Part 1 Brand audit and research
Before a branding or rebranding project can begin it is essential to take stock of what assets you already have and gauge their appropriateness in positively positioning and differentiating your product or service. To do this questions need to be asked; questions about the relationship of the brand to the organisational vision, how it is coping with the competition, visibility and position in the market place, its fit with its strategy, internal understanding and more. A brand audit will assess the brand in relation to the business, the competition, the environment, its audiences and how it expresses itself visually.
For larger projects this may involve in-depth interviews with existing or potential customers, staff and other stakeholders, examination of the competitions' positioning and developing a full understanding of the relevant business issues. For smaller ones the information gathering may be selective towards more budget appropriate techniques.
Part 2 Brand strategy
The results of the brand audit will influence the brand strategy; its main part being a description of the brand in words. A kind of brand blueprint.
In short it articulates what the relationship is with an organisation's goals and its broader objectives with other business disciplines and provides a framework that supports the brand's relationship with its external audiences.
To some this may sound a little dry but it is actually a creative process that requires the right balance between imagination and business nouse.
Part 3 Brand design
The brand design part is the sexy bit of the process that requires less in the way of explanation. Once the audit and the strategy are agreed upon it is time to start by pulling together options on photography, illustration, language, typography, colours that are in line with the brand strategy. If appropriate, ideas around logos and/or naming will be considered. Demonstrating these on a handful of key applications crucial to your communications strategy will help you to see the elements working together and communicating your brand coherently.
Part 4 Delivery
Once the brand design part is agreed and finished its time to roll it out. This is the time to apply the brand elements to sharp, compelling and focussed communications through targeted channels to make your brand resonate coherently and effectively with your market. It is also the opportunity to have all of the above placed in a document to act as your brand reference tool.
Before a branding or rebranding project can begin it is essential to take stock of what assets you already have and gauge their appropriateness in positively positioning and differentiating your product or service. To do this questions need to be asked; questions about the relationship of the brand to the organisational vision, how it is coping with the competition, visibility and position in the market place, its fit with its strategy, internal understanding and more. A brand audit will assess the brand in relation to the business, the competition, the environment, its audiences and how it expresses itself visually.
For larger projects this may involve in-depth interviews with existing or potential customers, staff and other stakeholders, examination of the competitions' positioning and developing a full understanding of the relevant business issues. For smaller ones the information gathering may be selective towards more budget appropriate techniques.
Part 2 Brand strategy
The results of the brand audit will influence the brand strategy; its main part being a description of the brand in words. A kind of brand blueprint.
In short it articulates what the relationship is with an organisation's goals and its broader objectives with other business disciplines and provides a framework that supports the brand's relationship with its external audiences.
To some this may sound a little dry but it is actually a creative process that requires the right balance between imagination and business nouse.
Part 3 Brand design
The brand design part is the sexy bit of the process that requires less in the way of explanation. Once the audit and the strategy are agreed upon it is time to start by pulling together options on photography, illustration, language, typography, colours that are in line with the brand strategy. If appropriate, ideas around logos and/or naming will be considered. Demonstrating these on a handful of key applications crucial to your communications strategy will help you to see the elements working together and communicating your brand coherently.
Part 4 Delivery
Once the brand design part is agreed and finished its time to roll it out. This is the time to apply the brand elements to sharp, compelling and focussed communications through targeted channels to make your brand resonate coherently and effectively with your market. It is also the opportunity to have all of the above placed in a document to act as your brand reference tool.
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