Future:Media:Change

Your organization may not have three years or $1 billion to spend establishing or redefining your brand, as Cingular did when it took over the AT&T name, but the branding process should be the same if you want a positive, memorable result.

In his presentation for The Change You Want to Be, Symbols, Branding & Persuasion: Theory & Training, Loid Der, former creative director of Interbrand, explained the steps involved in the branding process.

1. Research

Often called the discovery phase, research is critical to understanding the current state of the brand and/or its competitors, and peoples’ attitudes toward them. Some clients balk at spending time on research, but without it you risk making assumptions based on out-dated information or inadvertent, internal group-think. Here’s what the branding team does in the research phase:

• “Clarify the organization’s vision and goals” — e.g. “We want to branch out beyond trains to encompass all modes of transportation.”
• “Assess the current state of the brand” — Is it well known? Is it well regarded? Is it elastic or pigeon-holed?
• “Interview stakeholders” — Management, staffers, volunteers, customers, and vendors all have important knowledge and opinions about the organization/brand, its history, and its future to inform the process. Getting their input also helps ease the way for eventual adoption of the resulting brand, since they had a hand in creating it.
• “Conduct brand messaging audits” — How is the brand currently being communicated, verbally and visually, everywhere it is used?
• Report on what’s been learned.

The branding process is useful for conglo-merates, nonprofits, and some personal brands.

2. Strategy

“During the strategy phase,” said Der, “you are defining the brand foundation.”

• “Define grand idea and brand positioning platform”
• “Define brand strategy”
• “Define the personality attributes and brand values”
• “Evaluate and define the brand architecture”
• “Achieve agreement from the stakeholders about these definitions”
• “Write a creative brief” — i.e., detailed marching orders for the next phase

3. Identity

As discussed in somewhat more detail in Part 1: How NonProfits Can Benefit From Branding, a brand’s identity is the expression of its personality in everything that touches the consumer. Its goal is to be positive and memorable (among other things). During this phase, you:

• “Visualizing the future” — Where the organization intends to grow, how the brand might need to morph.
• “Brainstorming”
• “Create verbal identity” — Tone, brand lines, naming conventions
• “Create visual identity” — Logo, typeface, color, imagery, etc.

4. Launch

Launching a new brand isn’t done all at once, explained Der, but includes a roll-out plan that may last months or even years.

• “Develop an implementation launch strategy and plan”
• “Build synergy around the new brand” — i.e., buy-in from everyone in the whole organization
• “Do media testing, production, fabrication”
• “Develop standards and guidelines and distribute them to everyone who will be communicating the brand”: IT, printing, outside vendors, etc.
• “Launch internally” — Everyone in the organization has to know the details about the brand if the organization is to convey the brand consistently.
• “Launch externally”
• “Nurture brand champions/evangelizers”
• “Conduct brand training”

Return to Part 1: How NonProfits Can Benefit From Branding