Part of: Branding
Brand strategy and positioning
Brand strategy is deciding who you are for, what makes you different and how you say it, before anything is designed. We research your customers and market, write your positioning down in plain English and hand you something your whole team can use.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Founders launching a new brand, and established stores that cannot say in one sentence what makes them different, or whose message changes depending on who writes it.
When it is not
Brands with a clear, working position that only need new assets. Also stores whose real problem is pricing, stock or traffic. A creative review will tell you which applies.
What is included
- Audience research, using what you already know plus a short set of customer conversations
- A review of how competitors present themselves
- A written positioning statement and the reasons behind it
- Messaging hierarchy, from the one-line description to supporting points
- Tone of voice principles with examples of what to say and avoid
- A short brief that a designer, copywriter or developer can pick up and use
Who brand strategy is for
Brand strategy suits two kinds of business. The first is a new brand that needs to know what it stands for before it commits to a name, a logo or a website. The second is an established store whose message has drifted: the homepage says one thing, the ads say another, and each new person who writes for you starts from scratch.
It is not the right fit if your position is already clear and working. In that case you probably need new assets, or help with something else such as traffic or conversion. We will tell you so, and a creative review is a quicker way to find out.
What is included
Strategy is mostly thinking, so the output is a short, usable document rather than a large presentation. You get your audience and what matters to them, how you compare with others in your market, and your positioning in a sentence you can say out loud. You also get the messaging beneath it, and tone of voice principles with real examples.
You receive the strategy as a written document (PDF) and a short slide deck that summarises it, and we talk it through with you on a call.
How we do it
We start with what you already know, then add research where it will change a decision. We write the positioning down, talk it through with you and change it until you would put your name to it. Only then does it move into design. If you are continuing with us, the next step is logo design and visual assets, followed by brand guidelines so the decisions stay in place once other people use the brand.
The timeline depends on how quickly we can reach your customers and how fast decisions are made.
What it costs
Brand strategy is priced as a stage of branding, so you can start here and add identity and guidelines later. See pricing for how we approach it.
Priced per project, with a fixed quote in writing before work starts. Up to three rounds of revisions are included. See the pricing page.
What we measure
Strategy is hard to measure directly, so we are careful about what we claim. We check the work against practical tests. Can your team explain the positioning in their own words? Does it hold up when applied to a product page, an ad and an email? Do customers recognise themselves in it when you show it to them? If you want to track business measures afterwards, such as enquiries or returning customers, we agree which ones before the work starts and report them as they are.
Where it connects
Clear positioning also helps the way search and answer tools understand you. We cover that in generative engine optimisation, where a consistent description of your business matters. If you run a professional service rather than a store, the same thinking applies to your professional service website.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Listen
We go through what you already have, such as customer feedback, reviews, sales data, current brand material and your own view of the business, then run a short workshop with the people who know it best.
Step 2: Research
We look at your audience and at how competitors describe themselves, then talk to a small number of customers where you can introduce us.
Step 3: Decide
We write the positioning and messaging as a short document and talk it through with you. Nothing is designed until you have agreed it.
Step 4: Hand over
You receive the strategy in a form others can use, and we show you how it feeds the identity, the guidelines and your store copy.
What it costs
We price this by what you need, so you can start small and add stages later. You see the quote in writing before work starts. Our pricing page explains how we approach design and creative work.
Questions people ask
Do I need brand strategy before a logo?
Usually, yes, even a short version. A logo is easier to judge when you know who it is for and what it should say. Without that, the decision comes down to taste, and taste changes.
What is positioning, in plain terms?
It is the place you want to hold in a customer's mind. It covers who you are for, what you offer them and why you are a better choice than the alternatives, written in a way you can test against your website, ads and emails.
Will you talk to our customers?
Where you can introduce us, yes, and it is the most useful part of the work. If that is not possible, we use reviews, support emails and sales data instead and tell you what we could not confirm.
How is this different from a creative review?
A creative review looks at what you have now and tells you what to fix first. Brand strategy is a piece of project work that produces the positioning itself. Many people start with the review.
Can strategy help with how AI search tools describe us?
It can help. A clear, consistent description of who you are and what you sell gives search engines and answer tools less to guess. We cannot control what they say, and we do not promise any outcome.
Will a new strategy increase sales?
A clearer message can make it easier for customers to understand and trust you. Nobody can honestly promise a sales result from strategy alone, and we do not.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free UX and conversion review of your website, focused on how your creative affects performance. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days.