Managing a global brand in today’s high-speed world of instantaneous customer feedback on numerous technology platforms is like having to quickly get dressed in the dark. You had better have a well thought out plan, or the results could tarnish your well-polished image.

Here are common ways managers hurt their image:

1. Inconsistent use of branding at home.

Does your Powerpoint, white papers or other presentation materials use different fonts, images, colors and logos, than your products or website? Lack of attention to detail may translate to loss of confidence in your company.

For example in the Steve Jobs biography author Walter Isaacson describes how the entire Apple computers organization was driven to be militant about consistent usage of brand attributes by Mr. Jobs. Apples first PR firm, Regis McKenna, put a maxim atop the first Apple brochure, that is often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Mr. Jobs insisted everything, from product design, to consumer packaging, to internal contracts, had to be infused with the company’s defined philosophy. Mr. Jobs also saw the power of good typography as a key element of the Apple “simplicity” brand messaging. The message has never changed even though the company has updated its design throughout different eras. This has led to consumer recognition and then trust and loyalty from their customers.