If you’re thinking … I wish my brand were more strategic 🤔  … you’re not alone! 

In today’s world, not only securing a strategic brand, but sustaining a strategic brand is a challenge. Much like keeping plants alive. 😉

So where should we start with brand strategy? 

Get Clear On Your Goals 

What are you hoping to achieve? Your brand is a valuable asset to get you there. When I say to “get clear on goals,” I’m not talking just brand goals. I’m talking about big vision and mission goals.

These goals serve as the crucial foundation for any and all of your brand cultivating activities. 

If you are not in charge of big vision and mission goals, that’s okay. Use this opportunity to talk with leaders at your company, and seek to understand. 

In my Build Your Strategic Brand Plan Mastercourse, there is an entire Strategic Analysis module dedicated to helping you uncover these goals, and understand where you are. 

Think of your goals as a decision filter, through which you can sort through any and all your ideas and opportunities for your brand. We only have limited resources, and your goals help orient you to pursue and invest in what is best for your brand at any given time. 

Start Where You Are

Reflect on your brand as it currently is. Get honest. Is it wilting or thriving? 

Even better, get feedback. It’s important for you to have a clear sense of not only where you are as it relates to your brand, but how your brand connectors (what I call target audience) perceives as your brand.

This doesn’t have to be too difficult. Send out a brand pulse survey. And chat with your client or customer. 

Here are three simple questions to ask >>

• What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of my brand? 
• What do you say when sharing about my brand with someone else? 
• Would you refer me – if yes, to whom, and if no, why not? 

These questions dig into the realities of your brand and help you get a better grasp on areas to work on. 

What’s important is that you start where you are – with the analysis –  and pull key insights from here. 

Check Out Your Environment

Just like plants require good soil, the proper pot, the proper sunshine placement, and the right amount of water, so too must you understand the environment where your brand not only exists but thrives.

Think of your environment internally and externally. There will be some things you can control – elements like brand identity, content on channels, and so on. And just as importantly, there are parts you can’t control; changing algorithms, new orgs in your sphere of influence, and so much more. 

This is why the Strategic Approach is important to brand strategy. Strategic Approach sets your brand apart and up for success. It allows you to stay confidently in your own lane, and celebrate the success of your peers. 

The first step to checking out your environment is doing an audit of your channels. This doesn’t need to be lengthy. Simply gut check what’s going on in your communication channels. 

In summary, we started the strategy with the foundation of your brand:

• Your goals
• Your people
• Your environment

If you’re looking to level-up your brand, strategically, consider checking out my mastercourse. In it, I equip you with specific ways to shift from being overwhelmed to becoming resilient. By teaching you the Flourish Framework of brand strategy, you will walk away with a process, a plan, and how to actually execute it. 

I hope this post encourages you to invest time into your brand strategy. We’re all doing the best we can.

I see you showing up. The work you do every day matters.