Building a brand strategy will help you to create the very foundations of your business. Your brand is much more than just a fun logo or a quirky strapline; it’s what helps you stand out in your industry and stay one step ahead of everyone else. Your brand strategy can help you identify your purpose, as well as making sure you are appealing to your customer base, all while keeping one eye on your competitors. The right strategy can ensure your message is consistent and gives you the know-how to adapt your approach when it’s necessary.
With that in mind, here are some of the important steps you should consider when creating a brand strategy.
Identifying your purpose
Every brand makes some sort of promise to its customers, setting out what it will deliver, as well as what the brand stands for. While every business needs to make money in order to be viable, brands should also strive for more than just profitability.
One of the most important questions to ask yourself is why do you exist? Your brand’s purpose should be a way of demonstrating to your audience that you are doing something and standing for something bigger than the products you make, making clear what your values are and how these are brought to life.
Achieving consistency
Your brand strategy should pave the way for a meaningful brand that is relevant to your audience. Define the message you want to send out to your audience and make sure every post, email and notification builds on that message. Over time, this create a cohesive and consistent presence that your customers will learn to recognise instantly.
Make it easy for your customers to piece together who you are and consider everything carefully, from tone of voice to colour schemes.
Appealing to emotions
Customers are driven by emotion more often than rationality, and this should be an important part of your brand strategy. Your customers want to feel as though they are part of something and that they are valued, so finding ways to build a relationship with your audience is a crucial part of your branding.
Understand your customers’ needs and why they would invest in your product or service. What is it about your brand that would draw someone in? The answers to questions like these can help you to better communicate with your audience and align your brand with their values, which in turn will increase loyalty.
Being aware of your competitors
Knowing what your competitors are doing can help to drive your own brand strategy, in that you can strive to create even greater value in your own brand. While your customers should be your number one priority, keeping one eye on your competitors is the key to success. Have some of their tactics succeeded well, or have some failed to hit the mark?
Stay in tune with your competitors’ branding and ensure you continue to be unique. You might offer similar products or services, but by knowing their moves, you can differentiate yourself and create a brand strategy that truly stands out.
Adopting a flexible approach
The world of branding and advertising can move quickly, and it’s important that your brand is adaptable when it needs to be. While consistency is important, you should have the freedom to make some adjustments in order to keep your brand fresh and relevant.
