What is Brand Strategy?
A brand identity is a visual representation of a company’s mission, vision and values. A good brand identity helps in attracting new customers and also strengthening the customer base.
There are some key differences between branding and marketing. While branding focuses on long term brand building and equity, marketing concentrates on shorter term goals like leads, sales and revenue. Brand building strategies helps you connect emotionally with your target audience and thus sustain this relationship in the long run. In this blog, you will learn how to use different brand development strategies in marketing to create a strong and effective brand
Watch this short video by LensKart Founder, Peyush Bansal to understand the difference between branding and marketing.
Brand Development Process
Brand Development and Marketing strategies go hand in hand. Marketing strategies should align and reinforce the core brand value.
For example, the brand identity, voice, style and tone of your brand should be reflected in your logo design, content marketing campaigns and in all your communications with the target audience.
Consumer interactions given through marketing channels also give important insights into how the brand is perceived. Thus both marketing and branding teams must work hand in hand to develop and strengthen your brand.
Elements of a Brand Strategy
Brand Development Strategy: What are the 4 brand development strategies with examples?
There are 4 brand development strategies that a company can follow to develop their brand. The four brand development strategies are
- line extension,
- brand extension,
- multi-brands, and
- new brands.
Brand Development : Line Extension
- Line extensions involve taking an existing product and creating variations of it, like new flavours, sizes, ingredients etc.
- It allows brands to expand their portfolio under a familiar established brand name, which lowers risk versus launching an entirely new product.
- Benefits include capitalising on existing brand equity, appealing to specific consumer segments, and creating more shelf space/visibility.
Brand Strategy Examples : Diet Coke and Coke Zero from original Coca-Cola, and new flavours or varieties for chips, cereals, toothpaste etc.
Brand Development: Brand Extension
- Brand extension is when a company uses an established brand name to enter a different product category.
- It leverages existing brand equity and customer trust to increase acceptance of new products under the brand name.
- Benefits include faster adoption thanks to familiarity, lower marketing costs, and the ability to reach new segments or categories.
Brand Strategy Examples: Apple launching iPods after building brand equity for computers, Amazon moving into groceries, and Virgin expanding from music to airlines.
Brand Development : Multi Brands
- Multi-branding is when a company uses multiple brand names within the same product category.
- It allows targeting different market segments, positioning brands in unique ways, and insulating brands from any failures.
- Benefits include appealing to broader consumer demographics, greater shelf presence, and protecting existing brands.
Brand Strategy Examples: Coca-Cola owns Sprite, Fanta and Dr Pepper to diversify its beverage portfolio. Procter & Gamble owns Tide, Gain, Ariel, etc. in laundry detergents.
Brand Development : New Brands
- Introducing an entirely new brand allows a fresh start to capture new markets and consumer segments.
- Benefits include the ability to create a distinct brand identity from scratch and avoid associations with the parent brand.
- A new brand can be positioned to fill unmet consumer needs without diluting existing brands.
Brand Strategy Examples: Toyota creating Lexus to enter the luxury car market and Facebook introducing Instagram to capture mobile photo sharing.
Brand Development Strategies Matrix
The brand development strategies matrix is used for visually representing the options a company can use to launch a new brand.
A brand development strategy matrix helps a business to evaluate their current brand portfolio, identify growth opportunities and align strategies to market conditions.
Types of Brand Development Strategies in Marketing
Here are some of the key branding development strategies in marketing.
Private Label Branding
DEVELOPING STORE BRANDS THAT COMPETE WITH NATIONAL BRANDS ON PRICE
Walk into any modern retail store in India today and you will notice more and more products bearing the retailer’s own branding. From clothes to cleaning supplies and food items to electronics, private label brands are steadily making their mark across categories.
This rise of private labels signifies the coming of age of modern retail in India. Chains like Big Bazaar, Reliance Retail and Star Bazaar realised that while national brands pulled in customers, private labels could reap higher margins. Plus they allowed exclusivity – after all, you can’t buy a Star Bazaar t-shirt anywhere else!
PRICING: Products are priced competitively compared to national brands. Why buy a more expensive brand of shampoo when the retailer’s own shampoo cleans just as well?
No-Brand Branding
REMOVING BRANDING TO FOCUS ON PRODUCT QUALITY AND PURITY
Stroll down the fresh produce aisle of any supermarket and you’ll notice most fruits and vegetables sitting unbranded in their bins. No flashy logos or label stickers in sight. Just fresh carrots, tomatoes and bananas speaking for themselves.
This is the essence of no-brand branding. By removing all branding and packaging, the product’s innate quality and purity take centre stage. No-brand branding relies on consumer education about getting quality at lower prices.
Co-Branding
PARTNERING TWO ESTABLISHED BRANDS TOGETHER
Take a walk down the aisles of an Indian supermarket and you may notice popular product mashups like Cadbury Oreo, Nestle KitKat, and Amul Pizza. Through strategic partnerships, brands are discovering that two heads can be better than one.
Co-branding has caught the fancy of Indian marketers aiming to generate excitement and acceptance for new product concepts. Collaboration between Amul and Dominos to launch cheese bursts on pizza is one such example.
India’s youth-driven market finds appeal in experimental brand combinations that blend the familiar with the novel. When youth brands like Bingo and Coca Cola co-created a chatpata tadka edition, it generated a buzz on social media.
However, not all co-branded products succeed in striking the right chord. Brands need to identify meaningful linkages between their positioning and values. A logical match between Maggi and Paytm for digital payments makes intuitive sense.
PRICING: Premium Pricing – Co-branded products often justify a slight price premium over standard offerings, due to the value derived from bringing two brands together. However, the premium can’t be too high to negatively impact demand.
Brand Licensing
LEASING THE USE OF A BRAND NAME TO ANOTHER COMPANY
Walking through a toy store, you may spot familiar entertainment characters adorning toys, lunchboxes, and t-shirts. But Mickey Mouse action figures and Harry Potter LEGO sets aren’t made directly by Disney or Warner Bros. This is brand licensing at work.
Brand licensing allows companies to lease the use of their brand assets like characters, logos, or even celebrity names to other firms. The licensee pays a royalty and produces items featuring the brand.
For example, Ferrari relies heavily on licensing to extend its brand to everything from toys and games to fragrances and clothing. But strict licensing contracts ensure premium quality levels worthy of the Ferrari badge.
When done right, licensing grows brand exposure and revenue. But it requires careful screening of licensees to prevent brand dilution. Companies analyze a licensee’s manufacturing capabilities, distribution access and marketing reach before approval.
PRICING: The licensor usually gets an ongoing royalty fee of a percentage of sales revenue, so pricing influences royalty income. High prices can mean more licensing revenue.
“Branded House” Strategy
USING ONE MASTER BRAND ACROSS ALL PRODUCTS/SERVICES. Eg; VIRGIN
Picture walking into a Tata store to buy a Tata car, Tata tea, and Tata salt before staying at a Taj hotel owned by Tata. Indian conglomerates like Tata exemplify the “branded house” strategy on home turf.
When a company uses one main brand for all its products, it is called umbrella branding. For example, Microsoft brand for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Xbox and other products.
Leading business houses in India including Birla, Reliance, Mahindra, Godrej and more leverage master brand equity across their diversified ventures. Consumers recognize these powerhouse banners and associate them with trust.
The Tata brand opens doors for Tata Motors cars, VSNL telecom services, Titan watches and more. Tata imprints quality assurance across its fleet. Reliance too gained from master brand familiarity when entering new categories like telecom with Jio under the Reliance umbrella.
PRICING: Prices of sub-brands should match the main brand image. If main brand is premium, sub-brands can also charge higher prices.
Competitive Multi-Brand Strategy .
MANAGING MULTIPLE BRANDS THAT COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER IN SAME CATEGORY [PEPSI, MOUNTAIN DEW]
Strolling down a snack aisle, you may notice multiple brand variants for Frito-Lay – Doritos for nacho lovers, Lay’s for classic potato chips, Cheetos for the cheesy-obsessed. This points to a “multi-brand” strategy.
The competitive multi-brand approach means marketing multiple standalone brands in the same product category. Each brand targets a distinct consumer need or occasion.
Take Hindustan Unilever offering Surf for premium washing powder and Wheel for affordable cleaners. The two co-exist without cannibalization.
PRICING: Prices should appeal to the distinct customer segment being targeted by each brand
Attitude Branding
BRANDING BASED ON CUSTOMER EMOTIONS THAN PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES [NIKE, APPLE]
Strolling down a perfume aisle, you’re surrounded by brands that evoke feelings – from Victoria’s Secret Bombshell to Nike’s Just Do It. This power to resonate comes from attitude branding.
Attitude branding means associating a distinct personality with the brand. It shapes an emotional connection beyond just product performance.
When a brand has a unified attitude in all its touchpoints, customers connect with the brand at an emotional level. This goes beyond just liking the product.
Customers feel attached to what the brand attitude represents. The experience makes them loyal fans. This is very powerful for brands.
So having a cohesive brand attitude across the full experience can create strong customer relationships. This helps brands succeed over a long time.
How to Develop Your Brand Strategy with Marketing?
Here is a 7 step guide to understand how to build a brand strategy in the context of marketing. Your brand development process will evolve across these various steps.
Consider your Overall Business and Marketing Strategy
Creating an effective brand strategy requires close alignment with the company’s core vision, target persona, market positioning, product plans and marketing channel strategies,
Brand strategy should involve collaborations between marketing, product, sales, R&D, CX and other teams to ensure alignment.
Identify key performance indicators like brand awareness, consideration, loyalty to track progress.
Involve stakeholders like customers, employees, partners via research for insights to shape an authentic brand message.
Research your Target Market Demographics and Behavior
Use Data Analytics to gather information like age groups, income level , geography and gender split of your target audience. Align brand personality to their worldview.
Identify channels and platforms preferred by your target audience and personalise outreach as per your target audience.
Segment the audience into distinct niches based on demographics, psychographics and behaviours. Customise branding strategy for each.
How to develop a brand positioning strategy?
Identify your competitors and analyse how existing players are positioned through their branding. Look for gaps in opportunities.
Determine the key attributes that matter to your target audience – price, quality, experience etc. Develop brand associations to excel on some
Align your brand identity and messaging to position your brand against competitors based on the above factors. Integrate marketing factors like brand logo, tone of voice, design aesthetics and offers to reflect on your brand positioning.
Develop your brand messaging as part of your marketing communications
- Identify your brand’s core values, personality and positioning to inform messaging themes and tone.
- Create key messages that speak to your target audience’s needs, pains and desires. Address their motivations.
- Ensure consistency across channels – website, advertising, packaging, sales materials and other touchpoints.
- Align messaging in external communications and internal brand guidelines for organisational clarity.
- Craft compelling taglines, slogans and visuals that capture the essence of your brand succinctly.
- Use messaging that differentiates your brand from competitors and clarifies your unique value.
- Train employees as brand ambassadors to convey messages consistently through customer interactions.
- Also make sure to test messages with research groups to determine resonance, likeability and memorability with your audience.
Develop your name, logo, and tagline that resonates with your marketing goals
Ensure the brand name is memorable, simple to pronounce and indicative of your value proposition. Test options with target consumers.
- Design a logo that communicates your key attributes and differentiators visually. Align to brand personality. Keep it scalable.
- Tagline should capture the core brand promise or positioning creatively. Aim for inspirational over generic.
- Name and logo should allow flexibility for future growth into new markets without rebranding.
- Check brand name and URL availability legally and digitally to avoid conflicts. Consider global trademarking.
- Evaluate cultural meanings and connotations to avoid negative issues when expanding overseas.
- Link logo design to consistent visual identity across marketing – colors, typeface, image styles. Provides instant recognition.
- Integrate brand name, logo and tagline across communication consistently – website, product packaging, emails, signage.
- Measure marketing effectiveness to determine brand asset resonance.
Develop your Content Marketing Strategy to Enhance Brand Recognition
Create content pillars aligned to your brand messaging – e.g. thought leadership, customer stories, industry trends. Identify topics and formats – articles, videos, podcasts etc. – that resonates most with your target audiences.
Promote content consistently across owned channels – website, social media, email – for maximum visibility. Partner with influencers to expand reach and credibility of branded content.
Curate user generated content like testimonials and customer images to make branding authentic.
Track Brand Performance
Set up processes to monitor marketing analytics and metrics related to brand health – consideration, NPS, recall. Continuously optimise efforts.
Set quantifiable metrics and KPIs to evaluate brand health over time – awareness, consideration, favorability, recall etc.
Conduct market research periodically to gauge brand image, positioning and customer perceptions through surveys, interviews etc.
Analyse engagement and sentiment on brand owned channels – website, social media, emails, apps. Tools can help aggregate data.
Monitor branded search results and online reviews to track visibility, interest and feedback trends.
Part 5: Case Study on Developing a Brand Strategy – COCA COLA
Coca Cola was initially launched in Georgia, Atlanta in 186 and early growth was driven by positioning coke as a refreshing and uplifting drink.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF COCA COLA
Identity Branding – The Coca-Cola brand created a distinct brand identity – Spencerian script logo and an iconic bottle shape.
Attitude Branding – They built awareness through consistent advertising reinforcing refreshment messaging. They associated the brand with happiness and optimism integrating attitude/emotional branding into all their marketing campaigns.
Global Branding – They also used Global branding to make Coca-cola available in 200+ countries by still keeping branding consistent.
Influencer and Portfolio Branding – They also used influencer branding by collaborating with top influencers to promote their brand, thus emphasising its lifestyle qualities.
Using portfolio branding, they expanded brand presence through acquired brands like Sprite, Fanta and Costa Coffee.
So in summary, Coca-Cola utilised identity, emotional, storytelling, global, influencer and portfolio branding strategies to make the brand popular worldwide.
Conclusion
Brand development is a crucial process for companies to engage in. As highlighted in the case studies, strategically building a strong brand persona, identity and equity allows marketers to resonate with consumers and differentiate from competition.
Techniques like identity branding, emotional branding, storytelling, and influencer partnerships employed by brands like Coca-Cola and Amul demonstrate how impactful it is to craft consistent and meaningful brand narratives.
It is imperative for modern businesses to invest time and resources into researching target demographics, defining their competitive edge, and formulating brand positioning accordingly. Developing a brand strategy pays off manifold when integrated smartly across marketing communications and campaigns.
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