Brand & Identity Development

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Instructions:

This is a guide to get your juices flowing / your wheels turning / help you clarify your dreams and ideal vision of your future.

There are no right or wrong answers.

Use the following questions to journal, sketch, doodle, list, make a mind map, etc. This is just a tool to begin; it’s by no means a finished product.

Your answers will help compose a business plan, marketing strategy & material, a brand, logo and more.

Don’t spend too long coming up with the ‘right’ words.
Simply jot down the first thing that comes to mind, then the next thing, and keep going.

Once you get all your ideas out on paper, then you can go through and edit, refine, clarify, etc.

If you get hung up on something, just put it aside.

Answer these out in whatever order you’re inspired. 

If some of the questions don’t seem relevant, skip them.

Most importantly~

Have fun & laugh at yourself! 

PASSION

What are you passionate about?

If you had millions of dollars, what would you do?

What gets you excited & inspired?

PURPOSE

What is the purpose of your business?

What is the reason your company exists? (something beyond making money)

OPTIMAL

What is your optimal scenario?

When this endeavor is off the ground and running smoothly, what does that look like?

OBJECTIVE

What are you trying to do?

List each thing you want to do and then elaborate.

These aren’t quite your goals. These are big picture endeavors.

What do you want to change in the world?

VALUES

What are your core values? Regarding service to your clients? Regarding your business’s internal operations?

Defining these can help you make decisions later.

VISION

Your vision is your dream. Clearly define what it is you intend to build, or create. This will help inform anyone you work with (customers, employees, investors, consultants, etc.) where the business is ultimately headed.

This can be similar to your optimal scenario.

Five years from now, this business will have / be:  (your most important accomplishment goes here ).

MISSION

This could be a three paragraph, specific mission statement or it could be one or several sentences. The mission illustrates the ‘how’ of a business.

Mission statements are similar to vision statements, in that they look at the big picture. However, they’re more concrete, and more action-oriented than vision statements.

A vision statement should inspire people to dream; a mission statement should inspire people into action.

GOALS

A good goal has a clearly defined outcome or objective and a reasonable time frame to complete it.

Once you’ve written your goals, imagine them accomplished. What feelings come to you?

FEELING

What kind of feelings do you want your customers to have when they use your product or service?

CUSTOMERS

Who are your customers?

What is their demographic?

What is important to them?

What most influences their buying decisions?

MARKETING

What is your marketing strategy?

How are you going to reach your customers?

What will touch them and make them choose you over a competitor?

What kind of tools or materials will you employ? Billboards, TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, brochure, posters, speaking engagements, word of mouth, etc?

SHOE

If you (your business) were a shoe, what kind of shoe would you be?

What kind of materials? Colors? Style?

What will people think when they see this shoe?

Does it represent how you want them to see this company?

UNIQUE

What makes your business unique?

What sets you apart from your competition?

What makes you special within your niche?