Welcome to part one of the Brand Standards Series. Today, we’re looking at how your brand vision influences and shapes the standards for your organization.
Standards are vital for conducting your business. When you have clear standards and remain aware and committed to them, your actions and your organization display a strong brand to your audience and the world.
And what’s the simplest and most effective way to set and adhere to brand standards? It’s to let a framework, like the Brandview framework be your guide. The framework is the measuring stick, the litmus test, the foundation for your brand.
To give you a roadmap, I’ve created a series of blog articles on brand standards and your framework. Today, I’m sharing how to tie your vision to your brand and how to set it as one of the pillars of your branding.
If you’re familiar with the Brandview Framework, you know that there are five pillars that make up the foundation of your brand. They are: Vision, Village, Voice, Visual Identity, and Values. Each of these is interlinked. And each is essential to laying a strong foundation for your brand.
Your brand vision steers the way for your brand and business. It’s the foundational roadmap for where you are as a company and where you want to be. The brand vision is summarized in a vision statement. But it’s more than just a statement. It’s one of the most important layers of your business foundation. Your brand vision gives you focus but also gives your customers, clients, and employees an understanding of how you got to where you are and where you are going.
How to ensure your vision is one of the standards for your brand and business
*Decision Making. When we talk about decision making, we’re mostly referring to the relevant decisions that either move a company forward or hold them back. This can be everything from the choice of suppliers you purchase from, to your logo design. Decisions can make or break an organization, so there’s much to consider during the process. One of the main considerations should always be the vision of your business.
Here’s a practical example:
The handmade cosmetics company Lush has a vision that includes its natural, fresh products. So, when deciding to create new products, and source ingredients, they make sure each product is made from natural ingredients, and that each is made fresh.
We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.” Lush.
Their beliefs around fresh ingredients affect their decision-making, and they make this clear in their branding.
*Policies and procedures (especially customer service)
What policies and standard operating procedures do you have in place? How do they match your vision?
For example, if your organization’s vision centers around environmental sustainability, you should have specific standards around eco-friendly waste disposal. When you have procedures that align with your vision allows you to be open and transparent with stakeholders, customers, and clients.
*Company Culture
The culture within your company also needs to sync with your vision. Because culture is not a tangible asset, organizations often struggle in this area. But it’s one of the most effective ways to cultivate a healthy work environment for your team members. It’s also the most ideal way to create a vision-focused atmosphere within your business.
*Customer and client interaction
What’s the Ethos behind your customer engagement? How does your customer engagement strategy match your vision?
If you haven’t taken a look at these two key business functions in a while, now is the time.
Conduct an assessment of customer interactions over a period of time. Assess how these interactions are inline (or not inline) with the vision of your organization. The information you’ll gain from assessing is valuable. It’ll let you know if you need to make adjustments with your customer care team members and protocol.
Using your vision as one of the five guides for your brand standards is a powerful way to stay on track and on-brand. Always remember your standards can help set you apart from the competition. They help you maintain a cohesive, respected brand identity.