If you know us, you’ll know that we see a brand as much more than just a logo or a collection of visual cues. It’s a strategic business asset that requires research, development and expert deployment.
When we look at a brand, especially one with multiple sub-brands or products, we explore the system and strategy of the business itself. We have to consider the products and how they relate to the parent brand. How much or how little should the audience relate each brand to the others? Even the most sophisticated visuals and colour systems can’t replace strategic design language.
What is brand architecture?
Brand architecture is the structure used to organise and present the different parts of a brand portfolio. This could be anything from a suite of products to multiple divisions, departments and locations.
When we work with clients on their brand architecture, we look at what works today and what will support future growth. Should everything operate under one recognisable master brand? Should each offer have its own identity? Or should there be a balance, where individual brands retain some independence while still benefiting from the reputation of the parent organisation?
These are not purely aesthetic questions. They are decisions about reputation, audience perception, commercial strategy and the future direction of the business.
Choosing the right model
There are several common approaches to brand architecture, each with its own strategic application.
A branded house places the master brand at the centre, with products and services sharing the same name, identity and visual language. This allows every part of the organisation to benefit from the reputation of the parent brand. FedEx is a strong example, while Apple demonstrates an Omnibrand approach, where the parent brand identity is consistently applied across every product, strengthening the overall brand.
A house of brands takes the opposite approach. Each brand has its own name, identity and positioning, with the parent organisation often remaining invisible. This enables brands to speak to very different audiences, although it requires greater investment to build and maintain multiple identities. Conglomerates such as Unilever use this model because brands can be acquired without the cost of rebranding, while the separation between them also helps protect the wider portfolio if one brand faces negative publicity.
An endorsed or hybrid model sits between the two. Individual brands maintain their own identities while retaining a visible connection to the parent brand. Kellogg’s is a good example, balancing shared brand equity with product-specific positioning.
There is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, as each organisation has its own individual needs. We often work with brand portfolios that have barriers such as legacy logos that don’t conform, separation from previous structures or product brand visuals that vary depending on audience splits. From a design perspective, each barrier is a problem that requires a different creative solution.
Strategy must come before style
It can be tempting to begin with the visual question: how similar should the logos look? But before exploring logos, colour palettes or graphic systems, there are more fundamental questions to answer around strategy, reputation and audience. It’s not simply about making the brands look related. It’s about finding the strategic relationship between them and turning that into a visual system that people can understand.
A logo family can make several identities appear connected. A strong brand architecture explains why that connection exists and how it should support the organisation’s wider goals.
Who needs architecture?
Businesses experiencing or preparing for growth
Brand architecture becomes particularly valuable when an organisation grows or changes. Having a structure in place before that growth means those businesses can remain in control of their brand consistency.
Reaching Different Audiences
Internal structures often feel obvious to the people who work within them, but audiences aren’t privy to that same context and see the brand at surface level. Having a strategy can help businesses diversify their message and appearance for any given audience and product mix.
Businesses navigating mergers, acquisitions or restructuring
When businesses merge, acquire other companies or reorganise their services, they often inherit established names, identities and reputations. The challenge then is to determine which brands still hold value and how close they should be connected to the new structure.
A strategic design discipline
Brand architecture is not simply about creating a tidy family of logos. It is about understanding how a business is structured and how its brands, services and products should work together over time.
Whether an organisation has a single core offer or a complex portfolio, the right approach starts with strategy. By understanding the business, its challenges and its ambitions, we can create a brand structure that brings clarity, consistency and longevity.
If the structure behind your brand is starting to feel a little complicated, we can help simplify, strengthen the system, creating greater clarity and room for future growth.
Let’s build a brand that’s built to last.
