Your Brand Needs More Than A Logo. Here’s Why…
When you look at the world’w powerhouse brands, they are so much more than a logo. They’re a whole experience and we love them for it! How did they do that you ask? Enter the power of a solid brand strategy. Meticulously planned out and built to spec, strategy is the secret ingredient to their success. What if you could do the same to elevate your local ‘brick & mortar’ business to new heights? Do you even need all that? (Spoiler – If you want a strong business you do!) This blog post I lay out the vital role of brand strategy in business growth, helping you see how a well-planned brand can do to boost your visibility and profitability.
The Basics: What is a Brand Strategy and Why Does It Matter?
What is Brand Strategy?
Think of your brand strategy as the blueprint for how your business presents itself to the world. It’s not just about a logo or a catchy tagline; it’s the plan for the full personality of your brand. This includes everything from how you communicate with customers, to the emotions your brand evokes, to the values you stand by. Essentially, brand strategy is your business’s plan to create a unique identity that sticks in people’s minds, so when they think of what services/products you offer, they think of you first.
Why It Matters for Small Businesses
Having a thoughtful and intentional plan for your brand is like having a secret weapon in your back pocket. It helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace, making it easier for customers to remember and choose you over the competition. In the end, it’s about making your marketing and advertising easier to produce and more effective and getting you sales. Plus, when done well, it allows you to build trust and loyalty among your audience and customers, which can even turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans. 🤑
Without a crafted and intentional brand, your marketing efforts tend to just blend in with the noise—or worse, get completely forgotten. You definitely don’t want that do you?
The Building Blocks: What Makes Up A Brand Strategy?
This is what a table of contents for my brand strategies look like…
Brand Foundation
This is the core of your brand, including your mission, vision, and values—essentially what your business stands for and the reason it exists.
Brand Differentiation
This is what sets your brand apart from competitors, highlighting what makes you unique and why customers should choose you over others.
Brand Messaging
This encompasses the way you communicate your brand’s value to your audience, including your tone, voice, and the key messages you want to convey.
Brand Identity
This is the visual and verbal representation of your brand, including your logo, colors, fonts, and overall design elements that make your brand recognizable.
Brand Experience
This refers to the overall perception and feelings customers have when interacting with your brand, covering everything from customer service to the user experience on your website.
Engineering Your Results: How Do You Align Your Brand Strategy with Your Business Goals?
Oooh! Now that’s a fun question.
Most folks I design brands and websites for are businesses. That means their primary goal is to MAKE 👏DEE👏 MONIES!👏
You can hide behind goals like:
Give free value/resources to help people
Raise awareness about your business
Get more website visitors checking you out
Build my audience/newsletter list
Get/qualify leads
Book sales calls
etc.
They really are all about making your business money, yeah? I mean really, you can’t help people or have the impact you want to if you aren’t getting paid. Great, now that we’re on the same page about what your goal is, how does a strong brand make you more money?
Glad you asked…
Close Sales Easier
When your brand has a clear and appealing identity that really clicks with your audience, you’ll find more people trusting and buying from you. For instance, if your brand consistently says “high-end quality and easy to use,” customers will probably pick your products over cheaper, more complicated options. It’s like what Apple does—its brand is all about being user-friendly and top-notch, which lets them charge more and still sell tons of products.
Get More Repeat Business
When your customers know exactly what to expect from you and you consistently deliver, it’s like giving them a reason to keep coming back for more. Let’s say your brand is famous for killer customer service, and you keep knocking it out of the park—people are going to stick around and buy from you again. This kind of loyalty is pure gold for your bottom line. Just look at Starbucks—their focus on creating a cozy, community-driven experience makes it hard for anyone to resist that next cup of coffee.
Reach New Markets
A solid brand strategy make it so much easier to break into new markets. If your brand is all about sustainability, and you decide to jump into a region where eco-friendly products are the hot ticket, your established green reputation will give you a serious head start with new audiences. Just think about how Patagonia, with its strong commitment to environmental responsibility, has easily expanded into markets all over the world, attracting customers who share those same values.
How Brand Strategy Becomes Brand Visuals
When your branding is based on a strategic plan, it comes together so much better. No more disjointed DIY looking campaigns that feel overly salesy and cheap. A brand strategy helps you pull together the visuals in a way that is cohesive, delights your customers, AND sets you apart from competitors. When your logos, color schemes, and typography all support the same experience as your messaging and values, you create a brand identity that people fall in love with and recognize.
Let’s look at some examples…
On the winning side, we’ve got a brand like Nike. Their “Just Do It” campaign wasn’t just a catchy slogan; it was the heart of a cohesive brand strategy that emphasized empowerment, athleticism, and inspiration. This consistent messaging, along with smart partnerships and innovative products, helped Nike expand from a running shoe company into a global sportswear giant. Their commitment to a well-defined strategy has kept them at the top for decades, proving that when you do it right, the sky’s the limit.
On the flip side, not every brand gets it right. Take the example of J.C. Penney’s rebranding attempt a few years back. They tried to reinvent themselves with a new logo and a shift to a “no sales” pricing strategy, but without a clear and cohesive plan that connected with their core customers. The result? Confusion, lost sales, and a massive drop in foot traffic. Their failure to align the brand strategy with customer expectations showed how quickly things can go south when the strategy isn’t fully thought through.
Yes! A Brand Strategy Sounds Great… Let’s Do It! What’s next?
Navigating the creation of a brand strategy, developing assets, and actually implementing it can feel like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle—doable, but tricky. That’s why bringing a coach or expert on board can be a game-changer. When you’re deep in the weeds trying to create your marketing on your own AND run your business, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. A seasoned pro can offer fresh perspectives you might miss. Plus, effective project management, collaboration, and communication are key to making sure everything rolls out smoothly. With the right guidance, you’ll have a team that’s not just working hard but working smart, ensuring your brand launch is as seamless as possible.
Start by evaluating your current brand strategy and see where there’s room for improvement. You can totally do this in your fave notepad, a google doc, or a scrap of paper. If you’re interested in working together to craft a strategy for your brand (and maybe a website too!), reach out here! I’d be delighted to help.
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