Ever wondered why brands like Samsung, Nike and Coca Cola mean so much to so many people? How do these brands sell its products almost effortlessly through prosperous and challenging times while other brands struggle to capture consumers' eyes and ultimately, revenue sources?

When it comes to a brand, product or service is only half of the equation. The secret ingredient lies in the way the brand communicates its value to consumers which creates an emotional connection. In many cases, the difference comes down to one key thing: branding.

This begs the question - what is a brand and how can a brand be effective?

As brands look to combine self-discovery with business-modelling and brand-building, many fall short of exploring the entire spectrum and true potential of symbolic brand benefits. A useful and simple tool to combine all the above efforts is the Brand Model Canvas.

So what is a Brand Model Canvas?

An adaptation of the Business Model Canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur, the Brand Canvas Model is a strategic tool to define and communicate a brand’s concept. The one page document focuses on the branding aspect by working through the fundamental elements of a brand which helps structure the brand narrative.

To truly understand what a brand is, we have to find its root. That root lies in the minds of consumers. To get into the minds of consumers, brands need to portray itself as a person instead of merely a product or service.

As quoted by #LeanBranding extraordinaire Laura Busche “People relate to people, and if your brand feels like people, they’ll relate to you too”.

For great brands, consumers are able to relate and connect with the brand in the same way that they relate and connect with one’s parent, friend, sibling, colleague and the like.

Our Brand Model Canvas can help you establish your root. This will then lead you to develop your brand purpose which becomes your guiding light as you navigate your business through good and bad troughs.

As simple as this exercise may seem, looks can be deceiving. It requires you to question your purpose and think about what it is that you stand to offer as a brand.

Take the case of one of our health tech startups Advanx Health.

In the early stages of its inception, the team at Advanx Health took a step back to assess its brand from its purpose, assets and personality. From the get go, the brand knew what it could offer but struggled with its articulation including tone, language, demeanour and stand.

After going through the exercise, the brand fine tuned its proposition in the areas below:

1. Brand Essence - Changing the stance from the consumer making one’s own discovery to Advanx Health making the discovery for consumers instead. This speaks volumes from the perspective of trust in that consumers can trust the brand to help them instead of helping themselves.

2. Brand Promise - Positioning it to consumer’s genetic code instead of DNA which insinuates that each individual possesses a unique makeup.

3. Customers - Identifying and expanding its offerings to businesses seeking medical programs to provide for its employees, which indicates that Advanx Health’s offering is more than just a lifestyle change but one that needs to be supported sufficiently by one’s employer.

4. Brand Voice - Making its voice easy and personal such that it instills confidence in its consumers.

5. Products - Renaming and adding onto its list of offerings which opens up its avenues to potential consumers and partners.

6. Brand Mission and Vision - Focusing on what the brand can offer to its consumers and how it can be articulated precisely and easily, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Following the exercise, our team went on to outline its key brand strategy from developing the brand icon that was eventually translated across all its touch points.

As scary as it may seem, the reality is that any startup looking to create a strong brand needs to first find and establish its root. As with all kinds of communications, it’s the person with a story, not the features, that sell.

To download our Brand Model Canvas, click here.

Need help with your Brand Model Canvas? Get in touch with us to learn how, coffee on us.