Brand strategy is the thinking undertaken at the beginning of a branding project, to make sure your brand design is a success. Its essential to identify your target audience and their needs, know what competitors are doing, and establish your values and philosophy – it all feeds into the design direction you'll take and the story you'll tell. Designing without a strategy is a huge risk on your investment, you want to do it once and do it right.
What is the difference between brand strategy and business strategy?
A business strategy involves the core aspects of your business: product or service offering, operations, finance, staff, your long-term goals and ways to achieve them. It looks at weaknesses, opportunities, competitors, refining your offering etc. A brand strategy unpacks and brings to life your business strategy, identifying and expressing the values that underpin your business and clearly communicating your offering. A brand strategy must address the needs of the business strategy, how you communicate your brand externally is integral to achieving business goals.
A marketing strategy and plan is different again. Once a brand strategy is established and a brand design system in place, then you can strategise the best way to promote your brand and offering. I expand on marketing in another article.