Brand Inside Meets Brand Outside - Brand Tool Box · A brand demonstrates its relevance and vitality by successfully extending its equity to deliver more value in the targeted marketplace.Every

A R T I C L E R E P R I N T

DesignManagementReview

Brand Inside Meets BrandOutside

Karl D. Speak, Global Brand Expert, Brand Tool Box, Ltd.

Gilman Hanson, Founder and President, Hanson

Associates, Inc.

Reprint #08192SPE21This article was first published in Design Management Review Vol. 19 No. 2

Building Brands at the Intersection of Design and Business Strategy

D M ID E S I G N M A N A G E M E N T I N S T I T U T E

Copyright © Spring 2008 by the Design Management InstituteSM. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproducedin any form without written permission. To place an order or receive photocopy permission, contact DMI via phone at (617)338-6380, Fax (617) 338-6570, or E-mail: [email protected]. The Design Management Institute, DMI, and the design mark areservice marks of the Design Management Institute.

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Design Management Review Spring 2008 21

Building a strong brand has offered thepromise of transforming the way organ-izations encourage customer loyalty,gain sustainable competitive advantage,and generate superior financial results.Clearly, some organizations have reapedthose benefits by championing the disci-pline of corporate brand management.

Many organizations, however, aremissing the boat. Management has beenskeptical, and frankly much of thatskepticism is warranted. Many organiza-tions that have invested in building astrong brand have not been able toidentify a reasonable rate of return fortheir investment. Many design and mar-keting professionals are convinced themeasurement methods used to deter-mine the return on investment do nottruly reflect a brand’s possible contribu-tion. Suffice it to say, it has been a diffi-

cult job to convince executives that theydo not know how to measure the realdrivers of business success.

The issue is not the efficacy of brand;it is that many design and marketingprofessionals have limited their perspec-tive on brand building. Conventionalwisdom has focused brand building onusing design and marketing communi-cations to create a differentiated posi-tion in customers’ minds. Focusingefforts on creating a strong, admiredbrand image in the marketplace is onlypart of the formula for creating the kindof brand equity that affects the bottomline. A focus on only the outside brandlimits the brand’s potential and the ben-efits it can deliver to an organization.

An organization must look inside tobuild and manage a strong brand onthe outside. Organizations with strong,

C A S E S T U D Y

his case study on ArgosyUniversity—and the broader

lessons it conveys—exemplifiesthe principle that brand devel-opment is an external andinternal process. Karl D. Speakand Gilman Hanson discusstheir work to determine Argosy’s brand ethos, as well as the steps they take lever-aging that reality to create a robust brand platform that motivates employees andengages the target market.

Karl D. Speak,Global Brand Expert,Brand Tool Box, Ltd.

Gilman Hanson, Founderand President, HansonAssociates, Inc.

Brand Inside MeetsBrand Outsideby Karl D. Speak and Gilman Hanson

T

22 Design Management Review Spring 2008


admired corporate brands allhave one thing in common—astrong, aligned culture. Theculture of these organizationsis focused and passionateabout how they use theirbeliefs and competencies todeliver distinctive value tocustomers. These organiza-tions have strong brands onthe inside.

Organizations admired fortheir brand strength havelearned the most importantbrand-building axiom—thebrand on the outside is only as strong as the brandon the inside. An outside brand, even if it offersmeasurable economic benefits, will never reachits true potential without a strong brand on theinside. Therefore, a dual approach is requiredfor building strong brands.

This article provides a case study of how aninnovative organization is using the dual brand-building approach.

Argosy University:A brand in need of a higher degreeA brand demonstrates its relevance and vitalityby successfully extending its equity to delivermore value in the targeted marketplace. Everysuccessful brand extension has a multiplier effecton building brand equity. Unsuccessful exten-sion activity—or none at all—limits and ulti-mately diminishes a brand’s ability to improvefinancial results.

Argosy University (part of EducationManagement Corporation, parent company ofThe Art Institutes) is a respected, leading, for-profit educational institution. The Universitywas formed in September 2001 by mergingthree academic institutions, consolidating 18campuses into a single university system. Itscore curriculum focuses on the behavioral sci-ences, and has established itself as the leader inapplied psychology.

As a result of its category-leading position,this corporate brand enjoys the clear possibilityof extending its success in post-graduate educa-tion to other curricula. Further brand exten-sions would enable Argosy to take advantage ofthe robust growth in the for-profit education

sector and reinforce its differ-entiated position, keepingcompetitors off-balance.

Argosy University has amixed record in extending itsbrand. The institution recentlyextended its brand through thesuccessful introduction ofonline post-secondary andgraduate programs. However,the brand has made some mis-steps in brand extensions inthe past. Examples of less-than-successful extensionsinclude the introduction of

new curricula and non-graduate-level programs.The unsuccessful extensions left a lingering neg-ative afterglow on the University’s abilities. Theresult was an erosion of confidence internallyand externally, which created a chink in thearmor of the brand.

Although the brand demonstrated somestrength in the past, it also faced some challengesto its continued growth. Clearly, the culture orbrand inside the institution lacked alignmentand employee engagement. There were manyreasons for this, including the merger of thethree academic institutions. A corollary to themisaligned culture was the lack of a clear articu-lation and understanding of the brand’s values.

It was time for Argosy University to developand execute a dual brand-building program.

Discovering Argosy University’sbrand possibilitiesThe potential of all brands lies within theorganization; the strength of any brand startson the inside. The possibilities for a brand arecreated at the nexus of what is believed possibleon the inside and what is relevant and distinc-tive on the outside.

Discovering the brand possibilities forArgosy University was a daunting challenge.Sensing the origins of the brand’s beliefs andactual values in a recently merged organizationwas challenging, to say the least, and there areno shortcuts to this process. Our team took onthe challenge by conducting personal interviewswith more than 100 faculty and staff membersacross all 18 campuses. The interviews pro-duced rich insights into the brand’s inside pos-

A branddemonstrates its

relevance and vitalityby successfully

extending its equityto deliver more value

in the targetedmarketplace.


Brand Inside Meets Brand Outside

sibilities and began the process of creatingadvocacy for the ensuing brand strategy andinternal brand-building program.

The next step in the process was to conduct arobust brand assessment study. This quantitativestudy assessed the perceptions and attitudes ofmore than 1,500 students and prospective stu-dents. The resulting insights confirmed somelong-held beliefs and in other cases created anew perspective on the potential for building astrong brand. In addition to the research study,we conducted a thorough brand communica-tions audit.

We also conducted a comprehensive vettingof the organization’s business strategies toensure that the forthcoming brand strategy wasgrounded in the realities of the business.Ultimately, the brand strategy must be heldaccountable for delivering positive results to thebusiness end of a for-profit education company.

Synthesizing the portfolio of informationproduced illuminating and provocative insights.These insights were used to create a brand plat-form that set the stage for brand possibilitiesthat had hardly been imagined.

Creating a brand platform thatinspires everyoneA well-developed brand platform provides apractical framework that can be used to guidethe organization to consistently deliver what ismost important to its customers and prospects.The brand platforms with the most stayingpower must be based on a process that includesthe client at every step along the developmentpath. Creating a common language is funda-mental to any such process. Most executives arenot fluent in the discipline of brand, and there-fore an open and approachable set of learningmodels must be used to facilitate full engage-ment in the brand development process. Ourexperience over 20 years has taught us that thereare two important concepts that must be estab-lished to support active executive engagement: asimple model that describes brand, and a set ofbenchmarks that delineate a strong brand from aweak brand. We have used the Brand Tool Box©

Business Brand Model with great success as atool to define brand (Figure 1). This pragmaticmodel presents the brand as a set of three coreperceptions and has proven itself adaptable

across the whole spectrum of industries, govern-ment, and nonprofit organizations. Being per-ceived as distinctive, relevant, and consistent arethe three simple benchmarks that distinguish astrong brand from a weak brand. The brandmodel and strength benchmarks are the twosimple learning models that create the frame-work for an inclusive process that engages execu-tives, ensuring their long-term support of abrand platform.

It is axiomatic from a brand technician’sperspective that a solid brand platform must bedistinctive, relevant, and consistent. The mosteffective brand platforms meet an even higherstandard. A first-rate brand platform inspiresemployees to go above and beyond to deliverwhat is important in the brand relationshipand has aspirational qualities that conjure upthe goals and ambitions of individuals in thetargeted audience.

Developing a brand platform that supportseffective dual brand building—brand inside andbrand outside—requires a different dimensionthan the traditional brand-building model. Theneo-brand platform must describe the brandwith an organizational development sensibilityto support employee engagement (brand inside

Figure 1. The Brand Tool Box© Business Brand Model is a pragmatic way to present a brandas a set of three core perceptions (competencies, standards, and style) and has proven itselfadaptable across the whole spectrum of industries, government, and nonprofit organizations.



building) and exude creative possibilities to cap-ture the fascination of prospective customers(brand outside building).

A neo-brand platform must be multi-dimen-sional to support the dual brand-building regi-men. Most important, the brand platform mustbe anchored with a brand ethos. In this context, abrand ethos describes the one most importantvalue residing inside the organization.Identifying a brand ethos requires keen insight,and it must be grounded in the “truth” of theorganization. A well-founded brand ethosbecomes the basis for defining the cadre ofbrand platform elements, starting with a brandvision and culminating with a brand character.

All the hard work involved in conductinginterviews, hanging out on campuses, andengaging with students finally produced that“aha” moment and helped us to discover thebrand ethos, which we described as supportivelearning environment. This phrase struck a com-mon chord with those who had been at ArgosyUniversity for a long time and captured theimagination of the entire staff and faculty.

The brand platform was subsequently thor-oughly tested with a large number of prospectivestudents, providing the university with a greatdeal of confidence that it resonated well andwould most likely spur inquiries from prospec-tive students.

Designing a new visual identityto guide brand buildingWith so much apparent misalignment within theinstitution’s culture, it was vital to create aninclusive brand aesthetic that was inspirationalwith stakeholders, administration, staff, andalumni (inside), and relevant and informativewith targeted prospects (outside) at the sametime. It’s important for people—administration,faculty, and students alike—to believe in theirinvestment and allow it to be part of their dream.

Hanson Associates began the creative processby developing a new theme: The Human Side ofSuccess. This embodiment of the brand ethos ledto the first incarnation of the revitalized brand, asymbolic shield that unites the fundamentals ofthe institution (Figure 2). The new green andgold shield symbolizes the dual aspects of thebrand promise—a laurel branch to signify aca-demic and professional achievement, and a flameimage for passion and personal development.

Figure 3. Apollo Belvedere allows us to put a human face on Argosy University’s brand story. Literally. This highly recognizable image evokes traditionalideals of truth. Yet it does so in a personal way that strikes an emotional chord. By focusing on the face of the statue and its thoughtful, piercing personain our designs, we’ve created an image that is at once timeless yet immediate, universal yet personal and involving. It is also unlike anything in the com-petitive marketplace—serving as a memorable icon that unites and distinguishes all of Argosy’s marketing.

Figure 2. The new shield symbolizes the dual aspects of the brand promise—a laurel branch to signify academic and professional achievement, and a flameimage for passion and personal development. The type embodies academia in acontemporary style.



The Argosy University type style was selected tobe contemporary and forthright, while alsoechoing academic performance and tradition.The sophisticated color palette portrays a posi-tive upward direction—a direction reflectingArgosy’s newfound growth. The brand alsoneeded to provide emotional relevance to theprimary audience—more than 70 percent ofwhom are working women between the ages of25 and 45 who want to enrich their personallives and advance their professional careers.

The interpersonal style of imagery and colorssupported the brand as it came to life across all18 campuses in a comprehensive brand system.While shadow figures and other modern-dayimages flesh out the interpersonal aspect of theuniversity’s story, the Apollo Belvedere statueembodies its more traditional ideals (Figure 3,see page 24).

The new design style evokes a supportivelearning environment in which academic knowl-edge is enriched and enlarged by the acquisitionof the interpersonal skills so vital to success intoday’s multicultural and communication-dependent environment. Signage and interiorwalls were designed to expand the brand in liv-ing spaces (Figures 4 and 5).

Engaging faculty and staff to builda strong brand inside Argosy UniversityInternal brand building is largely about creatingenthusiastic, engaged employees who admirehow the organization’s values and competenciesmake a distinct difference for its customers.

Effective internal brand building leverages therelationship-building insights gleaned frombrand management. But treating internal brandbuilding like another marketing communica-tions program is a mistake. It is vital to integratethe particular sensibility that organizationaldevelopment brings to the understanding ofhuman processes that can create positive changeamong employees and organizations.

Brand Tool Box, Ltd. has created a powerful,proven process we call the Power of Alignmentthat creates engaged employees by facilitatingthe alignment of their personal brand with theorganization’s brand. Three unique aspects ofthis process deliver sustainable customer-cen-tered employee engagement.

1. The innovative alignment of personalbrand to the organization’s brand creates aclear and powerful platform for employeesto determine how their connection withthe organization enables them to con-

Figures 4 and 5. The brand identity carried into the architectural spaces in Argosy University’s 18 campuses— exemplifying the brand values at ahuman scale.



tribute to making a difference with cus-tomers and fellow employees.

2. The use of the congruent learning modelsof brand, both personal and business, cre-ates a quick and effective understanding ofbrand as the organization’s framework forconnecting with customers.

3. Personal development activities embeddedin the training portion of the process leaveemployees with a positive feeling aboutthemselves and their organization.

Argosy University was ripe for a robust internalbrand-building program. A cadre of certifiedtrainers was dispatched in two waves to conduct50 training sessions. Each campus received twodoses of internal brand-building training. Thefirst iteration was an executive-level workshopfocused on encouraging the campus leadershipteam to become brand leaders. The second waveof training involved all faculty and staff on eachcampus. Each half-day training workshopproved to be effective in gaining support forbuilding a strong brand inside each campus. So-called brand-right behaviors were identified andsimulations were conducted to reinforce behav-iors that would deliver on the outside brand’spromise.

A fundamental benefit of internal brandbuilding at Argosy University was the beginningof a culture that was aligned and energized. Amore-aligned culture is sure to produce more-effective brand building, adding necessary lever-age to the new corporate identity and creativeplatform that was re-positioning Argosy withprospective students. In essence, the new,stronger brand inside would pay off by buildinga stronger brand outside. A stronger brand forthe University would enable it to more-effective-ly extend its brand, providing the platform forrenewed growth and the potential to make aneven greater impact on its students.

The Learn to Listen advertising campaignbuilds the outside brandAs part of a comprehensive integrated strategyto stimulate inquiries in existing and new mar-kets, we were asked to develop a new advertisingcampaign for Argosy University. The new brandawareness campaign was implemented acrossvarious media platforms, including print, news-paper, TV, web, outdoor, and direct mail. The

campaign also served to garner support with keystakeholders as they started to live the brand ona daily basis.

The creative theme, If You Want to Learn,Learn to Listen, asked a success-focused questionthat was answered by a learning action. It wasgiven a strong visual presence with a series of dis-tinct and memorable student interaction images.Support copy stressed Argosy University’s posi-tion that interpersonal skills along with academicexcellence are necessary to affect others and toachieve success (Figures 7 and 8).

Figures 7 and 8. Advertising was created to communicate the HumanSide of Success brand theme with student-interaction imagery and inter-personal-skills-focused headlines.



The campaign is attracting new students, serv-ing as an internal rallying cry for faculty and staff,and building student pride in Argosy University.

A synchronized marketing programincreases applicationsThe success of the new brand and advertisingcampaign led the university to ask us to produceall of Argosy University’s collateral material. Itwas critical to build a positive relationship withprospects and reflect Argosy’s new brand consis-tently throughout all media (Figures 10 and 11).

Hanson Associates developed a conversation-al and compelling message style, supported withinterpersonal (groups of students in active con-versation) visuals, to create a warm and engag-ing set of materials that helped to increaseprospect applications and supported students’experiences with relevant information. Thebrand design style brought a new level of rele-vance to the university’s collateral materials andweb applications.

Measuring the duality of successat Argosy UniversityThe new dual brand-building context requiresan expanded set of measurement parameters. Itis still important to measure the impact of thenew brand strategy on short-term businesstransactional drivers—that is, lead generation,referral rates, and increased applications andadmissions. A strong brand outside has a posi-tive impact on these marketing measurements.

Assessing the strength of the brand insiderequires a different framework. Evaluating thestrength of the brand inside requires measuringemployees’ understanding of the brand, theirperception of their alignment with the corporatebrand, and the level of engagement necessary toconsistently deliver on the brand platform.

Internal brand building is a niche type oforganizational development initiative, and manyof the performance measurements that havebeen developed by organizational developmentprofessionals can be customized and implement-ed to measure the brand inside the organization.The four levels of training effectiveness knownas the Kirkpatrick Learning Evaluation Modelcan be an effective performance measurement toevaluate the initial internal brand-buildingtraining program.

There are a number of employee-attitudesurvey tools that can be used to measure otherelements of the brand inside. The most effectiveof these is a customized employee engagementinstrument. The brand-inside assessment toolbuilds on an employee engagement survey bymeasuring how well employees understand theirrole in delivering on the requirements of thebrand platform (How do I fit in?) and evaluatingemployees’ perceptions of how their daily activi-ties contribute to building a stronger brand forthe organization (How do I matter?). Innovativecompanies take engagement measurements fur-ther and evaluate whether employees feel theirpersonal brand is nourished and strengthened as

Figures 10 and 11. Brochures and course-selection guides convey the brand promise to new prospects, along with pertinent information. The websiteechoes the brand and complements the print materials with a highly interpersonal and friendly design style.

a result of the organization’s culture.We created a solid dual platform for brand

building for Argosy University, and the earlyindications show it is delivering positive results.An important measure of brand leverage forArgosy University is the number of inquiriesfrom prospective students. Incorporating thebrand platform in the marketing communica-tions mix has increased new student inquiries by10 percent.

Argosy University has experienced similarpositive results for the brand inside. The compa-ny has noted positive results in levels 1, 2, and 3of the Kirkpatrick model. In addition, the brandplatform was a key driver in redirecting its corecurriculum and improving its service deliverystandards on campuses.

The formidable success of its recently intro-duced online curriculum will provide substantialenergy to boost the Argosy University brand toreach the next level, and the recent introductionof an undergraduate curriculum offers moreroom for growth through brand extension. Bothbrand extensions will enable Argosy University toclaim even more territory for its brand to grow.

Lessons Learned: Building a Strong Brand

1. Begin at the top. It is unquestionablyimportant to get the full support of seniormanagement to begin the brand-buildingprocess.

2. Brands are built from the bottom up. Focusinitial brand building deep inside theorganization. Engaged employees create themost expansive brand possibilities.

3. Find and work closely with brand champi-ons inside the organization. You will oftenfind the strongest brand champions in themost unlikely places.

4. Speak your mind—that’s what they payoutside consultants to do. Strong brandsneed people with a clear point of view andthe passion to express it.

5. A stunning brand platform is inspiring foreveryone involved with the brand.

6. Working with expert, trusting partnersinside and outside the organization pro-duces exceptional results.

7. Solid research findings produce crediblebrand platforms and disrupt conventionalwisdom.

8. The true brand ethos is the keystone forengaging everyone in the brand-buildingprocess.

9. Great visual design creates emotional fuelfor employees to embrace a brand strategy.

10. Great work + talented people + FUN =great brand building. !

Reprint #08192SPE21



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Brand Inside Meets Brand Outside - Brand Tool Box · A brand demonstrates its relevance and vitality by successfully extending its equity to deliver more value in the targeted marketplace.Every