Episode 57: Stop Calling Strategy a Vibe

Strategy isn't energy, it's choices. Today's Brand Spark unpacks why founders can confuse brand strategy with vibes and how to build something that actually lands. Feelings are great, but frameworks are better. Good morning. You're listening to your morning cup of Brand Spark. Hope you've got a coffee as well. I'm Gina Dunn, founder of OG Solutions.

and the one who will always love a good vibe, but build your brand with a map? Today is Wednesday, June 25th. And let's begin with this. Strategy isn't a vibe, it's a decision tree. And let's spark it up. So let's first talk about the strategy vibe trap. There's a wave of founders out there who think they have a brand strategy.

because they've got a couple of things, a super cool aesthetic. It looks awesome. A few killer headshots created by a bad-ass photographer, or maybe they're publishing a voicey caption once a week that gets lots of likes. But let me tell you, that's not a strategy. That's a vibe. And vibes are how your brand feels, but strategy is how it functions.

Strategy has structure and a real strategy answers some such super core questions. What problem do I solve? For who? How do they find me? Why me and not someone else? Strategy gives you direction. It filters your decisions and it helps you say no. If everything you do still depends on how you feel that day,

then you don't have a strategy, do you? And yes, strategy can feel good, it can feel awesome, but its job isn't just to feel cool, its job is to move you forward.

So use vibes after the strategy is set. So once you know how to structure, then we turn up the vibe. That's when we dial in design, archetypes, tone, images, photography, voice, general aesthetic. But vibes don't make the decisions, strategy does. And if you create it the other way around, you're doing it backwards. If you want to see momentum,

Choose the structural foundation first and embellish it later.

So here's your spark check for today. Spark one, what are you calling a strategy? That's actually a vibe. Spark two, where do you need to make a decision instead of just make a visual mood board? And spark three, what part of your brand needs more spine than sparkle? And if you're being chased down by designers who say, I'm going to make you a new website without you getting your foundation right.

Say no, please. You'll be doing it wrong. Now, we love a good aesthetic, but you've got to start with the bones. And if you need a map and a mirror, you can book a clarity call with me, head on over to my website. Vimes are how we connect, but strategy is how we grow our business. You build with both, but you start with the structure and the foundation. That's your brand spark today.

I'll see you tomorrow.