What a brand strategy actually includes, and what you get at the end
Brand strategy is often described in abstract terms. Here is what it covers in practice, the decisions it settles, and the documents you should have at the end.
"Brand strategy" is one of those phrases that can mean almost anything. For some agencies it is a workshop. For others it is a long document nobody opens again. Done properly, it is neither. It is a set of decisions about how the business will be understood, written down clearly enough that everyone can act on them.
The questions strategy answers
A useful strategy settles a handful of questions that otherwise get argued about forever:
- Who is this for? Not everyone. The customers the business wants more of, and what they care about.
- Why choose us? The real difference, stated plainly, with the proof that makes it believable.
- What do we want to be known for? One idea the brand can own over time.
- How do we sound? The personality and voice that make the brand recognisable before anyone sees the logo.
- How does everything fit together? The names of products, services or divisions, and how they relate to the main brand.
What the work involves
Understanding. It starts with what is really true. Conversations with the founders and the team, a look at what customers say and do, and a clear picture of the competitors and the market. The aim is to find what is genuinely different, which is often something the business takes for granted.
Defining. From that, a position is chosen. Good positioning is a decision, not a description: it says what the brand stands for and, just as importantly, what it does not try to be. It is presented as clear options, not a single answer, so the choice is yours.
Expressing. The chosen position is turned into language people can use: a core message, supporting messages for different audiences, proof points and a tone of voice. If a new name is needed, naming happens here too.
What you should have at the end
When strategy is finished, you should be able to hand a short set of documents to a designer, a writer, a salesperson or a new hire, and get consistent work back. Typically that means:
- A positioning statement and the reasoning behind it.
- The core message and the proof for it.
- Messaging for each main audience.
- A description of the brand's personality and voice, with examples.
- Brand architecture, if there is more than one offer or name.
These are working tools. If the documents cannot guide a decision next month, they are not finished.
Where strategy leads
Strategy is the first part of the work, not the whole of it. It becomes valuable when it is expressed: in an identity, a website and campaigns that all say the same thing. You can see what our strategy work covers on Brand strategy.
Not sure whether your brand needs strategy or simply better execution? The Brand Health Check separates the two in about two minutes.
Questions
What does a brand strategy include?
It covers understanding the business, its customers and competitors; a clear position; the core message and proof behind it; the brand's personality and voice; and the architecture of names and offers. It ends in documents the whole team can use.
Do small businesses need a brand strategy?
Yes, in proportion. A small business does not need a long document, but it does need clear answers to who it serves, why it is different and what it wants to be known for. Without them every design decision becomes a matter of taste.
Should strategy come before design?
Yes. Strategy decides what the brand must say; design decides how it looks and feels saying it. Design without strategy can be attractive and still say the wrong thing.