Keeping Rhode Island competitive means staying innovative. And staying innovative means the state will have to undergo a kind of “re-branding” across many sectors, including public transportation, health care and education, Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Michael McMahon told those gathered for the eighth annual “Success By Design” conference May 5 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
“The reason Rhode Island has a bright future is based on design,” McMahon said.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
Peter Dixon, a senior partner at Lippincott Mercer, a Boston-based brand strategy firm, told the crowd at the conference that a brand isn’t based on only advertising, a logo or marketing.
“It’s the sum of all the information about a product,” Dixon said. “It’s about creating an association and emotional relationship with that entity. Branding is changing a preference.”
Key to a successful re-branding is employing clarity, “knowing who you are and who you want to be,” Dixon said. Presenting a coherent branding strategy is also an important cornerstone.
“And you need to have control to ensure you have consistency,” Dixon said.
The proper positioning of a brand defines what a company or a product is, Dixon said.
“Effective positioning is credible, relevant, unique and durable,” Dixon said. “Positioning can shape the experience.”
To illustrate his point, Dixon walked through the re-branding process that Citizens Bank went through.
His company began by looking for ways to improve the exteriors of the bank buildings, then the interiors.
“It was the typical thing you see in any bank today,” Dixon said. “And Citizens’ positioning is ‘not your typical bank.’”
Dixon said the re-branding team began looking for ways to do merchandising for Citizens that aren’t generally used in the advertising world to create a more lively, different and unique bank.
“They used the unexpected juxtaposition of large, non-financial graphics with their banking services,” Dixon said. Those images included large sunflowers and other non-bank materials coupled with simple language, like “hello.”
“It creates an interest and a more emotional effect,” Dixon said.
Identifying groups of customers, their behaviors and how to reach them – segmentation – is another important part of the re-branding.
When McDonald’s began a re-branding campaign, they decided their strategic direction would be “wholesome,” Dixon said. The challenge was how to take the “wholesome” food idea and translate it to the customer experience.
During the process, McDonald’s had to decide which group of customers to target. The restaurant chain had virtually ignored young adults, Dixon said. The eateries were designed for children, “and kids don’t really care about their environment.”
To make the establishments more attractive to young adults and to encourage more people to eat inside rather than ordering drive-thru, designers created different “zones” in the dining area – instead of the molded plastic seating prevalent inside most of the restaurants.
Exterior changes had to be made without demolition. At some restaurants, they changed the exterior colors and added awnings for a “more restaurant look.”
“We’re not going to cookie-cutter this idea, we want to customize it to locations,” Dixon said. So far, 12 restaurants have been made over.
The Success By Design Conference, held at the R.I. Convention Center May 5, is an annual conference of the Center for Design and Business.
