Let’s say someone gives you a list of ingredients: no measures, no instructions, not even a clue as to what the ingredients should combine to make. It’s an absurd notion, and yet branding firms do it all the time.
For the third or fourth time in as many months, Grafik has been asked by organizations to try and make heads or tails of strategic documents delivered to them by firms who were happy to drop a stack of research on their doorsteps and dash. In each case, there were no real conclusions, and absolutely no hint of what the organization’s brand focus should be.
As far as I’m concerned that’s less than half the job.
Before you can begin to express a brand, everyone needs to agree on a concise recipe—a directive that identifies the key components, weighs their significance, and details how they need to come together. This is a critical step. One you can’t skip because it informs imagery and messaging, ensures relevancy, and helps define tactics across every customer touch point.
We have a couple of branding projects in the works now, and you can bet that when they’re launched, these brands will be fully baked. The way we see it you shouldn’t have to settle eggs and flour, when you’re in the market for cake.
