What is a Brand Strategist?
Most of us have questions on who a brand strategist is, what a brand strategist does, and in what manner the task looks like. In brief, a brand strategist is a person working under a brand manager and tasked with the responsibility of assisting a company in achieving its goals, core values, and target clients. With these, s/he can come up with a trademark that is cohesive by using language and visuals.
As a brand strategist, you have a high impact on product/service marketing on social media. Therefore, kindly, having these kills is so helpful. You need to be detail-oriented and multi-faceted, be knowledgeable in SEO, development of websites, graphic design, and be conversant with social media.
Duties and Responsibilities of a Brand Strategist
In case you are a brand strategist, your duties and responsibilities vary depending on where you work. But, considering the analysis of job posting, here are some of the core tasks of a brand strategist:
- Develop Brand Stories and Strategies
It is your duty as a brand strategy to come up with a brand story. To device a long-term-or short-term plan helpful to position brands, and build a market share, combine an analytical and creative element, as well as using specific data. A strategist, you need to deliver ideas and concepts helpful to come up with a secure positioning for market growth and recognition across different media channels.
- Conduct Research
As a brand strategist, you will spend most of your time researching the current marketing of your clients, customer profile, and market share. By doing this, you will be combating weaknesses and building opportunities to boost brand positioning. You will also research your client’s competitors and examine the latest branding trends within your client’s industry.
- Analyze Data
It is your task as a brand strategist to analyze data. In case you intend to come up with a brand strategy that is successful and impactful, it is necessary to collect and evaluate data starting from the customer’s feedback to the surveys measuring brand recognition and engagement. Through this data, you will find trends that will be useful to come up with a successful strategy.
- Submit Strategies to Clients
Once you’ve come up with a marketing and communications strategy, you will have to press your findings, concepts, and progress to your customer. It is also necessary you closely work with your clients and maintain a rapport to fine-tune the message.
- Closely Work with Creative Teams
You are required to closely and unitedly work with creative teams. This will help you change a brand strategy into marketing collateral and campaign advertising. Examples of the creative teams to work with include graphic and web designers, video/product crews, and copywriters. So, you have to direct, oversee, and sign off on creative elements to ensure you adhere to guidelines as per the current brand strategy.
The Process of Brand Development Strategy
The following procedure makes a brand development strategy easier.
- Analyze the Strategy of Your Business
Having an effective brand makes increases the growth rate of your firm. However, you need to ascertain what way you intend to grow to base on the fact that your entire business approach is the core of the development of your brand strategy. By understanding your mission and vision, believe me not; your brand will act as your stepping stone.
- Know Your Target Clients
Not everyone is your target client. In case you are unaware, more developed firms put their primary focus on having clients that are well defined. For faster growth, you need a narrower focus.
- Research Your Target Client
Have you ever asked yourself why some firms grow faster compared to others? The reason is that these firms get a client and conduct systematic research on the specific client before any partnership. By carrying out research, you get to know their priorities and perspective that will guide you on how to anticipate their requirements and communicates in a language similar to theirs.
- Develop Your Branding Position
The following step is to determine your brand firm position. Come up with a three to five positioning statement that explains the situation of your brand. The statement should be inspirational and written based on reality since your client expects you to diver to them with what is written in the branding position.
- Come Up with a Proper Messaging Strategy
Come up with a messaging strategy that will help you translate your brand positioning into messages to your prospective clients and making your brand relevant to the audience you’re targeting. Make sure that your core brand positioning is similar to all clients. These pieces of information passed to your clients will help stress on critical points.
- Logo, Tagline, and Name
These three tools act as your brand’s identity. They’re useful for communication and signify your brand. The three are purposely designed for your market place and judged depending on how effective they communicate.
- Make a Strategy for Content Marketing
Why do I insist that you come up with a proper content marketing approach? A marketing strategy is purposely meant for professional service firms in the social media era. It helps boost s notch-higher visibility and reputation. This is the most recommended way to make your brand fit for prospective clients.
- Make a Website
A website serves as a brand development tool. Through it, your target audience will learn everything concerning your brand. Make sure that your site has facts and is honest, based on what you offer. Your website content features on search engine optimization so that your audience can easily find you.
- Build Your Marketing Toolkit
A marketing toolkit entails a single marketing sheet to depict the services you offer. There is also a pitch deck that acts as a survey for your brand. You can also include video topics on your marketing toolkit helpful for the growth of your brand.
- Implementing, Tracking, and Adjusting
This is the last and most important step in brand development. You need to make sure that your strategy is implemented as per your plan. Tracking helps you come up with the right conclusion and adjustments.
Benefits of Working with a Marketing Strategist
You might ask yourself why you need a brand strategist. S/he will help you in the following:
- Defining purpose by articulating your core identity, vision, mission, and value.
- A brand strategist enables you to build trust by being transparent, honest, and authentic.
- S/he helps you articulate clear differentiation regarding your brand. For instance, who are you? What do you do? Why is it Important?
- A brand strategist improves collaboration by aligning your team. This enhances communication, makes it easier to assign roles, and allocate resources. By doing this, you will save on time, energy, and money.
- A brand strategy fosters innovation and ensures the growth of the firm.
In conclusion, a brand strategy will keep on being the blueprint for building, shaping, and sharing your brand with the target audience. The size of your brand does not matter. All you need to do is get a qualified brand strategist and enjoy the benefits of working with one.