Increasing interest
Editor’s note: Harry Vardis is president of Creative Focus, Inc., an Atlanta research firm. Sandra Vasa-Sideris is an associate professor in the School of Management at Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Ga. This article was first published in the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 15, Nos. 2/3.
Creativity is essential to the development of positioning strategies. However, in order for these creative solutions to be implemented, the client must be willing to accept them. Built on a foundation of extensive research and practice in the field of creativity, the PISCESSM process (plan, imagine, select, create, evaluate, start) is a guided creative process that leads to successful positioning action plans. By design, the process is structured to engage the client from the beginning, thereby increasing buy-in of the creative solutions that are developed and putting clients in the driver’s seat. The five-step PISCES process has been used to develop new advertising as well as to create new products, extend a product line, and to reposition an existing product. This article provides an overview of the steps in the process, including some of the creativity tools used and presents an example of successful application of the process.
Differentiate
In our competitive society, companies recognize the need to differentiate their products and services from others. A differentiating strategy has the following characteristics:
- credibility;
- durability;
- unique benefit;
- meaningful benefit (to the target group);
- executable in advertising or other public relations vehicles;
- relation to a feeling, a need, or a desire in the target’s mind;
- consistency with the perception of the product/service performance.
The process of developing the differentiation strategy is achieved in a variety of ways. Trout (1996) provides a number of examples of the contribution a consultant can make in generating new positioning statements. Schultz, Tannenbaum, and Lauderhorn (1994) provide guidance on the types of issues to be addressed. And, Aacker’s (1996) model for brand identity planning includes dimensions and beliefs to be addressed. However, the actual steps taken to achieve the strategy are not so clearly defined.
Experience in working with clients suggests that leadership for developing positioning may be taken by an internal marketing team in some companies, while in others, an external agency, consultant, or public relations firm takes the lead. The basis for generating the positioning may come from focus groups conducted to gain insight into customers’ perceptions or from an in-depth analysis of the positioning of competitors to identify possible opportunities.
These approaches may involve multiple iterations of positioning statements and creative work due to having to go back and forth between the groups. This also may increase the time from initiation of discussions on positioning to delivery of the creative campaign. AT&T found, in an internal study of its own positioning process, that it took approximately 11 months to go from concept generation to the point where creative work was completed. In an era where speed to market is critical, AT&T could not afford to have such a lengthy cycle time. Revisions to the process at AT&T resulted in a reduction in cycle time to about three-and-a-half months.
Planning is critical to having an effective and efficient process, so is the involvement of key people. Chrysler has reduced the time from concept development to manufacturing a car from four years to less than two by establishing cross-functional teams including representatives from design, finance, suppliers, and other groups to expedite the process.
At Chrysler, the CEO was instrumental in creating and leading the vision for change. This is true in creating a positioning strategy. Trout (1996) highlights the role of the CEO in the repositioning of Lotus as groupware. But in the Lotus example, the repositioning was developed first, then the CEO took an active role in promoting the new vision.
Based on extensive work in marketing research and creativity in problem solving (Isaksen and Treffinger, 1985; VanGundy, 1980), a facilitated creative process was developed which incorporates involvement of key players including the CEO, where appropriate, from the outset. The process has been found to be effective in achieving participant commitment, desired results, and efficient use of time.
The PISCES process
The PISCES process uses facilitation (Wittmer & Myrick, 1974; Isaksen,1983) and creative techniques to blend the contributions of the left- and right-brains of business and it brings a balance between management and consumer. It brings about a union between the unexpected and the appropriate, utilizing the best talents of the participants to bring about the best results. It is based on the belief that involvement of key parties from the beginning results in a process that is more effective and more efficient.
The PISCES process involves six steps (see box) with five phases. Common across the steps is the use of a variety of creative techniques that break down thinking barriers and that are fun. A trained facilitator keeps the process on track, introducing the activities and to moving the process along so that it does not lose energy.
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The Planning step is designed to establish commitment to breakthrough ideas. The client and key people identify essential elements of the problem, they define the various perspectives in which the product or service may be viewed, objectives for the session are defined, and criteria for selecting ideas are established. In addition, they determine who the participants will be.
In the Imagine step, creative exercises are used to generate and build on ideas of what defines the product, who the target audience is, what the attributes or benefits of the product are, where the product or service is offered, who is the key competition, and what the critical points are that create a difference between the product or service and those of the competition. Such techniques as brainstorming, brain writing, and photo sorting are used to generate ideas. Analogies may be used to stimulate creative thinking.
In the Select step, participants use different techniques to group and select ideas generated in the Imagine step. Visual methods such as dot voting with multi-color dots are used. Other approaches may include developing a matrix or clustering ideas.
In the Create step, strategies to differentiate the product or service are developed using the outcome of the Select step. A morphological matrix with such dimensions as target audience, competitors, benefits and attributes of the product or service is used to generate positioning statements.
In the Evaluate step, members of the target audience are selected to participate in focus groups. A custom guide for the focus groups is developed to meet the objectives of the study. The participants in the focus groups define the criteria that cause them to want to have that product or service and the attractive attributes of the product or service in a playful, open environment.
An action plan is developed in the Start step, defining what is going to be done, who will do it, how it will be done, and when. The action plan incorporates the creative inputs of the process.
Case study: an action plan developed for a community bank
Tucker Federal Bank and its advertising agency, Kilgannon McReynolds, both located in Atlanta, identified the need to create a clearer identity for the bank in the market. The PISCES process was used with key bank managers to define the image of the bank and to develop a marketing strategy to increase consumer awareness.
A planning meeting was held to identify who would participate in the creative session, where the creative session would occur, and to determine which data were available in terms of qualitative and quantitative research, e.g., awareness of the bank in the Atlanta market, image of the bank, number of customers, types of accounts these customers held and other information which could help to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the bank. An additional planning point was the definition of the objectives of the session. A booklet was prepared for distribution to participants prior to the creative session to stimulate their thinking about who the key competitors were and what were some of the differentiating aspects of the bank. Some general guidelines for the meeting were included.
The creative session, including the Imagine, Select and Create components of the process, was conducted in one day. The 12 participants included the CEO and officers from key functional areas of the bank and representatives from the advertising agency. It began with a review of the objectives and the guidelines for a creative session. A warm-up exercise was conducted to show how easy it is to see something in one way and how it is possible to re-examine the item and see it in an entirely different way. (There are numerous images available to illustrate this point, such as the well-known drawing in which one can see a young lady or an old lady, depending on perception.)
Divergence techniques were used to generate a list of potential competitors, then two key competitors were identified by consensus. A photo-sort was used to define the client. By sorting through pictures, participants were encouraged to tell stories about the customers’ lives as seen through the pictures selected. The stories were about the customers, their lives, values and how they would interact with the bank, thus establishing profiles of the various segments of the customers. Brain writing and brainstorming were used to generate facts, attributes, and benefits about the bank and its competitors.
In brain writing, participants write their ideas on Post-it Notes and pass them around the group for discussion. Because these notes are anonymous, the process encourages participants who are not vocal or who may be subordinates of other participants, to contribute their ideas. The facilitator, through easel notes, creates charts as the participants talk and these charts are posted on the wall for later use in constructing the strategies.
Because of the multitude of ideas generated regarding the audience, the competition, the facts, attributes and benefits of the bank and its competitors, convergence exercises were used to narrow these lists and identify the aspects that most differentiated these components.
The convergence techniques included dot voting, which allows participants to walk around and assign a predetermined number of self-adhesive dots to those items that are differentiating to them and which they felt could be critical to the strategy statement.
Following the convergence exercise the respondents formed three groups of four and were given the assignment to develop strategy statements (the Create stage). When finished the groups presented their statements to the entire group of 12 and further comments and suggestions were made to strengthen the statements. These strategic positioning statements were further refined by the advertising agency and were turned into creative concepts to be tested in focus groups (the Evaluate stage). Finally, a marketing campaign was developed based on the outcomes of the process (the Start stage). The entire process took three weeks from start to the shooting of the advertising campaign.
A tracking study was conducted to evaluate the value of the marketing communications campaign.
Objectives of the marketing campaign
Tucker Federal Bank is running a new marketing communications campaign in the metro area that alternately involves cable television, radio, newspaper, outdoor, direct mail and point-of-purchase advertising. The challenge faced by the bank was to establish a clear identity in a market that is already inundated by major bank advertising. The theme of the new campaign is to point out the bank’s smaller size as being just right for the area. In addition, advertisements present bank services and the notion that the bank is active in the community.
Objectives of the current campaign are to achieve an 8 percent aided awareness of the bank’s personality positioning within the targeted geography of the bank, achieve a 15 percent brand awareness of the bank in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and positively impact attitudes toward the bank.
The purpose of the tracking study was to determine if the bank’s objectives were achieved, if the marketing strategy should be re-evaluated, and the impact of the bank’s advertising on attitudes about the bank. These issues are not determined solely by the bank’s new marketing communications efforts. The active marketing of competitors in this market is also a determining force.
Tracking study methodology
The sample for this study was composed of 200 customers from Tucker Federal Bank’s database (100 from the northern part of the Atlanta metro area and 100 from the southern part), 203 high potential non-customers (HPNCs) from the same zip codes (103 from the northern metro area and 100 from the southern part), and 100 other non-customers (ONCs) from the Atlanta metro area but outside the immediate range of the bank. Names for the latter two groups were generated by a survey sampling organization.
Respondents were at least 25 years old and the mix of males to females was approximately 50/50. Respondents were qualified as being the primary decision maker for the checking account in their household and as listeners to one of a group of radio stations (used in the radio marketing) on a regular basis. Interviewing was conducted during late October and early November 1998.
Respondents were asked to answer survey questions on the following areas:
1. Total unaided advertising awareness (first and other mentions): Thinking just of the past six months, which banks have you seen or heard advertised?
2. Total advertising awareness - unaided/aided:
- (unaided): Thinking just of the past six months, which banks have you seen or heard advertised? (Respondents provided names of banks.)
- (aided): Have you seen or heard any advertising for the following banks? (Respondents were asked for each bank not mentioned in the previous question.) In just the past six months, have you seen or heard any bank advertising for (names of banks were inserted)?
3. Advertising recall of Tucker Federal Bank: Please tell me anything at all you remember about the advertising you recently saw or heard for Tucker Federal Bank. [Probe until unproductive.]
Proven recall was in the form of statements about the advertising campaign (bank size, aspects of the ads), bank services, local focus, and aspects of bank services (low rates, good checking, variety of services, loans, care for needs, etc.)
4. Main idea from the advertising: What do you think was the main idea of the advertising for Tucker Federal Bank?
Correct communication mentions included statements about elements of the campaign -- bank size, services, customer service, local involvement, friendly, etc.
5. Slogan awareness: Do you recall hearing (read the slogan) in any advertising?
6. Overall satisfaction with primary bank: Using a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 means “not at all satisfied” and 10 means “extremely satisfied,” what number would you give to describe the level of satisfaction with your primary bank?
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Exceeded expectations
Results of tracking studies indicate that the outcomes of the process not only met but significantly exceeded expectations. Results of awareness and tracking questions (items 1-5 above) are presented in Table 1. Satisfaction with the bank was higher for Tucker Federal than for other banks (Table 2).
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The first objective was to achieve an 8 percent aided awareness of the bank’s personality positioning within the targeted geography of the bank. In fact, 67 percent of the bank’s customers had slogan awareness and 42 percent of the high-potential non-customers in the same areas.
The second objective was to achieve a 15 percent brand awareness of the bank in the metropolitan area. The tracking study results found a 52 percent total (unaided/aided) awareness of the bank’s advertising among the total sample of metro area respondents.
The third objective of the marketing campaign was to improve attitudes toward the bank. Respondents who were aware of the ad campaign gave significantly higher ratings than respondents who were not aware of the ad campaign. Even among respondents who were customers of the bank, those who were aware of the advertising gave significantly higher ratings to the bank’s variety of services and demonstrated higher knowledge about services than respondents not aware of the advertising.
Building on this success, the bank intends to extend the campaign until it begins to show signs of wearing out. The bank has implemented additional programs directed toward the different customer groups at its branches. In keeping with the community theme, the bank serves cookies at the branches, organizes bus trips for senior citizens, and holds holiday events for families. In addition, management of Tucker Federal Bank intends to continue to use this creative process as a way of increasing involvement and commitment of the managers.
Suggestions for future research
An industry review is recommended to identify the most common practices used to arrive at positioning strategies among advertising agencies and corporations. These organizations are most likely to use positioning as a way to guide their marketing efforts. Such research can identify the key components and processes used and suggest possible applications across the board or within specific vertical industries because of special needs, e.g., consumer products versus business-to-business or utilities versus deregulated industries or products vs. services etc.
Starting with secondary research and exploring the various industries, it would be prudent to identify as many segments as is practical so that potential differences can be identified and models like PISCES can be further refined.
Managerial implications
The creative process described in this article is effective for developing differentiation strategies for external customers. The process is efficient in creating increased commitment within an organization as well. The process can be used to develop vision, mission, common objectives, and strategy. Marketing and other consultants can increase client buy-in through active engagement of the client in the creative process, whether the customer is a group of consumers or one is building one-on-one relationships of business-to-business marketing.
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