Brand strategy is a bridge between the brand & the target market. It enables the brand to reach out to consumers & create a pool of loyal customers. By now, we know a great deal about where our brand stands & its consumers because of the design research carried out.
Each brand is unique in its own way, & there is no one way to build a brand strategy. Instead, it depends on what the brand is trying to convey & what it is they are trying to achieve. After all, brand strategy is creating a narrative that catches everyone's attention & enables the brand to define its long-term vision.
The reason we are here
The reason why the brand exists or is being created is a big part of building the brand strategy. Everything revolves around this little but absolutely essential question. Answering this question will also help the brand with its narrative. For example, Amazon's reason for existence is clear from its headline, "To be Earth's most customer-centric company."
Answering the 'whats' & 'hows'
We know why the brand is here. Now, it's time to jot down what the brand does & the process they use. The answers to this range from being a short, to-the-point one-liner to a descriptive one. The more detailed this information is, the better. So, if your answer is a snappy, to-the-point one-liner, it's time to start brainstorming over it & squeeze out more details by digging deep. The reason to do this is simple - it will help the brand to increase transparency & gain a few trust points.
Figuring out what makes you different
The prior research must have a lot of data for the brand. The intriguing part here is to recognize the insights that will help us discover the brand's specialty & what makes it different from the crowd. For example, these could be drawn out from the consumer pain points, which could be, say, from a pricing point of view. Then, the brand could start working toward a unique value proposition. That could help the consumer understand how easy their life would be when they sign up for your services or buy their product.
The right target audience
We must address the correct target market. It shouldn't be just defined as:
'18-25, both males & females, working professionals, located all around the globe'.
In addition, it should also include 'who love to or are passionate about' something related to your services or products. Interests attached to the target audience help us narrow down to a specific & right target audience.
Brand values
Brand values are an unavoidable part of who they are. The brand values make the consumers aware of our core principles & our ambition. The brand values shall be reflected throughout the brand strategy by the way they communicate & behave inside & outside of their organizations.
Building a personality
Using the brand values, & all the data above, the brand's personality is built. It mainly reflects the tone & language used by the brand to communicate.
At Shamrock Designs, we use the above mentioned way as a framework to work on building brand strategies for our clients.