Direction · Service 04
Brand Strategy
Settle what the brand stands for and write the rule that ends the next brand argument.
The situation
Why this is harder here.
Every brand argument inside a company is really an argument about which of two true things takes precedence. The work here settles that order in writing and records the reason, so the decision holds when the same argument returns six months later.
What we do
The method, step by step.
- Audit what the brand currently says, across every surface, and record where the surfaces disagree.
- Test the positioning against the segment evidence, and record which internal preferences the evidence overrides.
- Write the positioning statement as one sentence that a person could disagree with.
- Map the architecture, naming what sits under what, and settle the full list of names the company keeps.
- Write the tone rules as a set of decisions, including the ones that cost something.
What you receive
Named documents, agreed before we start.
| Deliverable | Format | Extent | Appendix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand audit | 20 to 28 pages | Surface-by-surface inconsistency log | |
| Positioning statement | 2 to 4 pages | The trade it makes, stated | |
| Brand architecture map | PDF plus SVG | 6 to 10 pages | Naming decisions and the reason for each |
| Tone of voice guide | 12 to 18 pages | A before-and-after set, and a runnable lint list |
How this engagement is scoped
This engagement settles the strategy: the positioning, the architecture, and the tone rules. Identity design and trademark clearance are separate lines of work, named and scoped separately, and each is built on the positioning produced here. Contract and trademark language stays with your counsel, and the positioning is written to give counsel something specific to clear.
Questions this answers
If you are asking these, this is the service.
- What does this brand stand for, in one sentence someone could argue with?
- When two true things conflict, which one wins?
- What sits under what, and which names should the company retire?
- Where do our own surfaces currently contradict each other?
- What does this positioning trade away, and do we accept that trade?
Tell us the question.
If desk research answers your question in three weeks, we will tell you that in writing. Send us the question and we will scope the work it takes to answer it properly.
Office No. 1101-393
The Offices at Ibn Battuta Gate
Jabal Ali First, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
We reply within one UAE business day.