Adding Customer Value Through Strategic Branding

Amsterdam (July 2, 2009) - Caroline Wouters, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Wolters Kluwer, presented today at the European Communication Summit in Brussels. Hosted by the European Association of Communication Directors, it is the biggest international event of its kind in Europe, bringing together hundreds of senior-level communications professionals from thirty-six countries.

Caroline Wouters spoke on the topic "Adding Customer Value Through Strategic Branding," the transformation of Wolters Kluwer from a product-focused to a customer-focused company, and its implications on branding strategy.

An integrated branding strategy is essential for any customer-facing organization in a business-to-business market. A key attribute of strategic branding at all levels of an organization is the interactive relationship between stakeholder groups, communities, and networks both within the organization and without.

In particular, for Wolters Kluwer, customer focus is ingrained in company values and the cornerstone of branding strategy. Wouters outlined how branding can drive these ongoing partnerships and generate continuing value for customers and other stakeholder groups. This dialogue and continuous interaction with customers and employees is an invaluable source of insight that provides the opportunity to deepen the company’s relationship with customers.

Wouters showed three videos to illustrate how Corporate Communications translated the strategic messages into positioning tools that are then used by Wolters Kluwer managers and employees worldwide to showcase the value of the Wolters Kluwer brand. You can view these videos below.