This past April, we hosted an open community hangout to illustrate the power of a simple brand strategy for change. We used the tools from our ‘Create and Test Your Brand Strategy’ course to show how you can play around with strategy elements to find the best way to engage your audience with your idea for change.

Together we worked on a strategy for the least sexy product of all: a sponge. We form three groups that will work on a strategy for a very different target audience: Anne’s group will work with fashion-conscious millennials, Maja’s group will work to get eco-warriors on board with the brand, and Wanjiru’s group will craft a brand strategy that works for hygiene freaks. 

We will look at how our brand strategy will inform what the product looks like, who our ambassador will be, and what events we will promote it at.

The idea behind this exercise is to show how three different audiences, with different needs and motivators, will lead to three very different strategies, and very different brands.

If you missed it, no worries. Here are the key-take-aways and a summary of the strategy jam 👇

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SESSION

5:03 What is a brand strategy for change?

A brand strategy for change outlines the role your brand plays in achieving the change you want to create.

It consists of a WHY, WHAT, WHO and HOW.

6:17 Let’s look at two examples of brand strategies for change 

Anne shares two brand strategy examples. Mama Code, a coding school on a mission, and Impossible Burger, a plant-based food. This illustrates how the strategy-on-a-page tool works and how the purpose, audience, and offer change the brand.

9:25 The brief for today: create a brand strategy for a biodegradable sponge
Anne explains the setup of our brand strategy jam.

22:36 Round 1: Follow along with the first group in creating their brand strategy on a page.
We start by understanding our audience a little better. When you think of trend-conscious consumers, do you have someone in mind? BTC member Anna has an interesting insight: this is a person who is very interested in interior design. This might be the way into her heart. We define the role of the brand as helping our audience think and feel that our sponge is the prettiest item on their kitchen counter.

55:17 Round 2: How does the brand strategy translate to brand experiences?

We discuss how the brand strategy informs the actual design of the product, the type of ambassador we would enlist, and the type of event we would promote it at. 

Group presentations
The three groups present their strategies and brands. The recording follows Anne’s group, the fashion conscious mainstream consumer.

1:06:33 group 1: trend conscious mainstream consumers

The product will be a beautiful object that will look great on your bathroom shelf.
Our ideal brand ambassador would be Lauren Singer, founder of the package free shop (also known as trash is for tossers), who is stylish and highly respected for her environmental work, but who has a much wider appeal.

1:07:42 Group 3: Hygiene freaks/ germaphobes

The product will be white, and have minimalist clean design, will come in bulk packaging as hygiene freaks will be using lots of them.

1:12:20 Group 2:  Eco-warriors

The product has a natural look and feel and would be launched in a partnership with organizations like Sea Shepard. We would market this product at vegan events.

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OTHER RESOURCES

How to talk to people about sustainability- A step-by-step process of doing the research to find your audience, their motivators, and to set the tone of voice that will get them on board.