As a branding expert, gathering the right information from your clients is crucial to developing a strong brand identity.

It serves as a strategic guide to uncovering essential insights about the brand, it's history, target audience, and market positioning.

By asking the right questions, you can gather more insightful data that informs your decisions and helps create a strong, cohesive brand.

PS. This article was inspired by my Notion template that I use with my client—you can get it for only $5.

My questionnaire is designed to help extract key insights across four essential areas: Project Info, Target Audience, Competitive Landscape, and Aesthetic Preferences.

Whether you are a branding expert or a business owner, here are the key questions to as before embarking on any branding project.

Let's dive into each section and explore the questions with sample answers to guide your branding process.

1. Project Info

This section aims to understand the fundamental aspects of your client's business, including its history, purpose, and future goals.

Question 1:

What is your company name and what does your business do?

This question establishes the basics of the company's identity and primary function.

Example: Airport Executive. We provide luxury airport transfers and chauffeur services.

It helps set the foundation for the entire branding process to come—here's an example answer:

This concise response clearly identifies the company and its primary service offering, providing a solid foundation for brand development.

Question 2:

What needs to get done? (Logo, Identity, Website, etc.)

This question helps clarify the specific deliverables expected from the branding process. It's crucial for defining the project scope, setting clear expectations, and ensuring that all necessary brand elements are addressed.

Example: We need a new logo, comprehensive brand identity guidelines, website redesign, and app interface design.

This response outlines a full-scale branding project that covers both visual identity and digital presence, indicating the need for a cohesive approach across all brand touchpoints.

Question 3:

Briefly describe your company's history and current business model.

Understanding the company's background and operational structure provides context for its current position and helps inform branding decisions that align with its evolution.

Example: Operating for over 25 years. Recently restructured to use subcontract drivers with their own vehicles.

This answer reveals a company with a long history that has adapted its business model, suggesting a brand that values both tradition and innovation.

Question 4:

What are your short-term and long-term business goals?

Knowing the company's future aspirations allows you to create a brand that not only works for the present but can also grow and adapt with the business.

Example: Short-term: Establish a strong online presence. Long-term: Expand our network globally.

These goals indicate a focus on digital transformation and global expansion, which should inform both the immediate branding strategy and its future evolution.

Question 5:

What are the main products or services you offer?

This provides a clear picture of what the company actually sells or provides, which is crucial for developing a brand that accurately represents its offerings.

Example: Airport transfers, luxury travel, executive travel, cruise transfers, and chauffeur services by the hour.

This diverse range of services suggests a versatile brand that caters to various high-end transportation needs.

2. Target Audience

Understanding the target audience is crucial for creating a brand that resonates with the right people.

Question 1:

Who is your primary target audience? Describe their key characteristics.

This question helps paint a picture of the ideal customer, including their demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. This information is vital for tailoring the brand to appeal to the right people.

Example: Sophisticated, aspirational consumers who value reliability and consistency. Tech-savvy but appreciate personal service.

This description paints a picture of a discerning audience that expects both technological convenience and personalized attention, key insights for brand positioning.

Question 2:

Who is your primary target audience? Describe their key characteristics.

Understanding the core value proposition helps focus the brand messaging on the most important benefits the company provides to its customers.

Example: Provide reliable, high-quality transportation with easy booking and consistent standards, saving time and reducing stress.

This response highlights the core benefits of convenience, quality, and peace of mind, which should be central themes in the brand messaging.

Question 3:

Who is your primary target audience? Describe their key characteristics.

This question reveals the main channels through which the brand will be expressed, helping to guide decisions about brand applications and touchpoints.

Example: Website, mobile app, email, phone support, and in-person through our drivers.

This multi-channel approach indicates a need for a versatile brand identity that translates well across digital and personal interactions.

Question 4:

List the key touchpoints where customers interact with your brand.

Identifying these touchpoints helps ensure that the brand is consistently applied across all customer interactions, creating a cohesive brand experience.

Example: Website/app booking, email confirmations, driver meet-and-greet, in-vehicle experience, post-trip feedback.

These touchpoints span the entire customer journey, emphasizing the need for consistent brand application at each stage.

Question 5:

How do your customers currently perceive your brand?

This question helps identify any gaps between the current brand perception and the desired brand image. It can reveal areas for improvement or aspects of the brand that should be maintained or emphasized.

Example: Our long-standing customers view us as reliable and professional, but we're less known among younger executives. Some potential customers may perceive us as traditional rather than innovative.

This insight suggests a need to maintain the brand's reputation for reliability while also updating its image to appeal to a younger demographic and showcase its innovative aspects.

3. Competitive Landscape

Understanding the competitive environment helps position the brand effectively in the market.

Question 1:

Who are your main competitors?

This question helps identify the brands that your client is competing against, providing context for how the new brand needs to stand out.

Example: Uber, Blacklane, Wheely, and Transfeero.

This mix of global ride-hailing apps and specialized luxury transport services indicates a competitive landscape that blends tech disruption with traditional high-end service.

Question 2:

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?

Understanding the company's unique position in the market is crucial for developing a brand that highlights its distinctive qualities.

Example: Consistent global standards, pre-booked journeys, and competitive pricing compared to some luxury providers.

These differentiators suggest a brand positioning that balances luxury service with accessibility and reliability.

Question 3:

What are your unique selling points (USPs)?

These key differentiators should be central to the brand strategy, helping to create a distinctive and memorable brand identity.

Example: Instant pricing, 24/7 support, vetted drivers, consistent standards, easy-to-use app.

These USPs combine elements of convenience, reliability, and quality, providing clear direction for key brand messages.

Question 4:

Are there any industry trends or challenges that could impact your branding?

This forward-looking question helps create a brand that is not only relevant now but can also adapt to future industry changes.

Example: Shift towards on-demand services and the need for a strong online/app presence.

This awareness of industry trends indicates a need for a forward-looking brand that can adapt to changing consumer expectations.

Question 5:

Are there any brands outside your industry that you admire?

Looking outside the immediate industry can provide fresh perspectives and innovative ideas for branding. It can also reveal aspects of the brand personality that the client aspires to.

Example: We admire the seamless digital experience of Airbnb, the premium feel of American Express, and the consistency of service provided by Four Seasons hotels.

This response indicates a desire for a brand that combines digital innovation, premium positioning, and exceptional service standards, providing direction for both the brand's visual identity and its customer experience strategy.

4. Aesthetic Preferences

This section delves into the visual and emotional aspects of the brand, helping to shape its personality and look.

Question 1:

List 3-5 adjectives that best describe your desired brand personality.

These adjectives serve as a guide for the overall tone and feel of the brand, influencing everything from visual design to copywriting.

Example: Luxurious, reliable, sophisticated, discreet, global

These adjectives provide a clear direction for the brand's visual and verbal identity, suggesting a high-end, trustworthy image with international appeal.

Question 2:

What are the core values of your company?

Core values are the principles that guide a company's behavior and decision-making. They should be reflected in every aspect of the brand.

Example: Excellence, consistency, customer-focus, professionalism, innovation

These values offer guidance for brand behavior and communication, emphasizing quality service and forward-thinking approaches.

Question 3:

Are there any specific colors you want associated with your brand? Why?

Color choices can significantly impact brand perception and recognition. Understanding any existing color preferences or associations is important.

Example: Primarily black and white to convey luxury and elegance, with potential accent colors.

This color preference aligns with the luxury positioning of the brand, while leaving room for distinctive accents to set it apart from competitors.

Question 4:

Do you have any initial ideas or preferences for your logo design?

While you'll bring your expertise to the logo design process, understanding any existing ideas or preferences helps ensure the final design aligns with the client's vision.

Example: Simple, elegant logo subtly incorporating air travel elements. Able to be abbreviated for app icon and vehicles.

This logo concept balances simplicity with industry-specific elements, while considering practical applications across different mediums.

Question 5:

Describe the overall look and feel you want for your brand.

This question helps paint a picture of the desired aesthetic, guiding the visual direction of the brand identity.

Example: Sophisticated and modern, with a clean, minimalist aesthetic that conveys luxury without being ostentatious.

This description provides clear direction for the visual identity, suggesting a contemporary luxury brand that values understated elegance.

Conclusion

By using this comprehensive questionnaire, you'll gather the essential information needed to create a strong, cohesive brand.

A brand that accurately represents your client's business and resonates with their target audience.

Remember, these questions serve as a starting point - feel free to adapt and expand based on each client's unique needs and industry specifics.

PS. You can get my Notion template that you can customize to your needs, it's only $5.