Agenda
Topic | Duration |
Log-on/agenda/housekeeping | 15 min |
20-year roadmap (vision) | 15 min |
What, how, and why* (purpose) | 30 min |
Top 3 values | 30 min |
Top 3 audiences | 30 min |
Break (11am) | 15 min |
Brand personality | 30 min |
Competitive landscape | 30 min |
Action plan | 30 min |
Wrap-up | 15 min |
The process
The Brand Sprint consists of six exercises. First, we’ll think about the company’s motivation:
- The 20-year roadmap helps us think long-term.
- What, how, why* reminds us why the company exists.
Next, we’ll add detail:
- The top 3 values make the why more specific.
- The top 3 audiences help us prioritise the target for the brand.
Finally, we’ll position the brand relative to others:
- The brand personality defines the attitude and style of the brand.
- The competitive landscape compares the brand to other companies.
The brand exercises serve two purposes. First, they help understand beliefs about the company. Second, the exercises give us a framework and vocabulary for talking about brands.
*What, how, why
What does your company do? A phrase or sentence describing your primary business for the next five years. Examples: “Make toothpaste”, “fix cars”, etc.
How do you do it? What’s your secret sauce? What technology or approach sets you apart from the competition? Examples: “Made with all-natural ingredients”, “best-in-class friendly service”, etc.
Why? You can think of the why as the reason you get out of bed in the morning and go to work. The why should reflect the core reason your company exists, and it won’t change much over time. You may pivot the business, launch new products, and enter new markets, but your why remains the same. Examples: “Promote healthy living”, “help people get where they need to go”, etc.
This exercise is based on Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle”.
Watch the recommended TED talk on YouTube:
Here is another clip worth watching – 20 years old and still very relevant regarding branding. ‘Apple Confidential Steve Jobs on ‘Think Different’ Internal Meeting Sept 23, 1997: (03:10—11:00)
Ground rules
- No devices/phones, i.e. only the computer to access the session with notifications and email turned off. There is a break in the middle.
- Time-box all activities with a timer.
- If there is more than one participant, we use Note-and-vote because it speeds up thinking and decision-making by alternating between solo and group activities.
Here’s how Note-and-Vote works for the 20-year roadmap, for instance:
- Each person quietly writes down their prediction for all four dates (5, 10, 15, 20).
- Going around the “room”, each person reads their answers aloud, and the facilitator writes them on the virtual whiteboard.
- No argument or discussion yet.
- Each person looks at the list and quietly writes down their favourite answers.
- Going around the “room”, each person reads their votes aloud, and the facilitator marks them on the whiteboard.
- Discuss and argue for about five minutes (use a timer to keep it to five minutes!).
- The Decider chooses her favourite item for each future date.
- Take a screenshot of the whiteboard.
Meet the facilitator
As a creative holding an MBA from Imperial College, Stephan Hammes gained over 25 years of experience working internationally for major global brands and big agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi Design and in-house for Red Bull.
Stephan loves to shape and sharpen brands so that they align with the business goals and help clients stand out — and grow.
FAQs
Q: What is a Brand Sprint? A Brand Sprint is an intense, focused process to assess and clarify your brand's identity, values, and direction in a short time.
Q: How long does a Brand Sprint take? A Brand Sprint typically takes four hours, including short breaks between assessments. It should ideally start in the morning when minds are fresh.
Q: Why should I do a Brand Sprint? A Brand Sprint helps you define your brand clearly and make decisions faster, which is vital for success.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help my startup? Absolutely! A Brand Sprint can give your startup a strong foundation and a clear path to follow. Or build on what you have by shaping and sharpening your current brand assets.
Q: Who should be involved in a Brand Sprint? Anyone with a stake in your brand’s success – founders, customer-facing team members, and sometimes, customers. We found the ideal number of participants is three to four. Any number above that is not productive.
Q: What outcomes can I expect from a Brand Sprint? A concise one-page brand strategy and actionable steps to move your brand forward.
Q: Can I do a Brand Sprint remotely? Absolutely! We can conduct brand sprints effectively online with the proper facilitation and tools like virtual whiteboards.
Q: What happens during a Brand Sprint? You'll participate in focused exercises and discussions to clarify, for instance, your brand's vision, mission, and values or positioning and messaging. Typically, one assessment is 20 to 30 minutes long, and we move to the next one even if the previous one is not fully resolved.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint be tailored for my industry? Usually, a Brand Sprint doesn’t need to be customised to fit your industry because it deals with fundamental principles. However, the implementation and execution of the gained insights must meet your industry’s unique needs and challenges.
Q: How do I prepare for a Brand Sprint? Familiarise yourself with your business goals, target audience, and existing brand elements. Further, you will get onboarding material to maximise the sprint's effectiveness.
Q: What if I don't have a clear vision for my brand yet? That's okay! A Brand Sprint is designed to help you clarify your vision and direction.
Q: Is a Brand Sprint suitable for established businesses, too? Absolutely! Established businesses can use a Brand Sprint to update their brand or align it with new goals.
Q: How do I know if a Brand Sprint was successful? You'll see success through a stronger brand identity, increased clarity, and a more focused direction for your business.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help me with marketing strategies? Yes, a Brand Sprint often leads to insights that help shape effective marketing strategies.
Q: What role does creativity play in a Brand Sprint? Creativity is essential! It helps generate fresh ideas and innovative solutions during the sprint.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help align my team? Definitely! A Brand Sprint involves teamwork and can foster a shared understanding and vision among team members.
Q: Is a Brand Sprint a one-time process or ongoing? It's typically a focused one-time event, but the insights gained can guide your brand strategy long-term.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help me pivot my business? Yes, a Brand Sprint can be a catalyst for redefining your business strategy and direction.
Q: Can I use the outcomes of a Brand Sprint for marketing materials? Absolutely! The outcomes provide a solid base for crafting effective marketing messages and visuals.
Q: Is a brand sprint only for startups, or can established businesses benefit too? Both! Startups can set a strong foundation, and established businesses can re-align or revamp their brand for growth.
Q: How soon will I see the results of a Brand Sprint? You'll see immediate results in the form of a clarified brand direction, with long-term impacts as you implement the insights.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help with rebranding? Yes, a Brand Sprint is a great tool to guide and facilitate a successful rebranding process.
Q: Can I use the outcomes for website redesign? Certainly! The insights gained can guide an effective and aligned website redesign.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help improve team member morale? Yes, a clear brand direction can motivate employees by providing a sense of purpose and identity.
Q: How do I maintain the momentum post-sprint? Assign clear responsibilities and timelines to ensure ongoing implementation and progress.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint uncover hidden opportunities? Definitely! It often reveals untapped opportunities and potential areas for growth.
Q: Can a Brand Sprint help identify our core values? Yes, a Brand Sprint is a perfect platform to clarify and define your organisation’s core values. It also helps to test and validate the core values that you currently have.
Q: Is a Brand Sprint similar to a marketing workshop? They share similarities, but a brand sprint focuses more on defining your brand's fundamentals.
Q: How do I measure the success of a Brand Sprint? Success is measured by how well you implement the insights and how positively it impacts your brand's direction.
Any questions that are not covered? Get in touch.
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Stephan Hammes Ltd helps mature startups and established businesses transform from product-driven to brand-led because we believe brand-led ventures are more resilient, innovative, and successful. To unlock the power of branding, we facilitate in-person and remote programs and serve scalable ventures with compact, methodical initiatives that harness the potential of the company and its people to connect and engage with customers.
Stephan learnt his craft working for the automotive sector (Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Toyota and SEAT) and F1 (RedBull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Vodafone McLaren) and cultural sector (Victoria & Albert Museum, The British Society of Theatre Designers, and the University of the Arts London). So, he is used to a rigorous process, attention to detail and delivering high quality.