Branding is hard for entrepreneurs. It just is. Understanding the difference between branding vs. brand strategy is just another layer to that difficulty.
Over my years as a brand strategist, there’s been one huge thing I’ve noticed: when it comes to putting a brand and business out into the world, the biggest disconnect usually lies in understanding the concept behind a really great brand.
The mission today? To make sure you truly understand it — which comes down to grasping the difference between branding vs. brand strategy itself.
What People Think Branding Is
When most entrepreneurs think about branding, they’re probably thinking about a logo and some colors. After all, logos and colors and fonts are the visual representation of a brand… so it makes sense.
But, true branding is so much more than that — and, like we’ve talked about for the last few weeks, it’s created with impeccable, top-level strategy.
See, a great logo, color palette and font does not make a great brand. That said, when combined with hard work and a great strategy, a great brand comes to life — and understanding that? It’s essential.
Branding vs. Brand Strategy
At Uno Dos Trae, we play the strategic branding game — a beautiful balance between stunning visual identity and scientific marketing. We’re not alone, either. Any great brand studio approaches things this way.
First up, you have good ole’ brand strategy. This is going to be made up of the work that digs deep into your target audience, your values, and your goals for your business. When we’re talking about brand strategy, we’re thinking of things like:
- Brand positioning
- Brand mission and values
- Your target audience (and all of the research that goes into it)
Next, you have your brand expression — the way your brand looks, the way your brand sounds, and the character your brand has. These are going to be things like:
- Visual identity (logo, colors, fonts)
- Your brand’s voice
When you combine those two together — your brand strategy and brand expression — you can have a strong brand that actually does something powerful… sells a product or service, connects with people, and creates a strong foundation for your business.
It’s simple, really: separately, strategy and expression don’t mean much.
In harmony, they create magic for your brand.
Here’s the thing: building a successful, complete brand is so much more than reaching out to a designer to create a logo. In fact, that’s not going to come even close to helping you achieve your goals. Instead, you have to dig deep — look at the business, define what exists at the core of it all, decide who your audience is, determine the position you want to take out in the market — and build your brand out from that.
If you’re looking to build a powerful brand, my 16-week incubator program is just what you need. In the Brand Brilliance Accelerator, we’ll dive deep to uncover that magic behind your brand… and then to put it into action. At the end of the 4 months, you’ll have a powerhouse brand (and website) that speaks to so much more than you knew possible.
You in?
