The assumption is that brand strategy comes after product-market fit, after growth, after funding.
But the companies that stand out understand that brand strategy should be a priority from day one.
Because brand strategy isn’t about logos, colours, or catchy taglines.
It’s about clarity.
Clarity on:
👉 Who you are
👉 What makes you different
👉 Why customers should care
👉 Who your customers actually are (something surprisingly often overlooked)
And that clarity influences everything, from product and sales to hiring and fundraising.
Take companies like Oatly or Notion.
Neither started with the biggest budgets.
But they had a clear point of view from the beginning.
✔️ They knew who they were for.
✔️ They knew what made them different.
✔️ And they communicated it consistently.
Their products evolved. But the core idea behind their brands remained clear.
The startups that gain traction fastest aren’t always the ones with the best product. They’re often the ones that communicate their value most clearly.
𝗜𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲.
That’s why brand strategy isn’t something to think about later.
It’s something worth thinking about from day one.
And if day one has already passed, the next best time is 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
What’s harder: building the product/service or explaining its value clearly? 🤔