Branding with Brains: The Science of Getting Customers to Choose Your Company

259 Pages·2010·7.328 MB·English

by  Walvis, Tjaco

T THE SCIENCE OF GETTING TJACO WALVIS BRANDING REALLY IS ALL IN THE MIND
J – AND THIS BOOK PROVES IT
A CUSTOMERS TO CHOOSE
C
YOUR COMPANY
O What has neuroscience got to do with
Think about the last time you
branding? The latest fi ndings from the
bought something. Do you know W
frontiers of scientifi c research reveal that
why you chose that particular A
our brains select brands in much the same
product or brand? Probably not. L
V way that Google selects websites. Clever
You can rationalise with hindsight,
I companies play on Google’s algorithm to
but the fact is our brain makes S
make sure their site appears as high up in
ABOUT THE AUTHOR these decisions without us really
customers’ search lists as possible. In the
thinking about it. This is why the
same way, brand-conscious businesses can
TJACO WALVIS is a partner at THEY, most successful brands appeal to
play on the brain’s algorithm to make sure
an international brand management customers on the basis of emotional
their brand is at the top of their customers’
consulting and communications fi rm based associations, images and experiences
minds at the moment they choose which
in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Previously, rather than just on the back
brand to buy.
he was a strategy and research director with of their product specifi cations.
BBDO. Tjaco is a leading expert on brand As one Harley Davidson executive
Branding with Brains explains how the
strategy issues, including brand positioning, describes it in one of this book’s
intricate workings of our brains infl uence
extensions, portfolio management and convention-shattering case studies:
our buying behaviour. It uncovers the
location branding. He has worked with “We don’t sell motorbikes. What we
hard, scientifi c truth about why customers
boards and marketing executives of sell is the ability for a 43-year-old
choose some brands over others. And it
companies such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, accountant to dress in black leather,
shows you how to apply the three most
DaimlerChrysler, Doritos, Getronics, GMR ride through small towns and have
powerful laws of branding – relevance;
India, ING, Leica, Mars, McKinsey &Company, people be afraid of him”.
coherence; participation – to give your brand
Nutricia, Robeco and Sanoma Publishers.
a much greater chance of being chosen by
He has served clients in a broad range of Branding with Brains exposes the
customers than your competitors’ brands.
industries, including fashion, fast mover hard, scientifi c truth about why
consumer goods, fi nancial services, customers choose certain brands
In this radical new book, Tjaco Walvis
government, insurance, media, pharmaceuticals, over others. It gives you the three
presents a daringly different approach
private banking, postal services, publishing, most powerful laws of branding to
to brand strategy and tells the stories of
retail, telecommunications and world make sure your brand is the fi rst in
a diverse range of companies who have
expositions. He has published many articles your customers’ minds, every time
used it to powerful effect. Read about the
and lectures regularly on branding and holds they buy.
brands that have captured the attention
two Master degrees, in economics (MSc)
of our brains, from Leica, McKinsey and
and philosophy (MA).
Starbucks to Volkswagen, ‘brand’ Barack
Obama and the Batman fi lm, ‘The Dark
To read Tjaco’s blog, go to
Knight’. Then use these insights to build
www.brandingwithbrains.org
your brand strategy in a way that infl uences
customers’ unconscious choices in your
THEY is this years winner of the Ad Age Small
brand’s favour.
International Agency of the Year award 2009
Cover by Heat Design
BUSINESS

Visit our website at
www.pearson-books.com
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9780273719953_WALVIS.indd 1 25/1/10 13:06:01
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page i
Branding
With Brains
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page ii
Inanincreasinglycompetitiveworld,webelieve
it’squalityofthinkingthatgivesyoutheedge–an
ideathatopensnewdoors,atechniquethatsolves
aproblem,oraninsightthatsimplymakessense
ofitall.Themoreyouknow,thesmarter
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A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page iii
Branding
With Brains
The science of getting customers to
choose your company
Tjaco Walvis
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page iv
PEARSONEDUCATIONLIMITED
EdinburghGate
HarlowCM202JE
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Website:www.pearsoned.co.uk
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2010
©PearsonEducationLimited2010
TherightofTjacoWalvistobeidentifiedasauthorofthisworkhasbeen
assertedbyhiminaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
ISBN:978-0-273-71995-3
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Contents
Wordofgratitude/vii
Publisher’sacknowledgements/viii
Introduction/ix
Howadisturbingcomplimentgaverisetoabook
1
Where branding gets it wrong / 3
Brandingsuffersfromaflawedmodelofhowcustomers
decideandmisconceptionsabouthowstrongbrandsarebuilt
2
Persuading subconscious minds / 21
Customersmakebrandchoicesusingasubconsciousbut
stablealgorithmthatfavoursbrandsbuiltaccordingtothree
laws:relevance,coherenceandparticipation
3
Law No.1: Relevance / 47
Brandsbuilttobedistinctivelyrelevantaremorelikelytobe
chosenbythebrain
4
Making your brand uniquely rewarding / 65
Knowyourcustomers’subconsciouscocktailsofgoalsandbe
radicalinhowyourbranddeliversuponthem
5
Law No.2: Coherence / 85
Brandsbuilttobecoherentthroughtimeandspaceare
pickedbythebrain’salgorithm
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page vi
vi
nts 6 Aligning the business with the brand
e
ont strategy / 113
C
Integrateeverythingyoudobyworkingfromaspecificbut
flexiblebrandconceptthatismeaningfulforeveryone,from
customerstotheCEO
7
Law No.3: Participation / 139
Brandsthatareopenandparticipatoryarefavouredbythe
brand-choicealgorithm
8
Getting your audience to enter the game / 165
Makeparticipationimmediatelyrewardingandrethinkevery
mediumtobemoreengaging
9
Is this book morally wrong? / 191
Users–andnotideas–carryethicalresponsibilities,soitall
comesdowntoyou
10
Come again? / 209
Canyoupleaserepeatwhatyoujustsaid?
Notes/221
Index/237
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page vii
Word of gratitude
ToRolandvanderVorst,KimDingler,SanderBakker,Patrickvan
derGronde,ZwierVeldhoen,RubenEsser,BorisNihomand
everyoneatTHEYforyourhelpandenormoussupport.
ToProfessorDrWiepvanBunge,DrAndreasKaufmann,Erikvan
derMeijden,HuibMorelisse,LizGooster,RupertMorris,Professor
DrJackVroomenandProfessorDrFredvanRaaijforyourtimeand
invaluablecommentsandsuggestions.
ToHarjo,DienekeandTjeerdWalvis,SvenvanderSteenand
AlfredvanBungeforencouragingmetopushboundaries.
ToJolene,Maudy,MareandJetteforbeingthemostimportant,
heartening,encouragingandlovelywomeninmylife.
Toeveryonewhohelpedmealongtheway,thankyouall!
A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 15/1/10 12:04 Page viii
Publisher’s acknowledgements
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A01_WALV9953_01_SE_FM.QXD:Layout 2 14/1/10 10:16 Page ix
Introduction
Y
‘ ouknow,Ireallyadmireyouguys’,aclienttoldusafterour
finalpresentationtotheboardhechaired.‘Itisan
achievementhowyoumakesuchavaguesubjectlike
brandingthisconcrete.’Itwasaniceenoughcompliment,butit
worriedme.Itwasthefactthathesocasuallyandconfidently
describedourdisciplineas‘vague’!
Noteveryoneisascandid,ofcourse,butthisexecutiveisbyno
meanstheonlydecisionmakerwhoseesbrandingthisway.
Indeed,inmyexperience,thehigheryougoupthehierarchythe
morelikelyyouaretomeetpeoplewhoseebrandingasan
intuitiveandratherunprofessionalfield,drivenbyfads,jargon,
unsupportedassumptions,anuncomfortablerelianceonpopular
cultureandanunclearrelationshipwiththebottomline.Itisnot
thattheseexecutivesdonotunderstandthevalueofbrands.They
seethatsomebrandsinfluencethechoicesofcustomersand
stakeholders.Manyknowthatstrongbrandscanbeworthupto
75percentoftheentiremarketvalueoflistedcompanies.But,in
theirthinking,thosearethebrandsofothers.Andmanyexecutives
assume(incorrectly)thattheyareconsumerbrandsthatinvest
hugesumsinadvertising.Inshort,thereisabiggapbetweenthe
economicvalueofbrandsandtheprofessionalismandimageofthe
disciplinethatbuildsthem.Thepointisthatinmanyboardrooms
allovertheworld,thereisnocommonframeworkforclearand
intelligentdiscussionsabouthowbrandstrategycontributesto
growth.Andmarketershavefounditveryhardtochangethis.
Letmegostraighttooneoftherootcausesofthisproblem,andthe
coresubjectofthisbook,byaskingyouaquestion.Whenyoulast
boughtasoftdrink,acar,apairofjeans,acopier,corporate
bankingservices,oranyotherbrandedproductorservice,didyou
knowwhyyouchosethatparticularbrand?Thinkaboutitfora