A plain definition
Brand strategy is the set of decisions about how a business should be perceived, by whom and why. It is recorded so that everyone who presents the business, from the owners and staff to designers and marketers, works from the same decisions.
The word strategy matters. Michael Porter wrote in What Is Strategy? that competitive strategy is about being different, which means choosing to do some things differently from rivals so the business offers a distinct combination of value. A brand strategy applies that thinking to how the business presents itself: what it should be known for, and what makes that believable.
What it includes
The diagram on this page shows the usual parts. It starts with the audience, the clients the business most wants to win and how they choose. Then the alternatives those clients consider, which might be competitors, an in-house team or doing nothing. From those comes the position, the core decision about what the business should be known for. The messages and voice express the position in words, the identity principles guide how it looks, and the rollout plan sets where it appears and in what order.
| Question | Brand strategy | Often mistaken for it |
|---|---|---|
| Main output | Decisions about position, audience and messages | A logo, colours and a font |
| Who uses it | Owners, staff, designers, writers and marketers | Designers only |
| How long it lasts | Years, until the business changes direction | Until the next redesign |
Why it matters for an established business
It is common for an established business to have a strong reputation and no documented strategy. The business grew on good work and relationships, and the brand grew alongside it, one website, one proposal and one sign at a time. The result is often a brand that describes several different versions of the business.
A strategy also supports long-term growth. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute’s 95:5 rule suggests that only about 5 per cent of business buyers are in the market at any given time. The other 95 per cent will buy later, and the business they remember will have presented itself clearly and consistently in the meantime. The IPA’s analysis of advertising effectiveness supports investing in that long-term memory, recommending a split of about 60:40 between brand building and short-term activation.
What it produces
A good brand strategy is short and usable. Expect a positioning statement, key messages, guidance on voice and a summary of the research behind them. The team should be able to use it the next day in proposals and conversations. It then becomes the brief for the identity, website and marketing, which is why Zelexis agrees the strategy, starting with brand positioning, before any of those begin. Once the identity exists, brand guidelines keep it consistent as other people apply it.
A useful next step
Something to try this week.
Try to write your business’s position in one sentence using this frame. For the clients you most want, the business is the one that does a specific thing better than the alternatives, because of specific proof. If the sentence could describe a competitor, the strategy is not finished.