The Plan begins with Section 1, Brand Traffic Control assessment and radar tracking. Philosopher, George Santayana, said, “Those who are unaware of history are destined to repeat it.” At TwinEngine, we use a version of that philosophy as our starting point: you can’t know where you are going until you know where you are.
The Brand Traffic Control assessment gauges the current strength of your business in each of what we consider to be the essential components of standing out as a brand. There are eight of these, which we call the Eight Fundamentals of Standing Out in Business:
Purpose: The organization knows and lives its purpose, knows what it stands for and is true to its beliefs.
Reputation: There is continuous and ongoing awareness of the organization’s reputation and top competitors.
Visuality: The outward appearance of the brand truly reflects who the organization is and the value it delivers.
Authenticity: The organization’s messaging is consistent, true, genuine and communicates value propositions.
Ideal Leads: There is a consistent funnel of ideal leads that are defined, nurtured and managed.
Distinction: The organization stands out among its competitors, influencers and industry thought leaders.
Strategy: A 12-month marketing plan is in force and aligned with the organization’s goals.
Mindset: There is focus and commitment to achieve desired results.
The assessment can be done by one person or by the team. You start by asking yourselves questions like these:
- Do we know and live our purpose as an organization?
- Do we know what is being said about our brand online?
- What is our number 1 strategic business goal?
- How would you describe our organization’s personality?
- What are our value propositions?
- Who is our ideal lead?
- How do we stand out?
- What is our most effective form of marketing?
- Do our marketing efforts support our business strategy?
Each person taking the assessment will rate the current position of the company on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 indicating non-existent and 5 as the highest level. Plot the group’s answers on the radar to assess the degree to which a fundamental is being practiced. The results of the survey will indicate which tools may be useful in further defining and strengthening areas showing misalignment.
