Every brand needs a point, a sharp definition of its purpose that will stick in people's minds.

It stands to reason that a brand aligned behind a shared point will have a better chance of success than one that isn't. This means making a choice about what that one point is, and that can be fiendishly hard to do. A brand strategy can do this.

This webinar will introduce what a brand strategy is (and what it isn't), how it delivers financial value to an organisation, the key elements that make up a brand strategy, the role it plays in shaping the brand, the need to engage the whole organisation in its development and how it can fit into the broader business planning process.

Based on the Brand Arrow®, a planning tool covered in Cranfield alumni Bruce M Mckinnon's award-winning book 'What's Your Point?', it will cover the five of the core building blocks of any brand strategy:

- Vision - defining where the brand wants to head to and the barriers and drivers to reaching
- Positioning - describing what is at the heart of the brand, what makes it unique in the market
- Proposition - capturing that positioning in a way that engages firstly your team and secondly your customers
- Values - defining the character of the brand to act as a benchmark for both the team and the brand's customers
- Key messaging - the 5 most powerful messages that ensure the brand is using consistent and correct copy across all its communications channels

At the end of the session, you will all have a good idea of how brand strategy can add both strategic and practical value to any organisation.

Programme & speakers

Bruce McKinnon (MBA 2000) has worked in brand marketing for 30 years and passionately believes the right brand strategy is the most effective tool a client has to deliver its point.

In 2009, he founded the specialist brand strategy practice The Brand Arrow® and has since delivered over 80 assignments in Europe and North America in a variety of sectors including artificial intelligence, legal tech, software, financial services, food and drink, real estate, and software.

In 2019 Bruce published the brand strategy book, What’s Your Point? containing the proprietary Brand Arrow® framework, winning silver at the US Business Book Awards (Axiom).

Bruce regularly speaks on the subject of brand at conferences, business schools, facilitates workshops, and has been invited to speak at both CIM Marketing Club and its annual Tutor Conference.

He holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and the CIM Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing.

What’s Your Point? Is available from Amazon.

Location & travel details

Online via Zoom. Details of how to login to the webinar will be sent the day before by email.

If you are unable to attend the live event but still wish to receive the recording please book here and we will share the recording after the event. If you are having any issues accessing your alumni account or booking onto the event please email alumni@cranfield.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.

Who should attend

All alumni. 

Cost & concessions

Free to attend