The Ultimate Guide to Brand Strategy

So, you’ve got a great idea. Maybe even a great product. But if your brand isn’t backed by strategy, it’s not going to work.

Brand strategy is what separates the ones who turn heads from the ones who get blatantly ignored. It’s not about having a cute logo or the ‘right’ shade of blue. It’s about having a f*cking plan for how you show up, who you show up for, and how you make people care.

This guide isn’t just for the big guys with big budgets. It’s for anyone looking to build something that lasts. Something that lands. Something that works.

Expect no fluff and no bull, as always. Just the good stuff.

What is brand strategy and why does it matter?

What the fu*k is brand strategy anyway? It makes sense to start here. Brand strategy isn’t your logo. It’s not your colour palette. It’s not your font choices. It’s not about the visuals at all, really. It’s what makes your brand mean something.

A brand strategy is the roadmap that shows you where you’re going, how you’re different, and why anyone should give a sh*t about you. It aligns your business goals with how you show up in the world.

And hey – startups, we’re looking at you. Before you go full DIY mode with a logo and a Canva colour scheme, read this. You only get one shot at a first impression, so make sure it’s a good one.

Here’s a hard truth: you don’t control what your brand is. The world does. Your customers, your competitors, the market. You can’t control what they think, but you can shape it. And strategy is how you do that.

In a world where 81% of people won’t even consider buying from a brand they don’t trust, you need to show up with a clear point of view and a reason to be remembered. That’s where brand strategy comes in.

Key Components of a Successful Brand Strategy

A successful brand strategy isn’t something you can write up once and forget about. It demands regular attention. It’s a full system. One that connects every part of your business – from the way you speak to the way you design to how you’re felt by the people who matter.

Here’s what actually makes it work:

→ Brand DNA

This is your brand’s heartbeat. It’s not just some mission statement you copy and paste directly from your favourite brands website. We’re talking mission, vision, values, tone of voice, and proposition. Put some thought into it.

You need answers to what you’re here to do, where you’re going, how you act, and why anyone should care. It’s your purpose, your vision for the future, what you stand for, and how you sound doing it.

It’s the foundation that holds everything else up. If this bit’s shaky, the rest won’t stick - no matter how good your visuals look. Here’s an idea: ask yourself - ‘what do you wanna be famous for?’ If you can answer that with confidence, you’re heading in the right direction.

→ Audience Insight

You can’t shout into the void and expect results. Great brands are built for someone specific. That means getting under the skin of your audience. Find out what they care about, what they hate, and what they’re crying out for that no one’s giving them.

We look beyond your industry. What fashion brands are they vibing with? What wellness trends are shaping their values? Cultural context is everything.

→ Clear Positioning

“We’re premium, but accessible” isn’t positioning, it’s a confused sentence. You need a space you can own. Positioning is about knowing where you fit, what makes you different, and how to say it in a way that actually lands with your audience.

It’s the difference between being an option and being the obvious choice. Our advice? Know what you are, own your sh*t, and lean into it.

A good example? Look at Estrid. A UK-based razor brand that launched into a market dominated by pink tax and plastic packaging and immediately stood out. Their positioning? Razors for humans who care backed by a bold promise: a great shave at a fair price. Vegan blades, bold messaging, and a clear mission to ditch the gender clichés. They weren’t trying to be everything to everyone. They picked a fight, made a point, and claimed their lane. That’s real positioning.

→ Voice that Hits Home

If your brand sounds like it was written by a different person every time, we’ve got a problem. Your tone of voice should sound like one voice – not a patchwork of random styles stitched together. It should be clear, consistent, and unmistakably you. Whether it’s an ad, a help centre reply, or a TikTok caption, your audience should recognise your brand before they even see the logo. One voice. One vibe. Everywhere.

At co&co, we build proper tone frameworks. Dos, don’ts, examples, structure. So your whole team can use it without second guessing.

→ Design that Makes Sense

Yeah, we love sh*thot design. Who doesn’t? But it only works if it means something. Your visuals should reflect everything else in your strategy. Your values, your tone, your vibe. And it has to spread across print, digital, merch - wherever your brand lives.

→ Tools to Keep It Consistent

We build usable, practical toolkits – content templates, brand rollout plans, voice frameworks, and visual rules that aren’t written in f*cking code (you’re welcome). Everything in one place. Copy, paste, use it.

It’s the kind of doc you can turn to every day. And yes, it should be shared with the whole team. Because the moment someone goes rogue, it all starts to fall apart

We’ve seen it too many times – one brand, five different voices, five different looks. That’s not branding. That’s noise.

Brand strategy is what ties all this together. It’s the glue between your ideas and your execution. It keeps everyone moving in the same direction – no guesswork, no crossed wires, just one clear identity.

How to Build a Brand Strategy from Scratch

So we’ve covered the ‘what’, now it’s time to cover how to build a brand strategy. Starting from zero? Here’s how to do it properly:

1. Begin with the big questions

This is your origin story. Not features. Not benefits. The real sh*t – your purpose, your ambition, your people. Why do you exist (beyond profit)? What do you want to be famous for? Who do you want to help?

2. Do your homework

Time to dig deep. Start with your audience – not just the stats, but their language, behaviour, pain points. Then your competitors – what are they saying? How do they look? What are they getting wrong?

And zoom out. Look at the wider culture. What’s trending? What’s dying? This is how your brand shows up with something new. Insight is your fuel.

3. Lock in your position

This is where you draw your line in the sand. What do you stand for that no one else does? Be laser sharp. Be different (but not just for the sake of it). Be brave. Your positioning should make people say “oh, they’re the ones who…”

4. Build your voice

Sound like a human. One your audience likes. Don’t just chase trends. Define how you speak, and keep it consistent across every touchpoint. Fun? Gritty? Direct? Weird? Cool. Just commit. And then bake that tone into everything.

Take co&co. We’re a no fluff, no bull agency. If you bumped into us in Manchester, you’d hear the same straight-talking tone we use on our website, socials, pitch decks, and emails. That’s not a ‘persona’. That’s us. It’s who we are. What you see is what you get. And that’s the point – your brand voice should be real, recognisable, and rooted in who you are. Not something you put on and take off.

5. Design with purpose

Now – and only now – do we hit visuals. Design is communication. Your brand identity (logo, colours, type, imagery) should flow from your strategy, not Pinterest board trends.

If your brand is bold, be bold. If it’s about clarity, keep it clean. Looks matter, but only when they’re doing a job. Pretty without purpose is pointless.

6. Make it easy to apply

This is where brands slip. You need guidelines that actually get used. Instagram captions, invoices, signage – it should all feel like it came from the same place.

Consistency = recognition = trust. So get your toolkit in place. Train your team. Make it effortless to stick to.

Final word? Brand strategy is everything. It’s how the greats do it. It’s how Gymshark built a global movement from a garage and a hell of a strong community. Why Dishoom isn’t just a restaurant but is a full-blown experience, steeped in story and consistency. Most brand strategies fail because they never go deep enough.

These brands didn’t just “launch and hope”. They built smart. They got clear on who they were, what they stood for, and how they wanted to show up and then they did it, again and again, across every touchpoint. This is all about building something people feel and remember.

Because when your strategy’s tight, everything else falls into place. That’s how brands stick. That’s how they grow. It’s all about brand identity and owning your sh*t.

If you want to build something that matters – the kind that people will rally behind, talk about, and come back to – it starts with strategy. Start now, trust us - you’ll thank us later.