The best digital infrastructure fails without the right operating model.
Layer 07 defines how the Fan Relationship System is governed, staffed and operated internally —
so it becomes a sustainable capability, not a one-time project.
Most digital transformation projects fail not because of bad technology —
but because no one defined who owns what after go-live.
The Operating Model closes this gap.
It covers team structure, vendor management, decision rights, KPI ownership
and the governance framework that keeps the system running and evolving
without permanent external dependency.
Who owns the Identity Layer? Who approves content strategy changes? Who controls vendor contracts? Clear accountability structures prevent paralysis.
Which roles need to exist internally? Where can vendors be used strategically? The operating model defines the team structure for sustainable system operation.
Technology partners, agencies, data providers — the operating model defines how they are selected, contracted and managed. Strategic control stays internal.
Each dimension must be defined before the system goes live.
Decision processes, escalation paths, quarterly review cycles. The Fan Relationship System is a living system — governance keeps it aligned with business objectives.
Roles, responsibilities and reporting lines for fan data, platform operations, content and commercial activation. Built for the organisation’s actual size and ambition.
Every layer has clear KPIs. The operating model assigns ownership: who reports what, to whom, on what cadence. Fan data becomes a management tool, not just an analytics report.
From launch to maturity. The operating model defines the 12–36 month capability building path — so the organisation grows into the system, not just inherits it.
Before go-live — ideally during the platform build phase. The operating model is not a post-launch activity. It needs to be ready when the system goes live, so day one operations are clear.
Smaller than most organisations expect. A lean core team with clear ownership — supported by strategic vendors for execution — is more effective than a large internal department without clear accountability. Brand & Story defines the minimum viable team for each mandate.
Yes — but it requires honest assessment of where existing structures create conflict. The most common issue: fan data ownership sitting in IT while commercial activation sits in marketing, with no shared accountability. The operating model resolves these conflicts explicitly.
The system stagnates. Technology gets built, data gets collected — but no one owns the outcomes. Vendors fill the governance vacuum. Costs rise. Impact falls. The operating model prevents this from the start.
By designing it as part of the mandate — not as a separate consulting project. Governance, team structure, KPI framework and vendor management are defined alongside the platform and data strategy, so everything is coherent from day one.
Brand & Story designs the operating model as part of every mandate —
so the Fan Relationship System runs internally after implementation,
without permanent agency dependency.
