Module 6: The Keys to Maintaining a Strong Brand
For this reason, brand marketing management is an ongoing challenge. Defining your brand and choosing branding strategies is only the very beginning.
You should always have goals for your brand management. Define these goals and create a plan for achieving them.
When one goal is reached, define the next and start working toward it. Just like anything in business or life generally, nothing happens without a goal.
Protect Your Brand
You also have to protect your brand from inconsistencies, improper positioning and misrepresentation that can come from within your company or from a vendor or business partner.
Explore Financial Opportunities
Through licensing and franchising, you can multiply the profits your brand brings you. Just think about how M&Ms has extended its brand into ice cream, t-shirts, hats, other candy bars, and even its own store!
Maintain Consistency
Draft your guidelines in a PDF or other file and share it with anyone who may represent your brand. You’ll also need these guidelines defined and explained for brand managers and those who will eventually take over the brand.
Your guidelines should include an overview of the brand, including its vision, philosophy, values and story. The bulk of the guidelines should cover design features. Include colors, designs, logo and so on. Everything should be covered down to the smallest details like typography, dimensions of logo, how much space should be around the logo, etc. In addition to guidelines, you should also include what not to do and provide examples.
It’s good to also create a set of guidelines for employees. Branding is not just a concern for owners and brand managers. Every employee needs to be on the same page. Put together a style guide or best practices for employees to follow.
In all of your guidelines include contact information for brand managers so that they’re easy to reach if there are questions.
Branding is for Everyone
Remember that brand management is a work in progress and you should always seek to improve it.
Action Steps
- Use the worksheet to start drafting your brand goals. For each one, note why it’s important
to building your brand, along with a projected deadline. - Think about other financial opportunities you can explore with your brand. Keep a record with the worksheet.
Todd McCall
I help practices who are marketing professional services get the attention they deserve by developing an online presence that converts visitors into clients.
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