BRAND CREATION / BRANDING / REBRANDING

We believe most companies have a compelling brand story to tell. But how will you tell it? And how will you keep your brand consistent? A solid back story is integral to furthering your vision and goals for the future.

A comprehensive brand evaluation or even a mini brand audit will provide an analysis of your verbal and visual communications, and will assess the brand’s integrity, clarity and consistency. Fluent examines every element of your brand identity – from logos, print materials, and advertising, to collateral, video assets and online presence – to see how they support or conflict with your vision.

QUESTION: If your company were to achieve consistency in telling its story what would that story be?

What, in short, is your brand? You have one, whether you like it or not. You have one, whether you shape it or not. Public perception is really the essence of your brand - and as they say "perception is reality". This is why brand management is so crucial and why following a well-conceived plan is the cornerstone of a brand's success. While, even unwittingly, most people can tell you what Nike’s brand is, or that of Mercedes-Benz or Apple, how do you arrive at your companies brand?

What is a brand?

A brand is not merely a logo. It is all encompassing. Every Point of Contact (EPOC) needs to be considered and is integral to the overall brand essence. From the stationery, to the website, to Campus wayfinding – even the way people are greeted as they enter a faculty office – all these things are part of your brand.

BRAND DEFINITION

A brand is both a summary and a promise.

A brand is a summary.

It’s a distilled expression of all the interactions an individual has every had with an organization and its agents. Every interaction is the basis of a brand impression. All of these impressions combined form your brand. Therefore, a brand may be invested into by a corporation, but its value is based upon the degree of understanding and ownership felt by its members, employees and other stakeholders.

A brand is a promise.

BRAND EVOLUTION:

Everything around us is in a constant state of flux. Things are changing faster than ever before and because of that, a brand is
always in transition. It needs to evolve. It builds and reinforces itself everyday. If a brand only relies too much on its past, it becomes complacent, and in the public’s eyes, outdated. For a brand to succeed it must stay relevant and the connections it makes to its membership must stay fresh.

BRAND DISRUPTION

The power of a brand and its communication lies in its ability to challenge the current conventions and move forward. This is not about change for the sake of change, but change that recognizes the strengths of the past and builds on the opportunities of the future. It is about shifting the paradigm and implementing change that moves a brand towards a specific goal.

It represents a set of expectations in your member’s eyes that set the stage for all future interactions. It is a source of comfort in a world full of unknowns. Your brand’s ability to meet and exceed these expectations, determines your capability to build a membership that works together in unity.