What story does the architecture of a brand
convey? Is it only corporate brand experts losing sleep over it? Why does it
feel like everything hinges on it or it won't change much at all relative to
the cost of rebranding in the same thought?
I've felt all these things. In an imperfect
world where brand acquisition, legacy brands, and brand affiliations are
established over time the question of brand architecture can be 'tricky.'
With the focus of digital branding bringing
story telling, content sharing and peer to peer endorsement into the offline
world a brand voice matters. It matters more than a presence, as communication
travels fast and wide oblivious to distribution or target market constraints. A
voice provides insight into a purpose, an intent, acquired knowledge, even a
perspective.
Branding branches into a number of expressions
to convey its story: corporate
brand, product brands, employee brand, social brands, personal
brands, retail brand, business to business brand, internal branding...etc.
So what does this all mean for brand
architecture models? Does this mean that a branded house is a more authentic
approach? Is it important for a house of brands to clearly associate itself
with the corporate master brand?
What I believe it means is that corporate
branding needs to be integrated across all branding, so the portfolio has
meaning, a voice when required, and credentials when entering into new markets
or extensions.
Brand architecture is a critical strategy in
conveying authenticity. Brand portfolios may be eclectic or designed as a tight
family, in either case strong branding is driven by a core philosophy that is
consistently delivered internally and externally. This vision lives across an
organisation and by definition filters into every brand touch point.
The architecture applied comes down to market
relevance in how stakeholders engage and relate to existing and new brands.
This is the role that I see brand architecture playing:
• Corporate branding is playing a critical role in stakeholder
influence and therefore in brand architecture frameworks.
• Authenticity requires stakeholders to know who you are, what you
stand for and why you care about what you do and the way you operate. Brand architecture models provide a
clear understanding of what the corporate brand image, values and positioning
is.
• A house of brands is a strong model, especially when there are well
established heritage product brands; in this case the corporate brand plays a
subtle role. The connection can
bring a 'brand voice' when required to build, advocate or protect.
• A One Brand approach is as much about shared values and relevance,
as it is about a shared visual identity. Brand architecture models that
highlight why brands exist in the portfolio, the role they play relative to the master brand add great value to
brand marketers.
• A branded house is powerful when there is a single minded focus and
innovation that can be consistently associated back to the company.
• Visual cues are powerful. Brand architecture can integrate branding
through unifying brands through colour palettes, clever ways to visually use
master and product banding together, and
shared design elements.
• Both brand architecture models can exist in companies successfully if
the roles of brands are clear. The watch point being brand dilution through
lack of standards and/or a lack of affiliation with the corporate brand
impacting on overall equity and advocacy.
• Don't be envious of other companies well designed and integrated
brand architectures, as the bigger the organisation is the greater the chance
is that there is a complex
branding matrix and hierarchy.
• You know your brand architecture model works when it provides a
solid framework for story telling, content sharing, and derives benefits from
peer to peer endorsement. In other words when the corporate brand voice can be
activated vertically and horizontally in a meaning way.
• Regardless of the brand architecture model it should never be the
corporate (master) brand vs product brands; to build business value they must
work together, share common values, and most importantly understand the
position they are working together to enhance.
Pleasant dreams about brand builders and
architects creating sustainable houses :)
