Your brand statement is a single, clear articulation of who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters. It’s also known as the brand ‘platform’. 

It’s not a tagline. It’s not a mission statement. It’s the internal compass that everything else points back to.

Here at DISBRANDED, it’s ‘Building Iconic Disability Brands’. Specific, intentional and singular.

The formula(s)

[Organisation name] exists to [what you do] for [who you serve] so that [the outcome that matters].

Example: “DISBRANDED exists to build iconic brands for disability sector organisations so that the ones doing the most important work are the ones getting seen, chosen and trusted.”

One of my favourites: Our [blank] is the only [blank] that [blank].

Our agency is the only DIY-first creative studio that hands NDIS providers the tools instead of the dependency.

Common mistakes to avoid

Too vague: “We exist to make a difference in the community.” This could be anyone. Similarly, ‘quality’ or ‘awesomeness’ are not ‘defensible’. Say something that isn’t easily found in 5 minutes via a google search. 

Too long: If it needs a paragraph, it’s not a statement it’s an essay or a manifesto. Brand statements are hard to write because it requires you to be very precise and definitive, two qualities customers will love about you. 

Too internal: Your brand statement should resonate with your audience, not just your board. Profitability might not be compelling to the audience, or the level of compliance-excellence you reach. It’s a note of intent to the customers. 

Too aspirational: Write what you actually do now, not what you hope to do in five years. Writing a brand statement about being a National provider when you’re trying to get your 3rd customer might be a bit too ambitious and not matching reality. 

Testing your brand statement

Read it out loud. Ask yourself:

  • Does it sound like us?
  • Do I cringe when I say it? 
  • Would I be embarrassed to say this to someone else?
  • Would our best clients recognise us in this?
  • Could our competitors claim this too? (If yes, it’s not specific enough)
  • Does it actually say anything?
  • Does it make us proud?

Putting it all together

By now you should have:

  • A clear positioning statement
  • Your ‘one thing’
  • A defined primary audience
  • 3-5 genuine brand principles
  • A brand personality
  • A brand statement

This is your functional brand strategy. Everything we build from here, the visual identity, the messaging, the website, sits on top of this foundation. Think of the above as an equation, by positioning ourselves as this + these specific people + would respond to these principles + this brand personality + that is doing [statement].

Do they feel aligned? 

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