The Art of Brand Building: Understanding Strategy, Activation, and Management
The field of brand strategy is, at its core, a communication practice, but ironically, we often struggle to agree on key industry terminology. You may be sitting in yet another strategy meeting, and someone mentions "brand strategy," while another talks about "brand activation," and a third chimes in about the priorities under "brand management." While these terms are often used interchangeably, they're actually distinct elements of effective branding that, when properly understood, can help you achieve clarity in your approach to the brand…and crack open doors to new possibilities.
Brand Strategy: Your North Star
Think of brand strategy as your foundation - it's where you take a step back and ask the big questions. In my years working with marketing teams, I've found that this crucial first step is often rushed, especially if there are tacticians on the team. It’s easy to jump into the deep end of execution, but holding action until you have buy-in on essential strategic decisions will make everyone’s job easier in the long run.
Your brand strategy isn't just about picking colors or designing a sleek logo (though those matter). It's about answering fundamental questions: Why does your brand exist? What makes you different? Who are you really trying to reach? It's like creating your brand's essence—it will influence everything that follows.
The key elements you'll want to consider include:
Your brand's purpose and position (beyond just making money)
A deep understanding of your audience (beyond basic demographics)
A distinctive personality that sets you apart
Guidelines that ensure consistency across all touchpoints
Brand Activation: Where Concepts Come Alive
This is where theory meets practice - where your carefully crafted strategy comes to life. You've done all the preparation; now it's time to shout from the rooftops to the folks who matter. In the Brand Brevity framework, brand activation takes three forms:
Communication: How you consistently express the brand to both internal and external audiences
Content: How you demonstrate the claims your brand is making through storytelling and thought leadership
Community: How you generate true human connection among those who share brand values
Community has become more powerful since the pandemic as audiences seek out experiential value. A financial services firm I worked with embraced its positioning of "entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs" by creating something called "The EPIC Group." Instead of the typical corporate approach, they launched an exclusive network for their top clients, culminating in a three-day workshop in Las Vegas. It wasn't just another networking event - it was their brand strategy in action, creating genuine connections between entrepreneurs learning from their peers.
Brand Management: The Long Game
Here's where many organizations stumble. They nail the strategy, execute fantastic activations, and then... let things drift. Perhaps they become mired in the day-to-day, or maybe they simply have lost their way because short-term wins took precedence. Brand management requires an ongoing commitment to maintaining brand relevancy and consistency while adapting to market changes. Effective brand managers should be the organization’s best advocates, fighting for placement, challenging mediocrity, and championing bold ideas.
Brand managers aren’t simply maintaining guidelines; they’re actively steering brands through changing market conditions while keeping the core identity intact. It's a balancing act between consistency and evolution.
Bringing It All Together
In my experience, the most successful brands are those that understand how these three elements work in concert. Strategy provides direction, activation brings it to life, and management ensures it thrives over time. Miss any one of these, and you risk building a brand that either lacks foundation, fails to connect, or becomes irrelevant.
For those considering a brand refresh, start by examining these three areas separately. Where are your gaps? Is your strategy still relevant? Are your activations truly bringing it to life? Is your management approach proactive or reactive?
Remember, building a strong brand isn't a one-time initiative—it's an ongoing journey. Understanding these distinct yet interconnected elements gives you the roadmap you need to navigate that journey successfully.
