BDNI has a rich and varied toolbox. The purpose of the toolbox is to aid thinking. It doesn’t attempt to force what to think but encourages how to think in a disciplined matter. Additionally, it displays our thinking so as to tell a picture story with words and/or numbers.
Among the many BDNI tools are the following:
Brand Positioning Diamond
This displays all the elements that comprise a competitive brand positioning strategy. The product of each element can be translated into any brand positioning strategy format.
Competitive Framework
This addresses the literal competitive framework (i.e., where your brand will source its volume) AND the perceptual competitive framework (PCF). The PCF is virtually always overlooked. Lack thereof leads to genericizing your offering.
Comparative Benefit Ladder
The Benefit Ladder must flow from the Brand Idea. Moreover, it should never be looked at in isolation but instead relative to the competition. In addition to the comparative Benefit Ladder we also have the Comparative Positioning Matrix.
Communication Strategy Statement
This is the heart of The Essential Creative Brief. It represents the strategic direction.
Customer Insight Tool
No one can deny the importance of customer insights. Yet most so-called “customer insights” are actually “unsights.” This tool enables one to determine if there is really a “legitimate” customer insight and that it’s “productive.”
Communication Strategy Scorecard
As former military pilots we appreciate the value of checklists in improving performance. We have an array of checklists among which is the Communication Strategy Scorecard. This enables the marketer to objectify her/his subjective judgement.
The Campaign Idea
As David Ogilvy stated, “If your advertising doesn’t contain a big idea it will pass like a ship in the night.” This captures and displays the elements of the Campaign Idea, which the center of the plate of your communications campaign. It’s what gets target-customers to realize and, in turn, act on the brand’s benefit promise.
Performance To-Date
This comes from our MBO (Marketing By Objectives) workshop. It identifies variances from plan and, importantly, seeks both causality and remedy for those variances. Any marketer who cannot address is not managing the business but is allowing the business to manage her/him.
Demand Model
This displays where you will manage to build your business. It: 1) verifies achievement of Target Business Objectives (sales, market share and profit); 2) provides for sales force alignment; 3) directs resource allocation; and, 4) enables the marketer to inspect performance versus expectations.