# Brand Architecture > Designs brand architecture frameworks (house of brands, branded house, endorsed) with naming conventions, visual relationships, and portfolio management. Use when managing multiple brands. - Skill: `reaperinvest/brand-architecture` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/brand-architecture` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/brand-architecture/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/brand-architecture --- # Brand Architecture ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Organize multiple products or services under a coherent brand structure - Choose between branded house, house of brands, or endorsed brand models - Define the naming and visual relationship between a parent brand and sub-brands - Plan brand architecture for a growing product portfolio **DO NOT** use this skill for single-product branding, logo design, or marketing strategy. This is for structuring the relationships between multiple brands or product lines. --- ## Core Principle BRAND ARCHITECTURE SHOULD MAKE IT EASY FOR CUSTOMERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU OFFER AND HOW YOUR PRODUCTS RELATE TO EACH OTHER — CONFUSION IS THE ENEMY. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Parent brand** | "What is your main company or brand name?" | Must be provided | | **Products/services** | "List all products, services, or brands in your portfolio." | Must be provided | | **Target audiences** | "Do different products serve different audiences?" | Same or overlapping | | **Growth plans** | "Are you planning to add new products or enter new markets?" | Yes — expanding | | **Current structure** | "How are products currently named and branded?" | Ad hoc, inconsistent | | **Brand equity** | "Which brand name has the most recognition?" | Parent brand | **GATE: Confirm brief before recommending an architecture model.** --- ## Phase 2: Recommend ### Architecture Models **1. Branded House (Google model)** - One master brand, products are descriptive sub-brands - Example: Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Photos - Best when: parent brand has strong equity, products share an audience - Risk: one product failure affects the whole family **2. House of Brands (P&G model)** - Independent brands with no visible parent connection - Example: Tide, Pampers, Gillette (all P&G) - Best when: products serve very different audiences - Risk: no equity transfer between brands, expensive to build each one **3. Endorsed Brands (Marriott model)** - Sub-brands with visible parent brand endorsement - Example: Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott - Best when: sub-brands need independence but benefit from parent credibility - Risk: dilution if too many endorsed brands **4. Hybrid** - Mix of models for different parts of the portfolio - Example: Apple (branded house for most products) + Beats (endorsed brand) - Best when: portfolio is diverse with some shared and some distinct audiences ### Recommendation Framework Score each model on: - Brand equity leverage (can you use the parent name?) - Audience overlap (same people or different?) - Risk tolerance (can one product's failure hurt others?) - Budget (single brand is cheaper to maintain) **GATE: Present the recommended model with rationale and wait for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Build ### Deliverables **1. Brand Architecture Map** - Visual hierarchy showing parent and sub-brand relationships - Naming convention for each level - Visual identity relationship (shared colors? shared logo mark? independent?) **2. Naming Framework** - Naming pattern for current and future products - Examples showing how new products would be named - Rules for when to create a new brand vs. extend the existing one **3. Visual Relationship Guide** - How sub-brands visually connect to the parent (logo lockup, color family, typography) - Logo co-branding rules (size ratio, placement, clear space) - When to show the parent brand and when to hide it **4. Decision Framework for New Products** - Flowchart: when to add a sub-brand vs. a product feature vs. a new independent brand - Criteria: audience match, brand fit, strategic importance, risk --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### Portfolio Management Rules - Maximum sub-brands before customer confusion (typically 5-7) - Retirement criteria for underperforming brands - Annual portfolio review process ### Communication Guide How to explain the brand relationships to customers, partners, and team members clearly. --- ## Example 1: SaaS Company with 3 Products **Model:** Branded house. All products under the parent name: "Acme CRM," "Acme Analytics," "Acme Chat." Shared visual identity with color variations per product. ## Example 2: Creator with Multiple Ventures **Model:** Endorsed brands. Personal brand as endorser: "Founder's Newsletter" by [Name], "[Product Name]" by [Name]. Each venture has its own identity with the creator's name as trust signal. --- ## Anti-Patterns - **No architecture at all** — random product names with no visible connection waste the equity you have built. Structure creates clarity. - **Copying big company models** — P&G's house of brands works because of billions in marketing budget. A solopreneur should almost always use a branded house. - **Too many sub-brands** — 12 sub-brands dilute attention and confuse customers. Consolidate where possible. - **Changing architecture frequently** — customers need time to learn your structure. Pick a model and commit for at least 2-3 years. - **Architecture that serves the org chart** — brand structure should reflect how customers think, not how your company is organized internally. --- ## Recovery - **Portfolio is already a mess:** Audit all brands, identify the strongest, and create a migration plan to consolidate under a clear architecture. - **Two products with overlapping audiences:** Consider merging into one product with feature tiers rather than maintaining two separate brands. - **User wants every product to feel independent:** Show the cost — separate websites, separate social accounts, separate marketing budgets. Let the math inform the decision. - **Growing too fast to plan:** Set the architecture model now with a naming framework. New products slot into the framework without requiring a new strategy each time.