The Best Strategy Is No Strategy
Am I, a self-proclaimed Brand Strategist, seriously telling you to forgo strategy!? Well, yeah, kind of.
My current line of thought when it comes to branding is that the best strategy is no strategy.
You might think, “Okay, so then am I just supposed to wander aimlessly, like a plastic bag drifting in the wind?” (Thanks, Katy Perry, for that timeless lyric.)
No. Definitely not. I’m not advocating for being directionless. Rather, quite the opposite. My technique for wayfinding and goal-setting for brands means continually working on two things:
Developing a deeper understanding of underlying values and intentions, and
A devotion to improving ways of expressing them.
This is a continuous process that goes much deeper than looking at strategies to, say, increase conversion rates. It’s more thoughtful, more soulful, more flexible, and more satisfying!
I recently heard someone say, “The point has never been to ‘reach the biggest audience’ but to reach the right people''. MIC DROP. 🎤
This entire concept is more of a mental re-orientation than anything else. Instead of blindly accepting the societally popular default goal (reach as many as possible; grow a large audience) we go for a better goal (reach as many of the right people as possible; grow a passionate and loyal audience).
This actually is a strategy of its own (oops 😬), but not really in a traditional sense. I like to think of it as more of an unfolding.
I might be overly sentimental, but I think of my clients’ brands and businesses like flowers. Usually by the time they come to me for Brandstorming help, they’ve already done the hard labor of love that is planting the seed, watering, and helping the sprout grow.
It’s my job to discover what those roots are really like, so I can help nurture the next phase: blooming.
What do you think?
Do you agree or disagree with my views on brand strategy? Send me a DM on Instagram: @sam_salsera and let me know! 🌺