Z Connections | Edition # 9 Sept 09 | DOES YOUR BRAND TALK DOLLARS?
Interview by Julia Szatar

Rebecca Martin CEO of Jivve, explains how CONSISTENT KEY MESSAGING AND BRANDING has helped grow the company by creating an exceptional organisational culture and by increasing referrals and sales.

JS: What do you do internally to ensure all your staff understand the branding and key messaging of Jivve?

RM: Starting Jivve has given me a perfect opportunity to make sure we are really clear about our mission and our brand values.  It is important that everyone at Jivve lives the brand.  To make sure we all understand what we want to be, where we are going and how we want to be perceived, each team member is inducted with a session about Jivve and a visit to our communications agency, Zadro, so that Felicity and Julia give their perspective on our brand. Our style guide was developed before the business opened and has been invaluable in ensuring that everyone on the team presents Jivve consistently. Our brand values are also displayed prominently in the office and are regularly discussed. 

JS: Why is consistent branding and key messaging so important to Jivve?

RM: As a start up company, it is essential that we present ourselves consistently at every touch point, as this will establishes the Jivve brand in people’s mind. Whether it is answering the phone or the development of a marketing flyer, the Jivve brand needs to be consistently reinforced.  To make sure our clients and partners understand the service Jivve delivers, we have developed a set of key messages that are constantly reinforced in all written and verbal communication. 

JS: How has having consistent branding and key messaging helped with the growth of Jivve?

RM: Our business model brings together two parties that traditionally have not worked together. To make sure we get the maximum result for both parties and ultimately, the client, we have a very focussed brand positioning which has reinforced the same key messages. This has helped us build the understanding of Jivve which leads to increased referrals and sales.

JS: How does consistent branding and messaging help unite and motivate your staff?

RM: The team lives the brand, and the heart of our brand is all about the speed and quality of service. In everything we do, the team is motivated to deliver on this and reinforce our brand values. Consistent branding and messaging is important as it provides a continuous focus for the team on who we are and what we are trying to achieve.

JS: What do you to do to ensure all your staff contribute to the consistent branding and key messaging of Jivve?

RM: Communication is the key. Continuous discussion about the brand and how we communicate it creates involvement at all levels. We have created an environment where everyone questions how we reinforce the brand.  The best example I have of this is when our accountant presented our invoices and said “Can we do anything to Jivve –ify this?”

JS: What are the difficulties associated with keeping the branding and messaging strong and consistent? What actions have you taken to overcome these issues?

RM: Being vigilant about how your brand is presented is key. We have had two major challenges in our branding and key messages.
One, we don’t market our service to the end client - our partners do. To minimise the likelihood of our brand and key messages being diluted, we put together marketing materials that can easily be used by them. We also offer co-branding to reinforce their business. 

The second challenge is that we have a third party who also sells our service. This has presented challenges in that, despite training them and arming them with the sales presentation, our clients are not always presented to consistently which can create confusion about what we are delivering.  To address this issue, we have adjusted our process for accreditation and our team gets involved early to reinforce our key brand messages.
 

Zadro Communications has worked with Jivve to build the brand right from its foundations. We worked closely with Rebecca to name the company, choose a colour palette and style guide and then implement a communications plan that reinforces the branding and key messaging throughout every aspect of the business. We continually work with Jivve to maintain and improve the way the brand is presented and communicated.