3 Ways Brand Strategy Directly Informs the Way You Run Your Business

You guys.

I thought we talked about this.

Worked through it, tied it up in a nice little package with a pretty little bow, and shipped. it. out.

You know what I'm talking about – the fact that your "brand" is not your logo. It's not your tagline. It's not that deconstructed flat lay photo shoot on a marble backdrop that your social media team did last week.

We even talked about the reasons why branding is so important for your business financially, over here.

So one more time, for the folks in the back:

Your brand strategy IS your business strategy. Which means that your brand is, ultimately, your business.

Gary V knows what's up:

Branding is not a “nice to have” or a “maybe tomorrow” or a “let’s just write a mission statement and call it a day” kind of thing. A strategic brand foundation guides every decision you make for your business, even the ones that at first glance seem unrelated to branding.

Don’t believe me? Here are just a few examples:

Billing Model: A service-based company whose unique value proposition is around creating the most high-touch, luxurious, hand-holding experience for its customers will likely use a very different billing model than a company whose UVP is around offering the most easy-to-use, DIY experience for its customers. This could mean the difference between offering monthly retainers vs. one-off package rates, for example.

Org Structure: A startup who learns through its brand strategy surveys that its customers primarily value super-fast responses to their online inquiries might utilize chat bot customer service support. But another startup who learns that its customers value detailed, personalized responses to their online inquiries might instead choose to build a well-trained customer service department in-house.

Product or Service Offerings: A retail company whose mission statement is “To help more people across the world enjoy the benefits of yoga” has much broader opportunity for future product & service lines than a similar company whose mission statement is “To sell the best yoga pants the world has ever seen.”

So you see: Your brand strategy is your business strategy. And your business is your brand.

To believe anything less is to do a great disservice to your customers, your employees, and ultimately, your own personal journey as an entrepreneur and business owner.

If you find that you're nodding your head in agreement, but aren't quite sure where to start, feel free to give my branding e-book a download. It'll point you in the right direction.

Til next time.

B