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FusionBranding Home > FusionBrand Consulting
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Nick Wreden, Knowledge Agent
Learn how to forge your brand for the future
In the mass economy, marketing and agency executives tried to "position" offerings with large marketing budgets. Despite their best efforts, more than 90% of all new product introductions failed.
One-way, corporate-driven positioning doesn't work anymore. Often, the promise of the "position" is undercut by the organization's failure to execute – the classic knowing-doing gap. Or the "position" reflects the corporate perspective, which often lacks relevance to customers.
Customers define brands now, based on value, operational excellence and accountability. Brands are also based on relationships with five core constituencies: customers, investors, employees, suppliers and media/analysts. Finally, brands have a "FutureView." They incorporate a continuing look at the future to both help customers prepare for change and allow companies to adapt to change.
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Strategic
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Management consultants
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In-house execultives
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Operations
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KNOWLEDGE AGENT
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Marketing
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Professional service firms
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Trad. agencies
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Tactical
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Based on his decades of cross-discipline branding experience, studies of successful companies and analytical insights, Nick Wreden can act as a Knowledge Agent to help you build a FusionBrand that customers will embrace. A Knowledge Agent (a term first conceived by Xerox) understands organizational, customer and brand imperatives, and then interacts with employees and management to ensure the organization can fulfill a FusionBrand's promise and do business on customer terms.
Management consultants focus on strategy at the expense of execution, and traditional agencies and professional services firms specialize in tasks. By contrast, a Knowledge Agent assesses brands, operations and marketing from the customer's perspective, then outlines the steps necessary to do business on customer terms.
Such FusionBranding, which marries solid operational execution with adaptive marketing and organizational buy-in, fuels the growth that results from more customers buying more offerings more often at higher prices. Knowledge Agent analysis and recommendations are based on the 10 Core Principles of FusionBranding, and include the following activities:
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STEP 1: Constituency assessment
What are the emotional, experiential and functional requirements of your customers and other core constituencies, and how well is your offering(s) meeting those needs? How well do executives and employees understand what customers are seeking – and what they are currently getting?
Activities include:
 Interviews with loyal customers, new customers, prospects and lapsed customers to determine customer requirements, corporate track records, and specific issues. Special attention is paid to determining economic and psychic value of the brand(s).
Interviews with distributors and suppliers
Interviews with executive, marketing and operational personnel
Reviews of marketing collateral, packaging, employee manuals and communications, shareholder reports, media coverage, publicity kits, Web site and advertising materials
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STEP 2: Process assessment
How well is your organization meeting the needs of customers and delivering on promises? Is business done on your terms, or on customer terms? How wide is the "know-doing" gap? What forces are affecting relationships with customers?
Activities include:
"Mystery shopping" of customer service, lead-handling, fulfillment, support and operations, via the phone and Web
Analysis of accountability measures, including compensation plans, pricing, customer equity and operational benchmarks
Analysis of technological infrastructure
Analysis of market, competitive, governmental and other forces
Analysis of advertising, PR and other marketing, including linkages to sales
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STEP 3: Future assessment
What are you doing today to meet the future requirements of customers? How adept is the organization at understanding – and responding to – changes? What outside forces may impact your brand?
Activities include:
Scenario-based sessions will address alternative futures to both better drive product and other planning and improve management's ability to deal with unexpected branding issues more effectively.
Review of corporate culture and change management issues
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STEP 4: Report and presentation
The constituency, process and future assessments result in a comprehensive report and presentation. The report details brand strengths and weaknesses from customer and other perspectives, and evaluates an organization's ability to do business on customer terms. Discussion areas include branding strategies and processes, customer relationships, accountability, supply chain optimization, partner management and technological architectures. The report also provides a prioritized action plan for FusionBranding improvements that will have the greatest customer, employee, supply chain and economic impact. The report suggests measurements for improved accountability and provides a timetable and roadmap to proactive brand and market development. Referrals to third parties may be included.
STEP 5: Benchmark
Three-, six- and 12-month follow-ups are highly recommended to benchmark progress toward FusionBranding goals.
Other available services
Nick is also available for half- and full-day seminars on FusionBranding principles and the issues involved in customer equity, operational excellence and accountability. Nick can also arrange and coordinate a range of marketing services, including advertising design and implementation, PR, collateral, Web marketing, surveys, merchandising/signage, and customer tracking and management.
For a customized quote or other information, email info @ fusionbrand.com or call 770-582-6791.
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