Strong Brand IDs CAN Exist Through Local Channels

A Brand ID is characterized by a number of attributes that define the personality of your brand to your customers. These can include:

• Visual: Graphics, Symbols, and Icons
• Content: Messaging and Slogans
• Philosophy: Service, Value, and Support

Brand IDs are built strong, but maintaining that strength can be a challenge, especially when your brand and company is represented through distributed marketing channels. Many times during the introduction of our platform to new clients, we come across horror stories of the way a brand is being represented across the local marketing ecosystem.

Bad IDs What would happen if a participant in your company’s local network changed the color of your logo from blue to red, or a well-thought out marketing asset is used improperly? A lot, actually. In fact, just a simple change in logo color/messaging can confuse end-buyers of your products/services, or give them a new perception of your Brand ID that may be detrimental to your company. Now take that one step further, to a retailer that has changed your marketing message to suit their demographic, or an agent that used your outdated slogan by accident. Suddenly, your once strong Brand ID is being chipped away at by the very individuals that promote it on a regular basis – until it is just a shadow of its original self that your customers cannot recognize anymore.

Strong IDs To prevent your brand ID from market disinter-mediation in local markets, your company should have a strategy and system in place for its maintenance and control (a plug for SproutLoud here of course), which is part of a well thought out local marketing strategy.

Update Often – Marketing materials available to your channel should have your most recent brand information to date. Old messaging can detract from marketing message and the business growth that your company has achieved. Be sure to take older collateral out of circulation among your local network or delete it.

Evolve Smart – As your business grows and evolves, so will your Brand ID. When this happens, you may be ready to change some characteristics of your brand. Choose a smooth and gradual transition into your new ID. Let your local channels know that you are making changes to your Brand ID soon, what to expect from your new image, and how to use these changes in communications to their customers.