Ep 42. How to Theme Your Brand With Purpose (Theming Part 1)
Nourish Your Brand · Episode 42
Here's something I don't admit often: I created a theme before I had a plan. I leaned hard into the food theme years ago, renamed my offers, used food analogies, even mocked up passion projects with food brands, and thought "I'm so clever, this niche will love me."
Spoiler: it didn't work, not at first. Today is part one of a theming series, and it's about why that happens and what to do instead. Let's get into it.
A theme needs a job
Theming is fun. It feels like a shortcut to standing out, something that makes your brand look clever. Here's what I see all the time: you pick a theme you like, build a palette, maybe book a mini photoshoot, and it looks good.
But you're still explaining what you do, still tweaking your sales page, and people still ask "wait, do you still offer that thing?" Your theme was meant to bring clarity, but it added to the confusion.
It's not because your theme was bad. It's because your theme didn't have a job. It was clever, but it didn't help people understand who you are, what you offer, or why they should work with you.
When I themed wrong
When I first went all in on food, I assumed the theme meant I should niche into the food industry. I renamed my services, designed restaurant brands for fun, showed up at food networking events. I was proud of it.
But food businesses weren't reaching out (I wasn't part of that world), my existing audience thought I'd stopped working with them, and everyone was confused about what I actually did. I felt like I was constantly catching people up.
It wasn't the wrong theme, it was that I'd chosen the wrong goal for it. I assumed a food theme meant niching into food, and it boxed me in. (I tell the fuller version of this story in Episode 29)
The shift: positioning, not niching
I loved the theme too much to drop it, so I paused and asked what I actually wanted it to do. The answer: not define who I worked with, but express how I work, how I see branding and make it more digestible and fun. So I stopped forcing myself into a niche and started using the food lens to explain, not exclude. People started saying "I love the way you explain branding, it finally makes sense," and "you're the one with the food-themed brand, right?"
My theme didn't limit me, it highlighted me, once I used it as a communication tool, not a glossy lick of paint.
What makes a theme strategic
When I help clients land a theme, we walk through a few things: What's your goal, what are you actually trying to move the needle on (recognition, clearer messaging, sales)? What does your audience want, so the theme connects emotionally? What lights you up, so it never feels forced and you'll actually use it? And what story are you telling, so the theme aligns with your message and becomes a shortcut for people to get you.
A theme doesn't work because it's clever. It works because it's functional.
Ask yourself this week
Does your theme have an actual job, or is it just decoration?
Have you accidentally let your theme define who you work with instead of how you work?
If you turned the theme up across your content and visuals, would it make you more memorable, or more confusing?
Where to go from here
When you theme with intention, you look more cohesive and feel more confident, and your audience connects. If you want a theme that actually does something, come join my free Knead a Theme challenge, where we shape a theme grounded in strategy. And when you're ready to brand your business and offer together, that's my Brand Chef's Special. Next up, part two: standing out from the competition.
Related episodes
Ep 43: How theming helps you stand out from the competition (Theming Part 2)
Ep 44: 3 signs your branding problem is actually a theming problem (Theming Part 3)
Ep 29: How theming transformed my brand (and can transform yours)
Resources mentioned
Knead a Theme challenge – my free challenge to shape a theme grounded in strategy
Brand Chef's Special – branding your business and offer in a 14-day experience
The Spread – my email newsletter, with new episodes straight to your inbox
Here's More…
Why isn't my brand theme working? Usually because it doesn't have a job. A theme that's clever but purposeless adds confusion instead of clarity. It works when it's functional, helping people understand who you are and why to choose you.
Should my theme define my niche? No, and that was my mistake. Let your theme express how you work, not dictate who you work with. Used as a communication tool, it highlights you instead of boxing you in.
How do I make my theme strategic? Start with a goal for it, make sure it connects with your audience, choose something that lights you up so you'll actually use it, and align it with your brand story. My free Knead a Theme challenge walks you through exactly this.
About the host
I'm Aiza, the brand chef behind Studio Coya, a branding studio with a food-themed twist. I help established coaches, creators and service providers brand their signature offers so their best work looks as good as it actually is, and sells like hotcakes.
