QRCA Views

14 QRCA VIEWS WINTER 2 014 www.qrca.org THE TRUE NATURE OF OUR BRAND C O N T I N U E D Higher Ideals Create High Revenue Jim Stengel, ex-global marketing officer for P&G, based his recent book, GROW, on ten years of research of 50,000 brands. He identified the correlation between the accelerated business growth of specific brands and their ability to connect with fundamental human emotions, hopes, values, and great purpose. He determined that the higher ideals of a brand would predict its success in the marketplace. Being authentic with your brand inter- nally and externally, while delivering higher value to your customers, brings a greater return on marketing investment. The key is authenticity. We're not talking about brands that slap a social cause on the side of their business or simply self- proclaim social responsibility without substance. Authentic brands that market with meaning are deeply entrenched in doing what's right for their customers. Increasing Your Brand Value, Naturally As a creative director for global brands, I've strived for more meaningful mes- saging to engage consumers for my cli- ents. One of the most compelling and moving examples of this was being part of the launch of the Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty, which I'll use to demon- strate the framework I've developed to evaluate a brand's value proposition. Considering my own brand is inspired by nature, I turned to nature for some insights. It's ironic, but maybe not a coincidence, that the elements of nature align with fundamental human needs and the values of a brand. Consider this: The five levels of value at the core of a successful brand are con- gruent with the natural elements of earth, air, water, ether, and fire. Each of these elements connect respectively to the human experience by meeting physi- cal, mental, emotional, social/tribal, and spiritual needs. When we meet human needs at all of these levels, it boosts our brand's value proposition, increasing the likelihood of success. The more you meet your customers' needs, the more likely you'll gain trust and retain their loyalty. Let's look at these customer value prop- ositions through the lens of nature and see how they can be applied to Big and Small brands. I'll use Dove as an example of the Big Brand. Consider how these five levels of natural value might apply to your business. Look at the brands you buy or ones you work with to see how they meet all five levels of need. (See chart below). EARTH – THE PHYSICAL NATURE OF BUSINESS BRANDS Products and services are what ground our business in the tangible exchange of Earth Physical Products/Services Package, delivery, pricing Air Mental Logical/Functional Make money, save money, save time, simplicity, specific objective Water Emotional Feeling Moving from negative to positive emotional state Ether Social Connection Belonging to a tribe of like-minded people, acceptance, recognition Fire Spiritual Higher Purpose Being part of something bigger. Giving back in a meaningful way. Five Natural Levels of Brand Value Natural Human Value Element Experience Need State Proposition "Being authentic with your brand internally and externally while delivering higher value to your customers can yield a greater return on marketing investment."

• Cover