Unlike products which are made in factories, brands are made in the mind. If your brand is the sum total of how someone perceives your organisation, then branding is about shaping that perception. Achieving that outcome requires a brand strategy. 👈
In today’s competitive market, a well-defined brand strategy helps your business stand out from the competition, connect with your target audience and drive business growth.
In this guide, we will walk you through the essential steps to develop a successful brand strategy and address common challenges along the way.
Table Of Contents:
- Why your business needs a brand strategy
- How brand loyalty builds business loyalty
- Steps to building a brand strategy
- Common challenges in brand strategy development
Does my business need a
brand strategy?
A robust brand strategy is more than just a logo or a tagline. Your brand encompasses your company’s values, mission and the overall experience you deliver to your customers.
A well-calibrated brand strategy brings:
Put it this way, everything your customer comes into contact with is your brand. As such, everything your business puts out contributes to creating a complex brand image.
- Consistency: Ensures a consistent message across all marketing channels.
- Recognition: Helps in building brand recognition and loyalty.
- Differentiation: Distinguishes your business from competitors.
- Customer Loyalty: Builds trust and loyalty among customers.
- Business Growth: Drives long-term business growth and profitability.
Your brand encompasses your company’s values, mission and the overall experience you deliver to your customers.
Why brand loyalty builds
business loyalty
People buy from brands they trust and feel connected to. They are loyal to brands that consistently deliver on their promises and provide a positive experience. Building a strong brand is essential because it fosters an emotional connection with your audience, which can lead to lifelong customers.
Take Apple, for example. Apple has created a loyal customer base through its consistent innovation, high-quality products and exceptional customer service. Yet, people don’t just buy Apple products; they buy into the Apple brand, its lifestyle and its promise of cutting-edge technology.
Best of all? Apple’s most passionate brand advocates are in the massed ranks of its customer base. You wanna know how passionate they are? Just tell a member of the Apple Barmy Army that you prefer Windows or Android. Then get ready for a lecture.
Steps to develop a
brand strategy
When customers feel an emotional connection to your brand, they are more likely to remain loyal, make repeat purchases and recommend your brand to others. This loyalty translates into sustained business growth and a competitive edge in the market.
Ready to develop your brand strategy? Okay, let’s roll. Consider breaking your business-critical project up into three phases. That’s how we do it and, guess what? It works!
- Phase 1: Brand Strategy
- Phase 2: Brand Development
- Phase 3: Brand Implementation
Let’s take a look…
Phase 1: Brand Strategy
Remember, your brand is more than just a logo. So, think before you do. Kick things off with a strategy phase. And, if you have an existing brand, conduct a thorough audit – doing so will help shape your strategy.
- Define Your Brand Purpose: Start by understanding why your brand exists. What are your core values and mission? Your brand purpose should resonate with your target audience and align with your business goals.
- Conduct Market Research: Understand your market, competitors and target audience. Consider using surveys, focus groups and data analysis to gather insights. Identify the needs and preferences of your audience and how your competitors are positioning themselves.
- Identify Your Target Audience: Create detailed buyer personas to represent your ideal customers. Consider demographics, psychographics and behavioural traits. Get into bed with them, figure out what keeps them awake and how you can help them sleep better. Knowing your audience helps tailor your brand message effectively.
- Develop Your Brand Positioning: Determine how you want to position your brand in the market. What unique value do you offer? Craft a compelling value proposition that highlights what sets you apart from competitors.
- Craft Your Brand Message: Develop a value proposition that defines unified messaging for your brand. Structure your services. Work from a top level down to a category product or service level. Ensure these key messages and reasons to believe communicate your brand’s value. Define your buyers’ challenges and how you solve them. This includes your tagline, brand story and core messages for different marketing channels.
Phase 2: Brand Development
With Phase 1 completed, you now have a comprehensive strategic brand roadmap guiding your way. It’s time to transform this strategy into a tangible, compelling brand identity through thoughtful and creative design.
- Create Your Brand Identity: Your brand identity includes your logo, colour scheme, typography and overall design elements. Ensure that your visual identity reflects your brand’s personality and values.
- Stakeholder Presentation: Present the proposed brand identity to key stakeholders to secure buy-in and alignment. Develop a presentation that explains the rationale behind each element and how it aligns with the brand’s strategic roadmap.
- Feedback and Approval: Gather detailed feedback from stakeholders and secure formal approval of the brand identity.
- Create Brand Guidelines: Develop comprehensive brand guidelines to ensure consistency across all marketing and communication efforts. Document brand elements clearly, including logo, colour schemes, typography and design elements. Include usage guidelines, define brand voice and messaging, and provide visual examples of the brand identity in use.
- Training for Teams: Ensure all internal and external teams understand and can effectively implement the new brand identity. Develop training materials and conduct training sessions for internal teams (e.g., marketing, sales, customer service) and external partners (e.g., advertising agencies, designers). Provide ongoing support to maintain adherence to the brand identity.
Phase 3: Brand Implementation
Once you have developed a solid brand strategy, the next step is implementation. This phase is crucial as it brings your brand to life and ensures consistency across all touchpoints.
Implement Your Brand Strategy
Executing your brand strategy effectively requires coordination and attention to detail. Here’s how to implement your brand strategy across various touchpoints:
- Website: Ensure your website reflects your brand’s identity and values. This includes consistent use of colours, logos, typography and messaging.
- Social Media: Use social media platforms to engage with your audience and reinforce your brand message. Consistent posting, tone of voice and visual style are key.
- Advertising: Your advertisements should align with your brand strategy, both visually and in terms of messaging. This helps in building a cohesive brand image.
- Customer Service: Train your customer service team to communicate in a manner that reflects your brand’s values and personality. Consistent customer interactions strengthen brand trust.
Consistency is key to building a strong brand presence. Every touchpoint should provide a seamless and unified experience to your audience, reinforcing your brand’s identity and values.
Measure and Adjust
Monitoring the performance of your brand strategy is essential to understand its impact and make necessary adjustments. Use key metrics such as:
- Brand Awareness: Measure how well your target audience recognises and remembers your brand.
- Customer Engagement: Track interactions on social media, website analytics and customer feedback.
- Sales Growth: Analyse sales data to see if there is an increase in revenue and market share.
Collecting and analysing feedback and data allows you to make informed adjustments to your brand strategy. This ongoing process ensures that your brand remains relevant and continues to resonate with your audience.
Common challenges in brand
strategy development
Developing a brand strategy can be challenging, especially for medium to large businesses. Here are some common challenges and how to overcome them:
- Lack of Clear Vision: Ensure that your brand purpose and mission are clearly defined and communicated to all stakeholders.
- Inconsistent Messaging: Maintain consistency in your brand message across all channels. Create a brand guideline to ensure uniformity.
- Changing Market Dynamics: Stay updated with market trends and be flexible to adapt your strategy as needed.
- Internal Resistance: Foster a culture of brand ownership within your organisation. Ensure that everyone understands and aligns with the brand strategy.
- Physical Installation: Not budgeting for implementing signage, vehicle branding and other physical elements can be a major oversight. The costs and time involved in physical installations should be carefully planned and included in your budget. A light brand refresh might reduce these costs compared to a full rebrand, but thorough budgeting and planning are essential to avoid unexpected expenses and delays.
- Trademarking New Brands and Changes to Existing Brands: Ensuring your new brand or changes to your existing brand are legally protected through trademarking can be a complex and time-consuming process. It’s essential to budget for trademark registration and consult with legal experts to navigate the process. This step protects your brand from infringement and secures your brand assets.
How brand strategy consulting
can transform your business
Partnering with a brand strategy consulting agency (such as CMA 😁) can provide valuable insights and expertise. Consultants bring an external perspective, identify gaps and offer tailored solutions to enhance your brand strategy. Here are some benefits of working with a brand strategy consultant:
- Expertise: Access to industry experts with extensive experience.
- Objectivity: An unbiased view of your brand and market position.
- Tailored Solutions: Customised strategies that meet your specific business needs.
- Resource Efficiency: Save time and resources by leveraging expert knowledge.
From strategy, design, change management, stakeholder engagement, training, to print management – the right agency can handle all aspects of your brand development and implementation, ensuring a seamless and cohesive process.
Conclusion
A well-crafted brand strategy is essential for medium to large businesses looking to thrive in a competitive market. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can develop a robust brand strategy that drives business growth and builds lasting customer relationships. Remember, consistency and adaptability are key to maintaining a strong brand presence.
Need expert support?
We’ve got your back – and your brand. At CMA, we specialise in helping medium to large businesses create, refresh and implement impactful brand strategies. Take the first step towards transforming your brand. Contact us now to learn how our tailored brand strategy services can drive your business forward.