Multi-Brand Management - Manage Multiple Brands in One Account

What You'll Learn

In this article, you'll discover how to:

✅ Understand how Multi-Brand works in Marq
✅ Set up and manage multiple brands in your account
✅ Use smart brand assets to create adaptive templates
✅ Preview templates across all your sub-brands
✅ Control which brands users can access
✅ Switch between brands when creating projects

What is Multi-Brand Management?

Multi-Brand management enables organizations with multiple brand identities to streamline their design operations within one Marq account. Instead of maintaining separate accounts or manually creating variations, you can:

Create Once, Adapt Automatically - Build templates that automatically apply the correct logos, colors, fonts, and assets for each brand

Centralized Control - Manage all brands from one admin panel while controlling user access by brand

Seamless Switching - Users can switch between brands they have access to with a single click

Brand Consistency - Ensure each brand maintains its unique identity while leveraging shared templates and workflows

Perfect for:

Multi-brand corporations (e.g., parent company with multiple product brands)
Franchises with consistent templates but localized branding
Regional variations (APAC, EMEA, Americas teams with local brand requirements)
Companies with distinct brand lines or divisions

How Multi-Brand Works

Smart Brand Assets

At the core of Multi-Brand functionality are smart brand assets - design elements that automatically change based on which brand is selected:

Smart Logos - Template logos automatically switch to the correct brand's logo
Smart Colors - Brand colors update to match the selected brand's palette
Smart Fonts - Typography changes to each brand's specified fonts
Smart Images - Brand-specific images and graphics adapt automatically

When you create a template with smart brand assets, you "map" which asset from each brand should appear in that spot. Marq handles the switching automatically.

Brand Switching for Users

Users with access to multiple brands will see a brand selector when working with multi-brand templates:

When opening a multi-brand template, users see their available brands
Clicking a brand name instantly previews the template with that brand's assets
Users select their brand and create their project
All smart assets automatically populate with the correct brand elements

If a user only has access to one brand, they won't see the brand selector—keeping the experience simple and streamlined.

Setting Up Multi-Brand (Admin)

Prerequisites

Before setting up Multi-Brand functionality:

Your account must have Multi-Brand enabled (contact your CSM)
You need admin access (Account Owner or Team Admin)
You should have brand assets ready for each brand (logos, color palettes, fonts)

Creating Sub-Brands

Navigate to Admin Settings
Go to Brand Management or Multi-Brand Settings
Click Add Brand or Create Sub-Brand
Configure each brand:
- Brand Name - Name of the sub-brand (e.g., "Product Line A", "EMEA Region")
- Brand Assets - Upload logos, define color palettes, set fonts
- Brand Guidelines - Add any specific design rules or restrictions
Save each brand

Repeat for all sub-brands in your organization.

Assigning Users to Brands

Control which teams or users have access to specific brands:

Go to Admin Settings → Users or Groups
Select a user or group
Choose which brands they can access
Save changes

Users will only see and be able to create projects for brands they're assigned to.

Creating Multi-Brand Templates

Using Smart Brand Assets

When building templates with multi-brand support:

Add placeholder elements - Add logo boxes, image containers, or text fields
Make them "smart" - Mark these elements as smart brand assets
Map each brand - Specify which logo, color, or image each brand should use
Set fallbacks - Define what appears if a brand doesn't have a specific asset

Mapping Brand Assets

For each smart element in your template:

Select the element (logo, image, text)
Open the smart brand assets panel
For each brand, choose the corresponding asset:
- Brand A → Brand A's logo
- Brand B → Brand B's logo
- Brand C → Brand C's logo
Repeat for all smart elements

Your template is now ready to adapt to any brand automatically.

Previewing Multi-Brand Templates

One of the most powerful features for template creators is the ability to preview templates across all brands before publishing.

How to Preview Different Brands

Open your multi-brand template in the editor
Look for the brand preview selector (typically in the right panel or top toolbar)
Click on any sub-brand name
The template instantly updates to show that brand's assets

You can quickly spot-check your mappings to ensure each brand looks correct before making the template available to users.

Benefits:

Verify all smart asset mappings are correct
Ensure designs work with different logo sizes or color schemes
Catch issues before users encounter them
Make adjustments and see changes across all brands immediately

📋 Note: This preview feature provides real-time feedback—no need to publish and test separately for each brand.

User Experience: Working with Multiple Brands

Switching Between Brands

When users with multi-brand access create projects:

They open a multi-brand template
A brand selector appears showing their available brands
They click on their desired brand
The template preview instantly updates with that brand's assets
They create their project with the correct branding already applied

Seamless Brand Switching

Users can quickly compare how a design looks with different brands:

Click between brand options to see instant previews
No loading delays—switching is fast and responsive
The correct brand assets automatically populate when they start their project

Single-Brand Users

If a user has access to only one brand:

The brand selector doesn't appear
Their single brand is automatically selected
The experience remains simple and straightforward

This prevents confusion and keeps the interface clean for users who don't need multi-brand options.

Performance and Display Improvements

Multi-Brand templates are optimized for fast, reliable performance:

Fast Loading - Templates display quickly with the right thumbnails and previews
Accurate Thumbnails - Template thumbnails correctly show preview assets
Smooth Switching - Brand switching happens instantly without delays
Consistent Experience - Works just like standard Marq templates

These improvements ensure that managing multiple brands doesn't slow down your team's workflow.

Best Practices for Multi-Brand Management

Organizing Your Brands

Use clear naming conventions:

Product-based: "Brand A", "Brand B", "Brand C"
Geographic: "North America", "EMEA", "APAC"
Division-based: "Corporate", "Retail", "Wholesale"

Document brand guidelines:

Maintain clear documentation about each brand's identity
Note any special considerations or restrictions
Keep asset libraries organized by brand

Template Design Considerations

Plan for asset variations:

Design templates that accommodate different logo sizes
Use flexible layouts that work with various brand color schemes
Test templates with the most different brands (e.g., longest logo vs. shortest logo)

Create smart fallbacks:

Define what happens if a brand doesn't have a specific asset
Use neutral placeholders that work across all brands

Keep it simple:

Don't over-complicate templates with too many smart elements
Focus on the most important brand touchpoints (logos, colors, key images)

User Access Management

Assign brands strategically:

Give users access only to brands they need
Consider regional or departmental access patterns
Review and update brand access as team structures change

Provide training:

Educate users on how to select the correct brand
Show them how to preview different brand options
Clarify when to use which brand

Troubleshooting Multi-Brand

User Can't See Multi-Brand Selector

Possible causes:

User only has access to one brand
Template isn't configured as multi-brand
User doesn't have access to any brands

Solutions:

Verify user has access to multiple brands in Admin Settings
Confirm the template has multi-brand smart assets configured
Check user's group and brand assignments

Smart Assets Not Changing

Possible causes:

Assets aren't mapped correctly
Smart asset mapping is incomplete
Brand asset is missing

Solutions:

Review smart asset mappings in template editor
Ensure all brands have assets assigned for each smart element
Upload missing brand assets

Template Thumbnails Show Wrong Brand

Possible causes:

Template hasn't been republished after mapping changes
Cache needs refreshing

Solutions:

Republish the template after making mapping changes
Clear browser cache and refresh
Contact support if issue persists

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many brands can I have in my account?
A: The number of brands you can create depends on your account plan. Contact your Customer Success Manager for details on your account's brand limits.

Q: Can I have templates that work for some brands but not others?
A: Yes. You can assign templates to specific brands, making them available only to users of those brands. Not all templates need to be multi-brand.

Q: What happens if I add a new brand later?
A: When you add a new brand, you'll need to update existing multi-brand templates to map assets for the new brand. Existing brand mappings remain intact.

Q: Can users access templates from multiple brands simultaneously?
A: Users see all templates they have access to based on their brand assignments. They select which brand to use when creating a project from a multi-brand template.

Q: Does Multi-Brand work with Creative Studio?
A: Yes. Multi-Brand templates appear in Creative Studio where admins can manage them just like other templates. The brand preview feature also works in Studio.

Q: Can I copy smart brand asset mappings between templates?
A: Currently, smart brand asset mappings are template-specific. You'll need to map assets for each template individually.

Q: Do users need training to use Multi-Brand?
A: The user experience is designed to be intuitive—they simply select their brand and create their project. Brief training on when to use which brand is helpful but not technically required.

Use Cases and Examples

Multi-Product Company

Scenario: Your company has three product brands that share marketing templates but need distinct branding.

Solution: Set up three sub-brands with unique logos and color schemes. Create multi-brand templates for common materials (case studies, one-pagers, social graphics). Teams select their product brand and get correctly branded materials automatically.

Global Organization with Regional Brands

Scenario: Your organization operates in multiple regions, each with localized branding variations.

Solution: Create sub-brands for each region (APAC, EMEA, Americas). Map regional logos, colors, and language-specific assets. Regional teams access templates and automatically get their region's branding.

Franchise Network

Scenario: Franchise locations need corporate-approved templates with local logos and information.

Solution: Set up each franchise location as a sub-brand. Create templates with smart brand assets for logos and location-specific information. Franchisees get consistent, on-brand templates with their local identity.

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper into brand and template management? Check out these related articles:

→ Marq Creative Studio
→ Intro to Brand Templating
→ Admin panel overview

Questions about Multi-Brand or interested in accessing this feature? Contact your Customer Success Manager or reach out to Marq Support.