Last night I met with a group of elementary school parents to discuss ways of implementing a brand strategy that my organization had developed for them. A similar discussion took place last week on a university campus that we are working with. In these and other cases, I have discovered that the branding aha moment for many stakeholders takes place when we they understand that a brand strategy can help operationalize a strategic plan.
For most stakeholders a brand strategy and a strategic plan take a while to understand their relevancy. Too often they think those are things that should only concern senior administration or funding sources. Many organizations reinforce this disconnect because they do not have systems in place or a culture that engages internal constituents like employees in the brand development process. As a result, most people do not deliver what we hope they will, either in terms of living the brand or operationalizing the strategic plan.
A brand strategy, often called a brand platform can help operationalize your organization's current strategic plan, and should guide the development of your next strategic plan. If you want to recruit and retain brand champions for your organization, help your employees see how strategic, intangible concepts can be relevant.
Rex Whisman
Brand Champions Blog
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