the brand management process ::
Brand management is about effectively managing stakeholder perceptions to maximize the value to your business. At TMC Visionpool we help create the tools you use to manage these perceptions, in the real world and online. But for many people 'brand management' is a relatively new way of thinking- and like anything new it can seem difficult to apply. Here are some simple questions we use everyday to help our customers through the process.

Question 1: Who's it all for?
Who are the people that have a relationship with your brand? Don't just think of customers. There are many other groups involved in your brand. Your list of stakeholders may include: employees, business partners, distributors, investors, even yourself - as well as customers.
Make a comprehensive and inclusive list of the stakeholders in your brand.

Question 2: Where are you now?
As the old saying goes "you can't get where your going if you don't know where your at." It is essential to understand how your brand is currently perceived by your stakeholders. It's crucial to remember the brand is not what exists in your brochures or your Website. Your brand is what exists in the minds of your stakeholders- its not just what your company says, it's what it does. This is where stakeholder perceptions come from, and it is these perceptions that will determine your business' success or failure.

Be fearless and honest, and take the time to understand your current brand as it exists in the minds of your stakeholders.

Question 3: What's the competition doing?
Where's the market going?
To position your brand for the future you need to know where you are now, where your competitors are now, and the trends that will impact on your market. Coming as close as possible to an understanding of these three elements provides the best place to start. It's also a good idea to be careful to identify trends that will have a significant impact on your market over the coming years, not just the short-term fads.

Thoroughl y study your competitor's brands (and what people think of them) and your market trends.

Question 4: Where do you want to go?
If you want a powerhouse brand it needs to be distinctive from its competitors and motivating to its customers.

We ask you to ask yourself:
What are our brand strengths? (or, what could they be?)
How will this be distinctive from our competitors?
Why will this be motivating to our consumers?
And finally, will these strengths become more important in the market over time, or less important?
Your answers should be realistic and focused, and it's a good idea to run them by your brand stakeholders for a 'reality check'.
Now we craft the answers to these questions into a statement of your desired brand or your Brand Philosophy.

Question 5: What do we do next?
TMC Visionpool can help craft and execute your plan, but it's not a battle... it's a war. To build the desired brand in the mind of your stakeholders is perhaps the greatest challenge a business faces, and the smart ones face it every day. Good brand management requires constant review of what you say and what you do - and how they live up to the brand you are trying to build.

And whether you take yourself through the above process, or one like it, or you go to an agency like ours, the next step is to plan your brand and do the work.

TMC Visionpool offers a wide variety of communications design services including:
   :: market research
   :: brand strategy & planning
   :: brand identity development
   :: advertising & graphic design
   :: copywriting
   :: direct mail campaigns
   :: print campaigns
   :: radio & television campaigns