Great brands don’t just appear. They’re the product of hard work, strategic thinking, and thoughtful execution. At Monster Design, we’re lucky enough to have brands from a wide range of industries trust us with their most important brand work—whether they’re launching a new brand, polishing up an existing brand that’s gone a little stale, or doing a full rebrand.
In an era of AI content generation, quick fixes, and even quicker timelines, having a great brand and creative strategy is more important than ever. Taking the time to invest in a thoughtful brand execution helps your brand avoid the “sea of sameness” and showcases just what makes you special.
In other words, there are no shortcuts to a great brand. Monster Design has developed a specialized process over our last almost three decades in business—one that ensures the final product is a polished, professional, and strategic brand that works hard to help you meet your business goals. Today, we’re pulling the curtain back on the steps we take to create the best possible creative brief that paves the way to world-class brand creative.
1. Deep dive of existing materials
Unless you’re starting a brand-new business from scratch, most brands have some history. We start each project by digging into existing materials: your current brand guidelines, current in-market sales and marketing materials, your website and social media, etc. Most importantly, as we review these materials, we ask you what you like (and perhaps most importantly, what you don’t like) about each asset. That helps us start creating your branding wish list.
2. Key stakeholder Q&A
Next, we set up time with the people who know your brand best—the ones working in the business every day. We talk to employees from all over the organization, not just those in sales and marketing. Our goal is to capture insights from across the organization, including operations, customer success, business development, finance, and the C-suite. This important step not only helps us gather information; it also helps ensure that all stakeholders feel heard, which can streamline feedback rounds and the approval process down the line.
3. Customer interviews
Alongside staff interviews, we also like to hear from your customers directly. We always aim to talk to at least a couple of current customers about their experience with your brand. What do they like about your brand? Why did they choose your company over a competitor? What misconceptions about the brand are out there in the marketplace? What are their impressions about the brand overall? What can be improved?
4. Competitor analysis
It’s critically important to understand your competitors’ brands in order to craft a brand presence that stands out. Not only do we want to avoid surface-level pitfalls like using a similar color palette or photography style as a competitor, but we want to identify ways your brand can really showcase its differentiators. How can your brand execute better than the competition? Why is the way you approach the work superior? It may be expertise, value, technology, customer service, or some combination of these and other factors. By taking a close look at other brands in the space, we can more clearly define your path forward.
5. Branding workshop
At this point in the process, we’ve gotten the lay of the land and have assembled some initial impressions of the current brand, pain points, and goals for the project. Now, we like to get key stakeholders in the room for a brainstorming session where we can explore everything from desired voice and tone to key value propositions, brand attributes, and visual ID. This step is another great place to build consensus across teams.
6. Additional research
Here’s where we fill in the gaps. Before officially creating our findings brief, we’ll circle back to do any additional research needed, whether that’s more stakeholder interviews, analyzing additional competitors, or reviewing additional materials. It’s all about ensuring we have a full picture of where your brand has been, and where it’s headed.
7. Findings brief
Arguably the most important step in the process, this is where we formally present everything we’ve discovered and propose a path forward. We’ll walk you through it and give time for questions, feedback, and pivots. The goal here is to confirm we’re all on the same page. This brief becomes the foundational document to inform all the creative that follows.
8. Creative kickoff
With a strong foundation in place, the fun really begins. After approval of the findings brief, we unleash our creative team on the work of crafting your brand, confident that all our hard work will lead us in the strongest possible direction for your new brand.
It’s worth doing our homework
Is our process involved? Absolutely. But is it worth the effort? Every time. By taking the time to really understand your brand, your challenges, and your goals, we can deliver a final brand that exceeds all of your expectations. Ready to take the first step in redefining your brand? Reach out to the Monster Design team.