Risks

• Brand strategy is at the core of a business’s uniqueness, purpose, and culture. Without an investment in brand strategy, the organization risks a loss in quality or performance in all areas, from strategic planning to marketing & sales to operations.
• Ineffective brand strategy impacts strategic planning because investment decisions and resource allocation may be compromised. Brand strategy requires internal research and evaluation to clarify organizational goals so that business decisions–product development, capital investment, external transactions, etc.–are driven by sound principle and not just by economic analysis.
• If a company’s positioning, marketing, sales and communication efforts are not governed by brand strategy, poor decisions will be made with negative outcomes that may range from the tacky (poorly rendered materials that look unprofessional or outdated) to the severe (salespeople making promises that operational people cannot keep). 
• Organizations without strong brand strategy run the danger of being ironic to consumers if the expectation of a brand does not match its delivery. For example: Would you hire a digital communications agency whose website was not mobile-friendly?
• Good brand strategy requires systems whose purpose is to engage and gather input from customers. In the absence of these communication tools, complaints will be left unknown, broken promises will fester, and ideas for new products will go unheeded.

Opportunities

• Brand strategy leverages innovation.  A rigorous product development process is the product of a commitment to brand strategy.  Brand strategy emphasizes architecting, documenting and road-mapping products. These strategies ensure an effective pipeline of product research, and innovative features and benefits that are aligned to the brand identity and the brand promise.
• Brand strategy improves the effectiveness of marketing and sales efforts.  Messages are singular, coherent and have impact across all media and channels.
• Brand strategy increases goodwill (an intangible, salable asset arising from the reputation of a business and its relations with its customers). In certain industries revenue is a direct result of a successful brand strategy, for example, when revenue is generated through licensing, distribution, franchising, or patent transactions.
• An effective brand strategy includes training.  Through training, informed employees are not only more compliant to brand guidelines but also more likely to contribute ideas, take pride in a positive corporate culture, and support marketing and sales efforts.