Today, many beauty businesses forget all about brand strategy. They are too focused on the current challenges and day-to-day life of a business. Or, they are not thinking of the long-term steps that need to be taken to create a cult-favorite and obsession-worthy brand. Sound like you?

It is a struggle many beauty and wellness brands face. There is so much that goes into being a business owner and entrepreneur that adding something like a brand strategy to your to-do list sounds daunting. Still, a brand strategy can actually be super simple and has a plethora of benefits for your brand.

What is a Brand Strategy?

A brand strategy is an overarching plan used to achieve your brand’s goals and mission. You can consider brand strategy as your playbook aimed to help you with decisions and choices for your brand. Elements of a brand strategy include:

• Understanding your audience.
• Creating a brand voice.
• Determining your brand positioning.
• Committing and delivering a brand promise.
• Living your brand values.

When you forget about brand strategy, you tend to end up making decisions for your business that might conflict with your ultimate goals, missions, and objectives. In addition, without a brand strategy, businesses do not have a consistent focus for their business decisions, which can lead your brand to look like it is all over the place. That is why a brand strategy is a must for your brand. Your brand strategy is the invisible foundation on which your business can grow and evolve. When you develop a brand strategy, it will provide a clear path, alignment, and direction. It is a method to develop a distinct and recognizable brand that is both the silent seller and guidebook for your business.

Brand Strategy is the Silent Seller

In today’s market, people aren’t just buying services – they’re buying experiences. No longer are people interested in a simple transaction; they’re looking for something to belong to. That’s why we check a brand’s website, Instagram, TikTok, etc. before we pull the trigger. We want to make sure they’re “legit”.

Why do customers care? Because they don’t want to belong to something that doesn’t align with their own values, beliefs, or desires.

And that’s exactly what your brand can become for them (with a brand strategy, of course). A place for belonging. A community. A membership. Having a brand strategy helps show the story and personality behind the brand. Establishing your brand personality and story will help set you apart from other brands. Let’s face it, many people provide similar products or services, but it is how you deliver those things to your customer that can help you stand out.

Ultimately, people do not buy something just for the features but for the emotional connection, experience, or need it fills in their lives. Therefore, a brand strategy lets your business foster a deeper relationship with your customers and lets them know that your business is more than transactional.

Ultimately, a “business” is just a service. It’s the transaction that is happening. A brand is so much more than that. It’s how you make people feel. Having a brand strategy pushes your business from just a business to a brand. It allows you to think of your brand experience on all levels and fosters a sense of community with people who resonate with your purpose and mission. By taking your brand the extra mile with a brand strategy, you are adding value to your consumers’ experiences.

Whether that is through your brand promise, voice, values, positioning, or understanding of the consumer, brand strategy integrates a silent signal to your consumer showing intentionality and thoughtfulness.

Real-World Examples of Brand Strategy in the Beauty Industry

For example, consider a beauty brand. People do not buy makeup from their favorite makeup brand because it is available to them or solely because the product is good. Customers buy from specific brands because the brand aligns with their values or helps them feel confident.

Let’s use Fenty Beauty, for example. Fenty Beauty became popular because the brand integrated its story and values into its products and even in the models they use. Customers are drawn to Fenty Beauty because of its inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity. They choose Fenty Beauty over other brands because they are connected with the message and values the brand presents. You should apply the same approach to your brand.  The feeling and connection you make with your customer are directed by your brand strategy. Your brand strategy helps you not forget the reason behind why you started your business and reminds you to integrate that reason into your interactions, services, and products you provide to customers.

A Strategic Brand Identity Allows Your Brand to be Distinct

A strategic brand identity allows your brand to be more recognizable and differentiated from your competition. Think about some of your favorite brands. Do they have a particular vibe, aesthetic, or voice? They have this consistency and distinctness because they have developed a strategic and unique brand identity that allows you to differentiate them from other brands in their industry. Creating a consistent and intentional brand identity design makes your brand more memorable in the consumers’ minds. Your brand identity is driven and devised by your brand strategy. Brand identity or design will have no purpose or focus without your brand strategy.

That is why strategic brand design and effective brand strategy work hand and hand to provide consistency for the brand. Consistency is crucial for consumers, as it makes them remember the brand better. Further, as consumers continue to interact with your brand, the consistency brand strategy provides for your brand enables consumers to learn what to expect. For example, consider a hair salon that continuously shares its message about its unique service.

They may share that message on social media and deliver that unique service in their salon. Customers may grow to remember your salon as the one that provides that service. Your salon may have a special way of installing hair extensions or special products that prevent hair damage. The more you use a brand strategy and what makes you unique in your message to the world, the more it can help you be remembered for what your brand excels at. That is why it is so important that you continuously share your brand promise and what makes your brand unique, it will help your brand become top of mind for those consumers. As a result, the brand strategy drives brand loyalty.

A Brand Strategy Provides Internal Direction

A brand strategy provides internal structure and alignment. When a brand develops an intentional and robust brand strategy, it helps guide business decisions. A brand strategy helps make decisions more straightforward as it acts as a guidebook from where all brand actions stem. When all decisions are centered around a brand strategy, it creates consistency and unity for your brand.

Once you develop your brand strategy, consider always revisiting it and weighing your decisions against it. When using a brand strategy as a guidepost, you allow your brand to show up consistently and distinctly for your consumers.

Think of some of your favorite brands. Is your experience consistent with them? If so, they probably use a strategy to ensure they always deliver consistency to their customers. A great example of this is Glossier. They show up consistently in stores, on social media, and on their website. Your brand should always strive to provide a consistent brand experience for your customer, and brand strategy is a tool to do so.

Small Steps to Begin Developing a Brand Strategy

Without a brand strategy, your business can not pivot into a brand. You need a brand strategy to make deeper connections with your consumers, be more memorable and have brand alignment. Even after learning some of the benefits of brand strategy, you may be wondering where to begin. Here are some additional steps to begin creating your brand strategy.

1. Make Sure You Have a Solid Mission and Purpose for Your Brand

If you do not know the reason behind your brand, then you can not share it with other people. Make sure you have a starting point to build your brand strategy around. Write out why you started your brand, what problem you are trying to solve for your customers, and how you will solve it. This is a great place to start building your brand mission and purpose.

2. Determine Your Target Customer

When thinking of your target customer, you need to consider their motivations, likes and dislikes, preferences, and habits. When you consider your ideal customer, what do they like to do, what are their favorite activities, and what do they believe in? These questions can get you started on thinking more deeply about your target audience.

3. Consider Who Your Competitors are and How You Differ from Them

Knowing what other brands in your category are doing and what makes you different can help you stand out to consumers. What brands are in the same industry and space as you? What are they doing, and how are they different from you?

4. Determine What Long-Term Goals You Have for Your Business

A brand strategy is all about a plan to help you achieve a goal. Determining your goals will help you start thinking of what are the necessary steps you need to take to grow your brand.

Conclusion

Establishing your brand strategy is not as daunting as it seems. These tips are just a few to start the development process of your brand strategy. Additionally, there is an abundance of brand strategy frameworks that you can apply to begin that process. You can also work with a brand strategist to get a tailored plan for your brand and have them do the heavy lifting on moving your brand forward.

Interested in learning more about how we support small and growing businesses by creating world-class brand strategies? Inquire today by heading to our “Work With Us” page.