What Does A Brand Strategist Actually Do?

My Mom Still Asks: “So, What Exactly Do You Do?”

Hey Everyone! Steve Ferreira here, a brand strategist assisting individuals and businesses across North America in reaching their full potential. It’s what I focus on, yet often, the specifics remain a bit of a mystery to those around me.

I frequently get asked, “But what does that really involve?” And truthfully, close friends and family sometimes struggle to grasp it. So, whether you sense your brand could use some guidance or you’re simply curious about the term, you’ve landed in the right place.

With nearly fifteen years dedicated to brand strategy, allow me to clarify exactly what it entails!

What Is Brand Strategy?

In simple terms, a brand strategy is a foundational document outlining all the crucial elements of your brand. This encompasses aspects such as:

• Identifying your ideal customer
• Defining your unique qualities
• Pinpointing what sets you apart
• Articulating your core values
• Understanding why your customer connects with you

A brand strategy pinpoints these concepts and articulates them precisely, providing the ideal language to employ consistently when discussing your brand. This includes crafting a compelling tagline, a genuine brand narrative or “About” section, and a concise elevator pitch – essential messaging components to use repeatedly to communicate your story, promote your brand, and market your offerings. These key elements are vital because they are what make you memorable. Consequently, when someone inquires, “Who are you?” or “What do you offer?” you’ll possess a clear and impactful response.

Your brand strategy serves as the bedrock of your brand. Therefore, prior to engaging in marketing efforts or designing a logo, establishing this foundation is crucial, as it fundamentally defines your business identity.

Understanding The Role Of A Brand Strategist

This is where some confusion can arise, as the title “brand strategist” is sometimes used to describe a few distinct specializations.

The True Brand Strategist! This is the individual who develops the core brand strategy document. My primary objective is to bring clarity to your brand and position it for success in the marketplace.

The Brand Designer (With Strategic Input): This professional incorporates a strategy session into their process. Their primary deliverable is a brand identity, encompassing a logo, color palette, typography, and visual elements. While their contribution is integral to the branding process, their core expertise lies in design, not solely in strategy. Design should inherently be strategic; it’s a fundamental aspect of effective design. Simply including a questionnaire or strategy session within a design process doesn’t, in my view, qualify one as a dedicated strategist. That should be standard practice.

The Growth Strategist Or Brand Manager: As mentioned earlier, while brand strategy forms the foundation, many associate it with increasing visibility and building brand recognition: “How do I make my brand known?”However, boosting brand awareness falls more within the realm of marketing (I can elaborate on the distinction between branding and marketing, as it’s a common point of confusion). This role typically comes into play once the foundational brand strategy is established, focusing on disseminating the brand’s message. These professionals are also strategic and essential but serve a different purpose than what I consider a core brand strategist.

My Approach To Building Brand Strategies

These are the essential steps I take to develop that foundational document and effectively position your brand:

Research: I commence by gathering comprehensive information about your company, your target audience, your competitors, and the broader market landscape. Essentially, I aim to accumulate all pertinent data related to your brand. For me, this involves conducting interviews, distributing surveys, and performing thorough competitive analysis, such as examining competitors’ websites, social media presence, and marketing materials – meticulously gathering the necessary background and context to understand your brand’s place.

Analysis: Next, I analyze the collected data to extract meaningful insights. This often involves identifying opportunities. I connect the various data points to pinpoint potential market gaps your brand could fill or unmet customer needs your business could address. I strive to identify key takeaways that will be compelling and contribute to the client’s, or the brand’s, success. However, these insights are only part of the equation; while crucial, they need further development.

Messaging: Now, the focus shifts to translating those key insights into what I term “messaging.” Messaging comprises the precise and impactful language used to articulate a brand. This includes elements like the tagline and the brand story – taking the core ideas and expressing them in the most straightforward and emotionally resonant way possible.

Ultimately, this process equips you, the client, with a living document that can evolve alongside your brand. It serves as a benchmark against which to evaluate every decision: “Does this align with our identity? Does it reflect our aspirations?” This document can remain a valuable guide for years to come.

In Conclusion

The term “brand strategist” can encompass various roles, and there’s often overlap. For instance, while my primary focus is on brand strategy, I also offer brand design services – a less common combination. The crucial takeaway is that a true brand strategist’s aim is to provide clarity for your brand and strategically position it for success. If this resonates with your current needs, you now understand the importance of seeking someone who can create that foundational “brand strategy” document for you.

If you’re currently facing this, please don’t hesitate to reach out, & contact me today for a consultation. I’d be delighted to assist you in building that essential foundation.

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