Build your brand from the inside out.
You can look to the marketplace to understand your competitive landscape and what motivates end-users. Without this information, you stand little chance of building a brand that is differentiated and relevant. But your brand should be a reflection of your organization: what you do, how you do it and how you think. When there’s a break between how your company operates and what it says about itself, you risk suffering a dangerous credibility gap.

Solicit an outside perspective.
Over time you run the risk of losing sight of what makes your company unique and compelling. A talented outsider—either a recent addition to your team or external partner—benefits from a fresh, unbiased perspective. They can identify important elements of your brand that you may take for granted.

Find your personality.
Your positioning — a single, defendable statement that defines your brand relative to the marketplace — is the keystone of your brand, but don’t estimate the importance of personality. A well-defined personality communicates the essence of your company, or its distinct and memorable qualities. If you’re in a particularly commoditized space, your personality plays an even larger role. Ask yourself: What are the hallmarks of your corporate culture? What attributes do you look for in new employees? Once you’ve determined your company’s key personality traits, think about the best way to project them, from how you communicate verbally and in writing to how you interact with customers, partners and the public.

Create consensus as you go.
Internal consensus building and education are critical to your brand’s success. Your employees can communicate your brand with more energy, insight and effectiveness than any other medium. When they’re fully aligned around the brand, they become its ambassadors. At key intervals, update your staff on the status of your initiative and solicit their feedback. Once the new brand is in place, educate them, integrating examples of language, visuals and activities that are “on” and “off” brand.

Remember, your brand lives in the details.
The strongest brands communicate with consistency and at every point of contact with the public. When you’re developing and rolling out your brand, don’t forget often-overlooked touch-points: hold music, price lists, press releases, invoices, signage, etc. All of these elements bring your brand to life and need to reflect your company’s core message.

Written by John Ball, partner and creative director of MiresBall, a San Diego-based brand design firm that has developed re-branding campaigns for such clients as Starbucks, Jabra and Intel.