Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This past episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, had the awesome opportunity to sit down with Tim Newton, the Senior Creative Officer at Ramsey Solutions! If you’d prefer to listen to the episode where Ryan & Tim talk about Managing Multiple Brands, you can do so at this link. Enjoy!!
There is so much information to retain when it comes to managing or owning a brand. Not only do you have to keep track of hex codes for your company colors and passwords for your websites, but you also have to keep track of your employees and what they’re working on. Now, imagine managing multiple brands! It seems like a massive undertaking, and in some ways, it is. However, there are many ways to make managing multiple brands feel like a…well, a more manageable task!
When you have multiple brands with the same target demographic, you must transfer trust from one brand to the next.
Tim Newton, who manages multiple brands as the Senior Creative Officer at Ramsey Solutions, uses his personal experience as a great analogy for transferring trust. When he first arrived at Ramsey Solutions, he noticed that many of the brands (Financial Peace University, Foundations in Personal Finance, etc.) used several different main colors as part of their branding. He and his team got together and decided it would be much less confusing to make all of the brands have similar color schemes. However, appearance wasn’t the only reason behind doing this.
With as many success stories as Financial Peace University and other programs have, it made sense that many people would start to trust that brand. Thus, when they see the same (or very similar) colors as FPU, they’ll have a more instant positive association with the name; then, they’re more likely to become a customer! You can do this, too. If you’re managing multiple brands, particularly if they’re somewhat similar, make their colors coordinate. Consistency is key, and this can apply across several different brands!
In a lot of ways, managing multiple brands is a prime example of, “work smarter, not harder.”
Going along with the consistency of having similar or the same colors across all of your brands, doing this can honestly save you a lot of time. You’ll be able to design things that can be used across most, if not all, of your brands more quickly when the appearances are similar! Additionally, by building a reputable name for yourself and maintaining trust with your audience, they’ll be more likely to follow you to your other brands.
On top of that, delegate your tasks! As easy as it is to fall into the trap of doing everything yourself, you have to be okay with relinquishing control every now and then. You probably have an amazing team of people already working with you and supporting you! Don’t take everything on for yourself; you can save yourself a lot of stress and a lot of time by delegating your responsibilities.
Perhaps the biggest thing to keep in mind is simple: be human.
Nowadays, people are far less likely to trust a company as a whole than they are an individual human. Let’s be real: it’s easier to bond with a person than a whole company! This sounds so basic, and it totally is. Don’t be afraid to make human mistakes, and certainly don’t be afraid to form human relationships! One of the best things you can do is create a relationship with your current or prospective clients. Show the human side of your company, like what you do in the office to unwind a little or how your team spends outside time bonding. People connect with those real stories, and it’s so easy to give that to them!
All in all, when you’re managing multiple brands, it’s important to be organized and go in with a plan. It can feel daunting at times – and it probably will – but you’re going to be just fine! If your current marketing strategy just isn’t cutting it anymore, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of experts here at Blackwood Creative would be more than happy to work with you and help you meet and exceed your business goals. We’re in the business of building remarkable brands – yours could be next. Reach out to us today!
Interested in listening to this episode and more of The Big Brand Theory Podcast? Visit this web page for streaming options!