Every organization of size comprises a system of multiple interdependent components designed to work in concert to achieve intended ambitions. Yet, as orderly as the organizational system may be envisioned, it defies absolute control and the best hopes of its authorities. And, ultimately, the organizational system will be in charge of brand reputation absent purposeful intervention. And that’s where the brand system comes in. When the organizational system is encoded with brand instructions, it manifests as a brand system. In other words, a brand system operates as a customized program regulating the routines and functions of the organizational system.

The brand system is the main concept of Brand System Theory. The foundational propositions of Brand System Theory include:

• Brand reputation is an output of the organizational system.

• Brand reputation reflects the relationship between organizational promises and organizational performance.

• Credible brand value originates in organizational expertise.

• Brand reputation is produced through the combined demonstration of organizational values and value.

• Operating culture exerts disproportionate influence on brand reputation.

• Every consequential brand experience is the downstream result of upstream organizational conditions.

• Brand programming converts brand expectations into organizational instructions.

• Brand influence is distributed, but accountability rests with those overseeing the mechanisms driving reputation.

• Brand programming is a governing mindset, rather than an absolute implementation methodology.

Brand System Theory posits that countless organizational decisions, actions, and operations ultimately accrue to a delivered brand experience. These brand experiences can be tactile, sensory, virtual, or imagined. They can be fleeting or long-lasting. They can occur spontaneously, predictably, or randomly.

The upstream elements comprising the brand system can be tightly managed, absently tended, or casually engaged, with consequent downstream influence on brand experiences.

Ultimately, the brand is not the province of a single designated steward or function; instead, it is the embodiment of an integrated system that every team member and all operational efforts influence to varying degrees.

Key Tenets of Brand System Theory

1. Value Proposition — We must know what we are good at (our expertise and capabilities) before we can develop a legitimate brand-aware strategy and supportable brand promise.

2. Brand Promise — Fulfilling our brand promise depends on delivering brand experiences that are consistent with our organization’s value proposition.

3. Operating Culture — Delivering brand-affirming experiences requires an integrated and aligned operating culture that’s governed by brand standards.

4. Operating System — Our brand-oriented operating culture must be supported with high-functioning processes, systems, and procedures that reliably and predictably contribute to favorable brand experiences.

5. Business Strategy — Our roadmap must acknowledge brand-critical priorities and address any deficiencies in delivering strong brand experiences.

6. Organizational Culture — Our culture prefigures our reputational character and necessarily must reflect the nature of our expertise, the purpose of our work, and the values we espouse.