managing-brand-assetslisted

# Managing Brand Assets (Phase 5) ## Overview Phase 5 is protecting and sustaining the brand after the identity is designed: rolling out change, launching, turning employees into champions, and governing consistency through guidelines and online brand centers. It requires enlightened leadership and a long-term commitment. The mandate to build the brand must come from the top — but the brand must ignite your employees first. ## When to use - Introducing a new name/identity to an existing organization or to merged entities (harder than branding a new company). - Planning a launch, an internal-then-external rollout, or an employee engagement program. - Standing up an online brand center, DAM, or writing guidelines / a brand book. - Hand off to earlier-phase skills for research, strategy, or designing the identity itself — Phase 5 assumes those are done. ## Changing brand assets Implementation requires vigilant strategic focus, advance planning, and obsession with detail. Typically the director of marketing/PR oversees the change; larger orgs may retain a dedicated implementer. Skills needed: branding, PR, communications, identity design, production, organizational management. **Key pre-launch questions:** Who needs to know? What do they need to know? Why? Does the change affect them? How and when will they find out? **Name-change essentials:** a sound reason is the first and most critical step; the change must have potential to enhance public perception, recognition, recrui