A Logo Is Not A Brand

Hola Hola,

My name is Trekk, with 2 Ks

The following is a set of questions I've compiled to help small businesses and startups understand what makes a brand and how to define theirs. To gain the full benefit of the questions and receive a free summery of your answers, click here Branding Questionnaire.

These are the questions with out the answers.

"I’ve compiled the following questions that adhere to my way of brand development. They are grouped into 4 sections (phases) that will aid in outlining what makes up your brands by building on the previous set of questions. Just a heads up, your logo is not your brand, and I hope to help you learn why.

Phase I Three Ws & H

Note: These four questions may not be as simple as you think. Even if you’ve been in business for more than 2 years. If you haven’t started the company yet, still answer as if you have. Let’s jump in two feet, headfirst..

• Who is your client? Name what community or type of person you work with or want to work with. Name several but consolidate to top 3, then pick the one that connects the most with you.
• What do you do for them? Breakdown what you do NOT how you do it. List several things and pick the 3 things you do most.
• How do you serve them? Now described how you do the 3 things from the WHAT question. Select the top 3.
• Why are you doing what you do? Using descriptive words explain your motivation and the impact for others. Again, write out several things but funnel down to 3 and see if you can make them be 1- or 2-word answers.

I hope it wasn’t too bad for you, but I expect it made you think. Now that you’re at the end of Phase I. Take your top pick answers for each question and fill them in to the following sentence. The end result will be a brand positioning statement:

I HELP       WHO are you helping             TO         WHAT are you doing to help        BY        HOW are you helping others         THAT       WHY help and the impact

In case you were wondering, I’ve done this myself and it took me hours to complete. When you think about it, this is your business and you want to have a brand voice you can be proud of and has the best chance of standing out from other me-too businesses. So, it shouldn’t have taken you five minutes to answer everything unless your Marty Neumier or Chris Do. Here is my brand positioning statement.

I help thinkers & doers TO deliver a simple and concise message BY emphasizing human qualities THAT foster stories that connect.

Phase II Tell The Truth

Note:  In this section, we focus on what’s your client/community brand perception. There are no right or wrong answers, but it’s way more effective when you just keep the answers real. If you really don’t know, it’s ok. This is just an exercise that is intended to help you grow in the understanding of how your brand can be received.

• What do you see as your brand need improvements?
• Do your clients know the story/history behind the company name?
• Do your clients know the story/history behind your logo? 
• Do your clients see the story/history behind your tag line?
• Are you on social media, if so what platforms?
• How do you communicate with your clients?
• How would you define your community? Meaning your industry or the types of people that make it up?
• How do you communicate with your community?
• Where does your community gather in real life or in the digital world?
• What is the language of your community? Meaning, how do they refer to your brand and the service(s) you provide?
• How do you make them feel?
• Why do they trust you?
• How do you build trust with your clients?
• Why do they stay with you?
• Are you seen as a thought leader in your community, and if so, why?
• If your business closed tomorrow, would your community still go on?
• How much effort would it take your clientele to find someone to replace what you do for them?
• Where do you see your company in 5 years, and do you see your current brand message carrying you there?
• Can a client describe your company in less than 7 words?

Phase II is more involved compared to Phase I. Notice the questions on community. Remember when I mentioned about not telling clients what to think, well, there’s a reason. People choose products and services and communicate their why to others based on how they see the brand. Not what you tell them it is. In the real world you can’t be there for every purchase a client makes (whispering in their ear choose me) or apart of every conversation in the community (defending the brand). The point is to help you see the brand isn’t just what you say it is. The questions were a gauge to see how much you understand people’s view outside of yours. Click here to answer questions and receive free summery.

Phase III Let’s Dig a Little Deeper

Note: This section will go a little further into how you understand your brand or what you would like to be seen as internally and externally to your company. Depending on where you are in your business, not all questions will apply.

• What is your company name?
• Why was that name chosen?
• List 3 things your brand must communicate.
• Do you have a logo? If not, skip the next 2 questions.
• Is there a story/history behind your logo, and if so, what?
• If you have a logo, does it explain, or does it identify your brand?
• Does your logo effectively communicate your brand?
• Do you have a tag line? If not, that’s ok. Skip the next question 
• Is there a story/history behind the tag line, and if so, what? 
• If rebranding, what made this happen? 
• How would you describe the culture of your company?
• List 3-5 core values/beliefs of your brand?
• How are those values/beliefs communicated inside and outside the company?
• Name 3 to 5 of your competitors? 
• How does your brand differ from other brands in your industry?
• List 3 brands you love in and not in your industry, and why? 
• If your brand were a person, how’d you describe it (age, gender, personality, style, etc.)? This is NOT the same as demographic or your target market.
• Who is your dream client? Now, you can talk about the demographics and if you know the psychographics of ideal client. Please give as much detail as possible.

 Phase IV Lets Take A Look

Note: This section will get more into the aesthetics of how your brand translates in colors, words, and images. If you haven’t started the company yet or this is rebranding then answer what direction you’d like to move in. Also keep in mind your looking to create a brand identity that attracts your ideal client. So, ask “how would (____) see like?” a little more.

• What feeling would you like your brand to convey?
• List 5 color you like. Here is a list of common color meanings.
• Pick 2 to stand for your brand.
• What colors do you dislike?
• Which of these brand attributes best describe your brand based the following opposite terms? Pick one word on the left and one on the right. i.e. fun/casual.
• What font type best represents your brand visually? If using letters or words.
• what logo type do you like?
•  For a logo what shape would you like?
• If rebranding is there anything you’d like to keep and why?

Now that you have completed the questionnaire. I hope you understand why just having a logo isn’t a brand; more importantly you started curating your brand voice. Meaning you know what type of client(s) your seeking and you have a look and message that attracts them. To rap it all up, a brand is everything a person comes in contact with representing your company and the feeling it generates for them.

The complied answers will help save on time and cost in the discovery process when hiring someone to design your logo or website. You can just give them the summery. Click here to answer questions and receive free summery.

If this is a rebranding, I also recommend before you go spending enormous amounts of money to change everything, sample test out how the new look and message works. Yes, passing things around the office is free. But you must test the water with your clients and community. The most cost-effective way is through social media or using a small direct mail campaign with long time clients.

Advice You Don't Have Take to Take

Here are a couple of takeaway truths about branding your business. You may not like all of them but over time they will make sense to you.

1.    This questionnaire is by no means the end all be all. And will not make you a million dollar brand out the box. The answers you get at the end are a start in helping you build that million-dollar business. If you’re looking to rebrand this will be some help, but you’ll need more than a list of 50 questions.

2.    For the new entrepreneurs, expect to pivot down the road with the brand and the business. Notably, if you make it past 3 years in operation. You will have more experience and know more about your market.

3.    Samson Williams, of the DC based think tank Axes & Eggs, said this to me back in 2018. It took me more than two years to truly grasp the full context of it.

“The overnight success story is based on how hard you grind the first 10 years…”

4.    Building a truly respected and time-tested brand/business takes time. I’m not talking days and weeks. You must shift your thinking of time scale into years.

5.    There is no one size fits all list of questions that can answer everything for you in brand development. It is a continual process of consistency and learning from your clientele and community. Sorry, there is no set and done when it comes to building your brand.

6.    Some of you still have questions imagine. And aren’t sure how to or need help in executing the idea and concepts into a logo or translate them to the UX of your website. Apologies but by design, I only cover strategy.

Meaning, I provide a solution that helps you define the brand, but I don’t perform the actual work of content creation/management, graphic design, or web design. Luckily, there are tons of folks you can find online who do. If you would like help in developing what you learned from the questionnaire, I can be reached at TrekkSmartConsulting.com

I’m here to help, but honestly, I’m not for everyone."