Understanding the Two Sides of Brand Strategy.

Having spent the better part of the last decade across various parts of the media and communications industry (print, broadcast, and digital), one significant issue I’ve consistently observed is the conflict between roles in terms of expectations and delivery.

This isn’t limited to just one area. It arises between employees and employers, and even within talent themselves – you know, when someone takes on a role and then realizes the reality is different, often easier said than done. It also affects the relationship between talent and the wider industry.

While I can’t cover all of this in one go, I wanted to start with a space I’m very familiar with: Brand Strategists. Specifically, I’m thinking about the contrast between those in Marketing/Advertising/Agencies and those focused on Brand Development.

While both roles carry the “Brand Strategist” title, their focus and day-to-day can look quite different. Let’s unpack the nuances between a Brand Strategist in a Marketing/Advertising/Agency setting and one in Brand Development.

Brand Strategist in Marketing/Advertising/Agency.

Imagine this strategist operating within the engine room of getting a brand out there. Their world revolves around:

• Campaign-Focused Thinking: They often work on specific marketing campaigns or advertising initiatives. Their strategic input is geared towards how to best communicate the existing brand to achieve particular marketing goals (e.g., increased awareness, lead generation, sales lift).
• Audience Engagement: A core part of their role is understanding the current target audience for a specific campaign and crafting messages and channels that will resonate effectively. They delve into consumer behaviour related to the product or service being advertised.
• Competitive Landscape (Marketing View): They analyze competitors’ marketing activities–their campaigns, messaging, channels, and overall market positioning from a promotional standpoint.
• Channel Expertise: They need a strong understanding of various marketing and advertising channels (digital, social, traditional, etc.) and how the brand can best leverage them for impact.
• Short-to-Medium Term Impact: The focus is often on achieving measurable results within a defined campaign timeframe.
• Execution-Oriented: They often work closely with creative teams, media planners, and account managers to ensure the strategic vision translates effectively into tangible marketing assets and executions.
• Leveraging Existing Brand Pillars: While they consider the overall brand, their primary task is to apply and amplify the established brand identity within a marketing context. They might push the boundaries creatively but generally operate within the existing brand framework.
• Metrics and Performance: Their success is often measured by campaign-specific KPIs like reach, engagement, conversion rates, and ROI.

Think of them as the architects of how the brand speaks and acts in the market to achieve specific business objectives.

Brand Strategist in Brand Development.

Now picture this strategist at a more foundational level, shaping the very essence of the brand. Their focus tends to be:

• Long-Term Brand Vision: They are deeply involved in defining or refining the core identity, values, mission, and overall direction of the brand. Their work has a longer time horizon and aims for enduring brand equity.
• Target Audience Definition (Holistic): They often play a key role in identifying and understanding the ideal customer profile at a fundamental level, influencing product development, service design, and the overall brand experience.
• Competitive Landscape (Brand View): Their competitive analysis goes beyond marketing campaigns to understand the core brand positioning, strengths, weaknesses, and overall market relevance of competitors.
• Brand Architecture and Portfolio Strategy: They might be involved in decisions about brand extensions, sub-brands, and how different parts of the brand portfolio relate to each other.
• Brand Experience (Beyond Marketing): Their focus extends beyond marketing communications to encompass every touchpoint a customer has with the brand, including product design, customer service, retail experience, and more.
• Strategic Framework Development: They are often involved in creating the foundational brand guidelines, value propositions, and strategic pillars that will inform all aspects of the brand, including marketing.
• Shaping the Brand’s DNA: They are instrumental in defining what the brand stands for and ensuring consistency across all its manifestations.
• Intangible Value Creation: Their success is often measured by long-term brand health metrics like brand awareness, brand perception, brand loyalty, and brand equity.

Think of them as the architects of the brand’s being – its fundamental identity, purpose, and how it shows up in the world beyond just its advertising.

The Overlap and Interplay

It’s important to note that these roles aren’t always completely siloed. There’s often collaboration and overlap. For example:

• A Brand Development Strategist might inform the foundational brand messaging that a Marketing Agency Brand Strategist then uses to craft specific campaigns.
• Insights from marketing campaign performance, driven by the Agency Strategist, can feed back into the broader brand strategy, which is handled by the Brand Development Strategist.

On what works for a startup at different levels, considering where we are as an ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa? That’s a different conversation that I am not sure I want to take on in this article.