The aspect that binds the 4Cs together is the ideology that the brand is comprised of. It’s core values and beliefs that are responsible for the company’s existence in the first place and also responsible for carrying out the brand’s vision and mission for the future.

A good example of a brand’s clear ideology and approach is that of IDEO, illustrated below:

The 4Cs of Service Design

1. CONSUMER (VS. PRODUCT)
The wants and needs of the Consumer are what drive the service industry to derive at its service. This element will evaluate the variety of target audience the brand has developed and how the company manages and interacts with them. This can also be used to evaluate the brand’s perceived image by its set of consumers.

2. COST (VS. PRICE)
This framework can help analyse a brand’s value that is portrayed by the company and perceived by its consumers. This segment can also help evaluate the ways in which the brand differentiates itself from its competitors.

3. CONVENIENCE (VS. PLACE)
Convenience can help understand a brand’s strategy behind its locations around the world and how well it caters to its business and the convenience of its customers.

4. COMMUNICATION (VS. PROMOTION)
Instead of promotion strategy, the framework can focus on how the brand has developed ways of communicating with its various consumers.

Using the 4Cs of service design, brands can evaluate where they stand in the market compared to their competitors in order to improve and better understand their consumers’ expectations. An example of using this method can be found here: Brand Analysis Using 4Cs Framework

I’d love to know your analyses using this or improved methods. What method works best for you and your brand?

Sancharee Saha
Associate Art Director, Brand Designer
Singer, Dreamer, Coffee Addict
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