The following is a summary of Chapter 2 of the book “Integrated Branding” by F. Joseph LePla and Lynn M. Parker. Buy the book.

The most important thing to realize about the integrated branding process is that it is a model for building the most important asset your company will ever have- relationships with your customers.

Once you accept that your best customer is the one you already have, then creating a means by which you can deepen those relationships is the next logical step.

As any pop-psychologist will tell you, you can’t have a deep relationship with another person until you know who you are and you’re comfortable with who you are. This applies to brand-consumer relationships just as it applies to person-person relationships.

So, in other words, the most important task you have is KNOWING WHO YOU ARE. This is what integrated branding allows you to do. The integrated branding model works for startups and it works for age-old brands. It’s never a bad time to get in touch with your core principles and competencies.

What does the integrated branding model look like? It is a series of tools called “Organization Drivers”, “Brand Driver”, and “Brand Conveyors.”

Brand Conveyors is the outward-facing aspect of your brand, and it is also the aspect most associated with the term “branding.” It is the visual expression of what’s inside. Unfortunately, many business owners and ad agencies start here and work backwards. As a result, they’re left with a shallow brand or a message that simply does not resonate with the consumer.

To strengthen your most important asset- your relationships with your customers- you have to go deeper. Much deeper. You have to dig into the core principles and personality traits of your company. This is no pie-in-the-sky exercise, and it can be painful if you discover something different what you want or expect. But it’s a vital part of the process that requires courage and honesty. Dig in, and get a no-BS assessment of what’s there. If you don’t like what you see, you can begin to make some changes.

To make changes that will matter, you have to go back further, and examine your “Organization Drivers.” These are the roots of your company. Your mission statement should be one that matters. Your core values are those earnestly held views and beliefs upon which your core principles are founded. And lastly, your story…why did you start this business to begin with? What inspired you or your forebears to start down this path? Knowing these things can help you create a solid foundation upon which to build a solid brand.

Organization Drivers are the bed-rock. Brand Drivers are the frame structure. Brand Conveyors are the outside lining. When all three components are aligned, you’ll have yourself one powerful structure. If they are not aligned or clearly understood, then….well, we all know the story of the fool who built his house on the sand.

We sometimes say that your brand is “the promise that you keep.” This promise is the sum total- the full effect- of your organization drivers, brand drivers, and brand conveyors.

By using the integrated branding model, you can know who you are as a company, and you can train your people to stay “on-brand” in everything they do. In this manner, you can build rich relationship with customers, and attract the kind of new customer that you really want.