Brand Strategy 101
Have you ever wondered what makes Nike so special? Why Coca-Cola is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of soda? Why do certain commercials make you tear up and why do others make you want to throw the remote at your TV? The answer all comes down to brand strategy.
Every brand has a name and a face, but as brand strategists, it is our job to create unique and unified identities for each of our clients. Beyond the name and the logo, there’s a purpose — there’s a mission, a vision, and values. Below the surface of every brand, there’s a story, and it is our job to help companies share theirs with the world.
What is Brand Strategy?
In the realm of marketing and advertising, brand strategy is the compass steering the course toward a memorable and resonant brand narrative. Brand Strategy is how you actively influence the way people perceive your brand. Crafting a brand strategy goes beyond just designing logos and identities. It’s the detailed plan that guides how a brand creates a meaningful connection with both existing and potential customers.
At its core, brand strategy is the driving force behind shaping a lasting bond with your audience. Your brand, essentially, becomes the emotional touchpoint that customers establish with your enterprise. This deep connection is shaped not only by your name, logo, and visual and verbal identity but also by the collective experiences customers associate with your brand.
Why Do We Need Brand Strategy?
Brand strategy is an essential part of a successful marketing plan that involves creating a unique, unified identity for your company. It helps you build trust, loyalty, and recognition with your target audience by communicating a consistent message across all channels.
An effective brand strategy can help you to:
- Stand out in a competitive market
- Establish long-term customer loyalty, awareness, and trust
- Drive growth for your business
- Analyze market opportunities and streamline marketing efforts
- Inspire word-of-mouth referrals and marketing
Building a Brand Strategy
Before starting to build a brand strategy, it is important to know who you are and what you stand for. Why are you doing what you do? For who? The purpose, values, vision, and mission of your company are key factors in defining your brand’s identity most authentically.
STEP 1. DEFINE BRAND CORE
Brand core is your brand’s fundamental nature or quality. It shares your passion and motivation with your audience and guides you to connect to your audience through shared beliefs and values.
Your brand core functions as your North Star, guiding you in the right direction regarding business decisions. Operating with your values front and center cultivates trust, and keeps you accountable to the people you work with and for.
Purpose: Why does this brand exist? What problems are we solving? How do we plan to positively impact our customers’ lives?
Core Values: What are your guiding principles? What drives your brand’s decisions and behaviors?
Vision: Where do you want to go? What does the brand look like 10 years from now? How will we achieve this?
Mission Statement: A combination of your brand’s purpose, values, and vision in one definitive place.
STEP 2. UNDERSTAND BRAND POSITION
Brand positioning describes how a brand is different from its competitors. You must understand what your consumers want, why they want it, and how they achieve their goals.
Differentiation: How are you different from your competitors?
Audience: Who are they? What do they want? Why do they care? How do they communicate? Who motivates them and inspires them? Who is your ideal customer? What are their pain points?
Goals: What type of awareness do we want? What emotions and experiences do we want to evoke in our customers? What do we want our customers to say about us?
STEP 3. CREATE BRAND PERSONA
How you sound is as important as what you say. A persona leaves an impression on your customers after every touch point or interaction, just as meeting a person would.
Personality: How do you want to be perceived?
Voice: What is your tone of voice? How does it change with every situation?
Taglines: Channel your personality and tone of voice to create memorable taglines
Visual Identity: Logo, colors, typography, website, business cards, photos, illustrations, icons, and social media profiles
Notes from Neiter Creative
What Our Team has to Say…
Michelle Tarallo, Marketing Director
“Your brand has to have an authentic perspective on life. Why does a brand do what it does? What motivates the brand? What is their personality like? By figuring out the humanistic traits that a brand has, you enable the brand to interact on a more human level, with your exact audience. ENTER FEELINGS! When we FEEL something, we’re real, in that moment, reacting, thinking, and responding to whatever made us feel. If your brand can do that, you will win. Period.”
Jo Neiter, Founder & Creative Director
“Brand Strategy is like the soul of your business — it is the essence of who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re here. It is your guiding star, keeping on you on course and directing you to success.”
Becky Blumberg, Senior Graphic Designer
“Brand strategy has such a positive impact on the design and visual aspect of a brand. I think of it in terms of copy because brand strategy dictates the copy, and the copy helps me to design a visual identity. Rather than using generic copy, [brand strategy] inspires me to represent the brand as authentically as possible.”
Juliet Levin, Branding & Marketing Coordinator
“Brand strategy is the internal research you do before getting the external results you want. If brand guidelines are your recipe to success — the ingredients you’ll need, the appliances you’ll use, and the steps that you’ll take to make the most memorable, mouth-watering, iconic dish ever — then brand strategy is figuring out what you want to make, why you want to make it, and how you’re going to go about it.”