The 4P framework: a simpler approach to brand strategy
Build Mode™ Issue 04.2025
Hello and welcome to this issue of Build Mode, a monthly update with brand insights to help you level up your business. We have an ambitious group of professionals working in real estate, architecture, engineering, construction, marketing, design, and development. You all inspire me to keep sharing, so thank you for being here.
Haven’t subscribed yet? Consider joining us below and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox on the first of the month.They say the number 4 is linked to traits like practicality, reliability, and organization. Maybe it’s the musician in me, or the rationalist, or my obsessive organizational habits… in any case, as I’ve developed my own systems, series of 4 keep coming up again and again. To me, it just feels right, when three just isn’t enough, and five is clearly too many.
My brand guidelines have four essential sections.
My brand audits include the 4Cs of brand effectiveness.
My capabilities are structured into four phases.
There are only four ways to construct brand architecture.
And today, I’d like to share my 4P brand strategy framework.
What is brand strategy?
A brand strategy is an organizational structure that brings clarity to the internal principles of a brand to drive business forward. It’s not the same as a company’s mission, vision, or values. Those are foundational, but brand strategy is about alignment — how a brand places itself in the world, and in turn, how it presents itself to the world.
Some brands will publish their strategies for others to see, but the real purpose of a strategy is internal alignment. It’s about making sure everything the brand delivers externally — the messaging, the design, the way the brand engages — is aligned strategically first, so it feels cohesive and intentional.
Over the years, I’ve worked across different industries — consumer brands, real estate, architecture, hospitality, retail, investment firms—and I’ve seen a lot of different strategy models that have come in all shapes and sizes…
Pillars, pyramids, pie charts, egg-shaped concentric circles, swords and shields, hearts, keys… you name it. After seeing it all, and realizing not just how complicated it was, but how ludicrous! it all was, there had to be something better (I know clients aren’t buying any of the bullshit either).
So, I stripped it all down to the essentials. These are the four things that truly drive a brand and the components that make up my 4P brand strategy framework:
Purpose
People
Positioning
Personality
Let’s take a moment and break each of these down.
Purpose:
Making money is necessary, but it can’t be the reason a brand exists. There has to be something bigger — something people can believe in.
When I help define a brand’s purpose, I ask clients: Why are you here? What would the world lose if your brand disappeared tomorrow?
Purpose is what gives a brand meaning. It’s how it provides value, how it makes an impact. It’s why customers and clients connect on a deeper level — because people spend money with brands and businesses that align with their values.
Profit isn’t the goal.
Profit is the result of delivering on your purpose.
People:
Some call it 'target audience' or 'ideal customer persona.' I don’t like either of those. I just call them people — because that’s what they are. And it’s nice to see them for what they are, not targets to capture, or idealistic avatars of your perfect customer. They are real people you’re trying to reach.
And here’s something you don't want to hear: You are not for everyone.
Too many brands try to appeal to anyone when they should be focused on someone. To find your ‘people,’ you have to ask: Who is this for?
This goes beyond basic demographics like age and income. The real power is in understanding their psychographics — their values, their behaviors, their emotions. What do they care about? What other brands do they love? What role does your brand play in their lives?
When you know your people, you don’t just sell them a product — you speak to them. You make them feel understood. That’s what builds real connections.
Position:
To stand out, you have to answer one question: What makes you different?
And to do that, you need to know who you’re different from. That doesn’t mean obsessing over other industry players, but it does mean having awareness of how they operate. If you don’t know how others in your space are showing up, you might unknowingly blend right in.
Your position in the market is what you become known for. It’s how your audience immediately recognizes you as distinct from the rest. And when your positioning is clear, every brand decision — messaging, design, marketing — flows through it.
Personality:
Think of your brand as a person.
The way you dress? That’s your visual identity.
The way you speak? That’s your brand voice.
The way you act? That’s your brand behavior.
Personifying brands like this helps give you a unique character and a well-defined personality makes a brand feel alive — like something people can connect with, trust, and recognize instantly. When a brand’s personality is strong, it can show up in any context and still feel like itself.
Why is brand strategy important?
Each of these four components plays a crucial role in crystallizing a business’s vision and channeling it into a strong brand identity and market presence.
I see this a lot in the real estate brands I work with. On a product-level, there’s very little that distinguishes most real estate — products in the same market have similar finish, similar floor plans, similar demographics buying the product. So why do some succeed while others struggle?
Because brand is the difference between blending in and standing out.
A potential buyer might not immediately see what makes one property different from another. But when a brand strategy is in place — when there’s a clear purpose, a strong position, a distinct personality, and a deep understanding of its people — that’s what creates an irresistible offer. It turns a product into a brand.
And with a strong brand strategy…
Brand identity is easier.
Marketing is easier.
Sales are easier.
Operations are easier.
Everything that follows is easier.
What you can do nextHow to start a brand strategy
Now that you know the framework for writing a brand strategy and why it matters, the next step is application. How do you start building your own 4P brand strategy?
Developing a solid brand strategy takes time — research, workshops, conversations, insights, analysis. But really, it boils down to asking yourself these four key questions:
Why do you exist? (Purpose)
Who are you for? (People)
What makes you different? (Positioning)
What are you like? (Personality)
1. Why do we exist?
Ask yourself: Why do we exist beyond making money? What change do we want to create in the world? If you struggle to answer this, talk to your people. Listen to why they choose your brand — it might reveal deeper motivations you hadn’t considered.
2. Who are we for?
Instead of saying “our brand is for anyone,” narrow it down. Define your people beyond basic demographics. What do they value? What are their struggles? What brands do they already love? What kind of person will really connect with your product or service? This will help you craft messages that truly connect.
For more, check out this issue of Build Mode on people.
3. What makes us different?
Make a list of other industry players. How do they describe themselves? What do they emphasize? Now, compare that to your brand. What do you offer that they don’t? This differentiation should be at the core of your external expression.
For more, check out this issue of Build Mode on brand position.
4. What are we like?
Define up to five characteristics that describe your brand’s personality. Then, audit your current marketing materials — does your visual identity and tone of voice reflect these traits? If not, it might be time to adjust.
For more, check out this issue of Build Mode on brand personality.
5. Finally, summarize.
A well-defined brand strategy should be written down succinctly. Create a one-page summary of your 4 P’s — Purpose, People, Position, and Personality. Share it with your team, and make sure everyone who represents your brand understands it.
Without clarity on these, brand expression becomes guesswork. It turns into an exercise in just ‘making things pretty’ instead of making them effective.
So if you’re building a brand — for your organization or a product or asset — consider brand strategy a prerequisite. A strong foundation makes everything else easier.
That’s all for this edition of Build Mode! If this resonated with you and you think it might help others, feel free to forward it to a colleague. And if you want to discuss brand strategy, get in touch — I’d love to hear from you.
Best.
Kenny Isidoro
See my latest on Instagram, LinkedIn, or feel free to book a call.
Make everything as simple as possible, but not any simpler.
— Albert Einstein
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