Defining your profile in the brand workshop

At the beginning of every strategic branding process is the question of the essence of the brand. Becoming aware of “who” and what the brand is, what it stands for, what it can promise and hold, and who its promises matter to is essential for top positioning. Admittedly, it is tempting to spread yourself. But who likes to eat a Chinese restaurant, that also makes pizza? If you try to please everyone, you will not create a clear picture, both figuratively and literally. Positioning is a key factor in brand design.

When it comes to perception, brands are comparable to humans: the way we see ourselves is often very different from the way people see us. However, reconciling the two perceptions is fundamental to branding in order to engage customers in a convincing way.

Effective and efficient – the brand workshop

An effective method for self-reflection is a brand workshop. For good reason, this format is a classic part of a branding process. A well-structured and professionally executed brand workshop has many advantages:

• Efficiency and goal orientation – the compressed, intensive examination of content without distraction by daily business leads to tangible results in a short time.
• Change of perspective – sparring partners from the outside, such as a branding agency, as well as the integration of suitable methods challenge one’s own perception.
• Identification potential – Involving employees in the process creates a sense of participation.
• Real Pitch Alternative – A brand workshop conducted with the agency partner is a veritable test for cooperation – in terms of content, processes, and culture. It creates a common understanding of tasks and goals – and thus an optimal basis for the brand design.
• Surprise – there is a lot to discover! More than you sometimes think yourself. Not infrequently you discover unrecognised pages of the brand and come together again in the discussion.

Brand workshop digital or on site in the studio

In a plenary session and in small groups, we work with our clients in one day on the basis of values, vision, mission, positioning, personae and mood board to develop the foundations for the brand profile. We offer our set-up both on-site in our studio and remotely as a digital format.

Beforehand, we get an overview of the documents provided by our clients: draft descriptions of target groups, information on product portfolio, strategy, competitors and others – the more input, the better. We supplement this with our research on the brand and market, as well as interviews with stakeholders.

Methods of our brand workshops

In both formats, we make use of a toolbox of suitable exercises from the facilitation method and design thinking, such as the following as examples:

When is a brand workshop useful

Regardless of size, age, industry or type of company: There are several scenarios for which the format is suitable, for example:

• Development of a brand design as part of starting a business or developing a new brand
• Further development or updating of a brand design
• Review or development of a brand architecture
• Structural changes within the company that require brand identification
• Relaunch of the website

Which questions the brand workshop can answer

In the workshop, we work out answers to basic questions that every company must ask itself in order to survive in the future, e.g:

Who should participate in the brand workshop

A brand workshop opens up the space to step back and look at the brand from a distance – from the perspective of the people you want to address. Therefore, diversity – both professional and hierarchical – is helpful in understanding the widest possible range of perspectives and generating many ideas. It can also create a different dynamic in the process, as it is more likely that people will work together as part of the workshop, which usually does not do that in everyday work. If possible, the circle of participants should not be too narrow and the group size should not be too small. In order for the results of the workshop to be subsequently put into practice, the decision-makers must in any case participate.

The result: a clearly defined brand profile

The goal of each of our workshops: gaining insights – and tangible results. We document the contents of the workshop in words and pictures and translate them into a brand profile and define the next steps in the branding process. The brand profile includes:

• Evaluation and definition of core brand values
• Formulation of a user promise
• Guiding star for brand management: mission and vision of the brand
• Brand Story: What story do I tell about the brand that customers identify with?
• Definition of the Tonality: How does the brand speak to its customers?

At the end of the day, the brand profile will provide you with the strategic basis for your corporate identity with which you can continue to work on brand strategy and branding. It will provide us an in depth briefing for the development of a tailor-made brand name and brand design that will meet your brand.

Helder brand workshop – Key data at a glance

• Duration: 6 hours (excluding preparation).
• Moderation: A team of brand strategy and brand design from Helder leads through the workshop.
• Room: The workshop takes place in our fully equipped studio in Berlin.
• Material: We provide all the materials needed for the workshop.
• Costs: The costs depend on the amount of preparation and follow-up work, which can vary depending on the project scope. We would be happy to make you a non-binding offer.