Brand sprint

guide & Faq

Everything you need to know about working with us for your brand sprint

Welcome

Hey there! 

I’m really looking forward to learning more about you and your business goals. That’s what fuels me.

I’m Josh Walker, the founder of Recon Media. If you’re reading this letter, then you’re probably in a pinch between not having enough time and needing to get stuff done. In this case, updating or launching your brand and website.

So first thing’s first-yes we do all this craziness in one business week. For startups, established businesses, from the manufacturing industry to the healthcare industry, and retail and food and drink industries.

My system and framework for the Brand Sprint is incredibly complex and dialed-in. But that’s for us to handle. You just keep on doing your thing, running your business, and enjoying some of that newly regained free time you thought was lost forever.

 

The first step is to make sure your business is a candidate for a Brand Sprint. Sounds odd, but no, we don’t just take every client that walks in off the street. I have a passion for what me and my team do to help and partner with other businesses, and I take that seriously. So I just like to spend a few minutes on a no-pressure discovery call to hear more about your situation, where you’re at, and where you want to go.

 

Sound good? Then let’s get to it! Start by scheduling a 15 minute block directly on my calendar below. Then check out the FAQ and information below to gain more insight into what’s truly possible in just one week.

Cheers,

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We have a deep understanding of how online marketing works and what makes customers engage with brands online.

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We take a collaborative approach to projects. Your input is key to the success of your brand.

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We build brands that encompass so much more than an icon. We build in emotion, passion, and uniqueness.

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We approach each client with the same passion and energy as we did with the first client we ever had a long, long time ago.

Here’s what you can expect from us working together

We do things a little bit differently. Instead of just asking for your requirements, going into our cave, and producing a design, we work with you to understand the true challenges you’re facing and how to build a brand that will shine. A brand that showcases your business. Using the insights and clarityy we gain at the beginning of the Brand Sprint, we’ll create a brand that’s not only beautifully designed, but effective as hell.

Disclaimer: We only work with people who are as excited about their projects as we are about creating them. You won’t find any cookie-cutter solutions here, just good old-fashioned craftsmanship. If you’re not excited about this, we may not be a great fit. Sorry, not sorry.

Your role in the project

A lot of clients think that they should stay away from the design process. They often don’t want to ‘influence creativity’ but you actually have a much bigger role in the success of a project than you may think. So here are some ways you can get involved with your project.

Be the expert

No matter how good we are at what we do (and we’re damn good, mind you), you’ll always know more about your business and industry than us. Of course we undertake extensive research on your company before each project, but your experience is much more valuable than most things we can dig up.

So don’t be afraid to give context to everything. Even if you think it’s not relevant. Because the more we know about your business, the better equipped we’ll be to create solutions that are tailor made for you and your brand.

Use every opportunity that you can to talk about your business. Unless you’re a designer, your strengths don’t necessarily lie in design. And that’s ok, because you’ve hired the experts, right? Play to your strengths, and we’ll play to ours. Between us, we’ll come up with something that looks great, feels like home, and works for your business, not against it.

Manage your team

It’s also your job to get your team in order and decide who is responsible for what. It’s best to set roles at the very start of the Brand Sprint and clearly state who is responsible for signing things off.

If that person is you, you need to be involved in the whole process. If you’re coming in periodically through the week of the Brand Sprint, you’re going to really struggle to know what’s going on and be able to make informed decisions. Remember, this is an entire branding process perfectly condensed into one week. It’s high-energy, fast-moving, and a bunch of other hyphenated two-word phrases.

So with that in mind, if you’re super busy, which we all know you are, it’s okay to give someone else you trust the authority to sign off design work and see the project through.

Give feedback in a timely manner

We pride ourselves on producing quality work in an insane timeframe. But we need your help to ensure we meet these targets. We have a long pipeline of work at any time, and if there are delays in us getting feedback it might mean we need to pause your Brand Sprint until we get another gap in client work.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to be realistic at the start of your Brand Sprint regarding your ability to provide quick, objective feedback so we can factor it into the development process.

Ask questions

When working with us, feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Questions usually lead to better results than asking for a specific change. We’ve seen it countless times – a seemingly unrelated client question or thought leads to a killer element of a brand identity.

Don’t worry about annoying us — we’re thrilled when we see you taking such a keen interest in the why’s behind our work. We spend a lot of time designing and building brand elements and love to talk shop with clients to give a better understanding of the importance and value of each part of your brand. 

Overall your role in a project is a big one. Sure, you’re hiring us to build your brand, but without your input, knowledge, and experience, the project won’t be half as successful as it can be.

Your Brand sprint timeline

Here’s a rundown of how your Brand Sprint will flow. Don’t worry, you won’t be the first (or the last) person to tell us we’re nuts.

Onboarding

Insight + understanding

We’ll do two calls – a Discovery Call and a Brand Strategy Call. You’ll also receive your Brand Sprint Client Packet filled with valuable resources and tools to help you prepare for your Brand Sprint.

Qualitative research

interviews + analysis

We take what we learned during your onboarding and then do an even deeper dive. This includes a brand audit, market analysis, and competitor analysis. This is the foundation upon which we’ll launch on Day One of your Brand Sprint.

Monday AM

What if + the why

Objective: Develop a clear map of WHY you’re in business and WHAT a successful brand means to you.

Duration: 2 hours

Tuesday AM

Identity + Meaning

Objective: Solidify the actual meaning behind your brand and what it truly represents.

Duration: 1 hour

Wednesday AM

Structure + Design

Objective: Build out your brand architecture and high-level identity elements.

Duration: 1 hour

Thursday AM

form + Function

Objective: Finalize the specific functionalities of your website and how it interacts with your visitors.

Duration: 1 hour

Friday AM

Prepare for launch

Objective: Testing. Testing. And more testing. No loose ends in sight.

Duration: 1 hour

Monday mid-day

What if + the why

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Tuesday mid-day

Identity + Meaning

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Wednesday mid-day

Structure + Design

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Thursday mid-day

form + Function

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Friday mid-day

Launch + celebrate

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Monday PM

What if + the why

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Tuesday PM

Identity + Meaning

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Wednesday PM

Structure + Design

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Thursday PM

form + Function

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

Friday PM

Launch + celebrate

Objective: A detailed brief summarizing the above and fully mapped out user journeys & interactions.

Duration: 1 hour

post-mortem review

Client survey

We take what we do seriously, and when you’ve put your brand in our hands, we want to know exactly what you thought about the process, the end result, and how it’s working for you once it’s live.

Next steps

Lead generation + social marketing

Your new brand is live! Now what? Let’s start driving your ideal customers to your front door. With our deep understanding of your brand (we built it, after all), we’re perfectly positioned to help generate leads and drive traffic to your business. Ready to go?

Frequently Asked Questions 

Some of the most frequently asked questions we get. Anything to add? Email us and we’ll answer your burning questions.

Writing content is hard! Can you do it for me? 

We know writing content can be a struggle. That’s why we’ve created an in-depth guide and worksheet to help you easily write the most effective content. Want it now? (don’t worry, we don’t mind if you use it for other stuff) Click here to grab our free guide, Creating Kick-Ass Content.

If writing isn’t your strong suit, we’ve got you covered. We go through every letter of content submission and re-write it so it’s compelling and effective. We just need you to get the basics there.

What if I don’t like the designs you create?

We’ve battle-tested our process so much over the years that we’re confident you’re going to love the concepts we bring you. All that research we do? That’s all done so we can get a clear understanding of your likes, dislikes, and inspirations which gets us as close as possible to a brand identity design the first time.

We’ve never had a project where we needed to redo a design because it’s missed the mark. But that said, if it did happen we will do everything needed to get the project back on track and make sure you’re happy with it. There’s no risk to you.

Can you help me with marketing?

Yes, absolutely! When we’re not doing Brand Sprints, we’re helping a number of our monthly clients with their social media marketing, paid ad campaigns, lead generation, and marketing consulting.

We offer monthly marketing retainers, and if you’re a Brand Sprint client you get a little extra love. Want to see what we offer?

Why is it called a brand sprint?

We used to do branding projects that took months like other agencies. Then we started having conversations with clients and prospects and discovered what they really wanted was something that didn’t exist. So we built the Brand Sprint. What others take months and large price tags to do, we knock out in a week and for just a fraction of the cost of a traditional branding project. 

Do I have to be onsite for this?

Negative, Ghost Rider. In fact, what we’ve discovered is the Brand Sprint process works much more efficiently using Zoom and a number of breakout rooms for our team and the client.

There are certain hard times we’ll need to be on a video call with you, but for the most part you’re freed up to keep rocking and rolling in your normal routine. Check out the itinerary above.

What if I’m just starting out?

Brand Sprints are an ideal way for startups and entrepreneurs to make a huge splash with their brand with minimal cost. If you’re in the process of getting your business off the ground, now is the perfect time to let us take you through a Brand Sprint. It’s one week, giving you more time and headspace to commit to the five million other things you need to get done before you launch.

What if I’ve got a brand already?

Easy peezy, chicken breezy. Or something like that.

We’ve helped a number of established businesses pivot their brand identity to align with the direction they’re headed. The result? An “older” company has a new life and energy injected into it with a new brand and website you can be proud of and excited about.

What kind of magic is this?

While we wish we had mystical powers, it’s actually a strategic combination of too much coffee, loads of ideas, plenty of failures, lots of learning, a fine balance of personalities, and endless conversations with everyone we meet and work with.

It’s not magic, it’s a Brand Sprint.

We hope you’ve found this Brand Sprint guide useful. Is anything missing? If so, email us at hi@recon.media and we’ll get it sorted for you on the quick.