It’s common business knowledge that every company needs a distinct and powerful brand voice. It’s the magic ingredient that elevates them above the noise, ignites emotional connections, and attracts the ideal audience.
Think of Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan or Lush’s commitment to fresh, handmade products. These are more than just marketing tactics; they’re strategic narratives woven into every aspect of the brand experience.
But crafting such a story can be a challenge, especially for solopreneurs and growing businesses. That’s where being a branding coach comes in handy—and you’ll guide them to break through the noise, build magnetic brands, and achieve their wildest business dreams.
What is brand coaching?
Brand coaching is the process of developing a brand identity, messaging, and strategy for individuals and businesses.
As a result, brands can create more awareness, have a consistent look and feel, and effectively communicate their vision and values to their target audience.
Studies show that people need to see a brand at least five to seven times on different channels before they can trust it. Companies achieve the highest recognition when their brand identity is developed across multiple communication outlets, such as social media, online and offline ads, and media appearances.
The same goes for personal brands. Statistics show that 82% of buyers are more likely to trust the company if its representatives have a consistent social media presence. This has made personal branding an important asset for entrepreneurs and executives leading companies.
What does a brand coach do?
A brand is more than the products and services a company offers. It includes its values, actions, vision, voice, and more. As a branding coach, you develop a brand strategy and style by defining these four key elements.
1. Brand vision
This includes the core values and mission of the company and how it wants to appear to its target audience. It’s the compass that guides every branding choice in your strategy, so you must start by establishing a clear vision.
2. Positioning
How do you present yourself in the market? Are you a luxury brand or a more mainstream one? Do you care for the environment?
Your positioning will inform your choices, both in your branding and other business efforts.
3. Target audience
Who are you speaking and selling to? What do they desire, and what do they struggle with?
Successful brands speak directly (and intimately) to the specific audience they are trying to reach.
4. Culture
Your brand is not cut off from the rest of the world. It’s integrated into demographic groups with cultural aspects that affect their communication style and values.
Use them as a part of your brand to stay relatable.
Brand coach vs. brand consultant: What’s the difference?
Although a brand coach and a consultant both focus on the public reputation of a person or company, they differ in a few key aspects. Here’s a closer look at what those are:
| Brand coach | Brand consultant | |
| Role | Helps define branding choices. | Offers expert advice and strategies to grow brands. |
| Contract | Ongoing, personalized sessions. | Specific projects or tasks with a defined scope and timeline. |
| Approach | Uses coaching techniques. | Applies consulting methodologies. |
| Focus | Uncovering strengths and achieving objectives. | Providing strategic guidance and market insights. |
| Outcome | Builds clarity and competence. | Aims to deliver tangible and measurable outcomes. |
Types of brand coaching
A few types of brand coaches you may come across are:
- Business branding coaches. They specialize in helping businesses define and communicate their unique brand identity.
- Celebrity branding coaches. They work with individuals who want to grow their personal brand as public figures or influencers.
- Personal branding coaches. They support individuals in clarifying their brand values, strengths, and unique selling propositions.
- Brand identity coaches. They work with clients to cultivate a cohesive and authentic brand identity that reflects their values and resonates with their audience.
- Luxury brand coaches. They specialize in assisting high-end brands in defining and maintaining an exclusive and aspirational brand image.
- Small business brand coaches. They support small business owners in developing and implementing effective branding strategies to differentiate themselves in the market.
Why is brand coaching in demand?
To grow a business, it’s undoubtedly important to have branding. Here are a few ways strong positioning can do that:
1. Brands make promises to their customers
Successful brands tell their customers what they can expect and what they would stand for by working with or buying from them. If you establish a brand that preaches innovation, it must deliver a quality experience to customers.
If you’re not delivering on your promise, the market will tell you by making you lose sales and see diminishing returns. The reverse is also true. If you practice what you preach, it will reflect on your bottom line.
2. A clear brand identity is like a roadmap
As soon as you told someone who you were, you implicitly told them who you weren’t. When it comes to positioning a company well in the market, it’s often much more important to show how you are different from other major players.
A clear brand identity becomes your roadmap for how you communicate who you are as a personal brand or company in the tiniest details. If you keep it consistent, it will earn the trust of your customers.
3. A positive brand experience leads to higher market value
Branding affects the overall experience of customers when interacting with a company. This includes everything from the look and feel of a product design to the tone in which the company speaks to them and the type of characters they see in the advertisements.
The feeling you leave them with determines how much you can charge them for the products you’re selling them. If their experience is great, they will show that with their credit cards.
4. Branding creates emotion around your brand
Humans are emotional and instinctual. We might want to make the most logical choices, write pro-con lists, and ask for referrals from our friends, but at the end of the day, we’ll decide on the product that feels right to us.
A brand that can evoke sentiment is more powerful than one that only talks about features and benefits. If you have a memorable brand story, your service or product will be remembered.
5. Well-defined brands guide advertising and marketing
If you don’t work out a clear brand strategy, you may end up spending tens of thousands of dollars or more on advertising and waste years communicating the wrong message.
However, if your brand messages are clever and your story is effective, you can cut down on your ad spend and earn new customers with less investment.
6. A strong brand attracts and retains top talent
Branding also includes your company as a workplace. With clear communication, you’ll attract more qualified and in-demand employees and collaborators. They will also end up staying with your team longer, which will yield high returns on your training and overhead costs.
How to become a branding coach
Becoming a coach doesn’t require a degree. However, adequate training will make sure you can deliver the results you promise to your clients.
You can either enroll in a specialized corporate or personal brand coach certification program or join a comprehensive business coach training program.
Besides certification, you can also consider immersive courses, hands-on workshops, or mentorship from industry professionals to improve your branding skills. These are all great sources to pick up branding essentials, techniques to craft compelling narratives, as well as targeting and positioning strategies.
FAQ
What does working with a branding coach look like?
As a brand coach, you would:
- Create a coaching program that clients can sign up for.
- Put together an in-depth branding questionnaire to interview clients about their businesses.
- Conduct one-on-one sessions with them and support them with coaching models and materials to aid their progress.
You must understand the brand history of your client, their primary business objectives, and their current brand language to improve their business communications.
How fast can you get results from branding coaching?
As a brand coach, sometimes you can impact a brand in just one session. You can share key insights and content ideas to help your client refocus their efforts in the right places.
However, crafting a brand takes time, as well as careful planning, implementation, and maintenance. You may offer a 3-6 months coaching package to your clients that allows you to create a more sustainable transformation in their branding skills and public presence.
How much do brand coaches earn?
Fees brand coaches charge vary based on their experience, reputation, and location.
On average, they can earn anywhere from $50 to $500 per hour, with some top-tier coaches charging even more for their services.
Additionally, brand coaches may earn income through group coaching programs, workshops, online courses, and consulting services, which can further contribute to their overall earnings.
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