The process of creating a brand identity for a product

Whilst a brand strategy captures the “softer” sides of a business like the vision, mission and values, it cannot be built in isolation of the harder more functional business strategy. Together, the two strategies address the commercial opportunity (how to generate revenue) and category distinction (how to raise awareness and maintain relevance). The success of both lie in how closely connected they are.

01 Brand Strategy… What Is It?

These strategic elements help us get to the heart of our brand strategy framework – the brand idea. A brand idea is a north star that influences every part of a business – from internal culture to product development and everything in between. 

These brand ideas are simple and reframe not only the problem they solve but how the brand uniquely goes about solving it. Additionally, they heavily influence the creative direction and execution of the visual identity.

With a clear and compelling brand idea at the heart of a brand strategy, a business can focus on what it does best and move forward with confidence. So in summary, a brand strategy is a framework that outlines what a business does, how it shows up in the world and why anyone should care. And it should work hand-in-hand with the strategy for the business to help it reach its commercial goals.

Acquaint yourself with the aspect ratios, resolutions, and optimal practices for each medium you'll be handling. In the realm of digital design, your canvas encompasses the user interface and the overall user experience. Components like load times, interactive aspects, and user navigation also contribute to the final masterpiece.

Your brand strategy is not merely an empty space; it's a complex system of design elements, interactive features, and user experiences.

02 Why Brand Strategy Matters

Brand strategy is important because it provides clarity. Clarity on what a business is (and what it isn’t), on what a business should do (and shouldn’t), and on what makes a business unique (and what doesn’t). Clarity is priceless but confusion is expensive, which makes brand strategy an essential and dare we say, undervalued asset.

Brand strategy can be likened to a foundation for a house. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the finishes or how spacious the rooms, at some point the weak foundations will buckle and it’ll all come crumbling down.

But putting visual metaphors to one side, there are commercial repercussions for not having a solid strategic foundation in place for your brand. A common myth that we hear is that the value of a brand cannot be measured. The truth is that a strong brand (born from a solid brand strategy) adds value to the bottom line.

03 So, How Do You Build One?

Building a brand strategy requires getting your hands dirty and pulling yourself away from the comfort of the marketing department. It involves getting under the bonnet of the business and being honest about what’s required to push the brand forward.

Brand strategists are typically good at absorbing vast amounts of information and synthesizing that information into something simple and structured. Too much detail and people will switch off. But too little substance and people won’t know what to do with it. Building a brand strategy isn’t about capturing everything the business does or is about. Instead it’s about identifying what’s most important. It might sound paradoxical, but building an effective brand strategy actually involves a lot of stripping away.

Revisit and reassess. It is often said that if you stand still you’ll go backwards, and the same can be said for brand strategy. Whilst consistency is crucial to building attribution, remaining relevant is equally important too. As a business grows and adapts to meet the changing needs of its customers, a brand strategy must evolve to help the brand keep up.

Remember, the objective of a brand strategy is to provide clarity. And clarity helps the business focus on the things that will help the business stand out and meet its commercial goals.

Decision making, hiring, and the ability to scale and enter new markets are all impacted by the strength and clarity of a solid brand strategy. And whilst it might be used day in and day out by the marketing and brand team, the true value is felt when the entire organization puts it to use.