Brand strategy and positioning

Know what you stand for before you decide how it looks.

nuordinary’s brand strategy defines what your organisation stands for, who it serves, how it’s different and how it should sound. It comes before any design work, so the identity, website and marketing that follow are built on decisions, not on taste.

A bearded man in a control room looking past the camera, lights blurred behind him — Fig. 01. An operator at work in the control room of the Very Large Telescope, Chile. Credit

Without a position, you compete on price.

If a customer can’t tell how you differ from the next option, they compare the only thing left: what it costs.

Brand strategy finds the true thing about your business that matters to the right customers, and builds everything else around it: the promise, the story, the voice and the reasons to believe.

It isn’t invented in a workshop. It comes from the business, its customers and its market, and it has to survive contact with all three.

What you get

01
Research with your customers, your competitors and your own team.
02
Positioning: who you’re for, what you do and how you’re different.
03
Your brand promise, and the proof behind it.
04
Story and messaging built around your customer: they’re the hero, you’re the guide.
05
Voice: how you sound, with words to use and words to avoid.
06
A short brand platform document your team can actually use.

Volunteers working in a community garden in front of a small hall — Fig. 02. Volunteer day at the Parkdale community garden, Toronto. Credit

Is this right for you?

A good fit if

Your team describes the business differently every time.
You’re up against bigger competitors and need a reason to be chosen.
You’re about to invest in a new identity or website.

Not the right fit if

You want positioning that sounds impressive but isn’t true.
You’re not willing to say who you’re not for.

Pricing

How pricing works

Every engagement starts with the truth about where you are and what you’re trying to change. Then you get the scope and the price in writing before any work starts: a defined project, a monthly arrangement or a mix of the two. You only pay for what the outcome needs.

Brand work follows the same six moves as everything nuordinary does: See, Define, Map, Build, Move and Next. We measure the movement, not the activity, and when the work is done we ask: Where next?

Want a number before we talk? Tell us a little about your business, pick what you need and see an estimate in a few minutes.

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Questions

What is brand positioning?

It’s the place your organisation holds in a customer’s mind compared with the alternatives: who you’re for, what you do and why you’re the better choice for them. Good positioning is specific enough that some people will rule you out.

Who should be involved in brand strategy?

The owner or leadership team, the people closest to customers and, where possible, customers themselves. nuordinary runs short interviews rather than long workshops.

Can we do brand strategy without a new identity?

Yes. Many organisations need clearer positioning and messaging more than a new logo. The strategy will tell you whether the identity needs to change.

How do we know the strategy is working?

You’ll hear it first: customers describing you the way you describe yourself, shorter sales conversations, fewer price objections. We also set measures at the start, such as enquiry quality and conversion.