Olivier Müller Effective brand strategy development is crucial for corporate success. According to the current swissVR Monitor1), the development of a new corporate strategy remains unchanged at position 3 on the list of the most pressing concerns of the country’s board members. How many of these strategy documents are currently gathering dust unused in drawers?
As brand consultants, we all too often make exactly the same experience when talking to companies: Most staff members evaluate the situation of the company within the market in a uniform way – when asked about the strategic directions of their corporate brand, however, there is a tendency to confusion. The good-sounding intentions in the strategy papers apparently get lost before being implemented.
For successful brand strategy development and corporate growth, there is a clear approach from the branding point of view: Every change in the corporate strategy also changes the identity of the company – but if this identity change is not taken into account, there is the danger of failure.
The development of a brand strategy for a company is based essentially on the same parameters as a corporate strategy: the framework is set by attractiveness for the identified target customers, differentiation in the competitive environment, staking out the geographical radius of action as well as delivery capability of the company. On the basis of a well-founded analysis, the brand positioning of a company succeeds in close cooperation with the customer. As with the corporate strategy, the result is a policy paper. Contrary to the corporate strategy, however, this does not remain a mere “paper tiger”, because thanks to profound brand consulting, the concept is now brought to live: through formal implementation based on the newly developed brand positioning. The development of a differentiating image raises the topic to a new level of identification: the company and its employees enter the market with a completely new self-perception. And thus, actively help the brand to new heights.
A well-crafted brand strategy development is therefore key to implementing corporate strategies successfully and making them flourish. So that they don’t get dusty again in any drawer.
1) swissVR Montior I/2018, February 2018, Deloitte, swissVR, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The swissVR Monitor is a survey that aims to determine the opinions of Swiss board members on the economic and industry outlook as well as on current board issues.