Brand Strategy Guide

The bridge between you and your customer

A marketing brand is a clearly defined bridge between you and your customers. Brand strategy is the foundation of everything you do to market your business.

Your brand is the promise you make to your customers. It represents what you stand for (your values) and the promise of how you treat your customers.

Step One - Market Analysis

Your brand journey begins by assessing your competitors, your market, and your target customers.

Competitor Assessment

Branding is about standing out from your competitors.

For a competitor assessment, we’ll select three to five of your competitors and:

• Review their websites and what they’re posting on social media

• Check out their online reviews

• Look at how your competitors say they are different

During a competitor assessment for a residential real estate client, we noticed that several competitors used some version of a house in their logos. And everyone seemed to use the phrase “great relationship builder.” The words and images had become a commodity and no longer held any value. The competitor assessment gave us great “intel” for creating a brand that would stand out from the crowd!

Define Your Target Customer

A target customer is the “ideal” customer for you and your business.

You must identify your target customers.

It may seem frustrating. Many of our clients say, “I sell to everyone!”

While that may be true, when you’re marketing, you need to speak to a well-defined target customer. The more specific you can be, the more effective your marketing will be!

One of the services offered by an esthetician services business was Botox line smoothing. A target customer for this service would be a woman in her 40s or older, not a woman in her 20s. The language, aspirations, and challenges of a Gen X versus a Gen Z are different and so are the marketing messages for the target customer of the Botox service.

Step Two - Value and Differentiation

You are unique, and so is your business. You create value for your customers (in a unique way).

Describe What Makes You Unique

To get started, write down some background information about yourself.

• Where did you grow up, what values were instilled in you when you were growing up?

• Describe a few of the significant lessons you learned in school.

• Why did you start your business, and what is the difference you want to make in the world?

Your background is where your brand values and principles come from (and it can give you hints into your brand voice and tone).

Next, write down all the ways you interact with your customers.

For example, if you were a public accountant, you could begin with, “A prospect calls with a question.” Think about that conversation, all the questions you might ask the prospect, all the questions the prospect might ask you.

Remember, you’re talking to a specific target customer. How do you want that person to feel? Write out everything you might say, and any tools you might use (perhaps you’d use a prospect questionnaire).

Write down how the prospect might be feeling. For example, worried about a tax issue or frustrated with a current accountant.

Finally, write down what the customer would rather be doing. Maybe playing with their kids, or working on their own business, instead of stressing about taxes.

Once you’ve mapped out these customer (and prospect) interactions, go back over the list. Identify the ways you are genuinely unique within these steps (use your competitor assessment to help you). Look at the customer’s feelings you wrote down for each interaction. Where is your target customer most frustrated or stressed? What happens if your prospect does nothing (stays with the status quo)?

Understanding the value you create for your customers and what makes you different defines your brand value proposition and differentiators.

Step Three - Brand Story

Brand Voice and Tone

Brand voice and tone describe how you communicate in your business. Defining brand voice and tone creates a consistent “feel” in your business communication.

For example, are you formal and buttoned-up, or more casual? Do you use humor or catchphrases? Are you “snarky” or sweet?

Whatever you decide for your brand voice and tone, be consistent.

If you decide to outsource any writing (blog articles, brochures, guides), or social media posting, provide your brand voice and tone (and your entire brand strategy) to your vendor(s).

Brand Values

Brand values are brief statements that guide your business. They express how you work, what you stand for, and what you believe.

Make a list of your values, for example, integrity, professionalism, empathy, great customer service, community support, etc.

Your values act like true North on a compass. When you hit a fork in the road to success, your values will guide your decisions. Values explain to your employees and vendors what you expect when you’re working together.

Brand Story

A brand story describes “the why” of your company. It combines your origin story with your vision for the future.

Begin your brand story with the idea for your business. Describe the problem you’re trying to solve in your industry. Next, explain how your business is going to handle this industry problem.

Finally, describe the future you want to create. Describe the difference you want to make for your customers, your community, and the world!

Use your brand story on the about page of your website.

Step Four - Visual Brand

A visual brand uses shapes and colors to tell the story of you and your brand. A visual brand includes a logo and mark, colors, fonts, textures, and design. Your visual brand creates the feeling you want your audience, visitors, prospects, and customers to remember when they think of you and your business.

Logo. A logo uses shapes to illustrate a representation of your brand. Squares, circles, triangles, lines, and illustrations tell the story of you and your business. A logo usually includes a mark and your business name.

Mark. A mark is the “picture” part of your logo. It doesn’t include your business name.

Colors. Once you have your logo’s shape(s), the colors you select tell a story about what your brand represents to your target audience. For example, a soft pink might not be appropriate for a business selling to other businesses, as pink is associated with romantic feelings. Many business-to-business logo colors use blue to create feelings of trust (think IBM). The colors you select support your brand story and how you connect with your target customers.

Fonts. Fonts convey feelings! A thin, delicate font conveys a different mood than a thick bold font. Handwritten fonts are trendy for a more casual visual brand.

Brand representation guide. A brand representation guide illustrates all the components of your visual brand. It includes “dos and don’ts” on using your logo, spacing around your logo, color names and HEX codes, and fonts used with your brand.