A strategy is simply an overall plan of action that sets major objectives and define how those objectives will be accomplished with the available resources.  In a small business the branding strategy is defined by the CEO for execution by their employees (if available).  Defining a strategy for branding your small business involves stating the branding objectives, how you want to accomplish it and what resources will be utilize to accomplish it.

 

 

Branding Objectives:  To state the branding objective you have to answer two key questions:

 

1.  What do you want the brand to do?
 
2.  How do you want others to perceive the brand?

 

Example of a Branding Objective:    The branding objective is to achieve a 100% increase in the number of loyal customers and for consumers to see our brand as a leader in the industry in the next year.
 

How To:  Next you have to define How to accomplish the objective.   To define how to accompish the objective answer the following questions:

 

 1.  What events will be utilized?
 
2.  What activities will be used?

 

Examples of how to accomplish the objective:  We will represent the business at key small business expos, tradeshows, and conventions.   We will seek out the greatest amount of media exposure in newspapers, magazines, tv shows, online media, etc.

Resources:  You’ve defined the objective and how to, now it’s time to address the resources that will be used.  What resoruces will you use to ensure that your objectives are met?

 

Example:  We will utilize a number of resources to accomplish the branding objective.  That includes:

 

- Experts:  we will utilize the expertise of outside branding experts  to get us good PR in newspapers, magazines, tv shows and online media.

 

- Staff:  We will utilize our own staff to represent the business at expos, conventions, and tradeshows.  Who better to represent us at these events than the people who are most familiar with what we do.

 

- Budget:  The budget for this branding objective will be $1,500.  Due to current earnings projection we must not exceed that number.
 

Branding Strategy Example:  Hence, putting the answer those three key questions together will give us a strategy statement that looks like this:

 

The branding objective is to achieve a 100% increase in the number of loyal customers and for consumers to see our brand as a leader in the industry in the next year.  We will utilize a number of resources to accomplish the branding objective.  That includes: Experts:  we will utilize the expertise of outside branding experts to get us good PR in newspapers, magazines, tv shows and online media;  Staff:  We will utilize our own staff to represent the business at expos, conventions, and tradeshows.  Who better to represent us at these events than the people who are most familiar with what we do.  Budget:  The budget for this branding objective will be $1,500.  Due to current earnings projection we must not exceed that number.