Organizational Branding: More Than a Logo
Governing Boards Part 12
By Rick Aman onBranding is the practice of leadership made visible
Branding and Reputation
A quote I return to often comes from John Jantsch: “A brand is what you promise. Reputation is what you deliver.” That’s never been more relevant than it is today. Branding is the outward story you tell about your organization, what you stand for, what you value, how you want to be seen. It’s strategic, proactive, and designed to inspire confidence. Reputation, on the other hand, is earned. It’s how others perceive you based on their experiences with your organization. And while branding is largely in your control, reputation is not. One is a message. The other is a memory.
When I led a community college, we put intentional thought into how we presented ourselves to our region. We focused our message on access, affordability, skills, workforce readiness, and community partnership. One message I consistently delivered to our Idaho Legislators was that my job as president was to produce Idaho taxpayers. Maybe it is not compelling for high school graduates but branded our institution in the eyes of legislators. We knew the real work was in delivering those promises with graduates and skilled employees. It wasn’t just about saying we cared about students, it was about showing up when they were struggling, investing in wraparound services, and making sure our frontline staff knew that their role was part of the brand experience.
That’s the leadership tension: saying vs. being. If your branding says “we’re student-centered” but your systems make it hard for students to get support, the disconnect becomes your reputation. People can tell when the story and the reality don’t line up, and they’ll talk about it. In today’s world, they’ll tweet about it.
That’s why this isn’t a conversation for the marketing department alone. This is a key strategy for the board, the CEO, and the leadership team. It affects enrollment, funding, employee retention, and public trust. It’s built in ordinary moments reflecting how you treat employees, how you handle criticism, how you respond under pressure. It’s built in drops and lost in buckets.
An example of great brand recognition is Southwest Airlines. Southwest’s brand has long emphasized low fares, no hidden fees, and friendly service. Even as competitors added complexity and costs, Southwest kept things simple and transparent. Their internal culture matches the brand, with empowered employees and a focus on customer experience. Brand strength in this example comes from operational clarity and cultural consistency. Southwest leadership supports the brand by ensuring employees are aligned and empowered to deliver it daily.
An example of poorly executed branding could be Twitter’s rebrand to “X.” After Elon Musk acquired Twitter, he abruptly rebranded the platform to “X,” removing one of the most globally recognized brands in social media. The rebrand lacked clarity, confused users, and did not communicate a compelling new vision. Despite the massive following, the rebrand led to decreased engagement and public skepticism. It has taken years for the public to stop using the phrase “formerly Twitter.” Brand equity is an asset, not a burden. Abrupt rebranding without clear purpose or stakeholder communication can alienate users and diminish trust even for iconic platforms such as Twitter. Leaders must guide change with narrative clarity and stakeholder alignment.
Branding Is a Leadership Task, Not a Marketing Exercise
It took me years in leadership to fully understand branding isn’t a marketing decision; it’s a leadership responsibility. Earlier in my career, I treated branding as something we handed off to the media team. We’d approve a logo, sign off on a campaign, maybe tweak a tagline. While those are important touchpoints, they don’t define a brand. Not really. Real branding, the kind that shapes how people feel about your organization, starts long before the graphics. It starts in the boardroom.
Because branding, at its core, is about identity. It is a question of identity. Who are we? What do we stand for? What do we want to be known for? These are all leadership questions.
This is why branding isn’t just about design or messaging. It’s about direction. The brand of an organization is ultimately a reflection of its leadership’s clarity and alignment. If the CEO, board and executive team don’t agree on what the institution stands for, the brand will feel scattered or hollow. If the stated values don’t show up in decisions or behavior, the brand becomes just another poster on the wall, easy to ignore and hard to believe.
I’ve watched too many organizations attempt to build a brand from the outside in. They focus on social media presence, taglines, advertising, or glossy brochures—all while internal culture, leadership behaviors, and employee experience go unaddressed. The result? A disconnect between image and reality. And that’s where trust begins to break down.
The strongest brands are built from the inside out. They begin with a deep understanding of mission, values, and purpose. They are shaped by intentional leadership conversations and refined through hard decisions. As a college president, I would pose the question to our leadership team and board - “What do we want people in our community to say about our college.” That one question always led to powerful discussions about culture, strategic intent, and how we wanted to be experienced by students, staff, and the public.
One effective strategy is to view branding through the lens of futuring; envisioning a three-year timeframe to define and align around the organization’s “Preferred Future.” This forward-looking approach may take the form of a strategic vision, serve as mission fulfillment for accreditation, or, in today’s context, become the foundation of your brand.
When leadership is aligned around organizational brand identity, it creates a sense of coherence across the organization. That coherence shows up everywhere from how front-desk staff greet visitors, to how faculty talk about the college, to how we respond to crises or legislative pressures. And when people experience that kind of alignment, it builds trust. You’re not just describing who you are, you’re proving it.
Here’s the truth; you can’t market your way out of a leadership problem. If your internal culture is unhealthy, no amount of branding polish will fix it. If your organization’s leaders don’t model the values on the website, the message won’t land. People notice when the words and the reality don’t match, and your credibility suffers.
This is why branding is leadership work. It’s not about perfection; it’s about consistency and authenticity. Leaders must do the hard work; talking openly about values, modeling them in how they lead, and making decisions that align with the identity they claim. Branding isn’t an announcement, it’s a practice. It must be evident in meetings, hiring decisions, budget priorities, and even in how individuals are transitioned out of the organization.
Leaders must also engage others in the process. Branding shouldn’t be imposed from the top, it should be co-created with the people who live it every day. When employees, students, or stakeholders help define what the brand truly represents, they become stewards of that identity. They internalize it. They help carry it forward in every interaction.
So, if your organization is wrestling with brand clarity, don’t start with the tagline. Start with the leadership table. Ask the hard questions. Be willing to shape the culture from the inside out with plenty of input. Because when branding is led well, it becomes more than marketing, it becomes a shared identity that unites, inspires, and builds lasting trust.
Aligning Message with Experience: Closing the Trust Gap
Here’s the hardest part: maintaining alignment over time. It’s one thing to define your brand; it’s another to ensure it shows up in every corner of your organization, especially when no one’s watching.
We’ve all seen the case studies. Apple tells a story about innovation and simplicity, and it shows up everywhere from their product design to their packaging to their customer service. It’s consistent. It feels true. Wells Fargo, on the other hand, spent years branding itself around trust, only to have that identity unraveled by scandals that revealed a very different internal reality. Those stories remind us that when branding and behavior diverge, credibility cracks.
Branding is reflected in how we treat staff, students, and stakeholders. Every interaction reinforces or undermines that identity. That’s why I urge CEOs and boards to regularly assess alignment. Gather input through stakeholder surveys, listening sessions, student feedback, employee engagement data, and social media sentiment. Don’t just measure the message, measure the experience. When gaps emerge, and you know they will-take action. The good news: when your brand and your reality align, the impact is powerful. You build not only awareness, but trust, not just participants, but champions. And in challenging times, that trust becomes your safety net, offering time, grace, and support when you need it most.
Closing Thought: The Brand You Leave Behind
As I reflect on my time in leadership, I’ve come to believe that brand is one of the most enduring legacies we leave behind. Not the logo. Not the website or a font, but the story we shaped and the experience we created. As leaders, we don’t get to control our reputation. But we do shape it through every decision, every message, every interaction. And if we do it right, the brand becomes more than a marketing tool. It becomes a mirror of our values, a reflection of our culture, and a vehicle for lasting impact.
Here’s my encouragement to every board member, CEO, and executive reading this: own the brand. Not just the story, but the reality behind it. Align your values with your actions. Make branding part of your leadership rhythm. Because in the end, people may come because of what you say; but they stay because of who you are.
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Let’s Strengthen the Future Together
Leadership today demands more than vision, it requires the ability to anticipate change, align stakeholders, and move with purpose. At Aman and Associates, we’re committed to helping institutions become future-ready through thoughtful strategy, effective governance, and trusted leadership development. Whether you’re preparing for accreditation, guiding a board, or shaping your organization’s future, we’re here to support your work with clarity and care.
Let’s connect.
Rick Aman, PhD
www.rickaman.com/articles
rick@rickaman.com
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