Why Large, Complex Organizations Need a Strong Brand Identity

Why Large, Complex Organizations Need a Strong Brand Identity

If you read a lot of the branding and naming advice that’s out there on the Internet, it would be easy to think that the only time an organization should worry about its brand identity is when it is first getting started. What should you name your company? How should you position it against competitors? These are important questions for startups and new brands, but the truth is that large, complex organizations are just as often in need of identity strategy.

To achieve growth and success, an organization has made some right moves in terms of creating a brand promise and attracting audiences to it. But as an organization grows, so does its complexity, which puts pressure on identity in two ways:

• Increasing decentralization means that the organization is less cohesive
• Continuing demand for growth means that the organization needs to respond rapidly

My colleague Ken Pasternak talks about these challenges in this video, and includes some specific advice for healthcare and higher education—two fields where large, complex organizations are grappling with organizational identity as they deal with a rapidly changing marketplace.

Please check it out, or learn more about our identity strategy services.