Clarity in brand definition

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There have been some great articles recently talking about the increasing importance of the corporate brand in organisations' reputation and valuation. It's because of a shift of focus. Not so long ago, corporations were championing the virtues of diversification - and enjoying stock market adulation accordingly. Ideas like 'conglomerates' and 'holding companies' took hold as the business models to admire. And the more they did, ideas like 'corporate brand' struggled to be taken seriously: it wasn't where people's attention was.

Now, though, focus is in demand. The old structures are being dismantled as leaders strive to give their stake- (not just stock-) holders greater clarity to their organisations. Clarity creates understanding, which brings cohesion, which deepens confidence. And as one former client was fond of saying, "Complexity adds cost".

All of which, we think, is great news. We've always been believers in the capability of brands to drive organisations, and we've loved helping clients realise huge benefits from defining and implementing theirs well. The key question now, though, is how to ensure that clarity of the corporate brand, so that it realises the value business leaders require from it.

Done well, the corporate brand should position an organisation distinctively. It should express what that organisation does, for whom, and why. It should describe what, and who, it stands for, and against. It should help write that organisation's strategy, and ensure that it delivers.

"Should" is a big word here. Have enough organisations defined their brands in those terms? Do they know how to? The clamour for short-term recognition, PPC and other metrics has, we fear, taken the attention and the habits away from proper long-term brand definition and building. We're finding that clients are now concerned that they might not be positioned qite as sharply as they'd imagined. And certainly not as well as they're going to need to be.

So we're happy to work through our own methodology with them. And happy to share that here. Because we know how important it is, to get this stuff right; and we know how great the results can be. Please, be our guest: look at what we've been doing with clients for a number of years, and see how you would answer the challenges we set. And please feel free to contact us if you think we could help.