Some say brand strategy is about defining your purpose and values. Some say it’s a marketing plan for growth. And others think it’s about making your brand recognisable.
Honestly, how is anyone supposed to make sense of all that?
I’ve found that founders and marketers at growing companies tend to tune out this chatter. They simply don’t have the luxury (like branding dudes do) to sift through endless information and build detailed frameworks.
So they often say things like:
“This sounds like it’s for big companies. I’ll deal with brand stuff later. Let’s jump straight into design and marketing. If we do that enough, isn’t that branding anyway?”
"Not really" without a clear strategy, your brand might end up looking and feeling like a mishmash of random parts,
One day, I accidentally found myself blurting out this analogy to a founder, and it totally clicked:
Brand strategy is your customer-facing business strategy.
What Does That Even Mean?
Let’s break it down.
A typical business strategy focuses on things like:
The market gap: What space are you uniquely filling?
Customer segments: Who are you serving?
Unfair edge: What makes you better, faster, or more irresistible?
The solution/offer: How are you solving your customers’ problem?
Channels: How are you marketing and distributing your product?
Revenue structures: How are you making money?
Cost structures: What are your expenses?
Put that all together, and you’ll usually land on a Unique Value Proposition (UVP). That’s your big, bold statement about why people should choose you. But here’s the thing: Your UVP is only part of the story. Brand strategy is what makes customers actually care about that story.
Brand Strategy: The Missing Piece
Brand strategy answers the crucial question: How do you make your customer give two rockets about your business strategy?
And it does that in both conscious and unconscious ways. It hits people where it matters—in an emotionally resonant way. At its core, foundational brand strategy is a simple idea with an emotional hook. It makes business sense AND has creative potential.
It guides design, copy, campaigns, messaging, and channels. It gives you rich material to create a culture around your brand.
Why This Matters Early On?
When you land on your brand strategy early, everything else becomes easier and more impactful:
Design and copy: More aligned and intentional.
Marketing: More creative and effective.
Customer experience: Feels purposeful and cohesive.
Sure, you can grab your UVP and rush straight to market. But you’ll likely end up doing a lot of telling without the power of showing.
And that lack of clarity? It can be a hefty tax on your growth.
So, if you’re a founder or marketer wondering if brand strategy is worth it—I promise it is. And if it still feels confusing, don’t worry. That’s exactly what people like us at Remote Dude are here to help with.