The brand needs a custodian
A minimal brand management model for small and medium enterprises.
A small or medium enterprise does not need a separate branding department. But it needs at least one person empowered to make decisions about brand image and language. Along with a minimal control process that all departments understand and follow. Without a keeper, no matter how expensive the identity system is, the brand will drift off course within six months.
There is a very common scenario: a business invests systematically in its identity system, receiving a polished design file and a guideline document several dozen pages thick. Six months later, each department uses a different version of the logo, the colors on the fan page differ from those in the catalog, and no one knows which version is correct. At this point, the issue is not poor design. The issue is that there is no one to keep it.
The paradox of 85 and 30
According to a survey by Marq (formerly Lucidpress) in collaboration with Demand Metric in 2021, about 85% of organizations surveyed reported having written brand guidelines. However, only about 30% of them implement it consistently in practice. The gap of over 50 percentage points between "having documentation" and "actually following it" is a thought-provoking figure. It shows that creating guidelines has never been the hardest part. The challenging part is operating effectively after the handover.
Also from a 2019 study by Adobe, 81% of content and marketing professionals reported that they still frequently have to deal with brand assets that do not meet standards. Not because they intentionally violate them, but because there is no clear process to know what the correct standards look like and who has the authority to decide.
Why does the brand drift
A brand does not collapse in a day. It gradually erodes, decision by decision, without control. A sales employee adjusts a quote file because it "looks more professional." A partner reprints a flyer from an old file still saved on their computer. A social media writer uses a tone completely different from that on the website. No one does this with bad intentions. They just lack a clear point of reference or do not know who to ask when in doubt.
Wally Olins, one of the pioneers of corporate brand management, once observed that a brand is a collective behavior. Products, environments, communications, and the behavior of people within the organization all contribute to it. Those four elements do not operate correctly without someone coordinating.
A brand is not a logo. A brand is the gut feeling customers have about you.
Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap
If the brand is the perception created from every touchpoint, then brand management is ensuring that those touchpoints do not contradict each other.
Minimal model: three layers of retention
For a small or medium-sized enterprise, there is no need to establish a separate department. However, it is essential to clearly define three things before concluding any branding project.
First is the keeper. It is essential to designate a specific person, not just "anyone can do it." This person does not necessarily have to be a design expert, but must have the authority to say no when requests go off track and have a habit of periodic checks. In many small and medium enterprises, this person is often the CEO or the marketing manager, who takes on this role with clear authority.
Second is a living reference point. Guidelines should not be stored away but accessed regularly, updated as the organization changes, and made known to everyone. A PDF file sent via email that no one opens again is a dead document. A document on a collaborative platform with editing permissions and mentioned during new employee training is a living document.
Third is the review cycle. It does not need to be complicated. A brief review every six months, asking: Is the brand displayed consistently at key touchpoints? Has anything changed in operational reality that has not been updated in the documentation? What is causing the most common inconsistencies?
Who is suitable to be the brand custodian
In the operational reality of small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam, this role often falls to one of three groups of people depending on the organizational structure.
- The founder or CEO: suitable in the early stages of a business, under 30 people, when the brand is closely tied to the personal vision of the leader. The risk is that when this person is busy, all brand decisions are delayed or replaced inconsistently by others.
- Marketing or communications team leader: suitable when the company has an internal marketing team. This person understands the channels and touchpoints on a daily basis. However, they need to be clearly empowered to refuse requests from other departments without having to seek approval each time.
- Project or operations manager: less common, but effective in businesses with many physical touchpoints such as retail chains or service chains. This person is familiar with checklists and process control, needing only to be equipped with sufficient knowledge about brand standards.
When there is no one to maintain: the real cost
According to a 2018 study by McKinsey on over 300 companies over five years, businesses that integrate design and operate well experience superior revenue growth and total shareholder return compared to the rest of their industry peers. However, what McKinsey emphasizes is not just better design. It is about cross-departmental coordination and clear responsibilities. Consistency does not happen naturally. It is the result of intentional governance.
For small and medium enterprises, the cost of not having anyone to keep the brand often manifests in less obvious ways. Time wasted recreating documents every time new personnel are hired. Costs incurred from redesigning things that should have already been standardized. And more importantly, the loss of consistency in the perception that customers receive through each touchpoint.
Start from the minimalist point
There is no need to build a complex system from the start. The minimalist starting point is three decisions: who keeps it, where the documents are located, and how often to check. If these three decisions are documented and communicated to all relevant personnel, it is already better than most businesses operating without any structure.
Brand management is not an administrative machine, but an organizational habit. And this habit starts with one person deciding that this is important and being willing to take responsibility for it.
References
Marq (Lucidpress) / Demand Metric, The State of Brand Consistency, 2021. Adobe, The Content Advantage, 2019. McKinsey, The Business Value of Design, 2018. Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap, 2003. Wally Olins, On Brand, 2003.
Frequently asked questions
Do small businesses really need to hire a Brand Manager?
Not necessarily. The important thing is to have someone clearly assigned responsibility, whether that is the marketing head, the CEO, or a part-time staff member. The issue is not the title, but the decision-making authority and the habit of regular checks.
The guidelines are already in place, why does the brand still drift?
Static guidelines will naturally become outdated as the organization evolves, new channels emerge, or personnel changes occur. Without someone proactively updating and reminding others to implement them, the document is merely a record. Brand management is the mechanism that keeps guidelines alive.
How often should the identity system be reviewed?
For small and medium enterprises, a reasonable review cycle is every six months. Or when there is a significant triggering event: launching a new product, opening a new distribution channel, or changing key personnel. A review does not mean redoing everything, but checking whether operational reality still aligns with the original definition.