Brand & Business Strategy
Two Halves of a Whole

 
Author Max Freer, Founder, OOK Agency
September 2024

Is Branding part of Business Strategy?
Yes. Read on and I’ll explain Why.

Brand loyalty is one of the great enigmas of business: it’s tricky to build, perhaps even more difficult to maintain and can be lost in an instant.

 
Organisations who have a fundamental understanding of the role of both brand and business strategy working as partners in the best interest of an organisation, reap the most rewards. In my experience, many companies fail to connect the partnership of brand and business strategy.

Let’s take this a step further.

When we’re being engaged for a brand review, typically the driving motivation for this sits in one of three areas:
 

1. Has the brand run its course?

2. Struggling to explain the impact of what you do?

3. Looking to initiate the next phase of your organisation’s growth?

Brand and Business are two halves of one whole working on behalf of the organisation. One of the most valuable assets an organisation has is its reputation. Protecting and promoting this is the job of everyone in the organisation from the CEO, the Board of Directors, Leadership teams and employees.
 
Your brand strategy informs your business strategy and vice versa. Your brand identity and messaging should be aligned with your business goals, and your business tactics should support and reinforce your brand identity.

Defined Culture & Propose

Having a clearly defined brand culture and purpose enables all employees to adopt the day-to-day cultural attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours which the brand and the business need to be successful.
 
The brand blocks need to be the foundation of an organisation. These should be set out in very specific terms as part of an internal company culture guide to illustrate how business should be done; what the company stands for, the conduct required in the workplace; how the organisation deals with business partners, serves customers; and how it meets it’s broader responsibilities with DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion), and the social value an organisation has to its communities in which they work, live and support.
 
Our work helps clients to shape a brand that positively impacts their employees, customers and communities and aligns with a business strategy.
Organisations that clearly define their purpose and mission, and activate values to support them, are well positioned for long-term success in a rapidly changing business climate. These purpose and mission-driven organisations, with clear mission and vision statements, understand why they exist and how they plan to achieve their objectives.
 
They navigate change and disruption effectively, meeting rising expectations from employees, customers, partners and communities.

In Conclusion

In today’s competitive landscape, where the rate of change is unprecedented, having a solid business mission statement and organisational values is more crucial than ever.

 
Purpose, mission, vision and values, including company leadership values, are strategic business elements that act as a roadmap, guiding an organisation toward its goals. They influence business decisions, inspire employees, and build customer loyalty.

 
We work with clients to harmonise brand purpose and profit, to make them work as good partners for the bottom line and for a social mission, both essential for maintaining relevance and success in a dynamic marketplace where society demands more.

If you would like to have a chat about how we can help drop Max a line.
 
Max Freer is a Creative Brand Strategist based in Northeast England. She is founder of OOK Agency a UK based purpose-driven freelance brand agency where her work focuses on brand, marketing and campaign management. Max has 30 years industry expertise working with recognised UK Media organisations, national and international brands and organisations.