While it’s a term that many of us use every day, do you really know what branding is all about? Designit has put together a useful guide on the ins- and outs of branding. Aimed at those with a beginners level of knowledge or simply for anyone looking for a tune-up, this guide will give you a simple overview of the key components involved in working with brand strategy.

2. The purpose of this brandbook is to
provide a simple overview of the key
components involved in building
a brand platform.

3. Brand terminology

4. 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

5. BRANDINGBRANDING BRAND TERMINOLOGYBRAND TERMINOLOGY
Personality, values and vision
that motivate and feed into
the business strategy.
Business strategy Brand strategy
Plan and priorities for execution
of business objectives.
Framework and initiatives to
maintain and strengthen
brand DNA.
Business strategy Brand strategyBrand DNA

6. 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

7. 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

8. BRANDING
Target audience
Smart 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. BRANDING
Brand
identity
Brand identity builds upon the strategy,
DNA and value proposition and consists of
two interconnected components.
1. The verbal/visual experience
2. The product /service experience
BRAND TERMINOLOGY

12. 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

13. BRANDING
Brand DNA, strategy, value prop and identity correlation.
How we meet the audience.
Brand X DNA
Brand X
Brand strategy
Brand X
Value proposition
Indirectly exposed to market
Directly exposed to market
Customer
BRAND TERMINOLOGY
Smart watch
Brand X Visual / verbal
experience
Product / service
experience

14. Brand architecture

15. 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

16. BRANDING
Everything is kept in a tight coherent brand
identity.
A monolithic brand architecture
BRAND ARCHITECTURE
Monolithic
brand

17. 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.
+
–
Monolithic brand
architecture
pros and cons
BRAND ARCHITECTURE

18. 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

19. 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.
+
–
Endorsed brand
architecture
pros and cons
BRAND ARCHITECTURE

20. 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

21. 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)
+
–
Stand alone brand
architecture
pros and cons
BRAND ARCHITECTURE

22. 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

23. 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).
+
–
Hybrid brand
architecture
pros and cons
BRAND ARCHITECTURE

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