Developing brand architecture and expression systems, step by step approach

1. PROPRIETARY
Brand Architecture and Expression
System
by Michael Million

2. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
2
As Company X
evolves its
portfolio toward
higher-value
solutions, the
way the company
manages its
brand must also
evolve. From
Portfolio Strategy
down to
Brand Activation,
we recommend
using a basic
roadmap for
building and
maintaining
strong brands.
Macro Strategy:
Business and Brand Portfolio Strategy
Portfolio Strategy is focused on how a
company should define its portfolio to
maximize profitability. It determines the
number, scope and strategic role for each
equity within the portfolio.
Micro Strategy:
Brand Position and Architecture
Positioning identifies the key benefits and
promise that drive the marketplace perception
of each equity. On
a parallel track, Brand Architecture defines the
optimal relationship among equities, guiding
the manner and extent to which any given
equity is linked to another.
Brand Conception
The Big Idea is the market-facing vision that
pays off the equity positioning, while Brand
Expression is the articulation of the Brand
Architecture, providing the principles for
expressing the Big Idea in the market.
Brand Activation
Brand Activation is how we bring the brand
to life through a variety of touchpoints.
Lead:
Lead: Lead:
Lead: Lead:
Lead: Lead: Lead: Lead: Lead:
Portfolio Strategy
(Company X Business Blueprint)
Equity
Positioning
Brand
Architecture
Big Idea
Brand Expression
(The creation and
management
of visual identity, content,
design, naming and lexicon)
Enablement Advertising Events
Demand
Generation
Social

3. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
3
Once a company
develops a solid
Portfolio
Strategy,
it must develop a
Brand
Architecture
that defines the
optimal
relationships
among equities
in
the portfolio.
Brand Portfolio Strategy
Articulates the optimal number, scope,
and role for every brand/equity in the
portfolio.
Brand Architecture—What it is
A comprehensive depiction of the optimal
relationship between any given brand/equity
and the master brand.
Brand Architecture—What it does
• Determines whether any given product,
service
or other entity should be “branded.”
• Dictates the kind of brand any given
product, service or other entity should
assume (i.e., relationship to master brand).
• Provides rules and guidance for
developing a
visual identity (or other expression) system,
naming
and managing acquired equities.

4. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
4
From Branded
House to House
of Brands, there
is a basic
continuum of
Brand
Architectures.
Company X
skews toward
the Branded
House end of
the spectrum.
• Very strong
reliance
on (and emphasis
of) Corporate
Brand
• Product brands are
very often
“descriptive” in
nature
• Corporate
Brand
may or may not
be externally
relevant
• Product brands
“stand alone”;
have strong
equity of their
own
Branded House House of Brands

5. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
5
However, a
Branded House
isn’t always
as simple as it
sounds. Within the
category
is another
continuum defined
by the extent
to which any given
equity can deviate
from the master
brand.
Client SegmentsFEW MANY
Equity DifferentiationHOMOGENOUS HETEROGENOUS
Investments in Individual EquitiesLOW HIGH
Brand Management CapabilitySIMPLE COMPLEX
Brand ExpressionUNIFORM UNIFIED
NO DEGREES OF FLEXIBILITY MODERATE DEGREES OF
FLEXIBILITY
Branded House House of Brands

6. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
6
What kind of
Branded House a
company informs
what types of
brands it contains.
It
also guides the
brand
management
system.
POTENTIAL Company X BRAND TYPOLOGY
Equity Type Definition Illustrative Examples
Master Brand A brand that serves as the primary frame of
reference, often carrying the corporate name
Co-brand An equity overtly linked to the master brand,
receiving equal emphasis vis-à-vis the master
(i.e. logo lock)
Endorsed Equity An equity that is endorsed by the master
brand, deriving benefit from it by virtue of the
association
Descriptive
Equity
An equity that is purely functional/descriptive
in nature, with a logo lock to the master
brand.
Stand-alone
Equity
A brand that stands independent from the
master brand with no overt or implicit link to
the master
Un-branded
Equity
A brand that stands independent from the
master brand with no overt or implicit link to
the master
Strategic Outsourcing
Company X
Software
ILLUSTRATIVE BRAND HIERARCHY
Master Brand
Co-brand
Endorsed
Equity Descriptive
Equity
Un-branded
Equity
Stand-alone
Equity
Netezza by
Company X

7. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
7
The ongoing
management of
the brands within
an architecture
requires
a variety of
decision-making
tools. These tools
help brand
managers to
determine the
extent to which
different equities
require branding,
while ensuring the
ongoing optimal
relationship
among brands.
1.
Revenue
Consideration
Does the equity
have direct
revenue-
generating
responsibility?
2.
Market Need
Does the equity
offer a
differentiated
POV in the
marketplace?
3.
Competitive
Consideration
Does the equity
hold competitive
precedence that
establishes
independence from
the Company X
Master Brand?
4.
Equity Flow
Is the equity
charged with
infusing unique
equity into the
Company X
Master Brand?
5.
Risk
Does
association with
the equity place
potential risk on
Company X?
Determinatio
n
Stand-alone
Equity
Co-brand
Equity
Endorsed
Equity
Descriptive
Equity
Un-branded
Equity
MARKET EVENTS THAT REQUIRE BRANDING DECISIONS
ILLUSTRATIVE TOOL FOR BRANDING DECISIONS
Develop Initial
Architecture
Launch New Product/Service
Acquire Company/Business
Unit
Create New Program
YES
START
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Requires Brand
Decisions

8. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
8
Once completed,
the Brand
Architecture
serves as a
snapshot
of the business
and its brands.
From the master
brand, down
to the level of
individual
offerings, it
outlines
the depth and
variety
of brand
relationships
required across
the portfolio.
ILLUSTRATIVE BRAND HIERARCHY

9. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
9
Ultimately, the
Brand Architecture
will inform the
rules
by which the
Expression
System should be
governed.
Specifically, it will
guide the
development of a
system that will:
1. Demonstrate how Company X ’s
master brand should be leveraged
and adapted to support the key
brands/equities in which Company
X invests.
2. Create a strategic and meaningful
relationship among all the equities
in which Company X invests.

10. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
10
This is one
approach for how
we could
develop the
Company X
Brand Architecture
in support of the
various
Expression
Systems.
1.
Assessment
& Discovery
2.
Hypothesis
Development
3.
Strategy
Development
4.
Migration
Plan & Tools
BRAND ARCHITECTURE EXPRESSION
SYSTEM
Visual Identity
Content
Design
Naming
Lexicon

11. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
11
External Perspective Internal Perspective
Challenges:
• Different perspectives on what is and is not a brand
• Brand architecture is not currently supporting value
proposition
Opportunities:
• New brand has a lot of awareness/equity with
customers that can be leveraged into new products and
line extensions
• Corporate brand is a potentially another under utilized
asset
Sample Current State Assessment What it Will
Provide…
• Understanding of how the
architecture supports the
overall business
strategy/vision
• Understanding of the
strengths and weaknesses
of the current architecture
• Understanding of the current
management challenges
which resulted in the current
state architecture
What it Will
Enable…
• Identification of new
architecture alternatives
• Recommendations for
improving the brand
management process
Step 1 –
Assessment &
Discovery
Activities:
• Gather existing data,
identify data gaps
• Conduct management
interviews
• Conduct competitor
audit and BA
benchmarking
• Illustrate and analyze
current brand
architecture from both
an internal and
customer perspective

12. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
12
Corporate
Brand
BU/Product
Brands
Volume &
Direction –
how much
equity is being
shared/
transferred?
Equity Flow – do
the brands share
and/or transfer
equities between
them?
Corporate
Brand
BU/Product
Brands
?
Polarity –
does one
brand send or
absorb more
of the equity?
Corporate
Brand
BU/Product
Brands
(-
/+)
Intensity –
how indelible
are the
shared/transf
erred
associations?
Corporate
Brand
BU/Product
Brands
Step 2 –
Hypothesis
Development
Activities:
• Determine how brand
equity currently flows,
and how it ideally
should flow going
forward
• Frame up the
architecture—
determine the
organizing principle
and optimal hierarchy
• Generate 2-3
architecture
alternatives using the
chosen framework.
Create illustrative
examples of identity
system for each, along
with the pros and cons
What it Will
Provide…
• Understanding of what is
driving the overall
architecture options
• Clear pictures of different
options, including how these
options would be brought to
life through name changes,
linkages, etc.
What it Will
Enable…
• Making the best decision
based on a thorough
assessment, which can then
more easily be sold in
throughout the organization

13. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
13
Sample Recommended Architecture
Step 3 –
Strategy
Development
Activities:
• Conduct multiple
iterative cross-
agency working
sessions to
determine optimal
brand architecture
for Company X
• Evaluate each
alternative against
pre-determined
criteria
• Select and finalize
the brand
architecture
• Clarify scope and
strategic intent for
key brands within
the architecture
What it Will
Provide…
• Final architecture
recommendation
• Clear articulation and
examples of how it will be
brought to life
• Process for garnering
organizational buy-in
What it Will
Enable…
• Begin to sell-in and
implement the new and
improved architecture

14. PROPRIETARY
SUBSECTION TITLE
14
Step 4 –
Migration
Plan & Tools
Activities:
• Finalize and socialize
brand architecture
recommendation
• Outline migration
plan for achieving
architecture destination
• Develop decisions
trees, naming
guidelines, other tool
kits, governance and
management tools to
manage future
architecture decisions
What it Will
Provide…
• Understanding of all key
touchpoints impacted by the
architecture
recommendation
• Optimal way to make the
transition to the new
architecture
• Tools such as brand
guidelines and decisions
trees
• Steps to build new visual
identity system (if
necessary)
What it Will
Enable…
• Ensure implementation of
the architecture begins
immediately
• Equips Company X
organization with the tools
necessary to aid future
decision-making