A brand discovery is also known as the strategy phase of branding. For my clients, I provide them with a questionnaire that uncovers the deeper meaning of their business and the messaging they want to communicate through their brand identity.
It is a KEY phase in the process of designing a brand identity for your business. If you skip it, your brand may look pretty, but it won’t be effective. The whole point of branding is to share the message you wish to share, to attract and connect with your target audience.
Doing a brand discovery will help you be authentic and stand out in your crowded (sorry to be harsh) industry. If you are in the wedding or beauty industry – you know what I’m talking about girl!
Doing a brand discovery allows you to find that perfect balance between what your target audience responds to, and what you love and gives you the confidence to put yourself out there.
If you are DIYing your branding or have in the past, this may be where you went wrong and why you will need to rebrand not long after!
This question is about digging deep into why you started your business or why you do what you do. What is your why? What is your driving force? How did you get there? Is there a story behind the name of your business? What is your STORY?
We can use the answer to this question by weaving it into your branding.
For example, this is how I answered the question for my business “Dear Juliet Designs”.
“Dear Juliet Designs was born out of a passion for helping others, specifically women, and for making the world a more beautiful place, one brand at a time. I love to empower women to follow their dreams by offering thoughtful branding and web design, with a feminine touch. I’m in this business because I want to design beautiful brands that truly help women do what they love.”
Who is your target audience? Who do you want to attract and to buy from you?
This is SUPER important as it needs to resonate with your ideal clients. They need to be attracted to it, to like it and to feel connected with it.
Get to know them and every detail. If you want to go even further, you can confirm this with market research by doing surveys, interviews, reading articles, data, etc.
When people experience your brand or are in touch with your business – how do you want them to feel? Do you want them to feel inspired, encouraged, happy and excited? Do you want your brand to feel bubbly, young, colourful and airy?
We can make people feel a certain way through your branding. First, think about how you want them to feel before going into the design phase.
For example, at Dear Juliet Designs I want people to feel loved, supported, cared for, romantic and trusting in us. I’d love to know if you feel this way!
This question is very similar to the one above. How would people describe you, your reputation and your brand? This should match and correlate with the answer to the last question.
I LOVE this question! It forces you to think outside the box. Think of your brand as a party, what would the party be like?
Where would it be held? What would the decorations be like? What would people be wearing? What music would be playing? What kind of food would be served? Get creative!
In order to stand out in your industry, you need to be aware of your competition. Who are they? How are they different or similar? What are they doing well and not so well? What are you attracted to about their branding and why?
YOU are important too! You need to feel connected to your branding. So what colours, fonts, photography, layouts, etc do you like? Why? Is there anything you specifically despise, like a certain colour?
You should be IN LOVE with your branding. If you are not, then you will not feel connected to it, will not be confident in it, and people will be able to tell. It will hold you back.
Try to sum up what you want your brand to be in about 5 keywords or descriptors. These can be simple and straightforward, or put a little creative spin on it!
Taking the time to answer these questions will help you design a brand identity that is thoughtful and strategic, but also one that you feel connected to, in LOVE with and gives you the confidence to grow the business of your dreams and succeed!
I hope you’ve found this helpful and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing hello@dearjulietdesigns.com.
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