Do you have questions about your advertising? Do you have ‘a brand’ or just ‘a product’? Marketing not hitting the mark? Do you need a communications audit or just need some creative direction?

Today everyone thinks they know what a “brand” is … They look at; Coke, Pepsi, Nike, Adidas, BMW, Virgin, Ford, Honda, Sony, BMG, Marvel, Pixar, Vegemite, Schweppes and stacks more and feel they know that brand’s story – but these are surely just products. Some people consider themselves “brands” by definition or by celebrity – Prince, Calvin Klein, Moss, Elle, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Trump, Branson, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Snoopy, Tin Tin, Superman and the Avengers Just to name a few.

But what is the difference between having a “brand” or just having a garden variety “product”. Why is achieving a “brand” status such a powerful thing?

In my workshops I will break down the meaning behind some of the best know brands and highlight the systematic thinking that helps you understand the dynamics between advertising and marketing. There are subtle differences between the strategies of advertising and the strategies of marketing, often people think that these are one in the same or a bi-product of each other. It’s a little more complex than that. Plus when egos and agendas get in the way products and business suffer. Advertising and Marketing are often and can be very different in approach yet have the same aim – sell the product!

Understanding why different approaches are needed and when to employ these approaches and what approaches take a bigger role in building brand can confuse even the most seasoned advertising person or marketing person.  Sometimes, it’s like “what comes first the chicken or the egg?”

What I try to do in my workshops is break down communications, messages, marketing and advertising and look at the driving forces behind either a client’s brand, a business product or service, or even an individual person. You soon become acutely aware of the power of advertising and the role of marketing, especially in a room full of major stakeholders passionate about their products. But what is really important and equally empowering is guiding that room to find their true “Brand Essence”.

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“I’m quite proficient at writing for my clients, but when it came to developing my own promotional material I was blocked. Thank the universe for Myke Mollard. Myke got to know my needs and wants before submitting a draft that said everything I was struggling to write. He captured the essence of who I am and what I want Emerging Woman to be seen as. At the same time he was working on the graphic design of flyers, business cards, banners and anything else I needed to totally re-brand my business. I am blown away with his talent that encompasses design, copy, and advertising and business strategy. I am so excited about launching the new look and feel of Emerging Woman. Thank you Myke for giving me a brand I identify with and am immensely proud of.”

– Pamela, Emerging Woman, Business Owner and Public Speaker.

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It’s funny but once you understand “Brand Essence”, suddenly a whole room discovers the galvanising nature of “Branding”. It’s like a penny dropping in everyone’s head. Stakeholders start working together on a single proposition, with regards to all future communications. Everyone sees how to effectively build that brand – the brand vision is realised and it all becomes apparent.

The art of finding “the essence” of your product and why your customer picks yours over another competitors, can be understood and adapted immediately, but takes years to learn and confidently facilitate. Once you have found your “Brand Essence”, everything starts to make sense, you simplify the playing field and change the way you approach things. Their is this deep connection made that opens a way for greater sales, clearer vision, better communications, stronger marketplace positioning, more effective marketing, braver more confident advertising – Every participant will come away understanding how to move a product from the ordinary to being an extra-ordinary “brand” within a given marketplace.

How important is this “Branding” to your business? Well without sounding like every other public speaker or guru, I personally believe it’s “essential.” At least, to understand the principals behind “Brand essence” and investigate the driving forces behind why people are buying your product or are not buying your product. Hell! You don’t even have to have a problem. You could have the market leading product and service and still get ground-breaking knowledge out of a Brand Essence Workshop. The beauty of these workshops is you can do it every few years as markets change, staff move on and products evolve.

Brand Essence workshops help sales teams, major stakeholders, managers to work together at building your brand or drive your business better. It’s a fantastic way to get “buy in” from key positions of management, so they can agree on a future vision and a creative direction without personal agendas and ego eroding your business objectives from within.

Brand Essence is about finding the core motivating factor that underpins your business success and your creates a single-minded proposition to take your business into the future.

The second part of this process is the more aggressive and more robust strategies of positioning. Positioning comes after Brand essence is established and focuses on developing a brand position or an ‘edge’. It helps stakeholders create an ‘impact’ or employ communications that ‘cut through’ in this modern, over communicated marketplace. The workshop will endeavor to position your products and brands for better visibility, more positive advertising outcomes and unlock greater market potential.

With plenty of experience to draw upon for the best part of 20 years, and still helping clients achieve better communications. I have designed and tailored Wildfire Professional Workshops off tried and true advertising methodologies – delivering old school strategies combined with new school thinking. Each workshop will be individually designed to suit your business needs and tailored to steer your business, product or brand image into more effective communications. I personally feel it’s the perfect solution for a business that doesn’t want to commit to a large agency, but wants “the edge” over it’s competitors.

There are three styles of Wildfire Professional Workshops that I facilitate:

• brand essence and brand positioning workshops or focus groups.
• communication audits, creative presentations or just consultancy.
• creative direction made simple for small and large businesses.

If you wish to give your business a new direction or take a different approach, consider a workshop or session.

I am open to discuss any Wildfire Professional Workshop and explore how I can help your company or business grow. Just simply call or email me.