There are plenty of successful branding strategy examples out there for marketers to lean on when figuring out how to reposition or launch their own brand. Your branding strategy can make or break your business, so it's important you deliver marketing campaigns that truly hit the mark.
Not everyone has the budget of Coca-Cola or Dyson, but that doesn't mean you can't learn from the best and deliver your own unique brand strategy.
Get it right and you'll find it's a lot easier to connect with customers, build loyalty, and boost sales.
Below are 15 branding strategy examples that explore how companies get noticed, elevate their products and services, create impact, and resurrect their failing fortunes.
In This Guide:
What Is a Brand Strategy?
Essential Brand Strategy Elements
15 Successful Brand Strategy Examples
Toggle Insurance (Differentiation Branding)
Peloton (Product Branding)
Dyson (Brand Extension)
Huggies (Premium Elevation)
Chipotle (Quality Positioning)
Louis Vuitton (Strong Brand Identity)
Manscape (Embracing Unconventional Branding)
Aesop (Simple and Consistent Branding)
Coca-Cola (Success on Social Media Platforms)
Norwegian and Norse Airlines (Brand Resurrection)
Xero (Purpose and Impact)
Volvo (Brand Voice)
L’eggs (Brand Identity)
Old Spice (Repositioning With Personality)
Adele: 30 (Hype Branding)
Final Thoughts on Creating a Branding Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
But first, let's look at the core purpose of a brand strategy and what it entails.
What Is a Brand Strategy?
A brand strategy is your plan that guides how you present yourself to the world. It can sit within your wider marketing strategy and is designed to focus on peoples' perception of your brand.
Get your brand strategy right and it will shape your identity in a way that helps you connect with customers. The ultimate goal is to be in full control of your brand strategy which, in turn, means you control audience perceptions.
The right strategy helps you stand out from competitors and build trust with customers. By sticking to the strategy, you can channel your marketing efforts into every corner of your company's external image, from your logo to your brand mission.
Key Elements of a Successful Brand Strategy
There are a lot of things that go into a brand strategy, which we will explore later in this guide. Here's a quick overview of the six really crucial aspects you need to address in order to achieve your brand vision.
Brand purpose: It's crucial you define why your brand exists beyond making money. Audiences want to know this as they can then relate more closely to your brand.
Target audience: You'll need to know who you're trying to reach and what they care about. You can use an audience research and communications tool like CisionOne to help with this one.
Brand personality: You need a unique voice and character to ensure your brand gets noticed straightaway.
Brand positioning: You also need to understand where your brand will sit amongst its competitors, and how you'll stand out.
Visual identity: This is really important for boosting brand awareness. Be sure to create a consistent look for your logo, colors, and design.
Messaging: Finally, you need to ensure your messaging is clear and compelling. Your brand can get lost if you get this wrong and you won't resonate with your audience.
Essential Brand Strategy Elements
Now let's quickly look at the three core elements that your own brand strategy needs to cover before you start implementing it. These elements are:
Your brand purpose and vision
Your brand identity
Your brand positioning and personality
A strong brand strategy relies on key components that work together to create a cohesive and impactful brand presence. These elements help shape how customers perceive and connect with your brand.
1. Your Brand Purpose and Vision
The only way to truly catch an audience's attention and generate customer loyalty is through purpose. What is the point of your company? Are you there to save the world? Sell affordable clothes? Offer vegan alternatives? Perhaps you simply do the good things really, really well.
Whatever it is, your purpose and vision set the foundation for everything you do. They define why your brand exists beyond making money and where you want to take it in the future.
Remember, your purpose needs to inspire both employees and customers. It's the driving force behind your brand's actions and decisions.
Your vision is your long-term goal, which can't simply be "making lots of money". You need to set a direction that others will follow, and highlight the core values that will help you get to that end goal.
2. Your Brand Identity
Your brand identity is how people recognize and remember you. It starts with awareness, moves to recognition, and eventually creates a unified brand image that everyone knows. It includes visual elements like your logo, colors, and design style. People pay a lot of money to create their brand's visual identity because it's such an important part of an overall strategy.
Your brand identity also covers your name, tagline, and the tone of voice you use in communications. These elements should all work together to create a consistent image that reflects your brand's personality and values.
3. Your Brand Positioning and Personality
Your brand strategy also needs to focus on positioning and personality. Brand positioning is where you focus on differentiating your company from your competitors. What do you offer that your rivals don't?
Brand personality brings your products and services to life, which can relate very well to brand positioning. Get it right and people will like your personality in comparison to rival brands.
Apple did this really well in the 2000s when it took on Microsoft and made its computers and iPods feel like the cool younger brother of the old, stuffy PC developer. Apple positioned itself perfectly for the computer-owning generation and brought through its personaliity with cool-looking tech and innovations like the iPod.
It wasn't until 2007 when Apple – confident in its position as a leading brand – launched a phone to take on Motorola, Samsung, BlackBerry, and Nokia.
15 Successful Brand Strategy Examples
The following brand strategy examples show the different ways organizations have capitalized on their presence. Some of these examples won marketing campaign awards as recently as 2024, while others have stood the test of time.
Toggle Insurance (Differentiation Branding)
The insurance industry has a really tough job engaging with Gen Z. How do you make insurance sexy and fun? Well, Toggle Insurance has managed to "gamify" insurance by creating a product that is easy to use and appeals directly to its audience.
Toggle's branding is relaxed and fun – a very different approach to the world of insurance that most youngsters consider serious and for "older" generations to worry about.
Toggle has managed to differentiate itself from scores of other insurance brands based on its ease of use alone. This is smart differentiation branding in action.
Peloton (Product Branding)
Peloton went public just months before the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to "lock down" and exercise at home. Since then, the brand has persistently championed its exercise service alongside the bike product, to stay ahead of the competition.
This, mixed with user generated content from those who have improved their fitness through using Peloton, means the brand is in a great position in the market.
Dyson (Brand Extension)
A brand extension is when a company uses its reputation and brand values of one product to help launch another.
Dyson is famed for its vacuum cleaners but also produces other household appliances based on its "air movement" technology. The company is hugely successful around the world and its branding resonates with a large audience base.
What Dyson is also really good at is using peoples' knowledge of its hardware to launch other products. In 2016 it moved into the hairdryer market with a brand extension campaign to launch the Supersonic dryer.
The sleek design was as sexy as a hair dryer can be – just as Dyson's vacuum cleaners and hand dryers look sleek and cool. This design was coupled with a simple, stylish marketing campaign that made the Supersonic feel like an attainable luxury item.
Huggies (Premium Elevation)
Branding is essential if you want to elevate your product to premium. Huggies is a diaper brand that is trusted mainly because of its brand recognition. After decades of commercials, almost everyone knows what Huggies are.
They're also considered very affordable, which actually means some middle class parents believe them to be cheap. So, how do you target the affluent middle classes? By creating a specific premium branding strategy that would appeal to them.
Step forward Huggies Special Delivery, diapers boxed in black-and-white packaging with monochrome photography. Huggies swapped their "fun" feel for something more "soft" and "nurturing".
They also focused on high-end media platforms to launch their ads. The strategy worked and Special Delivery diapers quickly sold out.
Chipotle (Quality Positioning)
Chipotle entered the fast-casual restaurant scene in the 2000s thanks to investment from McDonald's. Mexican food made how customers like it was never going to be a hard sell – but it still required some smart branding to get the chain positioning right.
Their "Food with Integrity" slogan sums up their approach of sourcing ethical ingredients. Their restaurants are rustic and simple, which suits their "natural food" approach.
Perhaps the best thing, though, is Chipotle's ability to offer a very limited menu but with enough choice that customers can build their own unique meal.
It's these decisions that make Chipotle one of the best brand strategy examples based on positioning alone.
Louis Vuitton (Strong Brand Identity)
Most luxury brands exist not because their products are overwhelmingly better than average but because they carry super-strong brand identity. This is how brands like Louis Vuitton maintain their position as top fashion labels despite the huge competition.
Very few brands will ever reach Louis Vuitton's levels of brand recognition and awareness, but that doesn't mean you can't learn from the best.
Louis Vuitton's logo, branding, and color pallets are instantly recognisable. The brand is present at the best global fashion events and shows. Products are limited, which creates a feeling of exclusivity that drives sales and interest.
Meanwhile, the brand's stores are designed to feel like art galleries. This creates a special shopping experience that matches the products' high price tags.
You might not be able to emulate Louis Vuitton but creating a strong identity within your store is all part of an effective brand strategy.
Manscaped (Embracing Unconventional Branding)
Manscape have tried a few different routes to get noticed in recent years. The company has an unconventional product – the "Lawnmower" – so needs unconventional branding. After all, how do you sell a pubic hair shaver to men?
At first they tried being sexy but have now pivoted to being a "modern, metrosexual man" brand. This ad featuring British comedian Charlie Partridge is watchable, funny, and showcases the product.
This isn't rebel branding or protect marketing, it's simplyy unconventional. It uses the sort of language testicular cancer charities use when trying to engage with men. Being serious isn't enough. Adding a thread of humour and embracing an unconventional product is the way forward.
Aesop (Simple and Consistent Branding)
Aesop's branding is all about simplicity and quality. Their products are designed to look good in your house, and have a uniform look with amber bottles and simple labels. Not only do they look perfect on Instagram but the styling creates a cohesive brand image across all product lines.
This simplicity and consistency means Aesop avoid flashy marketing. Instead, they let their products and store design speak for themselves. Something as simple as placing free hand cream outside store fronts means potential customers make a choice to walk by their stores.
They may not make a purchase this time, but perhaps they will next time.
Coca-Cola (Success on Social Media Platforms)
It's no surprize that Coca-Cola makes our list – although we're actually looking at one of their lesser-known brand examples here. In 2024 Coca-Cola launched a new product solely for TikTok called Happy Tears Zero Sugar. It celebrated the moments in life when tears of "Real Magic" flow. Customers could only buy it in the TikTok shop and, naturally, those who got their lips on the cans wanted to post about it themselves.
The product launched on Random Acts of Kindness Day and was branded specifically for the TikTok generation. It was part of the Coke Creations initiative, which Coca-Cola is using to create limited edition products for Gen Z via social media.
Norwegian and Norse Airlines (Brand Alignment)
Norwegian Airlines became well known in northern Europe and North America as a cheap, cheerful transatlantic flight provider. You could fly from London to New York for around $350 return. The brand strategy was based on keeping the flight simple but without feeling cheap. Unfortunately for Norwegian, the airline lost a lot of money when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Norwegian successfully returned as a low-cost European airline, meaning a gap had opened in the transatlantic trade. Step forward Norse Atlantic, who bought Norwegian's long haul fleet and began operating a small number of cheap routes from Europe to the US.
Norse Atlantic benefits from the brand loyalty customers had for Norwegian Airlines. By aligning their product and aspects of the brand, Norse Atlantic are steadily becoming a reputable airline.
Xero (Purpose and Impact)
Companies need to get noticed if they are to reach their target audiences – and one way to do this is via sponsorship. Of all our branding strategy examples, Xero's affiliation with women's soccer in the UK is one of the most impactful right now.
Accountancy software might not sound like an easy fit in women's sport, but Xero has used its marketing activities in soccer to highlight smart financial planning. In doing so, the brand stands way above other accountancy software providers that are targeting freelancers and small business owners.
What's more, investing in women's sport helps highlight Xero's brand values as a force for positive societal change in the world. No wonder more iconic brands are following their lead and getting into these types of sponsorships.
Volvo (Brand Voice)
How do you tell a new story about a car brand that hasn't been told before? Car commercials have been playing for decades – surely there isn't a fresh narrative out there? Step forward Volvo, who launched their iconic video "A Million More" in 2021.
The video highlighted Volvo's involvement in researching and creating the three-point seat belt, which has saved millions of lives over the years. This brand strategy wasn't about selling a single product but about highlighting Volvo's commitment to safety and, in turn, customer satisfaction.
By creating a responsible brand voice, it's possible to connect with target audiences and create a brand message that resonates again and again. Volvo is famous for being a relatively safe car and this video showed why.
L’eggs (Brand Identity)
If you're looking to create a fresh brand identity then hosiery brand L’eggs is a great example to follow. The brand went back to its 1970s aesthetic with a new ad campaign and wordmark that harked back 50 years while also feeling modern and fresh.
Shifting brand identity is really difficult but L’eggs did it seamlessly in 2024. Its photoshoot was picked up in fashion magazines across the world and its new branding stands out better on store shelves.
Sexy without being smutty, cool without being exclusive – L’eggs achieved a successful brand identity change.
Old Spice (Repositioning With Personality)
The smell of Old Spice is instantly recognisable – and for millions of people that meant the product was not desirable. Old Spice smells of old dads. Well, not anymore.
In 2010 Old Spice went big on a new marketing strategy that played on positive aspects of masculinity, while also remaining humbly cheeky. Their "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign went viral in 2010, just as social media was really taking off.
The Old Spice ads appealed to both men and women, and reached a younger audience. No-one below the age of 30 in 2010 would have known what it was!
Since then Old Spice has kept the humor going and the brand is now in the perfect position to convert the young audiences who noticed their ads two decades ago into loyal customers. Old Spice is still considered an "elder man's" bathroom product but now people aspire to it, rather than shirk away from it.
Adele: 30 (Hype Branding)
The last of our 15 branding strategy examples is all about hype – and no one does this better than Adele. The singer has never had an unsuccessful album launch.
In 2015 she launched a 30-second snippet of the song "Hello" during a commercial break on the UK TV show X Factor. Four days later, she announced on social media the launch of her album 25.
Then, in 2021, Adele's record label moved away from digital marketing with a campaign that saw the number 30 – the name of her next studio album – projected onto the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, and Edinburgh Castle.
The hype was instantaneous and 30 became another top-selling album.
You don't need to be a celebrity to do hype branding – but you definitely need confidence in what you're doing. Even in Adele's case, you have to be the one who starts the hype.
Final Thoughts on Creating a Branding Strategy
There is no simple template for creating any marketing strategy but it's important to learn little things from successful campaigns, to maximize your chances of getting yours right.
You don't need a big team to create and deliver a branding strategy. Not everyone can project their album cover onto the Eiffel Tower like Adele. Yet you can use marketing tools like CisionOne to develop a strategy that achieves your business goals.
Be aware that a logo, name, and tagline isn't enough. These are the first steps to creating a brand story, but you'll have to work a lot harder to achieve real emotional connections with your audience.
Just remember to stay true to your brand values and don't be afraid to change strategy if it's not working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Branding strategies can make or break a company's success, so it's important to get it right. Let's explore some key questions about creating impactful brand identities and connecting with target audiences.
How can a company create a branding strategy that resonates with its target audience?
To create a resonant branding strategy, it's really important to understand your audience deeply. Start by conducting thorough market research with a tool like CisionOne to help. Identify your customers' pain points, desires, and values – then you can start to build a brand strategy that connects with these findings.
Craft a brand message that speaks directly to your target audience, using language, visuals, and storytelling that reflect their preferences. Remember, any marketing strategy aims to grab the attention of a target customer, so you need to have an audience-first approach.
What are some creative techniques businesses have used to differentiate their brand identities?
There are a lot of ways to differentiate brand identity. Big companies like Coca-Cola and Nike use visuals and color palettes to stand out. Record labels and events companies will use hype branding techniques to get attention. Brands like Xero sponsor sports leagues to achieve brand alignment, while a brand like Volvo leans on its history to present its cars as safe for families.
What are some examples where a brand's strategy significantly influenced customer loyalty and retention?
Old Spice launched a new campaign way back in 2010 called "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". Men and women loved the ads, while youngsters were introduced to Old Spice for the first time. Sales went up and, crucially, customer loyalty improved as the youngsters who first liked the ads in 2010 grew up to recognize and buy the brand 15 years later, when they fell into Old Spice's target demographic.
