BRAND STRATEGY
Branding is a mix of archeology & alchemy. The first step, archeology, discovers what already exists, and pieces together a brand story. Elements are then combined and forged into gold.
START WITH A BRAND ROADMAP
Before any logos are designed, websites are built, or marketing campaigns are launched — every strong piece of marketing starts starts with a crystal clear understanding of your brand. Marketing without brand strategy isn’t just wasteful — it’s risky. Design without strategy is just art. A Brand Roadmap is important to help ensure messaging and design are impactful.
The Brand Roadmap involves a 2-hour interview and discussion that results in a strategic brief. This valuable, ready-to-use tool defines your unique positioning, messaging, and marketing priorities — giving you a clear, actionable plan for everything that comes next. It’s the foundation for every project — ensuring that whatever we build next is aligned, strategic, and designed to succeed.
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What's included:
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Audience and competitive insights
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Your unique brand story, voice, and positioning
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Messaging strategy and marketing focus points
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Visual and verbal brand tone direction
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Tangible recommendations tailored to your goals
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Larger projects with me already have this baked in, but the Brand Roadmap is also available as a stand-alone package. You’ll have the strategic clarity and tactics to move forward — whether you bring it to life with me, with another partner, or on your own.
Does the Brand Roadmap sound your speed? Let's talk!
THE FULL BRAND DISCOVERY PROCESS
An infographic of all the components in a comprehensive brand strategy.
The full brand discovery process ellicits a detailed, comprehensive brand strategy. Think of it as the big brother of the Brand Roadmap - back from college and full of knowledge. The archeology phase of my brand discovery process involves uncovering what already exists. The process starts out with a basic understanding of the company and what they do. Next, I look at the competitive environment and target audience - what does the customer care about and who are we competing against to win their business? Finally, by understanding the relationship the customer has with a brand, we can infuse personality into communications to ensure they feel appropriate and authentic.
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In the alchemy phase I identify themes, look for uniques, and consider how elements can be combined to create the gold that makes up the core of a brand. The brand strategy is then defined in one of several forms: a brand brief, a brand strategy guide, a brand story book, target audience profiles, etc. These provide a foundational brand strategy that informs marketing, communications, sales, and can be used to quickly onboard new team members.
See Brand Strategy In Action
the best brands tell a story
"Early branding of a small or emerging company is key to business success. It is the quickest way for your commpany to express what it is and what it can offer."
- The New York Times, The Importance of Branding Your New Business
Why Brand Strategy is Important
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Brand identity is an expression of who your company is. People want to buy products from companies that they believe in – ones that offer high quality, sound production processes, a great employee culture, are environmentally sensitive, and were started by people who are good guys. If you’re a non-profit, that goes double for you.
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Who are you exactly? What do you stand for? Why should people care? If they tell a friend about you, what do they say? What is your story? What are you saying to the world? A brand strategy defines the essence of your company or organization and your brand identity communicates it.