When Corporate and Brand Strategies Fall Out of Step

Efram Lebovits, Laura Richard — December 8, 2025

Every organization aspires to move toward the direction and goals set out by its strategy. But intent alone is not enough. The market judges an organization by how that strategy is experienced. When brand and corporate strategy are misaligned, the result is a company that says one thing and delivers another. Customers feel it. Employees sense it. And over time, confidence fades. Yet, Level5’s research shows only 7% of leaders consider alignment between corporate and brand strategy a top priority, a gap that reveals just how easily this critical connection is overlooked. Bringing these ideas together helps organizations develop and deliver strategies that stick.

Corporate strategy defines how the organization creates value and succeeds. It sets the direction, choices, and priorities that guide the business forward. Brand strategy defines who the organization will target and how it will position, communicate and deliver its unique competitive advantage to win with target audiences.

A side-to-side image comparison of what happens when brand and corporate strategy is aligned, and when they are not aligned, illustrated in puzzle pieces together, and not together.

Typically, brand and corporate strategy fall out of step for three key reasons. If you can recognize those reasons, you can guard against them and ensure the brand your stakeholders experience truly reflects your strategic direction.

Reason #1: A Misunderstanding of What Brand Really Means

The cause of misalignment between brand strategy and corporate strategy is rarely neglect; it’s often a misunderstanding of what brand really means. Too often, brand is considered a function of Marketing: logos, colours, and campaigns. In reality, brand is something much broader and much deeper: it’s both the promise the organization communicates to its stakeholders, and the actions it takes to keep its promise through every decision and interaction. In short, brand is a promise consistently kept.

The fix: Redefine how your company thinks about brand. Consider brand as the embodiment of how the market experiences your organization, and in turn, your strategy. When your corporate strategy prioritizes efforts that strengthen and reinforce your brand promise, the two efforts are in lockstep. For instance, TD has historically positioned itself around easy banking. It delivers on this through its highly rated mobile app, extended branch hours, and cross-border banking options that make managing money simple and accessible in daily life. These are initiatives that would have needed to be prioritized and resourced in the organization’s corporate strategy. If strategic initiatives seem to run afoul of it’s brand promise and customer experience, organizations must look to bring them back into sync.

Reason #2: Fragmented Ownership Across Leadership

Many organizations believe that Marketing is in charge of the brand, yet in reality accountability is fragmented across departments. Siloed functions like HR, Operations, and Marketing each make decisions that shape how the brand is experienced, but rarely work in concert toward a shared vision. The result is a company that appears unified on the surface but delivers inconsistently in practice.

The fix: A cohesive brand strategy emerges when the CEO owns the brand, and every function understands its role in bringing the brand to life. HR shapes the employee experience, Operations ensures consistent delivery, and Marketing tells the story. By mapping how each leader’s responsibilities contribute to the brand, organizations can turn fragmented ownership into collective accountability. When organizations build their corporate strategies, it is important to consider the promise being made in the market and vice versa; when developing a brand strategy, leaders should consider the corporate priorities that are shaping the organization’s direction.

Reason #3: Treating Alignment as a One-Off Activity

The relationship between brand and corporate strategy is like a dance – each move shapes and responds to the other. Yet many organizations treat alignment between the two as a one-time exercise. In today’s fast-changing environment, that approach quickly becomes outdated.

The fix: Make alignment dynamic. As mentioned, brand strategy should be reflected within corporate strategy and revisited during annual planning cycles, when priorities shift, or when new opportunities emerge. This will ensure that alignment is top of mind strategically, and it will consistently be a priority through to execution. Alignment isn’t a project with an end date, it’s a continuous process of collaboration, communication, and recalibration.

Conclusion

When corporate and brand strategy move in sync, organizations live the compelling story they tell.

Redefine what brand means in your context.
Clarify shared ownership across leadership.
Keep the connection between brand and corporate strategy alive as the business evolves.

When done well, the result is greater clarity, credibility, and a brand that consistently supports and powers an organization’s corporate strategy and direction.

At Level5 Strategy, an award-winning boutique management consulting firm trusted by leading organizations, we help businesses navigate challenges in strategy execution with the right tools and insights. Whether you’re exploring our unique approach to brand strategy or looking to learn more about corporate strategy and strategic planning, our experienced team delivers the solutions and hands-on support needed to drive lasting success. For more expert perspectives on strategy execution, explore our latest thinking or connect with our team.

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