ROCKSTAR BRAND STRATEGY WORKBOOK

Your brand is your reputation, your DNA, and your promise to the world. This section defines the strategic core of your brand—your mission, vision, values, and purpose—so every move you make can stay in alignment.

Think of this as your brand’s compass. Without it, every marketing effort risks drifting off course.

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1.1 – Mission Statement

What you do, who you do it for, and why it matters.

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A strong mission grounds your brand in meaningful action. It should be clear enough to guide decisions and compelling enough to inspire your team and audience.

The best mission statements are:

1. Action-oriented: What do you do?
2. Audience-specific: Who do you do it for?
3. Outcome-driven: Why does it matter?

Rockstar Tip: Don't get lost in jargon or corporate fluff, keep it real.

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Challenge:

What do you do to create value for the people you serve?

Template:

We [what you do] for [who you serve] so they can [what outcome you help them achieve].

Examples:

• Slack: Make work life simpler, more pleasant, and more productive.
• Notion: We're making software that anyone can mold and shape—like a Lego set—for their work.
• Custom Example: We help underdog startups turn chaos into clarity with brand and growth systems that scale.

What is your mission?

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1.2 – Vision Statement

The long-term change your brand wants to make in the world.

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If your mission is what you do, your vision is where you’re going.

A great vision statement paints a clear, ambitious picture of the future your brand is working toward. It should spark action and be a guiding light for your strategy.

Rockstar Tip: Avoid buzzwords. Keep it bold, clear, and inspiring.

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Challenge:

If your brand fulfilled its mission completely, what would the world look like?

Examples:

• Tesla: To create the most compelling car company of the 21st century by accelerating the world’s transition to electric vehicles.
• Patagonia: We're in business to save our home planet.
• Custom Example: A world where small businesses can launch and scale with the same tools and confidence as global brands.

What is your vision?

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1.3 – Core Values

The beliefs and behaviors that shape every decision.

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Your values are what you believe and what you act on. They shape your culture, your brand, and your growth.

The best values are:

1. Deeply rooted
2. Clear and distinctive
3. Used to drive decisions

Rockstar Tip: Avoid meaningless clichés. Get specific.

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Challenge:

What are the non-negotiable principles that define how you operate?

Examples:

Core Value	What It Looks Like in Practice
Clarity	We simplify complexity and get right to the point.
Boldness	We act fast, take risks, and speak our truth.
Empathy	We meet people where they are, without ego.
Ownership	We don’t blame others, we take ownership and solve problems.
Craft	We obsess over the details because they’re what people feel most.

 

What are your core values?

Core Value	What It Means in Practice

 

1.4 – Brand Purpose

Why you exist beyond profit.

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Brand purpose is your belief system and your driving force. It is the heartbeat behind your business—the thing that makes customers resonate with you and keeps your team members aligned.

As Simon Sinek famously said:

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

It’s about the change you want to make.

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Challenge:

• Why do you care about solving this problem?
• Why does this work matter—to you and to your audience?

Examples:

• Apple: We believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.
• Chobani: To make universal wellness happen sooner.
• Custom Example: We exist to give founders the confidence and tools to launch brands that punch above their weight.
  
  

What is your brand purpose?

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Section 1 Checklist

Before moving on, ensure you’ve defined:

1. A clear Mission Statement
2. An impactful Vision Statement
3. 3–5 specific Core Values
4. A compelling Brand Purpose

Rockstar Tip: Your mission, vision, values, and purpose can drive investor decks, team culture, onboarding, pitch scripts, and customer-facing messaging.

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Section 1 Reading List

Build your brand strategy with foundational reads from some of the world's top brand leaders.

Branding & Strategy

• The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
  How to bridge strategy and creativity to build a charismatic brand.
• Zag by Marty Neumeier
  When everyone zigs, zag. A playbook for radical differentiation.
• The Brand Flip by Marty Neumeier
  Brands are no longer owned by companies, but by customers.

Purpose & Vision

• Start With Why by Simon Sinek
  People don’t buy what you do—they buy why you do it.

Messaging & Storytelling

• Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
  Clarify your message so customers listen. Uses the hero’s journey model.

Positioning & Perception

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries & Jack Trout
  A classic guide to owning mental real estate in your audience’s mind.

Execution & Stickiness

• Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
  Why some ideas survive and others die—powerful tools for clear communication.

Virality & Influence

• Contagious by Jonah Berger
  How and why things catch on. Useful for brand resonance and content.
  
  

Define who you serve, what they want, and how your brand meets them where they are. You can’t build a strong brand for “everyone.” The more clearly you define your audience, the more powerfully your brand will resonate.

This section is about focus. You’ll define your ideal customer, map their journey, uncover their language, and prioritize your messaging accordingly. These exercises aren’t just theoretical—they directly shape your positioning, website copy, and marketing strategy.

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2.1 – Ideal Customer Avatar

Create a clear, focused profile of your best-fit customer.

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A strong avatar combines logic and empathy, and is about more than demographics. It is all about understanding what your customer wants, fears, hopes for, and responds to.

A well-crafted avatar helps you:

1. Design stronger offers
2. Choose better channels
3. Write clearer, higher-converting copy

Rockstar Insight: “You can’t read the label from inside the jar.” Getting outside your own assumptions is key. Think from your customer’s perspective.

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Customer Avatar Template

Attribute	Description
Name	Give them a real name—make them human.
Demographics	Age, gender, role/title, income, location
Psychographics	Beliefs, goals, fears, values
Key Pain Points	What keeps them stuck, stressed, or dissatisfied?
Goals/Desires	What are they trying to achieve in life or business?
Where They Hang Out	Online (LinkedIn, Reddit, Slack groups) or offline (events, etc.)
Buying Triggers	What makes them act? Budget? Timeline? Frustration?
Objections	Why might they hesitate or say no?

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What is your ideal customer avatar?

Attribute	Your Notes
Name
Demographics
Psychographics
Pain Points
Goals/Desires
Where They Hang Out
Triggers/Objections

 

2.2 – Customer Journey Mapping

Visualize how your audience moves from awareness to advocacy

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Customers don’t become superfans overnight. They go through a series of mental shifts, questions, and emotional moments.

Mapping the customer journey helps you:

• Meet them where they are
• Anticipate objections
• Match your message to their mindset

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Customer Journey Map

Stage	Description	What They Need From You
Awareness	They don’t know you or their problem.	Insight, relevance, emotional connection
Consideration	They’re exploring options and evaluating.	Proof, clarity, differentiation
Decision	Ready to act—needs confidence.	Calls to action, limited risk, ease
Retention	They’ve bought—now it’s about experience.	Onboarding, results, communication
Advocacy	Loyal and likely to share—if given the chance.	Recognition, referral programs, community

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What are the key actions for your audience?

Stage	Actions Your Audience Takes
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Retention
Advocacy

 

2.3 – Primary vs. Secondary Audiences

Clarify who comes first, and who else matters.

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Your primary audience is the group you build for. Secondary audiences may benefit too, but they don't drive your main strategy.

This prioritization ensures your brand stays focused and consistent, even across multiple use cases.

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Audience Breakdown

Audience Type	Description	What They Want From You
Primary	Startup founders	Brand clarity, traction, and investor trust
Secondary	Marketing consultants	Frameworks, voice, and execution support
Secondary	Startup accelerators or VCs	Portfolio startups with clearer positioning

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What are your audiences?

Type	Description	What They Want From You
Primary
Secondary
Secondary

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2.4 – Voice of Customer (VOC)

Use real language from real people to inform your messaging.

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The best copy doesn’t come from your head, it comes from the mouths of your customers.

Listen to your customers' exact words. They become gold for:

1. Website copy
2. Sales scripts
3. Email subject lines
4. Product messaging
   
   

Sources to mine and find the voice of your customers:

1. Support tickets
2. Sales calls
3. Reviews and testimonials
4. Chat logs
5. Reddit, Quora, YouTube comments
   
   

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What key phrases do you hear from your customers?

Source	Quote or Insight from Customer
Support Ticket	“I had no idea where to start, and I felt totally overwhelmed.”
Review	“I just wanted a brand that actually reflected who I am.”
Discovery Call	“I’ve tried agencies before—they all overcomplicated it.”

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Section 2 Completion Checklist

Before you move on:

1. You’ve defined an Ideal Customer Avatar
2. You’ve mapped your Customer Journey
3. You’ve identified Primary and Secondary Audiences
4. You’ve gathered your Voice of Customer
   
   

Rockstar Tip: "Don’t market to people. Market with them in mind." The brands that win don’t guess, they listen. Then they build.

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Section 2 Reading List

Learn to deeply understand and speak to your customer like the best in the business.

Customer Psychology & Behavior

• Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen
  Core text for Jobs to Be Done thinking and why customers really buy.
• Buyer Personas by Adele Revella
  A deep dive into persona-building based on real interviews, not guesses.
• Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
  Craft messaging that actually lands and stays in your audience’s mind.
  
  

Messaging & Empathy

• Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
  Use narrative to position your customer as the hero of the story.
• This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
  Modern marketing starts with empathy and ends with connection.
• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
  Great for turning raw customer insights into clear, human content.
  
  

3.1 – What is Brand Positioning?

It’s the answer to the question: “Why you?”

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Positioning is about focus. It’s not what you do, it’s what you own in the mind of your customer. The best positioning doesn’t explain everything—it plants one powerful idea.

Key Attributes of Great Positioning:

1. Simple
2. Relevant
3. Different
4. Defensible
5. Ownable
   
   

Common Mistakes:

1. Sounding like everyone else
2. Targeting too broad an audience
3. Listing features instead of owning a benefit
4. Trying to do too many things
   
   

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3.2 – Positioning Statement Builder

Craft your strategic anchor in one clear sentence.

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This isn’t a tagline, it’s your internal compass for all messaging.

Positioning Statement Formula:

For [target audience], [Brand] is the [category] that [unique point of difference] because [reason to believe].

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Examples:

• Slack: For modern teams, Slack is the communication platform that replaces email with real-time collaboration because it’s built around channels, search, and integrations.

• Dollar Shave Club: For cost-conscious men, Dollar Shave Club is the subscription razor brand that delivers quality blades for less because it cuts out the middleman.

• Notion: For individuals and teams who want to stay organized, Notion is the all-in-one workspace that combines notes, tasks, and docs because it’s endlessly customizable.

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What is your brand's positioning?

For

 

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[Brand Name] is the 

 

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that 

 

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because 

 

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3.3 – Category Definition

Define the space you play in, or invent your own.

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If you don’t define your category, your audience will do it for you, and they’ll usually put you in a box you don’t want to be in.

“The first brand to establish itself in a category owns it.”
— Ries & Trout

Category Strategy Options:

• Own an existing category (e.g., "CRM for small business")
• Redefine a category (e.g., "Next-gen CRM")
• Create a new category (e.g., "Revenue Workspace")
  
  

Example:

• Gong didn’t call itself a sales analytics tool—they called it “Revenue Intelligence.”
• Airbnb didn’t call itself a hotel brand—they created the category of “home sharing.”
  
  

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What is your category? What category should you own?

Current category: 

 

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Preferred positioning/category: 

 

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3.4 – Competitor Landscape Map

Know the terrain. Claim your difference.

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Identify the players in your space—and where your unique advantage lies.

 

Competitive Positioning Matrix

Brand	Target Audience	Key Value/Claim	Strengths
Competitor A	Mid-market SaaS	Simple pricing, fast setup	Speed, simplicity
Competitor B	Enterprises	Custom integrations	Flexibility, scale
Your Brand	Bootstrap startups	Clarity + GTM system in one	Strategy + execution blend

 

How well do you know your competitors?

1. What do they say they offer?
2. What do customers think they offer?
3. What’s missing?
4. What can you uniquely own?
   
   

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3.5 – White Space & Differentiation

Stand where no one else is standing.

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Once you’ve mapped the landscape, it’s time to identify what only you can say.

This is where your positioning becomes powerful.

What sets you apart?

• What problems aren’t being solved well?
• What does your audience complain about?
• What do you offer that no one else does in the same way?
  
  

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Onlyness Statement Formula

[Brand] is the only [type of business] that [delivers unique benefit] for [specific audience].

Example:

We’re the only growth agency that combines GTM strategy, sales enablement, and dev capabilities under one brand for scaling startups.

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What is your onlyness statement?

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Section 3 Completion Checklist

Before moving on:

1. You’ve written a clear Positioning Statement
2. You’ve defined your Category (or created one)
3. You’ve mapped the Competitive Landscape
4. You’ve identified your White Space / Onlyness
   
   

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Section 3 Reading List

Learn how the best brands position themselves to lead markets—not chase them.

Brand Positioning & Differentiation

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries & Jack Trout
  The definitive guide to mental positioning in a crowded world.
• Zag by Marty Neumeier
  If everyone zigs, you zag. Find your radical difference.
• Obviously Awesome by April Dunford
  A practical guide to positioning your product so it sells.
  
  

Brand Strategy & Category Creation

• Play Bigger by Al Ramadan, Christopher Lochhead, et al.
  Why the most successful brands create their own categories.
• Purple Cow by Seth Godin
  Be remarkable or be invisible.
• The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
  Essential for connecting business strategy to brand clarity.
  
  

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Rockstar Tip: Great positioning is about being different in a way that matters. Own your difference, and your audience will remember you.

People don’t connect with products, they connect with personalities.

Your brand personality shapes how people feel when they interact with you. Your voice is how you sound when you speak to the world.

Together, these create a brand that feels consistent, trustworthy, and memorable.

4.1 – Brand Personality Traits

Give your brand human characteristics that shape how it behaves.

Your brand’s personality is made up of a few key traits that define how it shows up in the world. Just like people, brands can be bold, friendly, wise, rebellious, nurturing, or visionary.

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Choose 3–5 Core Traits

Start by identifying the 3–5 adjectives that best describe your brand’s personality.

Trait Examples	Synonyms or Related Feelings
Bold	Fearless, disruptive, assertive
Warm	Approachable, human, friendly
Clever	Witty, smart, sharp
Expert	Authoritative, knowledgeable, trusted
Visionary	Forward-thinking, aspirational, future-focused
Gritty	Real, raw, tenacious
Elegant	Refined, minimalist, tasteful
Quirky	Playful, offbeat, unique

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Define Your Brand’s Personality Traits

Trait	How It Shows Up in Behavior or Messaging

 

4.2 – Archetype Alignment

Tie your brand to a classic storytelling role or character.

Brand archetypes are recurring characters found across stories and cultures. Aligning with one gives your brand emotional resonance and storytelling power.

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12 Common Archetypes

Archetype	Essence	Brands that embody it
The Hero	Courage, strength	Nike, Gatorade
The Sage	Wisdom, guidance	Google, TED
The Explorer	Freedom, discovery	Jeep, REI
The Creator	Innovation, expression	Adobe, Lego
The Caregiver	Service, protection	Johnson & Johnson, TOMS
The Ruler	Control, order	Mercedes-Benz, Rolex
The Magician	Transformation, power	Apple, Dyson
The Everyman	Belonging, relatability	IKEA, Target
The Rebel	Disruption, rebellion	Harley-Davidson, Diesel
The Lover	Intimacy, passion	Chanel, Haagen-Dazs
The Jester	Fun, joy	Old Spice, M&M’s
The Innocent	Optimism, purity	Dove, Coca-Cola

 

Your Brand Archetype(s)

Primary Archetype: 

 

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Supporting Archetype: 

 

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4.3 – Brand Voice Definition

Define how your brand speaks and sounds—across every channel.

Your brand voice is how you talk to your audience. It’s not what you say—it’s how you say it. A consistent voice builds familiarity and trust.

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Voice Chart Template 

Voice Trait	What It Means	Do:	Don’t:
Clarity	Direct, easy to understand	Use simple words, active voice	Over-explain, use jargon
Boldness	Confident, opinionated	Make strong statements	Hedge or water things down
Friendly	Approachable, conversational	Use first-person and casual tone	Sound robotic or overly formal
Expert	Knowledgeable, trustworthy	Provide data, cite experience	Sound boastful or overly complex

Define Your Brand’s Voice Traits

Voice Trait	Meaning in Practice	Do:	Don’t:

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4.4 – Signature Phrases & Brand Sayings

Identify words, phrases, or slogans that are unique to your brand.

These are the phrases you return to—the memorable language that captures your tone and positioning. They can be used in taglines, headers, campaigns, and internal culture.

Prompt:

1. What do you say often?
2. What would someone repeat when talking about your brand?

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Signature Phrases or Sayings

• “________________________________________________”
  
  
• “________________________________________________”
  
  
• “________________________________________________”
  
  

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4.5 – What You’re Not

Draw clear lines around your identity.

Just as important as defining who you are is knowing who you’re not. This keeps your messaging tight and your brand focused.

Prompt:

What styles, tones, or brand personalities do you want to avoid?

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We Are Not…

• Corporate and cold
• Trend-chasing or gimmicky
• Overly casual or vague
  
  

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Section 4 Completion Checklist

Before moving on:

1. You’ve defined 3–5 Brand Personality Traits
2. You’ve selected a Primary Archetype 
3. You’ve charted your Voice Traits with Do/Don’t examples
4. You’ve identified a few Signature Phrases
5. You’ve clarified what your brand is NOT

Rockstar Tip: Consistency across every touchpoint builds credibility. Know your voice, and stick to it.

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Section 4 Reading List

Master the art of brand personality, voice, and emotional resonance.

Voice & Brand Expression

• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
  Build a tone that’s human, clear, and authentic.
• Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
  Craft sticky, emotionally resonant messaging.
• Contagious by Jonah Berger
  Why things go viral. Great for understanding emotional tone.

Archetypes & Storytelling

• The Hero and the Outlaw by Margaret Mark & Carol S. Pearson
  The definitive book on brand archetypes.
• Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
  Clarify your message and position your customer as the hero.

Brand Strategy

• The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
  Connect your voice to strategic brand clarity.

Your visual identity is the silent ambassador of your brand. It works before you speak, and reinforces everything you say.

This section helps you begin building a visual direction for your brand that’s rooted in strategy.

You don’t need to be a designer, you just need clarity about the look, feel, and meaning behind your brand’s appearance.

5.1 – Brand Keywords

Define the feeling your visual identity should express.

Before you choose colors or fonts, get clear on the emotional and functional tone your visuals should communicate.

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Choose Brand Keywords

These words will act as design anchors. They guide your designer (or your own decisions) when choosing visuals.

Word Examples	Tone/Use Case
Minimal	Clean, focused, high-end
Energetic	Bold, modern, exciting
Elegant	Sophisticated, luxurious
Playful	Friendly, creative, light-hearted
Gritty	Raw, real, grounded
Innovative	Futuristic, sleek, cutting-edge
Approachable	Human, casual, down-to-earth

 

Your Brand Keywords

 

1. ---

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2. ---

3. ---

4. ---

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5.2 – Moodboard Starter

Collect inspiration to visualize your brand direction.

Moodboards help you visually align your team, designer, or creative partner. They're also great for clarifying your own taste and direction.

Start by collecting:

• Brands you admire
• Website screenshots
• Logo ideas
• Font samples
• Color swatches
• Imagery or textures
  
  

Use tools like:

• Pinterest
• Figma
• Canva
• Milanote
• Adobe Express
• Or old-fashioned cut-and-paste collages
  
  

What do you find inspirational? 

 

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What is your aesthetic? 

 

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5.3 – Color Palette Direction

Choose a base color strategy rooted in emotion and meaning.

Colors carry emotional weight—and they’re one of the most remembered parts of your brand. Choose colors that align with your keywords and audience.

Common Color Associations

Color	Typical Associations
Red	Passion, urgency, energy
Blue	Trust, calm, intelligence
Yellow	Optimism, warmth, attention-grabbing
Green	Growth, health, money
Purple	Creativity, royalty, imagination
Black	Luxury, power, sophistication
White	Simplicity, clarity, cleanliness

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What are your colors?

Primary Color: 

 

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Secondary Colors: 

 

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Accent or Neutral Colors: 

 

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Desired emotional tone: 

 

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5.4 – Typography Direction

Clarify your style through font selection.

Fonts convey tone. Are you professional, playful, bold, or refined?

A great brand usually includes:

• A primary font (for headings and key visuals)
• A secondary font (for body copy or supporting text)
  
  

What does your font feel like?

Do you want your type to feel modern? Classic? Tech-forward? Handwritten?

 

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Font Use	Direction / Feel
Heading Font
Body Font
Overall Tone

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5.5 – Logo Style Preferences

Define the type of logo that best fits your brand.

You don’t need a logo yet—but it helps to know what kind you want:

• Wordmark (e.g., Google, Coca-Cola)
• Lettermark (e.g., IBM, HBO)
• Symbol or Icon (e.g., Apple, Nike)
• Combination mark (e.g., Adidas, Dropbox)
• Emblem (e.g., Harley-Davidson, Starbucks)
  
  

Prompt:

Do you want something sleek and minimal or illustrative and bold?

 

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Logo Direction

Preferred style: 

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Brands with logos you admire: 

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What your logo must or must not include: 

 

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5.6 – What to Avoid Visually

Set guardrails to keep your identity cohesive.

Avoid falling into cliché, overdesign, or mismatched visuals.

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We want to avoid:

• Overused visuals
• Stocky, generic icons
• Fonts that feel dated
• Anything that contradicts our voice or values
  
  

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Section 5 Completion Checklist

Before moving on:

1. You’ve chosen 3–5 Brand Keywords
2. You’ve created or planned a Moodboard
3. You’ve drafted your Color Palette Direction
4. You’ve identified Typography preferences
5. You’ve outlined Logo ideas and guardrails.

Rockstar Tip: “Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” Strong visuals create alignment, trust, and emotional pull. When in doubt: simplify, clarify, and be consistent.

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Suggested Reading List

Explore how the best brands use design to create iconic, lasting impressions.

Visual Identity & Design

• Logo Design Love by David Airey
  A must-read for understanding what makes a great logo.
• Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits by Debbie Millman
  Interviews with top brand thinkers on design and identity.
• How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things by Michael Bierut
  From one of Pentagram’s legends, on design that works.
  
  

Brand Systems & Visual Strategy

• The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
  Learn how strategy and design must work together.
• Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
  A comprehensive guide to creating consistent brand visuals.
• Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
  While focused on UX, it’s foundational for visual simplicity and clarity.