Brand Purpose

In this section we will dig deep and think about what makes your brand different and why your brand matter?

Brand purpose is the core message of your brand. It is the ‘why’ of your business. This establishes what your shop represents and gives your target customers a good reason to care.

It helps you connect with your customers emotionally, therefore making it more likely for them to buy and become a long-term, loyal supporter.

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• Why does your brand exist?
• What problem does your products/services solve for your target customers?
• What are you doing differently compared to your competitors?
• Why should your customers care?

Here are some examples of brand purpose:

• The Body Shop: “To become the world’s most ethical and truly sustainable business”
• Starbucks: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”
• Dove: “Discovering the value of ‘real’ beauty and improving self-esteem worldwide”

Make sure your brand purpose is ambitious but achievable in the future.

Brand Positioning

Now that we have gathered all the necessary information, we are ready to define our brand positioning.

According to Hubspot: “Brand positioning is the process of positioning your brand in the mind of your customers. More than a tagline or a fancy logo, brand positioning is the strategy used to set your business apart from the rest.”

Where do you fit in the market? What makes you unique? How is your brand and products truly different than others? Why should your customers care?

Compared to your brand purpose, brand positioning also includes your target customers, your products and its main benefit. It is a summary of what sets your shop apart from your competitors.

Your brand positioning should be:

• Unique
• Memorable
• Brief and straight to the point
• True to your brand’s value and purpose
• Includes a promise that matters to your customers

A few common mistakes when crafting your brand positioning:

• “Handmade” is not unique, especially not on Etsy
• “We offer the best quality…” sounds empty and meaningless most of the time. Unless your quality is truly exceptional (and that you can prove that it is), don’t make the 'best quality' promise
• “We are the cheapest in the market” could lead to unwanted price competition, therefore lowering your profit and possibly the product quality. Unless you have a unique advantage of getting raw materials cheaper than most sellers can, don’t use this as your brand positioning.

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Here is a template that I use for brand positioning:

(Your brand) believes/aims to (your brand purpose). We help (target customers) by providing (your product and the main benefit).

For example: Growing Your Craft believes having your own handmade business is possible and should be accessible for all. We help Etsy sellers who look to grow their craft hobbies into profitable handmade businesses by providing approachable courses and editable branding templates.

Don’t be afraid to go back and forth between what your target customers want and brand positioning in order to match it perfectly. Also, new customer feedback will come in regularly which could inspire you to further enhance your positioning.

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