What is brand management?

Hand making notes on a number of brand documents laid out in front of them
Hand making notes on a number of brand documents laid out in front of them

What is brand management and how can you do it effectively?

If you have a brand, brand management is crucial part of its success.

Think about walking through a department store. You are surrounded by different brands, products and sales. Inevitably, your senses are overwhelmed. The first place you go is to the brands you already know and trust.

You might not know it, but you end up at the Apple counter instead of another because your brain instantly recognized and trusted their design. Or you reach for the Coca-Cola at the till instead of the sugary new brand next to it because you know what to expect. As you step out, you choose a quick Starbucks instead of trying the greasy spoon next door. You can guess why.

What do all these brands have in common?

It’s a well-known fact that building a brand is only the first step in the long staircase to success. Brand management is the rest of it. It comprises marketing strategies dedicated to maintain, grow and create awareness around the brand and products it offers.

Good brand management results in close relationships with its audience, increasing its brand equity.

What is brand equity?

Brand equity is the broad value of a brand. Not just in financial and liquidity terms, but in its perception. It includes:

  • Brand awareness
  • Recognition
  • Brand loyalty
  • Customer experience
  • Customer perception

It may seem subjective. But effectively, brand equity is the value a company has from its name. If a brand becomes the first choice among consumers (even when it’s next to generic, lower priced brands), it enables the company to increase price points and therefore, increase their revenue.

Brand equity is as tangible as financial returns. Management allows you to build and protect your brand equity.

Brand management strategies

Women's hands typing on a laptop

Before the internet, brand management used to be easier to control. The outputs of a brand could be ordered, monitored and approved centrally.

However, the increased demand for content in a digital world has left marketing teams struggling to meet demand. If you have other teams constantly requesting designs for content and collateral, which you can’t meet, you risk them creating their own. The risk is that these won’t be on-brand, which could damage your brand equity.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to ensure brand management is done effectively, allowing you to best possible protection from the negative consequences.

1. Go over the basics

Make sure you have the basic branding principles nailed:

  • Visual identity (logo, colours, visual elements) 
  • Tone of voice
  • Mission and vision
  • Target audience

2. Create brand guidelines

Once the basic elements are set, they will enable you to create online brand guidelines that are easily accessible for the main people in your teams. Need help with your brand guidelines? Contact us.

3. Understand your story and value

Personal connection comes from the way you communicate your story and your value. Understanding what makes your target audience tick is essential to building lasting connections with your customers.

4. Use a brand management system

The previous steps will help you understand the delivery of your brand, but the problem with demand remains. A brand management system, such as RightMarket, solves it for you. Your Online Brand Centre within our product will allow you to have an online, centralised space for all your teams to access brand management activities, content, and messaging. Communicating your branding, guidelines and values is the responsibility of everyone in your organisation. And while Marketing teams are the glue that holds it together, their time is better spent thinking about the broader aspects of brand management and growth.  

RightMarket takes care of the nagging, moving parts of brand management: making sure everyone within your organisation is staying on brand, all the time. 

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Resource Space DAM Integration x RightMarket

Resource Space DAM Integration With RightMarket
Resource Space DAM Integration With RightMarket

ResourceSpace now integrates with RightMarket

ResourceSpace, the digital asset management tool, now integrates with RightMarket. It means you can seamlessly search for approved images directly from RightMarket – yay!

With the integration, you may choose up-to-date brand assets such as logos or permission-approved images directly from your DAM, without leaving RightMarket. It’s an alternative to having to move constantly between platforms, which often makes the process longer and leaves users frustrated.

Don’t just listen to us though, as we’ve put together the short demo below to show it in action.

What are the benefits of ResourceSpace x RightMarket integration?

  1. Stay on brand –  Give users access to the imagery you want them to use, stored in your ResourceSpace DAM.
  2. Keep compliant –  Ensure only approved and up-to-date versions of content are used in marketing. So no more compliance headaches!
  3. Do more marketing, faster – With your digital assets in the hands of those who need them, you have the confidence they’ll be used correctly. It also means everyone can become a brand designer, easing the strain on your marketing team.

How it works

Once your ResourceSpace account is linked, you’ll be able to browse approved imagery to use. Firstly, select the template you want in RightMarket and add in your text. Then, choose an image from ResourceSpace. 

When you’ve picked an appropriate image, it will then be dropped into your template to fit the existing design. Then, you’re good to go!

Importantly, users only have access to the images you want them to use. So, there’s no risk of inappropriate or off-brand imagery ruining a design and damaging your reputation.

Artwork creators can also quickly find imagery without having to leave the artwork template in RightMarket, making their lives easier too.

What is ResourceSpace?

ResourceSpace is the leading, open source Digital Asset Management system. By using it, you can store, manage, search and control access to all of your digital assets like photography, video and files. Learn more about ResourceSpace, over on their website.

What is RightMarket?

RightMarket enable anyone in the organisation to create on-brand, compliant, agency quality designs from a web browser. We remove routine artwork creation requests, so professional marketers have their time back. As a result, your marketing team can concentrate on rewarding work that builds brand value rather than ad hoc design requests. 

Learn more about RightMarket and how it can help you.

Book a demo today

To uncover how RightMarket can help you achieve brand consistency and trust, so you can focus on maximising performance.

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Compliance with charity laws

Person looking over documents
Person looking over documents

Compliance with charity laws: everything you need to know

After months of research, we have created your ultimate guide to compliance within the Charity sector.  

compliance letter

As a charity, you should spend your time on tasks that move your mission forward. Having to delve into government documents around legislative compliance can therefore be both confusing and frustrating.

Complying with legislation means your organisation follows the government’s rules and standards. It is a vital part of running a charity without setbacks. But to get there, you must aware of the legislation and able to demonstrate that you are taking responsibility for them.

At RightMarket, our job is to make things simple and uncomplicated. So, when a client asked us how a specific set of rules affected their materials (with a letter just like the above), we took on the task of finding out. 

Now, we’ve done the research. Moreover, we got advice from the experts, including the Fundraising Regulator, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Like us, you’re probably not a fan of legal jargon, so we have compiled our knowledge into a list of FAQs (in digestible language). You can then check it against your fundraising materials or use to explain compliance to your team.

A quick FAQ

When do these rules apply to our charity?

It applies if your charity is registered in England and Wales, and had a gross income of £10,000 in its last financial year.

What do I need to state on my materials?

You must state the fact that it is a registered charity in legible character on all materials.

What does “all materials” constitute?

All materials includes: 

  • Notices, advertisements and other documents issued by or on behalf of the charity soliciting for money or other property for the benefit of the charity
  • Bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques and orders for money or goods
  • Bills rendered by the charity and in all its invoices, receipts and letters of credits

Does the statement need to be in English?

The statement must be in English. However, if the document is wholly in Welsh, the statement may be in Welsh if it includes “elusen cofrestredig” (the Welsh equivalent of “registered charity”).

What happens if I don’t comply?

If you issue, sign or authorise any document that does not comply, you will be liable for a conviction fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale. This means a fine of up to £1,000.

Is being prosecuted for an offence common when not complying?

In practice, it is unlikely you will be prosecuted (however, not impossible). It is more likely that the Charity Commission would take regulatory action against a charity that failed to meet the legal requirements.

When does “in aid of” and “on behalf of” need to be used?

“In aid of” means supporters raise funds on their own for a charity independently of the charitable institution. Supporter fundraisers must use the expression ‘in aid of’ on fundraising material to distinguish it from fundraising carried out by the charity itself. If the ‘In Aid of’ Logo isn’t used, the Charity could be held liable for the event.

Alternatively, “on behalf of” volunteers are providing a service for the charity to raise funds on its behalf. They therefore must use the expression ‘on behalf of’ on the fundraising material they create.

As a charity, you should ensure your fundraisers understand they are responsible for any liability relating to their fundraising and its organisation.

When can I use the Fundraising Regulator badge?

The Fundraising Regulator badge can only be used on fundraising material by charities that have registered with the Fundraising Regulator. The Fundraising Regulator takes unauthorised use of the Fundraising Badge very seriously. So make sure you have permission to use it.

What happens if I use the Fundraising Regulator badge incorrectly?

If the Fundraising Regulator badge is used and the Charity isn’t a registered member, the Fundraising Regulator will seek its immediate removal and potentially take legal action. They will also report these organisations to other authorities and regulators who have a legitimate interest in ensuring best practice in fundraising.

We’re here to make it easier​

As we’ve already mentioned, our job is to make your job easier and uncomplicated. Any design made in the RightMarket platform is compliant. We have collated all our knowledge around legislation and made sure that it is reflected on our platform.

That way, you won’t have to worry about anyone producing materials for your organisation that break the rules. Our platform protects and safeguards compliance for you. With our design platform, you can rest easy knowing your team is both aware of the legislation and at no risk of breaking it.

Do you want to understand more or have any other questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re here to help!

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Why we became a virtual office company

Woman working from home with her dog sat next to her laptop
Woman working from home with her dog sat next to her laptop

Why we decided to become a virtual office company

COVID-19 made all companies and individuals rethink their stance on remote work. Find out why we became a virtual office company.

When the pandemic began, a lot changed. However, we realised there was a lot to gain from this challenging situation – from environmental impact and diversity.

While remote working had already been gaining traction in the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic made all companies and individuals rethink their stance. As working from home became necessary without warning or guidance, it felt like an even more daunting prospect for many. 

However, the pandemic has forced us to review our processes and standards – including the benefit of being a virtual office. As we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, here’s some of the things that we learnt and where we’re headed now.

Positive environmental impact

Given the current climate crisis, the environment is one of the most important benefits to the virtual office. 

Commuting to work is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse emissions. According to Global Workforce Analytics, working from home for even half the week can reduce emissions by 54 million tons every year. The easiest way for us to reduce our greenhouse emissions as a company is simply to cut down the team’s commute time. 

A virtual office also means less waste. Offices in the UK produce an average of 500kg of waste per employee each year, with the commercial sector accounting for 12% of all UK waste. When working virtually, our team members generate less personal waste (with more food being made at home) and paper waste, as most materials are shared online. 

Lightened stress levels

Empowering our team by giving them trust and guidance is one of the pillars at RightMarket. It has also become key when working virtually. Remote work has meant everyone in the team is in control of their time and their work always gets done.

Removing the commute, saving money on food and beverage and having more efficient meetings generally leads to more productivity and a less stressful home life. A Flexjobs survey found that 73% of people had better work-life balance while working from home. 51% reported being more productive.

This does not mean we have stopped checking on our team’s mental health. Data suggests that 69% of employees experience burnout symptoms while working from home. 

If you’re considering taking the leap to a virtual office permanently, make sure to check in with your team and ensure they are finding the right balance. This will allow you to protect their mental health and retain a happier workforce.

A graph graphic shown amongst an aerial shot of a forest

Diversity

Hiring remotely has allowed us to work with different geographic and cultural backgrounds, broadening our perspective and inclusivity. This was challenging to achieve when we were looking for team members in a specific area.

For example, we hired a designer who specialises in inclusive design for our rebrand. She offered a perspective we needed and hadn’t found. The fact that she works in France would have been a deterrent before we went virtual, but was easy sailing after.

Moving remotely helped us realise that many companies fall into location bias, where they believe a cultural fit is due to where people are located. This excludes a vast amount of talented people whose values potentially fit the organisation but can’t relocate. 

In the future, the diversity advantage of the virtual office will also translate into giving opportunities to those who might have a hard time commuting or relocating, such as people with disabilities.

It means more people have access to the job market, while we benefit from a wider pool of skills that fit our goals.

Find out more

As a virtual office company, we’ve become stronger. Our workforce is more diverse, giving us the skills we need to serve our customers better. We’ve also reduced our environmental impact, helping us to contribute to the global climate change fight.

The changes have also allowed us to focus on what matters: delivering value to our customers and helping them to achieve their goals. If you’re looking for brand management support, find out why we’re the partner to turn to.

Find out why we're the partner for you

Why Us?

How to choose your brand colours

Coloured pencils lined up together
Coloured pencils lined up together

How to choose your brand colours

Think of the most iconic brands you know. You probably think about their colour palette. That’s because it’s the most memorable aspect of a brand. We created an outline that is easy to follow when choosing your colours. 

Colours have a strong and instant effect on how we see the world. From warning signs to calming spaces, our brains are wired to react to colour. Which is why choosing them for your brand can be stressful, particularly when you feel unsure about the process behind it.

Because of that, we have created an outline that is easy to follow, as well as noting things to consider when choosing the best colours for your brand.

Why brand colours are important

Research behind colour in branding is extensive. Colour consultants Colorcom collated a lot of research papers and came up with a few key findings:

The first couple of points tell us why it’s important to choose colours that mean something to your target audience, be it donors or beneficiaries. The third point shows how crucial it is to use consistent colours across all brand collaterals and marketing materials.

  1. 92.6% of people put the most importance on visual factors when purchasing products or giving money.
  2. People make a subconscious judgement about a brand, person or environment within 90 seconds of initial viewing and between 62% and 90% of that opinion is based on colour alone.
  3. Colour increases brand recognition by up to 80%.

The first couple of points tell us why it’s important to choose colours that mean something to your target audience, be it donors or beneficiaries. The third point shows how crucial it is to use consistent colours across all brand collaterals and marketing materials.

Main things to consider

Accessibility

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 2.2 billion people live with a near or distance vision impairment. And, according to Colour Blind Awareness, around 300 million people have colour blindness. Accessible colour palettes enable people with visual impairments to experience branding in the way you intend it to be experienced equally.

The number one thing to do to make sure your palette is accessible is to add enough contrast between foreground and background. Once you choose your main palette, you can check its contrast accessibility by using tools such as ContrastChecker and AccessibleColors.

This is something we were particularly careful about when doing our own rebrand back in January 2021.

Appropriateness and colour psychology

Research has found that the way people perceive a brand’s colour is not necessarily linked to whether they personally like the colour or not. It’s mostly about how appropriate the colour is for the brand’s industry and values. For example, a charity that works with children might want to stick to bright and lively colours instead of dark and muted ones. Unless those children have visual impairments, in which case ensuring the appropriate contrast ratio is even more important.

Alongside this, colour psychology studies can also give great guidance on what you want to convey. Although experts haven’t found the exact meaning behind colour because of cultural differences, there are general colour shades that convey certain feelings.

Colours
Generally accepted emotions behind colour. These normally change in non-western cultures.

Personality and essence

How do you want your brand to come across? Is your brand reliable and corporate? You can choose darker, serious colours. Is it daring and cheerful? Maybe a brighter palette is for you.

As with messaging, colours require you to think about your brand’s personality and mission.

Creating your palette and testing

There are many great tools out there to create colour palettes once you know the direction you want to go in. We like Accessible Brand Colours, Colormind, Coolors, Adobe Color. Choose a main colour (what you will use most) and then find what works as a secondary palette (accent colours and neutrals).

Once you have your palette, you can get to testing. Create a couple of branding materials, perhaps a printed poster and a social media post, that will let you see how the palette works in different contexts. Ask people you work with what they think and, if it’s available to you, user testing is a fantastic idea as well.

Conclusion

While choosing an appropriate colour palette is one of the most important parts of branding, it doesn’t need to be stressful. First, look into the meanings behind colours. Then choose a few colours after considering what your brand does, who it benefits and its personality. Finally, create your colour palette using a facilitating tool and test it with those around you. It’s okay to take your time during this step in your branding, it’s an important step.

If you have any questions or need guidance, we’re here to help. Contact Us

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How to ensure voice consistency for charity shops

Clothes on a rail outside a charity shop
Clothes on a rail outside a charity shop

How to ensure voice consistency for charity shops

Tone of Voice is just as important as visuals when building a brand among charity shops – it’s what will ensure customer loyalty and relationships. So how do you ensure that everyone is on the same page?

Ask anyone how they distinguish charity shops, there’s a big chance they’ll mention brand colours. They have a huge role to play in attracting shoppers, of course. And being instantly recognisable is a large part of building a successful brand.

But to grow customer loyalty, you need more than an exciting palette. Your brand’s personality should help you create a unique customer experience. Something that makes your brand stand out from all other charity shops.

One of the ways to do so is to set a unique tone of voice that your customers can relate with.

Why tone of voice consistency matters

Clothes on a rail in a charity shop

Like all elements of your brand, your tone of voice should be consistent on all materials. Having this brand consistency can increase your revenue by as much as 23%.

But for the charity sector, it may be harder than it is elsewhere, in part because of the high turnover rate. But also because the sector doesn’t just rely on full-time employees. Your volunteers are in contact with a huge number of people too. And yet, they rarely have the opportunity to attend your marketing meetings.

So how do you achieve that when so many people are involved with design production

Tone of voice is more than just what you say, it’s how you say it. A clear and consistent tone of voice is an invaluable asset to your brand because it builds trust with your customers increasing their long-term value.

Sarah Joynt-Bowe

Strategy Director

Things you can do

You need to encourage people to use what your marketing team has worked on. It’s all about educating and trusting people in your team:

  • Train your shop managers on brand guidelines, including tone of voice.
  • Educate fundraisers and volunteers about the importance of brand consistency.
  • List words to avoid when communicating about your brand.
  • Write up repeatable messages people can choose from when creating designs.

We’ve chosen to centralise the production of some of our branded designs to simplify our process. Having hundreds of shops producing their own content isn’t sustainable. It can’t guarantee consistency and that’s too important for us.

Helena Forrest

Marketing Manager

sue ryder

How we help to ensure consistency

Many of our users don’t have marketing expertise, so we worked on a built-in solution for our design platform. This is what inspired us to include a Tone of Voice Assistant*. It’s an easy way to prevent errors that also offers on-brand alternatives people can learn from.

We’re also working on a new feature that’ll make sign-off processes outdated. Choosing from a selection of pre-approved messages, users will be able to create designs in line with your brand voice. That’ll prevent users waiting for sign-off from using tools that can’t guarantee on-brand materials.

* Contact us to find out more.

Book a demo today

To uncover how RightMarket can help you achieve brand consistency and trust, so you can focus on maximising performance.

Book a Demo