Free worksheet · English edition
Brand Strategy, in the Real World
A practical way to find the promise underneath the presentation.
For
Founders, designers, and small teams
Language
English
Format
Editable worksheet + notes
Status
Free working edition
Working tool / 01
Find the promise. Give it proof.
A compact brand brief you can use to judge naming, identity, copy, and product decisions.
01 / Context
Describe a situation you have observed. Keep assumptions separate from what someone actually said or did.
See an illustrative answer
A small coffee roaster gets repeat orders through messages. Customers keep asking which roast suits their brewing method. This is an illustrative scenario.
ReviewCould someone recognise themselves in this situation?
02 / Alternatives
Include habits, workarounds, and doing nothing. A competitor list alone misses the real choice.
See an illustrative answer
They reorder the same bag, ask a friend, or buy whichever roast is on offer. The choice feels uncertain.
ReviewHave you spoken to someone who chose an alternative?
03 / Promise
Write one sentence. Then name the behaviour that makes it true. Avoid claims such as best or revolutionary.
See an illustrative answer
Find a coffee that fits how you brew. Every bag includes a clear brewing guide and roast information.
ReviewCan the business keep this promise on an ordinary day?
04 / Expression
Choose three specific decisions and one thing to avoid. Give each decision a reason.
See an illustrative answer
Plain tasting notes; clear roast labels; a short brew-method selector. Avoid specialist language without an explanation.
ReviewWould these choices still make sense without a moodboard?
05 / Proof
Write the test, the person involved, the signal you need, and the decision it will change.
See an illustrative answer
Ask five customers to choose a bag without help. Record where they hesitate. Revise the labels if the brewing fit is unclear.
ReviewIs the result allowed to change your preferred direction?
Why this exists
Brand strategy is not a moodboard with a justification attached. It is the discipline of choosing what a project means, who it is for, why it should be believed, and how that promise survives contact with the product. This is the short, working version I use when the brief is still foggy.
Notes behind the questions
Start with the tension
What is difficult, underserved, or needlessly confusing today? Start with the lived problem and the business pressure around it, not a list of adjectives.
Write the promise
A useful promise is specific enough to guide a decision and generous enough to matter to a person. If the product cannot keep it, it is copy—not strategy.
Find the point of view
The point of view is the choice you are willing to repeat. It gives the project a centre when competitors, trends, and internal opinions pull it in different directions.
Make belief visible
Name the quality cues, behaviours, words, and small interactions that let someone feel the promise before they have to trust a claim.
Test both sides
Look at the same decision from the person’s side and the business side. The right answer usually improves the experience while making the business clearer or healthier.
This edition is intentionally small. The archive holds the longer thinking behind it.
Read the archive ↗Last updated 2026-09-07