ProSpeak: Branding as a Living Organism

We have to embrace that a brand is a living mechanism. Thinking of a brand as simply a part of the marketing domain limits our view of its power. An organization is a living organism that interacts with the world through multiple entry points. Holding on to the concept of a steady brand means that you are working in a static environment. Branding is an on-going communication and value exercise. At its foundation, it promotes the view that the organization is clear about its mission and that there is a quantifiable system in place to make sure that a consistent message is conveyed.

To stay competitive and relevant, the brand has to live. Because it is living, the organization constantly faces an onslaught of opinion makers, clients and staff who challenge the very premise that the marketing/communication team is working to define. In that case, is there any hope of having a consistent brand that stands the test of time and its critics?

Yes, and we see it every day in action. For example, Coca-Cola, in spite of its critics, remains a consistent household brand name. Its mission is to bring pleasure to the taste buds. It knows what it does. The same thing goes for PETA and the American Red Cross in the nonprofit world. No matter what your feelings are about them, everyone knows who PETA and the Red Cross are. That's because they know who they are, what their missions are, and they convey that to donors. Knowing what you are is the best and only defense against critics.

People gravitate toward confidence. For your organization’s brand to survive in a fast-changing environment, know what you do and why you do it. What is your mission? What is your organization’s name, and do those closest to you know it? That is the beginning of the process of differentiating yourself from others. Teach your stakeholders to be true to the mission of your organization, and come up with creative ways to remind them.