Strategic Brand Positioning Part 3
A STRATEGIC BRAND POSITIONING, PART 3: HOW TO CREATE ONE?
In the previous two articles, I discussed the definition of a strategic Brand Identity and its advantages. Now, let’s dive into how to engineer a compelling Strategic Brand Identity using a uniquely built toolkit derived from years of experience and insights. Let’s get building in 4 steps.
Creating a unique brand identity is an essential step in every brand strategy. You don’t need massive corporate budgets to do it effectively, thanks to proven models that help determine your brand’s core DNA and translate it into a relatable, human identity. It’s time to empower your brand to venture into new territories.
. 1: DO RESEARCH
Effective research forms the cornerstone of engineering a robust strategic brand positioning or identity, providing a solid foundation.
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Conduct market research and analyze competitors
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Understand your target audience in both rational and emotional terms
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Translate your understanding of the target audience into basic buyer personas
. 2: DEFINE YOUR BRAND’S CORE DNA
From your research, you can start building 3 essential building blocks:
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Establish a clear and unique, Purpose Mission and Vision for your brand
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Develop your brand’s Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)
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Identify your Consumer Values (brand values, its always better to think from a consumer’s viewpoint)
Consumer values are crucial as they translate reason into emotion, the essential glue for any human relatable brand. Idealistically, these values encapsulate your brand in 3 concise terms, making them easy to grasp for both you and your consumers while differentiating you from competitors.
You’re in for a treat, through the years I’ve tweaked and perfected a model used by the best names in advertising for creating a compelling brand values:
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Capture your Product Specifications
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Translate your Product Specifications into Rational Advantages for the consume
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Convert Rational Advantages into Emotional Rewards for the consumer
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Distil rewards and advantages into 3 distinct groups and label them clearly in a single term, your brand values.
These values are easily converted into a fitting tagline or baseline by any skilled copywriter. Many brand owners find defining emotional rewards challenging in a primarily rational business environment. In a future article, I will delve deeper into maintaining focus on emotion to enhance your strategic brand positioning or identity to the fullest.
. 3: ENGINEER A HUMAN RELATABLE BRAND PERSONALITY
Once you have identified your consumer values evoking emotion, you can develop a human relatable identity by infusing it with human aspects.
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Determine a Tone of Voice according to your core DNA and buyer personas
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Create simple brand Messaging Guidelines
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Establish a resonating Visual Identity (brand values, its always better to think from a consumer’s viewpoint)
. 4: IMPLEMENT CONSISTENTLY
A brand identity sets the course for long-term success, requiring consistent cultivation to realize its effects. When done well, your core DNA, your 3 brand values should last a long time, maybe adjusting one over time but never all. Once established, it unlocks unlimited new possibilities. Keep reinforcing your 3 consumer values to keep the momentum going.
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Apply the strategic brand identity across all touchpoints, channels and cross departments ( website, content creation, packaging, sales pitches and funnels, consumer journeys, HR, … )
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Inform and train employees and marketing partners on your purpose, mission and brand values, keep it simple and digestable
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Continuously monitor your strategic brand positioning, well-crafted brand values allow for long-term effects with minimal changes.
I CAN HELP YOU CRAFT A STRONG STRATEGIC BRAND POSITIONING
Would you like to learn more about how I can help you effectively engineer your strategic brand positioning with this simple and effective model in short period? Watch the strategic brand identity toolkit explainer video below, or reach out and we’ll start exploring together, how to strengthen you brand together.
