THE BRAND GUARDIAN…
Why every company needs a protector of the company brand.

To communicate my point, I could spend ten paragraphs discussing the ins and outs of what a Brand Guardian is, what he or she does and why you need one. Or, I can just tell you a quick story. I will opt for the story.

The Bank that Abused its Brand
A few years back Icon was brought in to help a bank execute its overall marketing strategy. This was a well-known bank with solid profitability, experienced leadership, highly regarded service and tremendous customer loyalty. So this was not some fly-by-night institution. As we began work with the bank, we conducted a full inventory of its overall branding, marketing collateral and advertising. During our inventory, we found over twenty (yes, 20) versions of its logo in use. It was breathtaking. We witnessed the logo in use with shadows, in color, in grayscale, stacked, with and without the trademark symbol, embossed, with and without the slogan, with website listed, in partial color, stretched, compacted, in foil, glowing, fading, with a gradient and in one instance, the website was edited to contain subliminal advertising to sell more loans. Just kidding on the last one, but you get my point. Employees were using the logo and reshaping it to fit whatever need they had at the time. The same employees were also allowing vendors, such as printers and designers, to have their way with the bank's logo and branding in a way that was unspeakable.

What's the big deal, you ask? The problem with utilizing the bank's logo in so many disjointed ways is many fold. To start, having the bank's branding presented in so many formats eroded the brand’s consistency and credibility. In this case, the bank's brand presentation is really part of a promise to the customer that the service of the bank will be consistently and dependably high. But if the bank cannot even present its own branding in a consistent fashion, what is a prospective customer to think about whether or not the bank will consistently deliver good service? Also, inconsistent presentation of a company's brand erodes the perceived stability and professionalism the bank has in the eyes of the customer.

The next time you go to Starbucks, check out the way its logo is used. See that green? That green is consistent whether you are blowing $5 on your mocha in Newport Beach, in Manhattan or at a truck stop on I-5. This is no accident. That color is monitored closely by teams of Starbucks employees which include everyone from print buyers to designers in every region where Starbucks exists. Next, check out the size of the logo in proportion to the cup, carton or bag on which it is displayed. Even that size ratio is monitored. Lastly, look around the store. You will never see the Starbucks logo morphed or altered in a way that changes its look. It just won’t happen. This is a company that is serious about its brand management, just as it is serious about excellent customer service and quality coffee.

So, a few keys to protecting your brand:

1-Respect the brand's integrity:
Consistently portray your brand across all mediums, even if you are just a small company. You might notice that we at Icon are in the middle of a re-branding and are currently violating this rule. However, as our brand transition moves closer to completion our firm is moving closer to complying with this rule.

2-Be purposeful about how you employ the brand:
Put together a branding guidelines document to ensure that employees, vendors and others know how to treat your Branding.

3-Assign someone the title of Brand Guardian:
If it helps, you can purchase one of those cool German army helmets or some sort of medieval weaponry to help project authority. All that matters is that someone be designated as the go-to person for protecting the brand and answering questions about how to employ it. Typically this person is a marketing director but it does not necessarily have to be. It can be an owner, office manager or other employee. The point is to have someone responsible for protecting the brand.

4-Develop a formal set of Branding guidelines:
Your branding guidelines should include logo files, printing instructions, usage guidelines, color formulas and other items to ensure your brand is not abused by employees and vendors.

5-Remember your brand is more than your logomark:
Keep in mind that in essence, your brand is really just that honest, candid impression someone has of your company. This impression is indeed effected by your visual branding, but keep in mind that every interaction with your company affects a person's perception of said company.

For assistance in this area feel free to contact our offices at 714.990.5909 or info@icon-marketing.com.