Brand Edit

These days, branding is everywhere. A search for "branding book" at Amazon.com brings up almost 50 results. Brand culture, story telling, brand laws, brand blunders, branding in a digital age, etc, etc. The Amazon list is only a small portion of the branding resources available to the masses.

Something I have noticed during interactions with new and existing clients is how, for the most part, they understand and value their brands. They know it's a primary sources of differentiation. They know how to shape their brands; what questions to ask about their brands. I think many, many people understanding the brand construction process. Everyone has their onion these days. So, branding is an important function of marketing. We get it.

This opens up an opportunity for editing. Clients that have established brands don't need their brands built from the ground up. They may need a refresh or an edit. There may be errors, items out of place, missing pieces that agencies can help them address.

Something I'm pondering is if agencies are moving to a brand edit model, rather than a construction model. Helping clients patch the holes in their brand. Branding processes often involve questions about passion, values, positioning, perceptions, missions in hopes of shaping the almighty essence. After those items have been established and begin to dwindle it may be time for an edit.

My next question is, how does the edit process differ from the construction process? Instead of aspirational questions, I see questions like:

• What have we learned?
  
• What about the brand is working?
  
• What's not working?
  
• Is the brand reflecting the vision and mission for the company?
  
• Has the vision and mission changed?
• Is there a gap in the market the brand could be filling, but isn't?
  
• Are their trends or causes to support that would strengthen the brand?
  
• Does our branding reflect the brand? (This may seem silly, but I think it's an important question to consider.)
  

With the number of agencies and companies championing the thousands of brands on the market today there's a lot of room for error. It's impossible to get it right every time. It may be time for an edit.

Someone should write a book about it. That is, if there isn't one already.