SU 6: Brand Contact Planning

Question 1

*What is brand contact planning

Answer 1

In order for all the parts of the ecosystem to operate effectively, the brand message communicated at every contact point has to reflect the same ‘reason for being’. The role and efficacy of brand contact points are decided by those experiencing them.

Question 2

*What is the role that touch points play

Answer 2

Firstly, all points of contact must be recognised as being vital to the communication and experience of the brand.

Secondly, brand contact points are not always controllable.

Thirdly, contact points change constantly and must be continuously monitored and evaluated

Question 3

*What steps should be followed when constructing a brand wheel

Answer 3

• Audit: identify all the ways in which external stakeholders come into contact with the brand, example, the annual report or social media advertising
• Map: list the internal teams responsible for each touch point, example, corporate communication departments or marketing departments
• Assemble: organize the touch points by groups or function and put together a wheel with the brand at the center and the different groups or functions as spokes radiating out
• Evaluate: assess the experience the brand delivers at each touch point by collecting data from consumers, employees, social media comments
• Prioritise: decide which touch points have the most impact on expectations and experiences and require immediate focus
• Act: develop an action plan to optimize and leverage the most important touch points and do regular research to monitor performance and progress

Question 4

*What are the stages of a consumer communication journey

Answer 4

• awareness: consumers saw an advertisement and are now aware of the brand
• consideration: consumer considers or decides between two products of the brand
• purchase: consumer purchases the brand
• retention: the brand uses after marketing activities such as emailing the customer after purchase
• advocacy: customer loves the brand and posts about it on their social media

Question 5

*Brand messaging needs to be consistent across all contact points. The messaging will be driven by 4 key considerations.

Answer 5

• the brand positioning
• the target market profiling
• the competitive frame of reference and brand gap
• the systemic nature of the brand ecosystem within which the brand lives

Question 6

*What are the required characteristics of brand messaging

Answer 6

congruent, connected, credible and confident

Question 7

*Stakeholders will neither resonate with nor respect a brand that communicates and contacts them in a way that creates _____

Answer 7

confusion, contradicts, distrust, skepticism