Using multiple agencies at the same time is not the problem; the lack of a single source of truth is the issue. A single original document containing all identity decisions is needed, along with a person on the business side responsible for updating and distributing that document to all parties. Without this mechanism, each agency will interpret things in their own way, and the identity will become chaotic over time.
In this article · 6 sections
Many Vietnamese businesses operate with four to five units simultaneously: one for design, one for advertising, one for communications, and one for building and maintaining the website. This division of labor is entirely reasonable from a professional standpoint. The issue is not the number of units but that none of them see the whole picture, and no one takes responsibility for keeping the pieces together.
When each side interprets it differently
Each agency receives a different version of the identity document at different times. The design team has the original logo file from last year. The advertising team reuses old banners and adjusts the colors accordingly. The communications team writes in a tone they feel is appropriate. The web team applies fonts according to the existing template. No one is wrong in how they understand their work. However, the overall result is that the brand is speaking in four different voices, using three different color palettes, and appearing with inconsistent logo proportions across channels.
This is not a competency issue. This is a structural issue: not identifying who holds the single source of truth (the original document that all parties rely on).
The real issue is not a lack of documents
Most businesses already have guidelines in some form: a PDF file, a Google Drive folder, a Notion page. The problem is that document does not live. No one updates it when adjustments are made. No one redistributes it to the parties when changes occur. No one checks whether each unit is using the correct version.
Adobe notes that static guidelines often start to diverge within six months if there is no one proactively managing them. At the same time, 71% of brand assets (images, banners, content) require at least seven people to review before approval, creating delays that lead parties to handle things themselves instead of waiting for proper approval. Source: Adobe / Workfront.
When no one owns the overall picture, each person optimizes their part. And the sum of many good parts does not necessarily create a good brand.
Integration principles, McKinsey Business Value of Design 2018
Establish origins before assigning tasks
Before assigning tasks to any unit, a clear set of original identity documents is needed so that any new agency can understand immediately without further questions. This document does not need to be lengthy. It needs to be accurate.
A functional original document set typically includes:
- The original logo file in vector format, including a minimum clear space and permissible variations.
- Color palette with exact codes for both print (CMYK) and screen (HEX, RGB).
- Font names and usage guidelines for different levels: headings, body text, captions.
- Brand voice: three to five adjectives describing the writing style, along with examples of correct and incorrect usage.
- Sample applications are sufficient for each party to deduce how to do their part.
This document is not a final product. It is an operational tool. It needs to be placed in a location that all parties are aware of and can access, not just sent via email once.
Who holds the key
A more important question than "where are the guidelines stored" is "who owns them in an operational sense." Three roles need to be clearly defined:
- Approver: the person from the business who has the authority to decide in case of conflicting interpretations between parties.
- Maintainer: the person who updates the original documents when there are adjustments and informs all stakeholders.
- Reviewer: the person who periodically reviews the output of the parties and assesses the level of consistency.
In many medium-sized enterprises, these three roles are handled by one person responsible for branding or marketing. This is completely acceptable, as long as the roles are clearly defined and not left vacant.
If the business does not yet have someone capable of taking on the role, the design agency that created the initial identity system should temporarily maintain the documents during the early implementation phase, with a clear handover roadmap.
The distribution process of documents to the parties
Delivering documents is not just about sending a file once. There are practical steps to ensure the documents are used correctly:
- Short onboarding: when bringing a new agency on board, hold a brief session to explain the documents instead of just sending a link. Understanding the intent behind design decisions helps them interpret correctly when faced with situations not covered in the documents.
- Clear versioning: number the version and date of updates on the document. When adjustments are made, notify all parties and clearly state what has changed.
- Exception handling channel: pre-determine who will respond when an agency needs to do something not covered in the documents. Without this channel, they will make their own decisions.
- Periodic review: each quarter, review the outputs from all parties and assess the level of consistency. No complex audits are needed, just place all assets from the channels side by side and observe.
When to review everything
There are signs that it is time not only to update the documents but also to sit down and reconsider the entire organization of responsibilities among the parties:
- You must explain the brand intent to each new agency coming on board, as no document can do that.
- Agencies that do not know what each other is doing, and the output of one affects the other without anyone being aware.
- Whenever a new asset is needed (banner, template, product image), the results from each party look like they belong to different brands.
- No one has the complete history of decisions: why this color, why that font, why the tone of voice is this way.
These signs are not just an aesthetic issue. They show a brand identity system that is being drained rather than built up. Each time a customer meets a different version of the brand, the impression they form gets blurrier instead of clearer.
Wally Olins describes a brand as a combination of four vectors: product, space, communication, and behavior. When these four vectors are controlled by four different units without a coordinating hand, the result is not a combination of four strengths but four pulls in four directions.
The solution is not to use fewer agencies. The solution is to clearly identify who holds the single source of truth, place that document in the right location, and maintain it as part of the brand's operational process, not as a one-time task left aside.
References
Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap (2003). Wally Olins, On Brand (2003). Marq / Demand Metric, Brand Consistency Report (2021). Adobe / Workfront, internal report on the brand asset approval process. McKinsey & Company, The Business Value of Design (2018).