In a way, this story is about shifting brand visioning. And it’s early enough, for this story, this client — that I can’t really reference the brand name.
But people ask, what is it like — what do you do? What happens?
Brand development and the questing methodology is actually loose in appearance — in terms of the operation; but tight in planning, facilitation, solution and outcomes. The steps and working stages are carefully planned – but in the live engagement, it feels almost improvisational — new directions, fresh paths emerge — and while there’s a snapping line to action, the outcomes can be dramatic new insights, team shifts in paradigm and empowering solidification of team brandspirit.
Here then, a glimpse of one questing workshop in NYC, at the Girvin offices there.
….
The client team, on the roof, 26th & Broadway
….
But being on the roof, I was thinking about the metaphor of literally being on the roof, looking up, exploring — blue sky.?
Being on the top of the building above our NYC office, looking at the sky, the metaphor of visioning clarified. The brandquest® process that we’ve just used with this team, is about new thinking and direction, the evocation of strategy of — and with — an emergent evolutionary technology — exploring, rather, how to make the voice and imagery new. The session is really about rethinking it, the dream — as a team. And finding the authentic truth that lies within.
Of course, for refreshment, in the long brand development | incubation brandquest® workshops — as running sessions, two days straight — we did that: go to the roof. Both figuratively, and, as well — literally. For the team, working inside and outside: and in the process — it was about that, reaching to the roof. And peering collectively upwards to the sky of new ideas! It was great work doing the workshops — usually, there’s a camaraderie that builds in (and up in) the effectively imagined workshop. Great sessions. Expert people. Grand energy. Excellent evolutions in thinking — on that brand.?
Where they are going? Up.
Nice brisk and chilling breaks to renew the spirit. Vitalize the mind. Keep things fresh, during the intermediate session respites. Below — shooting the facade of film director, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman III | Green Goblin Mansion.
Me and Emily, project leaders, looking southeast from the roof, nightbound, towards Madison Park:
What’s explored in the brandquest®??
Our process begins with research — substantive gatherings about the brand, the team, the culture, the competition; then, based on the findings, outlining the character of the sessions and what expectations there might be for accomplishment. There is a planning overview and advance agenda to define teamwork, as well as setting goals and process considerations.
The sessions begin, literally with storytelling. Personal stories. Brand stories. Cultural tellings, personal experiences and the explorations of leadership expertise. They advance to larger issues of defining corporate tools for management, operations, messaging and strategic underpinnings. What vision drives the future, what daily actions in mission empower the mechanism of culture, propositions of value, credo and premise — the nature of promise, reflectivity and emotional components? That, and more.
The key is all about the teamwork and the working collaborations — either purely improvisational responses to posed challenges, or homework that is presented.
Here are some referential exposures to process:
Framing ideas with Knox, Girvin UI consulting resource:
Emily gathering content, evolving the dimensional mapping of the brand.
The CTO exploring the constellation of the brand — what universe does it lie in?
The evolvement of symbolism, archetype, color, imagery and semantics.
What new cartography, in visioning the position of the offering?
A new angle, surely:
The best ideas come from the inside — gathering leaders for outside in | inside out explorations — sparking new dimensions in planning, strategies, messaging and visualizations.
The brandquest® is a tool that calls on the talent that leads and lives the brand; it’s not about solely consulting as a remote resource, looking in. It’s all about finding the team to source the ideas that energize business plans, concretize the haze of dreams, stake the competitive ground and strike new territory in development.
Be curious.
tsg | 26th & broadway | nyc
—-