Do you need to plan your business activities?
Are you unsure if you’re heading in the right direction, and other strategies seem more interesting? Or maybe you’re looking for examples of brand strategies similar to your company? Here’s a ready guide to help you create the perfect brand strategy quickly and thoughtfully. And if not, feel free to call me—I’ll write it for you! 🙂
What is a Brand Strategy?
Let’s start with the definition of a brand strategy. It’s a set of long-term actions aimed at achieving a specific goal. All these actions must be consistent and lead to a concrete result. Simply put, it’s a plan for building a brand identity, encompassing the entire business structure to achieve sales and image goals.
Key Features of a Brand Strategy
A brand strategy must align with the company’s mission, values, priorities, and organizational culture to work well and deliver expected results. For many, a brand strategy is akin to a well-thought-out action map. This analogy is accurate because a brand strategy allows companies to build brand awareness and image while gradually increasing customer loyalty. In a way, you could say that a brand strategy helps organize this process.
Remember, a good brand strategy should be a comprehensive, well-planned long-term operation. If you run your company chaotically, coming up with ideas on the fly, you won’t achieve the desired results, and your growth pace will be unsatisfactory. Moreover, the lack of a brand strategy harms the company’s sales and image potential. It’s worth investing some time, effort, and money into creating a strategy that will increase profits in the long run.
What Should a Successful Brand Strategy Include?
A good brand strategy outlines actions that will achieve specific results. You might wonder what should be included in such guidelines. Here are the key elements:
- Brand Personality
- Company Values
- Brand Message
- Target Audience Description (detailed and thoughtful)
- Brand Goal
- Brand Voice
- Brand Vision
- Distinctive Features (main advantages that differentiate it from other companies in the industry)
- Strengths and Weaknesses (compared to competitors)
- Marketing Strategy (both online and traditional advertising)
- Visual Identity (logo, colors used in communication, etc.)
- Brand Value
- Archetypes in brand strategies (I’m not a fan, but they should be included)
Using Archetypes in Your Strategy
When creating your strategy, you can base it on brand archetypes, which are patterns defining the values behind a brand. There are 12 brand archetypes, each significantly influencing the brand strategy:
- Innocent: Tradition, simplicity, happiness. Example: Coca-Cola.
- Outlaw: Change, revolution. Example: Apple.
- Hero: Hard work, inspiration. Example: Leroy Merlin.
- Caregiver: Safety, loyalty. Example: Gillette.
- Explorer: Novelty, authenticity. Example: Red Bull.
- Lover: Aesthetics, emotions. Example: Tiffany & Co.
- Sage: Knowledge, analysis. Example: Google.
- Jester: Hedonism, fun. Example: Old Spice.
- Creator: Innovation, vision. Example: LEGO.
- Ruler: Law, order, luxury. Example: Mercedes.
- Magician: Change, youth. Example: beauty salons.
- Regular Guy/Gal: Simplicity, everyday life. Example: Lidl.
Who Should Create a Brand Strategy?
Everyone in the company—from decision-makers to regular employees—should be involved in creating the brand strategy. Only this way can you ensure that everyone will execute the brand’s mission with commitment and responsibility.
Surprising Examples of Brand Strategies
- GoPro: Strategy based on user-generated content.
- Coca-Cola: Building community around the brand, charitable campaigns.
- Nike: Consistent values and strong organizational culture.
- Taco Bell: Understanding the preferences of a younger target audience.
- Heineken: Creative partnerships, like sponsoring the UEFA Champions League.
- Twitch: The power of community and relationships with users.
- WWF: Innovative campaigns like #endangeredemoji.
Conclusion
Now you know the best examples of brand strategies and what makes them stand out. I hope this helps you create an action plan for your brand. Remember, a clear vision, excellent customer service, and a suitable strategy are the keys to success.
If our examples inspired you and you feel it’s time to prepare your own strategy, use our brand audit checklist—or email Bartosz.Lenert@Lab360.com.pl. And if you feel overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks, consider using our branding services—we’ll handle everything from A to Z.
Below is an example for Tel Force One, brand Etteri.
