The purpose of this brandbook is to provide a simple overview of the key

components involved in building a brand platform.

Brand terminology

Brand DNA

BRANDING

Brand DNA refers to the common and core values, that a business is built upon. It should be reflected in the business and brand strategy.

The brand DNA is not something to be directly communicated to consumers.

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

BRANDINGBRANDING BRAND TERMINOLOGYBRAND TERMINOLOGY

Personality, values and visionthat motivate and feed into

the business strategy.

Business strategy Brand strategy

Plan and priorities for execution

of business objectives.

Framework and initiatives tomaintain and strengthen

brand DNA.

Business strategy Brand strategy Brand DNA

BRANDINGBRANDING BRAND TERMINOLOGY

The vision is the ‘why’ of the brand. It

describes the brand’s ambitions and reason

to exist - beyond making profit.

A brand personality is the result of assigning

traits and characteristics to a brand to define

its essence and emotional appeal.

Brand values are basis of a company and its

culture. They function as principles that guide

the brand’s behaviour internally and its

relationship to customers and stakeholders.

Brand DNA components

Brand vision Brand values Brand personality

Brand value proposition

BRANDING

The brand value proposition is a part of the business strategy and the

brand DNA should be indirectly reflected in this articulation.

Brand value proposition is a clear, concise and compelling articulation of how key customer needs are satisfied by the business.

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

BRANDING

Target audienceSmart watch from Brand X

Brand value proposition A clear, and concise articulation of how key

customer needs are satisfied by the brand and its products or services.

Convenience? Performance? Confidence? Usability?Connectivity?Design?

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

Smart watch Brand X

BRANDING

Brand associationsThese keywords are an invaluable tool in the design process.

The drivers are derived from the brand DNA thus aligned with the brand strategy.

Brand associations are keywords driving the visual and verbal communication across digital and physical touchpoints.

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

BRANDING

Your brand

Driver 1 eg. Playful

Driver 3 eg. Friendly

Driver 4 eg. Convenience

Driver 2 eg. Technology

driven

Driver 5 eg. User driven

The drivers represent the key consumer associations

connected to a brand. They can be both emotional and traits

driven – even product driven. The drivers can be current

market associations or desired associations by the brand.

There can be more or less than 5 drivers if necessary.

Brand associations example

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

BRANDING

Brand identity

Brand identity builds upon the strategy, DNA and value proposition and consists of two interconnected components.

1. The verbal/visual experience2. The product /service experience

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

BRANDING

The verbal/visual experience The product/service experience

Principles for textual and verbal

communication of the brand.

Naming, logo, logotype, font, colours,

image style, patterns, and iconography.

Guiding principles or concepts for

service- and user experiences physically

or digitally, e.g. service blueprints.

Guiding principles and applications of

spatial design, incl. retail spaces and

point-of-sale communication.

Services

Product

Spatial

Tone of voice

Brand fundamentals

ApplicationsApplications of stationery, motion

graphics and general stakeholder

communication, external or internal.

Applications/design of the product

experience ranging from product

appearance to product packaging.

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

Key examples

BRANDING

Brand DNA, strategy, value prop and identity correlation. How we meet the audience.

Brand X DNABrand X

Brand strategyBrand X

Value proposition

Indirectly exposed to market

Directly exposed to market

Customer

BRAND TERMINOLOGY

Smart watch Brand X Visual / verbal

experience

Product / service experience

Brand architecture

BRANDING

Brand architecture

Brand architecture refers to the overall structure and relationship of a main brand and its sub-brands and/or subsidiaries.

The following four examples represent the four basic types of brand architecture.

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING

Everything is kept in a tight coherent brand

identity.

A monolithic brand architecture

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

Monolithic brand

BRANDING

Utilising the existing brand equity to gain rapid speed

into relevant markets.

Any new addition to the brand-/product portfolio will

gain a level of acceptance due to existing brands.

Streamlines decision-making for company-structure

and growth.

No need to build brands from scratch at each launch.

Lower marketing costs/efforts.

Very limited agility – being opportunity-driven is

difficult. Brand portfolio management has to be

committed and coherent. Brands must be aligned.

Brands impact each other - also in the case of a failed

product or a missed opportunity.

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Monolithic brand architecture pros and cons

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING

Sub-brands are allowed to have their own

identity traits (governance needed) but are

always endorsed by the main brand.

Endorsed brand architecture

Endorsed brand

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING

Tapping into the existing brand equity to gain stronger

impact in relevant markets.

Any new addition to the brand-/product portfolio will

gain a level of acceptance due to main brand equity.

Streamlines decision-making for company-structure

and growth.

Great brand agility and time to market.

High development costs and added complexity due

to new brands – yet lower than with a stand alone

brand architecture.

High maintenance costs (commercially and

organisational) – yet lower than with a stand alone

brand architecture.

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Endorsed brand architecture pros and cons

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING

Stand alone brand

Sub-brands roam totally free with their own

identity, not paying any tribute to the main

brand or its sister brands.

Stand alone brand architecture

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING

Short time to market

Each brand is free to compete on its own terms,

unfettered by the meaning of the main brand.

May shield the corporate name in the event of

problems. No brand pollution.

Possibility to test new opportunities and ideas without

losing any main brand equity.

High development costs and added complexity due

to new brands.

High maintenance costs (commercially and

organisational)

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Stand alone brand architecture pros and cons

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

BRANDING BRAND ARCHITECTURE

Sub-brands can be stand alone, endorsed

or monolithic leveraging the equity of the

main brand respectively.

Hybrid brand architecture

Hybrid brand

BRANDING

The possibility to utilise the strength of a monolithic

brand architecture. Existing brand equity can be used

to strengthen sub brands.

The possibility to also launch stand alone brands,

thus obtaining the agile brand development and

product launch they bring. This can be done without

reference to the main brand.

No brand pollution in case of failed products

launches, depending on the linkage to the mother

brand.

High development costs and added complexity due

to new brands, combined with the management of

monolithic brands.

Complex brand portfolio management.

High maintenance costs (commercially and

organisational).

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Hybrid brand architecture pros and cons

BRAND ARCHITECTURE

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