Why a brand’s internal chaos always shows in its communication
Message consistency isn't a matter of aesthetics — it's a reflection of how the brand operates from the inside.
Pieter Bruegel painted the Tower of Babel as a monumental structure collapsing under its own weight. Not because the builders ran out of stone or manpower, but because nobody spoke the same language anymore. The painting shows dozens of workers, each absorbed in their own section, each following their own vision — and that’s exactly why the whole thing never quite coheres. It remains one of the most striking metaphors for organizational chaos in the history of art. And it’s hard not to notice how many modern brands build their communication in exactly the same way.
Different content across different channels. Different promises at different stages of the funnel. A different tone from every person who speaks on behalf of the brand. Seth Godin defines a brand as the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, drive a consumer’s choice. Internal chaos fractures that set. Instead of one coherent story, you get competing narratives.
The first question we always ask: does the brand have a communication strategy?
When we start working with a new client, one of the first things we ask is: do you have a strategy? Not as a formality — but because the answer shapes everything that follows. A communication strategy isn’t a document you file away after it’s been written. It’s a working map; without one, every creative or brand decision is a shot in the dark.
David Aaker, widely regarded as the father of modern branding, puts it plainly: you cannot build a credible external brand without first establishing it internally. The absence of strategy is the single most common source of chaos that becomes visible in communication. Marketing and sales end up pulling in different directions. A brand manager signs off on a photoshoot that was never run past the content lead. An influencer gets vague guidelines and interprets the brand however they see fit. The result? Customers encounter several different versions of the same brand — all operating under a single logo.
Brand strategy as a storytelling framework
A strong communication strategy is, at its core, a well-built guide to how a brand tells its story: who it is, who it speaks to, and what it wants people to feel. Coherent narrative doesn’t emerge from ad hoc creative decisions — it comes from a clear understanding of what the brand actually stands for and what emotional response it seeks. A good strategy also answers an equally important question: which stories the brand should not tell.
Strategy is not just about language and aesthetics. It also defines how the brand engages in dialogue with its audience. A brand that truly listens responds to comments in the same tone it uses across its broader communication, and answers questions with the same care it puts into producing a campaign. Transparency and authenticity are not a passing trend. Trust, as Warren Buffett reminds us, takes years to earn and can vanish in minutes.
Image is built where the brand truly lives
When building brand communication, it’s particularly important to find environments where the brand’s DNA can resonate naturally. That won’t always be a conventional ad campaign. A fashion brand whose identity is rooted in aesthetic sensibility and cultural references will land differently in a print ad than in a project developed alongside an independent film or a theatre production. The latter offers something no media budget can buy: credibility, and an audience that already shares a similar set of values.
PR and creative communication, understood this way, go well beyond distributing press releases. They’re about finding organic contexts where the brand’s story can be told authentically. Collaborations with culture, art, or creators who have a distinctive voice of their own often prove to be among the most powerful image-building tools available. The right context allows a brand to be remembered not because it was loud, but because it was exactly where it belonged.
Before you move forward with your next campaigns, answer these questions honestly:
- Does the brand have a communication strategy?
- Who owns the brand’s voice?
- Is the communication built on storytelling?
- Does the brand engage in genuine dialogue with its audience?
- Is the brand embedded in the right context?
- Is the communication regularly evaluated and refined?
In Summary
Internal chaos always surfaces — the only question is when and at what cost. Usually, it happens at the worst possible moment. Brands that build their communication consistently are far easier to recognize and remember.
A communication strategy is not a cosmetic add-on. It is the operational foundation of everything a brand does. It all starts with one decision: first, define clearly what the brand wants to say — and only then figure out how to say it.