Brand communications is a term that has a lot of muddy water. What is it? How do you do it well? Why does it matter? 

76% of consumers would rather buy from a brand they feel connected to than its competitor. So, how do you create that connection? Enter brand communications.

When it comes to branding, there’s a lot of noise to cut through. And how you interact with your audience (through your brand communications) matters. The right brand communications can turn your prospects into adoring customers and your customers into raving fans.

Think of this article as your complete guide on everything brand comms. We’ll talk about what it means, why it’s essential, and most importantly, how to do it well.

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So, what are brand communications?

First things first - what does brand communications actually mean?

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Essentially, it’s how companies (no matter whether you’re a small start-up or global corporation like Coca-Cola) show their personality, mission, goals, and values and shape their brand identity. It’s how customers perceive you and what makes them think of you when they need a product or service you’re selling. 

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Every interaction on every channel, from media relations to marketing campaigns to television commercials, covers a wide combination of activities that help convey your brand’s message across various channels. So whether it’s through advertising, marketing, or DMs, makes up our brand communications. So that’s why every interaction needs to be spot on.

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Why do brand communications matter?

Think of your favourite brand and ask the question - why do I love them?

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Maybe they share your values, or their experiences resonate with you. Sure, you probably also like what they sell, but you only know about these products through how the brand interacts with its community. But everything that the brand communicates, from their logos on your favourite store shelf to iconic television commercials and brand storytelling - they strike a chord with you. 

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You could have the best product in the world, but if you don’t communicate that properly, no one will ever know. Think of your brand like a relationship. A strong brand communication strategy is key to making that relationship stronger. They’re crucial for building customer loyalty and growing market share, especially in an increasingly competitive digital media landscape. So keep communication consistent and strong - don’t be like your ex…

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Effective brand communications will help you:

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Stand out
Often, it can feel like companies are all saying the same thing. Brand communications help you swim against the current of your competitors to truly connect with and engage your target audience time and time again.

Stay consistent
Your customers need to know instantly that your messaging is you. While your brand’s tone will change across channels depending on who you’re speaking to, your voice should remain authentically the same.

Build a fanbase
If people have a positive experience with your brand, they’ll come back. And if you communicate with them in the right way, they’ll remember you. When people know what you stand for, you’ll find the ones who’ll stick around.

Be authoritative
You want to be the go-to for anyone buying in your niche. The Google of search engines. The Hoover of vacuum cleaners. The Doritos of tortilla chips. A consistent brand presence helps people recognise you, and communications build credibility and authority, which increases brand awareness and ROI.

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But it’s not just about selling your services; it’s about creating loyal, repeat customers. Brand communications stick when you communicate your brand messages in a way that makes people feel something and engage. We’re talking about billboards that make you double-take in the street, social media posts that give your thumb a rest, or emails that actually get opened.

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So, how do you get really f*ing good brand communications? 

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With a solid strategy.

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What is a brand communications strategy?

We’ve established that communication is essential, but you can’t be talking to everyone everywhere about everything. Strategic brand communications get your messaging to the right people in the right places and explain why you’re saying what you’re saying.

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Rather than flooding all social media platforms or churning out random content, everything you put out should be:

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Intentional
Know where your audience is and what type of content you need to engage with them.

Creative
People can be exposed to up to 10,000 adverts per day. How will yours stand out?

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Data-driven
Brand communications are a blend of creativity and science. Don’t forget to back up your ideas with metrics.

Flexible
You need different tones for different communication channels. Never copy and paste the same content.

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Strategic brand communications come from knowledge, market research, and expertise to create a brand communications plan that cuts through. And if you’re not sure how to do this, don’t panic - we’ve got you here, too!

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5-step guide to your brand communication plan

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1. Set clear brand goals

What is your purpose? Do you want to launch a product? Enter a new market? Build a following? Your brand communication plan needs specific goals tied to your marketing strategy.

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2. Define your target audience‍

And get to know them inside out. Use quantitative and qualitative data to build detailed personas. What platforms are they on? What do they value? Where do they spend their time? What are their pain points, and how does your product solve them? Think in detail and think attitudinally. What are the attitudes and sentiments my audience has? We can’t tell you the number of times we’ve seen brands focus on traditional demographic analysis (e.g., targeting 18-30-year-old women) only for it to fall flat because that demographic is made up of a myriad of lived experiences and varying attitudes. 

3. Develop your messaging

Once you know what you’re aiming for, you need the messaging that gets you there. Create this based on your brand values, unique selling proposition (USP), and how you solve customer problems. Keep your brand messaging consistent, clear, and authentic. Don’t forget the power of user-generated content - whether that’s reviews, testimonials, or social media shout-outs. These touchpoints can serve as a tool for developing your message. 

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4. Plan content

It’s impossible (and unnecessary) to be everywhere. Pick digital and IRL channels that work for your brand and your audience. Think about where your content fits into the customer journey - are you building awareness, sparking interest, or driving action? Each part of the journey may require different tools and best practices. 

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Develop the right content and activations such as advertising campaigns, digital marketing campaigns, social media posts, email marketing, and other communications that flex across formats. Plus, ensure your current content is good too - there’s no point building an ad campaign that links to your website if your site isn’t converting! Remember, if you want a loyal audience, you must be consistent.

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5. Measure and adapt 

Track engagement, impressions, conversions, and ROI. Tools like analytics cookies have traditionally helped brands understand how users interact with their site and what content performs best. But with growing privacy concerns, evolving cookie settings, and cookie deprecation on the rise, brands need to think beyond traditional tracking methods. With many users adjusting their cookie settings or opting out of essential cookies, brands face new challenges when trying to track behaviour accurately. 

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First-party data, strong brand recall, and genuinely engaging content are becoming more important than ever. Run A/B tests, collect feedback, and keep refining. Find out what’s working, and put your budget into that. Anything that flops? Cut it. Every market has its own specific challenges — your job is to test, iterate, and keep improving.

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Cull the cookie-cutter approach

When it comes to brand communications, one size definitely does not fit all. In 2025, everyone has something to say. A constant bombardment of TikToks, tube ads, flashing billboards, emails, and so much more means our brains are in constant overdrive. Eventually, we put the blinkers up from consumerism fatigue. 

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The rise of AI-generated content means it's harder than ever for companies to genuinely connect with potential customers. Chat GPT is churning out content faster than we can read it, but unsurprisingly, most of it is pretty meh. As a brand communications agency, we do use AI, but we use it as a tool to draft content outlines, come up with ideas, or do other time-saving tasks. With so much of the same wishy-washy AI shit out there, unique, creative and human content is more important than ever. It’s what you need to stand out. The key is to stand out with creative, relevant, and authentic content — and that means ditching traditional media channels when they no longer serve your strategy.

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At I Am Female, we know how to create content that gets you noticed. As a queer-led, women-powered agency, we encourage our clients to be more inclusive but also more interesting. No offence to Chad, but the straight cis white male agency powerhouse has kind of run its course. Creativity comes from everywhere, and diverse communities bring broader perspectives, authentic stories, and fresh ideas. If you want a brand communications agency that doesn’t look like the cast of Mad Men (and gets results!), we’re your gals. 

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Communications in action

We’ve worked with brands across many industries to push the boundaries of what’s possible in their brand communications. Here are some real-world examples you can take inspo from. 

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Bed Head

Bed Head needed packaging for their new products that worked harder and gave that all-important edge. We’ve collaborated with Bed Head for nearly 10 years, and we worked with them on their full rebrand, creating 2D, 3D, and graphic design. We brought our creativity and expertise into brainstorming sessions to fully understand the brand and create designs that resonated with them and their audience.

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We developed a brand strategy for 2025 and beyond, setting them up for future success. We executed each element meticulously, reinforcing their trust in us as their go-to partner.

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Brainlabs

As one of the UK’s top digital agencies, Brainlabs needed content that reflected their influence in the industry. We worked with them from 2021 to 2024 to increase website traffic, boost engagement, and maximise ROI. We identified content gaps and developed industry reports, SEO-optimised blogs, and newsletters that clearly communicated their message.

Our thought leadership approach delivered some of their top-performing content that brought in over 50,000 new visitors over four years. With one report alone attracting 150 quality leads from high-value readers.

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Matchstick Creative

Matchstick had the creativity but needed the direction to get their brand up to speed. We acted as their creative partner to develop a new brand identity that felt real, intentional, and aligned with their mission. We immersed ourselves in Matchstick’s world with workshops and internal sessions to understand every part of their business.

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We developed the central symbol of the new brand, their flame icon, representing energy, connection, and transformation. We brought this idea to life through a complete set of brand assets, visual styles, and layout systems. The result is a brand that is clear, confident, and positioned for long-term strategy and growth.

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Improve your brand communications today

Need to up your communication game now? If you already have a plan in place, but it’s a little lacking, remember - consistency, relatability, and creativity are all key.

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You don’t need the biggest budget to make an impact. You need to truly understand your brand, your messaging, your target audience, and your goals. Don’t lose sight of who you are and what your brand stands for. There are too many boring brand comms in the world - don’t add to the beige

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At I Am Female, we’re sick of basic brand comms.

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We’re here to help you real brand communication strategies that make your audience actually feel something. Whether you're looking to rethink the way you communicate your product or services, empower your current comms work, or just get expert input, we’ll guide you through every step.

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Find out how we can help your brand connect with your customers and boost your ROI. Drop us a line here.

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