Download The American Seating Brand

Speaking with a Consistent
Brand Voice
Deb McDermott
VP Marketing
The Importance of a Unified Brand Message
• A brand is more than just an icon or logo, and more than just a product
• Definition from BrandChannel:
 “A brand is a mixture of attributes, tangible and intangible,
symbolized in a trademark, which, if managed properly, creates value
and influence. ‘Value’ has different interpretations: from a marketing
or consumer perspective it is ‘the promise and delivery of an
experience’; from a business perspective it is ‘the security of future
earnings’; from a legal perspective it is ‘a separable piece of
intellectual property.’ Brands offer customers a means to choose and
enable recognition within cluttered markets.”
The Importance of a Unified Brand Message
• Definition from the American Marketing Association:
 “A Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies
one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. A
brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color
combination or slogan. For example, Coca Cola is the name of a
brand made by a particular company.”
Why is a Brand So Important?
• A strong brand is the most important resource a company has; it is
extremely important in any business environment.
• “Simply put, a brand is a promise…it delivers a pledge of satisfaction and
quality.”
-- Walter Landor, famous industrial designer
• “A brand is a reason to choose.”
--Fred Burt, Siegel+Gale
Why is a Brand So Important?
A strong brand not only helps customers identify with your product, values
and benefits, it can even help create “category” ownership.
For example:
 Volvo = Safety
 Ritz Carlton = Luxury
 Nike = Sports
 McDonalds = Fast Food
 Starbucks = Coffee
 Apple = Innovation
 American Seating = Durability
Why is a Brand So Important?
Strong brands provide a number of valuable functions, including:
• Greater loyalty
• Less vulnerability to competitive marketing actions and crises
• Larger margins
• Greater cooperation and support
• Increased marketing communication effectiveness
• Possible licensing opportunities
• Additional brand extension opportunities
The Power of a Strong Brand
 Coca-Cola revenue in 2010 was $35.1 billion
 Brand value was estimated at $70.4 billion
 Measurement: financial strength, importance in driving customer
selection, likelihood of ongoing branded revenue, likeliness of future
earnings.
Source: Interbrand
The American Seating Brand
• Experienced
• Preferred
• Consistent
• High ROI
• A Solutions Provider
• An Expert Resource
Your Role in Enhancing the American
Seating Brand
Since a brand is “the promise of an experience,” each of you play a role in
shaping and reinforcing the American Seating brand.
• How you talk about American Seating and our products must be aligned
with how we promote the company
• In a competitive and cluttered marketplace, we must be aligned and
speak with one voice
• When not aligned, we lose opportunities, create confusion among current
and potential customers and our brand is weakened
• Creating a strong brand name is a journey, requiring consistency and
everyone’s active participation – YOU are important in helping create a
powerful brand image.
The Elevator Speech - IS
• A succinct verbal overview of a brand
• Designed to pique the interest of a potential customer
• Should engage the listener to prompt questions which should lead to a
consultative selling opportunity
• Embodies speaking with one voice
The Elevator Speech – IS NOT
• A sales pitch
• A regurgitation of facts (leave them wanting more)
• Heavy on product features and functions
• Advertising
• Full of acronyms, jargon or technical terms
Key Elements of The Elevator Speech
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Flexible
Compelling
Short (60 seconds)
Limited to 3 points
Credible & Supportable
Conversational
Tailored
Perfected
Aligned
The American Seating
Elevator Speech Example
• Experience
• Value
• Peace of Mind
Initial Prospecting Appointments
Introduce American Seating
30-60 Second Elevator Speech
- Name - What Company Does - How American Seating Can Be A Resource –
Group Exercise
The American Seating Brand
Includes:
• Graphics, Graphic Standards
• Consistent Language
Speaking with a Consistent
Brand Voice