Why are corporate brands becoming more important than ever?

Corporate branding is a top-of-mind issue for executives everywhere for at least six reasons: 1) increasing communications costs; 2) fragmenting channels; 3) emerging technology, including Web 2.0 tools; 4) collapsing product development cycles; 5) liberalization; and, 6) globalization.

The first driver of corporate branding - increasing costs - is easy to understand. It's getting increasingly expensive to regularly and effectively communicate using traditional channels. A strong corporate brand reduces the required frequency of communications, and therefore cost.

Fragmenting is much harder to understand. The number of media and communication channels has dramatically increased. A few years ago, media fragmentation was the result of the introduction of cable television, a jump in radio broadcasters, the proliferation of lifestyle and niche-market publications, and the mainstream emergence of new non-traditional channels, such as events, public relations, and early online branding initiatives. Determining which one or what mix would work for you was becoming a complex challenge.

As it turns out, the complexity has multiplied exponentially. Today, brand managers have even more choices, thanks to the relentless march of technology. Blogs, Podcasts, online video, and social networks are competing for bigger slices of communications budgets.

Technology and the rapid growth of Web 2.0 tolls have had three principal effects on brand building. First, they have empowered consumers because they can quickly compare prices and notes and seek out alternative suppliers over the Internet. But second, they have also made it much easier to stay in touch with customers and to measure their satisfaction with products and services.

Third, technology and Web 2.0 have also increased pressure to engage customers interactively, frequently, and meaningfully because they make it easier for everyone to communicate. As a result, brands must work smarter and harder at distinguishing themselves from competitors.

Cycle times are getting easier and easier to benchmark, and shorter and shorter at the same time. Incrementally improved products like digital cameras are introduced in as little as every six weeks. Which means there's simply no time to develop product brands. The success of these products depends, therefore, substantially on the manufacturer's capacity to leverage a strong corporate brand known for such things as quality, innovation - and excitement.

Then we have liberalization and globalization. Liberalization means more competition everywhere, putting pressure on margins and raising the specter of commoditization, whether you sell air conditioners or advertising. Globalization forces us to compete at standards dictated by global market leaders, not just the local competition. At the same time liberalization is exerting that margin pressure, limiting resources that can be allocated to developing world-class products and communicating their value.

Strong corporate brands are a principal longevity tool for companies that want to avoid the trap of commoditization and competition based on price. And companies that want to differentiate their products and services from their fast-benchmarking competition. Research shows that companies that build and sustain strong corporate brands by leveraging non-traditional communication channels - and increasingly Web 2.0 tools - are clearly the most successful in achieving recall in their principal markets.

TeamAsia will present international corporate brand and strategic marketing communications authority Michael Alan Hamlin in a one-day strategic branding workshop. The workshop will focus on developing, building, and communicating a strategic corporate brand with special emphasis on non-traditional communication channels and Web 2.0, including events, public relations, and digital marketing communications.

What will you gain?

• See how industry leaders leverage strong corporate brands to dominate industries characterized by strong competitors
• Acquire an understanding of how building a strong brand can insulate your company from cost pressures leading to commoditization
• Learn how to maximize return on resources devoted to corporate brand building
• Learn how to distinguish your brand from the competition in a meaningful, relevant way
• Examine how the world's leading brands evolve their corporate brands to provide consistency and relevance despite shifting values, practices, and needs
• Adopt the mindset of a strategic brand expert with a limited budget, a successful brand, and severe competitive pressure
• Examine how industry leaders are leverage Web 2.0 tools to increase their visibility, interact with customers, and build recall

Who should attend:

Senior Brand Managers, Sales and Marketing Executives, Marketing VP's and AVP's, and other C-Level Executives