This article was published in a guest column in a marketing consultant's e-newsletter. August, 2003.

In today's fast-paced business environment it is difficult to engage in long-term planning. Time is money. And time in the boardroom is often seen as time away from customers. Sure, we all know that having a plan is important, but taking time out to put one in place is difficult.

But business is by its nature a long-term proposition. Having invested the capital required to get a business up and running, not to mention the long hours and effort, there are few entrepreneurs that will tell you they are not trying to build something lasting. Growing a strong company requires commitment. It doesn't happen overnight.

It is the same with strong brands, which are built on a core philosophy or unique relationship that an organization has with its stakeholders. Customers, employees and investors are all looking for something from a company that they can't get anywhere else. A connection that can be sustained indefinitely. That connection is built through consistent delivery on the promises the company makes: a good product, acceptable levels of customer service, a quality experience that leaves the stakeholder feeling valued and important.

A brand is the connection someone feels to the company or its product. The benefit of this connection is loyalty. And forgiveness.

Because companies are run by people, they are not perfect. They make mistakes. They launch products whose quality is not yet proven. They implement cost-cutting measures that sacrifice customer satisfaction. And sometimes they just plain mess up - no matter how good their intentions are. Which is why they need an emotional connection with their stakeholders. Without this connection, companies and their brands would invest considerable time and money chasing customers who buy only once, employees who do not stay, and investors who are interested in short-term profits over long-term growth. Stakeholder loyalty gives a company the chance to recover from its mistakes. It helps keep it in the game longer, and gives it an advantage over its competition.

Sounds important, doesn't it? It is. Building a strong brand is far too important to be left to the "marketers" alone. Sustainable relationships should be the mandate of all parts of the company. Which is why successful brands are managed from the top-down, and across the entire organization.

Consider the alternative: a business with multiple operational divisions all with a different idea of how to create value for the customer. Each of them making isolated decisions about how to create something lasting. Each of them spending money without regard for other operating divisions. Inefficient.

A brand strategy provides an overriding thought, a core promise, to help organizations remain true to their stakeholders while making business decisions on the fly. A clear understanding of the long-term relationship a company is striving to build, the personality it wishes to convey, the promise it makes, and the role of each business unit in consistently delivering on that promise, enables companies to be nimble in today's fast-paced business environment. Nimble, without having to stop and achieve consensus on every operational detail. Far from slowing down a business, a strategic plan will ensure a company builds its brand while maintaining the speed required to remain competitive.