Creative Brand Mapping: The Integration of Strategy and Creativity

Creative Brand Mapping is Branding on strategic steroids. It’s where Brand Strategy (and Brand Fundamentals) connects with Media planning and Creative and Tech Development all against internal and external stakeholders. The discipline of defining integrated brand communication objectives and strategy as it relates to the multiple target audiences (customers, employees, Franchisees) and specific media vehicles is less and less used by emerging and franchise brands. Proper integrated strategic planning connects the right brand message, with the right creative visuals and copy engaging the target audiences through the right media vehicle delivering the right physical and/ or digital experience. It’s about developing holistic creative brand maps and developing well-orchestrated integrated customer experiences.

I frequently have conversations with brand owners who complain about their marketing spend and its inability to generate customer engagement and lead flow. Agencies are partly to blame. Marketers are also to blame. The good news is that it is easily fixable. It just takes strategic discipline and a deeper knowledge of the art and science of marketing communications.

If your marketing is not delivering the results you are looking to generate, look first to whether the executions are really delivering against the strategies. Also look at whether or not clear brand building strategies are in place for your agencies to follow.

Remember that the Steak is More Important than the Sizzle!