"I’m a strong believer in lifelong learning. So the opportunity to take the five-day Strategic Branding programme at London Business School (LBS) was too good to miss.
One of my responsibilities as Finance and Operations Director at Laurent-Perrier UK is to maximise the company’s return on investment from its marketing activities. To do that, I needed to further develop my understanding of how to drive what was already a very established, luxury brand.
For me, the chance to learn from some of the world’s greatest thought leaders was one of the programme’s biggest attractions. Simona Botti, Professor of Marketing, and David Faro, Associate Professor of Marketing, covered the behavioural economics that drive purchasing decisions and impact consumer research, and the psychological biases that affect managerial decisions.
We also studied Lovemarks – the brands people love beyond reason - with Richard Hytner, Adjunct Professor of Marketing and, until recently, Worldwide Deputy Chairman of creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi. There were a number of outstanding guest speakers that week, people like David Taylor of Brandgym, one of the world's 50 leading marketing thinkers, and others from prominent companies like WPP and Expedia. Exploring and understanding execution elements through their eyes was fascinating.
I relished the opportunity to engage with participants from different regions, backgrounds and industries. The calibre of participants was extremely high - in our group, we had a brand manager from Nestlé who worked in the Philippines and a guy from the Middle East who was running a Domino’s pizza business. We’re talking about significant brands in an international context. It’s interesting to take on board what people see, do and learn in those environments with established and prominent brands, and consider if their knowledge can be applied to our business.
We studied the theory behind top brands and purchasing decisions, but I was also able to apply my learnings to a real business case, which was invaluable. My group was asked to suggest ways to boost the brand of premium ready meal maker, Charlie Bigham’s, so we looked at how the company could expand and generate more value through new products and distribution channels, marketing and advertising."
Comprehensive framework
"It covers all the priorities from brand identity, segmentation and targeting through to executions of activation."
A customer-centric outlook
"We're investing in more customer-focused advertising, which led to a significant increase in sales."
"Since the programme finished I’ve used the insight I gained at LBS to take a fresh look at Laurent-Perrier UK’s marketing strategy. We’re investing in more customer-focused advertising, which led to a significant increase in sales over the 2015 Christmas period. It’s an example of how we’re taking a different approach to our market, and our customers.
In retrospect, the learnings from the Strategic Branding programme are now built in to how we manage our brand. The LBS framework covers all the key priorities from brand identity, segmentation and targeting through to execution of activations. It was an opportunity to take the latest learnings and insights from academics and established industry practitioners, and from diverse and credible participants. It’s a no-brainer for anyone in a general or brand management role, or for board level directors who want to maximise the value of their company’s brands."
Strategic Branding: From Behavioural Insights to Business Growth
Enhance your ability to build and manage customer-focused brands to drive profits and organic growth.
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