How to set up a brand management ecosystem
In 6 clear steps
Maarten Evertzen
Managing Partner Digital
In a short space of time, the new way of working has become synonymous with working remotely. A necessity right now, but for the future one thing has become clear too: the world will never be the same again. Marketing, communications and brand managers face the challenge of optimising and automating their existing operational processes at high speed. To bring efficiency to processes and save costs, but above all because customer experience and online interaction with your target groups are more central than ever. But what does this mean for organising and managing your brand? How do you set up an effective brand management ecosystem that supports the organisation in the right way, makes brand organisation processes more efficient and improves your brand performance?
What is brand management and why does it matter?
Many organisations claim to do brand management. But what is brand management, actually? Brand management is the way you organise and manage the brand internally. Do it well, and the result is a strong brand, greater brand awareness and good brand performance. That also emerges from the results of our Brand Performance Study. Good brand management also brings organisations a number of financial and strategic advantages. After all: the stronger a brand, the better your competitive position. And that naturally works through into your business performance. On top of that, improving your brand management allows you to make a considerable efficiency gain, for example by optimising and automating brand processes.
The ingredients for a successful brand organisation
What do you think of when you hear ‘successful brand management’?
When we put this question to clients we are working with on brand change or brand improvement projects, we get the most varied answers. One thinks of the right people with the right roles and responsibilities in the right place. Another thinks of an efficient set-up of brand management processes and having a clear set of brand guidelines. And yet another thinks of a seamlessly integrated network of the right tools: image libraries (DAM), brand portals, template management systems and so on.
“Just as with running a successful supermarket, it is a must to have your affairs in order in all three areas: people, processes & technology”
In fact, that already gives you the answer: various factors play a role when you want to manage your brand successfully. It is important to optimise your brand management in at least three areas: people, processes & technology.
Managing your brand effectively in 6 steps
To make it concrete, I always like to compare managing and organising your brand effectively with a not-so-obvious metaphor: running a supermarket. Below are six steps you can distinguish in this process:
Step 1: get your brand shop in order
Do you want to manage your brand well? Then the first step is getting your ‘brand shop’ in order with the right ‘brand ingredients’, for example: the logo, the right typography, images and illustrations, videos and audio clips.
Step 2: your brand guidelines as the recipe
As a brand manager you have to make sure that your customers (the employees) can get to work not only with the right ingredients, but also according to the right recipes (brand guidelines).
Step 3: the right people in the right place
Within your brand management ecosystem you need various roles (just as in a supermarket) with matching skills and responsibilities. Think of designers, asset managers, brand ambassadors and so on.
Step 4: setting up and optimising processes
A supermarket can only run well if its processes are set up properly. What about purchasing and stock management? In a brand management ecosystem it is equally essential to have your internal processes in good order.
Step 5: the right tools to manage your brand shop
Just as in a supermarket, in your brand shop you can also provide an extensive range of ready-made solutions for the brand assets that are created in your organisation on a regular basis.
Step 6: time for a taste test
How do you determine whether your brand management ecosystem is working well? The answer is simple: by tasting! Ask your employees what is going well and what could be better, or what they might still be missing.
