Brand Ownership Steps
Be the custodian of your brand. You would not allow your company to be run by anyone else, so take caution when exposing or entrusting your greatest strategic asset to an outsider.
Check your confidentiality agreements. These must be cast-iron to ensure that your brand is not leaked out by unscrupulous vendors or sleeper agents.
Audit the process. Insist every aspect of the branding process is documented and minutes are taken, especially brainstorming sessions and all meetings. You may not read it immediately, but you paid for the information. Make sure you get it.
Take time to schedule regular meetings with your brand planners. Without these, it is quite easy to see how a branding process can lead to unexpected results and missing information. The brand is, in fact, your most important competitive device, so make the time!
Create multiple checks and balances. This may sacrifice speed, but it is better for your strategic branding information to be passed to as many qualified internal people as possible. Leaving key information in the hands of one is dangerous practice.
Make sure all brand execution goes through you. If there is a proposal for work to be done for different aspects of your brand, investigate the recommendations carefully. You could find hidden trouble in that seemingly innocent request for new signage.
Create a branding department. It is worth considering creating a specialized department for the up-keep and maintenance of your brand. This way the brand will remain with your firm, and you can vet all aspects of your business for brand consistency and strategic effectiveness.
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