When it comes to investing in brand strategy, it's never too late! But, sometimes investing in brand strategy can come too early. Before you invest in brand strategy, you should understand:

• Your core offer
• The problem your business solves
• The budget you have to bring your idea to reality

It may surprise you that for brand strategy to be impactful, you don’t need:

• A business name
• An MVP
• A website
• A logo

In fact, brand strategy can and should influence each of these items—but more on that later!

Whether you’re starting a new business or charting a new path for a decades-old organization, there’s a brand strategy solution that will help you meet your goals. Here are a few key times you should consider investing in brand strategy.

What is brand strategy?

Brand strategy is understanding your audience and competitive landscape to share the right message, with the right people, at the right time. Strategy is your brand’s cornerstone and is the foundation on which your messaging, visuals, and marketing tactics are built. When you invest in brand strategy, you and your team will be aligned behind a common vision and share a consistent brand identity that resonates with your audience.

If You're Starting a Business

Brand strategy can help you name your company.

If there’s one thing your customers remember about your brand, we hope it’s your name! So it's important that it resonates with them and tells them a little about your product and how it will improve their life. By investing in brand strategy, you'll understand who your audience is and what resonates with them so you can craft a memorable name that encompasses your brand values and ethos.

Brand strategy will determine your brand aesthetic.

Often, business owners and start-up founders think the first thing they need in business is a logo—yes, even before a name! But creating a logo without brand strategy is like playing darts blindfolded—you’ll miss the mark every time. By investing in brand strategy before you launch your business, you'll have a clear, unbiased perspective of what your business should look like so your brand identity system is intentional and purposeful and resonates with your ideal customers.

Brand strategy will determine your content strategy.

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn...posting on all these channels seven days a week is a big lift. But what if we told you that your business can skip a few days on these channels? Or even better—skip the channel entirely? Brand strategy will help you discover where your audience spends their time and what they're looking for so you can create content that converts.

Brand strategy will take out a lot of the guesswork.

Starting a business is full of unknowns. And. we’re sorry to report, i’s impossible to know what the future holds. However, brand strategy will give you a roadmap for what you need to do next so you can keep moving forward.

If You've Operated Your Business for Less Than 5 Years

If you've been at this for a few years, you have a good idea of what is and isn’t working in your business. You've likely experienced some pain points in your workload and you've probably experienced some shifts in your product as you've learned more about your audience. Here's how a brand strategy agency can help you if you're at this stage:

Brand strategy will help you refine your message.

If your business has changed over the past few years and you're struggling to describe it to your customers, it may be time to invest in brand strategy. Brand strategy will give you and your team the language, key phrases, and messages you need to describe the solution you offer in a way that entices your audience to buy.

Brand strategy will help you shift your focus to your audience.

We won’t sugarcoat it—a lot of ego comes with running a business. Whether it's your own or you're stakeholders', ego will often get in the way of giving your audience what they need. Brand strategy will help you shift your focus away from these egos by identifying your audience and their pain points. This will give you an empathetic approach to marketing so you can make meaningful connections with your customers.

Brand strategy will help you identify new growth opportunities.

As a business owner or founder, you likely look to or daydream about what’s next. You may be seeking investors or itching to expand your reach. Either way, brand strategy will help you identify these opportunities and how you approach them. Investing in brand strategy can help you identify immediate opportunities for growth and improvement. Plus, you’ll get a plan of action to guide you toward the opportunities further down the road.

If You've Operated Your Business for 5-15 years

If you're a seasoned business owner who has operated a company for up to 15 years, chances are you've experienced lots of growth and change. You've likely expanded your team and have more people than ever touching your product and marketing. Here's how brand strategy can help:

Brand strategy will give you consistent messaging.

You've grown your business to include more people and teams. Now you need consistent messaging. Your sales and marketing teams should speak the same language and share the same messages about your product so you're delivering consistent information to your audiences. Brand strategy will help you determine your brand's unique messages and tone of voice so you're entire team will know what to say and how to say it.

Brand strategy will help you anticipate changes in the market.

These times, they are a-changing...and they always will be! Brand strategy will help you look forward and anticipate changes in the market so you can be proactive in your marketing, rather than reactive. Working with a brand strategy agency will help you identify growing competitors, understand trends within the market, and empathize with your audience’s pain points as the world evolves. You can use brand strategy to outperform competitors, turn trends into converting content, and speak to your audience’s daily life.

Brand strategy will help your team work smarter.

When you're running a business, there's a lot to do! There is always a fire to put out or a stakeholder demand...erm request...to be fulfilled. Brand strategy will give your team a purpose—a north star if you will—so they can prioritize work that fits the big picture plan, rather than getting distracted by shiny objects.

If You've Operated Your Business for 15+ Years

Whether you’ve operated your own company for 15+ years or taken on a C-suite role at a new-to-you company—congrats! That’s no small feat! But, chances are your brand could use a refresh—especially if nothing has changed since the dawn of your organization. Here's how brand strategy will help if you're a seasoned business.

Brand strategy will identify threats and opportunities.

It’s easy (and comfortable!) to work with your blinders up. You and your team may pride yourself for ignoring what your competitors are doing. Or, maybe you’re too hung up on what your competitors are doing—always chasing trends to keep up with what’s new. But, this isn’t the best way to grow—and it’s not sustainable. When you work with a brand strategy agency, they'll help you identify your key competitors and understand what threats they pose to your business. You'll also identify key opportunities so you can outperform and outlast the competition.

Brand strategy will help you connect with new audiences.

If you're been in business for over a decade, you've likely seen a shift in your audience. Gen Zers and Millenials are key decision-makers in most markets and you need to know how to connect with them on a deeper level. Brand strategy will help you take an empathetic approach to marketing so you can communicate with your audience while building trust and brand loyalty

Brand strategy will help you disrupt your market.

We all want to be disruptors, but becoming one is easier said than done. Brand strategy will help you identify holes in your market, your audience needs, and your competitor's communication gaps so you can disrupt and make waves in your industry.

Start Your Brand Strategy Journey

Whether you're an industry newcomer or a seasoned leader, brand strategy will give you a new perspective on your business. Strange Salt is a strategy-first branding agency that uses a collaborative approach to craft standout brands.

To get started with your brand strategy project, send us a message.

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