A clear brand strategy is the foundation of the world’s most successful brands. But so many start-ups struggle to succinctly describe what they do and what makes them special. And I totally get it. You’ve built a brilliant product or solution, and you want to show people all of the fantastic things it can do. You know you could help loads of people. Making a choice can feel like niching too early and you’re not sure that what you pick now will be right for the business long-term. You don’t want to shut any doors.

But, not having a clear strategy stalls growth. Being absolutely sure what your brand exists to do makes it easier for your ideal customer to find you, for you to pitch your business, and for your employees to do their jobs. So here are the things that you absolutely need. It doesn’t need to be in a fancy presentation, a word doc is fine, but it must be written down somewhere for everyone to see.

All start-ups need to know...

1. Brand Purpose: why you exist beyond profit

2. Brand Positioning: the distinctive space you own in peoples minds
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3. Brand Promise: the consistent value you deliver to your customers
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4. Brand Expression: how your brand comes to life in words and visuals

This guide is designed to take you out of the day to day of running your business, to help you get to the heart of what really matters. Thinking about your brand in more abstract ways forces you to focus on what's actually important. Below you'll find exercise prompts, key questions to ask, and the essential output for each area of your brand strategy. Work through each part of the guide with your team or on your own. You don’t need fancy slides, a Google Doc is fine. The aim is clarity, not perfection.

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1. Brand Purpose

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Why you exist beyond profit - your reason for being and the change you want to create in the world

You're looking to produce a clear statement about why your business exists beyond making money. No jargon, it’s the real reason you turn up every day and the change you're trying to make happen. This becomes your north star for all decisions for example"we exist to make technology feel human again, so that people can connect without being overwhelmed"

Exercises

Future fame game
Write the dream headline about your business in 10 years time. What achievement would make you most proud?

Righteous rant
What irritates you about your category? Write a no-holds-barred rant. Then extract the insight that reveals your purpose.

Villain story
What really made you decide to start your business? Was it frustration? Inspiration? A gap in the market? Mine this story for your deeper purpose.

Questions

If your company disappeared tomorrow, what gap would exist in the world?
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Why did you start this business, beyond making money?

What injustice keeps you awake at night?

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2. Brand Positioning

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The distinctive space you own in peoples minds - where you solve a specific problem in a way competitors can't

This is a sentence or two about space you want to own in the minds of your target audience – what you’re known for, and why that matters. Your positioning needs to be distinctive, desirable and ownable. It’s not about being the best at everything. It’s about being the go-to for something specific. This becomes your filter for messaging, marketing, product development and hiring. For example, "for busy founders of early-stage start-ups, we offer brand and marketing strategy that brings clarity fast – so they can grow without wasting time or money on the wrong things"

Exercises

Competitor Sherlock
Write the dream headline about your business in 10 years time. What achievement would make you most proud?

Righteous rant
What irritates you about your category? Write a no-holds-barred rant. Then extract the insight that reveals your purpose.

Villain story
What really made you decide to start your business? Was it frustration? Inspiration? A gap in the market? Mine this story for your deeper purpose.

Questions

What do you not do even when customers ask for it?

When people recommend you, what do they actually say?

How would you explain what makes you different to a friend who’s distracted during a meal?

What competitor comparison drives you nuts because they don't get what makes you special?

What customer problem do you solve better than anyone else?

3. Brand Promise

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The consistent value you deliver to your customers

A simple statement about what customers can always count on when they work with you. This is the consistent experience they'll get, not just what you say in marketing. It's the reliable value that builds trust. For example: "every client leaves our workshops with at least three actionable ideas they can implement immediately, or we work with them until they do."

Exercises

Before and after
Draw two columns: Customer before using your product/service vs. after. What specific changes make what you offer valuable?

Promise polygraph
Complete this statement with brutal honesty: "We are the only [category] that [unique attribute]."

Value mountain climb
Start at the base with functional benefits, climb to emotional benefits, and reach the peak with identity benefits. How does your brand help customers become who they want to be

Questions

What's the one thing customers can always count on when working with you?

What do your happiest customers say they get from you that they can't find elsewhere?

What would your business never compromise on, even to make a sale?

If you could guarantee one outcome for every customer, what would it be?

What's the feeling you want people to have after they've worked with you?

4. Brand Expression

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How your brand comes to life in words and visuals

A practical description of your brand's personality that anyone can understand. This isn't design guidelines, it's the distinctive character that makes you recognisable across all touchpoints. It serves as the foundation for your visual elements. For example, "we're the straight-talking friend with a scandi-minimal style who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, always delivering warmth alongside practical solutions."

Exercises

Personality speed dating
Imagine your brand on a date. How would it dress? What would it talk about? Would it arrive on time? What jokes would it tell?

Visual treasure hunt
Spend 15 minutes collecting images that feel right for your brand. Trust your gut, not your analytical mind. Afterward, look for natural patterns that emerge. These reveal your authentic visual style.

Voice chameleon
Take a simple message about your business. Try rewriting it in three different brand personalities. Then create a version that feels most natural for you.

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Questions

If your brand was at a dinner party, how would people describe it afterwards?

What celebrity or character has the vibe you want for your brand?

What words would sound completely wrong coming from your brand?

If someone was pretending to be your brand, what three things would they do to convince people?

What's the difference between how you talk and how everyone else in your industry talks?