Brand management is like training a dog. Or anything for that matter. Start in the right way, follow a number of principles and the brand is manageable. Ignore those well established principles and the brand becomes an out of control dog – hard to manage, hard work and barking at all the wrong times.
OK, so its an analogy of sorts, but how do we get a manageable brand.
Clearly defined brands deliver effective management
Successful, strong branding embodies the personality and values of the organisation, the ideas, the products and services. Public Impact works with the culture of your organisation to create brands that embody the personality of business, the benefits of products and the aspirations of customers and supporters. Our collaborative approach to projects promotes internal buy-in, our creativity and business skill creates visually exciting and practical, manageable identities.
Developing brand values
Strong corporate brands and the creative design at the heart of their presentation will be underpinned by a strong set of brand values. Brand values need to be realistic, sustainable and properly express the personality of the business. To an external eye are the brand values of the business in step with the outputs and customer perceptions of the organisation. Where brand values already exist Public Impact works with them. Otherwise our consulting and facilitating helps you better define your brand values and to achieve buy-in throughout your organisation. Public Impact provides a programme of consultation, workshop session involvement, definition and feedback, brand management training and mentoring and managed roll out programmes.
Public Impact’s workshop approach
Brands are not merely logos or slogans. At their best they are expressions of the essence of your business approach. The effective modern brand is a guiding light to the organisation; the expression that guides everyday business practice as well as providing a platform for the outward projection.
A workshop approach is a great way of achieving the internal buy-in vital to rolling out a new brand. Depending on your organisation the process may require one or a series of workshops for different groups of staff, management or locations. In developing brands we work with the culture of your organisation – and a workshop approach doesn’t suit everyone, but it remains a proven way of promoting the ownership and understanding that underpins success.
Public Impact’s Brand Workshop sets out to examine the current state of the brand, to test intention against perception and to create a sound platform of understanding for a brand enhancement project. The workshop enables creative designers to understand your business.
We make a series of recommendations from the Brand Workshop on the direction of branding projects involving corporate identify, values, product identity, logo design and brand guidelines.
Creating Brand Identity
Underpinned by Public Impact’s brand consulting services, the creative design of brand identity puts in place visual and verbal elements that define the brand. Logo design, strapline development digital design and graphic design services all contribute to the development of strong, positive brand identity.
Brand guidelines
Effectively defined, comprehensive brand guidelines are essential tools in the management and projection of brands both within the organisation and to the wider market. Public Impact helps marketing directors and brand managers by developing and providing clear, workable brand guidelines that are easily understood and encompass all the information creative teams and third party suppliers require. Comprehensive formats are portable and easy to use across the range of digital and traditional media including print applications, signage, point of presence/sale, digital media and web design.
Helping you manage your brand
Managing brands requires a degree of skill, visual understanding and strong methodology. It’s about more than just policing the brand, it’s about creating effective platforms, establishing effective channels and disseminating best practice. But most of all effective brand management is about creating and maintaining a brand culture within the organisation.
Businesses can struggle with brand management for want of the right techniques and processes and effective brand definition is a prerequisite. Public Impact’s brand management consulting and training equips businesses of all types with the right approach to ensure the brand is effectively managed both internally and externally. Our brand strategy development review and audit processes provide the basis for a strong ongoing partnership driving the progress of your brands.