The second step is perhaps more difficult. The brand target has already been determined (the mountain top), but the road to it is unclear. How are you going to reach the BHAG? How do you ensure that the mountain top is reached? What obstacles do you see and how to make a product/ market fit? Answering these questions is creating a brand strategy.
Many brands often skip this step they proceed to brand rituals. It’s indeed much easier to put together an outfit of your taste for a mountain walk, then the trip itself. Let alone to explore these in advance, analyze and make clear choices whether you climb the left or right side of the mountain. This step now seems very difficult, but that is not the case if you make it manageable.
How do you determine a strategy? A strategy's nothing more than a preconceived plan of choices to achieve a particular goal. In the strategy you determine how you want to achieve the goal, your vision. How does your Thought Leadership stand out from the competitors? Do you want to join the majority by building up distinctive USPs? It is stronger to act visionary. Think without constraints and dream big and record it in a vision statement. Find creative solutions for the obstacles you may encounter along the way.
For example it may be that your product portfolio is not yet complete, but you will still start as an entrepreneur. The implies confidence that you can still travel the road and gradually acquire the necessary skills and (life) experiences. If you have a strong vision as a person or business, you distinguish yourself from your competition than if you use a different color logo and scheme or search for rituals and public appearances. Therefore, take the time to clarify strengths, weaknesses and to identify opportunities and threats. The confrontation of these items provides a whole list of challenges and choices that must be made. Make concise choices here and do not try to make the most obvious choice. Go for the ‘Moonshot’! Only you can innovate and build up differentiative presence. By recording this in your vision statement, you challenge customers, employees and partners to follow your strategy/path and support you in this.
A derivative of your vision statements is your mission. How are you actually going to climb the mountain, who are you taking to and what do you need? This is an important branding principle, because you are going public; you take a position and you give substance to your strategy. By defining a clear mission and above all determining what you are NOT doing, you automatically ensure recognition. Your value proposition and position in the market start to stand out since you are no longer 13 in a dozen, instead you give substance. Your strategy and thus your brand become tangible and take on a form of expression.
In the mission you record what your business does, what you want to be accountable for and how you can be followed by new customers. For Rituals, for example, by making a piece of experience tangible in a private environment such as a bathroom. They allow you to come into contact with Eastern cultures, so that you can come to yourself and relax for a moment. How are they doing this? By uniting supply and demand and to make clear choices. This makes them stand out from other Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMGCs) and will power their brand 'above the line' presence. In this way they promote top of mind awareness. It is therefore essential for a brand to have a clear mission and vision, because the sum of the parts is greater: a purpose, a larger goal, is made up of the strategy and the fulfilment of this goal (the mission and the vision).
So, as a person and/or as a business, regularly take time for reflection and do not lose in visual style items. Determine what is important, what choices do you make and how will you get and realize what is important within your sphere of influence. Many brands and people skip this step. As a brand you are often considered a hoax and perceived as not authentic. This will be noticed by customers quickly resulting in a lacking acquisition and retention results. By implementing a true vision, you help to ensure recognizability and you build ties with your customer base.
I can enable you to change this by offering a complete range of marketing services. By facilitating the four steps for you based on your purpose, we can make a difference together. Do you want to know more? Then contact me and we will ensure that your purpose leads to authenticity with promising results followed.