You've probably heard the term "brand strategy" and wondered what the heck it is, why it's important, and if you really need one. It's a term that gets thrown around a lot in the marketing world. As usual, my goal is to simplify things for you, help you understand brand strategy, and help you discern if you need one. The best thing about having a brand strategy is that it gives you clarity and enables you to stand out in a crowded market to build a loyal customer base.

In this blog post, I will explore what brand strategy is, the benefits of having one, some ways to determine if you need one, and tips for creating a brand strategy that resonates with your audience.

What is Brand Strategy?

Let's first talk about what brand strategy is NOT… because there can be a lot of confusion.

Brand strategy is not your brand's purpose and values. These are critical to the foundation of a brand strategy, but they only make up a part of the whole.

A brand strategy is NOT the logo. It's not even the meaning behind the logo. A logo can have a pretty cool meaning, but that's only part of your brand strategy, and that's just one tiny element.

It's not the Creative Direction, either. It's much deeper than that. Your Creative Direction focuses on your brand's art and visual expression. It's your color palette, typography, fonts, photography, imagery, and other visual elements. Your Creative Direction is just a branch of your entire brand strategy.

Brand strategy is a thorough and comprehensive plan that outlines and articulates how you will position and market your brand to your target audience, both verbally and visually. It's the foundation of your brand. It sustains you for the long haul. It looks at your entire brand, not just the visuals or design.

What’s included in a brand strategy?

Brand strategy consists of three main parts:

Your Brand's Heartbeat

Your foundation
Your purpose
Your mission
Your core values
Your vision

Your Brand's Messaging

Your personality
Your voice and tone
Your tagline
Your unique value proposition

Your Brand's Visual Identity

Your logos
Your typography and fonts
Your color palette
Your photos and imagery
Any other visual elements (i.e., patterns, icons, etc.)

Your Brand Strategy is not just a dump pile of this information, though. A well-laid brand strategy interprets how all these elements work together to help you achieve your starry-eyed, big-dreamer goals. It's an actual playbook of things you can do to achieve those goals.

A brand strategy is meant to be USED. It's not meant to sit on a virtual shelf and collect dust.

And here's the thing… you can slap together a brand and call it a day. But without a strategic plan in place, you'll inevitably lose.

Seth Godin said it best…

"People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic."

Putting a brand strategy in place will help you identify your magic. Which will help build brand loyalty and allow you to skyrocket your growth.

Why is brand strategy important?

Aside from the benefits I've already described, a brand strategy provides a ton of benefits.

It gives you clarity and makes your decision-making easier. It answers any questions you have about your marketing, communication, and visuals as you move forward.

It helps you understand who you truly are, your beliefs, and your values. Rather than getting distracted by what everyone else is doing, your brand strategy keeps you focused.

It helps you attract the right clients. Because you know who you are and are showing up consistently and cohesively, your audience is going to get to know you. They're going to recognize you. And the right ones will fall in love with your brand.

It helps you be more empathetic and relatable to your audience. Which helps them trust you. Which converts them into loyal customers.

Your brand strategy positions you as an authority in your field. It further helps your ideal client see you as their 'must-have' option.

Your brand strategy ensures a cohesive brand and online presence across all fronts. You're able to show up consistently. You're able to have a strong presence. And you're able to communicate your unparalleled client experience easily.

It helps you know what to say to people. It guides you with both verbal and visual guidelines. No more second-guessing what to say or what visuals to use.

It shows you opportunities to stand out in exciting ways. It makes room for creativity and shows the uniqueness of your brand.

Do I really need a brand strategy?

A brand strategy benefits every brand and every business, no matter where they are on their journey. But a brand strategy is especially beneficial for brands who are :

relaunching, or
rebranding, or
changing directions (i.e., creating new services or offerings, exploring new marketing efforts, or scaling the business)

No matter where you are on your business journey, a brand strategy can help you lay a strong foundation and stay grounded and focused for the long-term.

Tips for creating a brand strategy

If you want to create your brand strategy on your own, here are some tips to get you started.

Define your brand's purpose and values.

Before creating a strong brand strategy, you need to know your brand's purpose and values. Knowing these helps you create messaging and visual elements that resonate with your audience and differentiate you from your competitors. Your purpose and values are also essential in guiding your decision-making as you develop and evolve your brand over time.

Some questions to guide you in defining your purpose and values:

Why do you do what you do?
What does your brand stand for?
What makes you mad in your industry?
What is one thing you would die on a hill to make sure your client or customer knew?
What problem does your brand solve for your target audience?
If you had to describe what your brand does to a toddler, what would you say?

Conduct market research to understand your target audience.

You need to understand your target audience to create a strong, dialed-in brand strategy. Conducting market research can help you gather information about your audience's demographics, interests, behaviors, and pain points. You can use this information to create messaging and visual elements that resonate with your audience and address their needs.

You can conduct market research through surveys, focus groups, social media listening, and other methods.

The more you know about your target audience, the better you can tailor your brand strategy to meet their needs and build brand loyalty.

You’ll also want to do a deep dive into your competitors. Look at what sets you apart: What is ONE thing your clients and customers get from you that they can’t get anywhere else? What do your competitors do well? What do they not do well?

Develop a unique brand identity and messaging.

A strong brand identity and messaging are essential to a successful brand strategy.

Your brand identity includes your logo, color scheme, typography, and other visual elements that help distinguish your brand from competitors.

Your messaging should communicate your brand's values, mission, and unique selling proposition clearly and compellingly.

By developing a unique brand identity and messaging, you can differentiate your brand from competitors and build a strong emotional connection with your target audience.

Click here to read Your Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Brand Messaging.

Create a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints.

Consistency is key when it comes to building a strong brand strategy. Your brand should be recognizable and consistent across all touchpoints, including your website, social media profiles, packaging, advertising, and customer service. This means using the same logo, color scheme, and messaging across all channels. Creating a consistent brand experience can build trust with your audience and reinforce your brand's values and mission.

Continuously evaluate and adjust your brand strategy as needed.

A strong brand strategy is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. As your business evolves and your target audience changes, it's important to regularly evaluate and adjust your brand strategy to ensure it remains relevant and effective. This may involve conducting market research, analyzing customer feedback, and staying up-to-date with industry trends. By continuously refining your brand strategy, you can stay ahead of the competition and maintain a strong connection with your audience.

Just like most things in business, your brand strategy is a living document. It's meant to evolve as your business grows. You don't need to hold it with a tight fist, but you should use it as guidelines. It's your playbook. Your blueprint.

Want to partner with someone to create your brand's strategy? Let's chat.

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