A Brand Pyramid Analysis

In “eMarketing: The essential guide to marketing in a digital world,” the authors discuss a customer’s journey and note that it is cyclical. When creating a brand strategy, the marketer must understand the customers who are to be attracted. Market research is crucial to understanding the customer, for it can surface trends in a customer’s journey. The authors defines the customer journey as the “the series of steps and decisions a customer takes before buying from your business (or not).” Referencing the Brand Pyramid Template that is used to determine what the brand or product’s unique selling point is, also helps sort out what process a customer experiences before he or she buys-in. Although this is a logical way to understand what a customer is thinking and valuing before the point of purchase, not all industries are ones that are directly associated with tangible assets or benefits. Therefore, this model must then be altered slightly to accommodate industries that seek engagement and a “sale,” but do not actually offer the customer something tangible.

For example, in the advancement industry, entities operate as non-profits and seek engagement and monetary gifts from a specific constituency base. A major gift officer’s goal is to solidify a donation from alumni, students, faculty members, or friends of the university, etc. When a “sale” is made in this industry, the emotional benefit to the donor is a ‘feel good’ feeling for successfully completing a moral duty. Therefore, a donor leaves feeling happy and perhaps that is the unique factor in this industry.

Again taking the Brand Pyramid Template into consideration in regards to the advancement industry, it is difficult to determine the tangible features, attributes and functional benefits to the consumer. Tangible features and attributes of the service are indirectly present and are represented by what the money funds, builds, or provides, but the consumer does not receive a tangible product or service in exchange for his or her monetary gift. However, donors can receive tangible benefits as a form of stewardship. Tangible benefits could be naming rights on a building, sporting event tickets, signed book, etc. If I am understanding correctly, this model is a helpful tool even in the advancement industry to help align campaign branding and content that best influences donors.