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Creating Brand Briefs

Brand briefs are completed by the Brand and Marketing Strategist, in collaboration with the relevant Product Lead, stakeholders, and team members. 

The completed brief serves multiple functions. It is primarily used to create a Decentralized Design Kit for the Design Team which includes a brand book, a Figma Kit, a canva kit, a press kit, and a Google Slides template. However, it also provides visibility and context for the Product Team and Marketing Team.

Define Scope and Timeline

Use the Brand Brief template in Clickup, to document the overall goals and objectives of the brand along with the estimated timing of the project and a list of required brand assets (eg. logo mark, word mark, color palette system, type systems, etc.).

This will require connecting with the Product Lead and any secondary stakeholders, such as DevRel and PGF (Public Goods Funding Workstream). 

Hold discovery meeting

The kick-off discovery call involves the product manager, engineers, designers, and other relevant team members. The goal is to interview the group to perform an information audit of all relevant background information. 

This process will include:

Coordinating a good time for the call with all relevant parties

Creating a questionnaire and sending it to all participants in advance, outlining specific objectives and questions for the call. This usually includes questions regarding their history with the product and Gitcoin, what the product is, who the product is for, and what purpose it serves.

Creating a Discovery Notes document where all notes can be summarized from the questionnaire and the call. Link the Discovery Notes document in the Brand Brief.

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When sending the Questionnaire, make sure to communicate that both call and questionnaire are safe spaces for relevant information. Let them know that the findings from the interviews and audits will be summarized and linked in the brand brief and that they should clearly communicate anything that should not be shared.

Hold brand attributes workshop

Now that the team has individually expressed their understanding of the product, it is time to discuss it as a group. This helps identify where there is consensus so that you know what to include in the brand brief's mission, vision, and values (MVV) section.

Schedule a brand attributes workshop with the entire product team to identify areas of convergence and divergence in everyone’s understanding of the product. 

Articulate product architecture

Use the information from the discovery call and the attributes workshop to articulate the product architecture. This involves defining the structure and organization of the product, including its various components and how they interrelate.

The product architecture will be used to determine the type of competitive analysis that should be done (eg. product-level analysis or brand-level analysys).

Conduct competitive analysis

Determine Product Mission, Vision, and Values

Additionally, you will use the information from the discovery call and the attributes workshop to craft the product's mission, vision, and values. 

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It is recommended to involve the marketing team, especially the marketing director, in this process.

Determine positioning statements and messaging

Product and product brand positioning statements should be developed to clearly define how the brand and product differentiate themselves in the market and target audience's minds.

This will also involve deciding on brand messaging, voice, tone, and vernacular. It is essential to define the brand messaging, including the voice, tone, and vernacular that will be used in all communications.

Develop product and brand name (if needed)

If needed, work on creating an impactful and memorable name for the product or brand. The product and brand often share the same name. 

Finalize the brief and review with the requester

Tie the product name (if applicable), MVV, positioning statement, and messaging guidelines into the brief and share it with the person who sent the brand brief request in (usually the Product Lead). Set a deadline for them to review all items and provide feedback before the brief is sent to the Design Team. Integrate their feedback and iterate until there is agreement on each item. 

Send the brief and hold a kick-off meeting

After receiving directional alignment, send the brand brief to the design team through Discord. Set a time to meet with all relevant designers to co-review of the brief together, answer any questions they may haven and ensure everyone is on the same page.

After the kick-off meeting, the Creative Director will take over responsibility for the design work and the Brand and Marketing Strategist will continue providing feedback from brand and marketing standpoint. 

Creating Brand Briefs

Brand briefs are completed by the Brand and Marketing Strategist, in collaboration with the relevant Product Lead, stakeholders, and team members. 

The completed brief serves multiple functions. It is primarily used to create a Decentralized Design Kit for the Design Team which includes a brand book, a Figma Kit, a canva kit, a press kit, and a Google Slides template. However, it also provides visibility and context for the Product Team and Marketing Team.

Define Scope and Timeline

Use the Brand Brief template in Clickup, to document the overall goals and objectives of the brand along with the estimated timing of the project and a list of required brand assets (eg. logo mark, word mark, color palette system, type systems, etc.).

This will require connecting with the Product Lead and any secondary stakeholders, such as DevRel and PGF (Public Goods Funding Workstream). 

Hold discovery meeting

The kick-off discovery call involves the product manager, engineers, designers, and other relevant team members. The goal is to interview the group to perform an information audit of all relevant background information. 

This process will include:

Coordinating a good time for the call with all relevant parties

Creating a questionnaire and sending it to all participants in advance, outlining specific objectives and questions for the call. This usually includes questions regarding their history with the product and Gitcoin, what the product is, who the product is for, and what purpose it serves.

Creating a Discovery Notes document where all notes can be summarized from the questionnaire and the call. Link the Discovery Notes document in the Brand Brief.

💡

Hold brand attributes workshop

Now that the team has individually expressed their understanding of the product, it is time to discuss it as a group. This helps identify where there is consensus so that you know what to include in the brand brief's mission, vision, and values (MVV) section.

Schedule a brand attributes workshop with the entire product team to identify areas of convergence and divergence in everyone’s understanding of the product. 

Articulate product architecture

Use the information from the discovery call and the attributes workshop to articulate the product architecture. This involves defining the structure and organization of the product, including its various components and how they interrelate.

The product architecture will be used to determine the type of competitive analysis that should be done (eg. product-level analysis or brand-level analysys).

Conduct competitive analysis

Determine Product Mission, Vision, and Values

Additionally, you will use the information from the discovery call and the attributes workshop to craft the product's mission, vision, and values. 

💡

It is recommended to involve the marketing team, especially the marketing director, in this process.

Determine positioning statements and messaging

Product and product brand positioning statements should be developed to clearly define how the brand and product differentiate themselves in the market and target audience's minds.

This will also involve deciding on brand messaging, voice, tone, and vernacular. It is essential to define the brand messaging, including the voice, tone, and vernacular that will be used in all communications.

Develop product and brand name (if needed)

If needed, work on creating an impactful and memorable name for the product or brand. The product and brand often share the same name. 

Finalize the brief and review with the requester

Tie the product name (if applicable), MVV, positioning statement, and messaging guidelines into the brief and share it with the person who sent the brand brief request in (usually the Product Lead). Set a deadline for them to review all items and provide feedback before the brief is sent to the Design Team. Integrate their feedback and iterate until there is agreement on each item. 

Send the brief and hold a kick-off meeting

After receiving directional alignment, send the brand brief to the design team through Discord. Set a time to meet with all relevant designers to co-review of the brief together, answer any questions they may haven and ensure everyone is on the same page.

After the kick-off meeting, the Creative Director will take over responsibility for the design work and the Brand and Marketing Strategist will continue providing feedback from brand and marketing standpoint. 