Perception is Reality. We’ve all heard that. At every touch point, people – customers, partners, management and employees – form opinions of what they perceive your organization to be. Every contact is a branding opportunity – and every action, however small, has an impact on the brand experience and the ability to strengthen or dilute the brand. it is important that each communication and encounter presents a consistent message and feel to your audiences. Your organization’s core attributes – its true character – are the basis for that consistency.

Ask questions. Find associations. Listen. Look. Search. Compare. Capture. Discover.

Research/Information Gathering
We do research to find the authentic attributes that uniquely define the organization and set it apart from its competition. Discrepancies between actual/aspirational, management/staff, and internal/external perceptions are identified. We review existing materials, conduct interviews and surveys, define audiences and collect information on key competitors.

Strategy
The goal of brand strategy is to establish consensus and develop a plan for moving forward. Collected information is consolidated, brand attributes are defined, and key messages and brand characteristics are organized. The results are used to create a two-part Brand Platform: The Brand Pyramid which organizes the brand characteristics from general to specific, and the Word Picture which arranges the top of the Pyramid in a hierarchical manner. Combined with definitions, it is a powerful visualization of the brand’s unique personality – the core brand attributes that all stakeholders agree on. What confidence it gives!

Design and beyond
The Brand Platform serves as a strong guideline for all creative work that follows – including brand identity development, visual communications (print and electronic), messaging, voice and action plans to live the brand from the position of power. It can also be a guide for programming, staff hiring, and strategic decisions about where the organization is heading.