Understand, simplify, amplify
Brems & Co. has developed The Strategy Method© through our work with 100+ companies and organization during the past 7 years. The Strategy Method© aims to make strategic planning, brand and concept development as well as marketing execution in companies simpler and more effective – in a sustainable context.
Understand
At Brems & Co., we have many years of experience in meeting new needs across industries. We help you develop and execute strategies and concepts that ensure your competitiveness.
In the “Understand” phase, we initially identify the market, your competitors, your customers and your employees, and we challenge you on your vision, dreams and ambitions.
Our approach is generally qualitative through personal interviews, co-creation workshops, focus groups and observation of behavior. We combine with quantitative analyses as needed.
Definition of strategic objectives
The first step begins with looking for new growth opportunities for your business. Is it additional sales to existing or new customers? Is there room for new products or perhabs another business model?
Your goals and ambitions set the framework for the next phase, which is a deeper insight into the market and your business.
Insight into the market and organization
Do you have a complete overview of the market, your customers’ needs and behavior? What about your organization, employees and management?
A successful transformation and development of your business is not only based on gut feeling, but on a deep and future-proof understanding of the market and the organization. This includes an understanding of your own customer and sales data.
Our typical approaches are interviewing, co-creation workshops and online questionnaires filled out by employees, customers and industry experts. This is supplemented by desk research of available data on your market and competitors as well as your own customer and sales data.
Definition of vision, mission and values
What impact do you want your company to have on the world? Why do you go to work every day and what set of values are your company built on? Last but not least – what is your attitude towards the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals?
A lot of companies make long description of their vision and mission that neither their employees nor customers can remember of identify with. Passion, empathy and simplicity are the keywords for a clear wording of your vision, mission and set of values.
Definition of competetive advantages and positioning
What position are you going to own in the market and what would you like to be known for? Where do you do it best? Try to pick one word or phrase that exactly describes what you do best.
Look at your ambition and vision. Examine potentials in the market and the competition. Based on your customers’ feedback, what is your unique competitive advantage?
Definition of target group
Are you spending your time right on the most profitable customers? Sort out the market segments you should target based on the following:
1) What characterizes your target group? Make a persona description of each segment based on existing customers.
2) Describe the challenges your target group currently experience based on the products or services you offer.
3) Describe how you can help your target group defeat these challenges.
Step 1- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
Simplify
Once you understand the market, your customers and your employees and you have defined your ambitions and dreams through a vision, mission, desired positioning and target groups, the “Simplify” phase begins.
Together through 2-3-day workshops, we simplify your product and service range, business model and Value Propositions together. We compose a slogan that will lift your brand – typically through your 3 unique Value Propositions.
We will often have ongoing tests with customers to ensure that the strategy and communication hits the spot.
Product development and services
The first step in the simplification phase focuses on your products and services. Do you have the right products and services to fulfill the needs of your customers – now and in the future? And what does sustainability mean for your products and services?
Focus on the products and services that are most profitable and create the most value. Look at what new products and services you have to develop in order to fulfill your vision and ensure future growth.
Adapting the business model
Do you have the right business model – now and in the future? How do you ensure that your products and business model are effective? And what about strategic partners?
Use your customer and market insights to establish your business model and added value. Test continuously and consider which sustainable business model would be advantageous for you.
Development of unique Value Propositions and slogan
Once the initial 7 steps are completed, the direction for your business will be sorted. You are now ready to define the 3 Value Propositions that differentiate your business and make it unique. Typically, these are defined based on:
1. People – e.g. your unique competencies and know-how
2. Process – e.g. the way you service your customers
3. Product – e.g. your unique products or services
Together, the 3 Value Propositions can help compose your new slogan.
Step 6- Step 7
- Step 8
Amplify
Once your new strategy, concept and communication platform has been decided, we help you strengthen your brand – with a focus on increasing lead-generation and sales.
We develop everything you need in order to increase your sales and visibility in the market. Our team can make everything from website and web shops to online advertising campaigns, branding films, customer-reference films, PR, content for SoMe and much more. We monitor the results closely – in collaboration with you.
Development of new visuel identity, logo and evt. name
Once your products, business model, Value Propositions and slogan are under control, we can start working on your visual identity, logo and potential new name.
The visual identity must reflect the brand based on your vision, desired positioning, Value Propositions and set of values.
Development of marketing plan
Based on your strategic objectives and choice of target groups, we now have to develop a marketing plan that contains choice of media, areas of focus, budget and schedule. Which media, platforms and areas of focus would be best at increasing awareness of your products and services? How do we involve your target groups, so that your efforts translate to sales? Divide the plan into:
1) Own media
2) Paid media
3) PR
Launch with digital focus
When launching your new business model and visual identity, it is important that your digital platforms reflect the new brand’s identity. Your website, SoMe channels, films and photos must collectively show your customers and employees who you are and what you stand for.
During the launch, the most important element is not your customers but your employees. The launch will fail, if your employees are not ready for your new strategy and identity. Therefore, make sure to involve your employees before launching – this will ensure that your brand is successfully introduced to the market both internally and externally.
Effect and performance measurement
Make sure to follow up regularly on results and measure the effects of your efforts. Have regular monthly meetings to ensure that everything runs according to plan – and so that you can adjust along the way as needed.
Step 9- Step 10
- Step 11
- Step 12
Understand
At Brems & Co. we have many years of experience in meeting new needs across industries and we help you develop and execute strategies and concepts that ensure your competitiveness.
In the “Understand” phase, we first identify the market, your competitors, customers and your employees and we challenge you on your vision, dreams and ambitions.
Our approach is most often qualitative through personal interviews, co-creation workshops, focus groups and observation of behavior. We combine with quantitative analyses as needed.
Definition of strategic objectives
First step starts with looking at new growth opportunities for your business. Is it additional sales to existing customers or new customers, new products or another business model?
Your goals and ambitions set the framework for the next phase, which is deeper insight into the market and into your business.
Insight into the market and into the organization
Do you have a complete overview and knowledge of the market, your customers’ needs and their behavior? And what about the organization – employees and management?
A successful transformation and development of your business is not only based on gut feelings, but on a deeper and future-proof understanding of the market and the organization, including own customer and sales data.
Typical approaches are personal interviews, focus group interviews, co-creation workshops and online questionnaires with employees, customers, partners and industry experts. This is complemented by desk research of available market and competitor data and own customer and sales data.
Definition of vision, mission and values
How can you change the world through your company? Why do you go to work every day, and what set of values do you build your business on?
Not least: What is your attitude towards UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals?
Many companies make long descriptions of their vision and mission, which neither customers nor employees can remember or pay attention to. Passion, empathy and simplification are the key words for a clear formulation of your vision, mission and set of values.
Definition of competetive advantages and positioning
What position in the market should you own, and what would you like to be known for? And where do you do the very best? Try to choose one word or phrase that says exactly what you are best at.
Look at your ambition and vision, the potentials in the market, the competition and your unique competitive advantages based on your customers’ feedback.
Definition of target group
Do you spend your time right on the most profitable customers? Prioritize your target groups using the following:
1) What characterizes your target group? Make a persona description on each segment based on specific customers.
2) Describe the needs your target group have today from the products or services you offer.
3) Describe how you can fulfill their needs.
Simplify
Once you have understood the market, your customers and employees as well as defined your ambitions and dreams through vision, mission, desired positioning and target groups, the phase “Simplify” begins.
Through workshops, typically more than twice, we together simplify your product and service offering, your business model and your value propositions. We create a slogan that can lift your brand – typically through 3 unique Value Propositions.
We often have ongoing tests with customers to ensure that the strategy and communication hits the spot.
Product development and services
The first step in the simplification phase focuses on your products and services. Do you have the right products and services to meet the needs from your customers? Both now and in the future? And what does sustainability mean for your products and services?
Focus on the products and services that are most profitable and create the most value, and look at what new products and services you need to develop to meet your vision and ensure future growth.
Adapting the business model
Is your business model today the right one? How do you ensure that you hit the market spot on with both your products and business model? And what about strategic partners?
Use your customer and market insights to determine your business model as well as added value to your core product and test continuously. Think about which sustainable business model you can use for your advantage.
Development of unique Value Propositions and slogan
Once you have been through the first 7 steps, you have gained control of the direction of your business. You are now ready to define your 3 unique Value Propositions. These are typically defined based on:
1. People – e.g. your unique competencies and know-how
2. Process – e.g. the way you service your customers
3. Product – e.g. your unique products or services
Together the 3 Value Propositions can help you form your new slogan.
Amplify
When your new strategy, business concept and communication platform are in place, Brems & Co. will help you amplify this by execution with a focus on increased lead generation and sales as a result.
We develop websites, online advertising campaigns, branding films, customer-reference films, PR, content for SoMe and much more. We deliver everything that is needed for you to create more sales and become more visible in the market, and we follow the results closely – in collaboration with you.
We have helped over 100+ companies in the last 6 years to create high growth results.
Development of new visuel identity, logo and evt. name
Once you know where you want to go with your brand, your products, your business model, your Value Propositions and slogan, then you can start working with your new visual identity, logo and possibly new name.
The visual identity should reflect your brand from your vision, desired positioning in the market, Value Propositions and not at least your set of values.
Development of marketing plan
Based on the strategic objectives and choice of target groups, a plan for the roll-out must be developed. What media platforms and marketing initiatives are the best for spreading knowledge about your products and services, and to involve your target groups? Divide the plan into 1) Own media, 2) Paid media and 3) PR.
Launch with digital focus
When launching your new business model and visual identity, it is important that your digital platforms reflect the identity of your new brand. Your website, SoMe channels, films and photos must together show your customers and employees who you are and what you stand for.
For the launch, the most important element is not the customers, but the employees. If the employees are not ready for your new strategy and identity, then the launch will be a failure. Therefore, make sure to involve your employees properly before
the launch – that ensures that your brand is successfully brought to market both internally and externally.
Effect and performance measurement
Make sure to regularly follow up on results and the effect of your efforts. Have regular monthly status meetings to ensure that everything runs according to the plan, and so you can adjust along the way as needed.
Download our e-book “The Strategy Method© - 12 steps to growth” and discover how to build strong market positions
Sustainability
We work with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
At Brems & Co., we strive to inspire and help our customers create a sustainable brand that facilitates growth. Consequently, we have integrated the Sustainable Development Goals 8.1, 12.6, 17.16 and 17.17 into our work procedures. We also advice other on how they can use the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Goal No. 8:
Decent work and economic growth
At Brems & Co., we work with subgoal 8.1, which is about creating sustainable economic growth. We focus on how the economy can run sustainably. Economic sustainability is an important aspect of creating employment and decent jobs that can help people and increase our collective quality of life. We believe that you cannot help others before the economic foundation has been laid – only after is it possible to focus on the social and ecological aspects of business.
Global Goal No. 12:
Responsible consumption and production
At Brems & Co., we work with subgoal 12.6, which is about motivating companies to act sustainably. It is a fact that climate change will have consequences for our planet in the future. That is why it is important to treat our limited ressources with respect and consider how you can consume and produce in the most sustainable way. We advise and urge our customers to manage their ressources more efficiently, reduce waste and integrate sustainability into the core of their business.
Global Goal No. 17:
Partnerships to achieve the Goal
At Brems & Co., we work with subgoals 17.16 and 17.17 which are about encouraging and strengthening partnerships that aim to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals. We strive to encourage partnerships and collaborations across industries, companies and organizations for a more sustainable future.
