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Run a brand alignment workshop using this framework
A brand is not a logo. Nor is it a a motto or a tagline. It’s neither a component library, nor a design system.
A brand is someone’s “gut feeling about a product, service, or organization.” (Marty Neumeier)
Human beings are emotional and intuitive. Everything we decide to do is based on a system of trust. We trust people above all else, which is why companies try to come across as if they were your friend.
You see this in action all the time. Personal recommendations for products mean way more than adverts. (This is also why influencer marketing is so popular right now, and why brands are tripping over each other to sign deals with big name creators. This video by Colin and Samir breaks it down well.)
So, in order to get people talking about your brand (or your company, or product, or whatever), you need to work out what the brand is. What’s the gut feeling people have when they hear the name?
By doing this, you gain control of the stories customers tell about you.
So what can you do to shape the narrative about your company?
The Brand Alignment Framework
The brand alignment framework is a practical, tangible way to work out what your brand is, and will leave you with a set of guidelines that you can apply to everything. It was invented by Jose Caballer and forms part of the excellent CORE Framework from The Futur.
It only takes an hour to conduct and is something that works for brand new companies or existing companies that are in need of a resync. It can also be done remotely, and I’ve made a (free!) template that can be used over video call. This template uses the web-based design tool Figma (you can make a free account).
The downsides to this framework are that it requires buy-in from anyone who is in control of shaping the direction of the company. Everyone who should be in the room needs to be in the room. If not, the whole exercise is pointless.
Here’s what the framework looks like:
