Brand Plans

Brand plan includes the vision, purpose, goals, analysis,
key issues, strategies, execution plans and measurements
How to build
a brand plan
Beloved Brands Training Files

beloved
brands
Strategic
Thinking
Brand Plans
Marketing
Execution
Brand Plan Brand
Positioning
What
consumers
want
What your
competitor
does best
What
your brand
does best
Winning
Analyze
performance
Our brand playbook methodology focuses
brand leaders on driving brand growth

“Planning is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A. A. Milne
“Planning is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A. A. Milne

We help brands find growth.
We make brand leaders smarter.beloved
brands
How to write Brand Plans
You will learn:
✓ How to use 5 strategic questions as an outline for your entire plan

✓ How to write an inspirational brand vision statement to frame your
brand plan

✓ How to come up with a brand purpose and brand values

✓ How to summarize your brand’s situation analysis

✓ How to map out the key issues your brand faces

✓ How to write smart, brand strategy objective statements

✓ How to focus tactics to ensure a high return on effort

✓ How to write specific execution plans for brand communications,
innovation, and in-store

✓ How to do a profit statement, sales forecast, goals, and marketing
budget for your plan

✓ Ideal one-page brand formats for annual brand plan and long-
range strategic roadmap
Brand Plans

brands
Build a brand plan to help you make smart focused decisions, so you
can organize, steer, and inspire your team towards higher growth
2
4
31 Strategic questions to help
frame the Key Issues
5
Drivers and inhibitors currently facing
brand. Risks and opportunities for future.
Deep-dive Business Review looks
at every area of the brand
• Market: Macro view, economic indicators,
consumer behavior, technology, political
• Consumer: Target, buying habits, trends,
consumer enemies, key insights
• Channels: growth channels, major
customers, available tools and programs
• Competitors: Performance, positioning,
innovation, pricing, distribution, perceptions.
• Brand: Funnel, reputation, tracking results,
pricing, distribution, ﬁnancial analysis.
Drivers Inhibitors
Factors of strength or
inertia that accelerate
your brand’s growth.
Weaknesses or
friction slows brand
down, leak to fix.
Opportunities Threats
Changing consumer
needs, technologies,
channels, legal.
Competitor launch,
trade barriers,
customer preference.
What is the core strength
your brand can win on?
How tightly connected is your
consumer to your brand?
What is your current
competitive position?
What is the current business
situation your brand faces?
3
1
4
Use “where are we” questions to uncover
answers that frame the overall Brand Plan.
Lay out
elements of
the Brand
Plan, on one
page and in
a formal
presentation
2

brands
Before you start your Brand Plan, map out your strategic
thinking with 5 simple strategic questions
1. Where could we be?
2. Where are we?
3. Why are we here?
4. How can we get there?
5. What do we need to do?
Vision/Purpose/Goals
Analysis
Key Issues
Strategies
Execution & Measures
Questions to ask Planning Elements
1
2
3
4
5 6

brands
5 strategic questions worksheet
1. Where could we be?
• To be the first ‘healthy cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity and sales of a mainstream cookie.
• Make Gray’s a $100 Million brand by 2020.
• Want double digit annual growth rates.
2. Where are we?
• Successful launch into the mass market, but time to transition Gray’s from a product-led brand into an idea-led brand
• Need to connect with consumers by owning idea of “guilt free” snacking, rather than just selling a great tasting cookie.
• Begin to dominate and lead the “good for you” cookie segment
3. Why are we here?
• We have not ﬁgured out the priority choice for growth: ﬁnd new users or drive usage frequency among loyalists.
• We need to drive our awareness and share needs for Gray’s.
• There is a high risk of ‘healthy cookie’ launches from Pepperidge Farms and Nabisco?
4. How can we get there?
• Continue to attract new users to Gray’s
• Focus investment on driving awareness and trial with new consumers and building a presence at retail.
• Build defense plan against new entrants that defends with consumers and at store level.
5. What do we need to do?
• Use awareness to drive trial of the new Grays Cookies as “The Healthy Choice to Snacking” brand positioning.
• Use in-store and event sampling to drive trial of the new Grays Cookies
• Leverage key results, planogram recommendations and in-store specialty store merchandising team
First step in planning is to answer these 5 questions with 2-3 bullet points
for each line, providing an outline to ensure flow for the overall plan.
1
2
3
4
5
5 questions provide a strategic outline for the plan

brands
Analysis Issues and Strategies Execution Plans
P&L forecast
• Sales $30,385
• Gross Margin $17,148
• GM % 56%
• Marketing Budget $8,850
• Contribution Margin $6,949
• CM% 23%
Drivers
• Taste drives a high conversion of Trial to
Purchase
• Strong Listings in Food Channels
• Exceptional brand health scores among Early
Adopters. Highly Beloved Brand among niche.
Inhibitors
• Low familiar yet to turn our sales into loyalty
• Awareness held back due to weak Advertising
• Low distribution at specialty stores. Poor
coverage.
• Low Purchase Frequency among most loyal.
Risks
• Launch of Mainstream cookie brands
(Pepperidge Farms and Nabisco).
• De-listing 2 weakest skus weaken in-store
presence
• Legal challenge to taste claims
Opportunities
• R&D has 5 new flavors in development.
• Sales Broker create gains at Specialty Stores
• Explore social media to convert loyal following.
Key Issues
1. What’s the priority choice for growth: find new
users or drive usage frequency among
loyalists?
2. Where should the investment/resources focus
and deployment be to drive our awareness
and share needs for Gray’s?
3. How will we defend Gray’s against the
proposed Q1 2014 ‘healthy cookie’ launches
from Pepperidge Farms and Nabisco?
Strategies
1. Continue to attract new users to Gray’s
2. Focus investment on driving awareness and
trial with new consumers and building a
presence at retail.
3. Build defense plan against new entrants that
defends with consumers and at store level.
Goals
• Increase penetration from 10% to 12%,
specifically up from 15% to 20% with the core
target. Monitor usage frequency among the
most loyal to ensure it stays steady.
• Increase awareness from 33% to 42%,
specifically up from 45% to 50% within the
core target. Drive trial from 15% to 20%. Focus
for sales to close distribution from 62% to 72%.
• Hold dollar share during competitive launches
and continue to grow 11% post launch gaining
up to 1.2% share. Target zero losses at shelf.
Advertising
• Use awareness to drive trial of the new Grays.
Target “Proactive Preventers”. Suburban
working women, 35-40.Main Message of “great
tasting cookie without the guilt, so you can stay
in control of your health”. Media includes 15
second TV, specialty health magazines, event
signage, digital and social media
Sampling
• Drive trial with In-store sampling at grocery,
Costco, health food stores and event sampling
at fitness, yoga, women’s networking, new
moms.
Distribution
• Support Q4 retail blitz with message focused
on holding shelf space during the competitive
launches. Q2 specialty blitz to grow distribution
at key specialty stores.
Innovation
• Launch two new flavours in Q4/15 & Q4/16.
Explore diet claims, motivating and own-able.
Competitive Defense Plan
• Pre Launch sales blitz to shore up all
distribution gaps. At launch, heavy
merchandising, locking up key ad dates,
BOGO. TV, print, coupons, in-store sampling.
• Use sales story that any new “healthy” cookies
should displace under-performing and
declining unhealthy cookies.
Brand Vision: To be the first ‘healthy cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity and sales of a mainstream cookie. $100 Million brand by 2020.
Analysis
Brand Vision
Strategies
Execution
Key Issues
Goals
1
5
4
3
2
5
Forecast
6
Annual Brand Plan

An inspiring business vision,
should scare you a little,
but excite you a lot!
An inspiring brand vision,
should scare you a little,
but excite you a lot!

brands
How to build a vision statement
Vision is the end-in-mind achievement, when you will be fully satisfied
What do you want the brand to become? Challenge yourself to think 10 years out: if you became this one
thing, you would know that you are successful and completely satisfied. Ideally it is Qualitative (yet grounded
in something) and quantitative (measurable). It should be motivating and enticing to get people focused.
An inspiring vision should scare you a little, but excite you a lot.
Things that make a good vision:
1. Should last 5-10 years or more, helps paint a picture of where could we be.
2. Emotional and motivating for all employees and partners to understand and rally around.
3. Describe the dream you have, what you feel, hear, think, say and do
4. Said in plain words and may already be a common phrase within the company.
5. Balance between aspiration (stretch) and reality (achievement)
The watch outs for vision statements:
1. It is not a positioning statement
2. Make sure we haven’t achieved it already
3. Don’t put strategic statements. It is not the “how”.
4. Try to be single minded. Keep tightening it. Do not include everything!!!

brands
Examples of vision statements to inspire you
Princess
Margaret
Hospital
To conquer
cancer in
our lifetime.
Amazon
Be the world’s most
customer-centric company.
Ikea
Create a better
everyday life for
the many people.
Honda
Be the company that
society wants to exist
Patagonia
Build the best product,
cause no unnecessary
harm and use
business to inspire
Dove
A world where beauty
is a source of
conﬁdence, not anxiety.
Waze
Help people work
together to improve the
quality of everyone's
daily driving.
Disney
Make people happy
John F. Kennedy
"I believe that this nation should commit
itself to achieving a goal, before this
decade is out, of landing a man on the
moon and returning him safely to earth."
Ferrari
Italian excellence that
makes the world dream
Volvo
Nobody should die
or be seriously
injured in a Volvo.

brands
How to structure your own thinking for your vision
Princess Margaret Hospital
To conquer cancer in our lifetime.
Amazon: Be the world’s most
customer-centric company.
Ikea: Create a better everyday
life for the many people.
Honda: Be the company that
society wants to exist
Patagonia: Build the best
product, cause no unnecessary
harm and use business to inspire
Dove: A world where beauty is a
source of conﬁdence, not anxiety.
Waze: Help people work together to improve
the quality of everyone's daily driving.
Disney: Make people happy
John F. Kennedy: ”I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving a
goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him
safely to earth."
Ferrari: Italian excellence that
makes the world dream
Volvo: Nobody should die or be
seriously injured in a Volvo.
What is your
pursuit in life?
What is your
purpose?
What is your
personal belief?
How can you
make the future
better?
What is your
dream?
What would leave
you completely
satisfied?

brands
Paint the perfect picture of your brand in the future,
that helps answer “where could we be?”
To be a visionary, you must be able
to visualize the future.
Imagine it is 5 or 10 years from now. You wake up in an
amazing mood. Think about your personal life and your
business, and start to imagine the ideal of what you want.
Visualize your perfect future of what has you in such a good
mood and write down the most important things you want to
achieve, and begin brainstorming a vision for the future.
As you answer, imagine language choices that will inspire,
lead and steer your team towards that vision.

brands
Questions to think about as you paint your perfect
picture of the future
Imagine an ideal future for your
brand, describe situation to answer:
1. What is your future revenue or market share?
2. Describe the future culture of your company.
3. What do you want people to be saying about your
brand?
4. What do your own people find motivating about
working on your brand?
5. How do you want a customer to describe their
experience with your brand?
6. Name some of the future accomplishments that
would make you proud.
7. What do you do better than anyone else on the
planet?
8. Name something out-of-the-box that would make
people talk about your brand.

brands
Questions to think about as you paint your perfect
picture of the future
What is your pursuit in life?
What is your purpose?
What is your personal belief?
How can you make the future better?
What is your dream?
What would leave you completely satisfied?

brands
Brand Vision
To be the first ‘healthy cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity and sales
of a mainstream cookie. Make Gray’s a $100 Million brand by 2020.
Our purpose
At Gray’s, our purpose is to give people the cookie they will never feel guilty
about eating. We know healthy can taste great.
2016 Goals
Example how to frame your vision, purpose and goals
Goals 2019 2020 Comments
Sales $27.5M $30.38M 11% growth rate
Share 0.8% 1.2% New triple chocolate 0.5% share
Distribution 62% 72% Increase coming mainly from fixing specialty.
Awareness 33% 42% Below norm, 80% among niche, < 20% overall
Purchase 10% 12% Brand promise & sampling helps drive trial.
Repeat 4% 5% High quality Taste converts high repeat

brands
How to build a purpose-driven beloved brand
The
Purpose
of a
Beloved
Brand
13
4
2
Consumers
need it
Builds a beloved
branded business
Core values
of team
Love what
you do

brands
Model for finding your brand purpose
Consumers
need it
Helps build a
loved brand
Core
values of
team
Love what
you do
Exceptional
execution to
become your
consumer’s
favorite brand
Build around a
unique, own-able
and motivating
Big Idea
Inspire a values
driven culture to
deliver happy
experiences
The
Purpose
of a
Beloved
Brand
A
BC
D
Focus on
building a tight
relationship with
consumers
“I love it” is the highest bar for great work.Never
settle for OK when greatness is attainable.
Focus your passion on building a
tight bond with consumers
Build around a unique, own-able
and motivating big idea
Inspire a values driven culture to
deliver happy experiences
You need to know your consumers as well as you
know your brand. Use consumer insights, enemies
and needs. Talk with consumers about benefits—
what they get and how it makes them feel.
The big idea is what consumers connect with
first, then builds a bond as each touchpoint
delivers that big idea. Use the big idea to
organize everything that you do for the brand.
Use exceptional execution to become
your consumer’s favorite brand
It is the culture of the organization who deliver the
experience. People are the face of the brand, and
will be the source of creating loyalty with
consumers
A
B
C
D
The pillars of purpose

brands
Model for ﬁnding your brand purpose
Consumers
need it
Builds a beloved
branded business
Core
values of
team
Love what
you do
Use exceptional
execution to
become your
consumer’s
favorite brand
Build around a
unique, ownable,
and motivating
brand idea
Inspire a values-
driven culture to
provide happy
consumer
experiences
A
BC
D
Focus your
passion on
building a tight
emotional bond
with consumers
Focus your passion on building a tight
emotional bond with consumers
Build around a unique, ownable, and
motivating brand idea
Inspire a values-driven culture to
provide happy consumer experiences
A
B
C
D
• At Grays, we want to be the first ‘healthy
cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity
and sales of a mainstream cookie.
• Grays are the best tasting yet guilt free
pleasure so you can stay in control of
your health.
• The values for Gray’s are consumer first,
great taste, healthy, natural ingredients,
fast-to-market, and family owned.
Our purpose
is to give people
the cookie they
will never feel
guilty about
eating. We know
healthy can
taste great.
The pillars of purpose
Use exceptional execution to become
your consumer’s favorite brand
• At Grays, we want our people to have the
confidence to overwhelm our brand lovers
with shocking new tastes every year.

brands
A brand’s values brings their purpose to life, connecting
with consumers and employees
We believe the best tasting food starts with all natural ingredients. We
source organic ingredients, our kitchens work tirelessly to ensure our
cookies taste amazing enough to become our consumer’s favorite.
Natural ingredients
taste better
Stop feeling guilty
over a cookie
We are a family
run business
We do our
homework on health
Pride and Passion
matters in everyone
In blind taste tests, Gray’s cookies matched the market leaders on taste,
but are only 100 calories, with 2g of fat and 3g of sugar. In a 12 week
study, consumers using Gray’s once a night as a desert lost10 pounds.
We know the daily pressures people face in making choices to eat
healthy. We all have temptations, and the worst feeling is the guilt we
feel in having a cookie. We want our customers to feel guilt free.
We remind ourselves everyday that Gray’s started as a family recipe. No
matter how big we become, business is personal, as we will personally
rely on each other to achieve our collective success.
We love food and we hope that it shows. Everyone on our team shows
up every day with a passion to help make a difference and contribute to
building Gray’s Cookies into a brand that women love.

brands
Honda is a brand who lives by their values
Joy is a state of being and a conscious choice to live and work with a grateful
heart for a cause greater than oneself. It is the ongoing experience of doing
something worth doing for the good of each other, our customers and society.
Joy
Dreams
Challenging
Spirit
Respect
Passion
Respect is a belief in the highest potential of each and every human being.
Respect is demonstrated by abundant opportunities to think, reason and create
in and beyond your role. Each individual’s unique and highest contributions are
critical to Honda’s success.
To dream is to be alive. Dreams define who we are, forming a positive driving
force that motivates us. They cause us to imagine what could be, to seek out
challenges, and to be unafraid of failure. Dreams are our commitments to future
generations
Whether from the marketplace, the race track, or the pursuit of a new
technology or business, Honda associates have always viewed challenges as
opportunities. We are energized by the unwavering quest for a better way, and
we are consistently inspired to exceed the limits of imagination.
Passion is living and working beyond one’s limits. It is compelling and
contagious. It is born of our love for society, and it drives our competitive spirit. It
is evidenced by our energy, excitement, determination and drive to advance the
human experience and become the organization that society wants to exist.

brands
We use a force field type analysis to summarize drivers,
inhibitors, opportunities and threats
Drivers Inhibitors
Factors of strength or inertia that
accelerate your brand’s growth. The
driving factors could be related to brand
assets, successful programs working,
favorable market trends. New products,
advertising, channels. Keep fueling
Factors of weaknesses or friction that
slows your brand down, or a leak that
needs fixing. Achilles heel, competitive
pressure, unfavorable market forces,
channels, specific segments. Minimize
going forward.
Specific untapped areas in the market
that would fuel future growth, based on
unfulfilled consumer needs, new
technologies on the horizon, regulation
changes, new distribution channels or the
removal of trade barriers. Take advantage.
Changing circumstances including
consumer needs, new technologies,
competitive activity, distribution
changes or potential barriers to trade
create potential risk to your growth.
Minimize the impact of these risks.
Helps set up the Key Issues for brand plan.

brands
Example laying out your Summary Analysis
Drivers Inhibitors
• Taste drives a high conversion of trial to
purchase (65% vs. norm of 50%).
• Strong listings has driven strong distribution in
food channels (95%)
• Exceptional brand health scores among early
adopters (“Proactive Preventers”) making it a
highly beloved brand among the niche.
• Awareness among mainstream target (20%) held
back due to weak advertising scores. Low
attention scores and brand link scores.
• Low distribution at specialty stores at only 16%.
Poor sales coverage.
• Low purchase frequency (2.2 boxes/yr vs. 7.3
norm) even among most loyal early adopters.
• R&D has 5 new flavors in development. Could
launch Peanut Butter in Q4 of 2013 (top 15% in
test), Chocolate Chips in Q2 of 2014 (top 50%)
• Sales broker could specifically target specialty
stores, which are in high growth (+15%/year)
• Explore social media to convert strong loyal
following into more mainstream mass appeal
• Mainstream cookie brands could enter the
‘health’ segment through R&D or acquisition.
Rumors that Pepperidge Farms will launch in Q1.
• De-listing of our 2 weakest skus because of POS
thresholds, could weaken our in-store presence.
• Legal Challenge to “tastes as good as your
favorite cookie”.

brands
Knowing “where you are” helps set up what you need to
do next, to get where you want to go
Continue/Enhance
• Stay focused on things going right, accelerate
against them. Continuous improvement.
Minimize/Reverse
• Close the leaks, develop turnaround plans or
re-focus the team against the trend.
Take Advantage of
• Build plans to mobilize the brand to see if the
opportunity is a winning space for the brand.
Avoid/Contingency
• Identify and measure the risk, explore plans
to avoid. Fill the gap before a competitor.
What’s driving
growth?
What’s inhibiting
growth?
What are the
opportunities?
What are the
threats?
This analysis should provide a starting point for what
you want to carry forward into the Brand Plan

Strategic thinkers see the right
questions before they look for answers.
Instinctual thinkers see the right answers
before they even know the question.

brands
Frame your brand’s key
issue in question format.
The answer to that question
becomes your strategy
Spend some thinking time on these questions,
because the better the strategic question you
ask, the better the strategic answer you will get.
If strategic thinkers see the right questions
first, then you need to find the best possible
questions before you can think about solutions.

brands
Finding the right key issues and strategies
Start off with
a straw-dog
brand vision.
Brainstorm
everything in the
way of the vision.
Narrow list of
issues to top
3-5 key issues.
Frame your
top issues in
question format.
2
4
3
1
This is a great list of
everything in the way of your
vision. We now move to the
Strategic Thinking Model to
help organize the thinking.

brands
Use the strategic thinking questions to kickstart your
thinking on the issues
How tightly connected is
your Consumer to your brand?
Product Story Experience Price
Power
Player
Challenger
Disruptor
Brand
Craft
Brand
Indifferent Like It Love it Beloved
Keep It
Going
Fix It Re-Align Start Up
What is your brand’s current
competitive position?
This forces you to choose and focus on one of four answers for each question.
1
3
24
What is the core strength that
will help your brand win?

brands
Use the 4 questions to inspire speciﬁc key issues
What is the core strength your
brand can win on?
How tightly connected is your
Consumer to your brand?
What is your current competitive
position?
1
2
3
4
How do we shift Gray’s from a product-led
launch into an idea-led brand to own “guilt free”?
How do we drive consideration and trial to
establish brand in the consumers mind?
How do we defend against entry of mainstream
cookies into good for you segment?
How do we keep growth momentum by closing
the identified gaps in distribution?
360 Thinking Questions Gray’s Cookies Key Issues
1
2
3
4

brands
Make sure that your key issues are at the right strategic
level. Play around with the questions to make sure
How do we get consumers to use more coupons?
• This issue is very tactical and too speciﬁc to set up a strategic solution.
How do we become #1?
• This is very large goal that is highly aspirational and visionary. But it is
too broad to lead to a pin-pointed strategic solution.
How do we drive usage among loyal?
• This is a much better ﬁt for the plan. It speaks to what is in the way of
the vision, and leaves enough room for various strategic solutions.
Too Low
Too High
Just Right

brands
Core Strength strategic objective statements
Enhance the Starbucks experience at lunch (a)
with innovative sandwiches and snacks (b), that
re-enforces the quality difference at Starbucks
(c) to enter the new lunchtime market (d).
Re-build the consumer experience (a) by
training all the entire staff on service values (b)
emphasizing that our people make the
difference (c) to make Starbucks a meeting
space for friends to gather.(d)
Focused Opportunity to build
your brand’s core strength
Market Impact that builds a
desired reputation on one of:
Deploy resources against a
strategic program using one of:
Our product is better
Our story makes us different
Our people make difference
We have better prices
Brand
Positioning
Consumer
Experience
Brand
Story
Product
Innovation
Purchase
Moment
Performance Result to harness one of the power or profit drivers
Premium
Prices
Trading
Up
Lower
COGS
Efficient
Spend
Stealing
Share
Users to
use more
New
markets
Find new
uses
8 ways brands can drive more profitsChannels
Competitors
New Entries
Suppliers
Media
Influencers
Employees
Consumers
Brand
Power
Product
Price Experience
a cb
d
Brand Story

brands
Consumer driven strategic objective statements
Advertise big idea of “empowering women” (a)
focused on women frustrated by “lose and
gain” diet fads (b), to move new consumers
from aware to trial (c) and gain share (d)
Build a low calorie innovation plan across the
entire grocery store (a) focused on our most loyal
Special K lovers(b), to drive trial of new items (c)
and successfully enter new markets (d).
Focused Opportunity to
tighten bond with consumers
Market Impact that moves
consumers along their journey
Deploy resources against a
strategic program to build brand
Consumer
Brand
Brand
Positioning
Consumer
Experience
Brand
Story
Product
Innovation
Purchase
Moment
Premium
Prices
Trading
Up
Lower
COGS
Efficient
Spend
Stealing
Share
Users to
use more
New
markets
Find new
uses
Competitors
New Entries
Suppliers
Media
Influencers
Employees
Consumers
Brand
Power
a cb
d
Aware
Consider
Repeat
Satisfied
Buy
SearchLoyal
Fan

brands
Competitive strategic objective statements
Apple will launch a full assault against the entire music
industry (a) with a disruptive innovator stance (b) to
show how iTunes provides higher quality digital music
on your iPod, much cheaper, faster and smarter than
CD’s (c) to gain entry point into music industry (d)
Apple to launch a full assault (a) to challenge the
PC/Microsoft Windows dominant position (b) by
finding flaws in PCs to set up how much simpler
Macs are (c) to steal significant market share by
enticing frustrated consumers to buy a Mac (d)
Focus Opportunity on your
competitive stance
Own a winning positioning
space to drive a Market Impact
Deploy a strategic program that
follows an attack strategy
Disruptor
Brand
Craft
Brand
Power
Player
Challenger
Brand
Full Assault
Neutralize
Maintain Base
Slow Down
Premium
Prices
Trading
Up
Lower
COGS
Efficient
Spend
Stealing
Share
Users to
use more
New
markets
Find new
uses
Competitors
New Entries
Suppliers
Media
Influencers
Employees
Consumers
Brand
Power
What
consumers
want
What your
competitor
does best
What
your brand
does best
Winning
Losing
Risky
Dumb
a cb
d

brands
Situational strategic objecitve statements
Invest heavily (a) to create an intimate fan
experience (b) to re-connect and fix Avril’s
relationship with core fans (c) to help
trigger higher album and concert sales (d)
Invest time in new song-writing, higher production and
collaborations with key artists (a) to re-position Avril as
a more mature “indy artist” (b), to fix her immature
image (c) and build a tighter bond with new fans (d).
Focus Opportunity to fix an
element of the brand
Create a Market Impact that
helps the brand’s situation
Deploy a strategic program
with the limited resources
Premium
Prices
Trading
Up
Lower
COGS
Efficient
Spend
Stealing
Share
Users to
use more
New
markets
Find new
uses
Competitors
New Entries
Suppliers
Media
Influencers
Employees
Consumers
Brand
Power
Positioning
Advertising
Media Plan
Innovation
Retail
Experience
Culture
Investments
Financial
People
Time
Partnerships
Re-Align Startup
Keep it
Going
Fix It
a cb
d

brands
Where your brand sits on the Brand Love
Curve should drive your strategy choices
Indifferent
Love It
Like It
Beloved
Unknown
Get noticed
so consumers
see the brand
in a crowd
Establish brand
positioning in the
consumer’s mind
Build share-worthy
experiences to
inspire brand fans to
influence friends
Tighten bond
with your most
loyal brand lovers
Build a trusted
following with
each happy
purchase

brands
The stages of the Brand Love Curve set up 20
possible consumer strategies for your brand plan
Get noticed so
consumers will see
brand in the crowd
Establish brand
positioning in the
consumer’s mind
Build a trusted
following with each
happy purchase
Tighten bond with
your most loyal
brand lovers
Experiences that
inspire brand fans to
influence others
Unknown Indifferent Love ItLike It Beloved
Mind Heart InfluenceAttention Purchase
1. Set up
2. Launch event
3. Core message
4. Find fans
5. Mind shift
6. Mindshare
7. New news
8. Turnaround
9. Drive penetration
10. Drive usage
11. Build routine
12. Cross-sell
13. Build memories
14. Maintain Love
15. Deeper love
16. Reasons to Love
17. Create magic
18. Leverage Power
19. Attack yourself
20. Use loyalists

brands
Marketing Execution must trigger a desired response
that moves consumers along their consumer journey
Consider
Aware
Fan
Loyal
Repeat
Satisfied
Buy
Search
Stand out and be
seen in a crowd
Solve questions or
doubts in the mind
Close the deal to
trigger a purchase
Reinforce
purchase decision
Become a favorite
ritual or life moment
Connect emotionally
to build frequency
Product/operations builds
happy experiences
Shareable experiences
to trigger influence

brands
We take the chunky strategic objective statement and
turn it into a tighter strategy statement
Strategic Objective Statement
Continue to dominate healthy cookie
segment (a), owning “great tasting
lowest calorie” claims (b) pointing out
Nabisco’s 30% higher calories (c) to
help maintain Gray’s loyal fan base (d).
Advertise Gray’s “stay in control”
positioning (a) to new “proactive
preventers” (b) to move consumers
from consideration to trial (c) and
steal competitive users (d).
Sales force blitz (a) to fix Gray’s
distribution gaps at drug and mass (b)
to continue Gray’s momentum (c) and
strengthen Gray’s market share (d).
Strategy Statement
Attack Nabisco’s ‘healthy’
credibility by having 60%
higher calories
Drive trial by advertising
Gray’s “stay in control”
positioning
Fix Gray’s distribution gaps
with a sales force blitz at
food and drug
Consumer
strategy
Competitive
strategy
Situational
strategy
Ideal Brand Plans have 3 issues and top 3 strategies

brands
Laying out the strategies to the next level
For each strategy, lay out the strategic objective, specific goal,
main tactical support programs and any potential watch outs

brands
Laying out the strategies to the next level

brands
The brand idea is the bridge between brand and consumer,
that aligns everything around the 5 consumer touch-points
Big idea connects
and separate brand
from competitors
Use your brand’s
differences to
move consumers
Keep your brand
fresh and on
top of trends
Move consumers
through the
buying system
Experiences that
consistently over-
deliver the promise
Consumer
Brand
Idea
The
Brand
Brand
Promise
Brand
Story
Happy
Experiences
Purchase
Moment
Innovation
Ideas
Packaging
Logo/Slogan
Advertising and
Media Options
Product
Development
Sales
and Retail
Culture
and Operations
The big idea must inspire and align everyone who works behind the scenes of the brand.

brands
Build separate Execution Plans around each selected
activity that supports the 5 consumer touch points
Innovation
Surprise
Logos or
Tag Lines
Packaging
Content
Strategy
Home Page
Messages
Creative
Advertising
Paid Media
Earned or
Social Media
Events &
Sponsorship
New Product
Launches
Format Line
Extensions
Claims
R&D
Exploration
Point of
Purchase
Sales
Materials
Account
Management
E-Commerce
Sampling
and Trial
Employee
Behaviors
VIP Loyalty
Programs
Active User
Inﬂuencers
Choose key execution areas to write up separate Marketing Execution plans,
with the activity that matches up to the most relevant consumer touchpoint
Brand
Promise
Brand
Story
Happy
Experiences
Purchase
Moment
Touchpoint
Activities

brands
Brainstorm activities to support strategies, prioritizing on
return on investment and effort (ROI and ROE)
For each strategy, you
want to find the “Big Easy”
• Put all of the ideas on to post it
notes, then map each idea onto the
grid as to whether they will have a
BIG versus SMALL impact on the
business, and whether they are
EASY versus DIFFICULT.
• The top ideas will be in the BIG
EASY top right corner.
JUST DO IT
Brainstorm ways to make
these ideas even bigger
THE BIG EASY
Big Wins, Easy to do
AVOID
Bad ROE, drain
on resources
MAKE EASIER
Brainstorm easier
ways to get it done
Easy
Difficult
Small Win Big Win
Implementation
Business Impact
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea
Idea

brands
Think of each Executional mini-plan as a beacon that aligns
those working on that specific area.
For each mini-plan,
we recommend that
you have a speciﬁc
goal and strategy to
help frame your
intentions. Then list
out details that are
more relevant to
that speciﬁc plan.

brands
Use your brand plan to lay out your innovation plan to
help steer your R&D team
For the Innovation
Plan we
recommend that
you have a speciﬁc
goal and strategy to
help frame your
intentions. Then list
out the focus,
internal beacon and
programs.

brands
Plan your Product Innovation
Continuous generation of
ideas to build a war-chest
of potential solutions to
meet consumer needs.
Assess opportunities using
criteria: breakthrough, own-
able, strategic ﬁt, consumer
motivation, potential size.
Identify new
opportunities
Build innovation
pipeline
Go-to-market
launch plan
2
3
Build out potential concept
to test breakthrough, own-
ability and sales potential.
Build robust innovation
schedule with volumetrics,
investment, sourcing and
production timeline.
Stage-gate decisions to
approve execution plans
and milestones from
production to launch.
4
5
6
Backend plan includes
ﬁnal naming, logos,
packaging, production
and channel plan.
Build marketing support;
advertising, presentations,
in-store support.
Hand over to launch
team, including marketing,
sales, operations.
7
8
9
Observations to identify
trends and new consumer
need states.
1
Winning
ideas go
to market
Move best
ideas to
testing

brands
Decide what type of exploratory product innovation ﬁts
within your long-range brand plans
Product Extensions
• Identifies new consumer need states, occasions where
your brand can easily handle.
• Broader portfolio helps neutralize competitive
advantages or use to gain share of shelf.
• Continuous news keeps brand momentum going with
new benefits, flavors, sizes.
Product Improvements
• Use the “leaky bucket” analysis to identify where you are
losing consumers, helping isolate flaws and gaps in your
brand that need fixing.
• Either moves ahead or catches up to competitors.
New Formats
• Stretches the brand into new subcategories/adjacencies
or parts of the value chain.
• Helps drive added usage frequency or new usage
occasions with consumers.
• Gets brand into new parts of the store, new distribution
channels or new usage points with consumers.
Brand Stretching
• Take the assets of the brand and move them into
other categories—bringing your loyal user base
and brand reputation.
Game Changing Technology
• R&D driven invention needs to be matched up a
consumer driven need and re-presented back to
the consumer in a consumer centric idea.
Blue Ocean Exploratory Areas
• Completely exploratory ideas that combine your
open technical capabilities, matched to pure un-
explored consumer need states to create game
changing launches that move into fully protected
Island type competitive positions.

brands
Brainstorming your Product Innovation
We make brands stronger.
We make brand leaders smarter.
Diverge #1: Getting all the ideas on the table
We divide the room into 4 groups, with broad cross-functional
representation. Each group would rotate through 5 stations, leaving
behind 15+ innovative ideas at each ﬂip chart. That would give us
60+ ideas for each station with a goal of 300 ideas. The category
choices are up to the client, where they wish to brainstorm.
Product Claims
Game
Changing
Products
Product
Extensions,
Improvements
and New Formats
Process Claims
Blue Ocean
Exploration
A great process for your team is to divide your brainstorming
teams and have them rotate through the different sections.

brands
Innovation Rule #1
Make what
consumers
want
Make
consumers
want what
you make

brands
The role of innovation changes as your brand matures
along the Brand Love Curve
Indifferent
Love It
Like It
Beloved
Unknown
Product Launch: A real point of
difference versus current offerings to
break through and solve an unmet
need to a core group of consumers.
Product Extensions: Use innovation to change
consumers minds, to connect with your purpose,
idea or concept and see something revolutionary
and completely new to the category.
Create Experiences: Explore
peripheral products and services to
turn routines into life rituals. Keep
investing to stay ahead of challengers.
Broaden Offering: Extend beyond
core product to fuel momentum by
surprising and delighting current
users to help tighten the bond.
Separate Yourself:
Use innovation and
claims to stay ahead,
address gaps or flaws
in the category to
separate yourself on
quality, performance,
experience or value.

brands
Use your brand plan to guide the sales team on how to
manage the brand’s purchase moment
You can use an
In-Store Plan, or
Category
Management Plan
that lays out
speciﬁc goal and
strategy to help
frame your
intentions. Then
list out the focus,
internal beacon
and programs.

brands
Build customer programs that achieve a triple win, for
your customer, the shared consumer and your brand
TRIPLE WIN
Customer Marketing Program
A win for
your brand
A win for your
channel customer
A win for your
shared consumer
1
2
3

brands
How to set up a Pricing System that allows you to utilize
pricing as a strategic weapon instead of a tactical response
Define price parameters,
capabilities and skills, to
establish your pricing
organization. Consider legal,
channel, regional and global
pricing requirements
Build a pricing system
to monitor pricing
corridors, changes to
elasticity, margin
requirements.
Implement pricing in the
market, by understanding
price elasticity seasonality,
geography, consumer base.
Explore potential good/
better/best strategy.
Operationalize pricing within your
overall marketing activities. Look
for input via brand positioning,
consumer research, retail
partners, promotional windows
and competitive activities.
Match pricing strategy to your
business/brand strategy and
business objectives Consider your
consumer strategy, competitive
position, product quality, margin
expectations and cost of goods.
1 2 3
Pricing
Determination
Pricing
Execution
Pricing Governance
Price Monitoring and System Support
4
5
Pricing
Strategy

brands
Do you do a Pricing Waterfall analysis?
StatedPrice
InvoicePrice
ActualPrice
Gross
Margin
Retailer program
discounts
Off-Invoice Discounts or Rebates
Prom
otional Price
discounts
Cost of Freight
Custom
Packaging
or displays
Cost of Programs
Package Returns Cost
Cost of Goods Sold
Service
Costs
Volum
e
Discount
Transactional and cost to
serve the customer
Target Price to
the customer
BasePrice
Segm
ent
Geography/Regions
Channel
Base value
of product
sold
Marketing Sales
Stated Price on
the customer’s
invoice
Actual Price
(less discounts
and cost to
serve)
Actual
Gross
Margin

brands
Planning Activity Calendar
Activities J F M A M J J A S O N D
TV Adv. (15 sec)
Print in Health Magazines (full page)
Digital Ads
Social Media Hits
PR in health Magazines
In-store Sampling
Event Sampling
Retail Blitz
Special Store Blitz
In store BOGO
Display Program
FSI Couponing Programs
Communications Sampling In store Coupons
Include a Planning Calendar to align everyone

brands
3-step process to building an Executional Plan
Creative Ideas
Advertising, PR, In-Store
Step One
Brand Team briefs all
agencies at the same time, in
the same room, outlining
brand strategies in the plan.
Step Two
Each agency presents their
ideas in the same room. Give
direction to each agency and try
to piece various tactics together.
Tactical Plan
Advertising, PR, In Store
Step Three
Agencies work together to align,
build on, enhance and narrow
tactics down, They then present
an aligned and consolidated plan.
Give Agencies 2-3 weeks to
come back with ideas, with high,
medium and low budget levels.
All Agencies work together
over 2-3 weeks to create a
complete cohesive plan.
Brand Plan
Vision, Issues, Strategy
With so many agencies, each working on their own, aligning
everyone becomes the hardest task to staying on strategy

brands
A plan is not complete without Project Management
Plans to make sure things happen.
Project Direct Sampling
Strategy Sampling moms to drive trial and convert to sales.
Owner Ryan Jones
Team Ryan, Stephanie, Stuart
Sponsor Steve Smith
Goals
Drive awareness/trial for new product, $1.5 million
in sales for Q2, re-enforce brand message in store.
Deadline In market March 20th
Milestones
• Retail calls Oct 5
• Select sampling vendor Oct 15
• Develop store list Dec 1st
• Sample production and shipping to stores
Hurdles
• Gaining retail acceptance
• Achieving added display
• Lining up sampling with advertising
Budget $500,000

brands
Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for your plan
S
Measurable: How will you demonstrate and evaluate the extent to which the goal
has been met. Usually tracked versus last year, versus competitors, versus norms
or versus a milestone towards the end goal.
Achievable: Stretch and challenging goals with ability to achieve outcome. Use
action oriented verbs. We always say that the setting of major goals should scare
you a little, but excite you a lot.
Specific: State exactly what you want to accomplish, including who, what, where,
when, why? Focus on specific external results (sales, market share, performance
tracking, rating scores etc.) or major milestones towards the vision.
Relevant: How does the goal fit your responsibilities as well as fitting with your
strategy? Each strategy should have a goal linked to it, as well as a 5-10 year
goal tied to the vision, that can have year bound milestone goals.
Time-Bound: Set target “by when” dates that linked to major milestones or
completion deadlines. They should be broken out quarterly, annually or even 5 year
goals. Deadlines for projects, on air, in market, stage-gate timing.
M
A
R
T

brands
Using the S.M.A.R.T. goals to create a Brand Dashboard
for your team to monitor
Goal 2015 2016 Comment
Sales $25MM $30MM Continue 20% growth rate
Share 0.8% 1.2% New triple chocolate 0.5% share
Distribution 62% 72% Increase coming mainly from fixing specialty.
Awareness 33% 42% Below norm, 80% among niche, < 20% overall
Trial 34% 37% New flavors have helped drive trial
Repeat 4% 5% High quality taste converts high repeat
Gross Margin % 55% 57% Launching new premium line up.
Profit % 19% 15% Increased marketing spend in year 1 of launch
Ad Brand Link 62% 70% Building on current brand equity in TV ad
Purchase Intent 70% 70% Should hold strong as we trade up.
Customer Satisfaction 58% 60% Halo impact from new premium line up.
Freshness Index 12% 20% Increasing % sales from new launches.
You have to measure what matters

brands
Using net promoter score to measure connectivity
5
Highly Likely
4
Likely
2
Unlikely
1
Highly unlikely
3
Neutral
Net Promoter Score = (%who answer 4 and 5) - (%who answer 1 and 2)
(30 + 15) - (15 + 10) = + 20% net promoter
If you track on a quarterly basis you can measure the
trend line over the past 8 quarters
15%30%15%10% 30%
How likely are you to recommend Gray’s Cookies to a friend?

brands
Brand Plans should include a profit projection
Premium Price
• Perceived quality allows you to
command a price premium.
Trading up/down
• Take loyalists up to a better
premium-priced version of brand.
Lower cost of goods
• Economies of scale and use your
power over suppliers.
Efficient marketing
• Higher volume helps spend ratios,
use the media power.
Stealing Share
• Use brand momentum to gain
tipping point.
Higher usage
• Get loyal users to use more,
building routines/rituals.
Enter new markets
• Take brand idea to new products,
getting loyalists to follow.
Find new uses
• Increase the ways that your brand
can fit into the consumers life.
Price
Costs
Share
Market Size
Higher
Margins
Higher
Volumes

brands
Brand Plans should include a proﬁt statement
2019 2020 2021
$ g% $ g% $ g% Comments
Net Sales 21,978 44% 27,354 24% 30,385 11% With 2 competitors launching, growth will slow to +11%
Cost of Goods Sold 10,333 40% 12,606 22% 13,237 5% New plant production has given lower cost of goods.
Gross Margin 11,645 49% 14,748 27% 17,148 16% Gross margins continue to make efficiency gains.
GM % 53% 54% 56%
R&D 346 3% 352 2% 360 2% Holding steady R&D flavor innovation budget.
Marketing Budget 5,528 22% 7,962 44% 8,850 11% Spending up in line with the sales forecast.
Ad Merchandisers 568 22% 855 51% 850 -1%
TV 1200 42% 900 -25% 1200 33% Increased budget as part of defense plan
On Line 233 3% 480 106% 900 88% Staying competitive with shift to on line.
Print 1355 22% 1050 -86% 1000 -100% Continued use of specialty health magazines
PR 59 15% 77 31% 200 160%
Sampling 500 4% 1200 140% 1400 17% Sampling is part of the mix to drive trial. Defense Plan.
Sponsorship 100 33% 500 400% 0 -100%
Research 200 55% 300 50% 500 67% Added tracking of two competitive launches.
Packaging 133 66% 100 -25% 50 -50%
Display 430 44% 1300 202% 1400 8% Lock up displays during the competitive launches.
Trade 750 1200 60% 1350 13% Increased trade spend to stay competitive.
Other SG&A 2,000 22% 289 -86% 989 242%
Contribution
Income 3,771 22% 6,145 63% 6,949 13% Gains coming from production efficiencies.
CI % 17% 22% 23%

brands
The proﬁt statement starts with a sales projection
Forecast for 2015 $27,354 Current LE for the year.
Forecasted Gains Comments
Added Awareness $6,565 New consumers become aware of Grays
Higher Trial Rate 2,000 Using awareness and sampling to drive trial
Walmart listing 340 New food listing
C store Listing 200 Based on success of last year's test
New Innovation 1,500 Two new flavors in Q3
Forecasted Declines
Two New Launches 4,500 Ipsos predicted impact on Gray's
Lost spring displays 630 Cancelled displays to pay for defense plan
Discontinued flavors 430 Cutting two worst performers
Net Forecast for 2016 $32,399 Expected gain for 2016 will be +18% growth.
Following the drivers and inhibitors of your analysis, now build it it into your
sales projection. Start with last year’s sales result, then what are the
forecasted gains and declines, each with an explanation.

brands
For new products, use a comparable launch as the stake
in the ground, then explain diﬀerences
Stake in the Ground: Gray’s Allergy could be as big as Fred’s
Allergy in year 1, which was an 8% share and $80 Million in sales
Bigger Impact Lower Impact
• Expected to get 25% more A&P
support than Fred’s Allergy
• It has 24 hour claim, while Fred’s was
only 12 hours
• Doctor recommendation should add
25% more in sales
• A 4% dollar share in second month,
ahead of the 2% share Fred’s achieved
in second month.
• Market is a lot more crowded than it was in
2015 when Fred’s launched
• Launched in March, later than Fred’s, which
means we missed the Q1 sell in
• While it’s a new molecule, it really has very
little to say (decongestion claim)
• Launching at a significant price premium
could mean lower unit volume
Conclusion: Gray’s will be slightly bigger than Fred’s in Year 1.
We expect it will be 10% share and $100 Million in Sales

brands
A Brand Plan should also lay out a detailed brand budget
Activities 2019 2020 2021 Comments
Merchandisers Artwork 68 55 50 Merchandising went up significantly in 2015, we are expecting it to hold through 2016.
Signage 200 300 300
Fees 300 500 500
TV Advertising Production 350 0 350 We make a new TV spot every 2 years, needs re-fresh behind new message for 2016
Talent 50 50 50
Media 800 850 800 TV media holding at 800, as we shift some spend to online.
Digital Production 155 200 150 Decline is more that we are shifting to on line version of same creative.
Talent 100 100 100
Media 1100 850 750
On Line Production 50 100 100
Talent 15 20 80
Media 100 260 520 On line continues to grow as we look to online to target Healthy Proactive Preventers
Social Media 20 100 200 Using social media to connect to our most loyal users and creating a following for Gray’s.
Sampling Sample costs 100 300 350
Supplier 100 100 125 Both events and retailer sampling shown to drive a high conversion of trial to usage and
Event Costs 100 400 425 becoming a Loyal user. Major part of our defense plan to tie up sampling events
Retailer Costs 200 400 500 In Q1 to thwart the competitive launch.
Research Tracking 100 150 250 Significant increase due to tracking of two new competitors plus brand health study
Testing 100 150 250
Other Marketing Packaging 133 100 50
Sponsorship 100 500 0 Sponsorship did not pay out so it was cut to fund increases in sampling and online.
PR costs 59 77 200
Social Media Artwork 80 150 150 Display up significantly
Signage 200 350 400
Fees 150 700 850
Trade Marketing Coop/Display 750 1200 1350
MARKETING BUDGET 5480 7962 8850 Increased in line with sales growth. Contingency defense spend.

brands
Brand Plan definition summaries
Vision: The vision should answer the question, “Where could we be?” Put a stake in the ground that describes
an ideal state for your future. It should be able to last for five to 10 years. The vision gives everyone clear
direction. It should motivate the team, written in a way that scares you a little and excites you a lot.
Brand purpose: The purpose has to answer the question, “Why does your brand exist?” It’s the underlying
personal motivation for why you do what you do. The purpose is a powerful way to connect with employees and
consumers, giving your brand a soul.
Values: The values you choose should answer, “What do you stand for?” Your values should guide you and
shape the organization’s standards, beliefs, behaviors, expectations, and motivations. A brand must consistently
deliver each value.
Goals: Your goals should answer, “What will you achieve?” The specific measures can include consumer
behavioral changes, metrics of crucial programs, in-market performance targets, financial results, or milestones
on the pathway to the vision. You can use these goals to set up a brand dashboard or scoreboard.
Situation analysis: Use your deep-dive business review to answer, “Where are we?” Your analysis must
summarize the drivers and inhibitors currently facing the brand, and the future threats and untapped
opportunities.
Key issues: The key issues answer the question, “Why are we here?” Look at what is getting in your way of
achieving your brand vision. Ask the issues as questions, to set up the challenges to the strategies as the
answer to each issue.
Strategies: Your strategy decisions must answer, “How can we get there?” Your choices depend on market
opportunities you see with consumers, competitors, or situations. Strategies must provide clear marching orders
that define the strategic program you are investing in, the focused opportunity, the desired market impact and the
payback in a performance result that benefits the branded business.
Tactics: The tactics answer, “What do we need to do?” Framed entirely by strategy, tactics turn into action plans
with clear marching orders to your teams. Decide on which activities to invest in to stay on track with your vision
while delivering the highest ROI and the highest ROE for your branded business.

brands
Brand Plan format options
1. Brand Strategy Roadmap:
• This provides a long range view that should serve as a 3 or 5 year strategic plan. This plan
starts with the long-range vision, purpose and values, that should rarely change. It includes
the Big Idea roadmap to help deﬁne the brand. It includes the strategies and tactics that you
will execute over the next 3 to 5 years.
2. Annual “Brand Plan On a Page”:
• This covers all the necessary information for a 1-year brand plan. It starts with the Brand
Vision to help guide the plan, then the plan is divided into three distinct areas:
1. Analysis lays out sales and goals, then a summary from the deep-dive business review
2. Summation of the key issues and strategies
3. Executional Plans for the year that can steer everyone working on the brand.
3. Brand Plan Summary:
• A simple look at the ﬁnancials, then the issues, strategies, goals and executional activities.

brands
Brand Strategy Roadmap combines the rough draft of
the long range plan elements with the brand idea map

brands
Rough draft worksheet of the brand strategy
Purpose
Vision
Values
Goals
To be the first ‘healthy cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity and sales of a
mainstream cookie.
Consumer first, great taste, healthy, natural ingredients, fast-to-market, family
owned.
We want to help people re-discover the lost secret that the most amazing tasting
food is made of natural ingredients.
$100 Million brand by 2020, become a mainstream brand, increase usage, longer
term penetration gains.
Strategy
Key
Issues
1. How do we tighten the bond with our most loyal brand lovers?
2. How do we balance driving penetration and usage frequency?
3. How will we defend Gray’s leadership position in the Healthy Cookie segment?
4. How do we leverage “guilt free” idea across new food categories
Build community
of Brand Lovers
Explore new
food categories
Leader of healthy
cookie segment
An alternative to
mainstream cookies
Tactics
• Social Media to
connect brand lovers
• Surprise and delight
program to most
loyal
• Geographic
expansion
• Drive penetration
using advertising &
nutritionist PR
• Continue to attract
new users to Gray’s
• New flavor
launches
• Dominate every
store shelf
• Attack competitive
entries
• Leverage influence
of brand lovers
• Build “guilt free”
idea
• Innovation
focused on new
segments
• Early trial with
brand lovers

brands
The brand idea is the bridge between brand and consumer,
that aligns everything around the 5 consumer touch-points
Take control of your
weight by replacing
your favorite snack
with Grays.
Real life stories that
show women living
“All the pleasure.
None of the guilt.”
We never sacrifice
on taste so you won’t
have to sacrifice
your cookie.
Interrupt purchase
routine to set up
Grays as the
better alternative.
Celebrate weight
loss results to
empower you to
stay in control.
Consumer
Brand
Brand
Promise
Brand
Story
Happy
Experiences
Purchase
Moment
Innovation
Ideas
Gray’s are
the best tasting
yet guilt free
pleasure that
a cookie has
ever seen
Product
Development
Packaging
Logo/Slogan
Advertising
and Media
Sales
and Retail
Culture
and Operations

brands
Brand strategy road map for the future
Promise: Experience:Innovation Purchase MomentStory:
Vision:
Purpose:
Values:
The Brand Idea: Grays are the best tasting yet guilt free pleasure
Build community of
Brand Lovers
Explore entering new
food categories
Leader of healthy
cookie segment
Become alternative to
mainstream cookies
To be the first ‘healthy cookie’ to generate the craving, popularity and sales of a mainstream cookie.
We want to help people re-discover the lost secret that the most amazing tasting food is made of natural ingredients.
Consumer first, great taste, healthy, natural ingredients, fast-to-market, family owned.
Goals:
Issues:
Strategies
Tactics
$100 Million brand by 2020, become a mainstream brand, increase usage, longer term penetration gains.
1. How do we tighten the bond with our most loyal brand lovers?
2. How do we balance driving penetration and usage frequency?
3. How will we defend Gray’s leadership position in the Healthy Cookie segment?
4. How do we leverage “guilt free” idea across new food categories
Take control of your
weight by replacing
your favorite snack
with Grays.
Real life stories that
show women living
“All the pleasure. None
of the guilt.”
We never sacriﬁce
on taste, you won’t
have to sacriﬁce
your cookie.
Interrupt purchase
routine to set up
Grays as the better
alternative.
We hope your
weight loss results
empowers you to
stay in control.
• Social Media to connect
brand lovers
• Surprise and delight
program to most loyal
• Geographic expansion
• Drive penetration using
advertising & nutritionist PR
• Continue to attract new
users to Gray’s
• New flavor launches
• Dominate every store
shelf
• Attack competitive entries
• Leverage influence of
brand lovers
• Build “guilt free” idea
• Innovation focused on
new segments
• Early trial with brand
lovers

brands
The Annual “Brand Plan On a Page”
Analysis Issues and Strategies Executional Plans
P&L forecast
• Sales $30,385
• Gross Margin $17,148
• GM % 56%
• Marketing Budget $8,850
• Contribution Margin $6,949
• CM% 23%
Drivers
• Taste drives a high conversion of Trial to
Purchase
• Strong Listings in Food Channels
• Exceptional brand health scores among Early
Adopters. Highly Beloved Brand among niche.
Inhibitors
• Low familiar yet to turn our sales into loyalty
• Awareness held back due to weak Advertising
• Low distribution at specialty stores. Poor
coverage.
• Low Purchase Frequency even among most
loyal.
Risks
• Launch of Mainstream cookie brands
(Pepperidge Farms and Nabisco).
• De-listing 2 weakest skus weaken in-store
presence
• Legal Challenge to tastes claims
Opportunities
• R&D has 5 new flavors in development.
• Sales Broker create gains at Specialty Stores
• Explore social media to convert loyal following.
Key Issues
1. What’s the priority choice for growth: find new
users or drive usage frequency among
loyalists?
2. Where should the investment/resources focus
and deployment be to drive our awareness
and share needs for Gray’s?
3. How will we defend Gray’s against the
proposed Q1 2014 ‘healthy cookie’ launches
from Pepperidge Farms and Nabisco?
Strategies
1. Continue to attract new users to Gray’s
2. Focus investment on driving awareness and
trial with new consumers and building a
presence at retail.
3. Build defense plan against new entrants that
defends with consumers and at store level.
Goals
• Increase penetration from 10% to 12%,
specifically up from 15% to 20% with the core
target. Monitor usage frequency among the
most loyal to ensure it stays steady.
• Increase awareness from 33% to 42%,
specifically up from 45% to 50% within the
core target. Drive trial from 15% to 20%. Focus
for sales is to close distribution gaps going
from 62% to 72%.
• Hold dollar share during competitive launches
and continue to grow 11% post launch gaining
up to 1.2% share. Target zero losses at shelf.
Advertising
• Use awareness to drive trial of the new Grays.
Target “Proactive Preventers”. Suburban
working women, 35-40.Main Message of “great
tasting cookie without the guilt, so you can stay
in control of your health”. Media includes 15
second TV, specialty health magazines, event
signage, digital and social media
Sampling
• Drive trial with In-store sampling at grocery,
Costco, health food stores and event sampling
at fitness, yoga, women’s networking, new
moms.
Distribution
• Support Q4 retail blitz with message focused
on holding shelf space during the competitive
launches. Q2 specialty blitz to grow distribution
at key specialty stores.
Innovation
• Launch two new flavours in Q4/15 & Q4/16.
Explore new diet claims, motivating and own-
able.
Competitive Defense Plan
• Pre Launch sales blitz to shore up all
distribution gaps. At launch, heavy
merchandising, locking up key ad dates,
BOGO. TV, print, coupons, in-store sampling.
• Use sales story that any new “healthy” cookies
should displace under-performing and

brands
The Brand Plan Summary
Key Issues Strategies Goals Plans and Activities Timing
What’s the priority choice
for growth: find new users
or drive usage frequency
among loyalists?
Continue to attract
new users to Gray’s
Increase penetration from 10% to
12%, specifically up from 15% to 20%
with the core target. Monitor usage
frequency among the most loyal to
ensure it stays steady.
• Use Advertising and in-store sampling to drive
awareness and drive trial of the new Grays.
• Use sales story that any new “healthy”
cookies should displace under-performing and
• New advertising running Q1/
Q2.
• Sampling in Q2
• Shelf re-alignment in Q3. Blitz
in Q4.
Where should the
investment/resources
focus and deployment be
to drive our awareness
and share needs for
Gray’s?
Focus investment on
driving awareness and
trial with new
consumers and
building a presence at
retail.
Increase awareness from 33% to
42%, specifically up from 45% to 50%
within the core target. Drive trial from
15% to 20%. Focus for sales is to
close distribution gaps going from
62% to 72%.
• Spend mix will be 80% on driving trial. Loyalty
play through innovation and social media.
• Launch two new flavors in Q4/15 & Q4/16.
• Drive trial throughout the year.
Specific loyalty play in Q3.
• Launch new flavors in Q4
How will we defend Gray’s
against the proposed Q1
2014 ‘healthy cookie’
launches from Pepperidge
Farms and Nabisco?
Build defense plan
against new entrants
that defends with
consumers and at
store level.
Hold dollar share during competitive
launches and continue to grow 11%
post launch gaining up to 1.2% share.
Target zero losses at shelf.
• Competitive Defense Plan with pre-launch
sales blitz to shore up all distribution gaps. At
launch, heavy merchandising, locking up key
ad dates and BOGO. advertising, couponing
and in-store sampling.
• New creative Q3.
• New merchandising Q4.
• Coupon and in-store Q4.
2015
%
growth
2016
Plan
2016
LE
%
growth
2017
Plan
%
growth Comment
Sales 60 3% 63
37
67 12% 62 -2% Strong growth, but facing new competitors in 2017
GM 35 8% 37 40 13% 37 0% Holding on margins.
GM% 56% +2 pts. 58% 59% +1 pt 39% Holding steady on price and margins.
Mkt. Budget 15 +22% 16 16 7% 18 14% Increased budget to defend against new entrants
CM 20 1% 21 24 18% 17 -12% Proﬁt hit, due to defense spend.
CM % 33% +2 its 33% 35% +2 pts 30% -5% Margin hit due to defense plan.

brands
Plan Consistency and Flow: “Finding Tubas”
• A good Brand Plan must have a consistency from the vision all the way down to the execution.
Think of an orchestra playing in perfect harmony—everything playing the same song. When
you write something that doesn’t fit, it stands out like a “Tuba” player, trying to play his own
song. This is a misfit to the plan.
• Go through your Brand Plan and see if you can spot the misfits. Is your mission to drive trial
and you aren’t sampling? If you want to be the “category leader in innovation” then why are we
not launching any new products till 2023? If your vision is “to become #1” why do we not have a
growth or share goal? Why are you not investing?
• The worst “Tubas” are those elements of the plan that seem to “die a quick death” in the
document or they “come from out of nowhere” with no insight or set up. Senior Managers
are skilled at finding Tubas—it can de-rail a plan when they find them before they do.
Vision GoalsTacticIssues S T R A T E G Y

brands
Strategy starts with making choices
Vision
The Power of 3’s
Vision
3 strategies x 3 tactics
means 9 major projects
7 strategies x 7 tactics
means 49 major projects
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic
Strategy
Tactic
Tactic
Tactic

brands
Gray’s Medical Equipment Brand Strategy Roadmap
:
Vision:
Purpose:
Values:
Drive awareness &
consideration of a
unique brand
Create a smart
infrastructure to
drive efficiencies
Establish a strong
Franchise Network in
every community
Have the POWER of a strong national brand that stands out, supported by the AGILITY of an aligned, focused and profitable
franchise network that has close local ties into every community in Canada.
Our personal motivation comes from witnessing the change in the lives of our clients as their newly discovered mobility,
accessibility and independence allows them to accomplish more than they ever thought possible.
Client first, expert advice, open and honest, our people make the difference, partners in the community.
Goals:
Issues:
Strategies
Tactics
Increase Franchise Network, drive brand awareness, drive sales growth and profitability within the system.
1. How do we drive awareness for the new positioning to differentiate Gray’s in the marketplace?
2. How do we create an aligned, fully trained, committed and profitable franchise network of 75 strong?
3. How do we fix the infrastructure, including uniform localized branding, IT, shared operations and purchasing?
4. How do we launch into the authorizer marketing? Should we enter hospitals?
5. How do we create a values driven Gray’s culture, consistent across all markets?
• OT presentations
• Target Universities
• Ads to Caregivers
• Align with funding
agencies
• Franchise Training
• Consistent branding
• Planograms and
Merchandising
• New franchisees
• ERP network
• Supply Chain
Management
• Best practice sharing
• New Products
• Explore innovative
partners
• Service Values
• HR policies
• Share wow stories
Promise:
We’ll be the Helping
Hand to finding
your clients the right
mobility solution
Experience:
While you are going through
something stressful, we want
to make the experience as
easy as possible for you.
Story:
Our people make the
difference, so it is easier
for you to make the right
decision on your mobility.
Innovation:
We stay aware all the
regulations and rules related
to medical equipment,
funding and assistance.
Brand Idea: Gray’s Medical Equipment is the helping hand to your mobility solutions
Purchase Moment:
We use our knowledge of
the insurance industry to
make things less stressful
for you at this stressful time
in your life
Explore new
business through
channels & services
Create a MEDIchair
culture to deliver
the brand promise
Service

brands
Promise: Experience:Innovation Purchase MomentBrand Story:
Vision:
Purpose:
Values:
Strategies:
Tactics:
Brand Idea: Apple makes technology so SIMPLE that everyone can be part of the future
Apple wants everyone in the world to be part of the future.
At Apple, we want to make a dent in the universe by challenging the way we think, so we
can make technology simple enough for everyday people to embrace.
Consumer first, simplicity and ease-of-use, stylish designs, fast-to-market, community.
Goals:
Issues:
Continue 10% sales growth, double market share in Asia, launch 5 new technologies per year.
1. How do we battle Samsung/Google in smart phones?
2. How do expand beyond our saturated North American market?
3. What technology platform will the next round of surprising innovation come from?
4. How do we strengthen and leverage our bond with our most loyal Apple users?
We make technology
so simple so that
everyone feels smarter
Technology should
not be frustrating. We
make it easy to do
more/get more.
Surprising leap-frog
technology around
simplicity
Allow consumers to
try, touch, feel in a
soft-sell retail store.
Launch hysteria.
Enable consumers
to get the most from
your Apple.
• Increase size options
• Improve tech experience
• Win on design
• Launch watch to catch up
Regain smart phone
leadership
Higher service to
tighten community
Build cloud
community
Geographic focus
into China
• Specific Chinese products
• Brand building program
• New retail space
• Build e-commerce program
• Integrate retail purchasing.
• Explore automated cars.
• Explore acquisition into
social media programs
• Take more services online,
• Maintain face to face.
• Increase Apple U courses
• Increase retail footprint.
Apple Brand Strategy Roadmap

brands
Summary of learning on Brand Plans
• We start with five core planning questions 1) Where could we be? 2) Where are we? 3) Why
are we here? 4) How can we get there? 5) What do we need to do? These five questions set
up the essential elements of the brand plan with the analysis, key issues, brand vision,
strategies and marketing executional plan.

• To set up the vision, think of 5 to 10 years out and begin painting the perfect picture of what
you want your brand to be. Then brainstorm the issues in the way of the vision, framed as a
strategic question.

• From there, line up the strategies to answer the key issues and develop executional plans. We
recommend a maximum of 3 strategies for an annual plan, and 3 tactics per strategy for a
total of 9 major projects per year. The tactical choices must line up to the strategy, never
randomly selected without a strategy.

• A smart plan should include executional plans to align and help control those who will execute
the plan. You should include a budget, calendar and project plans.

• Bringing the plan together, I recommend leveraging a five-year brand strategy road map and a
one-year annual brand plan.

brands
Our brand management
training program
1. Why being a beloved brand matters
2. How to think strategically
3. Defining your brand positioning
4. Aligning everything around your brand idea
5. Building a brand plan everyone can follow
6. How to write a smart Creative brief
7. How to run the advertising process
8. How to make creative advertising decisions
9. How to make media decisions
10. Deep-dive analysis of your brand
11. Brand Finance
12. Managing your brand career
Brand Positioning
beloved
brands

Our new book: Beloved Brands
brands
The playbook for how to build a
brand your consumers will love.
• How to think strategically
• Write a brand positioning statement
• Come up with a brand idea
• Write a brand plan everyone can follow
• Write an inspiring creative brief
• Make decisions on marketing execution
• Conduct a deep-dive business review
• Finance 101 for marketers
“Beloved Brands is the book every CMO or would-be CMO should read.”
Al Ries

Graham Robertson of Beloved Brands
brands
Graham Robertson is one of the voices of today's brand leaders. As the
founder of Beloved Brands, he has been a brand advisor to the NFL Players
Association, Shell, Reebok, Acura, Jack Links and Pfizer. He's helped train
some of the best marketing teams on strategy, brand positioning, brand plans
and advertising. Graham's purpose is to use is marketing experience and
provocative style to get marketers to think differently about their brands, and
to explore new ways to grow.
Graham spent 20 years leading some of the world's most beloved brands at
Johnson and Johnson, Coke, General Mills and Pfizer, rising up to VP
Marketing. Graham played a significant role in helping win Marketing
Magazine's "Marketer of the Year" award. He has won numerous advertising
and innovation awards including Businessweek’s best new product award.
As a keynote speaker, Graham shares his passion for brands to challenge and inspire marketing minds
around the world, whether speaking at Advertising Week, or at the NBA Summer League, or to a room full
of marketers in Bangkok Thailand or an agency in New York. He's been a guest writer for Ad Age, and his
weekly blog stories have reached millions of marketers, who are trying to improve their skills.
His new book, Beloved Brands, has launched with rave reviews. Many brand leaders are using this book
as a playbook to help build the brand they work on. And, it serves as a brand management textbook for
business schools in the US, Canada and UK.
Graham’s personal promise is to help you solve your brand building challenges, to give you new thinking,
so you can unlock future growth for your brand.

Brand Plans

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