Our process. Part 1. Discovery & Research.
Hi, as promised in last week’s note, we are going to break down our regenerative branding process using ourselves as an example company, to reevaluate if we still fully express what we stand for and do in the best possible way.We strongly believe that a regular reevaluation serves every company, no matter the size and scope of offerings. This is the only way to make sure that you clearly communicate your values at every touchpoint, and that you check your decision-making against what truly matters to you as the founder. To us, brand is the north star of a company, the heartbeat and the force that drives the business forward and turns a commodity into a desirable object.
Our regenerative branding process is based on a strong strategic foundation. We believe that this is the only way to create a truly unique and authentic brand that stands out in the sea of sameness, surpasses trends, and connects with your audience on an emotional level.
And good strategy starts with research. We divide our research phase into two parts. The first is always a deep discovery with the major stakeholders of the company. We believe that our clients are a powerful part of the journey to an aligned brand, and value true partnership and collaboration. This is especially important to me, as I have frequently experienced the opposite in the top ad agencies I have worked at before starting Fernweh. There, too often, clients were kept at a good distance because the creatives’ egos wouldn’t allow for real collaboration. In our discovery, we dive into the founders’ story and personal values, their own Why and the parts of the work that lights them up. We allow them to dream big, to visualize the boldest expression of their company and what impact that might have, and we encourage a sense of play and connect to what really inspires them and brings them the most joy. We like doing our discovery in person (or over Zoom) as well as through an initial brand questionnaire, to allow the answers to be both, very in the moment and spontaneous, as well as more reflective for a deeper unfolding.
Answering our own discovery questions, we reaffirmed our deep commitment to the beauty in our humanity. That small and seemingly insignificant moments have the potential to be profound and that poetry exists in all things if it’s framed the right way. We believe in the importance of curiosity and a deep interest in the world, nature, different cultures, and people. We value honesty, trust, as well as personal connections, and mental health, as much as freedom and exploration. Everything we do is rooted in empathy, a deep sense of care, and a commitment to details. And in addition to that, as mentioned last week, we strive to infuse more play into our work and learned that love is the seed for everything we do in our business.
Most of you have heard me talk about my story of how I got to this place, but if you are curious, I recently wrote it down for B the Change. And when it comes to thinking about my personal superpower, I believe that I have the ability to see the highest expression of a company and know exactly how to bring that to life, in the most regenerative way, caring for the planet and all people involved.
The discovery is followed by extensive research. That can be in person and online, and ranges from looking at the market you are in or plan on entering, trends and developments, your competition and how they do what they do, how they look and what they talk about, or what they might be missing. Often we interview customers or ideal clients to talk about their experiences and expectations and learn as much as we can about their habits and customer journeys. But on top of this, often data-driven process, we like to look at the cultural moment in time and apply empathy to truly understand how that affects your people, and what might be going on in their lives. Then, we can really dig into how you could support them on their journey, or simply make their lives a little better by existing.
For us as a creative studio, this means, understanding the current struggle of founders, where VC money is harder to come by than ever, women are still very much underrepresented, and sustainability-focused companies are often a portfolio asset for an investor, who never intends to hand out a second check. It means understanding the potential and the fear surrounding subjects like AI, and web3. It means feeling into the reality of companies that aren’t as inclusive or regenerative as they could be, and how they might be able to change that. It means realizing the implications Covid has had and often still has on certain industries, and what the ever-evolving climate disasters mean for other categories. And most of all, to us, it means putting ourselves in their shoes, trying to understand how they might feel in all of this, what their biggest fears are, their hopes and their dreams, and what they believe is worth fighting for.
We basically gather as much information as possible in this phase, while the next phase, brand strategy, focuses on distilling and crafting the essence of your brand universe. But more on that next week. We would love for this to be a dialogue, rather than us talking at you, so feel free to respond with any questions or comments. We are happy to elaborate on specific parts, and always welcome the opportunity to learn about your own experience.
Much love,
Lisa & Tim
