Brand management software: Why your business needs it

A single tool can centralize efforts, simplify complex processes, and ensure the effective utilization of data

Regardless of new digital opportunities, companies still struggle with their brand development. A recent survey suggests that some of the most common brand management hurdles include putting data to efficient use, possessing a compelling vision, achieving integrated marketing communication and training employees to deliver a consistent message every single time.

These challenges are commonplace and dozens of companies are attempting to identify the right solution. Specifically designed to address the above-mentioned challenges, brand management software can be just the thing. A single tool can centralize efforts, simplify complex processes and ensure the effective utilization of data.

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How brand management looks today

Brand management has been emerging as a crucial activity over the past few years. Today, consumers make immediate decisions on the basis of readily available information. Brand image has become as important as the quality of a product. In fact, consistent branding has had a more thorough impact on sales than product quality.

Consumers are becoming more aware and more critical of straightforward advertising. As a result, companies have had to craft complex content-based strategies that benefit the audience and help for the establishment of the right reputation. Delivering the same quality message across all channels, however, and monitoring its performance have both become gargantuan tasks. These tasks can make or break a brand.

HubSpot has found that 90% of online searches are started by people who haven’t made up their mind about a brand in advance. This means that content is the sole determining factor about the quality and reputation of the respective brand. According to Forbes, consistency in content delivery across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23% and content-based efforts generate three-times more leads than paid advertising.

All these numbers show the power of the brand and its relationship to revenue generation. Traditional advertising has become nearly extinct and brand management efforts have taken over. Due to their importance, brand management strategies cannot be left to chance. The selection of the right tools can ensure the results that the company is hoping for.

What does brand management software do?

How to choose the right brand management software? There are several features that must be present in it. A good brand management system can:

• Maintain the consistency of the message across all channels
• Solve challenges that marketers face in today’s environment
• Create and execute a content-based campaign, especially when it comes to a company with a complex strategy that features both online and offline channels
• Allow for workflow automation

It’s also worth noting that good brand management software can work in conjunction with other technological solutions that the company relies on (allowing easy integration with asset management software, for example).

Making the most of brand management software, however, necessitates the completion of several preliminary steps.

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing team and having a highly specific vision in mind will both be imperative for utilizing a tool in the best possible way. Thus, you need to start with strategic intent and base software choice/usage on it.

Next, you need some understanding of how staff currently works in terms of asset management and maintaining brand integrity. This step is essential for the adoption of a new system and making sure it is in line with current processes. If necessary, you will have to carry out staff training so you brand management software should have clear guidelines for its use.

To adopt a brand management platform effectively, you’ll also have to focus on several points.

Creating a sense of involvement and ownership on behalf of the staff

Processes that are already working will need to be retained and integrated with the new system. It will be much easier to get everyone on board if you offer a solution to an existing problem and you value the good work that has already been done.

Creating a brand management software usage strategy and distributing it across the organization

The document should explain why the introduction of the software is necessary, how it can solve existing problems and how it can meet the demands of the marketing team. A well-established protocol will reduce confusion in the very beginning and ensure a smooth transition to a more innovative brand management approach.

Verifying workflow capabilities

What are your current marketing processes? What kinds of workflows can you create on the basis of those? Make sure that the system you choose can fully support and even automate the processes that you engage in on a daily basis.

Keeping track of results and measuring outcomes

Brand management is an ongoing process that changes all the time. The best aspect of management platforms is that they track performance through the collection of relevant data. Understand which metrics matter the most for your company and track performance to determine whether a change will be needed in the future.

Branding isn’t stagnant, and new technologies are evolving all the time. The right brand management software will increase your adaptability and help you focus efforts where these will matter the most.

Considering system customization

No two companies have the same branding needs. Thus, tailor-made solutions and customization can come in handy. You need to have a clear idea about the degree of system customization that will be required. For many small businesses, tailoring isn’t necessary because platforms feature a wide array of tools.

If you choose a solution that is flexible enough, you will ensure its long-term usability. When a business has highly specific demands, however, custom-made solutions may be the only choice.

Final thoughts

Information, whether online or offline, is valuable when it is consistent and properly structured. To accomplish these goals, you need to make the transition to brand management software.

Asset organization and utilization is becoming an increasingly complex process. Making digital and offline assets easily available and capable of supporting business processes will save you time, increase efficiency, and potentially enable you to grow your brand exponentially.