What exactly is a brand strategy?

To succeed in almost any aspect in life we need a strategy, and while forming a brand it’s no different.

Before building a brand, it’s extremely important to define its essence and create order within thoughts and ideas. To do this, any structured methodology, such as design thinking, will do; honoring the process is vital for supreme results. A brand strategy is a detailed documentation of the core thinking which will provide a soul for the brand.

During this process, important aspects of the brand will be determined. These may include the tone of the brand, the main target and segmentation, and other business management points that might need to be addressed. This is closely discussed with the client while taking into consideration the context and the needs of the brand itself. Every brand is unique in many ways, having clear what makes your brand special and who you are addressing it to, will help embed in its DNA an identity with an individual spirit.

Usually, this back-end endeavor is not easily perceived by the final customer, but it’s critical to create brands that’ll stand out. Stating the brand’s goals since the beginning of the process can be the starting point of success, keeping these in mind will drive the brand exactly where it needs to go, and besides standing out it will accomplish its objectives. On the other hand, a brand strategy will help clarify the competitive landscape, market position, and buyer expectations, providing a precise insight of where the product or service is standing regarding the competition.

Brand strategy can be translated to the foundations of a brand, a solid backbone that will give a brand consistency, clarity, and as a consequence, a strong visual identity. In a more romantic approach, brand strategy refers to the creation of the soul or essence of a brand, which will add that je ne sais quoi to it, and the branding is nothing but a reflection of that. After a clear brand strategy, all of the design elements will come down effortlessly, making this part of brand building a must. A brand without a brand strategy is not a brand.