Brandbite #17 Great brands deserve to be protected. After investing beaucoup bucks, time, and brand sweat, you've built something fabulous, and distinct-your brand. It's worth money in the bank, a line on your balance sheet, and most of all it holds a prime space in the mind of your markets. Pat yourself on the back; you've done good. Then a mindless, brand insensitive soul snatches your logo off your site and places it on a flyer where you and other companies have provided cash for visibility and community goodwill. And in just 10 seconds... they accidentally smashed it by 50% and picked a random color of tan that printed like cow manure. Yickes, it's brand botch up, big time. Where are the brand police when you need them? Or you've spent years building your brand name, like mine which is The Branding Diva!™ and you show up for a speaking gig (in a state I won't mention) and the association thinks "Diva" may be a bad word and they change my trademarked brand name on every printed promotional piece, including a huge welcome banner, to Karen Post, The Branding Lady. I thought I was going to die. All I needed to support "The Brand Lady" image was a big bag of brands, a frumpy dress, and a "will brand for food" sign-none of which speaks to me or my brand. Don't let any of this happen to you and your brand. What ever size, your organization should have systems and brand police programs in place to protect your greatest asset, your brand. Protect your language, brand logo, and brand visual identity every day. Provide your team and/ or employees with a brand book. Outline the brand, what it stands for, and how you communicate with it. Include: usage of logos, taglines, brand words, and promotional guidelines. Have a central place to store and access your brand assets. I recently discovered a very cool company called Mybrandvault.com. They provide an easy-to-use portal that houses all your brand support assets, images, movies, sound, web site, artwork, etc. This service is a lifesaver and brand builder. It's a back-up system, an on-line vault, and organization powerhouse. For a modest annual fee, they provide responsive tech support and a brilliant solution to manage and protect your brand files. Never assume a third party has the same commitment as you have in regards to your brand and its integrity. Lesson learned the hard way for me when I was called The Branding Lady in front of 500 people. I now have a clause in my speaking contract in regards to my name, photos, and language, requiring advance brand promo approval or it's a breach of contract. Legally register your brand names. This means with the US trademark department and never, never launch a brand without a thorough discovery process that addresses already protected marks, taglines, sales marks, slogans, and URLs. A brand worth building is a brand worth protecting. Brand on!

Karen Post helps organizations and professionals prosper with a powerful brand. She is a 20-year branding enthusiast, professional speaker, and author of Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands that Stick to Customers' Minds. If you’d like to learn more about branding, read her monthly column at Fastcompany.com and visit www.brandingdiva.com. You may also call her at 813.250.1730.