If your brand is the book, your brand strategy is the story. To better your chances of it becoming a bestseller, it needs to be unique, authentic and emotive. So, while it’s tempting to dive straight into creating your brand, it’s best to stay on dry land and perfect your storytelling first. After all, a great brand strategy lays the foundation for business growth.
Ok, your brand is super important too – in fact, it’s the soul and reputation of your company. But that just means your strategy is the blueprint that illustrates why you exist. And if consumers are to buy into what you’re offering, they first need to understand who you are, what you stand for as a business, and what value you provide.
Developing a brand strategy
A brand strategy guides all your marketing and operational decisions. It prevents you from having a shotgun approach, ensuring that your actions are more targeted and effective. Speaking of which, there’s no need to rush into it. Address one element at a time as each will inform the next.
A good place to start is with a mission statement. Define what your company does on a daily basis and what you want to accomplish. Equally as important, is having a vision of what you want your company to become and the impact you want to have on consumers. Establishing these will help you identify your values; meaningful qualities you want to own and embed in everything you do.
Next, is identifying your ideal customers. There’s no point in putting messaging out into the universe hoping someone will resonate with it. Rather, be specific as possible – that way, your audience will feel like you’re speaking directly to them. A great approach if you’re to build a loyal fanbase.
A customer-centric approach
Often companies are so focused on articulating how great their offering is that they neglect to mention how it benefits their consumers. To cut through the clutter, show your customers how your products and services will impact them. Unique differentiators will be your greatest tools in getting this right and will add to your credibility.
If you really want to seal the deal, establish a brand voice and personality. This is how you talk to your consumers, what you look like and how you behave. Whether authoritative, intellectual, quirky or fun – choose a tone, commit to it and ensure it’s consistent across all marketing touchpoints.
And finally, you need a clear reason for existing. Author, Simon Sinek once said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Your purpose is, therefore, a bigger vision of what you’re trying to achieve and deciding what that is, will make it that much easier to attract like-minded consumers.
Put a bow on it
Combine all these elements and you have yourself a pretty powerful Brand Positioning Statement. One that’s meaningful to customers and allows you to stand out among competitors. Knowing who you are as a company and what purpose you serve, will lay the foundation for all you do. And when things get hard, as they will at times, it gives you a true north to come back to.
Ready to partner with people who are passionate about storytelling? Contact us today and let’s get started on that bestseller.