Know what the brand really stands for
Clear differentiation from the competition is essential for every brand – B2B as well as B2C – to operate successfully in the market.
In our brand workshop, we develop the tools you need to effectively differentiate the brand and manage it internally and externally:
A clear definition of what the brand and its services really stand for, for which target groups they are relevant, and how to reach the target group.
Brands for which we have created clarity
Community, tech and lifestyle brands that we had the pleasure of supporting with our brand workshops
Why brands need a clear identity
The days when product or service quality alone prevailed in the long term are a thing of the past. Every year, tens of thousands of trademarks are registered in Germany alone. In 2020, there were 89,442 new registrations despite the pandemic. That’s 13.5% more than the year before.
Considering the immense choice, it is vital to position oneself clearly and to communicate what the brand really stands for. Therefore, for a cutting-edge positioning and branding that appeals to the right people, it is essential to develop a differentiated value proposition, the redeemable promise and an unmistakable target group approach.
Admittedly, it’s tempting to go broad because you don’t want to exclude any target group. On the other hand, who likes to go out for pizza at an Asian restaurant? If you try to please everyone, you won’t create a clear image, figuratively or literally.
Workshop result: the brand in a nutshell
We document the contents from the workshop in words and pictures and formulate them. The result is a brand frame for the positioning, the brand design and the storytelling of the brand.
Brand core, brand values
Clear definition of what the brand stands for.
Brand Purpose
Memorable statement of why the brand is in the world.
Golden Circle
Articulation of why, how and what the brand offers.
Brand Vision
Memorable statement, what the brand is striving for.
Definition of target demo
Using sinus milieus and buyer personae to show to whom the brand speaks.
Brand Mission
A tangible statement of added value for customers.
Brand Story
Narrative of the brand that can be transferred to all touchpoints.
Tonality
Definition of a tonality with which the target group identifies.
Three steps to a clear brand identity
1. Book Brand Workshop
You define your goals, we take care of space, framework and structure.
2. Define your brand identity
In this one-day workshop, we clarify co-creatively what your brand really stands for.
3. Communicate consistently
With the brand frame, you communicate quite consistently: at all touchpoints, internally and externally.
Schedule a consultation
Let’s talk about your brand
Advantages of a workshop and brand frame
- Efficiency: The compressed, intensive examination of content without distraction by day-to-day business leads to concrete results in a short time.
- Change of perspective: As an external sparring partner, we challenge self-perception and make it possible to view the brand from the customer’s point of view.
- Enthusiasm: There is more to the brand than is perceived in daily business. It is not uncommon to discover unrecognized sides of the brand or to rediscover the power of the brand together.
- Participation: Involving employees in the process strengthens identification with the brand and creates multipliers.
- Orientation: A brand frame offers orientation in day-to-day business and facilitates strategic decisions through guard rails. It is a blueprint for brand communication.
- Pitch alternative: A brand workshop is a good test for our collaboration – in terms of content, expertise, culture and personality. It creates a common understanding of tasks and goals – and thus an optimal basis for the right brand design.
How we create clarity in the brand workshop
Together with our clients, we develop values, purpose, positioning, product vision and look & feel of the brand in one day. The set-up: Depending on the location, we offer both on-site in our studio and remotely as a digital format.
Presentation of Analyse
Research results on brand, market participants, target groups and initial impulses.
Brand Values
The brand balues that the brand stands for are determined and a core value is defined.
Positioning cross
The brand is positioned in the competition by the plenum based on a positioning cross.
Buyer Personae
Based on stakeholder interviews, we build buyer personae to understand their needs.
Brand Purpose Board
Identification of the brand purpose and alignment of goals, target group needs and solutions of the brand on a matrix.
Brand Personality Sliders
The plenum locates the brand between opposing poles, e.g. Young and Innovative vs. Established and Classic.
Gallery Walk
The plenary illustrates what the CORE VALUE feels and looks like using visuals.
Magazine Cover
The plenum uses a fictitious article to illustrate how the brand should be seen by the public.
REMOTE WORKSHOP WITH MIRO
Meet the moderators
Dr. Birgit Joest
Strategy Director
- Founder of Helder
- PHD Media Studies
- 15 years of branding experience
Marina Mengis
Brand Strategy
- International Business Management B.A
- Certified Sinus Milieu Expert
- 7 Years experience in project management
When is a brand workshop useful?
The brand workshop is an effective method for self-reflection.
The format is an established part of the brand process for good reason.
A well-structured and professionally facilitated workshop has many advantages for customers. Regardless of size, age, industry or type of organization, there are typical scenarios that require clarity of content:
- Foundation: Development of a brand identity in the course of founding a company or developing a new brand
- New setup: Structural changes within the company that require the brand to be positioned, e.g. in the further development of the portfolio and brand architecture
- Rebranding: Creation of a creative brief for the further development or updating
of a brand design - Relaunch Website: Check whether the appearance still adequately reflects the brand
Request a non-binding offer
What questions can the brand workshop provide answers to?
In the workshop, we elaborate answers to fundamental questions that every company must ask itself in order to succeed in the future, e.g.:
Who should attend the brand workshop?
A brand workshop opens up the space to take a step back and look at the brand from a certain distance – meaning from the perspective of the people who are to be addressed. To make the most of this space, we recommend considering the following team set-up as much as possible:
- Decision-makers (including future ones): These can be founders, CEOs, VPs or team leads. They usually have strong opinions and make the final decisions. Without their participation, there is a risk that the results of the workshop will not be implemented.
- Marketing experts: They have been primarily responsible for external communications to date and will continue to be so in the future. It is therefore essential that they are involved in the process.
- Product experts: technically heterogeneous Groups often discover surprising new perspectives because people work together in the workshop who do not necessarily do so in their everyday work. Product experts are also in the best position to judge whether what is promised can actually be implemented.
- Sales experts: They form an excellent interface between internal and external perspectives. Interaction with customers provides important insights that are essential for brand development.
- Controversial opinions: In many teams, there are people who stand out with their opinions. Even if this does not make a discussion any easier, it is important to allow different perspectives on the brand – they help to take off the blinders of everyday life.
Client feedback
„The brand workshop still forms the basis of our communications strategy today. It has made brand management of Weingut Prinz Salm much easier for us, because we now have a clear basis for decision-making.“
Felix Prinz zu Salm-Salm
Owner, Weingut Prinz Salm
„Helder has the ability to capture the essence of the company’s idea and translate it into one word. We have benefited from this for our own brand as well as our clients.“
Clemens Reisbeck
head of communications, werter
„Together with Helder, we developed a narrative that makes complex services and products understandable, accessible and desirable.“
Nathalie Thomsen
Marketing Manager, DCSO
„In the brand workshop, we experienced the potential of our brand from a new perspective. The process has positively changed external and internal brand perception.“
Wulf Rowek
CEO, entity
„For two years in a row, Helder’s naming and design perfectly translated the themes of sustainability and responsibility into the ASC & MSC Brand Awareness campaign. In this way, we have significantly increased consumer confidence in our seals and brand awareness.“
Manuel Maillard
Marketing Manager, MSC
„With Helder, we have not only developed a brand, but also a lifestyle. Together we created a value strategy and based on it a brand design that I can identify with 100%.“
Nina Hansen
CEO, Lourie
Helder Brand Workshop — Overview
- Duration: 6 hours (excluding preparation)
- Facilitation: A team that consists of Helder’s brand strategy and brand design leads through the workshop
- Space: The workshop takes place in a fully equipped studio in Berlin, on-site at the client’s location or remotely.
- Materials: We provide all the materials needed for working
- Costs: The costs depend on the effort of preparation and follow-up, which can vary depending on the project scope. We will be happy to make you a non-binding offer.
Request a non-binding offer
Branding Workshop FAQ
What is a branding workshop?
A branding workshop helps to develop a new brand or to further develop an existing brand. It serves as a space for self-reflection, identifying the values, core, purpose, USP and tonality of the brand. The goal is a clear brand profile that differentiates the brand from the competition.
Why is a branding workshop important?
A brand workshop is important to position the brand correctly and to differentiate it desirably. The brand workshop helps to define what the brand stands for, to develop the brand identity and the brand personality, so that stakeholders can identify with the brand.
What is developed in a branding workshop?
The goal is to develop a clear brand profile that forms the basis of the brand strategy. For this purpose, we consider brand values, purpose, target groups and goals of the brand and discuss which messages cover the needs of potential customers.
When is a branding workshop useful?
When developing a brand design in the course of founding a company or (further) developing a brand, for reviewing or developing a brand architecture, in the case of structural changes within the company or a relaunch of the website.
Who participates in a brand workshop?
A diverse team constellation offers different perspectives on the brand and thus an optimal basis for self-reflection. A professionally, hierarchically and personally heterogeneous group is recommended as participants.
What methods do you use in a branding workshop?
A branding workshop consists of analytical and creative methods. These are worked on individually and in teams. Each exercise helps to discover potential and gain clarity for the brand.
How long does a brand workshop last?
A brand workshop usually lasts 6 hours. Including breaks, you should take a day to look at and develop the brand together.
How much does a branding workshop cost?
The costs for a branding workshop are based on the effort of preparation and follow-up, which can vary depending on the project scope. The costs cover the research, the strategic preparation, the consulting and the development of the brand profile.
What is meant by a co-creative workshop?
In a co-creative brand workshop, partners and clients develop the brand with the help of individual and collaborative thinking and action. A dialogue at eye level is the basis for the collaboration.
Want to book a branding workshop?
Get in touch.
