Today we're dropping some BS bombs (...gotcha, no swearing in this article). We're talking brand strategy and business strategy. They feed into each other but are not one and the same. So we've taken the time to break down the basics on what they are; how the two work together and what thinking is involved to get them sorted. Your biz & brand strategy is your core; the anchor of everything you do in an organisation. So we tie things off with a few takeaways on how you should be using your new found strategy.
Biz versus Brand
Okay first let's take a step back and consider 'strategy' in general. Strap in, we're going to get nerdy with a few old school definitions.
Brand strategy is identifying what you want consumers to think and feel about you, how you create that experience and evoke those emotions in the consumer's mind. Business strategy is your organisational goals, mission and values, and (to be frank) how you actually make $$$.
So which comes first? The chicken or the egg; brand or business. The business strategy starts the conversation around the brand. You should have your core purpose mapped out before taking a further step into how that is reflected in your visual identity and messaging. It's much harder to reverse brief in a biz strategy to an existing brand and creates some wonky outcomes.
Achieving this balanced strategy
Okay so how do you define this strategy?
It starts with why
Have you heard of the golden circle? It was raised during a renown TEDTalk on how great leaders inspire action.
Why are you in business, why do you get out of bed every day? What is the driving force behind it all? From here you work your way out to how you do it and what it is.