The following questions are what i would ask a client in an initial meeting, having these answers will guide you through growing your business and creating the best design collateral. Ask yourself the following questions and/or download Mango Tree Media’s Brand Questionnaire and write them down.

YOUR COMPANY

1. Write down a brief company history. Include your mission statement or vision, refer to this whenever briefing your designer.
2. What is your product or service? Think of it in terms of introducing yourself to your target audience during a 30 second lift ride. What would you say?

MARKET/COMPETITORS

1. How and where is your product/service used? What do your customers think of it?
2. Are there any trends in the market that could significantly impact your business? How?
3. Who are your main competitors?
4. What specifically differentiates you from your competitors?

PREVIOUS MATERIALS

What kind of communication materials, collateral, promotions, PR, or marketing initiatives have you used in the past if any? Give these to your designer.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

1. What is the overall message you are trying to convey to your target audience? Cost effective? Reliable? Customer Focused? Quality service? Time Saving? Etc. What is the promise or benefit? This is an if/then statement i.e: If you buy our product/service then you will save time and save money.
2. What do you want your audience to think, do or feel after they see your brand communication?

YOUR AUDIENCE

1. Who is the primary audience you are trying to reach? Age, gender, diversity, economics, buying habits, Industry etc?
2. Where and how do your current target audience learn about your products/services?
3. What features about your product/service are most important to your audience?
4. Use a few adjectives to describe how you would like your audience to perceive your brand? Prestigious, friendly, fun, corporate, innovative etc.

EXAMPLES

Give your designer a list examples of branding, websites, urls or images (available for viewing on the internet) that you like the look of. A great way to do this is to create a private pinboard on pinterest that you and your designer can view.