Value creation through brand focus
Business value is directly linked to brand strength.
Strong brands create:
Higher profit margins
Stable, repeat-purchasing and repeat-advocating customers.
Stewart Redpath Brand Management provides expert brand support for those ready to build sustainable value into their businesses.
We simplify brand strategy by focusing on value-creating ideas and actions that matter to customers. We call these ‘Value Creation Points’. Our approach is transparent and freely available in our guide, Brand Compass.
Quickly and effectively, we help business and brand owners re-connect the ‘moving parts’ (or operations) of a business with what matters to customers and define and deliver a Brand Promise that genuinely resonates with all stakeholders.
For inspiration visit the BRANDS DISTILLED GALLERY
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Outsourcing brand management and strategy is not outsourcing brand ownership. Our role is to re-focus your business with the benefit of our experience, skills and passion for branding. SR Brand Management will accelerate results without the cost and difficulty of hiring someone in-house.
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Brand management reaches out to the target audience and deep into the business. It is an insight and evidence based endeavour mixed with bold, creative thinking.
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We work closely with you - an extension of your operation. We build trust and have honest, productive and challenging conversations.
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With 30 years experience, we have all the necessary skills and experience. Every project is tailored precisely to client needs.
Why outsource brand management?
SR Brand Management specialises is helping businesses who have outgrown their founding brand identity. It is a point when Directors and Brand Owners sense their offer is out of step with how they are portrayed in the marketplace. This is the moment for a business to take stock and establish a deeper understanding of customers and future audiences to ensure they remain visible and competitive moving forwards.
The specific skills and capabilities to tackle these challenges are unlikely to be in-house or available from local agencies. With decades of brand-building experience, SR Brand management can rapidly upgrade strategy without the expense and uncertainty of recruiting and employing a ‘Brand Manager’.
Our aim is to work with you to create something you will be passionate and proud to take forward when our work is done.
What is Brand Management?
Strategic: Customer understanding, market positioning, proposition development
Technical: Design, analysis, research
Managerial: Contribution to business planning, agency management, brand guardianship, coaching and mentoring, employee branding
Many people think that ‘brand’ is primarily a company’s logo and its visual and written identity (‘words and pictures’). These are vitally important, but real brand management encompasses a deeper understanding of the customer and the marketplace. In this respect brand management is equally about business planning and strategy.
Strong brands manifest themselves in all aspects of a company’s operations. The things that matter to your customers, the things that keep them buying and recommending you are what defines your brand. It may be the way you treat customers or the way your products work in a specific way. It may be less tangible, for example, your reputation for being a brilliant employer or for your policies on the environment.
SR Brand Management searches out those factors in your offer that will give you genuine competitive advantage. We call them Value Creation Points and we have our own unique analysis framework called Brand Compass. This ensures an authentic and evidence-based understanding of a company’s real brand-building strengths.
SR Approach
Off with the rose-tinted spectacles
By applying objective, fact-based analysis, you receive a clear and honest perspective of how your target audience really see you. Understanding the good, the bad and the ugly is critical to initiating meaningful change.
Build Trust
Principal Director, Stewart Redpath, works with you. With many years of experience, Stewart knows how to communicate at all levels. Sometimes a brand re-evaluation requires challenge and change, so it is vital you and your team have a strong, open and trusting relationship with Stewart.
Sleeves rolled-up
Stewart becomes an operational member of your team for an agreed term. This may be light touch (a few days a month) or more intense (a few days a week). Either way, he will get ‘under the bonnet’ of what makes your business tick and bring a fresh perspective to where the real sources of competitive advantage lie.
The right people
Stewart will work with your people and suppliers, and where required, with other specialists. These may be UX people, designers, financial analysts or leadership coaches.
Just what’s needed - not more, not less
Stewart’s extensive knowledge and experience of all aspects of brand management ensures there is no unnecessary activity or spend. Every project is tailored to meet the precise needs of each individual client.
Embed skills, leave a legacy
Mentoring and coaching is part of the process. This ensures best practice remains embedded beyond the duration of the project and gives the Senior Management Team the knowledge and confidence to understand, own, manage and continue developing their brands.
Menu of activities
Every client is unique and each project will focus on different areas according to need.
Customer and market understanding
Identification of your ‘visible’ sources of competitive advantage (or what we call ‘VCPs’ - Value Creation Points)
Identification of skills and capabilities in-situ
Identification of existing strengths and assets (and weaknesses…)
Resource and Capability Building
Agency/supplier selection, performance management and briefing
Training, coaching and mentoring
Identification of existing resources and assets to build on
Strategy build
Re-prioritisation (on new or existing Value Creation Points)
Market positioning
Proposition development
Creation of new brand assets and brand guidelines
Delivery
Brand guardianship
Inputs to marketing and communications plans
Brand re-launch management (new or evolved) if relevant
Oversight of creative briefing and delivery
Review Your Brand Promise
An accessible way to experience and benefit from SR Brand Management…
Re-thinking business through the lens of ‘brand’ is a radical and transformational way to make all the ‘moving parts’ of an organisation operate cohesively. To assess whether it may be the right approach for your business we offer an accessible entry point called Brand Promise Review. This is a focused consultation that:
- Takes a snapshot of your current offer - Your Brand Promise - to customers
- Explores the delivery of your Promise through the customer journey
- Assesses this through the lens of processes, controls, measurements
To find out more or book a stimulating, productive and helpful session please email hello@stewartredpath.com
Value and outputs:
- A summary report plus recommendations
- Introduction to new planning tools to assist future customer-led business planning
- Fresh inspiration for the management and decision-makers
The Process: Your Brand Promise Review relies on:
- Commitment from the management team to be present, to participate and be interviewed
- Access to available information or data on request
It can be conducted in a workshop session (in person) or over shorter sessions (either face-to-face or remotely).
Cost: £1500
SR Brand Management always bases its recommendations on sound evidence and analysis. Obviously, the Brand Promise Review does not include original research or detailed data generation or analysis. Recommendations for change would therefore be caveated.