How to establish your brand goals
The establishment of brand goals is an essential part of the planning process for making your brand stand out from competitors. It is easy to get caught up in the logistics and execution of a branding plan, therefore, defining goals from the start is imperative. Before you start diving into the nitty-gritty of coordinating your brand strategy, it is important to ask the bigger picture questions. What do I want my brand to represent? Where do I see my brand in the long run? By asking yourself these kinds of questions, you will be able to better your brand goals.
Defining Brand Goals
Brand goals are the backbone of every branding campaign.
Brand goals should be broadly defined and illustrate a desired end result. These goals are heavily focused on the big picture and consist of the “whats,” not the “hows.” When trying to establish brand goals, it is important to note the differences between brand goals, strategies and objectives.
A strategy is the method used to obtain a specific goal. Strategies typically focus on the approach your business plans to take to achieve these goals and consists of the “hows” instead of the “whats.” An example of this would be publishing an educational video on social media to drive targeted website traffic.
An objective, on the other hand, is the measurable step taken to implement the strategy. Objectives should be specific, action-oriented, realistic, measureable and time-based. An example of this would be increasing conversion rates from 5% to 10% within a year.
After understanding the differences between goals, strategies and objectives, figuring out how you want consumers to perceive your brand is the next step in developing the right goals. Brand goals are the backbone of every brand campaign, so it is important to establish the right ones for your brand from the beginning.
What to Think About
When trying to establish your brand goals, there are a couple of things you need to consider along the way. Some goals you may want to achieve through branding are building awareness, creating an emotional connection, differentiating your product, creating credibility and trust, or persuading customers to purchase your product.
When thinking about these things and what is most important for your brand as a whole, it is critical to start off by determining who your target audience is. Once you have established the target audience you are trying to reach and the detailed behaviors and lifestyles of that audience, you can map out the goals you wish to achieve. Determining your target audience is also important because it will greatly affect how you proceed with the planning process. Do you wish to target mothers who work from home or college students living on a budget? Whatever your audience may be, developing an understanding for how they interact in the world and how they might perceive your brand is key to brand building.
After determining your target audience, you will then tailor your mission and message to meet their needs. Because of this, in order to establish the right goals for your brand you need to know the value your business provides as well. Once your business understands its target audience and the value your product or service provides, establishing brand goals will be a lot easier.
Examples of Goals
Now you may be thinking, what do brand goals typically look like? According to BizCentral USA, four goals to consider for a successful branding strategy are:
- Your brand relays a clear and precise message directed at a defined persona
- Your brand establishes a unique presence among your target market
- Your brand leaves a lasting impression in the minds of your buyers
- Your brand gives a message of loyalty and credibility about business
“YOUR BRAND GIVES A MESSAGE OF LOYALTY AND CREDIBILITY ABOUT BUSINESS.”
While these are only just a few examples of brand goals, they do go to show what type of understanding you need to have about your business beforehand. By knowing who you are trying to target with your brand and the value your brand provides, you will be able to establish the most accurate goals for your brand.