Multichannel business and brand strategy

Need to turn the unrelenting challenges of twenty-first century business into real opportunities and profit? Our team of experienced e-business on demand strategists can help.

At the IBM Centers for Solution Innovation, we don’t just talk strategy – we create it. Our team of industry experts and business strategists focuses on creating a practical, market-driven strategic roadmap for your business. We work with you to analyze your company, industry, competitive positioning and customers, and create your e-business roadmap to success. Building on IBM thought leadership and deep knowledge of your business environment, markets and technology, we help you develop new on demand strategies that are right for your business.

What does your brand represent to your customers? To your employees and stakeholders? Your brand is a promise, an unwritten contract between you and your customers that expresses the cognitive experience and intrinsic value of your relationship…what's in it for them as well as what's in it for you. Your organization's integrity, personality, products, customer service -- the whole customer experience of doing business with you in every channel -- is summed up in your brand.

As part of the mix of traditional and new direct-to-consumer business models, the rise of the Internet has shifted the basis for brand strength toward total customer experience. Customer segments within the marketplace are fragmenting at an ever-increasing pace. Soon, brands will compete in new technology-enabled marketing, transaction and service methods that create differentiating experiences at every customer touch point. With this in mind, creating, implementing and sustaining a successful branded customer experience across channels requires a fresh, holistic approach.

At the Innovation Centers, we understand branding and its relationship to customer experience. We can help you extend and enhance your brand effectively across multiple channels and touch points, both digital and traditional. To help you build your brand and take it to the next level, the Innovation Centers offer expertise in:

• Brand strategy
• Brand design
• Brand management
• Brand marketing
• Brand measurement

Whether you simply want to refine your brand or embark on a complete rethinking, Innovation Center branding experts are ready to work with you in a standalone branding engagement, or as part of a larger strategy and customer experience initiative.

Deciding to build (or rebuild) a Web site is easy. Determining what that Web presence should be, how it should extend your brand, what it should offer to your audiences, and how it can effectively market and sell products and services online, is not as easy.

Answering these fundamental questions is the first step toward creating a Web presence that achieves your goals, serves your customers well, provides competitive advantage and brings in revenue.

The strategy experts At the IBM Centers for Solution Innovation can help you and your client answer these questions and develop a winning Web strategy. By gathering requirements from you, members of your designated audiences and other key stakeholders, we help define a Web strategy that will serve as the foundation for development and management of a superior Web presence.

Then, we look at selected key competitors. What are they doing on the Web? How well do their Web sites serve their customers? Feature by feature, we compare their sites with your client’s site, identifying strengths, weaknesses and best practices. Our findings are compiled and reported using a visual tool that identifies gaps and opportunities for improvement. The result? A clear understanding of how your existing Web site stacks up, and a comprehensive strategy for taking your Web presence to the next level.

Not sure if you need a new or updated Web site? Let the Innovation Center team perform a rapid Web assessment. In just days, our team reviews and benchmarks your existing Web site against current standards and best practices. At your option, we directly compare your site against those of selected key competitors, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each. With our report, you will gain insights that can help you decide how to improve your Web site and enhance your competitive position.

The design is attractive and functional. The navigation is logical and intuitive. The pages are…empty! Even the best-designed Web sites would have nothing to say without well-written, concise and timely editorial content.

That’s where content strategy and development comes into play. The right content supports your brand promise and delivers value to your key audiences. It’s not just what’s said, but also how it’s stated. By its style and tone, every content element on your site communicates about your brand image and point of view. Is it warm and friendly, or crisp and professional? Does it speak with the audience, to them or at them?

Our content strategists, writers and editors are adept at analyzing existing content and editorial processes to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Based on brand and audience requirements, we provide guidance on editorial style, content sourcing, development and governance. We can also help align Web content across channels, supporting your brand by making customer communications -- online and offline -- speak with one voice.

We also specialize in designing and implementing content management systems for maintaining content-rich Web sites efficiently and cost-effectively.