Important decisions require a great deal of effort, which almost always benefit from a solid plan of attack. Think about building a house. There is a proven and methodical process to building a house that generates the best result – and we think about brand implementation in the same way. You’ve got to consider your end goal, order of operations, who’s going to do the work, how long it will take and how much it will cost, all while making sure things don’t slip through the cracks. When building a house, you almost always ask experts for help and support, so what makes brand implantation any different? A plan should be your very first step and here is why!
When kicking off the brand implementation process with a work session, we bring key stakeholders to the table from all facets of the organization. In several instances, this exercise helps the individuals recognize and appreciate what other members of the organization do day-to-day and the unique challenges they may face in light of brand change. By including all levels of brand users, we’re able to paint a more wholistic picture of how the brand is activated.
During a planning session we deep dive into our audiences, both internal and external given the difference in needs and expectations. While attendees might have a good idea of what’s needed externally, they often overlook the needs of internal brand users or others affected by brand change. With years of brand implementation experience, we surface audience needs and common underestimations when it comes to effective execution. By taking a long-term approach to planning, we ensure the impact of brand change has longevity.
We look to a plan to organize the details and keep us on track. A brand implementation plan takes business inputs and generates details regarding:
This becomes the playbook to make brand change happen. In the case of a rebrand there is often a brand launch, in which case we connect the dots between launch and implementation, assisting with communications planning. The goal is to eliminate surprises and keep things moving forward.
Another key benefit of brand implementation plans is finding cost saving efficiencies – be it time, people or money. There may be efficiencies in solving for 57 pieces of collateral with 12 templates, staff augmentation to reduce in-house production time and outsourcing execution given your team is doing all of this on top of their day jobs. Just as you’d rely on an electrician to do the electrical work in your new home, we do the heavy lifting when it comes to efficiently implementing your brand everywhere it lives.
Before breaking ground on your new home, you likely need to ask the bank for a home construction loan and your plan helps you do that. In the same way a brand implementation plan provides the reason and rationale to fund brand change efforts, reassuring leadership that it will be done right. By anticipating the questions leaders will ask, we’re ready with a clear roadmap to success. As we’ve said before, it starts with a plan. And this year, TenTen celebrates the development of 100 brand implementations plans. 100 plans = 100 clients across industries = 100 different brand challenges = 100 success stories. Follow along with our series “Number 100” as we reflect on our journey thus far.
