Do I need a brand strategy?

Business owners are always looking for ways to increase sales. To do this, they turn towards creative agencies, marketing agencies and specialists. One of the most fundamental services in this realm is brand strategy. When is it time to invest in brand strategy? What are the reasons to do so? I’ve bundled 6 reasons on why you might need a (new) brand strategy.

After years of experience in dealing with entrepreneurs and their businesses, there are a few myths that I’d like to debunk about branding. This is just one of the articles on branding myths by entrepreneurs that will follow. If you’re interested in what else I talk about, look here.

Reason 1: You want to convey a better story.

You have a great story to tell, but it’s just not translating that well? Maybe you have an interesting heritage, maybe the reason you’re in business is just inspiring. Brand strategy can help you find the essence of that story and how to translate it to your customers in an engaging way.

Do the test
1. Do people know the story of your brand?
2. Do people share and talk about your brand’s story?
3. Do people buy your brand because of your story?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay for now. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
By going to back to square one, to the brand essence, you may find a strong brand narrative. Let external experts dig into their research so that they can refine, crystallize your story to something relevant, sexy and engaging.

Reason 2: You don’t really ‘know’ your customers.

People are buying your stuff, but you have no idea who they are and why they buy. You maybe have an idea of their demographic data such as age, region, but you don’t really know their true motivation as to why they are buying you product and how they perceive your brand.

Do the test
1. Can you sum up 3 customers right now and explain their lifestyle?
2. Do you know and understand your customer’s biggest frustrations?
3. Do you know how people perceive your brand?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay for now. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
A good brand strategy is based on insights gathered from customer research. In this research, you learn about your (potential) customer’s psychology and behaviour. You learn how to understand them and speak to them in a relevant and—yes I’ll say it—authentic way.

Reason 3: Your brand is losing relevance.

The reasons why sales are dropping can be many. It can be related to competitors gobbling up market share. It can be related to cultural/technological revolutions, a.k.a. your brand not being relevant anymore.

Do the test
1. Are your sales increasing?
2. Is the brand loyalty high?
3. Are competitors losing market share?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay for now. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
By looking at your brand from two different perspectives, that of the customer and the market, you can get a clear sense of where you are and how you can differentiate yourself from the competition. By planning for this on the long run, you are able to overcome trends and short term competitor moves.

Reason 4: You want to stand out more.

You feel like competitors are moving faster. You have a better offer, yet it doesn’t always feel that way to customers. You feel like if only customers would buy your stuff, they would trust you more.

Do the test
1. Do you find that customer acquisition is cheap?
2. Is you brand awareness high?
3. Is your market share rapidly increasing?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay for now. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
Sometimes you need an external, critical view of your brand. You’re completely indulged in your brand, which is a good thing of course, but as a side effect, you’re also most likely suffering from ‘insider bias’. Hiring a fresh viewpoint can give your brand the perspective you need to communicate its true value and to be able to stand out.

Reason 5: You, as a company, have changed a lot, but your brand does not reflect that.

You’re no longer that funky little startup. You know what works for your company and have tweaked your processes and team to a well-oiled machine. But your brand still reminds you of that cute little startup back in the day.

Do the test
1. Do you look at your brand with pride?
2. Is your brand an accurate representation of the company culture?
3. Does your brand represent your long time ambitions?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay for now. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
Re-evaluating your company and looking forward is crucial to building the right brand. It’s not about constant ‘revolution’, it’s about evolving the brand at the right time. Your brand grows, adapts and changes through time, just like you and me.

Reason 6: You feel like you constantly need new tricks to keep the brand alive.

You’re not wrong. Branding is a constant power struggle. But, this feeling often stems from a different problem. You don’t have an overarching strategy based on a long-term goal. Your team is focused on tactics rather that strategy (you need both).

Do the test
1. Do you have a clear long-term vision?
2. Do you know your brand purpose, apart from making money?
3. Is your marketing based on this long-term vision?

If you were able answer all or two of the questions with ‘yes’, then you’re a-okay. Only one ‘yes’ or none at all? Uh oh, it’s probably time to act!

How brand strategy can help:
Strategy basically is a long-term plan on how to win. It’s all about longevity. A good brand strategy should give you a platform that inspires innovation, content and marketing ideas, not limits it. Here’s a case study of how Oreo has a strong platform to keep creating content.

Ollie is a branding studio based in Ghent, Belgium. We create brand experiences that attract raving fans and we’re firm believers of a strategy first approach. Interested in our work? Check out our Instagram, LinkedIn, Dribbble and Behance. And of course, feel free to check out our website.

Until the next one! 👋