Strategy Is Power: Building a Stronger Brand That Lasts

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Strategy Is Power:

Building a Stronger Brand That Lasts

 By Lena Robin Berchielli 

April 28, 2025 

Recently, I met a talented graphic designer who decided to launch her own clothing line for skateboarders. She had all the right ingredients, or so it seemed. Her designs were edgy and authentic, she understood the culture and language of skaters, and her visual branding was on point.

Yet, there was a problem. While she had mastered the creative side of branding, she had no idea how to run or market her business. She didn’t know how to reach her ideal customer (beyond pop-up shows at festivals), set clear goals and timelines, or build repeat buyers through her branding. Her audience loved the designs, but sales quickly stalled.

Why? Because a proper business and marketing plan were missing. Without a clear strategy, even the best designs and strongest visuals can’t turn one-time buyers into loyal log-term customers. That’s where strategy becomes the power that transforms a passion project into profit.

Why Strategy Matters More Than You Think

Business growth, customer loyalty, and industry recognition don’t happen by accident. They are the result of knowing exactly who you are, who you serve, and how you are going to fill their need or want. Without a strategy, even the most creative marketing campaign can fall flat.

When I start working with a new client, I always begin by asking a few essential questions:

1. What is your goal here?
2. What do you want out of this?
3. Who is your ideal client?
4. Who are you as a brand?
5. Who is your competition?

At first, most businesses believe they know the answers. Typically, I hear responses like: “We want to grow our business,” “We want to make more money,” “Everyone is our potential client,” or “We are the premier [industry] company.”

While these answers sound good, on the surface, they don’t provide the clarity and depth needed to build a brand that truly stands out. To grow your business, expand your customer base, and become the go-to name in your industry, you have to dig deeper. You need to understand how to differentiate yourself from competitors in a crowded market. Surface-level answers won’t drive strategic marketing, meaningful growth starts with defining who you are at your core.

Nailing down the true goals of a business is often more complex than it seems. In many cases, business owners and managers are not fully aligned, and uncovering these goals requires digging much deeper than just the marketing side of the operation. I focus on this step because any business, marketing, or communications strategy I develop must be rooted in a clear understanding of the client’s objectives. Without that alignment, even the best campaigns will fall short of delivering the intended results.

When a client hires me, they often expect that I will simply come in and wave a magic wand over their business and bring instant success. However, clearly defining what they want from our relationship, on paper, sets realistic expectations, outlines how I can help, and determines whether we are a good fit. It also provides a framework for adjustments if they end up needing more (or less) support than originally anticipated. Sometimes the initial question about goals catches them off guard, other times, it opens the door to a deeper understanding of where they truly are. Either way, distinctly mapping expectations brings strategy to our partnership as well as our plans, and lays the foundation for a productive and successful working relationship.

When we take the time to define goals on paper, we do more than set expectations, we create a roadmap. This roadmap guides decision-making, allows us to measure progress, and ensures we’re building not just visibility, but meaningful impact.

Defining Your Ideal Client: Why “Everyone” Isn’t the Answer

Ask most businesses who their ideal client is, and you’ll hear: “Everyone.” But if you’re marketing to everyone, you’re connecting with no one.

When I asked the right questions of the skateboard clothing designer, we figured out her audience as:

• Teenagers and young adults seeking authentic skate culture apparel.
• Parents looking for unique, edgy streetwear for their kids.
• Lifestyle buyers who admire skate culture but don’t necessarily skate.

With this audience defined, her brand can better target the messaging, chose the right retail channels, and build marketing campaigns that resonated deeply with the people she wants to connect with. Instead of broad, diluted messaging, she will be able to build a loyal community that returns season after season.

Crafting a Brand Identity That Resonates

Your brand isn’t just your logo or tagline, it’s the story people tell about you when you’re not in the room. It’s the emotion they feel when they interact with your business.

So I ask: What do you want people to think when they think of you?

A strong brand identity acts like a lighthouse (I know, a lighthouse is a bit of a cliché, but it works here). It guides every piece of communication, from your website to your social media presence to how your team answers the phone. A consistent, authentic brand builds trust, credibility, and loyalty. Done right, it becomes the reason people choose you over the competition, and the reason they return again and again.

Understanding the Competition: Knowledge is Advantage

One of the most surprising gaps I see in businesses is how little they truly understand their competition. Awareness of competitors isn’t about copying, it’s about strategy. By studying the market, you can:

• Spot untapped opportunities.
• Differentiate your products or services.
• Fine-tune pricing and positioning.
• Learn from industry strengths and weaknesses.
• Reduce risk and make informed, confident decisions.

This knowledge doesn’t weaken your brand, it strengthens it. It allows you to anticipate challenges, innovate strategically, and seize growth opportunities before others see them coming.

The Blueprint for Long-Term Success

Strategy is the difference between a clothing line that’s just a passion project and one that supports you and becomes a household name in skate culture.

When you define your goals, identify your ideal client, strengthen your brand identity, and understand your competition, you give your business a blueprint for sustainable growth.

Flashy trends in marketing may bring short-term wins, but strategy creates a foundation that lasts. And, depending on the business you can plan on incorporating some of those fun trends that pop up. Businesses that are willing to dig deep, ask the tough questions, and embrace this process don’t just grow, they thrive.

Because in the end, strategy doesn’t just build stronger brands, it builds futures.

Your Next Step Toward a Winning Strategy

If you’re serious about building a brand that lasts, start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. What do I want to achieve with my business? (Be specific, growth, impact, revenue, influence.)
2. Who is my ideal client? (Picture them as an individual person, what do they value, need, and expect?)
3. What sets my business apart from my competition? (Think beyond price, what’s the unique experience or promise that only you can deliver?)

Write down your answers. Be honest, be specific, and don’t settle for surface-level responses. These three questions are the foundation of your strategy, and strategy is what turns passion into profit, ideas into influence, and businesses into brands people trust.

Remember: Strategy is power. Use it to build a sustainable future for your brand.

So what are you going to do for your business next?