In this blog we’re going to get stuck into brand planning and why it is crucial to the success of your business. If you are a start-up or about to go through a rebrand, it’s especially important.

Whether in your personal life or business, planning is arguably one of the most important aspects of any process. You wouldn’t just spontaneously go out house hunting and buy the first home you look at. First you would decide you want to purchase a home, then you’d consider all the things you need to make that happen. For example, it’s likely that you’d save for a while, work out your price range, perhaps even seek the advice of a financial advisor—all before you started looking at the market.

Planning for your brand is no different. There’s a process you need to go through to ensure you make the best decisions for your business and invest your money wisely.

In the past, branding was as simple as getting a logo designed and arming yourself with a business plan. These days, it’s much more complicated and requires ongoing engagement with your clients or customers. If you’re not doing this, you’re going to fade into the sea of mediocrity pretty fast.

I know from managing our own brand how hard it is to develop each of your touchpoints—even how challenging it is to work out what your target audience looks like. We may be designers, but we’re not immune to the shifting and changing consumer trends that fast-paced living and modern technology drives. We have personally rebranded five times in the last 15 years.

Understanding why this is necessary is crucial to the growth and success of your business. Engagement, brand consistency and authenticity are everything. For example, there’s no point spending thousands of dollars on a new logo if your marketing and social media assets are hastily thrown together and don’t reflect the quality of your new branding. What kind of message is it sending to potential customers that at looking at using you? What’s more, if your direct competition are being consistent and following through with their branding at every touchpoint, who are they going to choose? Quality and professionalism matter—each and every time.

To create a truly memorable brand and become the leaders in your field, you need a brand plan—and you need to follow through with it. It’s the best and easiest way to create consistency and communicate your integrity to your potential customers. Remember, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

So, what actually goes into a brand plan?

  • A clear vision & purpose – what does your brand represent or symbolise?
  • Who is your target audience – who is attracted to your brand and which type of clients would you like to see more of?
  • A clear understating of your marketing strategy – how are you going to deliver your message across all platforms and touchpoints?
  • A budget – how much money are you going to invest in your business to create more sales?

These days, everyone will Google you or search for you on social media before the visit your business or buy your product. So, whether you own a service-based business or product-based business, anytime you interact with your customers—online or offline—never underestimate how much your brand matters.