What is Brand? What is Brand Strategy?
At the textbook level, a brand is the “…name assigned to individual goods or services or to a group of complementary products,” (Integrated Advertising, Promoting, and Marketing Communications, Clow and Baack, 34). Brands are entities with identities that audiences recognize and form opinions about.
Branding is the art and science of influencing that recognition and opinion-forming process by the audience. Successful branding strategies are a result of careful planning and are important for creating a clearly defined brand.
The Peruvian Hearts Brand
Team Enjine A examined the PH website, social media, annual newsletter, and marketing materials to understand the current branding strategy of PH. The team looked for the following characteristics of an established and successful brand (based on “The Brand Report Card,” Harvard Business Review, 2000):
- The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire.
- The brand stays relevant.
- The pricing strategy is based on consumers’ perceptions of value.
- The brand is properly positioned.
- The brand is consistent.
- The brand portfolio and hierarchy make sense.
- The brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity.
- The brand’s managers understand what the brand means to consumers.
- The brand is given proper support, and that support is sustained over the long run.
- The company monitors sources of brand equity.
Obviously, constraints on time, budget, and utility make it near impossible for a non-profit to fully develop a comprehensive strategy in each of these areas. The team’s research focused on identifying which categories are most relevant and impactful for PH. The identification of these opportunities shaped the points of emphasis in the IMC plan.
Click to expand greater detail around each opportunity:
Peruvian Hearts Branding Analysis: what does this mean for Peruvian Hearts?
After conducting a thorough investigation of the PH website, marketing materials, and social media channels, we concluded that Peruvian Hearts does not currently have a strong branding campaign in place. However, the organization has a strong presence in the nonprofit community, largely because of the national and international media surrounding Ana and her story. This fact makes Ana not only the face of the organization, but an important key branding element. Ana should be considered when strategizing a branding campaign.
In order to successfully brand their organization, Peruvian Hearts should look to finding branding links, as well as develop messaging that is consistent and constant. PH can leverage their visibility on a global level through social media channels. The organization should examine some of the identified brand links proposed here, and determine how these links can be incorporated into their messaging campaigns. The Peruvian Hearts motto is lovely, but it does not encapsulate everything they do. The organization should draw on their efforts to empower Peruvian girls; and supplying them with educational resources should be a key element in their branding efforts.
Summary
PH has a strong presence in the nonprofit community, largely because of the national and international media surrounding Ana and her story. This fact makes Ana not only the face of the organization, but an important key branding element. Ana should be considered when strategizing a branding campaign.
PH can leverage their visibility on a global level through social media channels. The organization should examine some of the identified brand links proposed here, and determine how these links can be incorporated into their messaging campaigns. The Peruvian Hearts motto is lovely, but it does not encapsulate everything they do. The organization should draw on their efforts to empower Peruvian girls; and supplying them with educational resources should be a key element in their branding efforts.