Here's the thing about being a Brand Strategist...

Everyone always assumes I'm just a Graphic Designer. 

To be frank, I'm both, BUT I specialize in Brand Strategy and classify myself as a Brand Strategist. 

There are a lot of similarities between the two, but they are not the same.

When hiring...It's not necessarily an either-or choice, you just have to decide which would be best suited for your business.

What is a Graphic Designer?

According to Google, a Graphic Designer is a person who combines text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, or books.

 

So, what is a Brand Strategist?

According to Google, a Brand Strategist is a professional who develops position recommendations for companies looking at developing or expanding their brands. They also help guide market research analysis and define a company's tone so that everything matches with campaign initiatives.

FUN FACT: 

Not all brand strategists do graphic design, and not all graphic designers work on brand strategy. However, some do both.

 

So, who should I hire a Graphic Designer or Brand Strategist? 

You should hire a graphic designer if...

• You already have your brands foundations together
• You know how to talk to and connect with your target audience
• You understand your brand identity
• You have a brand strategy in place to build awareness

 

Typically speaking, Graphic Designers, work on design project to design project for various brands on a short-term basis. They don't necessarily get into the messaging, emotions and feelings the brand wants to communicate to their audience. 

You should hire a Brand Strategist if...

• You believe there is a disconnect between your brand &the desired results
• You want to position your brand as different in your market
• You want to connect with your audience and build loyal buyers
• You want to find a strategy that will scale your business

Typically speaking, Brand Strategist help build the foundational pieces of the brand:

• the mission/vision
• the brand values
• the purpose

A Brand Strategist will help you define and understand your ideal customer and connect with them. They will help with messaging and building emotional connection. Some will even help you with defining your brand archetype, but that's a topic for another blog post.

 

Upon effectively doing their job, a Brand Strategist will then pass all the information built along to a graphic designer OR if they do both (like me) they'll get started on building your visual brand.

 

In conclusion...

There are definitive differences between a graphic designer and a brand strategist so, I hope this helps with choosing the right one to hire for your business needs.

And Remember...Most Brand Strategists don’t typically take on short term design projects, they're adamant about sticking to the brands foundation and following a strategy through the process.

If you need a Brand Strategist to help you refocus your brand's messaging and come clear on your brands strategy, get in touch with me!