Hospital Marketing Journal: The Art and Discipline of Effective Brand Management

by Scott D. Mosley, Vice President of Strategy and Client Services

An organization’s Brand is among its most valuable assets. As such, smart organizations understand the importance of building, nurturing and leveraging a strong brand, just as they do other assets, making it a central strategic priority.

The terms brand and branding is thrown around a lot these days, usually with a very limited knowledge of what the process of brand development is really about. The process is simultaneously both an art and a discipline which, like most disciplined artful pursuits, takes practice to master.

When we talk about branding and brand management, we are really talking about a process with several central facets. It involves defining the brand essence; what the brand stands for. It involves definition of the brand personality; the brand’s character and imagery. It involves development of brand architecture; the central tool in defining the scope and depth of the brand’s extension across the enterprise it represents. And, it involves brand positioning; differentiating and giving relevance to the brand.

The accompanying diagram reflects Ten Adams’ perspective on the scope of effective brand management. At the center of the process is the all-important essence of the brand. This is usually a product of sole-searching, looking deep within the organization for that handful of distinguishing characteristics which truly define its culture and the points of distinction which make it what it is. Defining a brand’s essence is not an afternoon’s task. It is more typically an interactive, group process of evolution and refinement that takes place over an extended period of time.

Effective brand management usually starts with a retrospective process of discovery and analysis; Ten Adams refers to it as iMap360; focused on drawing a vivid picture of the brand’s current state of development. Unless the brand’s been well-managed, this process will almost always uncover what I call “brand creep,” the outgrowth of well-intentioned leaders within the organization who view their program, product or services as the center of the organizational universe and overlay the brand accordingly. The result is undisciplined brand extension and a multi-centered organizational universe.

Down the left-hand side of the diagram are internal disciplines which serve to anchor the brand and avoid brand creep. It is vital to formally document the parameters within which an organization’s brand will be developed and that those parameters be purposefully endorsed by the organization’s executive leadership, including the CEO. It has been my practice of seeking agreement from the organization’s executive team that no changes will be made to the organization’s brand architecture without each change being reviewed with and approved by that group, reflecting the value and importance of the discipline.

Down the right-hand side of the diagram are external aspects of brand expression. It is the unifying aspects of a well-managed brand architecture that allows an organization to effectively position itself as an enterprise showcase its promise and creatively tell its story.

At the bottom of the diagram is the intersection of the internal disciplines and external expressions, joined through internal communications. Building ownership of the brand and its essence on the part of staff and stakeholders is a vital step toward fulfillment of the brand promise extended to the marketplace through its marketing program.

It is through the practice of discipline brand management and the artful portray of a brand’s essence, reflected in the actions of an engaged workforce, that organizations effectively live their brand.

4 Comments

There is definately a lot to learn about thus issue. I like alll the points you've made.

Posted by: Sex advice | September 16, 2013 at 12:27 PM

Thank you a lot for sharing this with all of uus you actually realize what you're talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my website =). We will have a hyperlink trade arrangement between us

Posted by: handy buki | September 16, 2013 at 08:16 PM