Build an Iconic Brand Strategy

Building a business is one thing, but building an iconic brand is a completely different story.

Without a stand-out brand to back it, your business will get lost in the crowd. A strong brand knows when branding is working, and so the audiences know that as well.

As a business consultant, I see this a lot, and business owners neglect the branding and marketing side of their business in favour of operations.

The truth is, every business needs to have a brand strategy in place, to help inform the different choices that are made along the way when it comes to voice, values, story and vibe all together.

This article will focus on looking at different necessary and essential components of a strong brand strategy that will stand out with your audience and help you create a long – lasting impression that will benefit your business in the long-run.

A strategic branding will help you set your business apart from the competition and build customer loyalty. Your brand strategy is the approach behind the way your business presents itself, and outlines how your business will build rapport and favourability within the market.

A well-define and executed brand strategy consists of several elements such as:

• Brand Story
• Brand Voice
• Brand Values
• Brand Design
• Brand Vibe

Without the above, your business won’t be able to build connections with customers, increase brand loyalty, drive leads, and inspire referrals. It’s a vital part of any business, especially now that technology and artificial intelligence have penetrated our lives and the competition out there to stay ahead has been never-ending.

So, let’s go ahead and explore each of the component that can make up a winning brand strategy:

Brand Story

Every business has a story to tell, this includes you as well, yes YOU! This is what is known as your brand story. It represents your company and what it stands for. This is where you communicate your company’s origins, values, goals and mission to your audience. It conveys a company’s purpose and values in an engaging and inspiring way.

Nowadays, there is a lot more that influences the decision-making process. That is, your brand story must be authentic, cantered on the customer, consistent across channels, simple and clear, structures and most importantly it has to be true to your brand’s personality and voice. Customers want to feel a connection to the brands they are supporting, which is exactly what brand story is about.

Brand Voice

The way you communicate with current or new customers across different marketing channels is called brand voice. Your brand voice is the personality of your brand which shines through all aspects of your branding and marketing materials via your brand voice. This includes the words you choose and the order in which you put them and applies to all written content you deliver such as website, social media, emails, and any other channels.

When it comes to nailing down the perfect brand, my best recommendation is for your business to reflect on the overall personality and values you want to convey to your audience. Once the brand voice is decided, will use it to communicate, create an internal style guide for brand voice that you can refer back to and show your team members to guarantee consistency across all content.

Brand Values

The brand values are the beliefs and principles that guide your business and help you make decisions. They are matter as they influence how consumers view your brand, which is important considering that consumers are more likely to support a brand whose core values align with their own.

Building your brand values is important because they become the parameters that help you discern if a decision will fit the goals of your business and draw potential customers who share familiar beliefs. Having a core set of values, will help your business maintain brand authenticity.

As the founder of CIC, I’ve made it my mission to let these brand values be the foundation of the entire operation – from my social presence, to the CIC website, to the work we do with clients and so on.

Brand Design

Most business have in mind that brand design is the concept of branding as a whole. It encompasses the visual identity of your brand, from the brand colours to fonts to photography style and the way those elements are represented in the marketing materials.

The brand design is the first impression that the customers will have of the business, hence working hard to create a sense of cohesion between the visual and non-visual parts of the brand is vital.  Brand design guide book is important to share with colleagues and associates as it will pertains to a visual identity including color hex codes, font weights, styles logo usage, photography best practices and more.

Brand Vibe

This element is as important as the rest elements mentioned above, and it refers to the general sentiment a brand emits across its website, social media channels, product packaging etc.

The brand vibe will come along how the brand story, voice, values and visual identity intersect.

All these five elements of branding are very crucial for your business to truly stand out in your industry and create an unforgettable experience for your audience from the moment they come across your business.

Inspire a connection through honest values, a brand voice that captures the essence of your business, and a visual identity that reflects the vibe of your brand, you are on the right track to building trust and connection needed to skyrocket your success.

As strategist dedicated to building iconic brands, brand strategy is my specialty. I have helped dozens of businesses create winning brand strategies that have led to a massive shift in audience perception. If you want this to be your reality in your business, contact me to discuss your brand strategy game plan.