Branding Strategy
As branding consultants, we help our clients articulate their branding strategy at the highest level based on branding insights directly from their customers and/or customers. Iconic brands don’t just pop into existence.
First, we should establish that brands and branding strategy are much more than logos. It can be tempting to start there, but the reality is that those should reflect your corporate positioning relative to your customers’ perspective, not drive it. That’s why it’s so important to start at the beginning.
Formulating your strategy starts way back with why your company and products are there in the first place. What problems are they solving, what opportunities are they creating, and how are you representing them in the marketplace?
Role of the Branding Consultant
Branding consultants generate and/or leverage insights based on the current situation, business plans, competitive analysis, internal research, and customer research to inform the creation (or re-creation) of a brand. This includes everything from the core mission of the organization to the personality, look, and feel of the brand identity.
Because a brand is so much more than a logo, determining the optimal branding strategy nearly always involves multiple meetings, from executive and managerial interviews to collaborative brainstorming sessions. Pulling all that together with general and specific customer research can give your brand a much more strategic starting point, with greater potential to thrive in the hearts and minds of your customers.
Branding Strategy Development Components Include:
Mission/Purpose
Why do you do what you do? Who are you serving? What are you solving?
Vision/Values
What will you ultimately accomplish? What principles will guide how you will behave and how you will deliver your solutions, products and/or services?
Brand Personality
What characteristics define how you interact? Like people, brands have personalities that determine things like imagery, language, channels, and activities.
Visual Identity
This is where your logo, colors, fonts, and graphic imagery come into play. It should reflect all of the above and can be very nuanced. Market testing is often involved.
What’s Next After Developing Your Branding Strategy?
Once you’ve established all of the above, it’s time to build out your Market Segmentation, Value Proposition & Positioning, and Marketing Strategy. As your branding consultant, we can integrate all of these mission-critical elements and keep them tied tightly to insights and on point for optimal success.
