Brand Strategy

Brands are among your organization’s most valuable assets. THE PLANNING PRACTICE helps clients define, develop, communicate, and protect their brands. Our core services include brand research, brand strategy, brand communications, consultation and training.

Brand Research

All brand decisions involve a level of risk. Clearly defining and quantifying that risk is a key to effective decision-making. We use proprietary research methodologies to assist in branding decisions like the choice of a new name or package design, the repositioning of an existing brand, or the introduction of a new one.

Our techniques emphasize visual images, metaphors, and emotional texture to reveal the hidden dimensions of brands and uncover the underlying motivations that influence decisions to buy a product or respond to an ad. Our innovative approaches to research provide the kind of fresh insight that inspires powerful branding and communications. See, for example, how we approach qualitative research.

Brand Strategy

Great brand ideas lie at the intersection of corporate strengths and customer needs. Creating a brand strategy involves the integration of customer and manager data into the functional and emotional benefits of the brand. We partner with clients to identify new or hidden market opportunities and to help position their brands for short-term impact and long-term value. We then help articulate that positioning through a clear and codified system of brand description and brand architecture.

Brand Communications

Communicating the brand to the world requires the development of a cogent creative brief. Although we don’t create advertising, we work with clients in planning their advertising and media, and we write communications briefs that inspire creative teams to produce breakthrough work. We create internal branding programs to help employees understand the meaning of the brand and their role in bridging the gap between brand promise and brand delivery.

See how we use creative briefs to inspire great work in this white paper.