EPISODE 3: Develop a Brand Strategy.

Janisa
Apr 29, 2022
5 min read

Here is Episode 3 of our 6-part series to get your brand from the ground up to a successful business. Subscribe to stay up to date for this ultimate guide by NAV Agency -- the premiere go-to for all your marketing tips - whether you are a seasoned and settled business or an up-and-coming promising future worldwide organization, we have the tools and expertise to build a great partnership.

RECAP: Six Easy Steps

Here are the main general steps to help you get started on creating a brand that will set you apart from your competitors and resonate with your target audience:

1. Define Your Brand.

2. Conduct Market Research.

3. Develop a Brand Strategy.

4. Design Your Visual Identity.

5. Implement and Maintain Your Brand.

6. Optimize for SEO.

Define a Brand Strategy.

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand and your target audience, you can create a brand strategy that outlines your branding goals, target audience, messaging, and visual identity.

Developing a brand strategy is an essential step in creating a powerful and effective brand for your business. It allows you to define your brand's mission, values, and positioning, and to create a consistent and cohesive brand message. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to develop a brand strategy:

Define your brand's mission and values:

When creating a brand strategy, it's important to start by defining the purpose of your brand and the values that will guide all of your branding decisions. A mission and values statement is a statement that outlines the purpose of your brand and the values that it represents. It serves as a guide for all of your branding decisions and helps to ensure that your brand is aligned with your business and target audience.

The purpose of your brand is the reason for its existence. It should be a statement that clearly and concisely explains the value that your brand provides to your target audience. This will help to guide all of your branding decisions and ensure that your brand is aligned with your business and target audience.

Your brand's values are the principles that guide your actions and decisions. They should align with your target audience's values and beliefs. Identifying your values will help you to create messaging that resonates with your target audience and differentiates you from your competitors.

There has been a rise in the amount of shoppers looking into a company's motivations before making a purchase; consequently, brands with strong, meaningful missions tend to be more well-liked and respected. Your brand's mission improves the world in ways that benefit not only your consumers but all of society. Customers will see that you care about more than just making a profit when you have a mission to achieve. You're in this for a reason that goes beyond making a buck.

Brands with a clear mission statement tend to have more loyal customers because of the personal connection they have with the product. Your brand can stand out from the crowd by serving a distinct purpose.

Define your target audience:

Understand who you are trying to reach with your brand. Use the insights gained from your market research to define your target audience. This includes understanding their needs, wants, values, and beliefs. This will always be important!

Check out our previous posts for more details on defining your target audience! Branding and marketing is never a linear process - you will continue to review and refine your target audience throughout the entire duration of your business - hopefully eternally, if NAV Agency has anything to say about it!

Define your unique selling points:

A unique selling point (USP) is a feature or benefit that sets your brand apart from your competitors. It's a key differentiator that makes your brand unique and more attractive to your target audience. Defining your unique selling points is an important step in creating a brand strategy and positioning your brand in the market. Here are a few steps to help you define your unique selling points:

Understand your competition: Understand who your competitors are and what they offer to your target audience. Understand their unique selling points and how they differentiate themselves from you.
Identify your unique selling points: Once you have a good understanding of your target audience and your competition, you can identify your unique selling points. These may be features or benefits that your brand offers that your competition does not.
Test your unique selling points: Once you have identified your unique selling points, test them with a small group of people from your target audience. Get their feedback and make any necessary adjustments.
Use your unique selling points to inform your branding decisions: Once you have identified and tested your unique selling points, use them to inform your branding decisions. Use them to create messaging and a visual identity that differentiates your brand from your competition and resonates with your target audience.

Overall, by identifying and communicating your unique selling points, you will be better positioned to create a brand strategy that differentiates your brand from your competition and resonates with your target audience. This will help to ensure that your brand is consistent, credible, and relevant to your target audience, which will ultimately drive business success.

Develop a brand positioning statement:

This statement communicates the unique value proposition of your brand. It should be clear and specific and should differentiate your brand from your competitors.

Examples:

Nike: "Just Do It."
Apple: "Think Different."
Coca-Cola: "Open Happiness."
Mercedes-Benz: "The best or nothing."
McDonald's: "I'm Lovin' It."

A brand positioning statement is a statement that describes a brand's target market, competitive advantage, and overall strategy. It is a concise expression of how a brand differentiates itself from its competitors and why it matters to consumers. A brand positioning statement is used as a guide to shape a brand's messaging and communication efforts, and it helps to clarify the unique value that a brand offers to its customers. This statement is often included in a company's marketing or branding plan and is used to align the company's internal teams and external stakeholders around a common understanding of the brand.

Create a brand message:

Develop a consistent and cohesive message that aligns with your brand's mission, values, and positioning. This message should be communicated consistently across all of your branding materials.

A brand message is a statement that communicates the core values, benefits, and personality of a brand to its target audience. It is often used in advertising, marketing, and other forms of communication to convey the key message about the brand to consumers.

Example: "At XYZ company, we believe in providing our customers with high-quality products that are sustainable and ethically-sourced. With our commitment to excellence, we strive to make a positive impact on the environment and the communities we serve. Trust XYZ for products you can feel good about."

This message communicates a clear brand promise and positioning, as well as key values and personality, which is to be known as a brand that is committed to high-quality, sustainable, and ethically-sourced products.

By following these steps, you can develop a strong and effective brand strategy that will help you create a consistent and cohesive brand message that resonates with your target audience. Remember that your brand strategy is an ongoing process and should be reviewed and updated regularly as your market and target audience evolve.