First things first…
If you’ve been reading this for a while, you may notice something different.
The Creative Brief is now On-Brand/Off-Brand.
The first edition of The Creative Brief was published in 1999 as a printed newsletter. Back then, it showcased client work alongside my thoughts on branding, design, and the trends shaping the industry. I switched from print to email when MailChimp made it easier to produce and reach a wider audience (for less money, too).
While I stopped publishing The Creative Brief during my corporate in-house years, it felt natural to pick up where I left off when I returned to running my own business 11 years ago.
But my work has evolved since 2015. The conversations I’m having with business owners and leaders are rarely just about visual identity, design, or marketing tactics. More often, they’re about business decisions.
- Should we pursue this opportunity?
- Is our positioning still right?
- Should we launch this new service?
- Why isn’t our marketing working?
- What should we stop doing?
- What should we do next?
Eventually, almost every conversation reaches the same point, and I ask a simple question: “Is this on-brand or off-brand for your business?”
As I looked back over recent editions of this email, I realized something. The Creative Brief had evolved too, just like my business. But the name hadn’t caught up yet. So, beginning with this edition, The Creative Brief becomes On-Brand/Off-Brand.
I’ll continue sharing insights and ideas about how branding, marketing, positioning, and leadership influence business growth. The difference is that every issue will now be viewed through the lens that’s become central to my advisory work. Every issue is designed to help you answer one question: Is this on-brand or off-brand for your business?
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you’re here for the next chapter. Now, on to the insights!
What I’m noticing…
New client conversations often start the same way: “I think we need to do more marketing.”
What’s interesting is that after talking for a few minutes, we’re rarely actually talking about marketing challenges. We end up talking about business growth, authority, and reputation (brand, with a big “B”).
I’ve been thinking about the phrase “brand strategy” a lot lately, as I advise founders and owners more and more. It’s one of those terms that’s become so closely associated with marketing that we’ve almost forgotten what it’s actually for.
Most people hear “brand strategy” and think about logos, colors, messaging, websites, or advertising. Executing those things consistently absolutely matters, but they’re just the visible result of something much more important.
A good brand strategy isn’t just a marketing tool, it’s a foundational model for your entire business: It’s a decision-making tool.
The longer I work with founders and business owners, the more convinced I become that this is where the real value lies. We rarely spend our first meetings talking about marketing campaigns. Instead, we’re discussing a new service, a pricing decision, an acquisition, a hiring challenge, or an unexpected opportunity.
None of those are marketing questions. But each one is an on/off brand decision.
→ Does this move us toward the business we’re trying to become?
→ Does it strengthen the reputation we want to build?
→ Or does it take us somewhere else?
Here’s the thing…
When a business is explicitly clear about who it serves, what it stands for, and what it wants to be known for, those questions become much easier to answer. Decisions that once felt complicated become surprisingly simple.
I think that’s the real purpose of brand strategy. Not to help us create better marketing. To help us make better decisions.
The strongest brands aren’t built campaign by campaign. They’re built decision by decision.
Every business has opportunities. The challenge isn’t deciding between good and bad ideas. It’s deciding which opportunities move your business closer to the reputation you want to build and which ones pull you away.
If you want to go deeper, I’ve written more about this here:
→ https://www.brenits.com/most-businesses-dont-need-more-marketing/
Thanks for reading,
