James Everhart - Brand Vision: The Clear Line of Sight Aligning Business Strategy and Marketing Tactics

Brand Vision

Brand Vision

The Clear Line of Sight Aligning Business Strategy and Marketing Tactics

Jim Everhart

Brand Vision:
The Clear Line of Sight Aligning Business Strategy and Marketing Tactics

Copyright Business Expert Press, LLC, 2022.

Cover design by Divya Pidaparti

Interior design by Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd., Chennai, India

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations, not to exceed 400 words, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First published in 2022 by

Business Expert Press, LLC

222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017

www.businessexpertpress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-173-4 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-174-1 (e-book)

Business Expert Press Marketing Collection

Collection ISSN: 2169-3978 (print)

Collection ISSN: 2169-3986 (electronic)

First edition: 2022

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Celeste.
My muse, past, present, and always.

Description

In a global survey of more than four thousand senior executives, consulting firm PwC found that 80 percent of the respondents admitted that few of their associates understood their companys corporate strategy. And even that figure is wildly optimistic. According to research reported in the Harvard Business Review, 95 percent of a companys employees, on average, are unaware of or do not understand its strategy.

Brand Vision: The Clear Line of Sight Aligning Business Strategy and Marketing Tactics hopes to change that by offering simple, easily implemented tools connecting a companys marketing program to its business strategy. Its based on a critical premise: that, rather than merely a series of aesthetic decisions on typography and graphics, marketing can be a powerful force that helps a company communicate its strategy. Not just externally, but internally as well.

The author has covered this territory for more than four decades, working as a strategist, creative director, and writer for one of the countrys largest business-to-business advertising agencies. He has worked with large international companies to develop marketing campaigns and programs from social media, search, e-mail, and websites to more traditional print advertising and direct marketing. He knows this territory well.

The author developed and honed these tools in countless presentations to clients, using them to help companies define their business strategy, understand their audiences, develop creative that captivates and engages, create high-impact campaigns, and measure the success of their efforts.

The author looks forward to sharing these tools with both marketing professionals and corporate executives who want their business strategies to come alive in their marketing.

Brand Vision combines Seth Godins elegant thinking, Guerrilla Marketings straightforward simplicity, and Blue Ocean Strategys revolutionary approach.

Keywords

brand vision; strategic messaging; messaging strategy; brand messaging; marketing messaging; strategic branding; brand strategy; marketing strategy; pyramid messaging; brand marketing; strategic marketing; corporate strategy; communications strategy; integrated marketing; marketing integration; brand integration; marketing strategy; business strategy; marketing ROI; marketing results; marketing return on investment

Contents

The tone is perfectI feel so relaxed even as the author is bullet-pointing my EXACT pain points. Its like this book was written exactly for my company AND my role right now. Every time I turned the page I found myself saying YES! Exactly! This book is a treasure.Bridget Reilly, VP of Content for Authentication, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

I dont think Ive ever read a marketing book that took such a complex topic and made it easy to follow. I find it to be extremely relevant to today. Theres always going to be a new social media platform or digital space to play in, but thats not whats relevant. This book gives the blueprint for relevance. Everything is laid out so clearly, Im not sure how a marketer operating today would not find it tremendously useful. I really loved every bit of it. I also loved all the stories. They jumped out and Im sure anyone who works in any company anywhere can identify with them. Im going to make it required readingand practicefor my two newbies.Nancy DeZarn, Senior Marketing Manager, JLG Industries

Really well done! It is thoughtful, to the point, and instructive for marketing practitioners like me as well as all marketing stakeholders. I like it a lot!Larry Foy, Marketing Director, Bosch Rexroth

A list of tactics is not a comprehensive strategy! If you are looking for an approach to help you define all the aspects of having a strong approach to business strategy down into the marketing funnel, Jim Everhart deftly guides you through the interlocking world of the pyramid. Its easier than you thought to have a strong foundation, connecting the dots across audiences and channels and making sure your marketing campaign is effective!Lynne M. Demers-Hunt, Divisional Marketing Communications Director, Fenner Precision Polymers

B2B marketing professionals are increasingly under pressure to deliver measurable results. Not clicks, impressions, MQLs, but genuine revenue attribution. The first step in that process is understanding your audience, your markets, your value proposition, etc. and then tailoring your creative and your messaging accordingly. Whats especially unique about Brand Vision is that not only has Jim offered several personal examples and diagrams to make these concepts sticky, but hes actually provided several useful templates, too, which makes this book immediately actionable.Lance Baird, Ringleader, RIVET, Demand Generation for Industrial Markets

Brand Vision is the roadmap Ive been waiting for. And its just plain fun to have such a knowledgeable and companiable guide as Jim Everhart to lead the journey. Finally, I can see it! This book is PRICELESS! Thank you, Jim!Catharine Oakes Hollenbach, Runningpump Marketing

I want to thank my family, of course, for putting up with me during the writing process. Ben, Tina, and Kiran; Blake, Rachel, and Connor. And, of course, my wife Celeste.

Id like to thank my intrepid band of reviewers, Larry Foy, Nancy Carl, Lynne Demers-Hunt, Lance Baird, Bridget Reilly, and Catharine Oakes Hollenbach for their comments and honest criticism. They often say how important reviewers are, and writers often nod in agreement, but forge ahead solo. That has been my practice all too often in the past but wont be in the future. Honestly, I took every one of their comments to heart. And though I may not have done exactly as they suggested, I made substantive revisions as a result. Thanks to all.

Id also like to thank the hundreds or even thousands of clients, coworkers, and collaborators who have worked with me in the decades of my writing, publishing, advertising, production, and marketing career. I have always marveled at the intelligence and creativity of the people who work in these spheres. They have helped me become a better writer and strategist.