Brand Strategy

Creativity is powerful, but without a clear brand strategy, it may miss the target. While your vision and plans will define your offer, your brand strategy will specify who you serve, how you do it, why it matters, and what makes your brand unique. Use these as your first guide to building a successful brand.

Brand strategy is not about you. It is what we do, whom we serve, and why it is important.
Brand strategy is not about you. It is what we do, whom we serve, and why it is important.

“Who needs what I have?” is a great question to start with. It helps you picture your ideal customer.

After all, you are not building the brand for yourself.

Do you know the demographics of the people you want to reach? These are simple facts about a group, such as age, location, and interests. Knowing them matters because your audience’s expectations and preferences may differ from yours.

Example: I hope to reach small business owners. They are typically 35 to 60 years old. They own physical stores, offer local services, or run individual online businesses. They want budget-friendly solutions that make their work simpler. They often hope to engage with their community.

WHO DO WE SERVE?

Quote by Denvil Lee: Instead of asking “Who has what I need?”, I’m learning to ask, “Who needs what I have?”
Quote by Denvil Lee: Instead of asking “Who has what I need?”, I’m learning to ask, “Who needs what I have?”

Define Your Ideal Customer

Your turn! Can you describe your ideal customer in three or four sentences? It may take some research. Think about what you want to offer and who needs it most. Then write it down.

Knowing your audience is a huge part of your success.

If describing your customer feels difficult, let AI interview you.  An AI assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini can help you think it through. Try this prompt:

“Act as a brand strategist. Interview me, one question at a time, to define my ideal customer, the problem I solve for them, and three values that guide my business. Start by asking what I sell.”

Treat the result as a first draft only. AI does not know your customers, so check every detail against real people: your reviews, your messages, your sales.

HOW IS IT DONE?

Brand Values and Guiding Principles

Brand values are the core beliefs that guide how your brand thinks, acts, and communicates. They must be reflected in all the brand’s actions, including the selection of brand aesthetics. Guiding principles turn your values into clear action. Here are examples I follow in my writing:

  • Value: User-friendly
    Guiding principle: Write in a friendly tone and use everyday examples to explain professional subjects.

  • Value: Practical
    Guiding principle: Communicate tips that are easy to follow and supported by useful resources.

  • Value: Reasonable
    Guiding principle: Promote free resources and DIY projects.

Your turn! Choose three values for your brand. Next to each one, write a sentence about what you will do (or never do) because of it.

Clearly defined brand values will help you in many ways:

  • Brand values preserve brand identity.
    With competition constantly increasing, standing out from the crowd through specific values can set apart the average from the noticeable. While the growing popularity of using AI tools for creating keywords and content makes the process easier and faster, it also makes many brands look the same. Observing specific values may be their first line of defense from this mediocrity.

  • Brand values can lead to loyal customers.
    People feel respected knowing that you tailor your proposition to their preferences, so make sure your values align with your audience’s.
    They also like familiarity. Knowing what to expect makes them more likely to return to you.

  • Brand values will attract the right partners and employees.
    Do you remember that “birds of a feather flock together”? Exactly. You may be on your own today, but once your business grows, you’ll be glad to be joined by like-minded people.

Your brand’s values will also explain the merit of your brand. Don’t take my word for it. The “Big Guys” know the “value of values” and use them:

  • Apple sells innovation,

  • Nike sells endurance,

  • Volvo sells safety

– You see the point.


Whatever your offer or products are, most likely they are not unique in the market. You need a strategy and distinct values to tell (and show) your brand’s special traits.

WHY DO BRAND VALUES MATTER?

Brand Story Ideas

  1. Solve a problem. Brands that solve problems are sought after. In 2007, two of Airbnb’s founders could not afford their San Francisco rent. So, they rented out air mattresses in their apartment to visitors of a design conference.

  2. Use your past. Stories from the past can inspire. Apple is not just about stylish, premium-priced electronics. Its legend is two friends starting a company in a family garage. Even though co-founder Steve Wozniak has called the garage part “a bit of a myth” – it does sound inspiring.

  3. Share your vision. Patagonia, founded by climber Yvon Chouinard, grew from a deep love of nature. Later, its owners went further and formed a nonprofit. Since then, the profits have gone to fighting climate change. The company’s message: “Earth is now our only shareholder.”

  4. Let your customers tell it. Every company that grows creates stories. That is why reviews matter. The best way to prove your brand promise works is to share your satisfied customers’ stories.

Sample: The Story Behind This Blog

I’ve seen too many small businesses with limited time, tight budgets, and no big marketing team, constantly chasing the latest trends in hopes of standing out. Beautiful ideas would emerge, only to be undone by shifting opinions or whatever was popular that week.

That was when I realized the power of Strategic Brand Design, centered on a clearly defined mission and the audience’s preferences.

This inspired this blog and its companion workbook, Memos for Brand Builders. They contain practical, DIY ideas to help small business owners and independent creatives build brands that feel true, look great, and stay consistent.

WHAT MAKES YOUR BRAND UNIQUE

Quote by John Maxwell: "People will not care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Quote by John Maxwell: "People will not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Brand Story

Beyond special features, a brand is easier to remember when it is backed by a story.

We may be fascinated with AI right now, but humans want to connect with other humans. The goal of a brand story is to be relatable. Think about the “why” behind your brand. Maybe it solves a problem you struggled with in the past. Maybe it is a long-time passion you want to share

Creating a good story takes time, but it’s a time well spent. Here are four ideas to choose from:

Your turn! Write your own story in three sentences: the problem you noticed, why you care, and what you do about it.

Nex up: Mission Statement >

BRAND PERSONALITY

By now, you know that a brand is more than just a logo or a name. It includes people’s overall feelings and perceptions about a company or product. This personality is shaped not only by visual elements, but also by how your brand communicates and the overall experiences people have with it. So, when you see a familiar color, typeface, or hear a certain tune, and it reminds you of a company, that’s the well-designed brand in action. Clearly defined values, guiding principles, and the image of your best customer should control your brand personality formation. If you skip these steps, your brand will eventually develop a personality of its own.

But it may not be the one you like.

If you did the exercises listed in this chapter, record it.

Save your audience description, values, guiding principles, and story in one document. They will be the first items in your Brand Assets Library. If you’d like ready-made placeholders for them, check my Brand Guidelines Presentation Template in the Printable Memos Etsy shop.

With your values and guiding principles in place, it’s time to put them into a few clear sentences that tell the world who you are.