Marketing strategy foundations equip you with the documents you need to build and execute excellent marketing.

Marketing Strategy Foundations

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There are certain strategy documents every business needs, the foundational strategy on which everything else is built. 

Steeped Content's foundational strategy documents consist of a three-phase approach in creating your marketing strategy documents.

Pathfinder Document

The Pathfinder document summarizes where you have been, where you want to go, and outlines how you will get there in broad strokes. This document ensures that the subsequent marketing strategy is reflective of your unique needs.

 

Marketing Strategy 

Marketing strategy consists of a comprehensive document that informs other aspects of the business; it includes market research, creative strategy and tactical recommendations.

  • Market research includes industry, competitor and customer analysis with your target market defined.
  • The creative strategy includes visual language and identity, brand archetype, brand story, and communication style.
  • Tactical recommendations include pricing objectives, product and promotion strategy.

 

Brand Strategy

Brand identity guidelines are short documents that outline logo usage, colour palettes, and typography. The Brand strategy is designed to complement your existing brand identity guidelines by providing more insight into brand application. 

Steeped Content's brand strategy includes:

  • Brand Personality so you know how to convey your brand to customers.
  • Brand Platform Model which articulates your brand identity and positioning.
  • Brand Identity Prism allowing you to visualize the touchpoints, relationships, and intangible value your brand brings to customers.
  • Brand Voice Guidelines specifying how to speak and write in a consistent voice.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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 What is a brand strategy, and why is it important?

A brand strategy is a document that specifies the core purpose, the unique social and utilitarian benefits, the right quality level, the recognizable styles, the engaging stories, and the ideal consumer responses you wish to evoke by offering products under a particular brand name.

A brand strategy is important because it helps differentiate you from your competition and makes you more recognizable to customers. A brand strategy provides a clear purpose for engaging specific customers and how you are doing so. Having a comprehensive, well-built brand strategy helps you communicate clearly with your desired customers.

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 What does your brand strategy include?

A brand strategy that I would develop for you includes a detailed construction of Kapferer’s Brand Platform and Brand Identity Prism. It also consists of a brand positioning statement and a detailed description of each model’s components.

Additional elements, such as your brand archetype, communication guidelines, and your unique heroes’ journey, can be developed for inclusion. If you have any questions about what they mean, please send me your queries; I’m happy to answer them.

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 Can you please explain Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism model?

One model I use when creating a brand strategy is Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism. Because the model focuses on aligning how a brand sees itself and how it’s perceived by its target market, it’s important to the branding of businesses.

Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism speaks to the six facets of brand identity: physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture and self-image. The diagram below shows how I have used the model in branding my own business, Steeped Content.

This model shaped the creation of each of the service pages on this website, and ultimately the impression I make on you. Demonstrating how branding models, which may seem abstract, inform content and the style of touchpoints customers and prospects experience when interacting with your brand.

Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism for Steeped Content; it has: physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture, self image
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 What is a marketing strategy? Why is it important, and what does it include?

A marketing strategy’s primary focus is to efficiently allocate and coordinate marketing activities to accomplish a firm's objective within a specific market, such as tea. A marketing strategy provides organizations with an edge over competitors by defining the tactics and priorities that will allow your tea brand to thrive. Having a cohesive focus enables you to navigate choices and change with more clarity and confidence. The marketing strategy provides you with the context you need to make tough choices, usually with constrained marketing budgets.

A marketing strategy highlights where you are currently, where you would like to go, and how you will get there. A marketing strategy outlines the current situation and trends, a performance review of past marketing actions, specific objectives, action plans and other vital details.

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 I already have a marketing strategy. Could I hire you just to create a digital marketing strategy or content marketing strategy?

Yes, you can hire me to create a digital marketing strategy or a content marketing strategy. Clients often hire me to create digital and content strategies to augment their current marketing strategy.

A digital marketing strategy is broader than a content marketing strategy as it takes into account things like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and analytics. A content marketing strategy is more specific; it defines who your audience is and what types of content you will produce, among other things. To provide a point of reference, 77% of companies say they have a content marketing strategy (SEMrush, 2019).

If you have any questions about either of these strategy documents, please contact me. I am happy to have a no-obligation conversation to walk you through each document and their differences.