Brand strategy and naming Be clear about who you are before you decide how you look.
A logo can’t fix a business that’s hard to explain. We work out what you stand for, who you’re for and why you’re the better choice, then name it and organise it so customers understand you straight away.
Customers can’t choose what they can’t explain.
If a customer can’t say in one sentence what you do and why you’re different, they’ll compare you on price. That’s usually a strategy problem, not a design one.
We start with what’s true about the business: what you’re best at, who values it most and what competitors leave open. The brand is built from that.
Our rule
The strategy has to fit on one page.
If it takes a deck to explain, nobody will use it. What we write is short enough to pin up and work from.
What we do
Positioning
Who you’re for, what you offer them and why you over the alternatives, in plain words.
Audience and competitors
Research into what your customers value and what competitors already say, so you don’t sound like everyone else.
Messaging
The few things every page, ad and post should say, and the words to say them in.
Naming
Names for a new business, service or product, with domains and obvious clashes checked before you shortlist.
Brand architecture
How your services, sub-brands or locations relate, so customers find their way and each part supports the others.
Into the identity
The strategy becomes the brief for your visual identity and copy, so the look and the words follow the thinking.
When it’s worth it
- You’re starting a business or launching a new service.
- Customers describe you differently from how you describe yourself.
- You keep getting compared on price.
- You’ve grown into several services or locations and it’s getting confusing.
- You need a name, or your current one is holding you back.
When it isn’t
If you already know your position and just need it to look better, go straight to brand identity. We’ll tell you if the strategy needs work first.
How we work
- Pinpoint. We talk to you and, where we can, your customers, and look at what competitors say and what people search for.
- Piece together. We write the positioning and messaging and, if you need them, names and structure, and test them with you.
- Prove. We hand over a one-page strategy and use it to brief the identity, website and campaigns, so it doesn’t sit in a drawer.
Questions
What’s the difference between brand strategy and marketing strategy?
Brand strategy decides who you are and why someone should choose you. Marketing strategy decides how you reach those people and where to spend. Most businesses need both, and they should agree.
Do you check whether a name is available?
We check domains, social handles, Companies House and obvious clashes before you shortlist. A formal trade mark search should be done by a specialist, and we’ll tell you when it’s worth it.
Can you name a service, not just a company?
Yes. A clear name for a service or product often matters more day to day than the company name.
Do we need a strategy before a new logo?
If customers already understand what you do and why you’re different, probably not. If they don’t, a new logo won’t fix it.
Make your business easy to explain.
Tell us what you do, who it’s for and where you’re stuck.