Skip to main content
  1. Blog/

Can We DIY Brand Strategy?

644 words·4 mins Draft
brand
Table of Contents
“Can we do brand strategy on our own?”>

“Can we do brand strategy on our own?” #

This is a question I have heard and read a lot. I often get asked this somewhere quiet, as if it is a forbidden question.

I get it. We don’t want to offend those who spent years in creative captivity perfecting their craft. At the same time, we also know how important strategy is but we cannot afford the service yet.

At the start of a startup, keeping the business afloat is its highest priority. A startup may not have a formalized structure yet as there might only be 3 people on the team. And if not one of them cannot design a logo, a Fiverr gig is just a click and 5 dollars away.

Perfecting the product or service centers the starting business. It is what brought them together in the first place. It is what the team spent years studying and perfecting. At times, when the budget is tight, it is the passion that keeps the wheels turning.

Then comes this hurdle no one from the team has dealt with before. In their previous employments, there was another team dedicated to it. And right now, outsourcing a creative would impact the overall budget that is already tight.

And I understand all of that.

This answer is controversial in the field I’ve sworn in but the answer is…

YES. You can!>

YES. You can! #

There are a ton of free resources out there that enables you to strategize with your team.

I’m still working on mine 🙃

Apart from fun, it could be a good exercise for the team especially when the business is at the stage where it feels lost. The stage where you know where to go but have no idea how to get there. Or worse, you are at a loss of purpose.

A brand strategy gives clarity to your business’ blurs. Give it a try.

What’s the catch?>

What’s the catch? #

A compromise.

A brand strategy is a philosophy-driven framework mastered through practice.

Just as passionate as you are about your craft, strategists have also spent years studying and perfecting theirs. It is the reason why another team was dedicated to it from your previous employment. Even, that team might have even invited an agency to facilitate it for the company. 😱

The catch is you may miss a chance at extra team members…

  • who will sit with you and help you unearth the gems that make your business unique
  • find your brand’s personality and voice, and help bring it to life
  • study your customers and how you will talk to them; and
  • help refocus what the company needs to do first in terms of growth

But don’t let this discourage you. There is a workaround.

The Workaround>

The Workaround #

A consultation.

You have the option to collaborate with a strategist to check on how you’re doing the strategy, and provide fresh insights for less. They can also serve as a gut check after every activity. They can review your work, and answer questions you might have without the awkward pressure.

A step up to building that well-defined roadmap.

The Reward>

The Reward #

It would be great if the team still goes with it even if it is yourselves at the moment.

A well-defined brand strategy provides your organization with a roadmap that buckles you up for growth in your industry.

It will help you recognize your true selves and use them to inspire your actions that are better for the team, the business, and the future.

It is also helpful in communicating the brand consistently with every content you make and helps position your brand unique to others, attract your ideal audience, and fuel the business for growth.

Now go and build that powerful, enduring brand! ✦