Even if you haven't officially started drafting a brand strategy, you've likely put some thought into your brand and what it means. A brand strategy is a strategic document that explains your company’s background, values, target market and personality. It defines who you are and how you’re different from the competition. A clear, consistent, and solid brand strategy helps your employees understand your brand inside and out, so you’re all on the same page when it comes to your branding message and how it translates into meeting your business goals.
An effective and well-executed brand strategy can help you establish a stronger connection with your customers. Here are several ways to increase your brand equity and make your business stands out among your crowd of competitors.
Clear and consistent messaging is key to creating a strong brand strategy. Promote the attributes that differentiate your business from others. Employees (as well as potential and existing customers) should be presented with consistent, authentic and powerful communications about what makes your brand unique and what your company believes in.
In short, your brand is the promise you make to your customers. To make your brand resonate with them, it can be helpful to choose a brand archetype and define your company goals and traits around it. Thinking of your brand as an archetypal character (e.g. the Hero, the Explorer, or the Sage) can help you focus your brand strategy to appeal to targeted markets. Once you’ve developed your image, integrate it into every aspect of your business, from your logo to the way your employees answer the phone.
Choose Supportive Employees
To be effective ambassadors for your company, all employees must be onboard with your brand strategy. If your customer’s experience with your company is at odds with the image you’re portraying, your branding efforts can be completely negated.
Every detail of your business—including the way employees greet customers, the effectiveness of customer service teams, and the cleanliness of your business locations—should align with your brand strategy. So ensure everyone in your organization understands, believes in, and supports your company values and branding goals.
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Success is not just about providing great products or services at reasonable prices. To truly succeed, you need to achieve a deeper connection with your customers. Whether or not you can make a strong, long-term connection depends on the effectiveness of your brand strategy. To build loyalty and garner trust, ensure that your image will resonate with your target audience.
Once you’ve created a powerful brand strategy, the most important thing is to deliver on it! Use targeted advertising and consistent messaging to communicate how you’re making a difference, how you operate in line with your branding, and how you’re making your value proposition a reality. Strong brand equity can bring customer loyalty, competitive advantage, opportunities for expansion and even increased negotiating power and margins.
