Brand Strategy: What We Include In Our Clients Presentations
We’ve had a lot of interest in this post. And rightly so, we’re the type of people who are nosy about all of the details of what we’re buying before we actually hit buy.
Most of our clients don’t come to us looking for a brand strategy in the beginning, though. It’s not the first thing they think about when considering a rebrand, at least. And because of that, it can be confusing to understand just how important a brand strategy really is to the rest of the branding process (i.e. a brand’s visuals).
Take our word for it: A brand design is never JUST a logo. Or a logo and color palette. Or even a logo, color palette, and type suite. It is SO much more.
A brand identity is rooted in strategy. A strategy that acts as the foundation of everything you and your team do within your business. It’s arguably the most important part of the entire process (and our favorite part, too).
The brand strategy is what gives meaning to all following design decisions, business decisions, marketing decisions, and more. It’s an asset you can take with you as your business grows to help guide it in the right direction.
How does a brand strategy fit into the branding process?
Our project starts with a client questionnaire. This is your homework as a client and it helps our team get a good look at you and your business. Once the questionnaire is complete and there are no loose ends or confusion needing to be addressed, we move into the strategy build.
As one of the Brand Designers at SOM, Sarah, Chris, and I collaborate to put together a PDF presentation (around 30-35 pages) full of brand strategy for each of our branding clients. This includes your brand overview, ideal audience, core problem and solution, core values, brand descriptors, and more.
If you have any questions about our branding process, leave them in a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can! In the meantime, here are some FAQs:
Do you design logos/ brands without first doing a brand strategy?
No, we don’t ever do any designs without first doing a brand strategy. We believe visuals should always be rooted in meaning to be successful in conveying a message to your audience.
What will you need from me (the client) to create a successful brand strategy?
Everything we need from you is asked in the Brand Identity Design Questionnaire. But, if there is ever any confusion or we need clarity on one of your answers, we’ll flesh it out on our Creative Direction Call to get that cleared up before starting our research and building your brand strategy.
Why is a brand strategy important?
It’s important for a few reasons. It keeps you and your team (now or later as you grow) all on the same track with a mutual understanding of your business. In essence, it explains the meaning behind your brand visuals, helps you identify your business’s strengths and weakness and how you can use them to grow, defines your audience so you can better market to them, and it states the problem you’re solving for your audience.
Want to work together? Please view our branding packages and pricing here and inquire on our contact form!
