What is Brand Strategy All About?
Why branding and strategy go hand in hand and the key steps to get there.
Photo by Kristian Egelund, Unsplash.
I was recently asked how I helped a juggernaut of a brand pivot to make sense for an entirely new category, without losing the essence of the core brand. I was asked how I went about this because my academic credentials and previous job titles don’t specifically include the word ‘brand’ or any title implying that I’m a branding specialist of any sort. And it got me thinking, When did I start getting into ‘branding’? It occurred to me that I’ve been doing it since I started working. I’ve been translating brands for the last 6 years, and as a Strategist, I’ve had to.
In order to successfully create a strategy that works, you have to understand the brand. You have to understand it so well that you can build upon it and take it into the future. So I guess you could say, I’ve been translating brands for 6+ years in order to do my work effectively.
Branding doesn’t only mean the pretty fonts & standout logos. It’s the essence and purpose of its existence. It’s meaning. It’s non-negotiable values.
So yes, I don’t ‘do’ branding in the traditional sense, I don’t draw logos and I don’t create fonts and design guidelines, but I do help distill the meaning into actionable insights and design briefs that I know, make sense commercially. Like I said, I translate brands. Translating just means I’ve repeatedly, time and time again, taken a brands values and interpreted it into something a little more tangible for designers, engineers and commercial teams to get their teeth stuck into and ultimately, understand it themselves.
…but I do help distill the meaning into actionable insights and design briefs that I know, make sense commercially.
Sometimes brand values can feel lofty and un-relatable, hard to pin against current business challenges, so I’m there to help extrapolate the non-negotiable values of a brand, while turning them into something to serve as a guiding principle, an inspiration, a direction. That’s where the strategic element comes in, my bread and butter. Without this direction, it’s going to be almost impossible to evolve the brand into tomorrow’s world, the strategy has to echo the brand’s core values in order to achieve a coherent growth strategy. After all, the world is constantly changing and brands need to keep adapting all the while securing a consistent tone between the internal business, its vision, values, and the companies external role in the world.
I’m there to help extrapolate the non-negotiable values of a brand, while turning them into something to serve as a guiding principle, an inspiration, a direction.
The steps toward a good ‘Brand Strategy’.
Step 1. The Deep Dive.
I start by researching the brands values: Why does the brand exist? The raison d’etre, the reason for being. Understanding the brands journey from inception to today is an important part of the translation, without which it’s impossible to continue. Use this step to really learn about why the brand exists, its goals and aspirations. This step is all about learning, so ask lots of questions and get under the skin of the brand. What was the landscape when the brand was created? Why was it born? From need, from desire, whatever it is, you need to know about it.
Step 2. Does Intention Match Perception?
Does your brands intention match how people perceive the brand. Does the message resonate? Understanding if the current branding resonates with people is an important step to understanding if the brand is creating a cultural movement. You’re not just selling products or services anymore, more likely, you’re selling lifestyle.
The most successful brands today hook you emotionally. They tap into your inner desires and aspirations, and they give you the framework to imagine yourself living a better, healthier, happier, more fun life, if you belong to their tribe. Great brands know the difference between people owning their product and people who have an emotional connection to their brand.
Step 3. Understanding Your Audience.
Long gone are the days when customers were just a faceless sales figure, they have identities now (not that they didn’t before, but the internet has just made them a whole lot more visible). Each person is now their own brand. They have an online presence, we don’t only know how they behave in our segment or market but we can learn about their entire lives, because they’re sharing it openly. Understanding your audience goes far beyond just understanding who actually buys your product/service, it’s important to understand about the audience that engages but doesn’t buy and those who don’t even know you exist. If you only look at sales you’ll confuse who your tribe really is. Look more toward the people who actively share and engage with your brand. They are your little champions, your unassuming brand ambassadors, understanding them is more valuable than someone who only bought your product because it was 50% off.
Step 4: Brand is Strategy. Strategy is Brand.
What on Earth does that mean? Well, you need to tap into the unique, non-negotiable qualities of your brand. You don’t budge on your values, that’s why they’re called values, but you need to employ clever strategy in order to grow. These two need to be so coherent that it looks like you super-glued the sh*t out of them. If your strategy isn’t rooted in your brand values, the end product is confusing, doesn’t belong and will alienate your loyal tribe of followers. As a strategist, make sure to ask yourself questions like ‘How does this value age with this trend?’ and ‘How do you add another dimension to this brand value?’, ‘ Is this value rigid or can it adapt?’, ‘Does this value have any meaning in another segment or market?’. Try and approach the brand strategy through multiple dimensions, looking for those golden nuggets we call: growth opportunities (easier said than done, I know).
Fundamentally, a good strategist understands how to balance the brands core values and will translate this for everyone into tangible goals. The best growth strategies are those that are intertwined so deeply with the brands reason for being.
So, yes, in theory my title is Creative Strategist but branding is huge part of what I do and how I develop my strategies. I may not create your brands identity but I will write up a growth strategy that takes that identity and gives it real, tangible, commercial value for years to come.