Stephens Brand Works
Stephens Brand Works
Overview
“Going from zero to icon in 20 years was no accident,” said Time in a profile of Viking’s experience branding strategy. As the magazine pointed out, Viking’s meteoric rise as an iconic American brand was largely based on “finding ways to make Viking an experience rather than just a product.” During this period, Ramey helped build a brand unlike any other in the culinary world.
Insight
Build a brand that transcends mere appliances by celebrating the magic that happens when friends and family gather around the table. Cultivate a brand that people want to join rather than buy.
Approach
Created a multidimensional experience branding strategy, including cooking schools, travel programs, and culinary events, that allowed the brand to remain differentiated in the hearts and minds of consumers. Bring the experience to life with one of the earliest content marketing programs, Viking Life, which Gartner L2 called an “unrivaled” online experience in the home category. Viking was the “icon of the kitchen — a must-have status symbol for anyone lucky enough to afford one,” said The New York Times.
Outcomes
#2
Fortune Magazine “Breakaway Brand”
BrandEconomics calculates the financial contribution that brand heft contributes to the value of each firm, considering such factors as sales, profitability, and leverage in the marketplace

Brand Equity Growth and multiple of intangible value per dollar of sale
Source: BrandAsset Consulting

Thirteen competitors offered pro-style appliances, while only Viking offered a fully integrated culinary experience

Multiple of Viking’s sale price to Middleby Corp in 2013







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