Developing a Winning Brand Strategy

If you want your brand to be successful in the modern marketplace, you have your work cut out. The world is so saturated with brands that you need to know what you’re doing if you want yours to stand out and get recognized in your niche. So how can you achieve this? The best way is to build from the back, develop a brand strategy that has a clear purpose, one that is consistent, has flexibility, and includes employee involvement. In this article, we take a look at these necessary ingredients. 

Purpose

A brand’s purpose is actually two things; it’s a purpose and a promise. The promise is the thing that differentiates your brand from someone else’s. It’s the unique selling point, and it can be hard to find in a saturated marketplace. The purpose is slightly different but no less important. Your brand’s purpose is its deeper reason for existing; it includes its core values and message to customers. Identifying these two keys components is the bedrock of a successful brand strategy. 

Consistency 

To create a winning brand strategy, you must ensure your brand is consistent across platforms and in line with your style guide. Inconsistencies in brand strategy can be high off-putting to customers you expect a particular experience; in short, it can have the opposite effect of what you set out to achieve. Work closely on your style guide and try to ensure that all colors, shapes, writing, and logo are consistent, including your custom made flags, with your values and message. Also include the tone of your brand. 

Emotion 

Creating a successful brand is as much about the bond you can create with your customer as it is about the product you sell. Researchers have found that people yearn for communities, and marketers around the world have taken full advantage of this phenomenon. Harley Davidson, for instance, have created a community forum called HOG (Harley Owners Group.) This helps to bond Harley owners to the brand and connects them with other like-minded Harley owners. 

Flexibility 

As well as consistency, brand marketers must also be interested in flexibility. The two complement each other and form foundational beams of strategy. Unlike consistency, flexibility aims to take advantage of new and emerging technologies and practices to enrich the brand and maintain its relevance. This flexibility can be built into the brand strategy at the development stage using simplistic and open marketing to changing circumstances. On the whole, it is better to have a flexible brand strategy than it is to invest in a rebrand. 

Employee Involvement 

These days it’s not enough to have a brand with an excellent logo and website; you also need social media engagement and transparency. This means your team behind the scenes should also be front and center when it comes to communicating with your customers and audience. Customers now expect to communicate with brands directly through social media channels and emails. It really supports your brand if you can create this transparency and build loyalty.