Why branding should come before marketing spend

Distribution is not a substitute for a point of view. When a brand hasn't decided what it stands for, campaigns end up describing features because there's nothing sharper to say.

Positioning is a set of decisions: who you're for, what you replace, and what you refuse to do. Those decisions make every later choice — creative, channel, pricing — faster.

An identity system is how that decision travels. Type, colour, tone and layout should make your work recognisable before anyone reads the logo.

The practical test: can a new team member write an on-brand post without asking? If not, the brand isn't documented well enough yet.