When you're building a brand, consistency isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s what makes you look credible instead of chaotic.

But let’s be real. When you're juggling product launches, investor decks and Slack notifications, making sure everyone is using the right logo on the right colour background isn’t always top of the list.

That’s where a brand champion comes in.

Think of them as your brand’s bodyguard. They’re the person making sure everything you share with the outside world actually looks, sounds and feels like your brand.

What a Brand Champion Actually Does

A brand champion is someone on your team who owns the job of keeping your brand consistent. They don’t need to be a designer or a marketer (although it helps). They just need to care deeply about how your startup shows up.

They’re the ones who:

• Review social posts, pitch decks and one-pagers before they go out
• Check that your tone of voice hasn’t drifted into “corporate robot” territory
• Make sure people are using the right logo, not the weird stretched one from the early days
• Answer questions like “Can I make this pink?” with kindness and a firm “no”
• Gently steer everyone back to the brand guidelines when things go rogue

They’re not there to nitpick. They’re there to protect the brand from slow, silent chaos.

Why It Actually Matters

Most startups think once the brand guidelines are written, the job is done. But even the best brand book can’t stop that one team member from dropping Comic Sans into a pitch deck “just to make it fun.”

Without someone keeping an eye on things, brand drift creeps in. Slowly, your clean, consistent brand starts to feel a bit… off. And that erodes trust. It makes you look less professional and harder to remember.

A brand champion helps:

• Catch those off-brand moments before they go public
• Keep the whole team aligned
• Make sure the little details don’t fall through the cracks

It’s not about perfection. It’s about giving people a clear, confident experience of who you are, wherever they find you.

It’s Not Just One Person’s Job

Here’s the thing. People come and go. If only one person is holding the brand together, it won’t take much for things to unravel.

You need more than one brand champion. Ideally, you’ll have a few people across the team who can flag issues, answer questions and help others stay on-brand - especially as your company grows.

And if you really want to future-proof things? Make brand training part of your onboarding.

Every new employee should know:

• What your brand stands for
• How it looks and sounds in practice
• Where to find key assets and templates
• Who to ask if they’re unsure

It doesn’t need to be a big training session. A 15-minute walkthrough and a central brand hub are more than enough to start.

How to Set Your Brand Champions Up for Success

A brand champion only works if the rest of the team is on board. That means:

• Giving them access to the right tools, templates and files
• Creating a shared place for your brand toolkit (Notion, Google Drive, wherever works for you)
• Making it clear they’re trusted to give feedback and course-correct
• Encouraging everyone to check things before they go live

The goal isn’t to slow things down. It’s to make your brand feel considered, not cobbled together.

Final Thoughts

Your brand is what people remember about you. But only if it actually feels like you every time they see it.

A brand champion helps make that happen. They keep your message clear, your visuals consistent and your team aligned - no matter how fast you’re growing.

At The Marketing Mix, we help startups build brands that don’t just look good, but hold up in the real world. If you’re ready to put the right foundations in place, we’d love to help.