The Innovative Lean Machine: Synchronizing People, Branding, and Strategy to Win in the Marketplace

260 Pages·2014·2.088 MB·English

by  Anthony Sgroi Jr.

Business & Management / Lean Methods & Implementation S THE INNOVATIVE
g
... well organized, well written, and well worth reading. ... documents everything you need to do r
o
to build a successful company: brand, people, and strategy.
i
—Al Ries, Legendary Branding Strategist, Bestselling Author, LEAN MACHINE
and Originator of the Concept of Positioning
T
Tony Sgroi presents the key drivers for a winning company. By following his creative frameworks
for building a recognized brand, developing a strong market strategy, and selecting great people H
to drive innovation, consumers will beat a path to your door. Synchronizing People, Branding, and
E
—Philip Kotler, S. C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing,

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University I Strategy to Win in the Marketplace
N
The Innovative Lean Machine describes an insightful and very practical approach to developing
N
the front-end market / branding strategy for your firm.
—Ron Mascitelli, PMP, Author of Mastering Lean Product Development O
Tony strikes at core necessities required in building a successful company. This is the ‘how-to’ V
branding and strategy manual! A
—Rick Constantine, Vice President of Marketing & Global Business Unit Leader,
T
Acme United Corporation
I
V
The Innovative Lean Machine: Synchronizing People, Branding, and Strategy to Win in
the Marketplace explains how to use Lean principles and visual tools to maximize the three E
core components of any business: its strategy, people, and branding. It demystifies theory with

examples of the various visual tools any organization can rely on during the idea generation, L
product development, and branding processes. E
A
Filled with easy-to-follow graphics, charts, and tables, the book provides a simple, yet effective,
series of visual frameworks that readers can immediately apply with little difficulty. Describing N
how to ensure your business planning reflects what is most valuable to your customers, the text

presents the insights of a creative thought process that drives innovative solutions. M
After reading this book, you will better understand how to use Lean tools to build a stronger A
brand, create better market strategies, and select and utilize effective people. You will also
C
understand what it takes to align all organizational activities to ensure maximum value for your
customers while relentlessly driving out waste. H
K23529 I
N
ISBN: 978-1-4822-4527-1
90000
E
9 781482 245271 Anthony Sgroi, Jr.
www.productivitypress.com
6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW
Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
711 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
an informa business
2 Park Square, Milton Park
www.crcpress.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK
K23529 cvr mech.indd 1 8/20/14 11:16 AM

THE INNOVATIVE
LEAN MACHINE
Synchronizing People, Branding, and
Strategy to Win in the Marketplace

THE INNOVATIVE
LEAN MACHINE
Synchronizing People, Branding, and
Strategy to Win in the Marketplace
Anthony Sgroi, Jr.
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20140425
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-4528-8 (eBook - PDF)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to
publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials
or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material repro-
duced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any
copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any
form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming,
and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://www.copy-
right.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400.
CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been
granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifica-
tion and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
For my family

Contents
Preface .............................................................................................xiii
Acknowledgments ............................................................................xv
Introduction ...................................................................................xvii
About the Author .............................................................................xxi
1 An Effective Business ..................................................................1
Introduction .................................................................................................1
Branding: A Credible Source ......................................................................2
Stellar People ...............................................................................................3
Strategy ........................................................................................................6
Creative Innovation .....................................................................................7
A Highly Effective Organization ...............................................................10
The Creative–Innovative Squeeze ............................................................10
The Synchronized Organization ...............................................................12
Effectiveness: The Strategic Move .............................................................12
Conclusion .................................................................................................16
SeCtion i BRAnDinG: CReAtinG AnD SUStAininG A CReDiBLe
AnD RePUtABLe SoURCe
2 Visual Branding .........................................................................19
Introduction ...............................................................................................19
The First Parameter of Branding ......................................................23
The Second Parameter of Branding ..................................................24
The Third Parameter of Branding ....................................................25
The Fourth Parameter of Branding ...................................................25
The Branding Icon ....................................................................................26
Four Steps of Differentiation .............................................................35
Conclusion .................................................................................................36
vii
viii ◾ Contents
3 Being First .................................................................................37
Introduction ...............................................................................................37
People Remember the “First-To” ...............................................................37
Mindshare Is Key ......................................................................................38
Owning a Word or Concept .....................................................................38
Focusing on a Subcategory .......................................................................40
Imitation Barriers ......................................................................................42
Becoming a Generic .................................................................................43
If You Are the Category Leader ........................................................44
If You Are a Follower ........................................................................45
Conclusion .................................................................................................46
4 Brand Focus ...............................................................................47
Introduction ...............................................................................................47
Line Extensions .........................................................................................49
Focus on a Single Attribute ......................................................................50
Focus on Being the Low-Cost Provider ...................................................51
Focus on Premium Products ....................................................................52
Focus on Incredible Customer Service .....................................................52
Quality and Reliability ..............................................................................53
Keep It Simple ...........................................................................................53
Conclusion .................................................................................................54
5 Effective Brand Communication ................................................55
Introduction ...............................................................................................55
The Oversimplified Message ....................................................................55
One-Word Commands ..............................................................................56
Power of the Name (a Brand Is Only a Word) ........................................57
Slogans.......................................................................................................58
The Logo (Shape Matters) .........................................................................60
Promote the Category ...............................................................................62
Repositioning .............................................................................................63
Sticky Communications ............................................................................63
Advertising.................................................................................................67
Conclusion .................................................................................................67
6 Brand Credentials ......................................................................69
Introduction ...............................................................................................69
Endorsements ............................................................................................70
The First to… ............................................................................................71