Brand Perception & the 10 Brand Trigger-Points

“A company's primary responsibility is to serve its customers.

Profit is not the primary goal, but rather an essential condition for

the company's continued existence.” Peter Drucker

your products and services provides

your customer with a choice

your brand defines whether

they will choose you or your competitor

Your Brand

... is an Expectation

... through emotions ...

... that connects ...

By differentiating the experience

Use Emotion to Position Your brand?

But Emotions are not rational constructs …

… they defy logic and reason

…. and are defined by perceptions

… which defines our reality

The key lies in understanding perceptions

Brand Perceptions

The key to managing your brands

… and how people behave around them …

… is manage the perceptions of the brand!

You need to manage …

… the conscious and subconscious elements ….

….of your Brand

Then you can control the perceptions around your brand

… whether this is for … Your Executive … Your Staff …

… Your Customers … or even Your Competition

Managing Brand Perception

Managing Brand Perceptions ?

The 10 Trigger Points of Perception:

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal

Managing Brand Perceptions ?

The Benefits of using the 10 Trigger Points of Perception :

• Defines exactly how people perceive the brand

• Defines exactly how people behave around the brand

• Defines the strength of Brand Clarity

• Identifies the absolute unique brand personality

• Defines how people identify with your brand

• Clarifies what they associate with your brand

• Taps into powerful ancient cultural myths and stories

• Uses subconscious anchors and links

• Provides the illogical emotional connection

The 10 trigger points

of brand perception

What are the 10 Trigger Points ?

The 10 brand triggers points are based on ten archetypes that operate in the

collective psyche of humankind.

They can be used to modify choices and behaviours in relation to a brand. These

are:

> Identity

> Feeling

> Thought

> Attraction

> Energy

> Growth

> Structure

> Freedom

> Spirit

> Renewal

Individuality & Uniqueness

Emotional Impact

Communication

Social Intelligence

Competitiveness

Growth & Expansiveness

Authority & Respect

Innovation &

Unconventionality

Intuition & Inspiration

Power & Transformation

[who we are]

[the emotional impact of our brand]

[how and what we really communicate]

[the impact of the brand on relationships]

[how does the brand motivate action]

[the capacity to expand]

[what we are respected for]

[how our brand generates excitement]

[how our brand inspires]

[power of our brand to change people’s lives]

> An archetype is not created

> They are part of the human collective unconsciousness and reflect a subconscious way

of doing things

> An Archetype is not isolated, static elements of consciousness

> They provide meaning and direction to how we behave and how we express ourselves

a day-to-day basis

> They are fundamental to everything that we do

> A Brand Archetype is not a rational construct

> They are universal in nature and behave in non-linear ways that lacks reason and

logic

> Archetypes and archetypal interactions are double edged swords

> They are both positive and negative

What are Brand Archetypes

Brand

ArchetypeInternal

Alignment

External

Alignment

Building Brands through the 10 Brand Trigger Points

• Internal Brand Alignment

• Cultural Alignment

• Performance Management

• Operational Effectiveness

• Customer Insight

• Competitive Analysis

• Industry Analysis

• CRM Strategies

• Communication

• Executive Vision

• Strategic Alignment

• Brand Positioning

• Portfolio Management

The following case studies that highlight

some of these applications to provide an insight into the process

Applicati

on

Focus


Brand

Positioning

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal• Executive Vision




Case Study One:

Executive & Management

are not strategically aligned


Brand

Positioning

• Executive Vision




Case Study One: Executive Vision and Strategic Direction

• Executive and Management have a different vision and overall positioning of

the company

• The Management have reversed the importance of the two dominant

archetypes and bring two in additional archetypes into the mix

• The management understanding of the strategy is causing conflict in the

customer base through inconsistent delivery

• Part of this confusion lies in a poorly structured products portfolio and the

development of new products and services

• There is a lack of understanding of the customer and what the customer

needs are


External

Alignment




• CRM Strategies

• Communication

Case Study Two:

Individuality and Uniqueness

Emotional Impact

Communication

Social Intelligence

Competitiveness

Growth and Expansiveness

Authority and Respect

Innovation and Unconventionality

Intuition and Inspiration

Power and Transformation


Energy and competitiveness:

• given the energetic, athletic, competitive nature of the brand this is not

very surprising

• this is unlikely to change in into the full going forward

• this is very likely a very dominant position all brands in this category

• key associations of this archetype are dynamism, action, and drive

• people are enthusiastic about the brand and associate the qualities of

courage and enterprise

• it has a passionate and energetic projection

• it is seen as highly competitive among equivalent brands

• the negative associations on this brand archetype are: friction, anger and

aggression

Identity, individuality and uniqueness:

• the brand is perceived as a unique, stand alone entity.

• its identity is recognizable in itself -- like MacDonalds.

If MacDonalds did nothing other than sustain of the name and symbol, this

would be sufficient. Similarly with SECR. Its identity carries much of the

projection.

• the iconography and the name carry all the weight.

• at a non-conscious level, the name and symbolism create sparks.

• this identity embodies messages of health and vitality as a brand. have

confidence in the brands longer term survival. They do not see it as a fly-

by-night flash-in-the-pan unstable arrangement.

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal

Case Study Two: Customer Alignment

Current Brand Positioning: Brand clarity 42%


External

Alignment




• CRM Strategies

• Communication

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal

The source of brand confusion is due to the confusion in the growth,

freedom, spirit, renewal and feelings are all very evenly ranked

• You need to exploit the synergies between growth and spirit

Elevate the Brand to an odyssey of personal growth which culminates

in an otherworldly experience; in other words, emphasise the personal

and spiritual development dimensions of the brand.

Case Study Two: Customer Alignment

Identifying the 58% Diffusion and Key Positioning Opportunity


External

Alignment




• CRM Strategies

• Communication

Competitive Analysis

Individuality and Uniqueness

Emotional Impact

Communication

Social Intelligence

Competitiveness

Growth and Expansiveness

Authority and Respect


Intuition and Inspiration

Power and Transformation

Internal

Alignment






Case Study Three:

Executive & Staff

are not strategically aligned

Identity

Feeling

Thought

Attraction

Energy

Growth

Structure

Freedom

Spirit

Renewal


Case Study Three: No Internal Alignment

• There is a clear agreement about the brand positioning and strategic

direction of the company but ...

• Staff see the brand as an identity – something that is external to them

• Exec see brand as the driving force of the business

• There is complete confusion about what this positioning means and how to

implement them between the executive and the staff

• The exec sell one thing and the staff deliver something else

• There is strong customer confusion around the brand experience

• The growth of the company has been restricted this confusion

Internal

Alignment





The 10 Brand Trigger Points

1. Individuality and Uniqueness [Who are we]

Exec:

> This is a very good result. The core identity of the brand mirrors the dominant

archetypes produced by the analysis of the totality of her questionnaire.

> Exec has their ducks in a row and know what they are doing.

Management :

> Communication is in semi-alignment with Exec.

> But Innovation & Unconventionality and Growth & Expansiveness have no

relation whatsoever to anything Exec had to say.

> This is disturbing when we consider that there is a 75% agreement factor among

the staff.

> So in terms of the this question, we can see that the staff are way off base

when compared to Exec.

Comments:

> Which positioning is right and how do we manage the challenges of conflicting

energies

Communication

Competitiveness

Innovation &

Unconventionality

Growth &

ExpansivenessAuthority

& Respect

75%

2. Emotional Impact [the emotional impact of our brand]

67%Communication

Competitiveness

Emotional Impact

Growth &

Expansiveness

Authority

& Respect

Exec :

> Wants people to feel the Communication and Authority Respect archetypes as

major players in the brand profile.

> The presence of Growth and Expansion in an emotional environment is actually

one of the best possible placements for a brand. This energy is responsible for

all good things, good fortune, growth, positivity, justice, wealth and so on. You

want people to experience this at an emotional level.

> To validate what the customers are experiencing we would have to assess the

clients.

Management:

> Weak agreement with Authority and Respect and is the only point of agreement.

> With 67% weighted agreement the management are not in strong agreement with

each other.

> Positive: Emotional Impact was selected as the dominant theme in this question.

Shows awareness that people's feelings are very important in the context of the

brand. This is further confirmed in question 7. So there is a nice synergy here.

Comments:

> How important is the emotional impact of your brand given your current target

market?

> Exec – Low

> Management - Medium

3. Communication [how and what we really communicate]

Communication

Competitiveness

Power &

Transformation

Authority

& Respect

48%Exec:

> Consistent with Communication within the communication meme which

interacts with the Authority and Respect

> The presence of Power & Transformation with Communication reveals that there

is (or should be) a fairly high degree of "penetration" in the way the brand

communicates.

> It also reveals a "depth" to the communication. At another level, it reveals the

obvious: the transformational role of the technology.

Management:

> On the good side, we can see that the answers to the questions almost precisely

mirror each other between Exec and the Management.

> But at 48% Management have no agreement in the way the brand communicates

Comments :

> The results on this question are simultaneously both startlingly good and

worryingly bad. Good that there is strong agreement. Bad that there is only

48%.

4. Social Intelligence [the impact of the brand on relationships]

Communication

Power &

Transformation

Individual

& Uniqueness

Intuition

& Inspiration

60%Exec :

> The Communication nature of the company is a point of attraction:

Communication, technology, knowledge, expertise, skill, intelligence - all these

qualities combine to make the brand attractive.

> Power and Transformation interaction Communication suggest the brand is

triumphant in its persuasiveness (read mind control, suggestion, ability to

influence people's ideas and thoughts). For this reason that people find attractive.

(If this is the case, then we would pick this up if we ever did a survey of the

clients).

Management:

> The Managements choice of Intuition and Inspiration suggest that the idealistic,

inspirational, uplifting qualities of the brand are what make it attractive to

people. This provides an imaginative, fantastical quality. What they are saying is

that people find the brand attractive because it is "out of this world".

> At 60% the staff are not in strong agreement

Comments :

> Nice correspondence between Exec and management in that the Individuality and

Power and Transformation feature on both lists. This is concerned with issues of

power and leadership that the brand attractive and due to its consolidated position

in the market. Represents an Ancient Guru Archetype.

5. Competitiveness [How does our brand motivate action]

Authority

& Respect

Power &

Transformation

Competitiveness

Individual

& Uniqueness

67%Exec and Management:

> Nice coincidence with Power and Transformation and Competitiveness. Wow!

This is a very powerful combination. It is basically saying that the company is

Superman in the competitive arena (no competition?)

> This archetypal combination brims with self-confidence. It is almost ruthless.

Nice. There is a huge amount of dynamism here. It is a very successful

configuration. Everyone knows that they are successful. They see themselves a

successful. They are successful. Absolute confidence. Brilliant.

Comments:

> It is a pity that the agreement factor only comes in at 67%.

> Ideally with a powerful archetype like this we should be looking to exploit it with a

higher percentage of agreement. As an aggregate, the staff are expressing their

level of confidence in the brand and in what they do and the company they belong

to. But not everyone is entirely sure of this.

6. Growth and Expansiveness [the capacity of brand growth]

Authority

& Respect

Intuition

& InspirationCommunication

Innovation &

Unconventionality

84%Exec and Management:

> Exec nominated this question as one of the top three in terms of importance of

defining the brand.

> The 84% agreement level is very significant and positive in terms of staff

understanding and projecting these qualities.

> Everyone is on the same page.

> The brand's role in enriching the lives of its customers is identified in terms of the

Innovation and Unconventionality archetype: innovativeness, revolutionary

transformation, cutting edge technology, etc.

> The Authority and Respect is the archetype of form and structure and authority.

Lives are enriched through access to the stable platform which has innate

strength.

Comments:

> The challenge is the Innovation and Unconventionality and Authority and Respect

interaction does not combine easily. It is heavy going and awkward.

> But in the context of this company it could makes sense: "through control we

achieve freedom".

> What does not make sense is why this restrictive archetypal combination has

emerged on this particular question which relates to growth, enrichment, etc.

7. Authority and Respect [what we are respected for]

63%

Communication

Competitiveness

Innovation &

Unconventionality

Emotional Impact

Growth &

Expansiveness

Exec :

> The Emotional Impact is highly significant. This brand wants people to feel safe

and secure -- relates to authority, discipline, structure, leadership, stability.

> Exec's archetypal interaction is correlated with "fierce protection" of the child by

the mother. Competitiveness is one Exec's top choices and implies the brand is

authoritative and in control through the dynamism and competitiveness of the

company.

Management:

> Exec and the management are in agreement with the Emotional Impact in this

meme.

> Shows a strong maternal (paternalistic), nurturing energy.

> The other archetypes are to low to have an impact on this brand meme.

Comments:

>The 63% management agreement is too low for one of the most important questions

there really should be a higher level of consensus among the staff. The lower levels

are: Growth and Expansiveness, Competitiveness, Individuality and Uniqueness and


Individual

& Uniqueness

8. Innovation and Unconventionality [how our brand

generates excitement]

64% Communication

Authority

& Respect Competitiveness

Emotional Impact Exec and Management :

> Exec and Management agreement on the Communication and Competitiveness

interaction.

>This is a combination that connects very powerfully with quick wittedness and a

high degree of intelligence. It is also a "get things done" combination. It is an

archetype that represents the implementation of strategies and plans.

>Positive: relates to skill, practicality, forceful communication, an impressive

ability to act and when expressed is a great force for success.

> Negative: interpersonal verbal conflict, nervousness to a pathological extreme

which results in outbursts - in the corporate contexts these outbursts would

relate to systemic failures. Becoming embroiled in controversies, disputes and

lawsuits

Comments:

> With an agreement factor or 64%, there appears to be room for improvement

here.

9. Intuition and Inspiration [how our brand inspires]

62%Communication

Individual

& Uniqueness

Authority

& Respect

Emotional Impact Exec :

> One of Exec's top three. The dominant archetypes are again expressed

through this meme.

>The implication is that somehow people are uplifted and inspired through

the diligence, discipline and practicality associated with the brand and

therefore with the company.

Management:

> Are in agreement with Exec

Comments:

> If Exec is serious about the importance of this question, and about

projecting these particular attributes and values, then the managements

62% agreement needs to be higher.

10. Power and Transformation [power of our brand to

change people lives]

75% Communication Intuition

& Inspiration

Authority

& Respect

Innovation &

Unconventionality

Exec and Management:

> Good result in terms of the agreement between Exec and the staff. There is

a strong agreement.

> And at 75%, a very good consensus among the staff. Enough said.

Comments

> This is one of two questions where the Management agree with Exec (other is

communication) but it is not a strong meme.

“A company's primary responsibility is to serve its customers.

Profit is not the primary goal, but rather an essential condition for

the company's continued existence.” Peter Drucker

Business

Brand Perception & the 10 Brand Trigger-Points