Brands must be managed to stay clear, focused and cohesive, and relevant over time. We can help you with the essential elements of brand management:
1. Communicating the brand positioning to everyone in your company and all outside organizations that use the brand. We do this through formal training, creation of guidelines for using the brand elements, from the logo to the visual system, to writing with the right concepts, information hierarchy, tone, and vocabulary, and through other forms of communication.
2. Provide tools for using the brand, including a library of brand elements, such as logos in different format,s colors, and orientations, other graphical elements and typography, and ready-made templates.
3. Develop a process for ensuring that brand users know how to create branded communications and materials, where to get help, and get them approved.
4. Realize that the old idea of having a “brand cop” that ensures your brand is always properly used no longer works. You can “police” people in your company, however, many brand users are outsiders. The better approach is to inform and inspire. Back when social media was new, two Coca-Cola fans created a fan page on Facebook which quickly became one of the most followed pages on the platform–bigger that President Obama’s following. Rather than send a nasty cease-and-desist letter from the legal department, Coca-Cola embraced the creators, flew them to Atlanta to immerse them in the brand, and educated them on all the available brand tools and their usage.
5. Evolve your brand. Look for new uses from new users. Listen to your audience and adapt and adopt.