Glossary
B
Brand
Brand Academy
Brand Agenda
Brand Assist
Brand Analysis
Brand Books
Brand Communication System
Brand Competence
Brand Core
Branded Entertainment
Brand Evaluation
Brand Executive Board (BEB)
Brand Film
Brand Framework
Brand Guidelines
Brand identity/-personality
Brand Literature
Brand Management
Brand Manual
Brand Message Management
Brand Model
Brand Online Communication
Brand Online Special
Brand Platform
Brand Positioning
Brand Story
Brand Trainings
Brand Touchpoint
Brand Values
Brand Vision
Brand Workshops
C
Co-Creation
Consumer Insight
Corporate Brand
Corporate Publishing
Creative Brief
Creative Framework
D - L
Digital Strategy
Electronic Sales Support (ESS)
Employer Branding
International Strategies
KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)
Lead Agency Role
M
Market & Competitors Analysis
Marketing Calendar
Media Walls
Mission Statements
Mood Film
Mystery Shopping
S
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Semantic Profiling
Service-Dominant Logic
Social Media Monitoring
Brand
A brand comprises one or several of the following elements: Name, idea, sign, symbol and/or design. The goal is to emphasise the services of one or more suppliers in order to distinguish them from competing offers.
In modern brand management, however, a brand - most of all - stands for what people are thinking and feeling about a given company, its products and actions. It is the sum total of all events and emotions associated with it and, therefore, offers more than mere orientation: it also provides emotional stability in an increasingly complex market environment.
Brand Academy
Defines a space where co-workers and visitors can experience the orientation of a brand, its communicative measures and competitive situation. The brand content is designed interactively by the participants and made available in an entertaining way through games, films, partitioning walls and exhibits.
Brand Agenda
The important theme of a brand. In most cases, a brand agenda serves to convey the brand vision by means of a stirring emotional statement. The objective of a brand agenda is that of presenting the brand with relevant and exciting content. The actual product benefit plays a rather subordinate role here. Themes are identified and temporally prescribed, something that is meant to convey the brand values medium-term (e.g. 2-3 years) to diverse interest groups. A brand agenda forms the starting point of brand message management.
Brand Assist
For Greenkern this means: strategically managing and supporting a given brand on assignment from the client and in cooperation with other service providers. The objective here is that of assuring - through the function of a lead agency - a consistent, cross-brand communication for the brand in question.
Brand Analysis
Defines the comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of all necessary information in order to evaluate the actual state of a brand. Tools such as brand evaluation, market and competitor analysis, target and interest group analysis and nexpertizer analysis are being applied.
Brand Books
Are used as an internal training tool and as an external PR instrument. Here, business history is taken up and brand values conveyed. Through image improvement, and as part of the long-term positioning for a particular topic, a brand book serves as companion for campaigns and long-term branding and brand engagement.
Brand Communication System
Coordinates and defines the brand contact points at the point of sale.
Brand Competence
Defines the strength of and the trust into the brand. Brand competence is the "common denominator" that combines all product promises of a given brand under one umbrella heading. See: umbrella brand.
Brand Core
Forms the essence of a brand and represents what it stands for. It condenses the brand value and clearly defines its designation. A brand core denotes the utilisation promise of a brand towards the user and defines its identity, which also serves the communication and motivation of the co-workers. A brand core should be relevant fairly long-term and forms the basis for all future activities of the brand.
Branded Entertainment
Describes concepts that are developed in line with the brand and mostly serve for entertainment purposes. Therefore, it is important to know which themes are relevant for the defined interest group and how to communicate them. This knowledge, combined with the ability to prepare relevant content in an entertaining manner, creates emotional contact points with the brand for existing and potential customers.
Brand Evaluation
Determines the status quo for the brand, where all brand-relevant data is analysed and evaluated. The analysis of the brand and its environment constitutes the groundwork for the development of the brand platform.
Brand Executive Board (BEB)
Denotes a decision-making committee meeting at regular intervals. This is where all topics relevant to brand, marketing and communication are planned, calculated, discussed and decided on. Thus, the BEB bundles the knowledge and the demands of all brand-relevant business divisions and therefore assures a uniform requirements profile and strategic concept of the planned measures.
Brand Film
This is the visual interpretation of a brand. The task is to fill the vision of a brand with life and to charge it emotionally. It creates a mood and a feeling of what the brand stands for. This is supported and enhanced by suitable images and music. The goal here is that of bringing the brand to life and developing a sense for it in order to create, internally as well as externally, a congruent picture.
Brand Framework
Describes the extent to which a given brand should be perceived internally and externally and thus defines brand identity. The components of brand framework are brand competence, brand positioning, brand vision, brand story, and the strategic development of the brand model.
Brand Guidelines
These are the strategic key statements, which provide a guideline for the strategic handling of the brand by all stakeholders. The key statements concern brand-relevant contents, such as brand image and future expectations but also competitive advantages and brand messages, in order to face the respective challenges.
Brand identity/-personality
This denotes the sum total of all characteristics of a brand. It defines its holistic character, shows what it stands for and ideally unites self image and image of the others, in order to cater for a uniform and differentiated brand perception internally and externally.
Brand Literature
Serves to bundle all relevant brand messages and to convey them internally and externally. Edited and emotionalised with pictures, this renders the brand more interesting for diverse stakeholders (co-workers, PR, etc.).
Brand Management
Denotes all activities for the development and management of a given brand and must integrate all people with brand responsibility and the stakeholder groups, as well as the internal and external communication in all media.
Brand Manual
Describes the brand guidelines for internal use in edited and illustrated form.
Brand Message Management
Denotes a system to define committees, processes and instruments, in order to generate themes and position them within a certain brand agenda. It thus transfers the brand values into content that is relevant for interest groups . Therefore, it forms the basis of communication for all media, such as PR, Social Media and print.
Brand Model
Serves the illustration of strategic brand definition (brand framework). There are several brand models that can be utilised. Greenkern defines the correct model for its diverse customers in each case. Basically, the brand core (the definition of a brand) and the brand values (the ethical guidelines) are defined and these are then put in relation to each other.
Brand Online Communication
Summary of all communicative online activities of a given brand. Online communication requires a different approach from classical communication. Here, the further development of the brand is carried out through targeted design of content and presentation of the brand in an interactive platform, e.g. in form of brand online specials.
Brand Online Special (BOS)
This is an independent micro-site, which contains user-relevant brand contents that are positioned on the site in form of different modules. These are used as a springboard for brand-relevant themes and range from sheer information to entertainment and interactive tools. A brand online special serves as a platform to create new enthusiasm in existing customers and to win over potential customers for the brand.
Brand Platform
This is the overall construct, where a brand is strategically defined. It consists of the brand framework and the creative framework.
Brand Positioning
Describes a clear position in the market, which a brand communicates towards its stakeholders. This serves to develop a clear identity and to distinguish it from the competition.
Brand Story
This does not only tell the story of the brand concerned but also conveys its vision and promise to the stakeholder groups. It is the basis of brand image and thus creates the emotional added value of the brand. It offers possibilities of identification and makes a considerable contribution to the formation of brand preference. It is an elementary component of the creative framework and thus forms the basis of brand communication.
Brand Trainings
Here, co-workers are put into contact with the abstract brand concept in order to create intellectual and emotional points of contact. As a result of this training, brand messages are also emotionally implemented in the business and a sustainable identification of the co-workers is achieved.
Brand Touchpoint
This is where the physical and often decisive contact with a brand takes place. Therefore, it is important to help the consumers to orientate themselves and to seize the opportunities available here. New technologies offer the opportunity to set the stage for the brand in exciting, surprising and attention-grabbing ways and thus to set it apart from other brands.
Brand Values
Describe the elementary value system and determine the action of stakeholders with brand responsibility in dealing with the brand. 
These are not statistical constructs but attributes, which serve the further development and periodic verifiability. All other sub-values of the brand can be derived, and justified, from the key values of the brand. Each brand value is ideally based on mission statements in order to determine the direction of a brand in its dimensions.
Brand Vision
This is the strategic goal of a brand. It indicates the direction into which a given brand should develop medium- or long-term. It is an important sign post for the brand development and must be tested for its correctness over and over again and, if necessary, adjusted.
Brand vision mirrors the ambitions of a given brand and unifies the brand- responsible powers in a clearly defined goal.
Brand Workshops
Here, different perceptions of the brand are aligned and a mutual understanding is developed. In the end, a brand concept is developed that fits in with the structures of the business and does not oppose them. As a result, concrete action recommendations can be formulated for the better implementation of the brand.
Co-Creation
Presents a form of open innovation. The term goes back to the business consultant C. K. Prahalad, who regards the creative process with several people as a new form of adding value to a business. An example of co-creation is the open-source movement in the software sector, where users can independently continue to develop the programmes.
Consumer Insight
Describes an intrinsic need or desire of the consumers, to which the brand alludes with its solution offer. "Insight" can be derived from classical market research understanding or from psychological knowledge about emotions and behaviour in relation to the brand. Consumer insight essentially describes the buying motives or barriers to buying of a consumer. The understanding of this consumer view is decisive for the correct placement and appeal of the brand.
Corporate Brand
Brands that are being sold under a corporate brand do not need to have the same core competency as the latter. They expand or supplement these and should only profit from the range of influence, high profile, quality and other positive associations with the corporate brand.
Corporate Publishing
Describes the communication of information with the help of journalistic and editorial tools. These are then published in customer magazines, company magazines, blogs, but also via all other suitable channels. Precondition here is the editorial preparation of the contents. This targets not only the users of the brand but also the stakeholders in the business.
Creative Brief
This provides the basis for the creative development of ideas and concepts in communication campaigns. It offers a framework for the work and, at the same time, shows the space available for creative development. The brand promise and the message for all media are arranged here. Starting point for the key message is consumer insight relative to target group description. A creative brief forms a binding basis for the collaboration between agency and client.
Creative Framework
Provides the guideline for the creative realisation of the brand framework and forms the basis of brand communication. This can be carried out in form of a mood film or mood boards about the brand and also as part of the creative brief.
Digital Strategy
A successful digital strategy implies a defined image of the brand. A detailed analysis phase is followed by the development of a clear goal and of a concept, which defines how interest groups can be involved in dialogue or even open communication.
Electronic Sales Support (ESS)
Supports sales personnel with arguments at the point of sale and offers customers experience-oriented product and brand information. ESS can be offered web-based or as a stand-alone system.
Employer Branding
Describes the positioning of a business as an attractive employer towards existing co-workers and potential employees. Each business has different stakeholder groups. Apart from a firm customer base, co-workers are among the most important assets of a business. Thus, addressing, binding and winning them is just as important a business-strategic aspect as winning customers. A clear positioning on the job market assures - particularly in times of a lack of skilled workers - a lasting protection of the intellectual and specialist business assets.
International Strategies
Denotes the adaptation of brands to another culture. An important here is that the brand identity must be interpreted for the appropriate target market. Therefore, an analysis of the cultural determinants is absolutely essential, such as people's perspectives, motivations, perceptions, learning processes, as well as information about market limitations and other cultural occurrences. By taking the linguistic and cultural differences in brand adaptation into consideration, a brand can be aligned with the target market and presently positioned there without losing its global direction.
KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)
Describes parameters that are used to measure the previously defined business and/or marketing goals. The successful implementation of these goals and also their development over a determined period of time is measured with the help of the parameters. Even in the online domain, there are now standardised parameters to measure the success of campaigns, evaluate marketing activities and market development.
Lead Agency Role
The role of a lead agency is that of acting as the strategic right hand of the client. It coordinates all communicative service providers of a given brand and establishes a mutual statement for and a uniform understanding of the brand. Together with the client, it accomplishes the strategic groundwork and the creative brief developed provides the basis for all brand-building measures. It understands the demands and desires of the client but, nonetheless, also speaks the language of the other service providers.
Market & Competitors Analysis (MCA)
An analysis of the competition shows how the competitors are positioned in the market, which brand and communication strategy they choose and what this means for the own business. A market analysis is important for brand development and communication. Elements such as size of market, market growth and market trends must be included in order to develop a strategy that takes them into consideration.
Marketing Calendar
This is a tool used to locate all marketing measures simultaneously. Activities in various channels are considered here.
The success of individual actions can be determined by using information concerning previously defined goals. Synergy effects can be achieved, actions synchronised, and further actions can be controlled.
Media Walls
A flash-based interactive media wall presents media content that follows the body movements of the viewer. Infra-red cameras installed in the ceiling continually detect the viewer's coordinates and thus allow interaction. A perplexing effect results, which attracts attention and ensures an increased readiness to engage more intensely with the content shown.
Mission Statements
A short description of the ethical guidelines, measures and goals that a given business follows. These are based on the vision and serve to guarantee its achievement. The mission statement thus provides the framework and the context that results in the strategies for future business procedures.
Mood Film
A cost-effective tool for the audiovisual presentation of brand content. A mood film mostly uses material from image data bases or already existing films of a brand.
Mystery Shopping
Denotes a method that is mainly used to establish and measure the quality of service provider and service. Data is always obtained directly at the customer interface. Examples are as follows: call-centre, retail sale or even field work. Trained test shoppers act as "normal" customers and check those against previously defined criteria. Everyday situations, such as consulting and service talks are executed and evaluated with help of a catalogue of criteria. Through the catalogue, an assessment that is as objective as possible can be achieved and personal preferences are disregarded.
Naming Strategies
The choice of brand name is an important component of the internationalisation of the brand. A decision needs to be made as to whether the name should be translated in the first place and if so, if the literal translation arouses the correct connotations in the target language. Mostly, adaptations to the given factors of a language and particularly to the culture are necessary in order to achieve the required effect.
New Brand Development (NBD)
Describes the new development of a brand following prior market analysis. This is followed in turn by the conversion of the business purpose into a market competence and a product promise, which then results in the construction of a brand platform.
Nextexpertizer
This is a qualitative market research tool developed by Prof. Dr. Peter Kruse. This new form of analysis overcomes the limitations of classical research methods. Insights about an object via a non-standardised, computer-supported questioning system are semantically evaluated and weighted. In this way, a qualitative survey can result in a quantitative representative statement.
Open Innovation
Describes the external opening of innovative business processes and thus the active strategic utilisation of information in order to increase own innovation potential. Open innovation is not limited to customer involvement only. This type of knowledge can also be gained from suppliers, partners, research institutes, competitors or from other people outside the industry and experts. The goal is to develop solutions that meet the needs of the customers, are user-friendly, and already involve the defined interest groups in the run-up.
Opinion Mining
These are analysis and planning tools for opinion research and control of online communication processes. They evaluate forums, blogs and social networks, as well as other online and off-line media, and capture current customer opinions and moods about a brand or relevant topics or campaigns. Scanning and evaluating this information with the help of suitable web-based tools generates a differentiated picture about the respective brand. Radian 6 is an example of a supplier of opinion mining.
Participation Marketing
This means to respond to the changing role of the consumers and the resulting challenges. In this process, new target groups and possibilities of exchange are identified, where the consumer is involved right from the start in the development of possible solutions. This so-called co-creation enables the direct dialogue with the users and provides them with a platform where they can participate by stating their demands and desires. This results in a more sustainable and positive involvement with the brand and the products.
Prosumer
Word composition made up of the English words consumer and producer. Alvin Toffler introduced this term in 1980, to describe consumers who not only acquire benefits and services but are actively involved in their production as well. A current example is Wikipedia. In the meantime, however, the term prosumer has been established also for ways of direct cooperation between business and customer, which are described with terms such as co-design and co-production.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
This is an indispensable tool in the online marketing strategy. The goal is to use suitable measures in order to improve the visibility and findability of the home page. Search Engine Marketing is made up of the components Search Engine Optimisation and Paid Listing.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Describes the increase of the relevance of the own website within search engine rankings. Here, the web page is divided into several single pages, or a so-called landing page is created, where the corresponding content is combined and lodged with defined keywords. Based on the chosen keywords, the placement of the website follows in one of the more leading positions within the results list of the search engine. Search engine optimisation is part of search engine marketing.
Semantic Profiling
This is a measuring procedure from the social research domain. Here, test persons are shown different terms, which they have to sort and scale according to their association to pairs of opposites (hot-cold, hard-soft). By combining the answers, certain stereotypes or people's opinions can be ascertained.
Service-Dominant Logic (SDL)
This is currently the most seminal concept in marketing and service research. The founders Vargo and Lusch postulate a paradigm change from a goods-centred dominant logic to a service-dominant logic. Essential characteristics of this view comprise, amongst others, the ability to regard customers as co-producers of services who determine the value of a service to a high degree. The service, in this context, is not actually a product or a service but denotes the application of certain competencies, which are advantageous to the customer or to the supplier.
Social Media Monitoring
Social Media Monitoring is the systematic observation and analysis of social media contributions and dialogues in discussion forums, web logs, micro-blogging and social communities, such as Facebook or Myspace. It serves to gain a quick overview or insight into topics and opinions in the social web. Other than single social media analyses and/or those that are conducted at regular intervals, social media monitoring is carried out continuously. (Source: Wikipedia)
Target vs. Interest group Analysis (TGA / IGA)
The classical target group definition through social-demographic criteria is not sufficient anymore for the challenges of online communication. The approach to potential users via their life situation and range of interests is far more meaningful. Thus, the definition of "interest groups" is a basic requirement for a solid (digital) communication strategy and the resulting measures.
Transformation Development Kit (TDK)
Combines methods, tools and applications that are meant to enable non-company people to develop - on their own initiative - new added value offers (products, services, applications, interfaces, processes etc.) for the business. The core of the TDK is a simple, easy to use, web-based software. This fosters cooperation and idea development through innovative methods of exchange (e.g. Jive), defines search and innovation fields and returns results in real time as feedback to the community.
Umbrella Brand
All products located under a given umbrella brand are subject to the defined brand competence. At first glance, the affiliation with the umbrella brand is clearly recognisable for the brands (and products) of the umbrella brand.