Brand Architecture: What You Need to Know
What is brand architecture?
Inside a brand strategy, you’ll find the brand architecture. It’s the structure of a company’s leading brand, sub-brands, products, and services, and how they align and complement one another. Brand architecture has two parts: the brand framework and the brand story.
Companies hold onto their value niche, household recognition, and customer trust by building a clear brand architecture.
Brand architecture is equal parts brand framework and brand story
When you talk about brand architecture, picture the architect and the engineer. The engineer cares about making something work. As long as the fix functions, everything is fine, right? No. That’s not how consumers think, and a lot of business owners fall into that trap.
An architect designs structures with the client’s vision in mind. The architect plans where things belong and how they connect to the other parts. The engineer then uses those plans to build the design. The two roles complement one another.
Architects and engineers both matter in the strategy process. Knowing their roles helps businesses ask the right questions of the right person.
It starts with the brand story and the brand framework process. All of this should live inside a brand strategy. The brand story is a narrative that introduces the company’s vision, goals, and mission. The brand framework is the structure that lays out what the brand needs to create to meet that vision. Put together, the brand framework and the brand story form the platform for a strong brand architecture.
Businesses with a brand strategy have an edge over competitors
Businesses that have built a brand strategy have an edge over the competition. A clear purpose running through the brand architecture lets the brand move, so it stays in front of its target audience in a way that means something.
How does brand architecture benefit your company?
Brand architecture is for any company that wants its brand to reach its target market, not just the Fortune 500. It helps put your brand in the right place at the right time. Here is how it benefits companies of all sizes.
- Clarity and Recognition
- According to Siteefy, the average person interacts with 10,000 ads daily. Without a solid platform, a brand fades into market saturation.
- Sharpening brand recognition and clarity through brand architecture helps companies tune in to their target audience. Customer loyalty also depends on brand recognition. If someone uses an iPhone and enjoys the experience, they will likely consider other Apple products when shopping for technology.
- Growth
- For growth, brand architecture acts like a bowling bumper, keeping the brand on target. A well-built brand architecture keeps every decision tied to the brand’s mission. When a company scales by adding brands, sub-brands, products, or services, a well-built brand architecture helps the additions support the company’s vision instead of fracturing focus.
- Cost
- A brand with a clear brand architecture can run hybrid marketing strategies and cross-promotion. Procter & Gamble’s brand architecture allows cross-promotion campaigns. In a Crest (a P&G brand) toothpaste ad, they can show an Oral-B (a P&G brand) toothbrush. Companies with solid brand architecture use their resources more carefully.
What are the types of brand architecture?
Several styles are recognized in the field. We will cover four brand architecture models: branded house, sub brands, house of brands, and endorsed brands.
Branded House
In branded house architecture, the parent company is the brand, and the sub-brands, products, or services sit inside that house. Google is the brand, and Google Maps, Google Pay, and Google Drive are part of the brand house.
Sub Brand
A sub-brand architecture has a well-known parent brand offering products closely linked to it. Apple is one of the best-known companies to use a sub-brand architecture, with products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
House of Brands
In a house of brands, several brands sit under one parent. MARS owns brands we all know, like Starburst, Eclipse Gum, and Dove. Procter & Gamble has many familiar brands, too, including Tide, Pampers, and Crest.
Endorsed Brands
In an endorsed brands architecture, the parent company can take a few roles. It can use a strong endorsement, a linked name, or a token endorsement.
Sub-brands like Courtyard and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott use a strong endorsement style. Nestle uses a linked name in products such as Nestea and Nespresso. With token endorsement, the parent company puts its well-known name, like General Mills, behind 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 with others and keeps the business vision in view. Review your brand story and build your brand framework strategy.
- Sit with the hard questions. What is your company missing today that brand architecture could help with? Does your target audience know your brand? Do potential investors understand what you offer? What market segment can you win by delivering a distinct product? Are there parts of your company that are already working and need to align with the overall vision?
- Remember, the engineer relies on the architect’s design to build it in a practical, efficient way.
Let’s Canoe is your new architect
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