Today’s situation is unprecedented. The history and everyday life of Brands has been interrupted by the current health crisis. We are already witnessing everywhere the rise of a new kind of emotional marketing that emphasizes the values of “sustainability”.

The time is now right to forge a more authentic connection to your clients and friends. The conditions are favorable to showcase your brand culture, and quite simply to share it with everyone!

The Wind Rose, a consulting and training firm that accompanies luxury brands, has asked us to introduce ourselves since we work closely together.

Today, for our first podcast, we will discuss our expertise, “How to build a brand strategy in a rapidly changing world.”

Katharina, you’re a former women’s magazine journalist who led a major editorial department. You’re also the author of the best-selling book about Coco Chanel called “Style is me”. Beyond your remarkable writing talent, you are a profiler with a keen understanding of client expectations.

I am also a former journalist, who was in charge of launching new publications, such as in Mademoiselle Figaro, and later worked as a branding specialist at an agency. My longtime passion for books remains as I was also a book critic for the newspaper “Les Echos”.

However today, our expertise lies in creating brand strategies to help attract and retain clients. To accompany you in this complex process, we develop a new storytelling style that goes far beyond simple content.

Our first step is to create a brand platform. Think of it as a creative audit that examines your history, values, and products, providing a vision with fresh ideas and perspectives, to understand and meet your client’s expectations and needs. This platform will project your brand into the future and position you as true influencers.

The Brand Platform, also known as the ‘Brand Bible’, is a comprehensive document of 50 to 100-pages outlining the guidelines to highlight your image, communication tools and event programs, all in alignment with who you are and what you want to convey.

To achieve this, we immerse ourselves into your world to define your new direction by creating a unique and exclusive message. This unique message is vital for the successful development of your brand.

We dive into your archives, analyze your collections and inspirations, and read all brand information. We engage with all your staff, from marketing, sales and to craftsmen. We also connect with your client network, to understand their desires, expectations, and cultural preferences. We absorb everything from books, films, exhibitions and listen into all little things of everyday life, attitudes, behaviors, topics of discussion, a headline in a newspaper or anything that might catch our eye, whether it be a phrase or a certain emotion. We consult sociologists, influencers and even philosophers. This comprehensive approach fuels our passion: finding the right formula for you.

With all this material, we enter the production phase: we establish a structured plan with major chapters, just like in publishing. The ideas start to take shape and we become the guardians of the emotional resonance. We must create a real alchemy between the brand and the clients! We become alchemists!

Finally, we enter the into the writing phase. We try to find the right words, the right hooks, we refine, we sculpt, we structure. It’s a playful process. Katharina has a keen eye and a real artistic sense, selecting images and creating layouts worthy of a top fashion magazine. Form and content are equally important. Once ready, we deliver. This process generally takes from one to three months, including the exchange of feedback with the client.

However, today’s situation is exceptional. The history and life of brands has been interrupted by this health crisis. We are already seeing a new kind of emotional marketing flourishing everywhere that promotes the values of “sustainability” and the so-called “the world after”.
Today, the connections you rebuild with your clients and friends will inevitably be more authentic, fostering a warmer dialogue that will highlight your brand culture, and your overall cultural values.

Every company has its own unique culture, making it akin to a private club that people aspire to join.

Naturally the second step is to offer you a series of events to promote your brand using our network of influencers and press. The encounters are centered around lifestyle, arts, fashion and beauty, providing surprises for your discerning clientele. These events offer opportunities for learning and reflection, creating a magical bond with your brand. Inspired by our backgrounds in prestigious women’s press: we propose new trends, new ideas using a clever mix of light and profound subjects.

Take the example of an iconic French luxury footwear brand, “Roger Vivier”, which aimed to rejuvenate its appeal and attract millennials who, contrary to popular belief, value meaning, roots, and the history of the brand in their purchasing decisions. The brand once embodying Parisian chic now does so with a renewed confidence: Using an elegante eccentricity in its interpretation of the classics. The new strategy we devised empowers the teams to engage in new dialogues, both internally and on social media. The brand has taken off once again.

So, without a doubt, this moment is as unique as it is opportune:

• To humanize your brand.
• To be proud of your values.
• To establish a dialogue with clients.
• To offer experiences.
• To build local communities.
• To go behind the scenes.
• To appeal to Millennials and to the Generation Z.
• To be the best ambassador for your culture.

So now, affirm your storytelling, proclaim your unique message, be bold and create the surprise!

Thank you for reading and we to hope to see you soon!

Gaëtane and Katharina,
Consultants for The Wind Rose