Brand Architecture: What You Need to Know
What is Brand Architecture?
Within a comprehensive brand strategy, you’ll find the brand architecture, which is the structure of a company’s leading brand, sub-brands, products, and services and how they align and complement one another. Brand architecture revolves around two essential parts: the brand framework and the brand story.
Companies can retain their value niche, household recognition, and customer trust by developing a cohesive brand architecture.
Brand Architecture is equal parts
brand FRAMEWORK and brand STORY.
When speaking about brand architecture, consider the architect versus the engineer. The engineer is all about doing and making something work and function. Regardless of how pretty the fix looks, as long as it’s “working,” everything is okay, right? Well, no. That’s not how consumers think, and that’s a pitfall a lot of business owners fall into.
An architect designs structures in collaboration and consideration of the client’s vision. The architect strategically plans where things belong and how they interact with the other parts and functions. The engineer should rely on these plans to implement the design. The two parts work and complement one another.
Architects and engineers are both critical in the strategy process. Knowing their roles helps businesses ask the right questions to the right person.
It starts with the brand story and a brand framework process. Again, this should all live within a comprehensive brand strategy. The brand story is a narrative that introduces the company’s vision, goals, and mission. The brand framework is the structure that outlines what the brand needs to create to fulfill said vision, goals, and mission. Together, the brand framework strategy and the brand story create the platform for a successful brand architecture.
Businesses that have developed a brand strategy
will have an edge over their competition.
Businesses that have developed a brand strategy will have an edge over their competition. The purpose throughout a brand’s architecture allows for fluid movement, enabling it to stay in front of its target audience in a more relevant and meaningful way.
How Does Brand Architecture Benefit Your Company?
Brand architecture is not only for Fortune 500 companies — it is for every company that wants their brand to reach their target market. It is the element that helps put your brand in the right place at the right time. Here are three ways that it benefits companies of all sizes:
- Clarity and Recognition
- According to Siteefy, the average person interacts with 10,000 ads daily. Without a robust platform, a brand will quickly fade into market saturation.
- Improving brand recognition and clarity through brand architecture allows companies to tune into their target audience. Customer loyalty also depends on brand recognition. For example, if an individual uses an iPhone and is extremely satisfied with their experience, they will probably look at other Apple products when shopping for technology.
- Growth
- Regarding growth, Brand Architecture acts as a bowling bumper, allowing the brand to hit the target every time. A well-structured brand architecture ensures that every decision supports the brand’s mission. If a company scales by adding brands, subbrands, products, or services, well-structured brand architecture helps ensure the additions fulfill the company vision rather than fracture focus.
- Cost
- A brand that has a cohesive brand architecture is capable of hybrid marketing strategies and cross-promotion. For example, Procter & Gamble’s brand architecture allows cross-promotion marketing campaigns. In a Crest (P&G brand) toothpaste ad, they can use an Oral-B (P&G brand) toothbrush. Companies with solid brand architectures can use resources more thoughtfully.
What are the types of Brand Architecture?
Multiple styles are recognized across the board. We will introduce the following brand architecture models: Branded House, Sub Brands, House of Brands, and Endorsed Brands.
Branded House
In Branded House architecture, the parent company or firm is the brand, and the sub-brands, products, or services are in the house of brands. For example, Google is the brand, and the services Google Maps, Google Pay, and Google Drive belong to the branded house.
Sub Brand
A sub-brand architecture has a well-known parent brand offering products closely linked to the brand. Apple is one of the most prominent companies that used a sub-brand architecture to drive brands such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
House of Brands
In a House of Brands, multiple brands are under the umbrella of a brand. MARS offers the brands we are all familiar with, like Starburst, Eclipse Gum, and Dove. Procter & Gamble has numerous familiar brands, like Tide, Pampers, and Crest.
Endorsed Brands
In an Endorsed Brands architecture, the parent company can take multiple roles. They can have a strong, linked name or token endorsement.
Sub-brands like Courtyard and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott use a strong endorsement style. Nestle uses a linked name, as seen in its products, such as Nestea and Nespresso. In token endorsement, the parent company uses its well-known name, like General Mills, to boost its endorsed brand, Cheerios.
How Do I Start Building My Brand Architecture?
So, how do you start defining your brand’s architecture? Think like an architect!
- The architect designs structures collaboratively and considers the business vision. Review your brand story and create your brand framework strategy.
- Contemplate the hard questions: what is your company lacking today that would benefit from brand architecture? Is your target audience familiar with your brand? Do potential investors understand what you are offering? What market segment can you capitalize on by delivering a distinct product? Are there successful elements in your company that must align with the overall vision?
- Remember, the engineer relies on the architect’s design to implement the design practically and efficiently.
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