Brand standardization

Brand standardization

Tools to protect and sustain a healthcare organization’s identity

As your healthcare organization evolves over time, it’s important to sustain your brand position across departments, medical groups and offices. At Smith & Jones, we have developed tools and processes to help organizations protect their identity.

Here are four tools in our box that we create for clients:

  • Brand Imaging™ board: Developed during the Prescription phase of our brand planning process (link), the Brand Imaging™ board is a visual interpretation of the brand strategy. It is used as a litmus test to evaluate all brand messaging going forward and acts as an objective point of reference to help our clients make important strategic decisions.
  • Brand Protocol™ manual: This document is an instruction manual for creating communications that are aligned with the strategic position and identity. The guidelines are designed to assure that minimum quality standards are maintained throughout all brand communications: the look and tone of communications remain consistent, and every communication comes from a single voice, no matter who creates it.
  • Electronic Brand Record™: We maintain an online repository containing all the information and resources marketers and designers need to maintain brand integrity: the Brand Protocol manual, electronic art files, logo graphics, photographs, stationery, ad formats, signage or almost any visual elements that have been created in support of the brand identity.
  • Chief Brand Officer: The person assigned as the keeper of the brand vision, the overseer of all brand communications and identity executions. Depending on the organization, this may be a full-time position, an informal role assumed by someone close to the branding process, or outsourced to an independent contractor (your agency, for instance).

When executed with consistency and integrity, brand standardization will outlast trends and changing market conditions. It is a sound investment that helps patients to recognize your healthcare brand and helps physicians and staff to deliver a consistent patient experience. Through standardization, we can help boost the life expectancy of your new brand that you worked so hard to create.