It's a useful exercise to anthropomorphize. So close your eyes (before reading any further) and envision your company's brand as a living, breathing thing. Got the picture in your mind?

I hope you see a unique being with its own character, personality, purpose and behaviors. And like any living thing, it must be cared for to reach its potential and be a sustainable brand. Here are best practices to grow and tend your brand for longevity:

1. Strategize. As we move in sophistication from thinking about brands as logos to brands as experiences, you must use your brand promise to drive business planning. This means that the most important question you can ask is, "What should we do this year to increase our brand value difference in the market?" Your brand must be your primary strategy driver, not just something you communicate. You must be committed to your brand's value over time and invest in actions that deliver more of your brand promise to the market. So if your brand is about being the best partner, for example, dedicate a portion of your annual planning process to shoring up current partnerships and identifying ways you can be a better partner at all levels.
    
2. Consistify. OK, I made up that word. But the idea still applies: Make sure your visual and verbal brand speaks with one voice, and that your customer touchpoints all deliver on your key value. It's good practice to put all your customer-facing materials on a table and see if you get one message or many.
    
3. Update. Sparingly. It's OK to refresh your look and feel. You can come out with new ad campaigns. Just make sure that the heart of your brand--its DNA--doesn't change over time. What you can change is the additional ways you demonstrate your brand in your actions, products, programs and communications. Change how you say it, not what you say.
    
4. Get it out there. You can't secure customer preference, loyalty or commitment levels of engagement for your brand without the first step: awareness. Look for low- or no-cost ways to get your brand in front of prospects. As Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu put it, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
    
5. Localize. If your brand shows up in different countries or regions, make sure 70 percent of your brand's value, meaning and personality stays consistent, while you change 30 percent of it to match the specific culture. Check out Apple's ads in Japan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. on YouTube if you want to see a master of the art of localization.
    
6. Contextualize. Look for places and times for your brand to show up where its value will be most appreciated. For example, airports are a desirable demographic for Wi-Fi networks There's a captive audience of passengers who are stuck there and bored.
    
7. Benchmark. Ideally, you should measure the strength and content of your brand yearly, so you know what pieces need shoring up and what you're doing well. You can do this via a web-based survey. (For a sample of a brand report card, click here.) For example, if your brand is predicated on innovation, and your innovative scores dip, then you know a key foundational part of your brand needs more attention.