You spend lots of time and energy (and dollars) on creating the perfect look for your organization. Now what? Just because you have a fancy logo doesn’t mean others are listening! Your organization’s brand must be a package deal – looks, communication and measurement. Learn the importance of identifying your brand voice and engaging others in your conversation. Learn the dos and dont's of brand strategy and how to answer the “what next?” question after your look is set. Get everyone in your organization on board with what you stand for as a company, as a brand. Get real strategies, real examples, real tips to implement in your own organization.

1. Practitioners Symposium and
TECH+ Conference
Session 38: “Brand is Not a Logo: How to Communicate
Your True Brand”
Monday, June 11, 3:45 p.m. – 5:25 p.m.
Melissa Harrison, CEO, Allée

2. Melissa Harrison is founder and CEO of Allée, a strategic
marketing, PR and branding firm in the Twin Cities. She has
more than a decade of experience delivering strategic marketing
solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, member-based
organizations and nonprofits. Melissa’s areas of expertise
include content management and strategy, branding, graphic
design, PR and social media. She has a passion for driving
results and creating meaningful messages.
Melissa’s recent eBook,Stop Selling: A Content Marketing
Guidewas published in 2011 as a starter guide for organizations
to kick-off their content marketing strategies and promote their
brands through engagement and conversation. Melissa is a
former Board member for Minnesota Women in Marketing and
Communications, the community manager for
LinkedMinnesota’s B2B Subgroup on LinkedIn and a guest
brand and marketing blogger for Patch.com. Follow Melissa on
Twitter @alleecreative.

3. The Importance of Branding
Do you consider a logo to be the main focus of a
company brand?
• 37% of small to medium sized businesses answered “yes”
• 32% see branding as only relevant to large businesses
37%
Source: Tomorrow
People, LinkedIn survey
The Association for Accounting Marketing

4. Brand is MUCH more than a logo
We’re a visual society
We’re also critical and apprehensive about “shiny
objects”
Think strategy first, design second
• Link your brand and design to overall value proposition
• Always remember your business strategy and goals
The Association for Accounting Marketing

5. Remember: It’s What’s Inside that Counts
The Association for Accounting Marketing

6. Project-Based Branding Wastes Time, Money
and Resources
Challenges:
• One-off design
• Design before strategy
• Design before content
• Missed consistency
• Confusion to clients and
customers
The Association for Accounting Marketing

7. Developing Brand Strategy
The Association for Accounting Marketing

8. Develop the Answers to the Following:
Culture
People
Service
Value Proposition
**Know when it’s truly time for a
change vs. being too close to the
“inside” to acknowledge when
things are/are not working.
The Association for Accounting Marketing

9. Examples
The Association for Accounting Marketing

10. Examples
The Association for Accounting Marketing

11. Establishing Your Brand
Who are you today?
What is your value?
What is your mission?
Who are your
customers?
Activity:
Branding Questionnaire
The Association for Accounting Marketing

12. Brand Voice and Brand Statements
The Association for Accounting Marketing

13. What is a Brand Statement or Brand Voice?
Tone
Personality
Confidence
Trust
Value
“Identity, persona, essence and promise, are
the new kings and queens of the branding
kingdom, thanks to technology and the
deeper connections it opens up between
brands and consumers.”
- Brian Solis
The Association for Accounting Marketing

14. Example
The Association for Accounting Marketing

15. Creating Your Message
Consistency
Client needs
Solution to
problem
The Association for Accounting Marketing

16. Mini Case Study Example
The Association for Accounting Marketing

17. Activity: What is your brand voice?
Think: Tone and Personality
The Association for Accounting Marketing

18. Tools
The Association for Accounting Marketing

19. Using a Full Integration of Tools to
Communicate Your Brand
Offline Online
• Brand ambassadors • Brand ambassadors
• Newsletters • Social media
• Events • Website
• Networking • Blogs
• Customer Service • Video
• E-newsletters
• Surveys
• Apps
Activity:
Tools Wish List
The Association for Accounting Marketing

20. Brand Measurement
The Association for Accounting Marketing

21. Tools for Measurement and Consistency
Google Alerts
Google Analytics
Third-Party Monitoring Services
SproutSocial
SocialMention
Radian6
Organic Search
Content Calendars
The Association for Accounting Marketing

22. Content Calendars
The Association for Accounting Marketing

23. Mini Case Study Example
The Association for Accounting Marketing

24. Protecting Your Reputation
Monitor
Respond
Personalize
The Association for Accounting Marketing

25. The Future of Branding
User Interface
User Experience
Analytics
Relevancy
Differentiation
It’s Anyone’s Game
The Association for Accounting Marketing

26. Consider the Following:
Does your company’s branding fit with your overall
marketing strategies?
• Are you stuck behind a so-so logo, website or other visual materials
that aren’t reaching the right audience? Do you have a set value
proposition and brand voice? If asked, could you talk about your
brand statement and goals?
Is your current visual brand identity (logo, website,
social media sites) created for ROI?
• Your visual branding should be appealing to your customer base; it
shouldn’t be designed for you. Evaluate your brand’s look and
assess if it’s “speaking” for you and attracting the right clients.
What can you do (or do you want to do) to gain more
from your company’s current brand?
• Your brand should be working for you to bring in new business and
foster current relationships.
The Association for Accounting Marketing

27. Resources
The Association for Accounting Marketing

28. Questions and Discussion
The Association for Accounting Marketing

29. Thank You!
Connect with me:
melissa@alleecreative.com
www.alleecreative.com
(612) 964-7144
facebook.com/alleecreative
twitter.com/alleecreative
alleecreative.com/blog
The Association for Accounting Marketing