Brand AlignmentOne of the most important tactical principles in branding is the concept of ALIGNMENT. Alignment is the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your marketing and branding efforts. According to Frank Lane, author of Killer Brands, “The purpose of alignment is to create coordination, which in turn multiplies the power of your focus, both adding strength to your focus and adding efficiency to everything you do.” This means that everything you do—your marketing and communications, the way your organization looks and feels, the way people answer the phone—has line-of-sight back to your brand promise. Your brand promise is the expectation your customers and prospects have of your business. You want to make sure that everything your business does contributes to delivering your brand focus and makes your differentiating factor—your one-thing promise—obvious that focus obvious to your prospects and customers. So let’s do a little show ‘n tell with what I believe is a good example of alignment at work. The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating and increase public awareness and appreciation of the need for protecting, conserving, and restoring the nation’s aquatic resources.
You’ll see that their communications build upon one another, supporting their mission, their brand personality, and ultimately, their brand strategy. Each customer touch point—from advertising to web sites to newsletters to their collateral materials—align to the RBFF brand. All of their materials speak with one-voice consistency. If your brand is NOT in alignment, your touch points will not create a clear and consistent image of who you are, what you stand for, and the value you deliver. As a result, your supporters and prospects will have a tough time getting to know and trust you. If your brand IS in alignment, your supporters and prospects will experience your brand in a way that is consistent with the image you want your organization to project. They will connect the dots from your brand strategy to all your touch points, and then they will connect—and engage—with your organization.
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