One of your greatest assets is your brand. It defines what you are and who you are to your clients. Trust in your brand takes years to build, and yet can be lost in minutes. Careful consideration needs to be taken before linking your brand with any product or service...

To Brand or not to Brand?

There are equally valid arguments for Brand Independence (using 3rd party brand and messaging within your portfolio) and Brand Integration (removing all traces of the 3rd party brand and replacing it with your brand). Think of the difference between a Marks and Spencers loaf of bread and a Hovis loaf of bread, and you will perhaps see that the decision is not always clear cut.

Arguments for 3rd Party Branding (Brand Independence)

• You can remain independent of the 3rd party in eyes of your client.
• The 3rd party brand may be a stronger brand than your own
• You may benefit from 3rd party marketing or support services.
• It is quicker and simpler to add a 3rd party product/service than spend the time and energy integrating it into your branded portfolio

Arguments for Self Branding (Brand Integration)

• You increase your portfolio without diluting your brand, and keep control over the message.
• You maintain control over all communication to your client
• You decide on the price of the product/service to the client
• You have control over the value add to the client
• You decide on additional services better suited to the client that may or may not be part of the 3rd party service

The prime decision factors for most companies would focus on the balance between control of the message to the client and trust in the 3rd party brand (both in terms of confidence in delivery, and confidence in market positioning).

Many 3rd party products/services insist on maintaining their brand identity on any customer deliverables. In these cases, there is of course no choice for you the client.

So what can CR360 offer?

We can offer you the choice of brand integration or brand independence. We believe that you should be allowed to decide on what is best for your company, and we also understand that your position may change over time, so you may also need a degree of flexibility in your approach.

Brand Integration

Since introducing the option for companies to integrate CR360 into their brand, over 90% of all our clients now prefer to Self Brand. One of the biggest impediments to Brand Integration is often the requirement to access IT resource that is either expensive or overstretched. In order to overcome this issue, we have developed a form of Brand Integration that has absolutely no impact on IT resource. We can have a completely integrated solution working within one working day*...

Brand Independence

We are not a big brand name, but we do spend on marketing (2007 budget $40,000), and we do not compete for your business. This means that we receive requests not only for 360 services, but also for the competence development and consultancy associated with it. We always pass these onto our associates.

If you have any questions about branding or any other aspects of 360 Feedback we would be delighted to hear from you, and honoured that you chose us!!

CR360.com “... the best possible feedback in the least possible time...”

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