If we take the time to craft a winning strategy that will bring success to the company, why should crafting the brand that carries that strategy be rushed after that process or come as an afterthought?
Creating and defining a brand is a process, in the same way that defining a business strategy is. Processes take time. The flow chart below shows some of the activity involved in creating a brand.
Timing is everything. Engaging your brand agency or consultants early will save you time in the long run. For example, if you are aiming to create efficiency by reorganising your governing structure or your operating model, you will also need to look at how that affects your brand architecture (brand family) and how your brand is represented to the world. Or if your strategy is to grow through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), you can set parameters for what the resulting brand family would look like, as well as the transformation and migration process based on the M&A strategy.
“[Brands] are a business strategy brought to life, and are the primary means for differentiation and growth.”
It’s a good idea to start thinking about the brand as you craft your business strategy. If your brand affects everything that the organisation does and everything the organisation does affects the brand, then it’s worth consideration during the strategic planning process. Start the branding process early.
