Speaker Insights on the Global Brand Forum

Just wanted to Share some insights gained at the Global Brand Forum. I have included this information in my next ezine which goes out but I thought you might like to have a look at some of their content.

The speakers included David Aaker (my idol), Jack Trout, Faith Popcorn, Martin Lindstorm as well as some industry speakers.

Professor Aaker

Speaking Style: Academic, Lecture driven, Content Heavy, Monotone

Key Learning Points:

Aaker spoke about Brand Imperatives to Build your Brand. He focused on 3 key areas:

1. How to Differentiate your brand
Here he provided suggestions such as creating differentiated personalities, how to use People, programs and values to create differntiation as well as introducing the tactics of Branded and Co-Branded Differtiators.

2. How to Energised your brand
In this area he talked about Branded energisers. A branded energizer is a sub brand or brand that energisers or enhances a parent brand. Some suggestions included new energizer products, programs and external brand energizers. Brand Energisers look at developing a brand long term that is part of the product portfolio that can create energy and link them with the Brand. He talked about using the right Brand Extension to leverage on the Brand and provide visibility for it.

3. Relevance for your target
He then focused on relevance and stressed the importance in making something your customer wants to buy. He talked about Trend Drivers and Trend Neglectors as ways to be in touch with your target market.

Jack Trout


Speaking Style: Hard Hitting, Brash, Dramatic

Key Learning Points:

Trout talked about Positioning. He focused on the importance of positioning and perceptions. He then focused on differentiation. Some strategies he provided were:

1. Diff via attributes
2. Diff via Source (how it was created)
3. Diff by being 1st
4. Diff by being the Latest
5. Diff via Leadership
6. Diff as a "Specialist"

He then went on to talk about Strategy and he focus on War methaphor in Branding Strategy. Some ideas he had were:

1. Defense Warfare to defend your Number 1 position in the market and to block competition.
2. Offense Warfare to focus on competitors weakness and exploit it
3. Flanking Warfare where pursuit is critical. You can flank by price, distribution, size etc
4. Guerilla Warfare where you find a segment and defend it, be felxible and set your own rules.

Hope you found this useful. For more information contact jerome@brandone.us or jerome@jeromejoseph.com