The Four Branding Elements That Make Up Your Brand Foundational Compass
Updated: Jan 27
We’ve been riding the wave of sustainable branding in our last few blog posts by talking about the four elements that make up your Brand’s Foundation Compass –your brand purpose, brand vision, brand mission, and brand values.
These four elements are essential for your brand as they help direct and set a course for your outdoor business –much like a compass–so you can achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself and your company.
When the four branding elements that make up your Brand’s Foundational Compass are rock-solid, you can move forward feeling confident that your outdoor brand will be compelling, impactful, and most importantly, sustainable.
If you want to learn more about each foundational brand element, we encourage you to deep dive into each piece of your brand compass in these posts:
In this post will explore what a Brand Foundational Compass is, why it’s important for your purpose-driven outdoor business, and how all four branding elements work together to create a strong foundation for your outdoor business.
Are you ready? Because we are!
But First, What Is A Brand Foundational Compass?
We love the Brand Foundational Compass concept because we believe it perfectly epitomizes how it works for our clients. The four elements that make up your Brand’s Foundational Compass orient you and your brand towards the direction you want to go.
We talk a lot about a business’ Brand Foundational Compass both within our client work and on our marketing channels –and that’s because it’s a HUGE part of our branding strategy and process.
Here’s why we believe it’s a key player in achieving a sustainable and impactful brand:
Your Brand’s Foundational Compass is the core of everything within your business and should guide where you want to take your brand. Like the red “X” on a pirate’s treasure map, your brand’s foundational compass guides you towards your booty or that larger vision of the future you want your brand to (eventually) achieve.
Now, you can’t just throw a few brand values together, whip up a mission statement and think your brand ready to go. It might work in the short-term, but long-term, it’s just not sustainable. To build a rock-solid brand foundation, you need to understand each brand element and how they work together to steer your outdoor adventure business in the right direction.
The Value of Brand Values
Your brand values are what you stand for as a human being and a business owner. They are the fundamental beliefs that guide your brand story, behaviour, actions, and, ultimately, the decision-making process.
Think about the values that motivate your brand. What values guide you forward towards your goals?
Your brand values should serve as a guidance point for you and your team as you make decisions in your business. Your values are the reason your brand exists, and they should never change, no matter your business situation.
We love to think of brand values as markers on a treasure map because your values help you determine if you’re keeping to the course that leads to your treasure, or rather, your business goals.
Why Your Brand Purpose Matters
Your brand purpose is the big WHY of your brand. Why does your business exist? Why do you do what you do? What makes you excited to start your day?
In case you haven’t already guessed, your answer needs to be more than just making a profit or paying bills. As consumer expectations change, brands are increasingly held accountable for their actions and expected to do much more than fill up their treasure chests with booty. According to WARC, brands with a purpose experienced 30% growth compared to those without. Having a purpose can naturally lead to profits.
Right now, businesses are expected to make a positive impact in this world, but to do this, they need to establish a higher purpose and run a business that reflects it. When you understand and clarify the WHY or purpose behind your outdoor business, you will organically build brand loyalty and inspire others to take positive action.
The Importance of Your Brand Vision
Your brand vision statement is the big WHAT behind your brand. Think of what you want to achieve with your outdoor business down the road.
What are the ultimate goals for your outdoor business?
What do you want to accomplish or achieve?
What do you want your brand to become in 5-10 years?
What difference have you made or want to make in the world?
When you brainstorm these goals – think big and think bold. Maybe your goal seems scary and unachievable, but at the end of the day, you’re going to try your best to reach these goals no matter the outcome. This is why we call it your brand vision.
Your brand vision should clarify what you plan to do to reach this long-term aspiration or goal in your business and is meant to be straightforward, measurable, and, most importantly, inspirational to everyone on your team.
The Benefits of Having a Brand Mission
Your brand mission is all about HOW you’re going to get to your final destination on a day-to-day basis. Your brand mission directly relates to your brand vision in that it helps you get crystal clear on the daily actions you can take on the path to achieving the brand vision you’ve just set.
Think about how you plan to achieve your brand’s vision.
How are you going to get there?
What practical steps do you need to take today to accomplish your vision?
Your brand’s mission should serve as inspiration for your team and clarify the daily, weekly, and monthly decisions you make in your business.
How All Your Brand Elements Work Together To Build Your Brand Foundational Compass
Hopefully, by now, it’s evident that you need ALL four elements to build a solid foundation for your outdoor business. But how exactly do they work together to establish a sustainable Brand Foundational Compass?
Let’s start with your brand values. Brand values help clarify what your brand is all about. They also articulate what your brand stands for –and as a purpose-driven business, your values should stand for something beyond making a profit or even the products or services you offer.
Your brand values should drive your brand’s purpose because your purpose is what makes up the core of your outdoor business and is built off of what you stand for.
We like to say that your brand purpose stems directly from your values –or rather, your values lead you directly to your purpose.
When you’ve established a clear and impactful brand purpose, you’re better prepared to deep dive into those big, audacious goals you want your outdoor business to achieve –this is your brand vision.
As you work towards these long-term aspirations or goals (that brand vision) –your brand mission will help you clarify exactly which steps you need to take to achieve those goals on a practical, day-to-day basis.
Together, these four branding elements help you build a Brand Foundational Compass that provides clarity and a sense of direction for your brand so you can steer your ship confidently and sustainably towards your final destination.
