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Brand Design and Management Plan
Paulina Jaswiec & Martina Dudicova
Strategic Brand Creation & Management
Mk 526
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction................................................................................................................ 3
2. Brand Design.............................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Key marketing activities............................................................................................. 4
2.2 Support of the design process..................................................................................... 5
3. Brand Marketing ....................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Brand Positioning: ..................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Mental Map................................................................................................................ 6
3.3 Points of Parity and Points of Difference.................................................................... 7
3.4 Opportunities ............................................................................................................. 9
4. Brand Growth and Equity ......................................................................................... 10
4.1 Building Brand resonance ........................................................................................ 10
4.2 Advertising and promotion strategies (marketing program) .................................... 14
4.3 Assessing the value of the brand to the company...................................................... 14
4.4 Brand’s architecture, hierarchy, & brand portfolio ................................................. 15
5. Brand Management .................................................................................................... 16
5.1 Performance assessment........................................................................................... 16
5.2 Growth Strategy....................................................................................................... 18
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1. Introduction
Responsibilities and deadlines in our lives are just like ticking bombs waiting to explode
if we don’t take action. Time is the only valuable concept that we cannot change and
influence, however we can only attempt to manage tasks to the best of our abilities.
The energy drink brand Xplosion, in shape of a grenade bomb, is the first product to
enter the market with a brand promise to make the consumer stronger, faster and more
efficient. Xplosion’s first target is the corporate world, because it is the most dynamic
ever-changing environment where time means everything.
The poisoning strategy is to create an image in the minds of consumers that drinking
Xplosion will make you focused quickly, give you a boost of energy, and make you
efficient. Our scientists have researched and tested for over 15 years to finally create a
new vitamin ingredient that lowers the calorie content of the beverage while maximizing
energy level in the body. We have patented this vitamin, which is what makes Xplosion
unique and different from our competitors.
After establishing strong brand awareness, the diversification of our brand portfolio
allows for further opportunities in enhancing our positioning to college students, clubs
and even sporting events. We will continue to reinforce the brand and what it stands for,
be consistent with our brand mantra, and measure the brand performance across all
markets that we hope to enter.
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2. Brand Design
Brand name: Xplosion is a new brand of beverage. It is seen as a ‘liquid weapon,’
energy stimulating substance aimed at the highly dynamic corporate world.
Image: Power, Efficiency, Time, Performance, Bomb, And Liquid Weapon
Slogans and external messages:
“The one and only liquid weapon, because life is too short to run on empty.
“Time is ticking – don’t waste it, manage it”
Packaging: Associations to packaged- bomb being an explosive weapon (brand name)
Packaging Association- since naturally a real bomb has extremely sudden & violet
release of energy, when seeing Xplosion products consumers will in vision and directly
link that: if you drink this product you make have sudden burst of extreme energy.
Rich feeling: plastic material resembling glass (glass is too expensive), shiny metal like
material around brand name, option of having color for future and further development of
packaging from bomb (round like) to hand grenade.
Symbol/logo:
Look to Appendix: A
2.2 Key marketing activities
Unlike most of our competition whose key marketing activities to support their brand is
through clubs and sporting events, Xplosion focuses on its direct entry to barrier through
the corporate world (then in the future followed by academia).
Corporate adrenaline is what Xplosion is aiming for. The first key marketing activity
would be going to Google headquarters and giving away free samples of the first new
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branded product “Xplosion”. Another activity would be to be highly interconnected on
future corporate events such as high decision making meetings, tax season deadlines,
forecast reports, industry audits.. anything involving deadline and ‘crunch time.’ The
product wouldn't yet be for sale, and our approach would not involve ‘pitching,’ or
soliciting. Instead we provide a notepad introducing the workforce on special ingredient
in our product, and expose a link to an APP.
2.3 Support of the design process
According to (Keller 2008), brand elements must be meaningful, memorable, likeable,
transferable, adaptable, and protectable. The brand name is descriptive and it was chosen
because it fulfills most if not all the necessary criteria. The concept of time is linked to
the brand image in a sense that one can easily associate the word “explosion” with a
“bomb” and our drink symbolizes the ticking bomb which all of us have experienced.
The ticking bomb is a metaphor for all the things that we know we should get done but
haven’t done yet. Anything from pro longing the visit to your dentist until you get the
cavity, procrastinating on your school project, procrastinating until the final day to start
the report for your boss or whatever it may be, we face ticking bombs in our daily lives.
To encourage word-of-mouth exposure, we have chosen Xplosion as it is a brand name
that is easy to pronounce, it has a clear meaning and it is understandable.
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3 Brand Marketing
3.1 Brand Positioning:
In terms of branding, positioning is seen as a matter of communication. It is the ability to
command a position in consumers’ minds, distinct from the competition (Gelder 2003).
Positioning in branding is relative, not absolute, and our goal is to create a distinctive
space that our brand will occupy in our customers minds. To start the launch of the brand,
we propose usage-based positioning as the primary brand positioning to connect with our
customers. Brands apply usage-based positioning to link themselves to a specific time of
time of day, location, event or a specific use (Gelder, 2003). The original Xplosion brand
is used when you are running low on energy & need a boost/ recharge to get things done.
Start-up headline Nothing is worse then knowing a deadline for a major
project is coming, you know you procrastinated, and now you need to be focused,
energetic and efficient. No better time than that to pull open the Xplosion.
Usage-based positioning is the first strategy that we believe would get the strong brand
awareness we are hoping for.
3.3 Mental Map
Figure 1: displays a brand association mental map. This map visualizes words that we
want our target customers to associate Xplosion within 2 major categories: Image, and
Performance.
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Figure 1
3.3 Points of Parity and Points of Difference
Category Points of Parity In an energy drink product category, Xplosion
does the minimal expectation of providing you with promised energy.
Competitive Points of Parity While most energy drinks contain high
sugar amount, Xplosion has created a healthy substitute for sugar, which has proven to
minimize health risks. It is an organic vitamin substance that has been researched and
tested for over 15 years before entering the market in our Xplosion beverage. This
ingredient lowers the calorie content of our beverage while maximizing energy level in
the body. We have patented the right to this ingredient and therefore no other energy
drink will offer the amount of healthy energy to boost your immune system in order for
you to function effectively.
Points of Difference According to (Keller, 2008), points of difference
must be relevant, distinctive and believable.
Xplosion
Image
- Grenate bomb
- Time
- Fiction of power
Performance
- fast
- active
- strong
- efficient
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o Relevant – There is a clear association between the name and the function of
the product. It stands for what it means. Xplosion explodes energy and
strength into your body while minimizing health problems and allowing you
to work effectively.
o Distinctive - Unlike other energy drinks, not only does our packaging offer
significant distinctiveness, but the patented ingredient can thus far be found
only in Xplosion.
o Believable – Our goal is not to create persuasive advertising commercials to
make our target audience believe our energy drink is better, we are going
straight to busy people, offices, and corporate centers to offer free samples
and let the positive word-of mouth spread. With consent, we will provide
video feedback on the Internet – YouTube, Facebook, and twitter to make the
world believe.
Brand Mantra Power - Speed – Efficiency
Brand Mantra is the brand essence of the brand. Not only does our brand mantra help
guide us to present a consistent image, it signals meaning and importance within the
company. Its purpose is to align all the employees on the same level. From our top
management, to middle management, to our scientists, designers, and sales people, the
brand mantra connects us and symbolizes the internal message of our company and what
the Xplosion brand stands for.
Emotional Modifier Power symbolizes the feel of strength,
confidence and stamina one achieves while drinking Xplosion
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Brand Function Modifier Speed symbolizes the promise of being able
to utilize the amount of energy in a given time period while actively consuming Xplosion.
Descriptive Modifier Efficiency symbolizes effectiveness of output
quality and performance when relating to accomplishment of indented tasks.
Brand Promise Our brand promise is derived from our brand mantra:
putting it all together, drinking Xplosion promises strong and long lasting performance in
a short amount of time.
3.4 Opportunities
High Schools and Universities - High schools and universities lie to further enhance the
poisoning of our brand. It is no secret that students procrastinate on important projects
and pull sleepless nights just to get the job done, and that is why we believe the trend
from the successful corporate world will trail down to students.
Nightclubs & Sporting Events - Another opportunity to further enhance our positioning
by entering different target market (like the examples). With an extended brand portfolio
line, we can offer different sub-brands of Xplosion drinks with alcohol for clubs, and
enhanced vitamin content with hydration support for athletes. Possibilities for Xplosion
to enter different markets are endless once the brand resonance has been reached.
External Social Corporate Responsibility - Xplosion collaborates with (depending on
the market here are some examples with whom we will directly be involved with, in order
to promote positive social image of our brand) the National Centre for Health, FDA and
Ministry of Health.
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4. Brand Growthand Equity
Sources of Brand Equity - Xplosion aims to create strong, favorable and unique
associations with its brand in order to create brand awareness and build the customer
based brand equity. In order to first create brand awareness, the brand must be easily
recognized and recalled. We plan to increase brand awareness by constant exposure,
viral marketing and internal business events located internally- headquarters of important
companies starting with Google. The name itself is strong, and the goal is to create a
favorable association with the name and strong association with big companies who
consume the product. By giving out samples, and posting testimonies, we hope to raise
such brand awareness.
4.1 Building Brand resonance
Building brand resonance is one of the most difficult tasks in establishing customer based
brand equity.
Step 1 Identity Brand Salience The branding objective is to establish deep
broad brand awareness. In brand salience, the customers should be able to identify the
product category and be satisfied with consuming. We believe that Xplosion will be a
highly salient brand in that it will have both depth and breadth of brand awareness,
meaning customers will make frequent purchases and will be able to recall and
distinguish from other brands in the product category. The brand plan mentioned
activities that will be undertaken in order to make the brand highly salient.
Step 2 Meaning Performance and Imagery The branding objective is to
establish points of parity and difference. Section 3.3 outlines the POP and POD.
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o Performance - Performance touches the rational side of purchasing the brand.
Customers may view performance based on reliability, durability, service
efficiency and effectiveness, design and style, pricing and so on. For our purpose,
the Xplosion is above average price in the energy drinks category, however it is
compensated with the functional primary ingredients, which allow for long hours
of energy in a minimal amount of time. Performance may also depend on sensory
aspects such as how a product looks, feels (Keller, 2008). Apart from just the
functionality of the product, its size, shape, color and material is often taken into
consideration when it comes to building a strong, favorable and unique brand.
Taking this visual sensory into consideration, the shape of the bomb suggests the
performance caliber.
o Imagery - Imagery describes the way people think about the brand abstractly
rather than functionally, thus it refers to the intangible aspects of the brand
(Keller, 2008). Xplosion aims to build its brand personality around time and
energy. Time and energy are intangible concepts that everyone cannot get enough
of. Although we cannot add more than 24 hours to a day, we brand ourselves as a
beverage that allows for the maximum efficiency to manage time and give you
energy to do so. Consumers who buy our brand look for an efficient, effective,
strong and in control life. By targeting the ambitious audience, we aim to present
the image of success, strength and power.
Step 3 Response --> Judgments and feelings The branding objective is to
establish positive and accessible reactions.
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o Judgments - Judgments, like performance are on the rational side of the pyramid
and represent customer’s personal opinions about the brand (Keller, 2008). In
order to create opinions, customers evaluate the imagery and performance.
According to Keller, Customers can make all types of judgments about a brand,
but the most important judgments are about: quality, credibility, consideration and
superiority. Among all these, we strongly believe that Xplosion brand is of high
quality due to the ingredients as well as superior in comparison with other energy
drinks. The nature of our uniqueness is key to building intense and active
relationships with our customers.
o Feelings - Brand feelings are customer’s emotional responses to the brand. By
our marketing program, we want to evoke intense feelings of strength, and
superiority. Among the six major brand feelings, Xplosion would fit into the
category of Excitement and Self-Respect.
Excitement - Our brand should make consumers feel energized, upbeat
and alive
Self- Respect - After drinking Xplosion, our customers should feel a sense
of accomplishment, because the main reason to drink it is to get things
done with positive energy
Step 4 Relationship -->Resonance The final step on the top of the CBBE
pyramid is to establish Brand resonance. Here the final branding objective is to maintain
relationship by having our customers be intensely and actively loyal. Resonance is
characterized in terms of the depth of the psychological bond the customer has with the
brand. In order to measure whether our brand is highly resonant, we can measure
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behavioral loyalty in terms of repeat purchases and strong attachment. Our customers
who have a strong attachment to the brand would be willing to go elsewhere if the
product is not available where they currently are. Because we are focusing on a specific
target market, we don’t need 100,000 customers who will only purchase once, we are
comfortable with starting off with only 100 customers, but those who are loyal enough
that they will make repeat purchases because they know the quality of our product. To
make our brands exclusive and unique, our channel management plan will consider only
specific distribution channels. Xplosion can be bought only at Pharmacies, Sports shops,
and healthy living retail shops, smoothie shops. etc. We believe this form of exclusivity
and uniqueness will convey a sense of community between customers, company, and
partners.
Since our product isn't the cheapest on the market, and not available everywhere,
we can hope that finally our customers will truly be engaged with us because they are
obviously willing to invest time, energy and money to buy the Xplosion.
Intensity - > measures strength of the attitudinal attachment and sense of community
Activity -> measures how frequently the customer buys the product as well as how often
they engage in other activities not related to the consumption (our website tracks the
activity of our customers). We can see when they blog, offer insight, create their own
Xplosions, and share stories. These stories are what makes us, and helps us better to
engage and understand our customers. Our website is more engaging and personal than
the Facebook and twitter.
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4.2 Advertising and promotion strategies (marketing program)
1. Messages
“The one and only liquid weapon” “Life is too short to run on empty”
“Time is ticking – don’t waste it, manage it” “It’s time to pull”
2. Advertisement/ Promo/ Media
Commercial A: A business man running out of gas, steps out to fills Xplosion in car, &
gets there before the meeting ready to go. “Time is Ticking”
Commercial B: Every worker in the office is dragging with low energy on Monday,
knowing it is the most demanding day of the week, sleepy they sit waiting for the
craziness to begin, bet before they clock in they decide to crack open a bomb, next thing
you know people are running around office like animals. “It’s a sleepy world out there be
ready for the war, grab a bomb”
5. Notepads- These are for the corporate world to sit on desk, as a daily visual reminder
and stimulus to go purchase a bomb.
6. Samples- Handed out to major corporate giants- to help promote
4.3 Assessing the value of the brand to the company
Into. We will use the brand value chain structure to assets the future value. Our
marketing program is the first investment that contributes to the brand value development.
We can measure the success of our marketing program based on clarity, relevance,
distinctiveness and consistency. "Got bombed"
Next value stage is the customer mind-set, which shows how our customer’s
minds have been changed, or altered as a result of our marketing program. As mentioned
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in the CBBE pyramid, brand awareness is the key for customers to recall and recognize
the brand. We can measure the consumer’s awareness based on the level of purchasing
frequency. We can also measure it on brand activity which is the extent that our
customers talk to other about our brand, seek brand information and share stories via
social networks and our website.
Next value stage is market performance, where we can measure how our
customers respond to price premiums and elasticity’s. Once our customers have
experienced Xplosion we forecast inelastic responses to price increases.
The final stage in the brand value chain is the financial outcome of the three
previous value stages. The reason being, the shareholder value gives us a measurable,
concrete figure in order to assess the value of our brand, such as: stock price, P/E ratio,
market growth, profit margin, ROA, & Market Book Value.
4.4 Brand’s architecture, hierarchy, & brand portfolio
Brand name: Xplosion
In order to maximize brand equity we plan to expand out brand portfolio and maximize
out channel distribution strategy.
Hierarchy: Xplosive Brand
The basic principle in designing a brand portfolio is to maximize market coverage so that
no potential customers are being ignored, but minimize brand overlap so that brands
aren’t competing amongst themselves to gain the same customers approval. Each brand
should have a distinct target market and positioning.
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1. Line: TNT Rejuvenation fruity, healthy, balance with minerals & vitamins
O-Bomb (orange), Passion Bomb (passion fruit), Lemon Bomb, Cherry Bomb
2. Line: TNT Performance build on many levels of strength
Low Fusion, High Fusion, Violent Fusion, Nuclear Fusion
3. Line: TNT Liquid Weapon Mixology specials with alcohols (vodka/ malt)
Hand Grenade, Shooter, Mine Bomb, Booby Trap, Locked & Loaded, Bomb Tini
CHANNELS EXPANSION TO OTHER Packaging can be humorous- as in “warning
if drunken may lead to supper strength” Marketing to UFC fights
CHANNELS POINT OF DIFFERENCE A workshops would be ran by Xplosion
representatives who will explain the benefits, and how it can help “people like them”
further succeed. The first message, of our new brand would be: “Your time is valuable,
so don’t waste it, manage it with Xplosion”.
CHANNELS CO- BRANDING With other alcohol distributers such, the brand
Absolute, to create a new ABSOLUTE BOMB. Bottle would change, ect .
5. Brand Management
5.1 Performance assessment
One way we plan to measure our brands performance is based on Positivity and
Strength:
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Positive
Ideal place
Weak Strong
Negative
Under the STRENGTH measure, we consider the following weak factors that would
place Xplosion on the weak axis:
If after half a year of exposure on the market a few people know about it
If people cannot recall the name
If people have mixed ideas/ messages about what the brand purpose is
The opposite of the above-mentioned weak factors would place Xplosion on the strong
axis.
Under the POSITIVITY measure, we consider the following negative factors that would
place Xplosion on the negative axis:
If people are more inclined to complain rather than praise (negative WOM)
If they focus more on what’s wrong rather than what is good about the brand
If advertising campaigns don’t help
The opposite of the above-mentioned negative factors would place Xplosion on the
positive axis.
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5.2 Growth Strategy
1. WOM/ Testimonies on Website
‘Xplosive Innovation Lab’ people can comment on existing & add their own
input on future development
‘Bomb of the Day’ Online customers can share their experiences, and that
helped them achieve a specific task, find out about other corporate events held by the
company, see the apps that simplify the lifestyle for the working world and making time
management an easy to do.
2. External Events
‘Bomb Challenge’ Vegas/ Big city event showcasing mixology winners and
new recipes
‘Corporate Xdrenaline’ Corporate event that highlights up-and- coming
companies, exceptional new techniques, highly usable Apps, and the importance of
(mineral, vitamin, & sleep) rejuvenation for corporate efficiency and productivity.
‘Xplosive Bar’ Corporate evening event that is executed by a corporate
entity, however Xplosion partly sponsor
