Two generals are sent to lay siege to enemy castles. The first is sent with elite warriors. The second has a less experienced force. They must complete their task in a month.
The first general leaves immediately. They attack the castle in a brutal frontal assault. The fighting is fierce and intense. Within a week, the general has captured his castle, but his forces are in tatters and there is heavy damage to the castle.
The second general stays behind. He enquires of his lord’s goals. The king wishes to use the castles as defensive points to protect the people. He needs the generals to hold these points against future invaders.
With this information, the second general takes his castle in a month. He uses cunning plans to take the castle without damaging the fortifications or his forces.
The king chastises the first general. Confused, he asks why. Did he not take his castle faster?
The king agrees he did, but has not recognised the king’s true needs. With weakened forces and defences, the castle is useless. The second general took longer, but achieved the desired outcome.
What is Brand Strategy?
Brand strategy is the process of understanding and planning your brand. Your visual identity is a part of this, but also your voice, personality and tone. Brand strategy brings together everything your brand is and focuses it to attract your target audience. It lets you use your strengths to maximum effect.
The second general was slower, but more accurately followed out the king’s wishes. In brand strategy, the aim is to be the most fitting choice for a client’s needs.
There are numerous reasons to get a brand strategist to help you achieve this.
Own your Brand
Many business owners don’t think much on their brand. Often they don’t take ownership of it and this can let it get out of control. Consequently, the brand can become muddled or confused. People may be put off when there isn’t a clear reason to interact.
‘Brand is in the eye of the beholder’ – your brand is what your audience feels it is. If you don’t take ownership, they will dictate this for you. Brand ownership means being confident in what the brand is. This allows you to show your brand and influence your audience to a greater degree.
Owning your brand helps to create the feelings you want your audience to experience.
Clarity, Consistency and Alignment
A brand that is clear in it’s goals is more likely to achieve them. This means being clear, consistent and aligning your purpose. Additionally, understanding what your audience wants is vital. For example, if your audience craves enjoyment, your brand visuals, tone and personality should align with this need.
Clarity of message and purpose lets you cut through the noise when marketing. Likewise, creating consistency will ensure your brand is remembered for the right reasons. Therefore, clarity, consistency and alignment allow you to get the right message to the right people.
Working with a brand strategist allows you to show your brand in a clear, consistent manner to the correct people. Ultimately, this makes it easier to foster loyalty.
Substance over Style
We’ve all seen brands that try too much. Whether it’s garish colour choices or a confusing use of shape, an audience can be put off with thoughtless style. Conversely, a brand that takes a minimalist approach but uses the right tone is more memorable. In short, a brand should uncover and show it’s value.
Basically, it doesn’t matter what clever designs you use if they don’t land. A brand strategist can help you to understand what makes your business unique. They’ll then help you show this to your audience.
Uncover Why
People don’t care what you do anymore. They care about how you make them feel and if you can solve their problem. As such, your ‘why’ is more important than ever. Understanding, and showing, why you are worth interacting with is what attracts people. Your why is what helps make you unique and stand out in the market.
A brand strategist will help you find your why and give you the tools to turn that into a story. Your audience loves a story and will be more likely to tell you apart from your competitors if you provide a narrative that appeals to them.
Why do you Need a Brand Strategist?
If there’s one takeaway from this, it’s that your brand needs care and attention to make sure it’s heading in the right direction. It’s easy to just get a designer in and create some pretty graphics, but if these don’t resonate with your audience, you’ll make no sales. Consequently, it can be very costly to start heading in the wrong direction. A brand strategist will help to provide direction and align your brand assets to build clarity and cohesion. It’s a smart investment that will pay off in the long run.
The two generals above both had the same task, but one of them had direction. This meant the second general could complete his task with less waste and in a way that better aligned with the king’s needs.
Ultimately, having a brand strategist will prevent you from wasting time and money going in the wrong direction and bring you the clients you want. With a strategy in place, your audience will chase you, instead of you chasing them.
Do you need to form your plan of attack? We offer consultation and brand strategy services to help align your brand. Book in for a free discussion here to see if we can help.
Want to be updated on our latest news? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter and get our blogs right to your inbox.
