Use this branding questionnaire for your next project
Great branding is what sets iconic brands apart from those that have been long forgotten. Memorable branding becomes synonymous with the business, their offering, and the way they make people feel.
But how do you get started with building a memorable brand as a branding expert? You’ve got to gather all the necessary information from your client so you can understand their brand identity before you start creating the visual identity.
That’s where the branding questionnaire comes in!
This article is part of Air’s Ultimate Guide to Branding. Click here to explore the rest!
What’s a branding questionnaire?
A branding questionnaire is a series of questions that branding experts give to new clients to get the information they need before they start a project. Branding questionnaires can also be used by web designers, graphic designers, marketers, and even copywriters—anyone who needs to have a thorough understanding of the brand before they get started on a project.
A branding questionnaire could vary depending on the professional or the project. But in general, these questions encourage clients to think about their brand identity and how they want to communicate this through their visual branding and brand message.
The number of questions will also vary depending on the depth of the project. But the more questions you ask, the more valuable information you’ll have at your fingertips when you get started on a branding or design project.
When to use a branding questionnaire
Branding questionnaires can be incredibly helpful when it comes to developing brand strategy, creating a brand story, or starting a new branding project. There are a few different circumstances in which you’ll want to use a branding questionnaire:
When onboarding or starting a project with a new client
For agencies and freelancers, branding questionnaires are an important part of the onboarding process for new clients. It helps you understand the client’s needs and what their brand is about before you get started on their project.
If you’re designing content for an existing brand, then you’ll want to ask for the basic information that will allow you to design assets that are in line with their existing branding. You’ll need to ask for the branding guidelines including details like fonts, typography, color palette, logo, and any other elements that define their current brand.
If you’re building the brand from scratch, then you’ll want to include any questions that will really help you get to the heart of the brand’s personality. In addition to asking about their target market, important industry information, and main competitors, you might also ask for things like their brand personas.
Before rebranding or refreshing a company’s existing branding
Another time that an agency or freelancer might use a branding questionnaire is during the rebranding process. You’ll probably need to ask a lot of the same questions you would have about a new brand so that you have all the details in front of you when you begin your brand strategy.
However, you might want to include some additional questions that address their reason for needing a refresh or rebrand. Like:
What would they change about their current branding?
Where does it fall short of communicating their brand identity?
To understand executive leadership’s vision
Branding questionnaires aren’t just for agencies and freelancers. These forms can also be useful for in-house marketing and branding teams as well when the team wants to understand the executive leadership’s vision for the brand.
Getting on the same page with leadership or other important stakeholders helps designers, marketers, branding experts, and copywriters do their job more effectively. It can also help them spot new opportunities to refresh or expand the brand in a way that aligns with the company mission.
Why you should make brand questionnaires a part of your branding process
Branding questionnaires allow you to get all the essential information you need from clients from the get-go. It also helps ensure that the brand you are creating is one that aligns with the business and where they want to go in the future. The questionnaire keeps all this information documented and organized so you can revisit it at any time.
While you can ask a lot of these questions in a kickoff meeting, asking them beforehand saves time to focus on other things during the meeting. (Not to mention, you are guaranteeing that you won’t forget to ask about something important!)
Consider how you can integrate branding questionnaires into your existing client onboarding process. You might create an online form that you send to each client prior to your kickoff meeting so you are prepared to ask for any remaining or clarifying information you need before you get started.
10 branding questions to ask your next client
If you want to get the most helpful information out of your clients, you’ve got to know the right questions to ask. Here are 10 branding questions that you should include on your questionnaire:
1. What are your brand’s core values?
Getting a better understanding of the brand’s values will help you determine if their existing brand is communicating those values effectively.
2. What is your mission and vision?
The company mission tells you what the company aims to do and how they aim to do it. While the company vision tells you where they’d like to go. Both of these things are valuable to creating a solid brand identity.
3. Who is your ideal customer?
It’s vital for you to understand your client’s target customer, so you can understand what is important to them and what appeals to them.
4. What are your products or services?
You need to know what products and services your client offers as this impacts both branding and marketing strategy.
5. What does having a successful brand look like for you?
The answer to this question will work wonders when it comes to setting expectations for the branding project. It may also help you find additional opportunities to elevate the brand.
6. What’s your brand story?
Why did the business get started? What’s happened since then? Get to know the brand’s story and details about their journey so far.
7. What are your unique selling points?
The answer to this question will help you better understand what elements make them stand out in the market (which will help you figure out how to help make them stand out with their brand!)
8. Where will your leads and customers interact with your brand?
In order to create a brand that works for your client’s needs, you need to know how and where leads and customers will interact with their brand. For instance, what social media channels do they use? How does your audience use your website?
9. How do you want people to feel when they interact with your brand?
This is a question that many business owners may not have taken the time to think about yet, but the answer to this will impact every element of branding.
10. How would you describe your brand voice?
Even if your project is focused on design, understanding the company’s brand voice can give you a better idea of their personality.
Need a way to organize your branding projects? Try Air for free with up to 5GB on us.
