Going to war with the brand department

Brand protectors (gasp!) suggests stylistic changes to this communicator’s document

I am working on a print document to be sent out to employees. Lots of text, lots of graphics; it’s going to be a nice piece. And that’s where our not-nice Brand department goose stepped in. Our Brand department takes Brand seriously; if they could use hot irons they really would. Their take: Our Brand is part of everything we do! Our Brand is our soul! My take: Our Brand is something that keeps our Brand department employed, so it’s no wonder they take it so seriously.

Actually, our top Brand guy is a great guy and very smart. He does an excellent job of shaping how people think about us, which is, after all, the essence of brand. But working with the rest of our Brand department is like working with religious zealots (very truly, deeply religious zealots). In their minds, our Brand is a complex, demanding deity that must be worshipped and revered in all sorts of arcane and intricate ways, and they are there to make sure we’re genuflecting properly. That process is called the Brand review.