A 10-step brand development strategy – Part 1
If you are setting out on the journey of building a brand, we believe there’s a format to follow and this 10-step guide will guide you in the right direction. You’ll realise it’s not easy, but that’s where we help.
If you’ve spoken to any experienced Branding, Design companies, Marketing, Advertising agencies in Dubai they are well versed in understanding the process of building a brand, but we feel this isn’t good enough. I’ve penned what I believe to be the 10-step brand strategy – if we know how to do it, so should you.
1. Consider your overall business strategy. A strong, well differentiated brand will make growing your company much easier. But what type of company do you want? Are you planning to grow organically? Your overall business strategy is the context for your brand development strategy, so that’s the place to start. If you are clear about where you want to take your company, your brand will help you get there.
2. Identify your target clients. Who are your target clients? If you say “everybody” you are making a very big mistake. Our research clearly shows that high growth, high profit companys are focused on having clearly defined target clients. The narrower the focus, the faster the growth. The more diverse the target audience, the more diluted your marketing efforts will be. So how do you know if you have chosen the right target client group? The answer is in the next step.
3. Research your target client group. Company’s that do systematic research on their target client group grow faster and are more profitable. Further, those that do research more frequently (once per quarter) grow faster still. Research helps you understand your target client’s perspective and priorities, anticipate their needs and put your message in language that resonates with them. It also tells you how they view your company’s strengths and your current brand. As such, it dramatically lowers the marketing risk associated with brand development.
4. Develop your brand positioning. You are now ready to determine your company’s brand positioning within the professional services marketplace (also called market positioning). How is your company different from others and why should potential clients choose to work with you? A positioning statement is typically three to five sentences in length and captures the essence of your brand positioning. It must be grounded in reality, as you will have to deliver on what you promise. It must also be a bit aspirational so you have something to strive for.
5. Develop your messaging strategy. Your next step is a messaging strategy that translates your brand positioning into messages to your various target audiences. Your target audiences typically include; potential clients, potential employees, referral sources or other influencers and potential partnering opportunities, to name a few of the usual suspects. While your core brand positioning must be the same for all audiences, each audience will be interested in different aspects of it. The messages to each audience will emphasise the most relevant points. Each audience will also have specific concerns that must be addressed. This is an important step in making your brand relevant to your target audiences.
If you feel building a brand is not your expertise and would like support from a branding agency in Dubai, then contact AdBrand and we’ll work through it with you.
Thank you for reading and if you have time click through to see our work
