Working with Brand Architects if I am honest is not always easy, and I mean that in the sense that they are very intellectually robust, they are challenging, they probe, it isn’t always comfortable that process as your thinking and your strategy and vision is challenged, but once you get through that process the rigger the sensitivity of that process they do capture the essence of your vision and approach very crisply.
Former Chief Executive of Nuffield Proactive Health
The benefit of Brand Architects business focus methodology is that it has credibility with the management team and the people within the business. In the professional services sector […] there is the slight danger that branding is seen as something creative and fluffy and a bit about colours and fonts. I think the way Brand Architects work mean they were able to convey the sense that it is actually much more fundamental to the business, to the positioning, to the competitive advantage.
Head of Marketing - Gallagher Re
What surprised us about the process was that it was very structured, very ordered, there was a right way and the process took place quite quickly. We were quite quickly able to work with Brand Architects to develop what the vision and values of the firm were and articulate them both externally and internally. That was a bit of a surprise as we thought we would be that bit more different and that it might be more of a challenge to understand us
Chief Operating Officer - Wiggin LLP
Organisational Brand Alignment™ vs. traditional branding
Organisational Brand Alignment™ is a robust branding methodology. Able to interrogate, define and articulate a new business vision with a powerful new brand - and equip an organisation with the means to bring it to life by forcefully driving the strategic objectives through every level of the business. In times of change, Organisational Brand Alignment provides resilience against the risks posed to softer assets, actively creating new value by empowering organisational cultures to operate with unparalleled focus and drive – and ultimately creating a business able to take ownership of the market it currently serves. Whether undergoing mergers, acquisitions, preparation for IPO or private equity investment, new CEO or new shareholders, divestment, re-launches, management buy-in or management buy-outs, our unique Organisational Brand Alignment methodology can drive lasting transformation through your business to create sustainable competitive advantage and realise shareholder value, faster.
Stage 1: Due Diligence
Using our expert understanding of brand equity and organisational cultures we assess the strength of the brand – how aligned the business is to the brand, and in the case of mergers, whether two brands can be merged to release significant value – and the culture of the organisation: assessing the nature of the working culture, its relationship with the organisational identity and any potential conflicts between two distinct organisations in the case of M&A’s.
Stage 2: Research
We conduct an in-depth assessment of the market place to gain a detailed view of the external challenges and opportunities that will shape our branding process. We rigorously explore market trends, developments and innovations alongside targeted competitor analysis, using landscape mapping for maximum clarity. This stage is essential to obtaining a proper understanding of the competitive advantage, messaging trends and niche opportunities available in the existing marketplace.
Stage 3: Interviews
In order to establish the vision and strategy of the organisation we conduct a series of internal and external interviews with key stakeholders. We work with board members or senior leadership to clarify and define the business strategy and overall vision of the organisation through a series of in-depth interviews that allow us to get under the skin of the business drivers the brand is ultimately designed to support. Interviews with clients, suppliers and other major shareholders also provide insights that allow us to fully understand the nature of the organisation’s operations, relationships and service quality in light of their aspirations – and ultimately align the vision with reality.
Stage 4: Values Assessment
Values provide an essential supportive framework for every component of an organisation. Everything from priorities, resources, sourcing, reward systems and purchasing, to more traditional values-led concerns such as communications and codes of behaviour are dictated by values. Brand Architects are accredited by The Values Centre, a US based, highly experienced values assessment specialist, to carry out qualitative and quantitative assessments of organisational cultures and the values.
Stage 5: Culture Assessments
We conduct a full qualitative and quantitative assessment of the organisation’s culture, and the values that provide their essential supportive framework. A specialised yet simple survey allows us to identify cultural disparity and core strengths, desired qualities and personal values. Alongside employee interviews, this process ensure that we gauge the authentic organisational character and properly confront conflict or limitations, allowing us to develop a fully aligned, high-performing culture.
Stage 6: Brand Definition
After assessing the culture, marketplace and strategy we begin the structured process of brand definition through which we realign an organisation around its core strengths and market opportunities in order to release a high performing and resilient brand. The brand is comprised of the vision, the values, the essence, the personality and the positioning – and these elements work together to define the organisational identity through which will ultimately secure competitive advantage.
Stage 7: Brand Architecture
Having clearly defined the organisational brand we can interrogate the role of individual brands in a portfolio, and align the brand architecture into a coherent structure that powerfully supports the newly defined brand strategy, empowering leaders to proactively manage their brand equity and continually leverage maximum value.
Stage 8: Naming
Naming is a fundamental part of the branding process. A new name can express a moment of significant change; the start of a new chapter; a radical new strategy or brand identity. BA use a perfect fit methodology with the help of linguistic experts to ensure that the name chosen is the perfect fit for the newly developed brand, communicative and resonant across international territories, and capable of fully harnessing the newfound momentum and focus that OBA triggers so powerfully within organisations.
Stage 9: Brand Creation and Development
After the brand has been clearly defined, we develop corporate identities that support and express the brand through the perspective of absolute clarity the Organisational Brand Alignment process provides. We encourage them to see this stage as a consolidation, rather than the creation of, their new brand.
We do this by addressing five key areas: Corporate logo, Typography, Imagery, Colour palette, and Tone of voice
Stage 10: Brand Engagement
The brand engagement is a fundamental part of the Organisational Brand Alignment process. It is at this stage that we begin to build the brand coherently through every level of the organisation – communicating the vision, the values, and the significant role every individual plays within the collective strategy of the business. We deliver this through a programme of brand engagement, comprising the combined delivery of a Brand Book which clearly establishes brand guidelines, coaching workshops at board and employee level, and support programmes to navigate the first 100 days.
