Your brand is so much more than just your name, logo, or slogan – it’s the entire experience you provide to your audience. Your brand strategy establishes what your company is all about. It’s the pledge you make to your customers, the values you hold dear, and the personality you project. Every connection you make – from the messages on your website, to the customer service you provide, is an opportunity to grow and strengthen your brand.
A powerful brand strategy should:
Define Your Purpose.
Your brand isn’t your name, product, logo, or website – it’s all of the intangibles that make up your business. Your purpose serves as a key differentiator between you and your competition. Purpose can be seen in two different ways: functional and intentional. Your functional purpose relates to your commercial success, while your intentional purpose relates to your ability to be a positive force in the world. Having a clearly defined and effectively communicated purpose builds loyalty, and cultivating loyalty from your customers will yield more business. It inspires people to write about you, tell their friends about you, and serve as your brand ambassadors. Here’s more on defining your purpose.
Appeal To Emotion.
A well-defined and complete brand strategy impacts every part of a business, and is directly connected to buyer needs and emotions. People have an inherent need to build relationships, and this basic psychological drive to feel a connection with others is a powerful motivator. Do you provide peace of mind, make customers feel like they’re part of your business, and simplify their lives? Use emotional triggers such as these to build your relationships and increase loyalty.
Be Consistent.
Since brand strategy is a long-term plan for the creation of your company’s identity, you should avoid communicating concepts that don’t relate directly to your brand. Everything you do should align with your brand message, and all of your communications should be cohesive. Consistency strengthens your brand identity, fueling customer loyalty. All of your marketing materials should feature uniform colors, fonts, and logos, to reinforce your brand message. This article explains the importance of brand consistency to your business.
Your brand strategy dictates how you intend to create an audience, and build a strong relationship with them that propels your business forward. It brings your competitive positioning to life – helping you reach, captivate, close, and retain your customers.