A brand strategy is critical for any organization that wants to create a strong and recognizable brand. Whether the brand you’re building is for a business, non-profit organization, school, product or service, you need a robust brand strategy upon which to build your brand identity. We know there’s a lot of information and misinformation about what a brand strategy is and is not, so we want to share our perspective.
Read full articleExpressing a public school district's distinctive qualities in a way that is authentic and helps it stand apart from other schools and districts is one of the biggest benefits that a strong brand can provide.
Read full articleAs anyone who has ever launched a new brand knows, there’s a lot of time, energy, planning and soul that goes into creating the final product. Then, you launch it and watch it soar (you hope). But, what then? How do you keep it alive over time and prevent people from reinventing it, modifying it and misusing it?
Read full articleOf all the elements that comprise an organization’s visual identity system, none has as much potential for making a message more impactful, memorable or more relevant than imagery. It has the power to feed the mind and stir the soul.
Read full articleManaging global brands has never been more important. On one level, all brands have global reach as a result of the Internet, whether intended or not. But this doesn’t make them global brands. While it is true that the world is much smaller as a result of the Internet, affordable travel and the reduction of trade barriers, a truly global brand takes more than having a multi-national presence. A global brand is a brand that is intentionally marketed, bought, sold and recognized in various countries around the world.
Read full articleWhether you manage a B2B or B2C brand, if you own more than one, you’ve had to decide what type of brand architecture best fits your business strategy. So, what are the choices? And what makes the most sense given your long-term business objectives? Essentially, there are three options: branded house/monolithic, house of brands or hybrid.
Read full articleWhen you’ve been in the business of building brands as long as we have, trends ebb and flow, and management philosophies shift with each new disruptive book that is published. Then, you hear terms being used like UX, BX and CX. When we first heard “experience design” we thought: isn’t this what we’ve always been doing? We decided to look into the true meaning of the term “experience design” and uncover how closely it ties to human nature.
Read full articleWhether you’re repositioning an existing brand or developing an identity for a new brand, product or service, your success depends not only on a distinctive brand strategy and visual identity system, but on a well-executed launch. If you’re repositioning your brand, you’re making a change and everyone who has a relationship with your brand needs to know about it. If you’re launching a new brand, you need to create that relationship from the ground up. Either way, your audiences need to hear about it repeatedly so they remember what your brand stands for and why it’s relevant to them. In the end, it’s all about creating loyalty so they choose your brand over the competition.
Read full articleRevitalizing a brand and developing a visual identity system that supports it, whether for a product, brand or an organization, touches everyone by the time it’s implemented. And, it’s no secret that it requires a substantial investment—both in dollars and personnel.
Read full articleWhether you’re managing your corporate brand, a strategic brand or a product brand, maintaining brand alignment within an organization is a key element in building the desired brand experience outside the organization. But keeping brands aligned internally presents ongoing challenges when employees come and go and the daily demands of running the business are top-of-mind for everyone, including the management team.
Read full articleAnyone who has acquired a brand and integrated it into an existing portfolio can attest to the multitude of issues that need to be addressed. From brand name retention, parent company endorsement questions and managing customer perceptions, to brand mark, trade dress and personnel issues, the list can appear to be endless.
Read full articleWhether you’re managing your corporate brand, a strategic brand or a product brand, maintaining brand alignment within an organization is a key element in building the desired brand experience outside the organization. But keeping brands aligned internally presents ongoing challenges when employees come and go and the daily demands of running the business are top-of-mind for everyone, including the management team.
Read full articleWhen you consider all the points of engagement that carry your brand identity, and the cost associated with redesigning all of them, the idea of making the investment to redesign everything from your brand’s logo and visual identity to creating the necessary brand guidelines to enable consistent expression may seem like a monumental task. Additionally, you may suspect that a new brand name would serve you better, but you aren’t sure. Will it help you stand apart from the competition and help increase brand recognition?
Read full articleDuring the last recession, some brands slashed marketing budgets while others embarked upon brand revitalization efforts. When the economy rebounded, those companies who invested in their brands—Cargill, Boise Cascade and UPS, to name a few—were rewarded. We want to share a few thoughts on what it takes to build strong brands in tougher times. And yes, we believe it is possible, but does take leadership and ingenuity.
Read full articleIn tough economic times, companies are looking for more efficient ways to market themselves, make an impression and be memorable. Which seems to have a lot of people wondering, “Should I have a tagline?” To use or not to use, that is the question. Taglines can cement a brand in the mind of consumers and have greater staying power than likely imagined (a la Nike’s “Just do it.”), but, depending on your business, a tagline may or may not be appropriate.
Read full articleAs the world has become smaller through global expansion, we have seen and helped many organizations establish a consistent expression and common voice for their brand, worldwide. Organizations have relied on identity guidelines to reinforce the consistent use of their corporate logo or brandmark, but not always for their brand identity systems. This is changing.
Read full articleWe all know from personal experience the power word of mouth has. Maybe a rave review from a colleague convinced you to hire a particular supplier. Or a negative experience at a local restaurant caused you to tell your family and four neighbors not to go there. Or a positive interaction with a customer care representative motivated you to blog with fellow techies about a wireless provider’s great service.
Read full articleStrategic and discerning, identityWise® shares our perspectives on branding. We explore the brand issues that matter to you. From positioning and brand management to identity design. Actionable insight awaits.