Have You Checked Your Alignment Lately?

by Mark Dreistadt | Dec 5, 2017 | Branding

A brand is defined in many ways… There was a time when a brand simply referred to a name, slogan, symbol or logo. But in more recent years, a brand has come to be known as what people think of when they think of your organization… a perception – a promise. At Infinity Concepts, we define a brand as:

The sum of all the experiences people have with your organization.

By that definition, a positive brand must be cultivated consistently over time. Good brands never just happen. They are created because an organization is committed to living their brand at every level — consistently — over a long period of time. Each interaction reinforces the brand.

A good brand delivers your message with clarity, while setting your organization apart from others. A good brand provides a series of real-life experiences that confirms your credibility, connects with people emotionally, motivates engagement, and inspires loyalty. Ultimately good branding creates bonding — a deep relationship of mutual trust.

Creating and maintaining a great brand sounds like a relatively easy and straightforward process — but it is not! A good brand is always the result of careful strategic planning and an unwavering commitment to ongoing tactical implementation. All too often, a brand is developed and endorsed by leadership – but never fully embraced and executed throughout the organization. To stay on brand requires unrelenting intentionality and consistent management.

Every place where your brand touches the public is a branding point. The purpose of clearly defining your brand is to ensure that an intentional brand impression is made at each of your branding points – consistently, over time. Each of these branding points must align with the essence of your brand so that every customer or donor experience reinforces the brand and enhances the brand clarity.

What we see happen quite consistently is what we call brand drift. Strategically, the brand has been defined and implemented — but over time there is an increasing lack of alignment across the organization. Consumer experiences are inconsistent. As a result, the brand becomes obfuscated and loses its impact.

Perhaps it is time to check your brand alignment. Below are some categories of branding points for you to consider.

Brand Identity
Collateral Materials
Communication
Internet Presence
Telephone
Advertising
Facility – Exterior
Facility – Interior
Fundraising
Events
Promotion
Staff

Remember, a branding point is any place where your brand touches the public. Creating alignment will ensure your brand is being reinforced each time a person interacts with your organization. Be true to your brand. Check your alignment today!

Let Infinity Concepts help you build a strong and memorable brand!