I had a lot of interest in this post. And rightly so, I’m the type of person who is nosy about all of the details of what I’m buying before I actually hit buy.

Most of my clients don’t come to me looking for a brand strategy though. It’s not the first thing they think about when considering a rebrand, at least. And because of that, it can be confusing not understanding just how important a brand strategy really is to the rest of the branding process (i.e. a brand’s visuals).

A brand design is never just a logo. Or a logo and color palette. Or even a logo, color palette, and type suite. It is SO much more.

A brand identity is rooted in strategy. A strategy that acts as the foundation of everything you and your team do within your business. It’s arguably the most important part of the entire process (and my favorite part, too).

The brand strategy is what gives meaning to all following design decisions, business decisions, marketing decisions, and more. It’s an asset you can take with you as your business grows to help guide it in the right direction.

How does a brand strategy fit into the branding process?

Our project starts with a client questionnaire. This is your homework as a client and it helps me get a good look at you and your business. Once the questionnaire is complete and there are no loose ends or confusion needing to be tied up, we move into the strategy build.

I put together a PDF presentation (around 30-35 pages) full of brand strategy. This includes your brand overview, ideal audience, core problem and solution, core values, brand descriptors, and more.

But instead of making this post a million words long, I think it’d be best to let me strategy presentation speak for itself.

Below, you’ll find a free download of my brand strategy template. This template is a rough outline (every client is different and pages may be removed or added as necessary) but it will give you a first-hand look at what you’ll receive as a client of mine.

DOWNLOAD THE STRATEGY TEMPLATE

If you have any questions about this process or my template at all, leave them in a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! But here are some FAQ:

1. Do you design logos/ brands without first doing a brand strategy? No, I don’t ever do any design without first doing a brand strategy. I believe visuals should always be rooted in meaning to be successful in conveying a message to your audience. Because of that, I don’t.
2. What will you need from me (the client) to create a successful brand strategy? Everything I need from you is asked in the client questionnaire. But, if there is ever any confusion or I need clarity on one of your answers, I’ll be in touch to get that cleared up before starting my research and building your brand strategy!
3. Why is a brand strategy important? It’s important for a few reasons. It keeps you and your team (now or later as you grow) all on the same track with a mutual understanding of your business, it explains the meaning behind your brand visuals, it helps you identify your business’s strengths and weakness and how you can use them to grow, it defines your audience so you can better market to them, and it defines the problem you’re solving for your audience.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE BRAND STRATEGY TEMPLATE HERE

Want business, studio, and personal updates sent direct to your inbox? Join me and my current subscribers by joining us here.