All of the things, unpacked.
Your brand is not a logo.
Don’t miss episode one. With brand at the core, your strategic plan will be the rudder as you chart your forward course fueled by a solid communications plan. The comprehensive and inclusive process to assemble the team, connect insights, and commit to excellence. To get there, you have to understand the “strata strategy.”
Strata 1 (Solid foundation)
You will dive into the deep wide to understand and map:
– core purpose (Why your organization exists)
– brand promise (What your organization promises to deliver to society time and time again)
– strategic positioning (What unique strategic position your organization can own)
– sector trends (What influential forces are occurring or will occur in your sector)
– comparative aspiration (Who you are from the lens of other organizations)
– target audiences (How can you empathize with their motivations & your relevance to them)
– organizational attributes (Your organization’s characteristics-not corporate values)
Strata 2 (Strong currents)
The pillars established at this point will become the framework for your strategic plan as you continue to define with organized agility:
– Financial goals and plans
– Operational imperatives and tactics
– 1-year operating plan with timeline and metrics
Strata 3 (The straddle)
With the wind at your back, you will begin snorkeling as you define and design:
– Visual identity system – including voice and tone, color, font, brand architecture
– Verbal identity system – including name, tagline, messaging architecture, copy
Strata 4 (Solid ground) Your communications plan
The intangible translates to tangible as you map the course ahead with a flexible framework powered by accessible tools like:
– 12-month strategy – an iterative master plan for message, medium, and measurement
– Content matrix – an accessible guide to simplify the complex
– Editorial calendar with milestones – day-to-day guidestar with an eye to the horizon
Strata 5 (The summit)
Ok, now, you can fly your flag, aka your logo.
At Darwin we love logo design because we know the level of effort involved to design a visual indicator to reflect an organization’s comprehensive strategy to deliver on a promise to society.
Onward!