The goal of this phase is to lay the foundation for making the decisions that we will have to take when developing the new brand and its applications. The foundation will be based on insights from[client´s name] business/market strategy, value propositions, competitive landscape and more. Depending on the material from[client´s name], this work is usually a combination of workshops, interviews and desktop research - and should be a compressed and intensive process.
This foundation will then guide key strategic choices for the new brand and how we are going to communicate/sell it.
a. Understanding the company, products and target audience
Before we create, we must understand. This analytical part of the process, is to create an understanding of the basis for the new brand and applications. Some of things we need to address is;
How is the brand perceived today compared to competitors in the market, and what is the goal for the new brand?
What is your company and products bringing to the market?
What is the vision, values and business goals for your company and its products?
Who is your prioritized target audience and what value are you bringing to them?
How does[client´s name] work with distribution and marketing, and how can the new website support that?
Based on moodboard - how does this influence the direction for the new brand?
b. Defining brand strategy
Based on the analysis we formulate and agree on the strategic fundament for the brand. This is usually done through workshops using strategic tools and discussions. Typical strategic clarifications is related to;
Creating a brand hierarchy and naming strategy
Positioning of company and its brands/offering/products
Develop a brand platform for external and internal users
External: Value Proposition / Personality / Tone of voice
Internal: Values / Mission /Vision
Define necessary brand elements to support the brand(short and long written description, keywords, and visual elements that help to articulate the core attributes of the brand).
Tools
Workshop with stakeholders
Stakeholders insights
Customer research
Market/Competitive review
Benchmark/Best practice analysis
Brand platform(tool → Thiago)
Deliverables
Brand foundation with research
Brand strategy & platform
2. Brand concept and exploration
Objectives:
The goal of this phase is to find a concept for the new brand. This is a creative process where we use an established framework to explore and iterate various directions that can realize the strategy. The objective is to choose one direction for the new brand in this phase - including logos and identity elements, tested on key applications.
Explore concept
Exploration of inspiration: mood boards, visuals, typography, illustrations
Concept development: articulating different directions to realize the strategy
Sketching 2-3 direction for logo and visual expression
Presentation and review 2-3 logo directions
Identity refinements:
Refinement of selected direction(s)
Creating contextual applications for chosen identity, that include examples of various applications
1. Brand foundation & Strategy
a. Understanding the company, products and target audience
b. Defining brand strategy
2. Brand concept and exploration
Explore concept