Most businesses start out with a CEO (or a founder, sometimes those are different) with a brilliant idea for a product or a service that will solve a problem in the marketplace. Great, right? And let’s just say they are so great at sales and business development that they’re able to build a pretty successful business and it gets them to a certain benchmark in their business. Awesome! But, inevitably, meaning it will come, that way of building will only take them so far without having a Brand Strategy in place.
Is it really that important, you say? Yes! Let’s first talk about what it is and then we’ll get into the guts of why it matters and how it can affect the long-term health of your business.
Branding is essentially quantifying the value and authenticity of an organization, product, or service. It’s a clear set of characteristics, benefits, communication styles, and attributes that define a particular brand.
Now that’s out of the way, and you’ve decided on your brand, what’s next? Your Branding Strategy! It defines the rules and guidelines on how, what, where, when, and to whom you communicate your brand messaging. A well-defined and executed brand strategy will lead to a consistent brand message, meaning a strong emotional connection with your audience, and in turn, higher brand equity. Long story short, it’s how your company shows up in the marketplace with a specific goal in order to not only attract your ideal clients and customers, but to create raving, loyal fans. And isn’t that what every company wants?
What does a Brand Strategy do?
- It creates guidelines for all of your visual creative decisions, from the look and feel and the color palette, to the kinds of fonts and imagery that you use for your brand.
- It defines the verbal expression of your brand. The language, the words, the tone, and the voice in which your brand communicates.
- It allows you to define and create the desired brand experience that you want to have with your ideal client.
Why Do You Need A Brand Strategy?
Brands represent a customer’s opinion of a company’s credibility, products, and the experience they’ll have interacting and purchasing. A brand strategy is essential in business, because it provides clarity around the competitive landscape, market position, and expectations for consumers. The information in a brand’s strategic plan is crucial to develop effective marketing strategies and to really nail marketing messaging in order to maximize your marketing budget.
So what are we really trying to say? It all boils down to the cold hard truth that branding is what drives marketing because branding is strategic and marketing is tactical. Whether you’re just starting out, or if you have an established business, it’s vitally important to build a Brand Strategy first before implementing your marketing strategy. And after all of this, if you still don’t know where to start… drop us a note and let’s grab a coffee or hop on a Zoom call — we’d love to help!