Tue 1 Apr 2008
strong brands in a weak economy
Posted by timezoneone under Brands, The School of the Art Institute

The excellent book Value Creation: The Power of Brand Equity by William Neal and Ron Strauss dives deep in to the importance of a brand and makes some very valuable points, especially in the current economic climate – with revenues under pressure a powerful brand offers you additional levels of protection. The book discusses how a brand is a defensible long-term asset a company owns. Competitors can quickly replicate product or service performance; they can meet or beat prices; they can enter channels and markets freely. But your competitors cannot quickly build the confidence of your consumers and clients. And therein lies the value of a brand.
A successful brand reduces uncertainty among buyers, employees, suppliers, investors and other stakeholders. It offers trust and confidence – just what is needed in the current market. So with the economy wobbling a strong brand is a very good asset to have on your side. Speaking of strong brands, we are just updating a beautiful communication piece for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The ‘Roadshow’ brochure (see visual) which was developed last year helps communicate to perspective students the creativity and ethos of the School. It is excellent brand building work like this that has played a big part in growing the enrollment numbers. Congratulations to Maryann and Jonathan at the SAIC for having a strong vision for the SAIC brand and message.
Written by Richard Tattershaw


April 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 am
Richard,
Thanks for the review. There is more information at www.newvaluecreation.com. If you or anyone else wants to discuss the book or ask questions, contact me wdneal@sdr-consulting.com or contact Ron Strauss rstrauss@brand-zone.com.