Why Some Brands Thrive—and Others Struggle to Stay Afloat

If you’ve ever felt like your brand messaging just isn’t clicking with your audience, you’re not alone. Businesses pour time and money into marketing, yet many struggle to create a brand that actually sticks.

Some brands manage to build cult followings—think Salt & Straw, REI, or even your favorite local coffee shop. Others, despite having great products or services, fade into the background, constantly fighting for attention in an overcrowded market.

So, what’s the difference?

The key is a brand strategy framework—one that isn’t just about visuals, but also messaging, positioning, and storytelling. The best brands don’t just exist; they invite their audience into a strategic story where the customer is the hero, and the brand is the guide.

At Flyrise, we take this concept beyond traditional brand storytelling. While the popular StoryBrand framework (which we’ll cover later) lays a great foundation, it doesn’t go deep enough into strategic messaging, competitive positioning, or real-world implementation. That’s where our brand strategy framework comes in—providing businesses with the structure, clarity, and tools they need to turn brand messaging into a true growth engine.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• What a brand strategy framework is and why it matters
• Different types of frameworks and how to choose the right one
• How Flyrise’s expanded approach goes beyond StoryBrand
• How to craft messaging that connects with customers on a deeper level
• Real-world examples of brand strategy frameworks done right
• What to expect from a brand strategy workshop
• Common mistakes to avoid in brand strategy development
• How to get started on your Flyrise brand strategy framework

Let’s dive in!

What Is a Brand Strategy Framework & Why Does It Matter?

A brand strategy framework is a structured approach to defining a brand’s identity, messaging, and positioning—the foundation that ensures everything from your website to your social media speaks in a cohesive, compelling voice.

It’s not just about having a sleek logo or a catchy tagline. A strong brand strategy answers fundamental questions like:

• Who are we as a brand, and why do we exist beyond making money?
• Who is our ideal customer, and what transformation do they want to experience?
• What makes us different from competitors, and why should people care?
• How do we consistently communicate this message across all touchpoints?

Without a clear brand framework, businesses risk:

• Inconsistent messaging that confuses potential customers
• Lack of differentiation, making it hard to stand out in the market
• Ineffective marketing spend because the core message isn’t resonating
• Difficulty in scaling, since every piece of branding feels disjointed

On the other hand, companies with a well-defined brand strategy framework experience:

• Stronger brand recognition
• Higher conversion rates
• Greater customer loyalty
• Marketing that feels easier and more effective

Every great brand strategy framework includes:

1. Brand Purpose & Mission: The “why” behind your business.
2. Ideal Customer Persona: A deep understanding of your target audience.
3. Core Messaging & Story: The narrative that ties everything together.
4. Unique Positioning: How you stand out from competitors.
5. Visual & Verbal Identity: The tone, personality, and look of your brand.
6. Implementation Plan: How your strategy translates into real-world marketing.

Most importantly, a strong brand isn’t built on assumptions or gut feelings—it’s built on strategy.

Different Types of Brand Strategy Frameworks

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to brand strategy. The right framework for your business depends on your goals, industry, and how you want your brand to make people feel. At Flyrise, we lean heavily into story-based brand strategy frameworks—because storytelling connects in a way that facts and features alone never can.

That said, we also believe in pulling from multiple frameworks to build a strategy that’s not just inspiring—but actionable. Here are the main types of brand strategy frameworks, including the one that forms the backbone of our own approach.

Story-Based Frameworks (Narrative Branding)

Storytelling is one of the most effective tools in branding. Whether you’re trying to win hearts or simplify a complex service, a clear brand story helps customers see themselves in your solution.

At Flyrise, we start with story—then build around it with strategy, structure, and real-world marketing assets. We’ve found time and again that story-based messaging isn’t just powerful—it’s practical. It works. It converts.

In fact, according to a case study featured on CXL, POWERUP Toys saw a 96% increase in conversion rate after applying emotional storytelling to their website and marketing. That’s not a fluke—it’s proof that when you connect with your audience on an emotional level, results follow.

Examples:

• StoryBrand Framework: Positions the customer as the hero and the brand as the guide (more on this in the sections below).
• The Hero’s Journey (Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth): A classic storytelling arc brands use to show transformation through challenge.

Best for: Brands that want to resonate emotionally and lead with meaning.

Traditional Brand Positioning Frameworks

Traditional frameworks are all about competitive edge: where you stand in the market and how to stand out.

Examples:

• USP Framework: Focuses on your Unique Selling Proposition—the one thing that sets you apart.
• Perceptual Map: A visual model to see how customers perceive brands in your space.
• Brand Archetypes: Assigns a brand personality (e.g., Hero, Rebel) to guide messaging and tone.

Best for: Competitive industries where differentiation is critical.

Purpose-Driven Brand Frameworks

These frameworks focus on the “why.” They help brands anchor in values and connect on a mission level—important for today’s values-driven consumers.

Examples:

• Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle: Start with “Why” (purpose), then “How” (approach), and “What” (product).
• Triple Bottom Line: A strategy built on People, Planet, and Profit.

Best for: Brands with a social or emotional mission baked into their DNA.

Data-Driven Frameworks

Data-first frameworks rely on audience insights, segmentation, and competitive analysis to craft messaging and strategy.

Examples:

• Customer Segmentation: Uses market research to define clear customer groups.
• Keller’s Brand Equity Pyramid: Measures brand perception across awareness, association, and loyalty.
• Competitive Benchmarking: Identifies gaps in your market based on competitor positioning.

Best for: Industries like finance, tech, or healthcare that need research-backed decisions.

The StoryBrand Framework vs. Flyrise’s Brand Strategy Framework

The StoryBrand Framework has become one of the most widely adopted approaches to brand messaging—for good reason. It’s a clean, customer-centric model that positions the brand as the guide and the customer as the hero. It simplifies messaging in a way that resonates across industries and platforms.

At Flyrise, we’ve taken that foundational storytelling concept and expanded it into something more strategic. After years of helping businesses craft brands that don’t just sound good—but actually drive growth—we realized that messaging is only one piece of the puzzle. Clarity is great. But clarity without positioning, differentiation, or implementation? That’s where many brands get stuck.

Our brand strategy framework builds on StoryBrand’s bones, but adds muscle:

• Deeper Customer Insights: We explore not just who the ideal customer is—but what they want, what frustrates them, what they value, and who your brand isn’t for. That clarity sharpens every message and decision.
• Strategic Positioning: We help brands carve out clear space in their market by identifying competitors, defining differentiators, and aligning on the unique transformation your brand delivers.
• Real-World Messaging Assets: Beyond narrative, we develop usable, ready-to-go brand elements like your one-liner, tagline, key benefits, boilerplate, and more—designed to plug directly into your site and sales funnels.
• Guided Implementation & Visual Identity: We align messaging with visuals (like logos, colors, typography) and walk your team through how to apply the strategy across every channel. Because consistency is what builds recognition.
• Conversion-Focused Sales Structure: Our framework includes direct and transitional calls to action, objection-handling bullet points, and storytelling that sells—without sounding salesy.

In short: if StoryBrand is the spark, the Flyrise brand strategy framework is the full ignition system. We didn’t reinvent the wheel—we just made sure it could drive your whole brand forward.

How to Develop a Brand Messaging Framework That Resonates

Let’s be honest: it doesn’t matter how good your product is if your message misses the mark. The right brand messaging framework is what turns a decent brand into a memorable one. It’s the difference between sounding like every other business… and actually getting people to stop, listen, and buy.

At Flyrise, we believe messaging is more than words—it’s the strategic heartbeat of your brand. Here’s how we build a messaging framework that actually works (and works hard).

1. Zero In on Your Ideal Customer

Before you can craft messaging that lands, you need to know exactly who you’re trying to reach—and just as importantly, who you want to serve. That clarity creates alignment across your brand and attracts the kind of customers you actually enjoy working with.

Start with the basics (age, location, industry, role), but don’t stop there.

Ask yourself:

• What do our favorite clients have in common?
• What motivates them? What do they value in a partner?
• What emotional drivers lead them to seek out a brand like ours?
• What fears, frustrations, or limiting beliefs hold them back?
• What shared values or causes might we bond over?

This goes beyond demographics into valuegraphics—the attitudes, beliefs, and personality traits that shape your customer’s worldview. Are they risk-takers or researchers? Are they motivated by innovation, status, connection, or simplicity?

When you know this, your messaging speaks their language—and your brand becomes a magnet for the right people.

2. Host a Messaging Strategy Workshop

You can’t build a brand in a silo. A messaging workshop brings together leadership, marketing, and other key stakeholders to align on purpose, personality, and positioning.

We use this session to surface buried insights, align internal teams, and identify the emotional core of your message. Think of it as brand therapy—except instead of tears, you leave with clarity, a roadmap, and maybe a few high-fives.

3. Conduct Competitor Research & Define Brand Voice

Now that we know who we’re talking to and what we stand for, it’s time to check the room. We map out how competitors are showing up in your space—then make sure your brand sounds, feels, and acts unmistakably different.

This is also where we define your brand voice: are you witty, wise, rebellious, or refined? We create guardrails so your brand personality shows up consistently everywhere—from your website to your out-of-office replies.

4. Craft a Clear and Compelling Brand Story

Here’s where the strategy comes to life. We develop a concise brand narrative that positions your customer as the hero and your brand as the guide—building trust and relevance without sounding like a sales pitch.

This isn’t about “once upon a time” fluff. It’s a tight, focused story that:

• Highlights the customer’s problem
• Offers your brand as the solution
• Paints a picture of what success looks like

In other words: we help people see themselves in your message.

5. Build Messaging Pillars & Ready-to-Use Assets

With the story in place, we build out messaging pillars—key themes that reinforce your brand’s unique value. These pillars anchor your website copy, email campaigns, social posts, and beyond.

From there, we create the good stuff:

• One-liner & tagline
• Elevator pitch
• Benefit statements
• Website-ready messaging templates
• Brand boilerplate for PR + sales decks

You walk away with plug-and-play messaging that’s not just strategic—it’s ready to use today.

Once you’ve nailed your messaging framework, the next natural step is to bring it to life visually. That’s where brand identity—logos, colors, typography, and even naming—comes into play. Your visual strategy should reflect the tone, personality, and core story you’ve already defined. In other words, your visuals don’t create the brand—they express it. (We’ll dive deeper into visual branding strategy in a future post.)

Brand Strategy Examples: What Works & Why

When brand strategy is done right, it doesn’t just guide marketing—it creates meaning, loyalty, and impact. Below are two standout brand strategy examples that show how story-based frameworks can drive real growth and community connection. Each one reflects Flyrise’s belief in messaging that resonates emotionally and strategically.

Salt & Straw: How a Single Ice Cream Cart Became a Platform for Storytelling

The Brand Strategy:

Salt & Straw didn’t just sell ice cream—they built a brand that tells ice cream. From the beginning, co-founders Kim and Tyler Malek treated every scoop as a storytelling opportunity. Their flavors aren’t just creative—they’re narrative-driven, often developed in collaboration with local artisans, farms, and social causes.

At the core is a mission that perfectly captures their strategy:

“Using ice cream as the platform, we pioneer and share experiences that inspire and connect us all.”

Why It Works:

• Story-First Positioning: From menu items to marketing campaigns, Salt & Straw built their brand around shared stories—using flavors to celebrate cultural moments, personal memories, and community impact.
• Customer as Hero: Their brand story invites customers to be part of something bigger: a celebration of place, people, and creativity. That’s textbook StoryBrand.
• Emotional Resonance: Seasonal menus evoke nostalgia and local pride, and each scoop becomes part of a larger story. Whether it’s honoring family recipes or featuring upcycled ingredients, the messaging always circles back to meaning and connection.

Results:

• Grew from a pushcart to 30+ locations nationwide.
• Secured high-profile opportunities like Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District.
• Attracted major investors (including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) while holding firm to their inclusive values—even convincing Disney to shift hiring policies to align with Salt & Straw’s culture.

Key Takeaway: Salt & Straw didn’t scale by chasing trends—they scaled by staying true to their mission. Every decision, from flavor development to store experience, supports the brand’s core story. By inviting customers into that mission, they created a brand people don’t just love—they belong to.

REI: From Retailer to Movement — The Power of Living Your Story

The Brand Strategy:

REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) doesn’t just sell outdoor gear—they invite people into a lifestyle. Their now-iconic #OptOutside campaign redefined what a retailer could stand for, transforming a shopping holiday (Black Friday) into a national movement rooted in values, community, and shared purpose.

Their ethos is summed up perfectly in their own words:

“We exist to inspire and equip everyone to get outside.”
“When ‘me’ became ‘we,’ it radically changed how we all access and experience outside.”

As a member-owned co-op founded in 1938 by 23 friends and a shelf in a gas station, REI’s foundation was always about community and stewardship. That history became a launchpad for bold storytelling.

Why It Works:

• Values-Based Messaging: REI doesn’t just talk about nature—they protect it. Shutting down stores on Black Friday wasn’t just symbolic; it was a story told through action.
• Customer as Hero: The customer is the adventurer. REI simply acts as the guide—equipping, encouraging, and stepping aside so people can create their own outdoor stories.
• Narrative Consistency: From their founding days to present-day mission statements, everything they do supports one message: Life is better when you choose to go outside. That throughline makes their brand feel cohesive and genuine.

Results:

• #OptOutside generated 2.7 billion media impressions in 24 hours, 91% positive sentiment, and a 23% boost in online sales.
• Over 1 million new co-op members joined in the year of the campaign’s launch.
• REI evolved the initiative into a yearly tradition and movement, with 3000% growth in engagement between 2015–2019.
• Cemented their reputation as not just a brand—but a leader in values-based storytelling.

Key Takeaway: REI’s strength lies not just in what they say, but in how deeply they live it. Their story isn’t manufactured—it’s inherited, lived, and shared. By turning their origin, mission, and values into a brand strategy framework, they created a movement that customers felt proud to be part of.

What to Expect from a Brand Strategy Workshop

A Flyrise brand strategy workshop is more than a brainstorm—it’s the first chapter in your brand’s story. We don’t just ask surface-level questions. We dig deep into what makes your brand unique, what your customers truly need, and how to translate that into messaging that sticks.

Here’s what to expect:

1. The First Workshop (90–120 minutes): In this collaborative session with your core team, we guide you through foundational brand questions—from your motivations for starting the business to the emotional transformation you want to offer your customers.

• Your brand’s origin story, mission, and values
• Ideal customer profiles, including demographics and valuegraphics
• Customer goals and aspirational identities
• Core problems, pain points, and stakes
• How your brand shows up as the guide (not the hero)
• Your current sales process and objections to overcome

Typically, we pause after the “stakes” section and take the reins from there.

2. Behind-the-Scenes Strategy Work: After the workshop, we dive into detailed competitor research, sharpen your positioning, and build a refined brand voice based on what we uncovered. Our team drafts a full messaging strategy—complete with one-liner, tagline, boilerplate, and messaging pillars—customized for your audience and ready to plug into your site, socials, and sales funnels.
3. Review + Refinement: Once the draft is complete, we’ll schedule a second session to walk through the strategy, answer questions, and refine anything needed. The goal: total alignment before moving on.
4. Optional Next Steps: Need help with visual branding or implementation? We’ve got you covered. From naming and logo design to full rollout plans, we help you bring your brand story to life consistently and clearly.

In short: a Flyrise brand strategy workshop isn’t just about messaging—but the messaging is the foundation for every marketing move that follows. Curious what this could look like for your brand? Book a free strategy session to start mapping your story.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Brand Strategy Development

Even the most ambitious brands can fall into traps that undercut their messaging. Here are the most common mistakes we help businesses avoid:

1. Skipping Strategy for Tactics (aka Logo-First Syndrome): Jumping straight into design without clarifying who you are and what you stand for leads to brands that look good but say nothing.
2. Targeting Everyone Instead of Someone: Brands that fear narrowing their audience end up speaking to no one. Defining who you’re not for is just as important as knowing who you serve best.
3. Blending In with the Competition: Mimicking what others in your space are doing leads to forgettable messaging. Your value prop should make people say, “Wait, that’s different.”
4. Messaging Without Meaning: Fluffy taglines or generic positioning can make a brand feel hollow. If your message doesn’t tap into customer needs, emotions, and aspirations, it won’t stick.
5. Inconsistent Brand Experience: If your website says one thing, your Instagram another, and your customer service something else entirely—you’re breaking trust. Consistency builds credibility.
6. Staying Static When the Market Changes: Great brands evolve. If your strategy doesn’t adapt to new customer expectations or shifts in your industry, you risk falling behind—or worse, becoming irrelevant.

Avoid these pitfalls, and your strategy won’t just look good on paper—it’ll work in the real world.

Ready to Leverage the Flyrise Brand Strategy Framework? Let’s Talk.

Your brand deserves more than a shiny logo and a few catchy lines. It needs a framework that makes people feel something—while helping them take action.

At Flyrise, we combine storytelling with strategy to help brands find their voice, define their value, and actually connect with the people they serve.

If you’re ready to go beyond surface-level messaging and build a brand that resonates—let’s talk. Explore our branding services or book a free strategy session to see what we can build together.