Brand Strategy vs. Marketing Strategy: What Does Your Business Really Need?

What’s the difference between brand strategy and marketing strategy?

Often a business inquiry that comes through our inbox will look something like this:

“Hello! I'm starting a business and need help with branding and overall strategy. I'm not sure how to advertise my business and want to grow my audience and client base.”

Sound familiar? As a new business, there’s a host of business services you’ll need to either hire out or handle internally (See which ones we offer here). The word “strategy” can apply to several aspects of your business; there’s Business Strategy, Brand Strategy, Marketing & Advertising Strategy, Social Media Strategy, and even really granular efforts like Influencer Marketing Strategy. You recognize the need for a solid plan, but how do you know which strategy is best for your launching business?

In this article, we break down the most common forms of strategy a new business will need to address, as well as give guidance on what strategies you should be focusing on based on the size, type, and age of your small business. Let’s break it down!

What is a brand strategy?

A brand strategy is the full development of a business’ internal messaging and front-facing image. This is different than just working with a brand designer, who will listen to your design needs and provide a brand identity. A brand strategy goes deeper into the purpose of a brand, and will deliver a holistic picture of what makes your business different and why your audience should invest in you.

When we take clients through our brand strategy process, we cover topics like:

• Brand Messaging
  - The Why, How, and What of your brand.
  - Mission and Vision Statements
  - Purpose Statement and Pitch

• Brand Positioning
  - Full Competitive Analysis
  - S.W.O.T. Analysis
  - Positioning Statement

• Brand Traits
  - Brand Persona and Tone
  - Brand Language

• Target Persona
  - Full Target Demographic and Psychographic Narrative

Once we solidify the internal messaging – the “inside” of your brand and how it functions as a persona – we then move on to the “outside”; that is, the brand identity. Our brand process includes the following assets:

• Identity Design
  - Primary Logo Development
  - Secondary Logo Development (varies)
  - Color Palette (hex, PMS)
  - Font Selection and Usage Guidelines
  - Aesthetic Direction
  - Collateral Design (Business cards, flyers, etc.)

• Brand Style Guide
  - Comprehensive Identity Usage Guidelines

Part of having a strong brand strategy is investing in the above as your brand foundations. The assets and guidelines you tangibly leave this process with will act as a compass when it comes time to start getting your brand out into the world. As you work with various creatives throughout the course of your business, having brand foundations will not only make their jobs a lot easier, but ensure that your brand remains consistent despite being in various hands.

In addition to working with a brand strategist, often small businesses will need guidance on how to best announce or launch their new brand. We’ve written a whole article on the best ways to launch your new business here.

When should I invest in a brand strategy?

Investing in a brand strategy process isn’t only for the new business. We’ve worked with clients going through several phases of business, and they all benefitted from re-aligning with their brand foundations. Here are a few common reasons why a business should invest in a brand strategist:

1. Expanding your offerings or services.

2. Expanding your online presence to new platforms.

3. Beginning more traditional marketing efforts (like print ads, etc.)

4. Beginning more digital marketing efforts (like PPC, Instagram ads, etc.)

5. Your business started as your name and you’d like to rebrand as an autonomous identity.

6. You’ve been “winging it” since day one and need an expert to listen and provide guidance.

7. Your team has grown and needs to get on the same page.

Are we speaking to you? Let’s set up a quick intro call! Click here.

What is a marketing strategy?

A marketing strategy takes all of your brand foundations as assets to sell your business to the right audience. Where a brand strategist can help you get clear on what your business sounds like, looks like, and feels like, a marketing strategist knows how and where to best deliver your brand to the most profitable/appropriate market, both online and off.

Here is what a marketing strategist can bring to the table:

• Search engine optimization and Google Adwords management.

• Paid and organic social media management.

• PR contacts for local and national print publications.

• Email marketing tactics.

• Print and digital advertising strategy.

• E-commerce sale optimization.

• Online audience conversion.

When should I hire a marketing strategist?

So whereas your brand strategist gets clear on how your business is perceived, your marketing strategist will deliver on that perception in a way that is quantifiable and transactional.

Here are a few reasons why a business would invest in a marketing strategy:

1. Promotion of a new product or service launch.

2. Better Google rankings within your industry.

3. Better audience segmentation within your email list.

4. Optimizing “missed e-commerce opportunities” like abandoned carts, etc.

5. Increase brand awareness in a specific market.

6. Grow your social media audiences.

As a new business, there’s a lot to consider in terms of strategy and hiring an expert to handle certain aspects of your brand’s launch. Having both a brand strategy and a marketing expert on your team will undoubtedly result in a higher yield of revenue as your launch your service or product, but it does take some upfront investment. Still, having a team of strategists as your disposal to bounce ideas off of (especially as a solo entrepreneur) to some is priceless.

Are you in the throws of starting a new business and need some guidance? Ask us anything in the comments below! Or, send us an email at info [at] flourishcollaborative [dot] com.