Some people like to call me a graphic designer, a brand designer or a web designer. Others might call me an artist. Most recently I’ve given myself the title of a brand strategist or brand expert. I like this wording better because I feel it is a more accurate description of what I do. So you might be wondering what is a brand strategist exactly? And what does your brand strategist do?
01. Business Discovery
First thing first, I get to know you and your business. Before we start working together, i love to schedule an initial consultation call with you first to determine if we are a good fit for each other. I like to ask you questions about your business regarding your offers, but I also like to know some of the bigger picture or your vision and details too. For instance, what is your big why? Where do you see your business in the next 5 years? What about your business makes you passionate? Why is branding so important for you now? What are you currently struggling with? And what are your expectations. Opening up about your business might seem very scary at first to some but when you share those things, it’s like a goldmine of value we can use to inspire your brand!
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02. Audience & Industry Research
I do a lot of research (like a lot!!!). I like to learn more about your target audience, ideal customers and what makes them tick. Then, I dig into your market, your industry, and your competitors to see what others are doing. I look for trends and also opportunities for us to help your brand to be unique and stand out from your competitors. If you have any current marketing or brand materials I like to review those as well to see what you’ve done in the past so I can analyze how we might be able to improve on it.
03. Brand Strategy
From our discussion and my research, I’ll begin formulating some key values, brand attributes and brand messaging that we can use as a springboard for your brand. These are the core of what your brand stands for and will be woven into everything that we do from here on out. This includes things like your mission statement, your brand values, and your competitive advantage (aka. your unique selling point) so that you can stand out confidently and create design solutions that really resonates with your ideal audience.
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04. Brand Inspiration
Next, I go searching for visual inspiration to create your brand mood board. This is an inspirational collage that sets the tone for how your brand is going to look. This is essentially the stage where we will be creating your brand’s first impression. Once we’ve captured the right look we’re ready to move onto creating your brand assets and visuals.
05. Creating Brand Design Solutions based on Brand strategy
A logo is what most people think of when you talk about branding. But there is so much more to the visual side of your brand. We’ll talk about what elements are important to you and create a cohesive visual brand story that aligns with your messaging to attract your ideal customers. This might include a logo design, color palette, fonts, stationery, sublogos, pattern design, and packaging. Once all the pieces in place, you’ll have a beautiful brand both inside and out.
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06. Launch and Marketing Support
If you’re working with a pro brand strategist (aka. me!!!) they might also give you some bonus goodies that can help support your marketing efforts. Something I provide all of my branding clients is a brand guidelines document, a complete in-depth brand strategy carryall, launch strategy document.
These are some incredible resource that gives you the tools you need to move forward with your brand on your own and to execute your brand consistently in your marketing communications. I also like to create social media graphics and templates for my clients that helps them create promotional materials on their own so they can stay consistent with their own branding.
Are you ready to elevate your business to the next level? If yes, feel free to fill out my client application form here. If not, don’t worry you can always join my email list to get more branding and website tips 😉
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