily practising and mastering a handful of basic techniques that suit YOUR style and feel comfortable to YOU.
Acuity Coaching is our sister company, specialising in the practical skills required for the way we communicate at work today; time poor and needing to be clear and focus on an outcome.
They can help you find your own authentic voice and style, and never have to step away from who you naturally are.
You can find more information here or by contacting us directly.
