Posted on May 13, 2013

Why Agencies and ‘Creatives’ Play Inside the Brand Sandbox

The value of precision means sharply exact or accurate; consistent; perfect conformity to fact or truth.

Marketing Questions:

Have you developed clear brand guidelines for your creative teams and marketing agencies?
Who is charged with being the brand steward or “logo police” in your organization?
What have you done to educate all employees, including management, on the importance of brand consistency?
Who are the worst offenders at brand consistency, inside and outside your organization?

A Passion for Precision

Most consumers know that to build a successful brand requires repetition and consistency. In addition to the product and/or service, this applies to all forms of communication. However, in this area, few are aware of the importance of precision.

External marketing agencies and internal creative teams are the few people who live this value every day.

Ask any brand manager or marketer who has developed a set of “Brand Guidelines” or a “Graphic Standards Manual” and they will tell you about the importance of precision. These are documents designed just for the creative teams and marketing agencies, as well as printers and partners who produce marketing materials. Some of these documents are 20, 50, or even 100+ pages thick, outlining in tremendous detail the do’s and don’ts in creating acceptable communications. These are more than simple guidelines. They are rules that cover any and all types of communications. Break the rules and suffer the consequences.

For example, as an approved agency for Nike, Coca-Cola, or Ford, you can expect to have your hand slapped, or worse be fired, for trying the following:

As an agency promoting Nike, altering the Nike swoosh into a happy face, or applying it to something non-sports related (e.g. a toilet).
As an agency promoting Coca-Cola, choosing to use a color other than red or promoting the benefit of being hip instead of happiness.
As an agency promoting Ford trucks, ignoring the “Built Ford Tough” image and instead focusing on the comfort features for passengers (e.g. drink holders in the back seat).

In other words, the “creatives” (designers and copywriters) are expected to follow the rules:

Do NOT tamper with the brand logo – color, shape, size, font, or placement.
Do NOT tamper with the core brand message – tagline, motto, or brand promise.
Do NOT tamper with the brand look & feel – the brand template, layout, colors, fonts, or style of images.

So where is the creative liberty or license to be creative? Aren’t the “creatives” expected to come up with cool ideas and “think outside the box”?

The truth is, the need for brand consistency always trumps creativity.

Smart agencies study the rules and learn how to be creative inside the brand sandbox. Successful agencies apply their creative talents while embracing the value of precision.