I stopped doing “full strategy” on every project

Since so many of you liked the format, I'm keeping the 2-minute read section!

Today's newsletter answers a question I get all the time inside SBI Lab and the Masterclass:

"What if my client doesn't need a full strategy?"

Maybe they’re a small local business.

Maybe the budget or timeline is tight.

Or maybe a full strategy stage just doesn’t make sense.

That doesn’t mean strategy disappears. It just means the depth changes.

A 2-minute read

Clients usually don’t need a full strategy stage for one of two reasons:

1. They already have a solid strategy in place

2. They’re working within tighter budget or time constraints

When that’s the case, I offer a condensed Strategy & Creative Direction stage.

This still gives me a strategic foundation for the design stage, without the full six-week timeline my strategic brand identity projects usually require.

That way:

• the work stays strategic

• the scope stays realistic

• and the pricing matches the depth of work involved

What this mini strategy includes

When I run a condensed strategy, I focus on the areas that have the highest impact on design decisions:

#1: Condensed **Brand Foundations (brand story, values, and goals),

#2: Target Audience (two clear audience groups - not deep persona work)

#3: Competitor Analysis (high-level, design-focused insights)

#4: Competitive Advantage

#5: Two creative directions (presented through mood boards)

What’s excluded is deep marketing-centred strategy, extra audience personas, tone of voice and detailed competitor research.

What’s intentionally excluded:

• deep marketing strategy

• extensive audience segmentation

• tone of voice frameworks

• detailed industry research

The Main Idea:

Having this tool in your arsenal can work out really well for both you and your clients.

For clients: They get to work with a strategic brand designer and get the results they were hoping for, even with restricted budget/timelines.

For you: It shows you’re flexible and allows you to focus on the core areas that directly inform design decisions.

The point is, it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.

Strategy exists on a spectrum, and you control the depth depending on the project requirements.

Now, let me walk you through how I actually execute this mini strategy in practice.

Stage 1: Strategy Call

I always start with a strategy call, even for condensed projects.

This is where I gather the context, constraints, and insights into the clients business that I need to make good decisions later.

Even when a client has an existing strategy, this call matters. Because while I don’t need to rebuild their strategy, I still need to understand it.

Stage 2: Condensed Brand Foundations

Instead of fully defining purpose, mission, vision, and values, I focus on the pieces that guide everything else:

• Why the business exists

• What problem it solves

• What it stands for

• What the business is trying to achieve with this rebrand

This gives enough clarity on the business to move forward onto the next part of the strategy without over-engineering the process.

Stage 3: Target Audience

For a mini strategy, I focus on two primary audience groups.

I save deep persona work for full-scope projects.

And this matters for one simple reason:

When you’re charging less, you need to spend less time, not the same amount of time.

For each audience group, I cover six core factors:

1. Gender

2. Age

3. Occupation

4. Background

5. Personality

6. Frustrations

That’s enough insight to inform design decisions, especially when the client already has a clear sense of who they’re targeting.

Stage 4: Competitor Analysis

Next, I assess the competitive landscape.

I focus on:

• the top three direct competitors (that the client would have listed during the strategy call).

• their visuals, messaging, and positioning

• and where everything starts to look the same

From the outside, this stage can look similar to the competitor analysis stage in my full

strategy process.

But the difference is depth.

I don’t explore broader industry trends or produce long reports.

Instead the goal is to make sure the brand identity I design is visually distinctive amongst

it’s competitors.

Stage 5: Competitive Advantage

Once I understand the competitors, I identify the space the brand can own.

To do this, I combine my research with answers from the strategy call, including:

• what makes the business genuinely different

• why customers choose them

• why customers don’t choose them

• what the brand should lean into, and avoid

A quick example

Let’s say I’m working with an e-commerce candle brand.

On the strategy call, the client emphasises:

• transparent sourcing

• non-toxic ingredients

• low-waste packaging

• small-batch production

During competitor research, I notice most brands mention sustainability, but rarely explain it.

The messaging feels vague and mostly performative. Usually coming secondary to a luxury aesthetic.

That creates a clear advantage for the candle brand: To be genuine and clearly communicate sustainability.

That decision then shapes everything visually e.g simple ingredient breakdowns on packaging, impact-focused messaging on social media, and natural, understated visuals.

Stage 6: Mood Boards

Finally, I translate the strategy into two creative directions, presented as mood boards.

These:

• align directly with the strategy

• give the client clear options

• lock in direction early

This step removes guesswork and protects the design phase, meaning you get no late-stage “can we completely change the direction?” moments.

If you want a deeper breakdown of how I use mood boards strategically, I wrote a full newsletter on it here.

So that’s my condensed strategy process.

And the main takeaway is this:

It’s not “Strategy” or “No Strategy”.

Because strategy exists on a spectrum.

Some projects need the full toolbox. Others just need the right tools.

Both approaches give you a strong strategic foundation for design decisions.

The key is knowing when to use which one, and having the confidence to offer both.

Most importantly, it creates a win-win for both you and your clients.

Your clients get a well-executed Strategic Brand Identity, even when they don't have the time, budget, or need for a full in-depth strategy.

And for you, it shows flexibility without sacrificing quality. You won’t feel locked into one rigid offering, and instead can present options based on what the client actually needs.

See you next Monday!

Abi 😊

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PS. If you want to learn how to integrate strategy into your brand identity projects (whether mini or full), check out the Strategic Brand Identity Lab to learn my exact process and gain insane level of clarity for your next project!