Branding is both an exciting and challenging phenomenon. It is exciting because it’s a powerful tool to reach out to your target audience in a crowded market place to get your company, products or services on the map – or better, on top of people’s minds. It is also challenging because of its intangible nature.

Increasingly, Chemistry is being asked to develop and facilitate training programmes for top and mid-level managers in SE Asia, India and the Middle East. Rather than approaching it as just providing training, Chemistry prefers to see it as stimulating innovative thinkingon how to build and manage strong brands that help companies deal more effectively with the realities of the modern economy.

The crux of the matter

Chemistry’s success in Strategic Brand Management training is based on two key factors. First, there’s the highly interactive character of its seminars with plenty of involvement by participants. “People learn much better when they are fully engaged and enjoying themselves”, explains Geert, who develops and facilitates the programmes.

Secondly, the materials and tools used are tailored meticulously to the client’s needs and presented within the context of the company’s marketing strategy and competitive environment. Geert explains, “This means that before we develop a training programme, we will run an internal branding review. It’s the company’s own strengths and challenges in branding and marketing that make our training programmes much more than a theoretical experience”.

Chemistry has also developed close ties with TTM, a leading consultancy firm in Europe and the Middle East. TTM has an impressive portfolio of training seminars covering strategy, marketing, sales, as well as management and leadership excellence. They invited Geert to facilitate branding training seminars with Vodafone in Egypt and ‘basic industries’ giant Sabic in Saudi Arabia.

It is interesting to see how even companies in the business of very basic commodities are increasingly recognising the importance of branding and run courses to train their marketing and sales people on the power of brand positioning and image building.

Concludes Geert, “Managers in commodities companies are often conditioned to see price as the only factor influencing their customers’ decision process. During our training seminars they are put to work to look at their product from a different perspective and to identify the unique attributes and ‘value propositions’ offered to their customers. Adding value to your product in a highly competitive commodity market provides a point of differentiation and leads to brand preference. A training seminar often works as an eye-opener.”