I've always worked on copy and brand strategy together. That's the role my boss/mentor gaveI've always worked on copy and brand strategy together. That's the role my boss/mentor gave
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I've always worked on copy and brand strategy together. That's the role my boss/mentor gave to me in my very first agency job.
Whenever I had to write a strategy deck, I'd start thinking of numbers, market trends, and business, until one day, he said that this is fine, but you need to tell the client a story first, then weave in the numbers.
That simple advice turned around my perspective completely.
Recently, in a pitch related to a mango campaign, I added a little bit of insight-led storytelling to set the context and even though the insight is not crazy unique, it got the clients visualizing the idea and once someone visualizes your story, you've crossed a big hurdle.
Mine is the same problem from the other side: making brand guidelines usable by whoever builds the next deck, not just the designer who wrote them. In your experience, what breaks first once decks leave your hands, the type hierarchy or the imagery rules?
A potential customer shouldn't have to work too hard to understand what your brand stands for.
Your visual identity should communicate the right signals before anyone reads your About page or speaks to your sales team.
Think about it.
A premium skincare brand shouldn't look indistinguishable from a discount cosmetics store. A technology company shouldn't look outdated if it wants to be perceived as innovative. A financial institution shouldn't communicate uncertainty when its business depends on trust.
Every design decision contributes to perception.
Typography, colour, spacing, imagery, composition, and tone of voice all influence how people interpret a business.
My job as a brand designer is to make those signals intentional.
The goal isn't simply to make a brand look good. It's to make it look right for the market it wants to own.