Jump to a section:
It makes sense that the terms brand strategy and marketing strategy are so often used interchangeably, but brand and marketing strategies serve different purposes.
At Emulent, we’ve seen how businesses can struggle when they focus on one too heavily and neglect the other. In these cases, some companies invest heavily in marketing which drives short-term gains but fails to build long-term trust, while others develop brand strategy but don’t create a plan to connect with their audience and drive conversions.
Common Misconceptions about Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy
- “Brand strategy is just a logo.” While visual identity–a well-designed logo and color choices–is a part of brand strategy, a strong brand strategy gets to the heart of your business. It involves your values, mission, customer experience, and the emotional connection to your brand.
- Notable Stat: 90% of customers expect their experience with a brand to be consistent across all platforms and channels. This consistency across platforms is essential to a positive customer experience and stems from a solid brand strategy.
- “Marketing is just advertising.” Advertising is one piece of the marketing strategy puzzle. It also includes content creation, social media engagement, email marketing, SEO, etc. and using these tools to meet your business goals in a cohesive way.
- Fun Fact: Companies that use content marketing see 6x higher conversion rates so if you’re just focusing on paid advertising, you’re likely missing some substantial opportunities.
- “If I have a great product, I don’t feed to prioritize strategy.” In today’s competitive market, strong brand and marketing strategies set your product apart from your competitors and boost customer retention. Your brand strategy in particular gives your product context, meaning, and personality that differentiate your brand and products.
- Notable Stat: 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand to buy from it. That trust is cultivated from a well-executed, thoughtful brand strategy that makes customers feel understood and valued.
What is Brand Strategy?
Brand strategy is the long-term plan to develop a successful connection with your audience and stand out in the market. Think of it as a blueprint that shapes how people perceive your business and helps build trust, loyalty, and recognition. The core elements of a brand strategy include:
- Defined Purpose: This is your “why” –the reason you’re in business (beyond profit) and how you plan to make a difference in the world.
- Values & Mission: These guiding principles define and communicate what your company stands for and its direction.
- Position & Voice: Position is how you want your brand to be perceived in relation to your competitors. Do you want to be known for luxury, affordability, or innovation? Your brand voice, whether playful, authoritative, or professional, is how you communicate with your audience and differentiate your messaging.
- Audience & Emotional Connection: 83% of millennials say it is important for the companies they buy from to align with their beliefs and values. An effective brand strategy knows its audience’s needs, desires, and pain points to craft emotional messages that resonate with them.
- Visual Identity: This is your logo and the colors, fonts, etc. that create a consistent visual identity across all touchpoints.
When to Focus on Brand Strategy
A brand strategy informs everything else you do, from (re)defining who you are and what you stand for to product development to marketing campaigns, so it is a critical first step.. Taking time and care on your brand strategy early on pays off in the long run because it can increase customer loyalty by up to 50%. Prioritize brand strategy, especially if you are:
- Launching a new company or product and must establish your identity.
- Struggling to differentiate your company, product, or brand from competitors and need a unique positioning.
- Needing to update or reconnect your brand to your current mission or audience.
- Struggling to align your teams on what your brand represents.
What is Marketing Strategy?
While brand strategy is the big picture plan that defines who you are, marketing strategy is the action plan that helps you connect with your audience and drive specific results, like sales or prospects. The core elements of a marketing strategy include:
- Goals & Objectives: These are specific and measurable outcomes that guide your marketing efforts, from increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting conversions.
- Target Audience: Like brand strategy, marketing strategy begins with tactically knowing your audience to more effectively tailor your messaging.
- Marketing Channels: These are the platforms and channels such as social media, email, SEO, content marketing, paid ads, etc. that you’ll use to reach your audience.
- Marketing Campaigns: An effective marketing strategy will map out each campaign’s tactics, from creating engaging blog content, running a Facebook ad, or sending out a newsletter.
- Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): These help measure, refine, and optimize your campaign over time.
When to Focus on Marketing Strategy
Once you have clearly defined your brand strategy, you can move on to focus on marketing strategy especially when you’re looking for growth. Companies that create a comprehensive marketing strategy are actually 313% more likely to report successful marketing campaigns. Prioritize marketing strategy particularly when you’re:
- Ready to grow your customer base and need more visibility.
- Have specific short-term sales targets or marketing goals.
- Launching anew product or service and need to create excitement.
- Plateauing in website traffic or conversions and need to boost engagement.
How Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy Work Together
A strong brand strategy provides the identity and direction of your business while a marketing strategy gives you the tools and tactics necessary to bringing that identity into reality. They are distinct and equally important to a thriving business. Think of branding as the personality of your business while marketing is how you share that personality with the world.
Benefits of Aligned Brand and Marketing Strategies
- A strong marketing strategy, shaped by your brand strategy–its mission, values, and personality–ensures that every piece of content tells a cohesive story that makes it easier for customers to connect with your brand. In fact, 77% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from brands they follow on social media, especially if there is consistent messaging across platforms.
- Your marketing strategy increases your exposure to new audiences and builds trust through consistent branding. 55% of consumers say they’re more likely to trust a brand they’ve heard of before and consistent branding can increase revenue by up to 23%.
Balancing the Two: When You Should Focus on Both
Ultimately, your business needs a balance of both brand and marketing strategies to thrive. During a product launch, in periods of rapid growth, and when you need help standing out in a highly competitive market, aligning and prioritizing both brand and marketing strategies can help your company flourish. In order to successfully align your efforts,
- Keep your brand at the center of all marketing efforts.
- Use data to inform your marketing while staying true to your brand identity.
- Revisit your brand and marketing strategies regularly.
Why Choose Emulent for your Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy?
At Emulent, we know that success doesn’t come from choosing between brand strategy and marketing strategy but rather from making them work together seamlessly. As your strategic partners, we customize our approach and are trusted because we use the following:
- Holistic Approach: We know that branding and marketing aren’t separate silos, so we align both strategies to ensure your marketing efforts reflect your unique brand’s identity and values.
- Data-Driven Insights: We use data to make informed decisions and pivot where necessary, from defining your target audience to measuring performance.
- Creativity & Execution: We combine creative branding with practical, tactical marketing, whether you need a complete rebrand or a refocused marketing campaign.
- Experience & Results: We have the experience to cover your needs, ensure consistency and impact, and optimize your digital presence. Our clients have seen real, tangible growth, whether a boost in sales, higher engagement, or stronger brand loyalty.
So, if you’re ready to see how Emulent can create smartly aligned brand and marketing strategies that can transform your business, let’s chat!