How a Brand Strategist Can Help Your Brand Have the Most Impact

Ever bought something just because the packaging was too cute to resist? Or felt instantly connected to a brand because their Instagram caption felt like it was written just for you?

That's not a happy accident—that's brand strategy in action.

If you're thinking "Wait a minute, isn't brand strategy just picking pretty colors and designing a logo?" you certainly wouldn't be alone, but I'm going to stop you right there for a moment. While visual design is definitely part of the branding puzzle, strategy is the secret sauce that makes your brand truly irresistible to your ideal customers.

What is Brand Strategy?

Think of brand strategy as your business's game plan for connecting with customers and standing out in a crowded market. It's the foundation that guides everything from your visual identity to your voice, values, and the experience customers have with your brand.

You know how reality TV isn't actually reality, but carefully crafted storylines from producers to keep us hooked week after week? (Looking at you, Bravo! 👀) Brand strategy works similarly—it's about intentionally creating a narrative and experience that draws people in and keeps them coming back for more.

The same way a coach will map out plays before a big game, brand strategy creates a plan for your brand to follow and outlines who you're trying to reach, how you're going to reach them, and why your business is unique.

Why Brand Strategy is Important

In today's market, having a great product isn't enough. Your customers are bombarded with great options every time they open Instagram or walk into Target. Your customers need to feel connected to your brand. It needs to stand out from it's competitors in a way that makes your customer feel like it was created specifically for them.

A solid brand strategy helps you:

• Stand out from competition
• Connect emotionally with your target audience
• Create a recognizable personality that's unique to your business
• Build customer loyalty and trust
• Command premium pricing
• Make more consistent, confident business decisions
• Create a roadmap for growth

Brand Strategy vs. Brand Identity: What's the Difference?

Your brand identity is part of your overall brand strategy. Your brand identity is what makes your brand recognizable to your customers. It defines how your brand looks, acts, and sounds. It can encompass your brand voice, your visual design (like logo, colors, and packaging), and customer experience.

And while brand strategy certainly encompasses brand identity, it can go even deeper. Your brand strategy breaks down the "why" behind your identity. It explains the core DNA of your brand that will help you make all your business decisions moving forward. It dives into the mind of your target customers and maps out a plan for how you can best connect with them.

Brand strategy is like the special seasoning that takes your favorite dish from good to great. It gives your brand a solid foundation to build on for years to come.

Strategy informs design to make sure your design is having the most impact for your business. And, if you have a really solid strategy and a really great designer you won't find yourself feeling the urge to redesign your brand every year because it will be designed so perfectly tailored to visually represent your business. (I know a good one! *Cough cough* 🙋‍♀️ Let's work together!)

Brand strategy helps inform design by making it clear what kind of colors and fonts should be selected to reflect your brand's personality. It helps guide photography style and packaging decisions. It ensures your website design helps to support your brands promise and helps you create brand consistency across all touch points.

Elements of a Brand Strategy

So what exactly goes into a brand strategy? Here at Happyland Creative we typically dive into these five areas:

1. Brand Purpose & Values

• Why does your brand exist (beyond making money)?
• What do you stand for?
• What impact do you want to make?

2. Target Audience Definition

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What problems do they face?
• What motivates their purchasing decisions?
• What brands do they already love and why?

3. Brand Positioning

• What makes you different from competitors?
• What unique value do you offer?
• Where do you fit in the market?

4. Brand Personality

• If your brand was a person, who would they be?
• How do you want customers to feel when they interact with your brand?
• What's your brand voice and tone?

5. Brand Promise

• What can customers consistently expect from you?
• What transformation or benefit do you deliver?
• How do you want to be remembered?

Example of a Brand Strategy in Action

So how exactly do you use your brand strategy? Let's look at a fictional example: CINCHE skincare. This was a fictional brand that we created based off an unused concept we did for a client. The client didn't love it but, but we loved it so much we couldn't let it languish on our hard drive, so we brought it to life.

If CINCHE were a real brand, here's how the strategy would play out.

Instead of just launching another beauty brand to get lost on the shelves of Sephora, CINCHE's strategy is to:

• Target Gen-Zers who care about looking good
• Position the brand to be the go-to brand for maintaining a plump, youthful appearance
• Develop a brand personality that's eye catching, relatable, and emphasizes the focus on "plumpness"
• Create a visual identity that looks great on TikTok and in stores
• Built a community around skincare education

The result? A brand that:

• Commands premium pricing
• Has a cult following on social media
• Gets consistent press coverage
• Attracts retail partnerships

CINCHE's gen-z target audience let us know to create a bold, youthful brand that can have fun and take risks. Focusing on the "plumping" benefits of the product can inform visual design and packaging, as well as help inform copywriting as seen in the tagline "Skincare that keeps it tight."

Every aspect of the brand strategy works in concert to create an irresistible brand that attracts customers.

Brand Strategist vs. Brand Designer: What's the Difference?

Picture your favorite TV show for a minute. Before the actors step on set, before the cameras roll, before the costumes are chosen—there's a writer's room. These brilliant minds map out character arcs, plot twists, and emotional journeys that keep us glued to our screens.

That's kind of like the relationship between brand strategists and brand designers:

Brand Strategist = The Writers

A brand strategist is like the head writer of your brand's story. They:

• Develop your brand's "character arc" (positioning and growth strategy)
• Map out your brand's "plotline" (customer journey and experience)
• Define your brand's "personality" (voice, tone, and values)
• Identify your "target audience" (who will love your brand's story)
• Create the "narrative framework" that guides all brand decisions

Brand Designer = The Production Team

Brand designers are like the production designers who bring that story to life visually. They:

• Build the set (Create the visual elements that represent your strategy)
• Design the costumes (Design logos, color palettes, and typography systems)
• Edit the trailer (Develop packaging and marketing materials)
• Invite the audience (Build websites and digital experiences)
• And overall ensure visual consistency across all touch points

Why You Need Both

Here's the thing—you wouldn't film a TV show without a script, right? Similarly, jumping straight to design without strategy is like trying to cast actors for characters that haven't been written yet. You might end up casting the wrong person which means things won't feel cohesive when it comes time to start filming.

When strategy and design work together, magic happens:

• Your visuals tell the right story to the right people
• Your brand feels cohesive and intentional
• Your design decisions have purpose and meaning
• Your brand connects emotionally AND looks amazing
• Your investment in design generates better returns

Brand strategy and brand design go hand in hand. In fact, they are so closely connected that when it comes time to hiring someone to help you, the brand strategist and brand designer are often one and the same.

Here at Happyland Creative, we offer both brand strategy and brand design. Every brand design we tackle encompasses some element of strategy, but for those who have the budget and want a guided exploration, we offer a brand strategy workshop where, together, we'll dive into and outline all of the key elements of your brand strategy.

Ready to get some help from a Brand Strategist?

Book a free info call with us and let's chat about creating a brand strategy for your business that turns browsers into buyers and buyers into superfans.

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