Better People make Better Work and deliver Better Results.
While you might think that having a great product, the right strategy and a winning TV ad will drive your brand, the long-term success of your brand is dependent is how good your people are. If you have great Brand Leaders, they will be on top of your business, make the necessary strategic course corrections, create better executions that connect with consumers and drive profitable growth for your brand. One of the best ways to drive long-term business results from your brands is to ensure you have a strong marketing team in place.
At the Brand Leadership Learning Center, we can develop a tailored program that will work to make your team better. Regardless of industry, the fundamentals of Brand Leadership matter. In terms of connecting with your people, Training is one of the greatest motivator for teams and individuals. Not only do people enjoy the sessions, they see the investment you’re making as one more reason to want to stay. They are focused on their careers and want to get better. If you can be part of that, you’ll retain your best people.
The Brand Leadership curriculum includes:
- Brand Management
- Think Strategically
- Brand Analytics
- Writing a Brand Positioning Statement
- Developing an effective Brand Plan
- Writing an effective Creative Brief
- Judging Advertising
- Being a Better Client
- Media plan, including Digital Media.
- Brand Love drives increased power and profitability.
- Be better at Finance and Brand Forecasting
- Managing Your Career
The Training Program can executed to meet your needs whether that’s in:
- Classroom format or small team training
- Coaching, either in team setting or one-on-one
- Mentoring to high potential managers or executives.
- Video or webinar style for remote locations.
- Lunch and Learn Style
Brand Management
Looks at all aspects of Brand Management. Looks at the role of creativity and how a Beloved Brand leads to higher profits. Identifies the role of Brand DNA, Vision, Values and Brand Positioning. Looks at Brand Leadership through Planning, Managing and Leading of a Brand.
Strategic Thinking
Everyone in marketing thinks they are strategic. It’s on everyone’s LinkedIn profile. But what is it that makes someone strategic and how can you use that thinking in the role of a Brand Leader. With our Strategic Thinking program, Brand Leaders will learn how the elements of strategic thinking–focus, early win, leverage and gateway. They’ll look at this from a consumer/customer view, competitive strategy as well as visionary strategy. Through workshop breakouts, we’ll be able to try it out on their own business with hands-on coaching to help them improve their own strategies. Here’s an article that goes a little deeper: How to Think Strategically
How to Write Brand Positioning Statements
Brand Leaders can learn the classic way to write a Brand Positioning Statement that helps them with their Creative Briefs, Brand Plans and even establishing the Brand DNA or Brand Essence that frames every part of how the Brand is run. A good positioning statement includes the target market, benefits, reason to believe (RTBs) in a tightly worded statement. For an extended version click here: How to Write an Effective Brand Positioning Statement
How to Write a Brand Plan
One of the most important elements for a Brand Leader is the development of the Brand Plan, whether that’s a long-range or one year brand plan. This lesson helps them with key areas such as Brand Vision, Key Issues, Strategies, Tactics as well as tips on how to write the plan. The key take away is a very tight one page Brand Plan that can be a summary document for all to follow. For an extended version click here: How to Write a Brand Plan
How to Write a Creative Brief
Brand Leaders will help take the elements of Strategy (from the Brand Plan) and the Positioning (from the Brand Positioning Statement) and distill those down into a very succinct 1 page Creative Brief. For an extended version click here: How to Write a Creative Brief
Finance for Brand Leaders
As Brand Leaders evolve and move up, they need a solid understanding of Brand Finance. This session will help Brand Leaders look at the four key areas of influence they have over the P&L, which is price, cost, share and market size. It will outline when to use and the potential pitfalls of each area as well as offer key formulas that can help with the basics of finance. For an extended version, click here: How to Drive Profits from Your Brand
Judging Advertising
Brand Leaders rely on many types of agencies to take their strategy and create work that expresses that strategy. Telling the story is crucial to connecting with consumers. I have a simple technique for judging the work–the ABC’S: how well does it drive Attention, Branding, Communication and Stickiness. I’ll also teach a few tips for giving feedback and role playing is a crucial part to giving direction to the agency.
Brand Analytics
Brand Leaders learn how to do a deep dive on their Brand. We teach how to find data breaks and turn them into analytic stories. We look at Brand Funnels, SWOT analysis, Wealth and Health of the brand. We demonstrate the value of a best-in-class monthly Brand report.
Managing Your Career
Brand Leaders are ambitious, wanting to contribute and get ahead. By tapping into their career development, you’ll drive a much higher retention and a much deeper commitment into performance. Managing your career goes through the 4 key stages of Brand Leader, from Associate Brand Manager, Brand Manager, Director and VP/CMO. At each stage there are 5 key areas for focus and we’d encourage Brand Leaders to identify where they may have gaps. Here’s a document that you can download and share with your teams on how to manage their careers.
What does this mean for your team?
The ideal way for you to be thinking is where are the gaps on your team and what specific areas would make sense for your team. The other specific learning sessions can be found on-line at: Beloved Brands Learning Sessions
Classroom Training can be set up with a combination of learning against immediate application of the learning with case studies or using their own brands. The coaching sessions can be in team setting to help specific teams improve or one-on-one coaching programs with high potential managers and executives.
My Training Experience includes Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, TD Bank, 3M and the Ontario Lottery Group. I have also taught marketing at University of Toronto, York University and Guelph University. References can certainly be provided. I’m also available for speaker engagements and as a lead speaker at team off site meetings.
References
- “Graham has an infectious passion for the consumer and for developing others. That combined with his ability to push his team members to excel, makes him a true leader of leaders” Ted Lachmansingh, Group Marketing Director, J&J
- “Graham’s boot camp style of instruction is perfect for the development of brand managers. He challenges you to be better, makes you question your decisions with rigour and provides the right level of coaching to bring you to the next level. He makes Brand Managers” Jason Betik, Senior Brand Manager, J&J
- “Graham provided expert advice and reliable suggestions during coaching sessions to build brand performance with my team. His knowledgeable experience was extremely valuable. I would recommend leveraging his expertise for brand coaching, teaching and brand planning.” Lana Jansen, Brand Manager, 3M
- “Graham is an incredible instructor who brings bold ideas and passion. His teaching style continuously challenged our ability to think creatively, practically and strategically. His teachings has set me up for success towards a career in marketing”. Nagma Siddiqui, Assistant Brand Manager, Nestle
Contact us to Help Design a program for your team
Beloved Brands 