How do you balance brand standardization and customization?

Brand standardization and customization are two approaches to managing your brand across different markets and segments. Standardization means using the same brand elements, such as name, logo, slogan, and design, in all markets. Customization means adapting your brand elements to suit the preferences, needs, and expectations of different markets. How do you balance these two approaches and create a consistent and relevant brand identity? Here are some tips to help you.

1 Understand your brand architecture

Brand architecture is the way you organize and relate your different brands, sub-brands, products, and services. It defines the roles, relationships, and hierarchies of your brand portfolio. Depending on your brand architecture, you may have more or less flexibility to standardize or customize your brand elements. For example, if you have a house of brands strategy, where each brand operates independently, you may have more room to customize each brand for different markets. If you have a branded house strategy, where all brands share a common identity, you may have more pressure to standardize your brand elements.

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Pattie McNab

Fractional Brand Director Who Partners With Decision Makers To Build Strong, Scalable Visual Brand Identities – Design, Market and Sell Graphics for Apparel Brand: Red Rumor Tees
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Creating a brand from inception that encapsulates the mission and narrative of the company or products is crucial for tailoring your brand elements. By weaving your story into the visuals, such as icons, logos, and marketing materials, your brand will be uniquely crafted from the outset. This holistic approach ensures that your brand not only communicates a compelling story but also establishes a distinctive and memorable identity that resonates with your audience.

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2 Know your target markets

The degree of standardization or customization depends on the characteristics and preferences of your target markets. You need to research and understand the cultural, social, economic, legal, and competitive factors that affect your brand perception and performance in different markets. You also need to segment your markets based on relevant criteria, such as demographics, psychographics, behavior, or needs. This will help you identify the similarities and differences among your target audiences and tailor your brand elements accordingly.

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3 Align your brand values and promise

Your brand values and promise are the core of your brand identity. They express what your brand stands for and what it offers to your customers. They should be consistent and clear across all markets and segments. However, this does not mean that you have to communicate them in the same way in every market. You can use different messages, tones, languages, and media to convey your brand values and promise in a way that resonates with your target audiences. The key is to align your brand elements with your brand values and promise and avoid any contradictions or confusion.

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Kevin Chorlins

🔥 Chief Content & Creative Officer | 🎯 Brand Builder | 🎥 Storytelling Strategist | 🚀 Movement Maker | 🌍 Scaling Content into Culture & Growth
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Aligning a company's brand values with its promise is critical because it establishes authenticity, builds trust, and fosters long-term loyalty. When a company's brand values are aligned with its promise, it creates a consistent and cohesive message that can resonate with consumers. This alignment ensures that the company's actions and behaviors reflect its stated values, reinforcing its credibility and integrity. By delivering on its promise, a company demonstrates commitment to its customers, instilling confidence and trust in its products or services. Also, when a company's brand values align with its promise, it attracts like-minded customers who share those values, creating a sense of community and fostering brand loyalty.

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4 Evaluate your brand performance

The balance between brand standardization and customization is not static. It may change over time as your brand evolves and as your markets change. Therefore, you need to monitor and measure your brand performance in different markets and segments. You can use various metrics, such as awareness, recognition, preference, loyalty, advocacy, and equity, to assess how well your brand is delivering on its values and promise. You can also use feedback, surveys, reviews, and social media to gather insights from your customers and stakeholders. Based on your findings, you can adjust your brand elements to optimize your brand performance.

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5 Test and learn

Finally, you need to test and learn from your brand standardization and customization efforts. You can use various methods, such as A/B testing, experiments, or pilot programs, to compare the results of different brand elements in different markets and segments. You can also use best practices, benchmarks, or case studies to learn from other brands that have successfully balanced brand standardization and customization. By testing and learning, you can improve your brand strategy and execution and achieve your brand objectives.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you balance brand standardization and customization?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Understand your brand architecture

2 Know your target markets

3 Align your brand values and promise

4 Evaluate your brand performance

5 Test and learn

6 Here’s what else to consider

Brand Development

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How do you balance brand standardization and customization?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand your brand architecture

2 Know your target markets

3 Align your brand values and promise

4 Evaluate your brand performance

5 Test and learn

6 Here’s what else to consider

Brand Development

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