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Brand Creation Begins With Discovery

Brand Creation Begins With Discovery

 

Successful brands aren’t created from thin air. They are rooted in the vision of the people in your company, which means that research and discovery are the first step.

Branding goes beyond a logo or a tagline. It is everything that your company or product is, everything it does, and everything it stands for.

So quantifying and personifying that brand is not a process to be taken lightly. It needs to start with examining who you really are and who you are in the minds of both internal and external audiences.

Find a full description of all six steps involved in your brand to life in our free ebook Six Steps to Creating Enviable Brands.

Internal brand discovery

Discovery begins internally, and should gather input from all levels in your company, from the top on down.

1. Executives

Begin with in-depth conversations with top executives, individually or as a team. Ask them to provide their vision of the company, its products, and how it serves it customers.

Ask what each individual thinks the company stands for, how it benefits customers, and how it stands apart from the competition. Take time as a group to define the company’s offerings, how they are provided, and what problems you solve for your customers.

2. Department roundtables

From the C-suite, move on to roundtable meetings with each department: marketing, sales, product development, and customer service.

Each role in the company will have a unique perspective on the company and its products. Look for the commonalities and listen to the stories each perspective brings that build a complete picture of your company and brand.

External brand discovery

Discovery should also include getting input from the people who matter most: customers and prospects. They view your brand from the outside.

1. Customers

Discovery with customers could include individual meetings with valued customers, especially if your brand is a B2B company or is based on long-term relationships. Other brands may choose to use surveys or focus groups asking customers about their current impressions of your company, products and brand position.

Ask them to consider why they chose your company, what makes your company different from its competitors, and what problems you have solved for them.

2. Prospects

While talking with existing customers tells you why they chose you, it is just as important to speak with prospects who are either still making a decision or have chosen a different solution. What was missing from your company? Do they have a positive, negative or neutral impression of your brand? Why doesn’t your brand appeal to them?

3. Media & analysts

It is also important to see what others are saying about your company and brand. Media audits and conversations with industry analysts can give you a perspective on how the general public (which could include prospective customers, investors, lenders and others) view your company. See how top brands have put audits to use in their branding and marketing strategies in this case study—Best Practices: Media, Messaging & Marketing Audits.


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As you complete your discovery, expect to hear a number of different stories. Often, what people in a company think they do is different from what customers think they do.

Your internal and external discovery is just the start.

Creating a winning brand means taking what you learn there and going on through 5 more steps:

  • Competitive audit

  • Data compilation

  • Opportunity assessment

  • Conception & review

  • Brand delivery

You’ll find more details on each of those steps, together with success stories from JONES partners, in Six Steps to Creating Enviable Brands. Download it now to start the path toward revitalizing your brand.

6 Steps To Creating Enviable Brands

Download our guide 6 Steps to Creating Enviable Brands to learn the crucial steps you should follow to create an enviable brand for your company.

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