From Brand Document to Brand Behaviour
From Brand Document to Brand Behaviour
From Brand Document to Brand Behaviour
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Table of Contents
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How to actually use your brand identity day to day.
Hey there 👋
This guide is written for four kinds of organisations I work with most often:
SMMEs and small businesses
Startups
NPOs and NGOs
Government and public sector teams
If you are responsible for communication, fundraising, marketing, stakeholder engagement, or service delivery in any of these, you are in the right place.
You might be trying to reach customers, beneficiaries, donors, partners, or citizens – the principles in this guide apply across all of those.
In my last email, I talked about why you should fix your foundations before you change your logo.
A few people asked a very good follow up question:
“Okay, let’s say we do the situational analysis and brand identity work. What happens next? How do we actually use it day to day?”
This email is my answer to that.
The short version:
Once the situational analysis and brand identity are done, the “next step” is turning them into a very simple operating system for your organisation.
Not a big new strategy document.
Just a few tools, habits, and rules that quietly shape how you speak, design, and make decisions every day.
1. Translate your brand into simple tools
First, you need to pull the good stuff out of your brand deck and make it usable where work actually happens.
Three or four tools are often enough:
1.1. A one page brand cheat sheet
Something the whole team can understand at a glance:
mission or purpose
3–5 personality words
your core message and key pillars
“do / don’t” examples for tone and visuals
This becomes the quick reference everyone can keep on their desk or desktop.
1.2. Ready to use templates
Lock your brand into the tools people already use:
email signatures
report and proposal covers
presentation templates
social post layouts
The goal is simple: being “on brand” should be the default, not extra effort.
1.3. A messaging swipe bank
Collect your approved phrases in one place:
one or two elevator pitches
a short boilerplate for website and reports
standard CTAs (donate, enquire, book a call, sign up)
short intros for newsletters and social
Now, when someone needs to write, they are not starting from a blank page.
2. Use your brand in everyday communication
Next, treat every outgoing message as a brand touchpoint:
emails and newsletters
WhatsApp, SMS, or Line updates
decks and proposals (including funding applications and tender responses)
social posts and campaign updates
public notices, reports, and even invoices or certificates
Whether you are talking to customers, community members, donors, partners, or citizens, each of these is a chance to show who you are and what you stand for, not just push information out.
Two tiny habits make a big difference:
Do a 30 second brand check before you send:
“Does this sound like us?”
“Does it reinforce at least one key message?”
If not, adjust the subject line, first sentence, or CTA.
Use your templates by default:
Instead of re-designing every slide or document, start from the branded template so consistency just happens.
Over time, this is how you move away from “random acts of marketing” towards a coherent experience.
3. Turn values into behaviours
Brand values are only useful if they show up in how you operate.
Take each value and write one or two simple behavioural rules for it.
Example: If a value is “clear and honest”, that might mean:
Every recommendation email includes one plain language “why” sentence.
When projects slip, you tell people early, explain what happened, and propose a new plan.
If a value is “respect people’s time”:
Meetings start and end on time.
Presentations have a one slide summary upfront.
You can then bring this into:
hiring
onboarding
performance check ins
and ask, “Where did we live the brand? Where did we contradict it?”
4. Use a touchpoint wheel to focus your efforts
Most organisations try to fix everything at once and end up changing nothing.
A better approach: pick a few key touchpoints each quarter and bring them in line with your brand.
For example, for the next 3 months you might choose:
welcome emails to new clients, donors, or programme participants
funding proposals, tender submissions, or key sales proposals
project handover or feedback calls with clients, communities, or partners
For each touchpoint, define:
What does “on brand” look and feel like here?
Which key message do we want people to walk away with?
What small changes to scripts, templates, or visuals will get us there?
You do not need a massive campaign.
You just need repeated, on-brand experiences at the moments that matter most.
enjoying this Free resource?
Get all of my actionable checklists, templates, and case studies.
5. Build small brand rituals
Finally, turn this into habit with light, regular routines instead of a once off workshop.For example:
Weekly, 30 minutes:
Review anything big going out that week (newsletter, a key deck, a landing page) against your one page cheat sheet.
Monthly, 45 minutes:
Pick 2–3 touchpoints (emails, proposals, social posts) and ask:
“Where did we feel on brand? Where did we drift?”
Then tweak templates or guidance.
For new projects:
Add one line to your brief: “How will this project express our brand positioning and personality?”
That one question can save you weeks of confusion later.
How this connects back to your foundations
If you have already done the work of:
situational analysis (audience, SWOT, competitors, context – including your policy, funding, or market environment)
brand identity (vision, mission, values, positioning, messaging house, tone) for your organisation, programme, or product
then this “operating system” is simply about making that work visible:
in the tools people use
in the messages they send
in the way they behave
in the choices you say yes or no to
That is how you move from “we have a brand document” to “this is just how we work now.”
If you would like a practical template
I have a very simple “daily brand checklist” and one page operating system you can adapt for your own team.
If you would like it:
👉 Hit reply and write “Brand habits” and I will send you the link.
If you are not yet confident in your foundations, you can still start here:
👉 Free Situational Analysis Template
👉 Free Brand Identity Template
Use those to get clarity first, then plug them into the daily tools and habits above.
If you would like my help
If you feel like your brand work is stuck in a PDF and not showing up in daily behaviour, I can help you:
translate your existing brand work into simple tools and templates
define a small set of high impact touchpoints
design a lightweight brand “operating system” your team can actually keep up with
👉 Reply with a sentence or two about where your brand feels stuck right now.
I read every response, and if there is a way I can help, whether through consulting or by pointing you to the right resources, I will.
Talk soon,
Romanos
How to actually use your brand identity day to day.
Hey there 👋
This guide is written for four kinds of organisations I work with most often:
SMMEs and small businesses
Startups
NPOs and NGOs
Government and public sector teams
If you are responsible for communication, fundraising, marketing, stakeholder engagement, or service delivery in any of these, you are in the right place.
You might be trying to reach customers, beneficiaries, donors, partners, or citizens – the principles in this guide apply across all of those.
In my last email, I talked about why you should fix your foundations before you change your logo.
A few people asked a very good follow up question:
“Okay, let’s say we do the situational analysis and brand identity work. What happens next? How do we actually use it day to day?”
This email is my answer to that.
The short version:
Once the situational analysis and brand identity are done, the “next step” is turning them into a very simple operating system for your organisation.
Not a big new strategy document.
Just a few tools, habits, and rules that quietly shape how you speak, design, and make decisions every day.
1. Translate your brand into simple tools
First, you need to pull the good stuff out of your brand deck and make it usable where work actually happens.
Three or four tools are often enough:
1.1. A one page brand cheat sheet
Something the whole team can understand at a glance:
mission or purpose
3–5 personality words
your core message and key pillars
“do / don’t” examples for tone and visuals
This becomes the quick reference everyone can keep on their desk or desktop.
1.2. Ready to use templates
Lock your brand into the tools people already use:
email signatures
report and proposal covers
presentation templates
social post layouts
The goal is simple: being “on brand” should be the default, not extra effort.
1.3. A messaging swipe bank
Collect your approved phrases in one place:
one or two elevator pitches
a short boilerplate for website and reports
standard CTAs (donate, enquire, book a call, sign up)
short intros for newsletters and social
Now, when someone needs to write, they are not starting from a blank page.
2. Use your brand in everyday communication
Next, treat every outgoing message as a brand touchpoint:
emails and newsletters
WhatsApp, SMS, or Line updates
decks and proposals (including funding applications and tender responses)
social posts and campaign updates
public notices, reports, and even invoices or certificates
Whether you are talking to customers, community members, donors, partners, or citizens, each of these is a chance to show who you are and what you stand for, not just push information out.
Two tiny habits make a big difference:
Do a 30 second brand check before you send:
“Does this sound like us?”
“Does it reinforce at least one key message?”
If not, adjust the subject line, first sentence, or CTA.
Use your templates by default:
Instead of re-designing every slide or document, start from the branded template so consistency just happens.
Over time, this is how you move away from “random acts of marketing” towards a coherent experience.
3. Turn values into behaviours
Brand values are only useful if they show up in how you operate.
Take each value and write one or two simple behavioural rules for it.
Example: If a value is “clear and honest”, that might mean:
Every recommendation email includes one plain language “why” sentence.
When projects slip, you tell people early, explain what happened, and propose a new plan.
If a value is “respect people’s time”:
Meetings start and end on time.
Presentations have a one slide summary upfront.
You can then bring this into:
hiring
onboarding
performance check ins
and ask, “Where did we live the brand? Where did we contradict it?”
4. Use a touchpoint wheel to focus your efforts
Most organisations try to fix everything at once and end up changing nothing.
A better approach: pick a few key touchpoints each quarter and bring them in line with your brand.
For example, for the next 3 months you might choose:
welcome emails to new clients, donors, or programme participants
funding proposals, tender submissions, or key sales proposals
project handover or feedback calls with clients, communities, or partners
For each touchpoint, define:
What does “on brand” look and feel like here?
Which key message do we want people to walk away with?
What small changes to scripts, templates, or visuals will get us there?
You do not need a massive campaign.
You just need repeated, on-brand experiences at the moments that matter most.
enjoying this Free resource?
Get all of my actionable checklists, templates, and case studies.
5. Build small brand rituals
Finally, turn this into habit with light, regular routines instead of a once off workshop.For example:
Weekly, 30 minutes:
Review anything big going out that week (newsletter, a key deck, a landing page) against your one page cheat sheet.
Monthly, 45 minutes:
Pick 2–3 touchpoints (emails, proposals, social posts) and ask:
“Where did we feel on brand? Where did we drift?”
Then tweak templates or guidance.
For new projects:
Add one line to your brief: “How will this project express our brand positioning and personality?”
That one question can save you weeks of confusion later.
How this connects back to your foundations
If you have already done the work of:
situational analysis (audience, SWOT, competitors, context – including your policy, funding, or market environment)
brand identity (vision, mission, values, positioning, messaging house, tone) for your organisation, programme, or product
then this “operating system” is simply about making that work visible:
in the tools people use
in the messages they send
in the way they behave
in the choices you say yes or no to
That is how you move from “we have a brand document” to “this is just how we work now.”
If you would like a practical template
I have a very simple “daily brand checklist” and one page operating system you can adapt for your own team.
If you would like it:
👉 Hit reply and write “Brand habits” and I will send you the link.
If you are not yet confident in your foundations, you can still start here:
👉 Free Situational Analysis Template
👉 Free Brand Identity Template
Use those to get clarity first, then plug them into the daily tools and habits above.
If you would like my help
If you feel like your brand work is stuck in a PDF and not showing up in daily behaviour, I can help you:
translate your existing brand work into simple tools and templates
define a small set of high impact touchpoints
design a lightweight brand “operating system” your team can actually keep up with
👉 Reply with a sentence or two about where your brand feels stuck right now.
I read every response, and if there is a way I can help, whether through consulting or by pointing you to the right resources, I will.
Talk soon,
Romanos
How to actually use your brand identity day to day.
Hey there 👋
This guide is written for four kinds of organisations I work with most often:
SMMEs and small businesses
Startups
NPOs and NGOs
Government and public sector teams
If you are responsible for communication, fundraising, marketing, stakeholder engagement, or service delivery in any of these, you are in the right place.
You might be trying to reach customers, beneficiaries, donors, partners, or citizens – the principles in this guide apply across all of those.
In my last email, I talked about why you should fix your foundations before you change your logo.
A few people asked a very good follow up question:
“Okay, let’s say we do the situational analysis and brand identity work. What happens next? How do we actually use it day to day?”
This email is my answer to that.
The short version:
Once the situational analysis and brand identity are done, the “next step” is turning them into a very simple operating system for your organisation.
Not a big new strategy document.
Just a few tools, habits, and rules that quietly shape how you speak, design, and make decisions every day.
1. Translate your brand into simple tools
First, you need to pull the good stuff out of your brand deck and make it usable where work actually happens.
Three or four tools are often enough:
1.1. A one page brand cheat sheet
Something the whole team can understand at a glance:
mission or purpose
3–5 personality words
your core message and key pillars
“do / don’t” examples for tone and visuals
This becomes the quick reference everyone can keep on their desk or desktop.
1.2. Ready to use templates
Lock your brand into the tools people already use:
email signatures
report and proposal covers
presentation templates
social post layouts
The goal is simple: being “on brand” should be the default, not extra effort.
1.3. A messaging swipe bank
Collect your approved phrases in one place:
one or two elevator pitches
a short boilerplate for website and reports
standard CTAs (donate, enquire, book a call, sign up)
short intros for newsletters and social
Now, when someone needs to write, they are not starting from a blank page.
2. Use your brand in everyday communication
Next, treat every outgoing message as a brand touchpoint:
emails and newsletters
WhatsApp, SMS, or Line updates
decks and proposals (including funding applications and tender responses)
social posts and campaign updates
public notices, reports, and even invoices or certificates
Whether you are talking to customers, community members, donors, partners, or citizens, each of these is a chance to show who you are and what you stand for, not just push information out.
Two tiny habits make a big difference:
Do a 30 second brand check before you send:
“Does this sound like us?”
“Does it reinforce at least one key message?”
If not, adjust the subject line, first sentence, or CTA.
Use your templates by default:
Instead of re-designing every slide or document, start from the branded template so consistency just happens.
Over time, this is how you move away from “random acts of marketing” towards a coherent experience.
3. Turn values into behaviours
Brand values are only useful if they show up in how you operate.
Take each value and write one or two simple behavioural rules for it.
Example: If a value is “clear and honest”, that might mean:
Every recommendation email includes one plain language “why” sentence.
When projects slip, you tell people early, explain what happened, and propose a new plan.
If a value is “respect people’s time”:
Meetings start and end on time.
Presentations have a one slide summary upfront.
You can then bring this into:
hiring
onboarding
performance check ins
and ask, “Where did we live the brand? Where did we contradict it?”
4. Use a touchpoint wheel to focus your efforts
Most organisations try to fix everything at once and end up changing nothing.
A better approach: pick a few key touchpoints each quarter and bring them in line with your brand.
For example, for the next 3 months you might choose:
welcome emails to new clients, donors, or programme participants
funding proposals, tender submissions, or key sales proposals
project handover or feedback calls with clients, communities, or partners
For each touchpoint, define:
What does “on brand” look and feel like here?
Which key message do we want people to walk away with?
What small changes to scripts, templates, or visuals will get us there?
You do not need a massive campaign.
You just need repeated, on-brand experiences at the moments that matter most.
enjoying this Free resource?
Get all of my actionable checklists, templates, and case studies.
5. Build small brand rituals
Finally, turn this into habit with light, regular routines instead of a once off workshop.For example:
Weekly, 30 minutes:
Review anything big going out that week (newsletter, a key deck, a landing page) against your one page cheat sheet.
Monthly, 45 minutes:
Pick 2–3 touchpoints (emails, proposals, social posts) and ask:
“Where did we feel on brand? Where did we drift?”
Then tweak templates or guidance.
For new projects:
Add one line to your brief: “How will this project express our brand positioning and personality?”
That one question can save you weeks of confusion later.
How this connects back to your foundations
If you have already done the work of:
situational analysis (audience, SWOT, competitors, context – including your policy, funding, or market environment)
brand identity (vision, mission, values, positioning, messaging house, tone) for your organisation, programme, or product
then this “operating system” is simply about making that work visible:
in the tools people use
in the messages they send
in the way they behave
in the choices you say yes or no to
That is how you move from “we have a brand document” to “this is just how we work now.”
If you would like a practical template
I have a very simple “daily brand checklist” and one page operating system you can adapt for your own team.
If you would like it:
👉 Hit reply and write “Brand habits” and I will send you the link.
If you are not yet confident in your foundations, you can still start here:
👉 Free Situational Analysis Template
👉 Free Brand Identity Template
Use those to get clarity first, then plug them into the daily tools and habits above.
If you would like my help
If you feel like your brand work is stuck in a PDF and not showing up in daily behaviour, I can help you:
translate your existing brand work into simple tools and templates
define a small set of high impact touchpoints
design a lightweight brand “operating system” your team can actually keep up with
👉 Reply with a sentence or two about where your brand feels stuck right now.
I read every response, and if there is a way I can help, whether through consulting or by pointing you to the right resources, I will.
Talk soon,
Romanos
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Sponsor the blog: buymeacoffee.com/romanosboraine
Share a link to a resource with a colleague or community group
Credit or link back to the post if you use a template in your own materials
Sponsor the blog: buymeacoffee.com/romanosboraine
Share a link to a resource with a colleague or community group
Credit or link back to the post if you use a template in your own materials
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Book a Free Consultation with Romanos Boraine
Book a Free Consultation
Book a Free Consultation with Romanos Boraine
Book a Free Consultation with Romanos Boraine
Let’s talk. Book a free 20-minute discovery call with me to map out your brand, systems, or content gaps. We will identify what we can fix, fast, to help your nonprofit or startup grow smarter.
Helping nonprofits, startups, and social enterprises in South Africa grow smarter through strategic positioning, creative direction, digital systems audits, and workflow optimisation.
Explore Services
© Romanos Boraine 2025.
All Rights Reserved
Book a Free Consultation with Romanos Boraine
Let’s talk. Book a free 20-minute discovery call with me to map out your brand, systems, or content gaps. We will identify what we can fix, fast, to help your nonprofit or startup grow smarter.
Helping nonprofits, startups, and social enterprises in South Africa grow smarter through strategic positioning, creative direction, digital systems audits, and workflow optimisation.
Explore Services
© Romanos Boraine 2025.
All Rights Reserved
Book a Free Consultation with Romanos Boraine
Let’s talk. Book a free 20-minute discovery call with me to map out your brand, systems, or content gaps. We will identify what we can fix, fast, to help your nonprofit or startup grow smarter.
Helping nonprofits, startups, and social enterprises in South Africa grow smarter through strategic positioning, creative direction, digital systems audits, and workflow optimisation.
Explore Services
© Romanos Boraine 2025.
All Rights Reserved