Brand Strategy Practices to Leave Behind

I haven’t been in the online business space that long, but having a background in brand strategy, I immediately picked up patterns & trends that I see designers do that I personally think we should leave behind.

As much as possible, I don’t like telling people what they should and shouldn’t do in their brand strategy process because to be honest, it really works differently for everyone.

But at the same time, just as much as there’s value in sharing best practices, I think it’s also important to shed light on the practices you’d want to avoid so you can become a better brand strategist.

If you’re doing any of these, don’t worry! We’re all here to learn and unlearn to serve our clients best.

1. Paraphrasing what clients say in the questionnaire

Doing it this way only positions you as an order taker in the eyes of your clients because it will seem as if you’re just transcribing the answers they gave you.

And so it will be a challenge for you to justify your designs later on because the strategy hasn’t been solidified and streamlined.

If your clients’ answers are all over the place, paraphrasing that into the document will also leave your strategy scattered and sometimes confusing. Which we don’t want to happen.

2. Writing the document in your voice (the designer)

This is very common and I think is really important to address because if you think about the way your strategy document will be used – your client will be passing it on to their team, partners, and collaborators for them to understand the brand. And so it would make more sense to write it in their voice, right?

For example, instead of writing it as “your brand is _____”; shift the voice to “our brand is _____”. That way, you’re empowering your client to use their brand strategy as a real tool for success that they can own and be proud of.

3. Leaving out sections on how to implement the strategy

Your clients hire you because they trust that you know more than they do.

So even if you know very well how to articulate their brand differentiator, it doesn’t always come easily to your clients. So it’s important to also convey the intention behind the information you’ll be passing onto your clients, and likewise, share concrete action points on how to implement and execute all the information that you’ve passed on.

How do they use that part of the strategy? Where and when do they use it? It’s your role as a brand strategist to guide them into fully living out the strategy so they can see real results from it.

Is there anything you see in the space that you’d like to add to the list? Send me your suggestions & recommendations at hello@heartenandhone.com. I’d love to continue the conversation around this so we can all elevate how clients view us as brand strategists & creative partners ☺️🤍

If you’re keen on offering brand strategy and would like to elevate your process so that it works for you, I’m launching a Brand Strategy Course in November. Sign up for the waitlist and be the first to know when doors open + gain access to an exclusive early bird discount!