What even *is* brand strategy? Is it a logo? Your “why”? A core promise?
If you’re shopping for brand strategy, then you’ve already encountered a confusing buffet of options.
Some graphic designers sell “brand strategy” in the form of logo, style guide, overall look and feel. (This really should be called brand identity.)
Some brand strategists hawk certified programs like StoryBrand, Level C, and Simon Sinek’s “Why”. (A great starting place! But they’re geared towards simple business brands with a “one size fits all” approach.)
Larger agencies often roll market research into brand strategy, but that’s actually a whole separate enchilada that comes before brand strategy.
Unfortunately, marketing terms have been used, abused, and rendered near meaningless…which makes it real damn hard to find what you need.
Soooo…brand strategy? What is it, really?
I know. Sorry. Let’s back up a bit, and then I promise to define it.
Maybe you’ve never sewed without a pattern…but just imagine trying to put something together without a clear idea of where the pieces are supposed to go, fit together, or even what exact shape they should be. That’s what you’re leaving your employees to do when you ask them to piece together a brand without a brand strategy. Photo: Salvador Godoy
Here’s the simplest way to understand: pretend this is a sewing project.
Your brand strategy is your dress pattern.
It doesn’t have to be pretty—it won’t even “show.” But it does have to scale to multiple sizes, allow for different fabrics and variations, and create a flattering, true-to-you structure for everything you’ll create with it.
Without a good pattern, your sewing project turns into a hairball nightmare FAST. (And if you need more than one “dress”—forget it.) Cue the dressmaking scene in Sleeping Beauty.
Brand strategy offers a consistent, versatile “dress pattern” for building brand expressions ranging from your logo to your outgoing voicemail.
Your marketing—aka brand expressions—are the actual finished dress(es).
You can make hundreds of different dresses, in different sizes, with various fabrics from your dress pattern. They’re all different, yet seem to express the same style and vibe.
Brand expressions include your identity (logo, tagline, look and feel, copy voice) and your marketing (radio spots, public event sponsorships, enews, website, etc.)
Your brand is the impression people get when they glimpse the dress.
Put on a dress from a flowy pattern, and within a fraction of a second, people experience you as granola, earthy, probably vegan and into liberal politics. In a more structured dress, you’re classic, timeless, elegant, and likely smell expensive. In another, you’re sturdy and ready to work. Outdoorsy and covered in dog hair. Delicate and artistic. A party animal.
While what people see is the dress (the brand expression), what they perceive is the pattern (the brand strategy), and what they conclude is a quick size-up of you—aka, your brand.
Do I really need a pattern/brand strategy though?
You can’t go out naked (sorry), so whatever dress you put on (in your communications) says something about you.
If you don’t use a dress pattern, or defy the pattern’s sizing and guidelines, you wind up with a dress that wears YOU. People don’t see you at all…they see a dress that doesn’t suit you. They get confused. Did you just borrow someone else’s? Do you not know yourself well enough to know your style or even your size? It’s awkward.
When you don’t use a brand strategy, people get distracted by one-off communication attempts that don’t really seem to flow or express you well. When intuitive employees dig deep, they can often pull together some amazing one-offs…but it’s so much more work, and so much less repeatable, than if they just had that “dress pattern.”
This dress is giving escaped fairy tale princess vibes…and with that floofy skirt and corset pattern, it would in any fabric, color, or size. Within a fraction of a second, we’ve gathered a strong brand impression. (And it’s that this woman is probably great at singing on-key to forest creatures and terrible at discerning evil witches.) Photo: Alice Alinari
Here’s what my brand strategy service looks like.
My brand strategy is designed to be the right “dress pattern” for your organization—now, and five to fifteen years from now. Smaller organizations get a simple version because they aren’t going to be making scads of fancy dresses; more complex bigger organizations get a more robust version because they are.
Optional: Target audience research*
I start by digging deep into the motivations of the people you want to reach. You might have already have market data and research for me to pore over. You might have an employee with a great sense who can fill me in fast. I might dig into online forums where your “type” hangs out, or interview your donors and clients directly.
Insights
No matter how we get the information, I distill it into key takeaways about your target audience—the emotional drivers that lead them to support your brand.
Optional: Competitive analysis*
I dig into other organizations and companies your ideal target audience might support, and outline how you can clearly differentiate yourself in the landscape.
Brand Architecture
Good brand strategies have one killer core promise, and 3-5 inspiring supporting pillars that uphold that promise. These pillars are often the most actionable parts of the brand—key tools for your staff.
Voice & Personality Guardrails
A voice and personality guide sets a consistent tone for all your brand expressions. With it in place, it’s easier to design your brand identity suite (logo, look and feel, tagline) and dictate the voice for all your copy
Some other secret features I’m not putting in this blog post
Mostly because it’s a “see what you need” situation. Sometimes, we blow out brand ethics, add a more robust language and writing guide, put in a verbal elevator pitch, or create some biolerplate responses for common misconceptions.
What does the deliverable look like? Sometimes, it comes as a poster employees can hang by their desks. Usually, it’s a deck, sometimes graphic-designed by me, sometimes designed by your designer, sometimes designed by one of my colleagues. It can be printed into a handy reference book. I also offer coaching post-process to help teach your staff to bring brand on board until they’re comfortable doing it alone.
It’s not about the parts and pieces.
To be fair…the above is what most good brand strategies include. What makes mine different is that I’ve specialized in the advanced concerns of non-profits, B-Corps, and other mission-minded organizations. I’m dedicated to standout brands with incisive positions that accurately reflect who they are. Brand strategy is my main focus, not a tack-on to other services.
I’m also fortunate to work alongside agency-trained independent colleagues who excel at making a brand strategy sing—key for my most advanced clients.
And, I make brand strategies accessible even for non-marketing folks when needed.
Brand strategy isn’t a logo or a website…but it’s a great time to reinvent yours.
The biggest part of brand strategy, though? Putting it to work. Once your brand strategy is done, we can partner on leveraging it to revamp your visual identity, launch a new website, or start your capital campaign. My brand strategies are designed to be taken over by your in-house team (and their experience will be taken into account) AND I can rally my freelance colleagues to do that for you as one big package, too.
Don’t buy a brand strategy that isn’t.
The only thing worse than not having a brand strategy is having one that doesn’t fit, isn’t dialed in, or actually isn’t a brand strategy at all. Not sure? I will happily look at your options with you. Because I only take on limited clients anyway, I’ll be extremely transparent if I think another strategist can serve you better (or even “well enough”).
Cheers to thinking about taking this step! Brand strategy is one of the best investments you can make in a burgeoning B-corp, mission-minded business, or non-profit.
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