Brand Strategy Workbook
Brand Strategy Workbook
Brand Strategy Workbook
Strategy
Toolkit
Table of
Contents
Here, we’ve assembled the tools, Brand Heart Workbook 03
tips, and templates you need to Personas Template 08
build a brand from the ground up. Competitive Analysis Template 11
Work through each item in order, or Brand Messaging Template 14
click on an individual tool to jump Brand Voice Questionnaire 16
directly to it. Visual Identity Checklist 19
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire 21
Brand Toolkit
Brand Heart
Workbook
Identify your purpose, vision, mission, and values
to build a brand with a strong foundation.
Purpose Examples
Casper Bulletproof
We believe sleep is the superpower that To help people perform better, think faster,
charges everything people do. and live better.
Vision Examples
Casper Uber
We’re here to awaken the potential Smarter transportation with fewer cars and
What future do we want to help create? of a well-rested world. greater access. Transportation that’s safer,
cheaper, and more reliable; transportation
What does the future look like? that creates more job opportunities and
Teach for America higher incomes for drivers.
One day, all children in this nation will
have the opportunity to attain an
excellent education. Caterpillar
Our vision is a world in which all people’s
basic needs—such as shelter, clean water,
Alzheimer’s Association sanitation, food, and reliable power—are
A world without Alzheimer’s disease. fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable
way and a company that improves the quality
of the environment and the communities
Oxfam where we live and work.
A world without poverty.
Salesforce
Microsoft We believe that the business of business is to
Empower every person and every improve the state of the world, and we work
organization on the planet to achieve more. to make sure Salesforce is a platform for
change through serving the interests of all
our stakeholders—employees, customers,
partners, communities, and the environment.
Mission Examples
Tesla Dropbox
To accelerate the world’s transition to We’re here to unleash the world’s creative
sustainable energy. energy by designing a more enlightened way
of working.
Nike
Do everything possible to expand
human potential.
Values
Column Five reflection of a community’s people, culture,
1. Do Good Work and cuisine.
We achieve success with our partners by
working together to creatively solve complex 4. We Practice Win-Win Partnerships With
challenges within any parameters. Our Suppliers
We view our trade partners as allies in serving
2. Value Our Partners our stakeholders. We treat them with respect,
We thrive in an environment built on fairness, and integrity—expecting the same
transparency and mutual respect, in return.
How will we conduct ourselves in support and constructively challenging each other to grow.
Patagonia
pursuit of our mission, vision, and purpose? 3. Be Good To Each Other 1. Build the Best Product
We always work in their best interest because Our criteria for the best product rests on
they enable us to do what we love each day. function, repairability, and, foremost, durability.
You can include as many as you like, but 3-5 is a healthy start. Among the most direct ways we can limit
4. Be Humble ecological impacts is with goods that last for
We can always improve. generations or can be recycled so the materials
in them remain in use. Making the best product
5. Experiment Often matters for saving the planet.
Try new things. Test, fail, tweak, learn.
2. Cause No Unnecessary Harm
Whole Foods We know that our business activity—from
1. We Satisfy And Delight Our Customers lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of
Our customers are the lifeblood of our the problem. We work steadily to change our
business and our most important stakeholder. business practices and share what we’ve
We strive to meet or exceed their expectations learned. We seek not only to do less harm,
on every shopping experience. but more good.
Personas
Brand Heart
Template
Workbook
Persona 1 Persona 2 Persona 3
Name
Channels
(where you can connect with them)
1. 1. 1.
Goals 2. 2. 2.
(what they want)
3. 3. 3.
Personas Template
Persona 1 Persona 2 Persona 3
Pain points
(the barriers to what they want)
Personas Template
Competitive
Analysis
Template
Identify who you’re competing against so that
you can better differentiate your brand.
Competitive
Brand HeartAnalysis
WorkbookTemplate
Brand 1 Brand 2 Brand 3
Competing
brands
Brand Heart
(purpose, vision,
mission, values)
Brand look/feel
Value
proposition
Tagline
Core products/
services
Customer
personas
Customer
acquisition
Marketing
channels
Advertising
channels
Sales channels
(if applicable)
Revenue
Strengths
Weaknesses
Similarities
Differences
Brand Heart
Messaging
Workbook
Template
Tagline
Value prop
Brand Voice
Heart Template
Workbook
1) When people interact with our brand, 3) What does our competition
how do we want them to feel? sound like?
For example, a security company that wants to be perceived as a trusted Think about ways you can differentiate yourself through your
protector would use a confident and reassuring voice. brand voice.
Visual Heart
Brand Identity
Workbook
Checklist
Logo Illustration
Design a logo that reflects your brand personality. Use illustrations to visually enhance, not overwhelm.
Ensure logo design works for web and print. Choose a single style.
Test that it renders well at small sizes. Keep it simple.
Colors Iconography
Curate a simple but flexible palette. Focus on simplicity and clarity.
Choose 1 main color, 2 primary colors, 3-5 complementary Double check that icons render clearly at small sizes.
colors, and 2 accent colors. Make sure the image is relevant to the subject.
Brand/Rebrand
Brand Heart Workbook
Questionnaire
01
Identity
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
6) How has our brand changed over time? 9) How do we differentiate our brand?
Traditional Progressive
Exclusive Accessible
Corporate Friendly
Familiar Disruptive
Steady Dynamic
Realistic Idealistic
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
02
Identity
1) What does our current visual identity 4) What do we NOT like about our current
look like? visual identity?
Describe logo, color, typography, etc.
2) What does our current visual identity 5) How has our visual identity changed
communicate? over time?
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
6) How do we feel about our current logo? 8) Why are we creating a new and unique logo?
Why now?
7) Where will our logo be used 9) Should our new logo be “evolutionary”
(print, web, social)? or “revolutionary”?
Decide whether you want to update your current logo or start
from scratch.
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
10) Why type of “character” or “personality” 11) What type of logo are we more drawn to?
would we like our new logo to have?
Logomark Logotype
A symbol or abstract representation of the Stylized letters representing the brand’s name
brand (e.g., Nike’s swoosh, McDonald’s (e.g., Coca-Cola, Dell, FedEx, NASA, etc.).
arches, etc.).
Combination mark
A logo that uses a combination of both words
and symbols to represent the brand (e.g.,
AT&T, Domino’s, etc.).
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
03
Current Verbal
Identity
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire
5) What is our current brand personality? 6) What is our current brand voice/tone?
It can also be helpful to describe your brand as a persona (e.g., George Clooney with
the irreverent humor of Jon Stewart).
Brand/Rebrand Questionnaire