What is the purpose of brand strategy?

Many companies think that having a brand strategy is optional. That's a shame because they're missing out on one of the most powerful tools available to any brand.

Branding is what makes your community come back for more

Apple addicts don't buy from Apple because they need a laptop or a smartphone. They buy an iPhone, an Apple Watch, a Mac... then a HomePod.

Why? Because they're dying for an experience, the Apple experience.

It's all about Apple tapping into the deepest desires of its community. To do that, you have to exceed their expectations continually. You must craft an experience that users will love with every fiber of their being.

As a brand, your role is to articulate your community's vision. Only after completing this crucial step can a second, more critical step be taken: bringing that vision to life!

Any individual will find a vision

Only some people need to have their own vision, but anyone can find one and follow it.

As a brand, you need to articulate yours to allow the world to find it and potentially work towards it alongside you.

Without a vision, you're navigating the open sea without a compass or map.

Sure, that may work for you.

Go ahead, and keep turning the helm with your gut feeling... but your brand will only go far without defining its course.

Your brand will get far with a strategy.

Brand strategy, the magic compass

Defining your brand strategy is like creating the compass that will take you to the right place. Even if you get caught in a big storm, you'll be able to find your way back to dry land.

You'll also notice that, if properly defined, your brand compass has magical powers.

It will help you:

• recruit your crew

• appease even the most anxious sailors

• Communicate your amazing stories more easily

• get other ship captains to join and follow you

• create your pirate brotherhood

The mistake we all make

We want to show the world how amazing our adventure will be before we plan it.

That's how we sometimes create a visual identity, a slogan, a logo... before we even define and articulate our mission, vision, and values. Some pirates would say that it's a guaranteed shipwreck.

And here they are, proudly sailing the Caribbean Sea without even knowing that their flag describes them as English privateers: the sworn enemies of free pirates. Other pirates will indeed attack them, thinking they are enemies.

Without a strategy, we sometimes fight against ourselves. That's why brand strategy is so important!

Without it, without knowing your brand in all its depth, you are no match for brands that have done the work.

The todo-list of the good strategist

Like any self-respecting bandit, we recommend this list of actions to become a true branding hacker.

1. Get to know your brand in depth

2. Define your brand's mission

3. Define your brand's vision

4. Define its core values (not trendy bullsh*t values that everyone uses, we see you 🌚)

5. Find your difference, embrace it and cultivate it to the fullest

6. Define your enemy

7. Serve your tribe (community), not the other way around