Developing a brand strategy for a brand

Branding updates are a common request we receive from clients. However, not everyone knows when exactly it should be done. So what is a brand strategy, and how can an organization, business, or public figure understand that it’s time to develop one?

Brands (images) exist for everything that can be reflected in the collective consciousness: products, services, companies, organizations, religions, and even ourselves — if we are working on public perception.

What is a brand strategy, and when should it be changed?

A brand strategy is the management of perception, so it is developed immediately after the overall strategy of the organization or business, or after the business plan for a specific product or service in the company’s portfolio. In the first case, it is a corporate brand strategy; in the second, a product brand strategy. Based on this, a marketing or communication strategy and a media plan are then created.

You should consider developing a brand strategy when you’ve outgrown what you once were (just like we did over the six years since the launch of Friends of Brands). A brand needs a revision when:

• you see opportunities in new markets, niches, or territories;
• you’ve changed or added new products, services, or areas of activity;
• you’ve decided to compete for new consumer or fan segments;
• the competitive landscape has changed — the market has modernized, expanded, reached a new level, or transformed due to technology;
• your customer or supporter has changed — matured, shifted in beliefs, or experienced a change in economic or social status;
• your team, approaches, or priorities in recruitment and staff development have changed.

Review this list and think about whether your current strategy covers all service types, audience types and moods, and goals.

Brand strategy as a candy

Imagine that you or your company, organization, product, or service is a piece of candy. A brand strategy helps answer the following questions:

1. Among all audience options, who do we want to be the most desirable for (priority segments)?
2. Among which other candies and based on what criteria will this person make a choice (competitive landscape, brand mapping)?
3. What’s in our wrapper (positioning, naming, slogan, identity) that will resonate with them?
4. What’s in our ingredients (RTBs, brand attributes) that will convince them to choose us?
5. How do they usually make decisions? How long does it take for them to engage with us, and where and when do we meet them (CJM)?
6. What motivates, pushes, or stops them on the way to us? What is our role in their lives (value proposition)?
7. Where is our interaction with the audience heading, and how will it change over time (trends)?

The answers to these questions will give you a clear understanding of what changes need to be made to the strategy right now, whether it reflects your business’s current state, and whether it’s working in your favor.

Brand strategy works as part of a system

A brand strategy won’t work miracles if you don’t build a comprehensive communication plan and media strategy. Why? Here’s the explanation:

• it cannot replace or precede a business or organizational strategy

 A brand is the wrapper — the outward appeal, identity, logo, tone of voice (although, in many cases, the product/service/organization/person also evolves during the brand strategy stage).

However, a brand is an enhancement, a reflection, and a focus on what is already inherent in the product/service/organization/person. It is not deception, mysticism, or fantasy, but the highlighting and amplification of qualities that matter to the target audience.

• it cannot influence awareness or sales without a communication plan and media plan

 No matter how great your wrapper is or how well the product is adjusted to meet the expectations of key audiences, you still need to tell the story (put up billboards / send to bloggers / arrange tastings, etc.). The scale of communication activities — multiplied by 10 or 1000 — is what will actually solve the task.

• it cannot solve issues unrelated to branding

Such as staffing, logistics, management, technology, finance, and so on. These require different types of strategies, even if they were identified during the research of your company, clients, or competitors.

Once you’ve figured out whether you need a new brand strategy and what set of actions will go along with it, the next step is to decide who to entrust with the most important task.

Who creates a brand strategy, how, and how long it takes

A team of researchers, strategists, and creatives usually develops such a strategy over the course of 2–3 months, and it is typically updated every 5–7 years. During the process, specialists conduct qualitative, quantitative, and field research on consumption, analyze industry data, international trends from more developed markets and sectors, the competitive landscape, and most importantly — the shared vision of the entire team: from the visionary perspective of top management to the day-to-day experience of frontline staff working with clients and audiences. All this is done to ensure the brand is consistent both inside the company and on the outside.