Sample Finalist Agency Challenge

July 8, 2011

By Brian Goodall

Background

The primary challenge facing Client X at this time is developing an over-arching brand architecture that will allow us to position our brand optimally in the marketplace and to communicate effectively to our primary constituencies:

  • First and foremost, our front-line colleagues [provide a list of internal target constituencies], upon whom we depend for the success of our business model—a model that relies on creating a culture that enables the delivery of a remarkable customer experience at every touch point.
  • Our customers, who are seeking high-quality, accessible, and affordable services.
  • External key opinion leaders [provide a list of external opinion leaders], who can affect how Client X is perceived and who have the ability to drive business to or from Client X.
  • Influencers [media, government, schools, Client X’s industry associations, etc.]

Establishing the right positioning for our brand is so critical because:

  1. How we position the brand today will be the foundation from which we will create the customer’s actual “experience” of our brand, and will set the stage for what this brand will become.
  2. We’re operating in an environment of frustration and skepticism born of the bad experiences colleagues and customers have had with our industry in the past.
  3. We’re a pioneer in a new industry, and thus we will play a significant role in shaping the industry.
  4. We’re operating in a highly competitive environment that is rapidly evolving and will likely consolidate to reflect fewer than five major players.
  5. Our mission is grand: to be a leading solution to the [unnamed] crisis facing Americans today, and to humanize the delivery of our services to millions of people in this country.

Once this positioning architecture is established, it will then be our job, along with our agency partner(s), to translate it into a remarkable customer experience at every touch point so that ours becomes a truly “experiential” brand that surprises and delights in every way.

This is indeed a noble mission and a daunting undertaking, for which we need an agency partner that can deliver upon this challenge. The finalist challenge is designed to test your mettle in addressing this.

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Source

“Sample Finalist Agency Challenge.” By Brian Goodall, General Manger, R3:JLB. © Copyright 2011 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. All rights reserved.