Brand Purpose defines why your brand exists. What is the higher purpose of your brand? When your Brand Purpose is clearly defined and communicated, it connects with your audience at a powerful, emotional level. It is the conduit that enables you to build a strong connection between your brand and your ideal client.

A powerful example of an emotive Brand Purpose is Unilever’s LifeBuoy soap. It's Brand Purpose is to reduce the mortality rate of children under five. The LifeBuoy brand teaches communities, particularly in third world countries, that simply by washing your hands with soap, the risk of infection and therefore mortality, is reduced. The Brand Purpose informs all of the marketing activity undertaken by the LifeBuoy soap marketing team.

Brand Positioning encompasses all the characteristics that define your brand. It is extensive and should include the attributes, emotions, and visuals that represent your brand, your tone of voice, and your brand persona. Your Brand Positioning, while intangible should be reflected in your customer service, website, retail outlet, packaging, online communications, and even delivery service. Consistent brand positioning ensures that your ideal client receives a consistent message about your brand.

Consider Apple, its products, it's advertising, its stores. The Apple brand is presented in a consistent manner globally. Simple, inclusive, one might even say elegant, Apple’s positioning statement is “Think Different” and it is reflected in their approach to everything they do.

Unless you are the sole supplier of a product or service in your specific market or segment, it is important to consider how you differentiate your brand from your competitors. The key is to create a differentiation strategy that is difficult for your competitors to copy.

Zappos started out as an online shoe retailer. Its differentiation strategy was based on removing barriers to buying shoes online. The execution of this strategy is based on an exceptional level of customer service. “Free shipping BOTH ways online shoes, clothing, and more! 365-day return policy, over 1000 brands, 24/7 friendly customer service." They have effectively removed any objections related to buying online.

Your Brand Style Guide incorporates all of the visual components of your brand. This is the information that you supply when briefing suppliers on your brand. At a bare minimum, it includes your logo, brand colours, and fonts.

Major global brands include many more components in their style guides. The Microsoft Visual Identity Guidelines run to 88 pages. It includes the basics detailed above, in addition to design grids, icons, illustrations and photographs. Furthermore it provides detailed instructions on how to create art and examples of how the brand is presented across a number of different mediums.

Your brand proposition is the expression of all of the above and much more. In a few short sentences it explains to your clients why your brand will provide a solution to their problem.

One of the most disruptive globals brands, Uber, has what appears to be a simple brand proposition.

“Offering uber convenience”

The brand proposition is underpinned by the fact that the Uber model eliminates all of the factors that people hate about taking taxis.