Welcome back to Branding Step by Step. We left off late last year talking about finding the right partner. Today we are talking about Building a Detailed Blueprint.
At the beginning of the process, take the time to work out a documented scope of work with your branding partner. What you expect, what they expect, projected timelines, costs and objectives. The clearer this document is, the better chance that goals will be achieved and miscommunication will occur along the way. Build in a process for regular check-ins to make sure everyone is still on track, budgets are maintained and objectives are met.
The process of rebranding is far more about understanding who you are, what you do, where your value in the marketplace is and what makes you unique than anything else.
Invest the time at the beginning of the process to get it right!
We call the process “Insight and Discovery.” It is the process of truly getting to know the client and the client getting to know themselves. It is amazing how many companies, large and small, do not realize the “disconnect” between what they think their company is about and what their employees and customers think.
A good, simple way to test this is to develop different focus groups. Ask a series of questions about what people believe the company stands for, what the culture is, its value in the market place and its vision.
If you compare these focus groups and realize that the answers between them are significantly different, you have a great starting point to begin the process.
Insight and Discovery takes teams through the process to realize what the company IS REALLY ABOUT. What the values are, what the vision is and how they are different from their competition in the marketplace. Without this critical information, rebranding becomes nearly impossible to do.
PLEASE NOTE: This process can take anywhere from a weekend retreat for a small company to several weeks and months for larger corporations. It can be arduous; however it is necessary to move the process forward.
The next step in the process is Defining and Naming the Brand. Tune in Jan 6 2016 to see how “Insight and Discovery” help move the process forward.