Building Trust and Loyalty with the Right Brand Strategy

A well-thought-out brand strategy is key to long-term business success: it defines how your brand should be perceived and creates a consistent brand experience through vision, values, and clear positioning. Discover in our guide how to develop and implement your own brand strategy successfully!

What Is a Brand Strategy?

A brand strategy is a long-term plan that defines how a brand should be perceived to achieve specific business goals. It encompasses:

• Vision,
• Values,
• Target audience,
• Positioning, and
• Brand messaging.

It also outlines how these elements are consistently communicated through marketing, design, and communication. The goal is to build trust and a strong emotional connection that differentiates the brand from competitors.

Key Components of a Brand Strategy

The components of a brand strategy are diverse and interconnected, working together to create a strong and consistent brand perception. It begins with the development of a brand identity, which consists of:

• The brand vision, which serves as the brand’s “North Star”: What is the overarching goal, and what role does the brand play in achieving it? All other elements of the brand strategy align with this goal.
• The brand values, which are the fundamental principles and beliefs guiding the brand.
• The target audience definition, consisting of clearly defined personas or target groups the brand focuses on.
• The brand positioning, which describes the brand’s unique place in the market and in the minds of consumers. It answers the question: “Why this brand and not another?”
• The brand message, which conveys the brand’s values and promise through central statements, including slogans or core claims.

The brand identity informs implementation across all communication channels, which includes:

• The visual identity, encompassing the brand’s design elements like logos, color palettes, typography, imagery, and more.
• The tone of voice, defining the style and language used for communication (e.g., formal, casual, humorous; forms of address; gender rules).
• The brand experience, which covers all touchpoints where customers interact with the brand – online, offline, through products, or services.
• Guidelines to ensure the brand appears unified and recognizable.

A successful brand strategy integrates all these elements while adapting to the target audience’s needs and market conditions.

What Is the Goal?

The ultimate goal of a brand strategy is to create a strong, memorable, and trustworthy brand that attracts new customers and strengthens existing relationships. The first step is to provide internal orientation. The second step is to generate external attention, stand out from competitors, and ensure recognizability across different contexts. Consistent communication allows the brand to be perceived and evaluated correctly, positively influencing purchase decisions and enabling sustainable success.

Developing a Brand Strategy – A Guide

How do you go about developing such a brand strategy? What tools are available, and where should you start? Our guide includes key questions you should ask and the right tools to use.

Analysis

The various phases of creating a brand strategy overlap. However, the first step should be to analyze the current situation. Often, these aspects are summarized in a brand audit.

Key questions include:

• How is the brand currently perceived?
• What position does the brand hold compared to competitors?
• Who are the ideal customers, and what do they expect from the brand?
• What values does the brand (consciously or unconsciously) already represent?

Tools:

• Target Audience Analysis
• Competitor Analysis
• Customer Surveys
• Social Listening

Brand Positioning

The data gathered during brand analysis helps you refine your brand positioning. Once you’ve defined your values and USPs (unique selling points), you can craft your new brand message.

Key questions include:

• What values and beliefs do we represent?
• What problems do we solve for our customers?
• What emotional and rational benefits do we offer?
• What should come to mind first when customers think of our brand?
• What feelings or values should be associated with our brand?

Tools:

• Brand Workshops
• SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Brand Personality Mapping
• Positioning Charts (e.g., price/quality; performance/sustainability)
• Brand Steering Wheel (competence, tone, imagery, benefits)

Design & Communication

In this phase, translate your new brand positioning into visuals and messaging that reflect your brand identity. Define rules for language usage as well.

Key questions include:

• Is the brand modern, traditional, playful, or serious?
• What key elements should be represented in the logo?
• How universal and scalable is the design?
• Which colors suit our brand personality?
• What tone fits the brand?
• What channels will we use?
• What story do we want to tell?

Tools:

• Visual Mood Boards
• Brainstorming Tools
• Design Software (Figma, Adobe, Canva, etc.)
• A/B Testing
• Style Guides

Launch Planning

Once the visuals are complete, you can move into the launch phase, where your new brand identity is introduced to the public.

Key questions include:

• What market entry strategy will we use? (Hard launch or phased rollout?)
• Are there external factors influencing the timing? When is the ideal time for the launch?
• How do we personalize the messaging?
• What is the central message for the launch?
• What channels will be used?
• What budget is available?
• Which resources and teams are involved, and who is responsible for what?
• What strategic partnerships can strengthen the launch?

Tools:

• Task Planning/Project Management Tools
• Chat Platforms
• OKR Tools (Objectives and Key Results)

Review and Adjustment

Like marketing activities, brand strategy is a cyclical process. As you implement your strategy, monitor results, compare them with your goals, and make adjustments as needed.

Key questions include:

• Is the brand communication consistent and effective?
• Are the desired KPIs (e.g., brand awareness, customer retention, revenue) being met?
• What aspects of the brand resonate with the target audience, and what doesn’t?
• Are there new trends or market changes affecting the brand’s position?
• How is the competition evolving?
• Which channels work best, and which don’t perform as well?

Tools:

• Performance Analytics
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys
• Loyalty Surveys
• Usability Tests

Best Practices and Examples of Successful Brand Strategies

Successful brand strategies are best illustrated through real-world campaigns. While these examples feature major corporations and well-known brands, you can derive best practices from them that are applicable to small businesses as well.

Authentically Following a Brand’s DNA: Patagonia

Patagonia has positioned itself consistently as an environmentally conscious brand. Its brand DNA is built on sustainability, environmental activism, and high-quality outdoor products. Patagonia supports environmental projects, offers free product repairs, and even encourages customers to consume less (e.g., the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign). These values are integrated into every aspect of the brand, from product development to advertising.

Best Practice:

Develop a clear and authentic brand DNA that you consistently follow in all activities. Authenticity and value orientation build trust and long-term loyalty. Customers aren’t just buying products; they’re buying into the brand’s values.

Unique Designs and Customer Experiences: Nespresso

Nespresso employs a holistic marketing strategy that combines design, exclusivity, and a distinctive customer experience to position itself as a premium brand in the highly competitive coffee market.

Best Practice:

Create a product that merges functionality and design, and pair it with an exceptional customer experience. This transforms a seemingly ordinary product into a lifestyle product, where the experience around the product becomes as important as the product itself, elevating it to status symbol level.

The Power of Storytelling: Airbnb

Airbnb has taken storytelling to new heights by placing the stories of hosts and travelers at the center of its marketing strategy. Campaigns like “Live There” and “Belong Anywhere” convey a sense of belonging and personal experiences. Users are encouraged to share their experiences, enhancing the brand’s authenticity.

Best Practice:

Leverage emotional stories to connect the brand with customers’ experiences and values. Storytelling humanizes the brand and creates an emotional bond, encouraging deeper customer engagement and long-term loyalty.

Listening to Customer Feedback: LEGO

LEGO created the LEGO Ideas platform, allowing customers to submit new product ideas. Successful submissions, such as the LEGO Saturn V model, are produced, and the creators receive a share of the profits. This strategy not only fosters innovation but also involves customers directly in the product development process.

Best Practice:

Collect and analyze customer feedback and integrate it into your brand strategy. View your customers as co-creators. This makes them feel valued and involved, strengthening their loyalty to the brand.

Consistency Matters: IKEA

IKEA has followed a consistent brand strategy for decades: affordable, functional, and modern design for everyone. From product design to flat packaging and customer communication, IKEA stays true to its core promise. The brand’s uniform global presence (blue-and-yellow design, stores, restaurant concept) ensures instant recognition.

Best Practice:

Define a clear brand promise and implement it consistently across all customer touchpoints. Consistency builds trust and recognition, strengthens customer relationships, and fosters brand loyalty.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Brand Strategies

Invest in Your Brand Strategy

A brand strategy is essential to stand out from the competition. Build a strong foundation by gathering relevant data and engaging directly with your target audience.

Where can you find your target audience? At resonio! With over 6 million survey participants worldwide, you have access to an ideal pool to gather insights from your future customers. Use our segmentation options to pinpoint your unique and representative audience.

Discover resonio!