Brainstorm Your Brand: Parts 1 and 2: Taking a Market Assessment & Planning Your Message

It’s just like high school (or college for that matter) all over again. It’s the night before your paper’s due, and while you know the subject matter front to back, all you have to show for it is a blinking cursor and circles under your eyes. And you thought, boy, I can’t wait ’til I graduate and never have to do this again!

And then you decided to start your own business. And the time has come to put together a visual representation of what you do. And the blinking cursor and the dark circles are back. To avoid adding a few gray hairs to the mix, try this exercise and start brainstorming your brand.

Remember, organic branding takes honesty, creativity, and a commitment to consistency.

1. How is your environment changing?

2. Who are your major “competitors” today? Is the list changing?

3. For what are you known?

4. How well are you known? Perceived? By whom?

5. How do you define your market? Your marketshare? Is it increasing or declining? Why?

Target Audience
To whom is this communication addressed? What other stakeholders will be affected?

Objective
What is this communication expected to accomplish among the target audience? What is our specific project goal—to raise awareness, increase understanding, or change behavior? Is it measurable?

Perception
What is the target audience’s current knowledge/attitude? What knowledge/attitude is desirable?

Message
What is the key idea to be communicated which will accomplish our objective?

Method
What is the most appropriate vehicle for delivering the message? What makes this vehicle most appropriate? Are other options worth considering for any reason (time, expense, impact)?

Other Requirements
What other requirements must the communication meet? Is there mandatory information to include? Is it connected to other projects? How do any connections affect project design and use? How will this communication be branded?

Budget
What is the budget for this project? How is the budget determined?

Timeline
What is the project start date? Due date? Other milestones?

Measurement
What is the measurement of success for this communication? Can it be quantified?

Dee Lieber is the owner of Organics Anonymous, a Portland Oregon design and marketing firm. She is a branding specialist who helps her clients establish (or re-establish) their identities, target their niche, and gain brand loyalty by utilizing their websites, logos, and distinct voices as valuable marketing tools.. Dee is a member of the Portland Area Business Association - Portland’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Call Dee at 971.227.0712 or visit her website at: OrganicsAnonymous.com.

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