# How to Create a Brand Architecture for Multi-Product Companies
As your Australian small business grows, you might find yourself launching new services or products that don’t quite fit under your original name. Without a clear brand architecture, you risk confusing your customers, diluting your brand equity, and wasting your marketing budget on competing messages.
Brand architecture is the organisational structure that defines how your various products, sub-brands, and services relate to one another. For an Australian business—whether you’re a tradesperson expanding into retail or a boutique agency launching a software tool—getting this right ensures your marketing efforts are efficient and your brand remains a trusted household name.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:- A clear understanding of your core business mission.
- A list of all current and planned products/services.
- Customer personas for each offering.
- Competitor research within the Australian market.
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Step 1: Audit Your Current Portfolio
Start by listing every product, service, and sub-entity you currently operate. Don't just think about the names; think about the value proposition of each. What you should see: A spreadsheet or whiteboard filled with everything from your "Main Business Name" to that niche service you launched last year that still uses a different logo.Step 2: Choose Your Architecture Model
There are three primary paths you can take, and your choice will dictate your entire marketing strategy:- Branded House: All products use the main brand name (e.g., Virgin Money, Virgin Atlantic). This is cost-effective because every marketing dollar spent helps the whole group.
- House of Brands: The parent company is invisible, and products have their own unique identities (e.g., Unilever owning Dove and Rexona). This is great if your products serve very different audiences.
- Endorsed Brand: Sub-brands have their own identity but are "brought to you by" the parent brand (e.g., Courtyard by Marriott). This provides a safety net of trust.
Step 3: Evaluate Customer Overlap
Ask yourself: "Does the person buying Product A also need Product B?" If the audience is the same (e.g., a plumber who now offers emergency hot water repairs), a Branded House is usually best. If the audiences are completely different (e.g., a high-end luxury spa and a budget pet grooming service), keep them separate.Step 4: Define the Role of the Parent Brand
In the Australian context, trust is paramount. Decide if your parent brand (the one registered to your ABN) should be the "hero." If your parent brand has a high TrustPilot rating or a strong local reputation in Brisbane, leveraging that authority via an Endorsed model can fast-track the success of new products.Step 5: Map the Visual Hierarchy
This is where you decide on logos and colours.- Branded House: Use the same logo style and secondary colour palette across all services.
- House of Brands: Completely different visual identities.
- Endorsed: Unique logos but with a consistent "tagline" or small parent logo in the corner.
Step 6: Determine Your Naming Convention
Consistency is key. Will you use descriptive names (e.g., "LMG Social Media," "LMG SEO") or abstract names? For most Australian SMEs, descriptive naming within a Branded House is the most cost-effective way to rank for local search terms.Step 7: Create Your Messaging Framework
Each product needs a unique selling proposition (USP), but it must not contradict the parent brand’s values. If your parent brand stands for "Affordability," launching a "Premium Luxury" sub-brand under the same name will cause friction.Step 8: Plan the Digital Integration
How will this look on your website and social media?- Option A: One website with different landing pages (Best for Branded House).
- Option B: Separate domains for each brand (Best for House of Brands).
Tip: If you choose separate domains, remember you'll need to manage multiple Google Business Profiles and social media accounts, which increases your overhead.
Step 9: Conduct a "Conflict Check"
Review your architecture to ensure your brands aren't "cannibalising" each other. This happens when two of your own products compete for the same customer at the same price point. If they do, merge them or differentiate their pricing/features.Step 10: Document the Brand Guidelines
Create a PDF document that outlines how each brand should be used. This ensures that if you hire a new staff member or an agency, they know exactly which logo goes where and what tone of voice to use for each product line.Step 11: Execute the Transition
If you are moving from a messy structure to a clean one, communicate it to your customers. Send an email campaign explaining: "We've grown! [Product X] is now part of the [Parent Brand] family, bringing you the same quality you trust."---
Pro Tips for Success
- Think 5 years ahead: Don't choose a structure that limits your future expansion.
- ABN Management: Remember that you can trade under multiple names (Business Names) under one ABN in Australia, but each must be registered with ASIC.
- Social Media Synergy: If using a Branded House, use a single Instagram account and use "Highlights" to categorise your different product lines.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The "Ego" Trap: Creating a House of Brands just because you want many logos. This is expensive and difficult to manage for small teams.
- Inconsistent Quality: If one sub-brand provides poor service, it will tarnish the reputation of every other brand in a Branded House structure.
- Ignoring SEO: Splitting your products across 5 different websites means you have to build SEO authority from scratch 5 times.
Troubleshooting
"My customers are confused about who to call." This usually means your Branded House doesn't have enough distinction between services. Use clear colour-coding for different departments (e.g., Blue for Service A, Green for Service B) on your website and invoices. "I want to sell one part of the business later." If your exit strategy involves selling a specific product line, you must use a House of Brands or a very strong Endorsed model. It is very difficult to sell "The Plumbing Wing" of "John Doe's All-In-One Services." "Managing 5 Facebook pages is killing my productivity." This is a sign you should move toward a Branded House. Consolidate your social presence into one authoritative page and use segments/tags in your email marketing to talk to different groups.Next Steps
- Audit: List your services today.
- Sketch: Draw your proposed architecture tree.
- Register: Check ASIC for any new business names you need.
If you're struggling to decide which structure will maximise your ROI, we can help. Contact the team at Local Marketing Group for a brand strategy session tailored to the Australian market.