Branding-Marketing Strategy

In his book Start With WHY author Simon Sinek says that very few companies can clearly articulate ‘WHY’ they do what they do. He believes, as do we, that knowing your ‘WHY’ helps identify your purpose through your passion.

His book speaks about a Golden Circle. Having the Golden Circle in balance, ‘WHY’ ‘HOW’ ‘WHAT’, enables you to achieve authenticity. Sinek says “It means that everything you say and everything you do you actually believe….Authenticity cannot be achieved without clarity of ‘WHY’. And authenticity matters.”

What is your ‘WHY’?

The core of an organization’s brand comes from the question, “What is your ‘WHY’?”

Your ‘WHY’ can be your cause, purpose or belief. Most Associations were in fact, started with a strong vision of their purpose and mission: many have lost sight of their ‘WHY‘.

When you lose sight of the ‘WHY’, it becomes more of a challenge to maintain the growth, loyalty and inspiration that helped drive the original success of your organization. While effective in the short term, having your bottom line as the main driver that motivates the behavior of your staff and your members, comes at a high cost to the brand in the long term.

Knowing your ‘WHY’ is the first step to building your branding strategy.

What is branding strategy?

Contrary to a common misunderstanding, your brand is NOT your logo. In our most popular blog post, Dick Rabil, President and Creative Director shares, “Your brand is the identity of your organization. It does not communicate what you think your organization is. Rather it is the perception that members and stakeholders have of your organization. In other words, your brand (needs) to be in a relationship with (your audience.)

By focusing on your answer to ‘WHY’, the first goal becomes establishing or re-establishing your brand identity.

At this stage we recommend a brand audit to uncover ways that your ‘WHY’ has become muddled and your message mixed. Qualitative and quantitative research can further clarify the perception of your brand among stakeholders and the general public.

Once you are clear about what others think, you can move to the next step of ‘HOW’.

How do branding and marketing strategy work together?

The strength of your brand is directly tied to the synergy between the ‘WHY’ and ‘HOW’ of your organization.

Branding strategy clearly identifies and clarifies your ‘WHY’. Marketing strategy translates the ‘WHY’ of your brand into the ‘HOW’: how to lead (tied to membership);how to build (tied to recruitment); and how to engage (tied to retention).

By developing your marketing strategy to influence brand awareness and perception you are fully addressing your ‘HOW’.

With a crystal clear vision of your ‘WHY’, Slice-Works helps you determine ‘HOW’ to get there.

Starting with an appraisal of your association marketing communications, resources, USP—unique selling proposition— vision, financial goals, and targeted market share; we create a roadmap that taps into your association marketing potential.

Your marketing objectives will be SMART–Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Specific to clearly identify what success looks like.
Measureable so you can demonstrate ROI.
Attainable to make sure we’re hitting the mark.
Realistic to assure success.
Timely to focus on real time and anticipate change.

Slice-Works creates the results you want by solidifying your branding & marketing strategy and connecting your ‘WHY’ to your ‘HOW’.

[ Sample Case Study - PDF opens in new window ]

What is integrated marketing communications?

With your ‘WHY’ and ‘HOW’ in balance we complete the circle with ‘WHAT’.

“‘WHAT’ (you) do serves as the tangible proof of what (you) believe,” says Sinek. Integrated marketing communications is the ‘WHAT’ of your association’s ‘WHY’ and ‘HOW’. It is where you engage with your audience. Good integrated marketing communications contains a customized mix of social, web and mobile solutions that make sense for your brand and your audience.

Slice-Works teams with you to deliver the integrated marketing solution that motivates your audience to participate with your brand. Your ‘WHAT’ now completes your Golden Circle.