Brand Building, Step by Step for 2027

Find out what people really think of your brand, define what it stands for and express it consistently, treating the brand as an asset rather than a logo project.

Who it's for

For founders, marketing leads, managers and consultants who want a brand that people recognise, remember and choose. The book assumes you already know who you serve and how you want to differ from rivals. If you are short of time, start with the brand audit in Chapter 1: it tells you which chapter to read next.

What you'll learn

• Audit the brand you have today with Kevin Lane Keller’s customer-based brand equity pyramid, using interviews with customers, lost prospects and staff.
• Write a one-page brand platform – purpose, mission, values, promise and proof points – using Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle as a drafting device.
• Run laddering interviews, after Thomas Reynolds and Jonathan Gutman, to climb from product attributes to the benefits and values customers care about.
• Profile your brand’s personality with Jennifer Aaker’s five dimensions and Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson’s archetypes, then turn it into a tone of voice with “we are / we are not” pairs.
• Test distinctive brand assets for fame and uniqueness, following Jenni Romaniuk’s approach, brief a designer well and protect what you rely on.
• Choose a brand architecture on David Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler’s brand relationship spectrum, and check new names with a naming scorecard.
• Audit key touchpoints, write minimum brand guidelines, track brand health through the brand funnel and decide between a refresh and a rebrand.

What's inside

• 53 pages, 8 chapters
• Every chapter follows the same pattern: key concepts, a step-by-step method, an illustrative example from a fictional UK organisation, a ready-to-use tool, common mistakes, key steps and a “Try it” exercise
• Tools include a brand audit grid, brand platform one-pager, brand ladder worksheet, tone of voice chart, design brief template, naming scorecard, touchpoint consistency audit and brand health tracker
• A 30-60-90 day brand plan with checklists and a yearly brand rhythm, plus a glossary
• PDF in A4 format — read on screen or print
• Instant download after purchase

Contents

1. Auditing the Brand You Have Today
2. Defining Purpose, Values and Promise
3. Climbing the Benefit Ladder
4. Giving the Brand a Personality and Voice
5. Building Distinctive Brand Assets
6. Naming and Brand Architecture
7. Living the Brand Inside the Organisation
8. Keeping the Brand Consistent and Healthy

Part of The Business Library

This title is one of the 55 ebooks in The Business Library, available together for £109 (worth £1,437 if bought separately: the total of the individual prices of the included titles in our store). It is also included in The Ultimate Business Bundle, which adds 8 checklists and toolkits and 10 workbooks — all 73 products for £147.