Embrace Brand to power up your communications career

For a long time brand was an elusive idea. “It’s not your logo, it’s the essence of who you are as an organisation” or it is “the water in which your organisation swims”. It was hard to grasp as a solid object. Which meant it was hard to value and hard to clarify in a business context. It was more of a philosophy than a science. It is still not on the same level as nuclear physics, but studies have shown clear patterns and provided important data so we are at a point where we can now say that we know how brand works. You might still hear some different terminologies (Brand Essence, Purpose, Promise, DNA) but Brand has now emerged as a key quantifiable factor in the long term success of an organisation.

Fundamentally your actual brand is your recognisable mark. The big ‘Y’ branded on the cattle’s rump at the Yellowstone ranch. So yes, your logo is your brand, but if you have a combination of colours that are highly recognisable like 7-Eleven, a sound that is unique like Intel, a combination of shapes and fonts that people recognise as uniquely associated with your organisation these can all be included in the definition of what makes up your brand. Collectively these are known now as your distinctive brand assets and truly distinctive brand assets are one of the key ways to create mental availability for your brand which is the number one key factor of brand growth. It's like owning real estate in the customer's brain. The more distinctive or recognisable the higher the value of your real estate.

The second most important factor in a successful brand is strategically positioning your brand to the target audience. Positioning your brand is a long term process. Generally people have only very simple associations with a brand or organisation. Shaping those associations requires consistent messaging and brand building over time. A brand strategy is a clarifying document that shows an audience informed, data based description of what is absolutely core to your brand and therefore your organisation in a way that is unique from your competitors. It is not a mission or vision as it is not about what you want to achieve but how you want to be perceived. It is shaped by an audience first approach, that emerges from connecting with said audience and understanding their needs, drivers and values.

This clarified brand positioning with a few key reasons to believe should form the core of most messaging and guide the overall narrative of your organisation. Of course, not every communication will be about the brand strategy—many messages will still need to cover campaigns, initiatives, updates, activations, announcements, or operational information. But even these should flow from the positioning and reinforce it. When each piece of communication is anchored in the same underlying idea, you build coherence and reinforce the perception you want your audience to hold.

Think about some brand positionings you already know: Apple stands for Simple Creativity. Qantas owns the Spirit of Australia. The ABC positions itself around being Australia’s most trusted source. The NSW SES is built around Community Readiness. These are not taglines—they’re strategic positions. They shape product decisions, tone of voice, visual identity, and, critically for comms teams, the stories that get told again and again across both internal and external channels.

Because a clear positioning simplifies everything. When you know the space you want to occupy in people’s minds, messaging suddenly becomes easier and far more consistent. You know what to amplify, what to ignore, and what to protect at all costs. The most effective comms teams aren’t simply creating engagement—they’re reinforcing a long-term strategic perception.

This matters because comms teams are responsible for far more than media releases. Internal comms, culture-building, crisis communication, stakeholder management, change communication, leadership messaging—these all benefit enormously from a clear brand foundation. Brand becomes the connective tissue that keeps communication coherent across email updates, intranet posts, executive speeches, LinkedIn content and public campaigns. Without that anchor, comms teams can end up managing “random acts of communication”. With it, they gain the confidence and strategic permission to prioritise, push back, align and influence.

Of course, activation and engagement remain essential. Campaigns, internal communications, social content, events—they are the lifeblood of a modern comms function. But they work best when they flow out of the brand strategy rather than always trying to find their own way. When activation aligns with positioning, it builds equity. When it doesn’t, it creates noise.

This broader understanding of brand can elevate comms professionals into true organisational influencers. Brand thinking helps you advise leaders, shape narratives, advocate for consistency, and protect clarity. It gives you a powerful seat at the table—not simply as the team that communicates, but as the team that helps the organisation understand what it stands for.

And in the end, that makes your job easier. Clear brand strategy removes guesswork, sharpens storytelling, and ensures every piece of communication—big or small—moves the organisation in the same direction. That’s how comms teams can grow influence, impact, and build long-term value.

Written by Phil Curlis-Gibson, Head of Business, The Contenders