How to Craft a Good Branding RFP
An ill-prepared and poorly-written RFP will probably not get the results you hope for. And will likely end up wasting a lot of your time and money. If you elect to use the RFP…
Thinking
Brands are multi-dimensional, complex and dynamic.
They are shaped by both perception and reality. And their value is often determined more by intangible considerations than material assets. Defining, building and maintaining a brand requires insight into the internal and external factors of what is meaningful, distinctive and relevant. Understanding how brand works is essential in promoting and preserving its equity and value. The goal of How Brand Works is to share our experience, perspectives and philosophy on the different facets of branding intended to enable an effective brand management strategy.
Brands are multi-dimensional, complex and dynamic.
They are shaped by both perception and reality. And their value is often determined more by intangible considerations than material assets. Defining, building and maintaining a brand requires insight into the internal and external factors of what is meaningful, distinctive and relevant. Understanding how brand works is essential in promoting and preserving its equity and value. The goal of How Brand Works is to share our experience, perspectives and philosophy on the different facets of branding intended to enable an effective brand management strategy.
The Problem With Vision Statements
Vision statements are challenging. But there are numerous resources available all over the web on how to create them. It’s easy to find guidance and direction in their development. And…
Five Mistakes to Avoid in a Rebrand Launch
A rebrand launch is a great opportunity to re-energize a brand, build awareness, and extend customer reach. Rebrands come in all different shapes and sizes. Mergers and acquisitions generally dictate…
Turning Brand Strategy Upside Down
The traditional approach to building a brand strategy platform is to start with the vision, add the mission, and build up from there. That makes sense and it’s how we…
Three Mistakes in Managing the Rebrand Process
For clients, managing the rebrand process can be both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s a challenge if the process, roles, and responsibilities are not clearly defined. A lack of…
How To Unbrand Wisely
Unfortunately, not all brands live forever. Some simply die from natural causes. They become too old, too feeble, and just can’t manage to stand on their own two feet. Like…
How Rebranding Can Go Wrong
Any organization that embarks on the rebranding path expects results that will propel its brand forward. Otherwise, why go through the time and expense to rebrand? But understanding the challenges…
Is Acquisition Your Dream Exit Strategy?
You may not be looking to be acquired now. But is an acquisition pay-off in your long-range plans? This is the dream exit strategy for many small and medium-sized businesses.…
4 Ways Culture Can Damage Your Brand
Brands are built from the inside out. How employees feel about your brand translates to how customers feel about your brand. A culture that engenders belief in and a commitment…
Five Hidden Costs of a Rebrand
It’s easy to overlook some of the most common hidden costs of a rebrand. And those hidden costs don’t fully reveal themselves until they quickly become reality. Knowing about them…
Want A Bad Name? It’s Easy.
Pharma Has Set the Bar Pretty Low Are you are looking for inspiration on how to create a bad name for a branded product? Look no further than the Pharmaceutical…
3 Ways Advertising Can Damage Your Brand
Brands live and die by how well they deliver on their brand promise. That’s easier said than done. Brands are complex and dynamic. But they are also fragile. It takes…
Six Brands That Got April Fools Right
So much of branding comes down to consistency, clarity and professionalism—most of the time. But we couldn’t think of a better example of when to actually break the rules than…
Afraid of the Brand Police?
Brand Governance Will Put Your Fears to Rest Brand governance is one of those terms that evoke images of the brand police. It suggests a policy of strict rules, regulations,…
It’s In Your Character To Be Courageous
Meaningful Brand Attributes Will Set You Apart Courage is not often associated with a brand. But when it is it becomes an identifiable and differentiating characteristic that can be both…
How To Make Brand Design Decisions
Making brand design decisions isn’t easy even for design professionals. Clients who may not be so versed in design principles find it even more difficult. A name, logo, or other…
Are You a Value or Vanity Brand?
Is your company a high-want Vanity Brand? Or is it a high-need Value Brand? And what other companies fall into categories that share those traits? It’s all about customer perceptions.…
Time to Reset Your Brand Plan?
Is a Brand Plan in Your Plan? Most organizations have already done their plans before the beginning of the year. But it is never too late if you haven’t. Either…
What Happened to Small Businesses Slogans?
Building Brand Recognition “Just Do it is” one of the world’s most recognized slogans. Everyone knows it’s Nike. But what if Nike had no slogan? Or what if Nike’s slogan…
Don’t Leave Brand Out of Your Business Plan
Brand is A Crucial Ingredient to Your Business Future A business plan is essential in defining a framework for business success. It is especially crucial for a new business start-up.…
Why Bring Clarity to Your Brand Portfolio?
6 Benefits to Small Businesses Brand Architecture Brand Portfolio management isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies. Companies like Proctor and Gamble need a sophisticated portfolio strategy to manage the breadth…
Brand Standards and How to Break the Rules
Don’t Let Brand Standards Stifle Your Creativity Are Standards Too Restrictive? Brand standards are one of the cornerstones of good brand management. They are the repository of the principles that…
Grudge Brands You Can’t Live Without
Brands You Would Rather Avoid . . . If You Could How much do you look forward to going to your local auto mechanic? Is getting gas in your car…
Why Small Businesses Fail the Recognition Test
Brand Awareness Starts With Brand Recognition Does passing the recognition test ensure business success? No. But good recognition can help. Small business represents a vast majority of all businesses in…
Is Your Brand Due For a Health Check?
Keep Your Brand At Peak Performance Brands, like people, need a health check ever so often. Keeping them at peak performance requires constant attention and care. A good brand management…
Are You Shocked by Poor Brand Recognition?
Good brand recognition translates right down to the bottom line. What Is Brand Recognition? Brand Recognition is a measure of how well customers can identify a particular brand against other…
Confused About Brand?
Looking for a Good Brand Definition? Everyone Has a Point of View Every marketing agency, branding firm, and industry expert has its own brand definition. It’s not surprising, then, that…
4 Questions That Will Make Your Employees Smarter
Employees can be great brand advocates. But that’s only possible if they’re smarter about your brand. Your employees know you best. They have the potential to be a great brand…
How to Kick Off Your Branding Project
10 topics your branding consultant should cover to get your project rolling You should expect that your brand consultant will kick off your branding project by asking some foundational questions…
The Value Proposition Misunderstood
The 4 things a value proposition needs to do. Why is the value proposition so misunderstood? Maybe it’s because it is often confused with the most current campaign slogan. Or…
What is Brand Acuity?
The answer is pretty simple – it’s clarity. It is when all of the facets of the brand come into clear focus in what defines it, expresses it, and what…
Do You Know What Your Brand Stands For?
Interestingly there is seldom consensus among leadership on what their brand stands for. One of the first questions that we ask clients is what they believe their brand stands for.…
Vision Versus Mission
Understanding How Brand Works The cornerstones of most organizations are their Vision and Mission statements. Not everyone agrees, however, on what the difference is between them. Which is more foundational?…
8 Tips for Core Values
Honesty is not a Core Value, but it could certainly be part of a larger set of Universal Values. Innovation is not a Core Value, although it might be part of an…
5 Common Brand Management Mistakes
Understanding How Brand Works Managing a brand is as important as managing any other asset of an organization. However it is often overlooked under the assumption that as long as…
Have questions?
We are here to help and answer any question you might have about your brand challenges.
