Choosing the Right Brand Strategy Framework for Growth

Clarity, confidence, and acceptance of the need for change are essential to the development and implementation of a brand strategy framework. 

If these elements are in place, then your framework can be the foundation for success and growth.

A framework should define your brand’s core purpose, the difference you make in your market, and the most compelling means of sharing your value with customers. 

It should bring together your vision, mission, brand positioning, and customer journey mapping into a cohesive plan.

However, there’s no “single” best framework, with factors such as your brand’s market, maturity, audience, and growth goals all having a bearing.

Read on as we explore a range of models that could be adopted to drive your brand’s growth.

Brand Strategy for Growth

Beyond the raising of awareness, a clear brand strategy should boost commercial performance. 

It should also ensure a stronger connection with ideal prospects, increase conversion rates, and align marketing and sales teams.

The framework can be seen as a key reference point for strategic and creative decisions, ensuring the consistency of communications based on brand goals.

Purpose of the Strategic Framework

Bringing together research, audience definition, positioning, and messaging, a strong brand strategy framework should help convert insights into action. 

The goal should be to set an evidence-based direction that team members will buy into and follow.

Improvements of efficiency, consistency, and long-term competitiveness can all be expected with a clearly defined and well-implemented strategy.

Choosing the Right Framework

There are two main sets of attributes that can be used to define a brand. 

In the first category, we have attributes specific to the market. These may include the nature of products and services, the characteristics of the competition, and the target audience.

Then we have brand-specific attributes, such as the values, culture, and general appeal. Brand promises, benefits, and points of difference also come under this category.

The most effective frameworks will help in defining both what the market needs and how your brand will meet expectations.

Proven Frameworks to Consider

Having explained the concept and benefits of the strategic framework, let’s explore some of the tools to structure your brand thinking.

Brand Funnel

The brand funnel is a customer journey model, which highlights the key steps from awareness through to advocacy. 

It can be used to identify where customers are dropping out and where growth is being lost.

The brand funnel is structured as follows:

• Awareness - the number of people who recognise a brand

• Consideration - the number who consider the brand’s products and/or services

• Purchase - the number who buy from the brand

• Loyalty - the number who make repeat purchases

• Advocacy - the number who recommend the brand

The shape of the brand funnel will reflect the health of the brand and its standing relative to the competition. It will give an idea of the steps that can be taken for growth.

For instance, the awareness layer might be wide, with many people seeing the brand’s advertising. 

However, the loyalty and advocacy layers might be thin, reflecting the need to improve branded products for greater satisfaction.

Brand Identity Prism

Developed by Jean-Noël Kapferer, the brand identity prism sets out six key elements of a brand identity, as follows:

• Physique - tangible branding elements such as the logo, colours, and product design

• Personality - brand character and tone of voice

• Culture - core values and beliefs that shape the brand’s behaviour

• Relationship - how the brand communicates with its customers

• Self-image - how consumers see themselves within the context of the brand

• Reflection - how customers feel when using the brand’s products and/or services

There should be a strong connection between each of these elements for desirable engagement and brand success.

Brand Key

The brand key is a nine-stage strategic framework that can be used to distill the brand elements into a structured whole. 

Moving from an outside perspective (customer perceptions of the brand) to a focus on the internal characteristics, it can help in shaping a consistently impactful and unique identity.

Core elements of the brand key include:

• Target audience and their behaviours

• Consumer insights - unmet needs your brand can serve

• Functional and emotional benefits

• Reasons to believe - proof points that back up your brand promise

• Brand personality and distinctiveness

• Brand essence - your number one reason for being

The brand key can be used to ensure the alignment of communications and behaviours across different marketing channels. 

It can also help in clarifying the brand strategy and finding opportunities to separate your brand from the rest.

Brand Strategy in Practice

De Bono Marketing Communications can help with the selection and application of frameworks that match brand needs and priorities.

Drawing on strategic expertise, we can help you to build a new brand or transform an existing one. 

From defining your brand purpose to uncovering an ideal narrative, we promise to support you every step of the way.

It all begins with research and insight gathering for a complete understanding of your market and target audience. 

Every touchpoint must be considered to ensure connection and resonance. 

We can then move on to your positioning, focusing on your unique appeal and what sets your brand apart. 

This will feed into the development of communications to engage your audience on an emotional level.

Using a repeatable framework makes the entire process more actionable and scalable, supporting the following growth outcomes:

• Improved marketing efficiency

• Higher conversion rates

• Greater consistency across marketing channels

• Unique positioning and enhanced competitiveness

Such a strategic approach makes for the improved alignment of messaging, experience, and sales intent.

Achieving Brand Growth with De Bono Marketing Communications

The benefits have been realised in our partnership with Automate UK. 

Applying strategic thinking, we were able to redefine the automation association’s identity and solidify its market-leading position. 

Working in close collaboration, we identified the key brand pillars, established brand guidelines, and developed a full understanding of the industry. 

This fed into a positioning and messaging framework to communicate Automate UK’s unique value.

The Automate UK campaign led to outstanding results, including:

• A 604% increase in website impressions within the second month of the rebrand launch

• A 40% average increase in click rates on key social media channels from relevant audiences

• Improved website rankings for +600 more targeted keywords and search terms than previously visible

• A 23% increase in member sign-ups in the first 3.5 months post-rebrand.

These impressive results reflect the value of strategic frameworks in realising brand growth. 

Get in touch with De Bono Marketing Communications for similarly transformative impacts.