Brand Strategy A brand strategy simply refers to articulating, documenting, and building an intentional brand. This includes everything from the logo to your tone of voice, as well as understanding who it is that you're aiming to serve, and how they perceive your brand. Strong brand elements are both meaningful and memorable, allowing them to stand out in today's culture of brand inundation. All flourishing brands have a strategy, and below I'll unpack the components that I find most integral. Brand Mantra Your brand mantra should succinctly sum up what you do, for whom you do it, how you do it, and possibly why you do it. If this is the only piece of information someone notices when landing on your website or meeting you at a dinner party, it should be able to carry the full weight of what you do. In a notebook, jot down your answers to the following questions. For this part of the exercise, prioritize being accurate and all-encompassing, rather than succinct. What do you do? Who do you do it for? How do you do it? Why do you do it? Note that unless your 'why' is a key part of your brand story, you can leave it out. Now, take the content from above and hone it down to 55 characters or roughly 10 words. My brand mantra: Brand Story A brand story provides insight into the heart of the brand. Why did you start your business? What is the bigger picture behind what you are doing? If there is no bigger picture, could there be one that resonates with both you and your customer? View this post on Instagram A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Aug 19, 2018 at 10:48am PDT Since so many of us were taught to knit and crochet by our mothers and grandmothers, it unfortunately does not serve to differentiate or create a memorable brand story. Do the legwork to push passed simply what is true (my grandmother taught me, I love doing this, I've always been creative, etc.), and share a more robust and unique story about your heart + passion as a maker. To get your wheels turning...consider passions, hobbies, experiences, travels, and trainings you have outside of knitting/crochet. Things happening outside of your work as a maker absolutely inform your designs. Leverage this unique path and turn it into a compelling story. In my case, I have a degree in Graphic Design, live in a city that forces minimalism, and a strong desire to advocate for vulnerable children. None of these aspects of my life have anything to do with knitting, but they absolutely inform my work in countless ways. Work slowly through your experiences, assuming that something does inform your work until you can confidently rule it out. Brand Name Can your story now be boiled down to a single word or two? It doesn't have to be all-encompassing, but simply representative. In my personal opinion, words with great specificity (like knit, crochet, handmade, etc.) should be left out of the brand name and reserved for the mantra. Resist the urge to tell what you do in your brand name. This allows your brand to pivot and expand into new offerings if/when the opportunity presents itself. Mantras are easily updatable, but ideally your brand name never changes. On a quick practical note, the brand name should be available on all necessary platforms (URL, Etsy, Instagram, etc.), and not overlap with any existing organizations. Whenever you're ready to design a logo that represents, encompasses, and conveys your brand, Canva has a huge FREE gallery of logo templates to get you started. I've curated a recommended list below. browse logo gallery Brand Differentiator A brand differentiator enables your shop to stand out in a saturated market. What unique value do you offer to your customers? This doesn't mean you have to offer something that absolutely no one else does (though, kudos if you can), but there is great value in setting yourself apart from the pack. A helpful mental exercise for thinking through your differentiator is to look at other brands in your space and learn to articulate how you differ from them. In the process, you may find that you in fact don't differ much at all. Don't panic. While that will not serve as a prosperous long-term strategy, it is an incredibly insightful observation that should serve as a catalyst for redefining your own path. When starting out, it can be hard to define your own path, and much easier to mimic those who have gone before you. I'll cover copying (and being copied) in a later module, but it is worth noting here that brand differentiation is one of the primary reasons that mimicking doesn't bring about the same success. Additionally, as you grow and your work becomes the target of copying, it is integral that you continue to build upon your brand (develop new products, target new personas), to maintain a differentiator. Brand Audience Contrary to popular belief, your audience is not necessarily one huge group of people with all like interests, incomes, and skillsets. Instead, there can and should be a variety of audience types. The greater you can expand your audience personas (specifically in the categories of "customer type" as listed below), the more opportunity you have for growth. Note that you cannot please everyone, and you shouldn't try. In this next exercise, I encourage you to define your audiences (customers) by the problems or frustrations that they presumably face. It's often not enough to just add products to an already saturated market without solving a greater need. The idea then, is that your offerings are designed to serve as a solution not readily available. Below are a few example customer types, their presumed frustrations, and product solutions that would serve them well. Type Knitwear Buyer Frustration "I want an on-trend knit scarf, but I don't trust the overseas labor practices of big brand names. I've looked into Etsy shops, but everything looks crafty and handmade." Solution Provide a scarf (knit or other method) on par with the aesthetic of the big names, and brand yourself as high-quality handcrafted and professional. Type Knitwear Maker Frustration "I want to crochet a blanket, but all the patterns that I'm finding look like things my Grandma made." Solution Design crochet blanket patterns that take cues from today's aesthetic. Photograph them in a way that feels relevant to this customer. Type Knitwear Seller Frustration "I want to add fur poms to my hats, but I can never find the ones I want in stores." Solution Purchase fur poms at a wholesale rate, and resell at a profit to your peers. Now that you've seen a couple examples, use the following chart as a guideline to define 2+ customer personas. Make note of how many customer types you are reaching, and consider ways you could expand to other types. Give these personas an example name so that you are able to keep them top of mind as you develop new products. All new products should be designed with personas (existing or new) in mind. Name: Customer Type: (ie. wearer, maker, seller) Frustration(s): Your product solution(s): Brand Image Brand image refers to how your brand is perceived by your audience. It takes time and consistency to build a brand that is ultimately known for a specific nuance or aesthetic. By choosing a focus (quality, innovation, mission-oriented, classic, detailed, etc.), you'll have a rudder that helps steer your story. Whether you're deciding which new product to launch, or which photo to post on Instagram, this focus will hone the decision making process, allowing each new choice to strengthen the brand image. Brand Personality A brand will exude a personality just as a person does. This personality actually helps to streamline communication to give the appearance that it's all coming from the same place. This shows up in customer email notifications, Instagram captions, website copy, packaging inserts, etc. When people are like, “Oh cool, my grandma is a knitter too.” When bae is like, “But don’t you have enough yarn already?” Or, let’s be real...when Chipotle thinks I’m going to turn down guac bc it’s extra...stitch plzzz. 🖤🙌🏻✔️ A post shared by DeBrosse™ (@debrosse_nyc) on Oct 12, 2017 at 11:05am PDT Personality makes a brand memorable, and of course, personable. Etsy's 404 page could have highly functional copy that says, "You've reached a page that no longer exists." Instead, it has a girl holding a knit sweater with 3 sleeves on it, and a big "Uh oh" at the top. This personality reinforces all other aspects of the brand. Personalities are not limited to, but may include any of the following directions: Delicate Sarcastic Adventurous Witty Kind Friendly Youthful Hip Approachable Endearing Bold Cheerful Simple, Direct Knowledgable Spontaneous Enthusiastic Frank Open-Minded Curious Warm Funny Consider the adjectives that make up your brand personality, and look for ways to infuse it into the obvious and not-so-obvious places of your website(s) and deliverables. Your brand, and you. It can be overwhelming to tackle branding, but it's worth noting that maybe the most important aspect of your brand is that it should simply be an authentic extension of you. If you regularly take your personal interests and channel them into your work, it will organically create a unique, engaging, and differentiated brand. Below are a few interests, completely unrelated to knitwear, that can ultimately be used to strengthen your brand. After reading through the examples, think through your own non-knitting interests, and consider the ways you can incorporate these nuances into your work. Interest/Trait Translation Rock climber Use outdoorsy color palette, shoot products outdoors Minimalist Use basic stitches Mom of 4 Sell patterns rather than finished products Bubbly Initiate collabs with other makers Summer lover Expand to designing totes, home decor, and season agnostic products. Spreadsheet enthusiast Download and analyze Etsy data to improve your offerings Introvert Start a blog (allowing you to carefully craft your words ahead of time) Extrovert Start a YouTube channel of tutorials Runner Clear your head when overwhelmed with ideas Baker Develop a line of knitwear for the kitchen Give yourself permission to figure out your brand over time, testing things as you go, learning from your mistakes, and getting more in tune with your voice every day.
