Please reference our syllabus here. You can find the brand audit template here.
Ok, we have a definition and context, now we should probably discuss who owns brand. Sure, multiple people may have the title of a brand manager or something adjacent to it, but an organization’s brand encompasses all parts of the business, and that means there are multiple levels of stakeholders.
Let’s start with the obvious: when you take into account that the voice of a brand speaks on behalf of everyone who works behind it, stakeholders start at the very top.
Executives/co-founders
Your executives, be it founders or seasoned CEOs, have a vision. That vision often leads to a brand story, helps set the tone, and, at minimum, needs to align with it. They set the company purpose, vision, mission, and values as well.
Product
Right up there with your execs are your product leads or lead. These are your internal visionaries building new solutions that your current and future customers want, and that means building a voice that speaks to these concepts.
Between your execs and product leads, it’s important to note that early buy-in and input reduce resistance later down the road. And, the more bold and unique you aim for, you can absolutely expect resistance. And, be sure to communicate high-level progress. Surprises are best left for the rest of the company.
Customer Success
How you speak to your customers makes the difference between a transactional relationship and one that is designed to grow. Do you keep the suit and tie on after the deal is closed or do you you learn about the people beyond the solution provided? In meetings, do you keep it business and small talk, or do you spend time getting to know them? Your CS team will be a strong advocate for the voice and tone of the brand because they have the largest volume of customer interactions. They can also help validate and provide feedback on new brand messaging. Alignment here can positively impact customer retention, especially if you have a point solution or focus on a PLG motion.
Marketing
Brand can fall into multiple areas in a marketing organization, but you’ll have other partners and stakeholders. Like your product owners, product marketing often invests time with customers, partners, and prospects. Their input should be used to guide these efforts as a partner. Demand gen or revenue? You can loop them in as things start to materialize because the deliverables will impact their campaigns, copy, visuals, and, ideally, brand-specific awareness efforts.
Customers
More than anything else, you need to test, validate, and measure proposed brand changes with your customers and prospective customers. By prospective, that means chatting with people who align with your company’s 5-10-year roadmap or vision. Your brand should fall right in line with the company vision and show a clear maturity roadmap in parallel.
Now let’s wrap up the module with lessons 1.4 and 1.5 with an introduction to our brand audit template and a totally real company I created for the purpose of this course.
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