Management also stands for authority. Without a central body that consistently sets a direction, an entire company loses its orientation. Both customers and the workforce benefit from a global, sharpened and consistently recognizable identity.
Your advantage:
Centralized management of all design elements of a brand facilitates consistency and keeping an overview.
Who designs what and why?
In many cases, especially when a company is organized as a holding structure, design agencies based in the target country are commissioned with design projects of varying size, ranging from the design of a branch to a local campaign, website, etc. Not every agency has the same style. In one country, “loud” visual cues may be very successful, while the same campaign may be perceived as incompetent in another. The advantage of having local designers on local projects is their cultural understanding. This successfully activates the respective market segments of the country. Even some large advertising agencies have their own offices in special strategic hubs that belong to the parent company but operate independently.
Strong brands through brand consistency
One risk is always that designed assets, while itself being perceived as aesthetic, emotional, high quality and relevant, may at the same time not be connected to the original brand. The danger is a standalone asset that can in extreme cases even be viewed as from an entirely different brand. Beauty is not the unique selling point of a brand, but its worldwide uniform appearance. Only through brand consistency can a globally professional external image be achieved.
In practice, this means the same application of the style guide worldwide. Colors, fonts and their sizes, the use of the logo, etc. must follow defined rules.
Design management also means providing support in cases of doubt. In this way, a second look can ensure that the brand remains consistent.
Central brand asset management
Central brand asset management opens up a platform for commissioned local designers to work creatively but consistently with the brand. The following aspects, among others, can be handled efficiently:
- Photography, illustrations, symbols, graphic design building blocks
- Templates in which all the specifications described in the Style Guide are already implemented
- Style Guide for download and reference (including updates)
- Logo in different variants and file formats
- User permissions for upload and download
- Upload of work from local design agencies for review and approval by central design management
