In all the years I’ve worked with organizations looking to examine their brand strategy, without fail, someone associated with the project will say something like, “Oh, you’re going to give us a new logo!” It’s a universal reaction to the word “branding.”
My response to the “new logo” reaction is always the same. “Maybe.” And I usually get a perplexed look in return.
A brand, and a brand strategy, is so much more than a logo. True, a logo is known as a “brand property,” and should be created after the brand position is thoughtfully and clearly established. But it isn’t a brand.
One of the things I talk about when I help businesses and organizations with their brand strategy is the foundational nature of that strategy. It’s not an add-on or a nicety. It’s not a decoration, like the curtains on a window. Rather, it’s the foundation upon which the house where those curtains hang is built. And, like a house it’s the foundation on which the rest of the business should be built. It clarifies, establishes and directs the nature of the organization, its culture and its objectives. Brand position is as important as a strategic plan or a business plan. In fact, it’s even more important, because it should precede the development of either of those pieces and serve as their underpinning.
The other thing I hear a lot from smaller companies and organizations is that they can’t “do branding” like mega-corporations (think auto manufacturers, athletic apparel companies, beverage companies) or large nonprofits, because they don’t have “enough” funding to invest in the effort.
That’s not the point. It’s not about the amount of the investment. It’s about engaging best practices.
Think of it this way: Regardless of whether you’re building a cottage or a 10,000 square-foot mansion, the same sound building practices apply, right? Structural integrity. Electrical. Plumbing. The same is true with brand strategy. The approach, the strategy, is the same, regardless of the nature of your work or the size of your company. If you build an effective brand strategy, it will serve you well and continue to inform, inspire and invigorate your work for a very long time, even as your business grows and evolves.
One of the things I love about the brand strategy work we do is that we engage the organization in the work itself. I serve as facilitator and consultant, but the work, the development of the strategy itself, is done organically by people engaged in the organization in one way or another.
People with different – and sometimes opposing – views of the organization and its work are integral to the development of the brand strategy. As a group, we always learn so much about the organization and how to move forward. I love the “aha” moments that inevitably occur through the process. I love the energy the group generates. And I love the inspired results that never fail to be delivered.
This is exciting, fun work and can transform your future. We’d love to help you do just that.
