Brand Vision

Warning: donât read this book xi

Tools xi

brandgym network xi

brandgym.com xii

wheresthesausage.com xii

The Oscar Acceptance Speech xiii

Introduction: be a brand CEO, not a strategy tourist 1

Weâre busy. Do we really need a vision? 1

Why so much strategy sucks 6

The strategy tourism guidebook 10

The T-Mobile story 15

Fits all sizes and shapes 26

Over to you 29

Checklist: Introduction 31

I. Search for True Insight 33

1. Create an insight springboard 37

Research-itis 37

Competition: what market are we really in? 38

Consumer: opening the door to your brand 42

Brand: look back, look forward 52

Company: where should we fish for growth? 56

Checklist 1: Create an insight springboard 58

II. The Visioning Journey 61

2. What are you going to fight for? 65

Bland not brand 66

The brand manifesto 67

Writing the story of your brand 69

Checklist 2: What are you going to fight for? 72

3. Whereâs the sausage? 77

Brandicide 79

Back to why brands were born 84

The power of the product 85

Searching for truth 89

Sharpening the vision 95

Checklist 3: Whereâs the sausage? 96

4. Sizzle that sells 101

Leave the ladder in the garage 101

Pasta sauce or Prada? 103

Selling your product story 106

The Geek Squad 109

Brand personality devices 113

Bringing your personality to life 115

Put some pizzaz in your personality 117

Checklist 4: Sizzle that sells 118

Handover 119

5. Big brand ideas beat brand essence 123

Whatâs the big idea? 123

Your brand story takes shape 127

Eureka moments 129

Checklist 5: Big brand ideas 129

III. Bring the Vision to Life 131

6. Test drive the vision 135

Consumers are not marketing directors 135

Think less, do more 135

Exploration has its limits 137

Bring your vision to life 141

Getting the most out of research 144

Time to sign up 147

Make it real 151

Checklist 6: Test drive the vision 153

IV. Brand-led Business 155

7. Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 159

Brandwashing 159

Focus on fundamentals 163

Step 1: Hire the right people and treat them right 164

Step 2: Make it easier to do the right thing 168

Step 3: Lead by example 171

Step 4: Sell the cake not the recipe 171

The 5-month itch 175

Checklist 7: Beyond brandwashing to true engagement 176

8. Create hero products 179

Kill the dwarves 179

Start close to home 181

iPod: the hero of a new vision 187

Virtual venture capital 189

Elastic brands 190

Family ties 196

Checklist 8: Create hero products 199

9. Communicating without ego tripping 203

Brand ego tripping: the movie 203

Getting a killer mix 206

Design: The face of your new vision 211

Communication with cut-through 213

When you hit gold . . . 221

The Tyskie turnaround 224

Checklist 9: Communicating without ego tripping 230

Brand Vision to Action Toolkit 231

brandgym network 251

References 253

Index 255