Every marketer has heard of the four “Ps” of marketing: product, place, price and promotion. In their book “The People Powered Brand: A Blueprint for B2B Brand and Culture Transformation,” authors Chris Wirthwein and Joe Bannon introduce readers to the “4Q Marketing Framework.”
“In our new model, marketing, which encompasses branding, involves answering these questions (the 4Qs):”
1. What to do? This question speaks to all the choices you make on how to go to market. The issue it addresses is strategy. What is strategy? The authors define it as “where and how to compete.”
2. What to say? This question addresses messaging — the ideas, values and words you use to communicate what’s desirable and unique about your company. “You’ll hear this referred to as your value proposition. Messaging also includes the ‘proof points’ you use to support what you say,” Wirthwein and Bannon state.
3. How to say it? This question speaks to communications. You must develop the plan to carry your big ideas to your audiences in all forms — words, pictures and media. Traditionally, ad agencies have owned this space with their creativity and “big ideas” that give life and expression to brands, but Wirthwein and Bannon are proponents of using all forms of “media” — owned, earned and paid, with an emphasis on owned media. (See “How to spread your brand message” on page 32.)
4. How to get heard? This question addresses implementation. Many companies tackle the first part of implementation — they execute and deploy the tactics. But few understand and have a process for effectively accomplishing the second piece — people alignment. To
truly succeed in the B2B marketplace, a company must align the behaviors of its people to the brand.
This is a concept that has been around awhile, as shown by this statement from Kevin Randall of Movéo, a Chicago-based marketing and branding agency, in a 2006 article on building strong B2B brands: “Successful B2B brands require one voice. B2B transactions often involve large amounts of money, complexity and people. Corporate teams sell to corporate teams. OEM engineer or professional services clients interact with an array of supplier professionals (sales to marketing to senior management to support). Customers who have a brand experience that is integrated, consistent, easy and expected will more likely become customers again.”
Randall also echoes Wirthwein’s and Bannon’s emphasis on building B2B brands from the inside out, that is, beginning with your employees. “Aligning the whole organization from customer-facing reps to factory floor employees with the corporate brand strategy is crucial to driving brand value and customer loyalty, especially in the B2B world,” he says. “If every employee at a $500 million electronic component manufacturer or mid-market professional services firm did not ‘live the brand strategy,’ then the firm may face lost sales and unhappy customers. On the other hand, if every Procter & Gamble employee who worked on Ivory Soap did not understand its brand promise, there may be minimal negative impact on sales and consumer satisfaction.”
