Your business’s brand strategy carries weight, but most businesses can’t figure it out. They are confused, and just running your business is like expecting a seed to bloom without water.
By the way, your brand requires an effective brand strategy to grow and attract your ideal audience. So, knowing what exactly it is and the three types of branding strategies is like getting the best of both worlds for your brand. We have broken down the full picture of the brand strategy to broaden your horizons. Let’s scroll.
Get a clear picture of Brand Strategy.
In simple words, brand strategy is the process of creating a unique brand identity. Overall, it covers the visual identity, brand persona, target audience, brand voice, messaging, positioning, values, purpose, vision, and mission.
They are critical components of a strong brand strategy that help the brand to stand out.
A well-defined brand strategy builds trust and credibility for your brand. By the way, more than 80% of customers only buy from brands that they trust.
When you effectively develop your brand strategy, it help you outshine competitors while differentiating your business in the market. Though consistency across all your communication channels with consumers is required. Additionally, it fosters a raving fan audience and pushes your brand to grow.
3 types of branding strategies
1. Corporate Branding Strategy
Corporate branding strategy is an approach to promoting a business in addition to its product or service. It defines your brand’s visual identity, values, purpose, tone, messaging, target audience, market differentiation, and company culture.
Why is it important to focus on it?
- Separate your brand: It shapes the audience’s perception of your brand and distinguishes your company in the crowded market.
- Shape audience trust: It isn’t hidden that 94% of consumers admire businesses with a stronger purpose. When your values and purpose resonate with your ideal consumers, it helps you deeply connect with them. This connection frame shapes consumers’ trust and creates a meaningful relationship.
- Support new product launch: It creates a unified and recognizable identity that adds weight to every new product or service launched under its name.
IBM Corporate branding strategy example
IBM’s branding strategy focuses on the company’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer satisfaction. IBM positions itself as a global leader in technology and business solutions.
IBM builds a cohesive brand identity, from its unique logo to color palette, typography to imagery, and website layout. Every visual represents its branding strategy.
IBM’s logo is deeply rooted in culture and illustrates scientific discoveries. Their simple, timeless 8-bar logo is a sign of IBM’s broad ambition to encourage human development through technology. And the blue color conveys trust, intelligence, and authority,
IBM’s corporate branding strategy uses a distinct typography to convey professionalism, modernity, and trustworthiness.
The IBM Plex® Mono Light typeface is the primary typeface and visual “voice” of IBM Developer. It has a playful typographic tone but is coherent and considered.
Besides that, they build a strong internal culture that helps. Successful corporate branding strategies start from the inside, as your employees are the company’s assets. IBM’s employees understand the company’s mission to be a catalyst that makes the world work better.
Their branding mission and purpose are to help people work smarter by using intelligence and science to improve business work, society, and the human condition.
Even Gallup has reported that companies that focus on brand culture see a significant 33% rise in revenue.
IBM’s “Think” refers to several related things: a historical slogan, a current conference series, and various products and services associated with IBM strategically use the “Think” tagline to motivate their employees to think critically and innovate. It’s a part of their brand identity that applies to the IBM Think conference series, several products, and AI-powered services.
IBM’s branding strategy is to evolve with changing markets without losing its core identity. To stay relevant to business, IBM shifted from hardware manufacturers to embrace cloud computing, AI, and enterprise solutions.
2. Product Branding Strategy
The second on the list of three types of branding strategies is centred around the brand product. A product branding strategy is a method of creating a distinct product image in the mind of a specific audience. The purpose is to make your product stand out from other market products. The core elements of a strong product branding strategy include
- Unique and memorable product name
- Visual Identity( logo, color scheme, typography)
- Packaging design
- Product descriptions
- Brand values
- brand story
- Messaging
- Customer experience
Why does it matter?
Target a small audience in the market.
Not all products are for every consumer. Well, lets assume, you have a skincare brand and want to target a specific audience, like busy women who don’t have time to do 6-step skincare routine.
Then, a 3-in-1 moisturizer with SPF 30 and anti-aging benefits, an overnight mask product, can fit the bill.
This product branding strategy would be different from other products, as some consumers love their 6-step routine.
Therfore, a product branding strategy helps you to position this product differently to a specific audience.
Excel the competitor’s product.
When you strategically do product branding, then consumers can differentiate your product from the competitors. And specfically if your product are in store shelves then it must stand out to trigger the desire in potential audience to get it.
This effective product branding stragegy is what makes the Hershey Chocolate different from other local chclate product.
Build an emotional connection with customers.
A well-defined product branding strategy creates a meaningful connection with the audience that is beyond transaction.
The story you tell, the brand values you hold, and the positive experiences activate an emotional connection. That emotional resonance influences their product purchasing decision.
M&M product branding strategy
M&M has implemented a product branding strategy that spotlights the unique qualities of the candy to its target consumers. Its slogan, “Melt in your mouth, not in your hand,” and iconic mascots compel the audience to try its product.
They also have a strategy to launch a limited edition product for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Halloween.
M&M also features only female M&M characters to support women and make them feel like they belong.
Their product strategy mainly centers on providing a fun, engaging, welcoming, and inclusive experience to its customers.
M&M promotes product awareness using character mascot storytelling. This appeals to consumers and creates an emotional connection with them, which encourages target consumers to crave chocolate candies.
Moreover, they keep innovating products by adding new flavors and limited-edition varieties to stay relevant. M&M also created a fun club to connect with their customers and reward them. From simply snacking to participating in fun club activities and personalized gift options, its all fun for their audience.
If you want to dig deeper into the brand strategy, then have a look at the Top 7 Brand Strategy Books You Need to Read This Year
3. Personal Branding Strategy
Last but not least among the three types of branding strategies is the personal branding strategy. Personal branding strategy is an intentional way to define and communicate your values to a potential audience. Your strategy to build a personal brand should narrate your personality. This type of brand strategy is used by entrepreneurs, influencers, artists, freelancers, or executives who are the face of their business or field.
Why should you focus on it?
Differentiate yourself in a thick market.
Many people learn skills, but without a strategy for their personal brand on social media, they are like trees without fruit to present. You have to portray how you’ve done things differently to position yourself as the go-to expert in your field.
Bring in new opportunities.
You don’t have to run to other businesses and people when you craft and implement your personal branding strategy. Opportunities come your way. Your desired businesses scroll through your profile and see your authority in the industry, and they want to join hands with you. Additionally, it levels up your brand’s revenue streams.
Turns Uncertainty into consumers’ trust
Anything you need to sell and position first needs trust to build among consumers as they pursue when they trust, whether it’s from the personal brand or the corporate brand. While the well-crafted strategy can establish you as a trusted voice of the industry, you become a low-risk choice for them.
Tony Robbins’ personal branding strategy
Tony Robbins is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, philanthropist, and Life and Business Strategist.
He strategically crafted his personal brand that resonates with his life actions and empowerment.
He positions himself as an authority and builds not followers but raving fans. His message is consistent in his books, events, and social media profiles:” To Empower millions to live a life of meaning.”
He is not just saying words; he actually did it. He coached numerous celebrities, including Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, and Hugh Jackman.
Robbin’s best-selling book author, Awaken the Giant Within, developed his personal brand credibility. He shares useful insights on his podcast and YouTube videos that build trust, while his paid programs help him monetize his expertise.
Moreover, he managed to join live events that helped create a personal connection with the audience.
He never mind sharing his personal challenges, such as childhood troubles, to stay authentic and connect with people on an emotional level.
Closing Thoughts
Branding strategy shapes how your ideal consumers perceive you as a brand. You can craft your branding strategy according to your business model, resources, and long-term vision. Regardless of your focus among these three types of branding strategies, remember you must convey your brand identity consistently on all touchpoints.
Further, make your brand authentic so that people can trust it. And when it comes to adaptability in your brand, it’s a way for you to persist in the upcoming years. If we consider adaptability to be survival, it will be fair enough as the market evolves with time. So it’s a smart move to cater to customers’ needs.
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