Services / Brand strategy
Brand strategy that decides what you stand for
The decision comes before the design. We find the one idea your brand can own, then write it down so every later choice gets easier.
Brand strategy is the decision about what your brand stands for, who it serves, and why anyone should care. It comes before design. Always.
Most brands start with a logo. A colour someone liked. A name picked over a weekend. Then they wonder why nothing sticks.
When strategy is missing, every later choice becomes a guess. Should the logo feel bold or quiet? Should the packaging read premium or friendly? With a fixed point, those debates answer themselves.
- 4 to 5 weeksA typical strategy project, positioning included.
- Positioning includedThe market study and the open gap are part of this work.
- 10 elementsStudied together, then reduced to one idea.
What you get
- Category readWhat is really happening in your market, backed by sourced numbers.
- Competitive mapWho owns what, and the open ground nobody holds.
- Your buyerWho to build for first, and what they truly want.
- One propositionThe single sentence every later decision answers to.
- Values and personalityHow the brand behaves, so ten people sound like one.
- A written foundationOne complete document, ending with what to build next. Not slides that gather dust.
Our method
The Brand Anchor Model
Every brand needs a fixed point. An immovable truth that holds when markets shift and trends fade. The Brand Anchor Model is how we find yours.
It has ten elements, worked in a fixed order. Each one rests on the one beneath it, so nothing is built on a guess. These are four of the main ones.
- The ground you stand onYour market and your rivals, researched and sourced.
- The person you build forWho they are, and what they truly want.
- Your honest selfWhat you can really claim, and what you cannot.
- The one propositionThe idea every other decision answers to.
Your truth sits where it all meets. We do not invent it. We excavate it from inside your business, because it is usually already there. You see the full model once we begin.
Where strategy leads
Questions we hear
What is brand strategy?
Brand strategy defines what your brand stands for, who it serves and why they should choose it. It produces a written foundation: a read of your category, a competitive map, your buyer, one proposition, and your values and personality. Names, logos and packaging are then designed to express it.
Do I need brand strategy if I only want a logo?
You can get a logo without it. It will be a shape someone liked rather than a mark that means something. A short strategy step first makes the logo faster to approve and easier to defend inside your team.
How is brand strategy different from brand positioning?
Positioning is one part of strategy. It studies competitors and finds the open gap in your market. Strategy includes that work and adds your buyer, your values and one proposition for the whole brand. If you only need the market study, choose Brand Positioning.
How long does a brand strategy project take?
Most take 4 to 5 weeks. Positioning on its own takes up to 3 weeks.
What will I receive at the end of a brand strategy project?
You receive one written strategy document. It covers your category, your competitors, your buyer, a single proposition, and your values and personality. It ends with what to build next, and in what order. It is yours to keep and to hand to any designer or agency.
What is the Brand Anchor Model?
It is our own method for finding the one idea a brand can own. It has ten elements, worked in a fixed order, each resting on the one beneath it. Together they lead to one proposition your whole brand can answer to. You see the full model when we begin.
Who will work on my brand?
Yellow Fishes is founder-led. The founder leads the strategy work, and the design team joins as the direction firms up.
Strategy first. Then design.
Write to us with a line or two about your brand. We will tell you honestly where to start.
Message us about your brand