We once surveyed Boardwalk’s clients to find out what was the one, most valuable thing they gained from working with us. The answer? Clarity. They could see their businesses, for the first time, through the eyes of their customers and clients. They understood, finally, how their markets wanted to relate to them, how their businesses were expected to behave. This clarity afforded them a singular vision of what each business could – should – be. In turn, that vision could be shared with everyone in the company. “This is the ideal us. This is who we aim to be everyday. This is our North Star.” In this sense, a clear brand strategy is a powerful management tool. It gives everyone in the business a quick and easy-to-grasp concept of what the company’s purpose and mission is. Everyone gets the company’s positioning. Everyone starts rowing in the same direction. But the brand strategy is not solely an inward-facing tool. Customers, suppliers, financiers – every constituency in your market – all see the same North Star and how your business is striving toward it. They judge your brand by its choice of North Star and by how devoted your company is to following it.