Iris Creative

At last year’s All About Brand conference, Rob Feinberg, CMO at PHS Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, shared a perspective on brand guidelines that really stuck:

𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘤𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴. 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩. 𝘍𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣.

One of the most valuable ideas he shared was knowing when to stay firm — and when to flex.
Stay firm on the things that create recognition and trust:

- Your logo
- Core messaging
- Mission and positioning

These are the roots of your brand. Consistency matters. The key is understanding the stakes.

If confusing your audience could damage clarity or credibility, hold steady. If the channel is temporary, testable, or designed for engagement, give yourself room to play.

Because brands don’t stay strong by being rigid.

They stay strong by knowing their roots — and being confident enough to stretch strategically throughout the year.

Join us at All About Brand 2026 on September 10 and learn from leaders who are helping organizations grow with clarity, creativity, and confidence. Register here: https://allaboutbrandconference.com?utm_source=Iris&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=conference-26