I think the best way to rectify this issue is to send boots on ground to properly assess the situation and then get clarity on the how and why it has or is difficult to follow the guidelines. In my experience, it usually has more to do with operational constraints and having to prioritise and allocate resources to more needed areas. It won't help to just bark orders or come up with textbook principles that aren't intouch with the realities on ground. Inorder to get full employee buy-in, you definitely need to understand what the peculiarities and realities are in that particular zone and then deploy strategies to address their current problems while re-orienting them about the need for brand synergy.

A firm guideline from HQ is essential for maintaining brand originality, but its true value depends on how well it is understood and implemented. If local teams don’t fully grasp its importance and revert to familiar practices, the guideline loses its purpose. While standard guidelines may not perfectly fit local needs, it’s vital to establish a clear understanding of what’s “right” and “wrong.” Start with top executives at the local office. Once leaders fully internalize the guidelines, they can effectively guide their teams, ensuring alignment with the brand’s core values.

Some practical examples and actions: A. If a regional office is not following the brand's social media guidelines: - Provide clear guidelines on tone of voice, content sharing, and community management. - Offer training on social media best practices and brand guidelines. - Monitor the regional office's social media accounts and provide feedback. 2. If a regional office is using unauthorized brand assets: - Remind them of the importance of using only approved brand assets. - Provide access to a centralized brand asset library. Offer to create custom assets that align with brand guidelines.

Hammer centralised brand teams. They're the custodians and straying starts from carelessness from the top. Discipline is a top-down function.

Instead of thinking of this as an authoritarian crackdown, this is really an opportunity to speak with the regional team to evaluate the guidelines, see where we are and investigate if there are things within them that don’t translate for that audience that we’re trusting the regional team to know best. Our larger leadership team could be missing nuance that’s critical to winning within a region by being stuck on what we perceive as our “brand bible”. After evaluation, we can have a discussion on adjustments, if any, and go through retraining to make sure we’re all on the same accord.

A lot of great answers. I just want to highlight 2 basic insights. 1. Scream, shout, criticise all you want. Take a step back. Are the guidelines easy to understand and implement? The very nature of the global guidance could be so complex that either teams are misunderstanding them OR just simply not taking the pain to implement the complexity in light of more critical operational matters, and 2. Is the quality of implementation part of their KPIs? Or simply an expectation? Sometimes motivating teams who are doing a great job is more powerful. Just like we should recognise and reward failures, we should really make the brand implementation a key target / KPI for the leaders.

Brand guidelines are non-negotiable; they define who you are. When a regional office strays, you must course-correct. Start with a brand audit to pinpoint where things went off-track. Then, gather the team for a refresher on the guidelines and emphasize how important consistency is in the bigger picture. Lastly, implement monitoring systems to ensure alignment, with regular check-ins to catch any deviations early.