By Peter L. Getman, Principal Brand Director
MicroArts

A brand strategy plan is a simple concept really. It’s the intense alignment of a laser-focused plan.

A brand strategy plan articulates:

• The feeling.
  Specifically, what you want people to experience and feel about that experience when they interact with any aspect of your brand.
• The goal.
  When you have a goal. We’ll know when we’ve arrived, and it’s time to celebrate the brand’s market share growth.
• The difference.
  The discovery of the unique selling proposition that is strong enough to move the masses to purchase your brand over competitive brands.
• The formula.
  The product formula – the actual vehicle that is responsible for delivering the unique promise of superior value to your customer.
• The vision.
  Beyond next year’s goals, how the brand extends its value, its reach, its demographic viability, relevance and most importantly, its dominance.
• The tactics.
  The marketing communications plan and supporting programs crafted to entice the customer into discovering the brand, believing the brand and ultimately enticing trial, purchase and of course loyalty.
• The channel.
  The plan for the development and opening of new sales channels determines when the brand and supporting operations are ready for this expansion (specifically which elements need to be in place and how to know they’re ready).
• The elixir.
  The big idea that unifies all of the above (the feeling, the goal, the difference, the formula, the vision) and communicates them in a unifying manner across all tactics that drive brand trial.
• The metrics.
  Determine the intermediate success milestones in route to the overall goal for the brand strategy, and assign a timeline to the milestones. Revisit and revise as required.
• The spirit.
  Recruit a team of individual specialists with a common spirit and commitment toward achieving the brand strategy goals. It’s the alignment of this spirit that puts this commitment tantamount to any individual’s personal goals, achievements or recognition.

In the end, this plan yields clarity surrounding the brand for all stakeholders, shareholders, vendors and team members. And upon its proper execution, the brand strategy yields brand value clarity for the most important person in your brand’s life. The consumer.

Today I was motivated to share my brand strategy plan outline because I’m investing the next 100+ hours populating this outline into a 2010 brand strategy and supporting marketing communication plan for a very important client and killer brand building opportunity. So fun!

Anyhow, I hope you find this outline helpful, it’s been a great starting point for me for a very long time.

We’d love to help superpower your brand strategy planning- connect with us today to get started!