Complex Strategy Creates Indifference

I was talking with a company recently who enquired on how ‘complex’ our brand and marketing strategy would be.  I was puzzled and asked what they meant by this.

It turned out that their expectation was that the more they would pay for branding services, the more complex they expected the strategies would be.  These included detailed charts, metrics and other guidelines.

On the contrary, the more 'complex' a strategy this, the less likely it will be used and therefore the less value it will provide.

What you need are simple actions that can be followed by everyone in the company.

Everybody is far too busy these days to consult lengthy brand management documents.  They're a marketing departments best friend as it saves considerable time and resources when producing materials. 

Your other team members however are not going to excited about brand management.  What will inspire them and provide direction is preferred behaviours and actions that will promote the company in a particular way, and help them win business.

If you want to champion change throughout an organisation you have to make it easy for everyone to understand what values and difference makes the business competitive.

All communications strategy needs to be outcome focused - strategy is not an end in itself.

Lead by example.

Branding is not static by any means.  The launching of a logo and accompanying materials are merely the start. 

Ensure that brand management is an ongoing debate throughout your organisation.  Decisions that affect brand are made on a daily basis.  Get people into the habit of questioning whether something will add value to the brand or detract from it. 

Everyone in the business needs to be kept informed about the issues that will effect the brand. 

In the end people are your brand's most important asset.  If they have no direction, neither will your brand.

© Hamish Chadwick, Image Substation 2009