For a travel brand to stand out, you need depth, clarity and a strong foundation that connects with your audience. Two terms often used interchangeably, yet fundamentally different, are brand strategy and brand identity.
However, many travel businesses struggle with understanding the crucial difference between brand strategy and brand identity.
What is brand strategy?
Your brand strategy is the foundational blueprint that guides your brand's long-term direction. It's the strategic plan that outlines your brand's purpose, values, and how you intend to achieve your business goals. Think of it as the "why" behind your brand. It's the core of your travel brand strategy.
At its core, brand strategy answers fundamental questions: Why does your travel brand exist beyond making profit? Who are your ideal travellers? What unique value can you offer that competitors cannot? How will you communicate this value consistently?
Components of a brand strategy
- Brand purpose and vision: Your travel brand's reason for existence and aspirational future.
- Audience personas: Detailed profiles of your ideal travellers and their journey motivations.
- Competitive analysis: Understanding your position among other travel service providers.
- Value proposition: The unique benefits that only your travel agency delivers.
- Brand voice and messaging: The consistent tone and communication approach that resonates with your target travellers.
- Brand promise: What customers can expect from every interaction with your travel brand.
But, your brand strategy is not a static document. It should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in the market and your business goals.
What is brand identity?
Your brand identity is the visual and verbal expression of your brand strategy. It's how your brand is perceived by your audience. If brand strategy is the “why”, brand identity is the “how”. It's what travellers see, hear, and feel when they encounter your brand across touchpoints.
Components of brand identity
- Logo: The visual symbol of your brand.
- Colour palette: The colours that represent your brand.
- Typography: The fonts used in your brand's communication.
- Imagery: The photos and illustrations that represent your brand.
- Brand voice: The tone and style of your brand's communication.
- Brand messaging: The key messages that your brand communicates.
- Website design: The visual and functional design of your website.
Creating a brand identity will require design skills, visual communication knowledge, and thorough market research.
How do brand strategy and brand identity work together?
One of the most common pitfalls in travel branding occurs when businesses develop their visual identity without first establishing a solid strategy. That’s because your travel brand strategy informs and influences your brand identity, ensuring that everything from your logo to your content aligns with your mission and audience.
The strategy determines what emotions and associations your visual identity should evoke. For example, a travel agency specialising in luxury expeditions would develop very different visual and verbal identities than one focused on budget-friendly family vacations—though both approaches would stem from their respective strategic positioning.
Why does your travel brand need both?
Travel industry branding faces unique challenges: you're selling experiences rather than just products, and traveler expectations are exceptionally high. A disconnect between your brand strategy and identity can create confusion and impact how much travellers trust your brand.
When strategy and identity align:
- Customer recognition improves as travellers encounter consistent experiences across touchpoints
- Marketing efficiency increases through coherent and consistent messaging
- Customer loyalty strengthens through brand promises that can be backed up by actions
- Business decisions become clearer with strategic guidelines
What do you do if your brand strategy changes?
As businesses evolve, so do their goals, target audiences, and market landscapes. If your brand strategy changes, it has a ripple effect on your entire brand identity. A shift in strategy might mean redefining your brand’s positioning, messaging, or even its core values. This, in turn, can impact visual elements such as your logo, colour palette, and overall design language.
If you need to update your brand strategy, make sure you have a clear implementation plan to ensure consistency across all touchpoints. It’s important to communicate changes effectively to your team, customers, and stakeholders to maintain trust and brand recognition.
How often should a travel brand change its brand identity?
If you think your brand needs an identity change, consider it carefully. Travel brands should balance consistency with relevance. Rather than completely overhauling your brand identity, your travel brand might benefit from a brand refresh. That is a small update to visuals, messaging, or positioning that keeps the brand modern and relevant. A refresh might include subtle logo refinements, updated typography, or a refined tone of voice.
A full rebrand, however, is more extensive and is typically necessary if the business undergoes a significant shift, like expanding into new markets, targeting a different audience, or repositioning entirely. A successful rebrand ensures that all aspects of brand identity align with the updated brand strategy.
For more on brand refreshing versus rebranding, check out our article Should you rebrand or refresh? A guide for travel brands.
How does a brand agency help develop brand strategy and brand identity?
While DIY branding might seem cost-effective initially, travel businesses often discover that professional branding services deliver superior long-term returns. A skilled branding agency brings industry insights, an objective assessment of your competitive landscape, and methodologies honed through years of experience.
At Boost brands, for example, our services include:
- Brand strategy development: We work with you to define your brand's purpose, values, and goals. We conduct market research, analyse your competitors, and identify your unique value proposition.
- Brand identity design: We create a cohesive and memorable visual identity that reflects your brand strategy. This includes logo design, colour palette development, typography selection, and imagery creation.
- Brand messaging and tone of voice: We help you craft compelling brand messages and develop a consistent brand voice that resonates with your target audience.
- Website design and development: We create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that showcase your brand and drive conversions.
- Content strategy: We develop data-driven content strategies that align with your brand goals and target audience. Our services can include keyword research, content planning, SEO optimisation, and performance tracking to improve your online visibility and drive organic traffic.
Does your travel brand need a better brand strategy? Is your brand identity in need of a refresh? Contact Boost Brands today to see what we can do for you.
