Decide what you are before you advertise it.
Advertising an unclear business just tells more people something confusing, faster.
Advertising an unclear business just tells more people something confusing, faster. Brand strategy is the unglamorous work of deciding what you are before you spend money announcing it.
The questions worth settling
Who exactly are you for, and who are you not for? What do you charge, and why is that the right number? What do you do that the business down the road doesn't? Why should someone pick you when they can't tell the difference from the outside?
Most small businesses have never written these down. It shows in every ad they run, because the copy has to hedge.
Why it makes the advertising cheaper
A clear position lets you target narrowly. Narrow targeting costs less per enquiry and converts better, because the people who see it recognise themselves.
A vague position forces you to advertise broadly to everyone, which is the most expensive way to buy attention. Clarity isn't a luxury purchase — it's what makes the media budget go further.
What this isn't
It isn't a logo, and it isn't a colour palette. Those are outputs, and they come last. This is positioning, pricing, audience and message — the decisions that determine whether the visual work has anything to express.
What comes out of it
- Positioning statement — who you're for and what you claim
- Audience definition — specific enough to target and to say no with
- Messaging framework — the three or four things you say, consistently
- Pricing rationale — what you charge and how you justify it
- Competitor map — what everyone else claims, and the gap you can own
Not sure what makes you different?
That's the problem worth solving before you spend anything on advertising.