Initiatives to develop Brands among SMEs 31 -5

Initiatives to develop Brands among SMEs 31 -5 -2011

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. 2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding Problems that SMEs have to face. www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. What is Branding ? üThe role of Branding and Brand management has been primarily to create differentiation and preference for a product or service in the mind of the customer (Knox & Bickertorn 2003). A Brand is more than a name given to a product ! www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Lack of Knowledge ü Most SMEs have weak brand consciousness or even have no brand consciousness. ü Some of them think that having a logo it’s having a brand. . . How much would you pay for this perfume ? And for this one… ? ROYAL EAU DE PARFUM www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Lack of knowledge You really have a Brand when: üYou can charge a higher price than your competitor. üYour client is willing to travel further to purchase it. üYour client is willing to wait longer to buy it. üYour client not only buys your product but also strongly recommends it. üYour client is expecting and willing to buy new products from your company. üYour client is willing to forgive your mistakes. So it’s very important to increase SMEs brand Knowledge! www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Do you want a good brand ? Have a truly good and unique product ! üKeep one thing clear: Nowadays nobody is waiting for us in the market ! üMeeting or exceeding customers expectations is a challenging task, especially in a competitive market, with lots of similar products addressed to the same need. Therefore, you must: o Know who your customer is (everybody is not a correct answer, be specific, find a niche !) o Discover special needs of your targeted client and offer something different and unique to satisfy them. o Communicate your differentiation, if you have a good product but nobody knows it, it is like having nothing. o Be aware that your clients really understand appreciate this differentiation o Make your client pay for it ! www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. The brand is a matter of big business. . üMany SMEs do not give enough importance to brand construction when enterprises are small. üIt is very important to let SMEs know that all the key segments of business are important, no matter the size of the enterprise. üBrand strategy is just the absolutely essential part of the business management. üBe focused on the client, not on the product or service. Nowadays having a good product is not enough. The most important thing is that clients really perceive that your product is better than others and are willing to make an effort to get it. So work the brand ALWAAAAYS ! www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . . SMEs usually have lack of financial resources to invest, but. . . ü It is possible to develop a strong brand with so little investment, we just have to be creative! Case study: Catalan beer company with 15 M€ turnover in 2010 (25% more than 2009). Small marketing budget (not enough to do commercials) but a lot of creativity. www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . . What they did. . ? Co branding with Munich www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . . What they did. . ? Barcelona visibility, Moritz 600: www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . . What they did. . ? Also merchandising! www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SMEs have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . . What they did. . ? Beer collectors caps: www. acc 10. cat

1. Main Branding problems that SME’s have to face. Brand construction need to spend a lot of money. . What they did. . ? Participation in special events: www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó üOver 20 years of experience and know-how (CIDEM and COPCA) developing programmes and services to give support to companies. üImproving strategic support and strengthening companies’ competitiveness. üACC 1Ó gets close to the reality of the business world and assists with the process of providing businesses with a competitive edge. üReference Point in activities aimed at increasing business competitiveness. üPublic-private consensus. Collaborating with business organisations in order to create synergies. üACC 1Ó is the agency working to enhance the competitiveness of Catalan businesses. We specialise in promoting innovation and internationalisation. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó üBudget of 73 million euros in non-recoverable funds. ü 173 million euros in financing tools. 460 million euros raised via lines of funding. üMore than 200 professionals serving enterprise. üSupport for the materialisation of 3, 000 projects a year. ü 92 million euros of investment raised for R&D. ü 5 delegations in Catalonia and 35 Business Promotion Centres around the world. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. What have we done ? Focus in 2 main objectives: üRaising awareness üGiving assessment and economical support www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. Raising awareness üOrganization of conferences about branding and industrial property rights. üElaboration and distribution of branding and Industrial property guides. üBest practice cases published on our webpage. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. Giving economical and assessment support We create 2 different programs: üProgram to promote Catalan trademarks. üProgram to defend industrial property rights. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. Program to promote Catalan Brands. Objective: Provide to SMEs the orientation and assessment needed to create and potentiate their brands in international markets. Characteristics: Assessment is the main issue in this program and SMEs get a creation and boosting plan for their marks that could be develop among the following eligible projects: ü Creation of company and product trademarks. ü Brand management: Decide which trademarks have to be boosted in international markets. ü Determine the economic value of a brand (For acquisitions). ü Co branding activities (search of the partner, strategy development) www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. Program to Promote Catalan Brands. Program methodology: 1. Interview with ACC 1Ó branding expert. 2. Introduction of 3 consultants (certified by ACC 1Ó). 3. Development of the project. o o 4. Maximum 12 months ACC 1Ó pays 50% of consultant’s fees up to 10. 000 €. Implementation and follow up. Main figures: ü Budget: 250. 000 € ü 50 SMEs applied for this program last year. www. acc 10. cat

2. Solutions implemented by ACC 1Ó. Program to Defend Industrial property rights. Objective: Help SMEs to protect and defend their industrial property assets. Characteristics: 50% of the cost to protect and defend industrial property rights up to 10. 000 €, the eligible concepts are: üIndustrial property agent fees (to extend IPR protection outside the EU). üLawyer fees (litigation against counterfeiting and piracy). Main figures: üBudget: 450. 000 €. ü 125 SMEs applied to this program last year. www. acc 10. cat

HVALA VAM NA PAŽNJI! www. acc 10. cat