FAQ: I am starting a brand new business - do I really need a brand strategy?
Great question! When you are starting a new new biz, it probably seems like it would be much quicker & cost-effective to do a quick Canva logo for your new business. And sometimes this is totally ok and a great way to get out in the world quickly. So here is my take…
If you are starting a brand new business (umm exciting - congrats by the way!) and you have a solid understanding of what you want to offer, and who you want to offer it to - then a full wholesome brand journey like The Wholehearted Brand is not only perfect for you but more importantly, can help you immensely in this new exciting chapter.
Investing in a solid brand strategy from the start may seem tricky to justify at first - the time & the money - but please trust me when I hand-on-heart say, the initial investment will set you up for success right from the beginning in the best possible way. It also handily eliminates lots of messiness, confusion & stress later down the track.
A brand strategy journey goes way beyond a nice logo for your new biz - it builds the beautiful foundation of why it exists, which has the potential to create the emotional connection with your audience from the get-go. And why is emotional connection important? Because people are much more likely to remember, trust, and stay loyal to brands that create a positive emotional response.
What else can a brand strategy provide for a brand new biz?
Delicious, beautiful clarity
A brand strategy journey helps you get so very clear on a lot of things - that you didn’t even know you needed to get clear on. You will gain so much clarity about your business & what it stands for, which gives you the potential to gain immediate trust and credibility with customers.
Draw your audience to you
The brand strategy process will identify your ideal audience as well as one dreamy perfect customer. With this process we identify their core needs, their frustrations, and how you can help them. By understanding this connection - we can also create a relatable brand personality and voice - that makes your audience feel like you already know them.
An edge
If your business is in a bit of a crowded, over-scrolled market, a strong brand strategy & visual identity can find you your distinctive edge - which stops the scroll. A thoughtful brand strategy which unpacks your value & messaging, positions the business uniquely within it’s niche, building a reputation that makes it memorable from the very beginning. YAY for the edge!
Growth baby growth!
A brand strategy journey gives you the potential to achieve growth year on year from the very beginning. Armed with this solid foundation & clarity of your business, as well as a clear vision, there is no second guessing the next step. Your goals are super crystal clear. Your customer is known to you (you invented them!). And you know how to connect with them. And you can keep going back to your strategy time after time, to keep you grounded and on track. There’s no confusion, no second guessing.
Easy peasy marketing
With a clear brand strategy & visual brand guidelines, marketing is not only easy to design, it is cohesive & effective. Because every piece of content, from social media posts to packaging, reflects a united brand identity & is designed to emotional connect with your people. No fumbling around with canva for hours, or second guessing your message - it comes easily, and is quick! Saving you valuable time to spread your goodness to the world and grow your business at the same.
Loch Cheese Merchant is a brand new cheese shop opening in November 2024. Stacey, the incredible human behind the brand, wanted to open her brand new shop with confidence, as well as create beautiful consistency with all her physical & digital touchpoints. This will give her the clarity & brain space to focus on opening her shop with clear intention, as well as emotionally connect with her customer.
OK I hear you - you just want to start your biz without a strategy, and a DIY logo. I get it!
Let me be super duper clear now - I am not dissing a DIY logo or going into biz without a brand strategy - nor will I ever! My zone is always a no-judgement zone. In certain circumstances, I encourage a DIY logo, and it is totally ok to not have a strategy.
For example, if you starting a new business and you are a bit unsure about what you are going to offer, or who you want to offer it to, this is when a DIY logo is perfect. You might just want to test the waters, dip your toe in, and get a feel for where your new business might head. In this case, a brand strategy and visual identity might be a waste of time & money, which you can put to much better use at this part of the journey.
And then later, down the track once you know more about your business and your audience, this could be the perfect time for a wholesome brand strategy process, to re-brand your business, and create a more refined vision for the future.
But if you already have a solid understanding of the business that you want, and the audience you want to serve - I strongly believe brand strategy is an extremely worthwhile investment in the beautiful future of your exciting new venture. It will create a foundation that will help you spread your incredible goodness even further into the world. Because you are crazy amazing at what you do - and the world needs you in it.
Interested to know more? Read more here or send me some questions!
