Over the past several months, we have been asked these questions on several occasions by our current and prospective clients. We have a strong position, but it also depends on the reality of where the brand exists today.

The brand architecture and strategy should provide the north star and guardrails for successful innovation. When performed correctly, the incremental and breakthrough innovations will reinforce the brand purpose, personality, functional and emotional benefits, and enable the consumer target to make progress in their lives.

What if we aren’t confident about our current brand architecture or strategy?

Invest in confirming, refining, or developing one that enables growth. If you don’t, the greatest innovation could fall flat because your brand doesn’t have a right to deliver.

What if we have a breakthrough innovation that could change the brand trajectory?

Determine how well it aligns with the current brand architecture and strategy. If it doesn’t, start working now to deeply understand how the brand may need to make incremental changes to prepare for the innovation launch. This process provides a greater opportunity for the consumer to have faith and belief in the brand’s ability to deliver.