FBlog

Spending a lot of time in the corporate branding world, and often working with clients moving from a product to a solutions company, I have often been responsible for transitioning companies to a masterbrand strategy. One of the biggest challenges in doing this is gaining alignment and buy-in across internal teams. The level of marketing/branding sophistication always varies, but no matter how savvy the internal teams are, they can all quickly latch on to the idea that their individual “brand” is going away.

For various reasons I often hear things like “I absolutely need my own identity”, “my group is too different from the rest of the organization”, or “I won’t be able to target my communications to my customers”. While there are occasions when this might be the case, I often find that these comments come from a lack of understanding of how you can still create your own world within a masterbrand strategy. Here are 5 basics to drive greater understanding of the flexibility that masterbrands can offer:

1. Positioning/story – A key component is that the story of the masterbrand has to encompass and represent all aspects of the organization. If a group cannot find their place within that umbrella, they will likely feel ignored and have a strong desire to break away from the masterbrand.

2. Brand extension – people would be surprised at how much permission people give brands to extend across many offerings. Just look at GE, which covers everything from light bulbs to aircraft engines to health care equipment. If that doesn’t show the elasticity of a brand enough, you can always do brand extension research.

3. Visual elements – color, type, imagery, graphic elements, etc. can all be used to create quite a bit of distinction even within a masterbrand. FedEx uses color to signal the different aspects of their business. Virgin has offered up their own interesting version of a masterbrand, with a variety of logo variations centered around the Virgin brand. Imagery can also send very clear and strong signals that can resonate with different audiences. It is important to consider all communication materials, not just the logo, to see the true amount of flexibility available.

4. Messaging – the positioning operates at the 40,000 foot level, and each business should develop a targeted messaging strategy to make that story real for them and their specific customers. Message maps or messages matrices are great tools to bring the story down to ground level, creating a unique and powerful message that distinguishes a group but still aligns with and supports the overall positioning.

5. Channel – another great way to carve out a space within a masterbrand is choosing specific communication channels and methods. For example, American Express cards each have varying levels of service and different value props, but all use the American Express brand. The type and quality of materials that you receive vary based on the level. The highest tier black card does not do any general marketing, and utilizes a very exclusive and direct approach with a luxury feel to talk to their audiences, and sends a very different message than green card holders.