In Admind we guide our partners through the visual aspects of the brand. Jędrzej Chojnacki and Brand Advisory Team explain why brand governance is crucial for brand consistency, and how our perspective changes the way it may be perceiving.
How would you define brand governance?
What is usually associated with this term are actions taken to ensure that the rules of brand guidelines are followed. But it is much more; it’s a new approach in the brand management model. In Admind, we even abandoned the term ‘governance’, as it does not reflect what we do. ‘Brand Advisory’ term, better describes our service and our specialized team in Admind. Service is unique on the Polish market, combining and connecting all factors for internal and external brand awareness. For us, brand governance is about educating people about the brand, guiding them to the right resources, and supporting them in creating on-brand materials. It is about respecting the guidelines of identities, but also, we focus on the needs of the client. We react and adopt solutions, so they can work for both the brand and the client. This approach helps identities grow.
What is the role of the brand book in the brand governance process?
Overall, the brand book can be compared to a huge set of signs, guidelines, and tips regarding the brand itself. Not only from the visual side but also other manners of communication and expression. It performs a huge function in the brand governance process because it helps maintain consistency within the whole organization, no matter the range or size. To achieve this consistency, it is important to make sure that all of the guidelines are available for every person within the company. By making brand books online, we can achieve accessibility for everyone.
Why is brand governance important?
Brand governance or as we say ‘Brand Advisory’, guides both consumers and employees through the visual aspects of the brand and offers the opportunity for knowledge sharing, creating a space for dialogue and brand exploration. As consistency within a brand leads to brand recognition, the possibility of assistance and advisory regarding all kinds of projects allows the brand to be successfully represented across many areas and guarantees its authentic and unique perception.
What are the biggest challenges in Brand Governance?
The biggest challenge for an international organization is maintaining common communication. The same message could be different in many ways in different cultures. Handling this challenge requires learning the local requirements, approaching each case individually. Moreover learning what is not working, and trying to work on a compromise.
How to build a successful brand governance strategy?
In Brand Advisory the key is agility. In Admind we always start with knowing our client, learning about the needs and adjusting the model to requirements. We work for corporate clients as ABB, but the model is scalable and can work in smaller companies as well. Another important thing is to remember who is using visual identity, and mostly those are employees. If you support the community in the right way, you can be sure that they will become proud brand ambassadors over time. The last topic I want to mention is that we need to find a good balance between keeping consistency within identity and creating suitable solutions.
Want to know more? Watch our webinar on Brand Advisory or learn about how Admind can support your organization with brand transformation services.