Brand Development Questionaire

I. Company History.

What is the origin of story? (Why brand came into fruition)

• Pulse Bandz originally started from a passion for traveling the world. While we were traveling, we realized that we could be doing so much more than just selling a product. But we didn’t know what it was until my girlfriend and I decided to volunteer at a dog shelter that was in need in Thailand. When we realized what 5 dollars could do for them it instantly hit me. We could be donating to a different organization according to the color of our bands since we wanted to help on a global scale.

What people make up the company? What are their roles and what makes them special within the industry?

• Since we love to travel and we wanted to be able to monitor everything from home we decided we were going to have employees remotely from wherever they are. The best talents come from all over the world. At the moment we are made up of five people. This includes my brother, Werner, which is our in-house designer, Maya Rodda, which is in charge of public relations and interacting with our community and our organizations, Amy Poole, who helps us develop amazing blog articles based on our beliefs for the PulseBandz, and Jordan Trask, who is our big hand with marketing and always resonating our fitness tracker with an everyday life, along with his wife and PreFocus Solutions (his company). Finally, I, who does pretty much a little bit of everything, always makes sure our vision comes to life and we are always moving forward. I think what makes each one of us special is our drive to be free to work from where we want and still feel like we are accomplishing and helping the world through our work.

How did the company get to where they are today?

• The company got to where it is today through being hands on. Every day we did a little something to move the needle forward. Even with to-do lists and planners problems come up but we were able to move forward with the help of everyone who works with us.
• By promoting a consistent message with a solidified vision that is easy to understand and get behind by consumers and partners.

II. Valued Competency.

What is the company’s core strength?

• The company’s core strength is our vision and drive to make something of value for the world and to one day create an impact that would make a difference.
• A commitment to basic fitness watch capabilities personalized style with a specific focus innovative ways to give back to the global community.

III. Company Mission.

Why does the company exist?

• The company exists to create value in every one’s life by striving to promote a healthy lifestyle by offering fitness wearables at an ideal price with many features for everyday needs. Whether it is from a fitness band, donation (helping others), or the ability to work from home and encourage freedom, creativity, we want to help everyone one step at a time.
• Enhance the fitness epidemic with personalized tracking and constantly encourage well being and the desire to inspire change.

Where is the company headed?

• The company is heading into a modern world society where people keep healthy through using wearables and exercising every day. But imagine what they could do in the future. We want to give an easy way of life to people, even if it is just the little things. Like not having to take out your phone just to change the music you’re listening to, your wallet to pay at the grocery store, or your phone to check the weather. And there are not only features that just make life simple but most importantly to be able to know what is going on with your body. Like knowing your heart rate, breathing levels, and with the help of technology and time we will be also able to check our body fat, muscle density, and rate of metabolism. Every year there are less visits to the doctor but imagine if this little band on your wrist could give the doctor your medical history in case of an emergency. One day we won’t have to leave the house for checkups, but instead doctors can diagnose us from their desk with new technology. So it’s not only helpful features to have on your phone but more, from medical problems being solved to saving time and maybe saving a life through new technology.
• Most importantly, we’re currently upgrading our website capabilities and content strategies to align with consumer desire. We plan on continuing to improve the development of our watch and app functionalities based on user feedback and the industry standards. We also plan on expanding our customization solutions with 3D printing and custom designs and logos. Once we solidify our product foundation, we’re focused on expanding our product line, charitable contributions and programs, as well as user engagement.

What are the company goals?

• The goals of the company are to create the perfect sleek design and give more value to the Pulsebandz fitness tracker. We want our fitness tracker to be an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle. Our goal is not only to provide value to those who purchase but to those we donate to with every purchase made. We want to create our own PulseBandz foundation as one of our long term goals, where we will donate and create projects for countries in need. We also want to create freedom for employees. We all know that outside of the office we can accomplish a lot more in a lot less time, and that does not mean less pay. That means you get paid for the value you bring to us.
• Generate brand awareness and recognition in fitness tracking.
• Receive 4.3+/5 star reviews for the application and device.
• Reach 10K visits per month on our website.
• Establish the 3 verticals for marketing and begin promoting concepts.
• Sustain the business and generate $10k in monthly revenue.
• Begin receiving inquiries by non-profits and charitable organizations.
• Provide a custom portal for 3D printing and customization.
• Begin offering Pulse Bandz merchandise and upgraded accessories.

What is the company contributing to the industry?

• Pulsebandz is also contributing to personalization through our 3D printing customizable bands. Before, one size fit all, but now everyone is a different size. People have different tastes and needs. We want to fill in this gap and provide great value to our industry by customizing their fitness bands.
• Affordable fitness bands with desired tracking functionalities.
• Custom wearable technology with a style and mood focus.
• Team or group fitness motivation and collaborative mentality.
• A buying process that causes you to think of not only your needs.
• A culture focused on well-being that strives to make a global difference.

IV. Market Orientation.

What are the STATED wants and needs of the company’s customers?

• The stated wants and needs of our customers would be visual uses of the band and it being in action.
• An ability to track and analyze their current well-being.
• Be a part of a trending epidemic that enables them to participate in sharable technology that highlights personal goals and accomplishments

How does the business serve these?

• We serve this by including more pictures of the band in use and will be putting up a How-to-get-started video on the site.
• By providing a quality fitness tracker that meets desired functions.
• By creating a unique product culture with global value that’s easy to support alongside personal objectives.

What are the HIDDEN wants and needs of the company’s customers?

• The hidden wants and needs of our customers would be great customer service and a fitness tracker that isn’t too expensive. We serve this by providing both of those factors.
• To be apart of something bigger than themselves that promotes change.
• To be a part of a culture that encourages and supports their efforts to participate in a healthier lifestyle while holding them accountable for goals.
• Become more involved in global endeavors and inspirational stories.
• Be viewed as stylish and recognized for unique way to track fitness.

How does the business serve these?

• Maya usually deals with the customers via email and has exceptional customer service. And our fitness tracker is decently priced on the market and the lowest compared to others with the same features.
• Consistently promote our commitment to technological advances, personalization, and our global efforts towards making a difference.
• Consistently promote content that resonates with users and encourages them with different methods to stay on course with goals and making a difference.
• Promote the partnerships and affiliations of local and global charitable organizations and share ways to be more involved.
• Continue to develop our product line to ensure that customers are satisfied with functions, accessories, and their ability to personalize and share them.

V. Company Organization.

Who is in charge of the brand and enforcing brand equity?

• I am in charge of the brand and enforcing brand equity as well as the brand’s marketing.
• Cristian Romero is the brand enforcer – solidifies all messaging and promotional strategies to be implemented by team.
• Jordan Trask is the brand champion – develops and revises brand messaging, values, and promises to ensure company stays on track in their unique niche.
• Maya is the brand voice – communicates with customers and potential partners while reinforcing the brand values, voice, competency, and promise.

Who is in charge of the brand’s marketing?

• I am in charge of the brand and enforcing brand equity as well as the brand’s marketing.
• Cristian is in charge of organizing and reinforcing  the brand’s marketing strategy.
• **Who else is in charge of social media campaigns, content writing, and publication management?

VI. Brand Reputation.

What is the current image of the company with current or former customers?

• The current image of the company with current or former customers is pretty good. We are seen as a company that is making a change through their product and donations around the world.
• Customers view us with recognized respect as they see we’re trying to accomplish more than the development of a competent fitness device.
• Current users have been disappointed with the ease of access within the application and those seeking high quality functionalities have been turned off by the basic capabilities of our device. This is OK as we’re not looking to target this demographic moving forward.
• An affordable option that’s comparable to competitor brands.

What is the brand’s net Promoter Score (NPS)?

• The company hasn’t promoted enough content to garner a solidified score, but has been thoroughly consistent with it’s message and the blog content they’ve published.
• Moving forward, we plan on maximizing the reach of every campaign and fleshing out content into different forms to reach the preferred format of every target customer. Improved engagement across channels and platforms will enhance the effectiveness of our promotions.

What do I (PreFocus) think the brand reputation is?

• I believe that PulseBandz has a good reputation with PreFocus because we are always communicating, sharing our goals,  and mentioning out new ways to give back through pulsebandz, in addition we also discuss how to grow the brand while helping our audience with any health concerns they might  have by maintaining a quality lifestyle with the help of our blog.
• View 6A-B. **This was meant to be a paragraph summary of both.

What has improved brand reputation over time?

• We have improved the brand reputation over time with website growth design, quality social media posts, and great customer service.
• Website redesign with a focus on user navigation and a sales funnel.
• Content engagement: Email segmentation and a blog/imagery strategy.
• Attention to detail in customer service and review management.
• A solidified message and development/marketing plan moving forward.
• Dedication to the company’s mission and never swaying from it.

What has damaged the brand’s reputation?

• Our application we are currently working on is what is damaging our reputation. I see it is an incomplete product but we are working on it to create a well-designed app to go along with our product that our customers will love.
• A low quality website with minimal functionalities and user engagement.
• A low quality app that isn’t branded and seems to have some syncing or reporting issues when compared to similar app solutions.
• Lack of a marketing team that can overcome some of the frustrations with the product and app itself.
• Lack of a cohesive message that’s reiterated consistently to ensure customers don’t lose sight of the overall mission.
• Solidified branding and design elements that cause the customer to immediately think of Pulse Bandz when seen. (Recognition)
• A cohesive tagline and trigger phrases that incite user emotion.

VII. Company Stability.

How does the brand define their financial performance?

• At the moment we are still living off of invested money along with our profit that was made in the past four months.  We have about $15,000 worth of inventory which should give us a return on money that was spent on Software (Hubspot), marketing efforts (PreFocus Solutions), as well as freelanced work. Along with the $15,000 we make back, we will be able to replace orders and sustain ourselves from the profit, once sales pick up again.
• Product sales. There hasn’t been much conversion and attribution tracking in place to provide such data.
• Moving forward, every sale will have attribution and investments will be tracked with an ROI goal that needs to be met in a certain amount of time. Until we’re able to itemize expenses and conversions, we’re unable to generate a view of financial performance.

What are the company’s financial goals?

• Sell 30 bands per month and one per day for the next 3 months while we increase brand awareness, recognition, and the trust of our audience. Another goal is for PulseBandz to start sustaining itself within the first year.
• **$10K monthly revenue by Q4 of 2017.
• **Receive $100K in funding capital (government or private).

Is the brand transparent (public) or private with performance and goals?

• Our goals have been private since we want to keep an image with our audience showing that we are a well-developed company which we are still in the process of becoming.
• Currently private but would recommend being transparent with monies raised and company goals so users can understand the vision and support (or feel good about) the impact it’s making.

How does the brand demonstrate or attribute growth?

• We are looking into becoming public with our goals and performance. The brand demonstrates growth through sales and making sure that we are always positive on our profit at the end of the day.
• Social media likes, shares, and followers.
• Product sales and contributions.
• Organizational inquiries and partnership requests.
• Process development and scalability.

How does the brand demonstrate a commitment to the market?

• By trying to involve a fitness-oriented audience and by not giving up and always keeping up with our social media presence. We have blog posts made up about health and fitness, we reach out to influencers in the industry, etc.
• By identifying and catering to a specific target audience that we can satisfy on multiple levels and avoid being compared to household brands or improved technology.
• A consistent reminder that Pulse Bandz is bigger than fitness tracking and wearable technology. This reminder plays into the desires of our target audience while giving them improved encouragement to better themselves through healthy living and giving back.
• We’re also committed to customization that allows our customers to personalize their fitness band and their overall experience.

VIII. Brand Summary | Defining the Brand.

Summarize the findings from each section from step 1 into one paragraph.

• PulseBandz is a fitness tracker brand that is based on the want to help others with devoted employees all over the world. The company is headed towards an industry that can be so much more. With its strength being the drive to help others with their health and also donating around the world, PulseBandz sees itself as a brand that will change health technology in the future. Its team provides great marketing and brand equity as well as giving their customers an affordable fitness watch and tips that can help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. PulseBandz shows that it has true goals to help the world and plans on making this reputation even better over time. With commitment to the fitness market, PulseBandz will be able to have optimal performance and goals while being transparent with their customers.
• Pulse Bandz provides consumers with a personalized tracking device that allows them to give back. Inspired by the CEO’s passion for traveling, Cristian wanted to develop a product that went above and beyond the general elements of tracking one’s fitness. Comprised of talent from all over the world, Pulse Bandz is committed to basic health monitoring needs and dedicated to global change. The team consistently promotes motivating content that educates users on their ability to improve their overall well-being and the lives of others. In the future, the company is excited to expand their customization features that personalize the experience and impact of every one of their customers. It’s their mission to grow their ability to make a difference with a united front of people seeking a positive change across the globe.

IX. Defining the Company’s Market.

Who are we trying to reach?

• We are trying to reach consumers looking to improve their overall health. Young women gaining weight. Overweight, diabetic, doctor prescribes exercise. Use to be fit and in need of regimen. Looking to build on their current fit lifestyle. Students (separate high school and college). Stay at home moms (parents) and families in general.
• Consumers on the fence of healthy living or hold a personal bias towards the fitness lifestyle.
• Consumers looking to enhance their sociability and become invested in an epidemic that impacts the world.
• Charitable organizations and nonprofits looking for unique partnerships that align with their values.
• Teams, Fitness groups, or social meet ups wanting to showcase their commitment to personal health or global outreach.
• Parents of children coping with disease or limitations that need to be monitored with reporting.
• (Parents of) Children involved in sports and other physical activities and looking to track results and progress as they prepare for high school or college athletics.
• Personal trainers and coaches for team motivation and results tracking.

Where do we want the brand to be moving forward?

• We want the brand to move forward by establishing itself in the market as a fitness tracker company that gives back. We want to attract more people into the fitness watch industry and create more opportunities as well as customers.
• We want to create our footprint in the global arena of personalized fitness and global well being. When it comes to tracking a charitable event (ex: relay for life), we want to be the go-to provider for custom tracking bands that create a reminder of the experience. We also want to establish ourselves as an affordable brand that’s not focused on profit but the well-being, development, and productivity of all involved. We want our customers to know we care about them and the world around them.

What do we want the (defined) audience’s perception to be?

• We want our audience to look at us as a trusting source of information that will help them live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We don’t want to be just another “Fitbit”, we want to be more than just a product.
• See II.B.

X. Defining the Brand Strategy.

How can the brand get where we want it to be?

• PulseBandz will get to where it wants to be through planning and strategic thinking as well as team collaboration.
• By following our brand guidelines, executing a plan to meet our goals, and relating a consistent message that generates a recognizable perception.
• How will the brand match the (defined) audience’s perception?
• We will also match our audiences’ perception of us by going out of our way to provide them with what they need. This includes a decently priced fitness tracker with great features(accurate), health and fitness tips that can help them maintain the lifestyle they wanted all along, and showing them our drive to change the world.
• Staying true to our brand promise: to commit to technological innovation that meets our customers needs while continuing to expand our customization and global outreach capabilities.

What is going to attract targets to the brand?

• We plan to attract targets to our brand with our unique donation program and want to show them how they can help out. And we also want to attract them with our blog articles that can help them out daily, our products’ great price, our well designed site, and great customer service.
• A commitment to their personal well-being, style (experience) and global outreach methods and options that satisfy the desires of all users. We want our customers to feel apart of global change and that their pride in our company is recognized and appreciated – they’re appreciated.

What is going to detract targets from the brand?

• We could detract targets from the brand by not having a strong message. We need to make sure we are throwing out the same message in different forms of communications.
• Competitor’s high end technology, display, and brand loyalty. (That’s OK)
• A company pivot that causes us to begin focusing on revenue and sales instead of the initial vision and purpose.
• Cutting into quality production and providing a “cheap” alternative.
• Discontinuing or refusing to advance our customization methods.
• Stagnant charitable contribution and complacency with outreach.
• Defining Management’s Capabilities.

What additional trends can impact the industry overall?

• New trends are always coming out and this can impact the industry. There have been many new fitness trackers come out in the last year so it seems that they are still popular. Customers like to see fashionable bands which is a good trend to follow.
• A new type of device that overshadows wristwear.
• Fitness watch functionalities that don’t necessarily align with our vision.
• A social disinterest in fitness motivation and group interaction.
• A shift in American charities to national problems instead of global outreach.
• A competitor mimics our business model and begins to develop customizable bands (or 3D printing) and charitable contribution.

How do we plan on measuring growth?

• We plan to measure growth through engagement from our subscribers, surveys, and social media communications as well as interactions.
• I believe everything can be accomplished, we just need to have a vision of where we are going, a plan to that vision, a strategy to that plan, and a great team collaborating to bring the best of our brand.
• Website tracking and social media integration.
• Sales management and expense reporting.
• Attribution management and referral (influencer) payout competence.
• Return customer analysis.
• New acquisition success and funneling capital into what works.
• National expansion and consumer interaction.
• Partnerships, sponsors, and outreach opportunity expansion.
• Media requests and feature stories.
• Internal hiring, manufacturing, and production expansion.