How to make a brand platform + Examples

In increasingly competitive markets, a company’s success depends primarily on its marketing strategy. Multi-national, start-up or SME, the creation of a brand platform represents the essential element of an efficient and coherent corporate communication. This reference document summarizes the DNA of the brand: mission, values, history, positioning and codes…

But in concrete terms, what is a brand platform? And how do you create it? In this article, you will discover :

• The definition of a brand platform
• The different stages of creating a brand platform
• Examples of branded platforms to identify best practices.

What is a brand platform?

To ensure their success and differentiate themselves from the competition, brands must define many elements such as their history, their codes and values, or their visual identity.
Faced with this strategic reality, many companies are embarking on the creation of a brand platform. But, what does this notion mean?

The brand platform is a document containing all the strategic information of a brand. This defines the guidelines for the company in terms of communication and marketing actions to be implemented. Accessible to employees and collaborators, the brand platform clarifies the vision, objectives, identity, brand image, positioning…
This list is not exhaustive. In order for the brand platform to be relevant and to allow the development of a global communication strategy, it is imperative that it contains all important information:

• Putting forward a clear brand identity
• Promote the brand’s DNA and values
• Define the storytelling, the visual identity, the editorial strategy, the approach on social networks…

Creating a brand platform: why is it important?

The brand platform allows the employees of a company to have a clear vision of the brand positioning. All parties will thus be able to implement coherent actions, in accordance with what is defined there.
The creation of a brand platform is also necessary if a company works with service providers or partners. By centralizing the company’s main lines of communication for external people, this reference document guarantees the homogeneity of marketing actions. The elaboration of a clear brand platform, at the service of the company’s communication, requires asking the right questions:

• The company’s positioning
• The target
• Expertise and legitimacy
• Competitors and differentiators

Through these questions, companies are able to identify the strengths of their brand identity.

Brand platform and brand identity

Determining a company’s brand identity is like defining its DNA: what makes it different from its competitors, what makes it unique and recognizable. According to Jean-Noël Kapferer, it is based on 6 elements: physical, relational, reflection, personality, culture and mentalization. To illustrate this idea, Coca-Cola is the perfect example:

• Physical: bottle, the color red
• Relationship: proximity, connection
• Reflection: youth, creativity, family
• Personality: generosity, sharing
• Culture: happiness, the American dream
• Mentalisation: community and consumer membership

The brand platform allows us to synthesize all the elements of the brand identity: history, vision, values, positioning, promise, visual identity, tone, etc.

Building a brand platform: steps to follow

Creating a brand platform starts with defining five strategic pieces of information:

• Vision: the company’s ideas on the sector of activity concerned.
• Mission: the means used to achieve the defined objectives.
• Promise: the added value of the product or service.
• Values: the commitments and rules that guide the company’s operations
• Style: all the visual elements that give an indication of the brand’s personality

Let’s take an example of a brand platform with the Evian water brand:

• Their vision: to ensure the good health of consumers through water
• The mission: well-being
• Promise: source of youth
• Values: naturalness, purity, transparency
• Style: clean, always accompanied by the mountains to highlight the source of the water

Analyze the brand’s environment

To take the right approach, companies can conduct interviews. By exchanging with customers, it is possible to gather objective information on what is being implemented, but also on the image of the brand perceived by consumers.
These exchanges have several advantages for brands:

• Refine the target
• Understanding the market position
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the offer
• Analyze perception

In order to carry out these exchanges, you must take into account the subject, the sector of activity, the size of the company, the offer, the target… Everything must be personalized.
A brand’s positioning and strategy is refined through a competitive analysis, also known as a competitive benchmark. The creation of a mapping can also be a solution to apprehend all the actors (graphic representation composed of two axes defined in order to locate the positioning of the various competitors on the market).

Conducting an audit

To develop a brand platform, it is necessary to take stock of the existing elements: the offer, the target, the competition, all the visuals, a SWOT analysis with strengths and weaknesses. This audit allows you to create a comprehensive and effective brand platform from the very first communication actions.

Writing content

After gathering all the essential information to build a brand image, it is necessary to proceed with the writing. Synthesizing this data requires integrating the storytelling, values and visions of the company. The use of a brand platform template is possible. However, the person(s) responsible for writing the brand platform must customize its content to the company.

Broadcast

Once finalized, the brand platform will be distributed internally. Employees should be the first to have access to it. The goal is for the brand platform to become their bible: it will guide not only their decision making, but also all the communication and marketing actions to be implemented.

Creating a brand platform can really transform a business, provided it is done right. Our communication agency Alioze is at your disposal to help you create your brand platform and ensure the success of your brand strategy.

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