I’m working on a client presentation for next week. In the process, I’ve developed what I call the 5 Es of Branding:

Management must Establish the brand.
Employees must Extend the brand.
Customers should Experience the brand.
The public should Experiment with the brand.
Time will Evolve the brand.

Sidenotes:
Management should establish the brand before the doors of the business are opened. If you’re doors are already opened, you established the brand long ago.

Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.
Seth Godin

So, all that is left at that point for management is to rediscover the brand and allow it to evolve.

So, although evolution of the brand is the final point, it actually begins as soon as the brand is established. And chances are, if you aren’t intentionally positioning your brand to evolve then it will dissolve. Either way, it’s going to change. It might as well be in an upward fashion.

Allowing the public to experiment with the brand creates a safe environment for them to decide to become customers. It’s the gateway.