I have recently launched The Ultimate Brand Strategy Workshop Guide. As a subscriber you get 25% off with code SYT at checkout.
In June 2023, when I first started work on this project, I invited you – subscribers to Show Your Thinking – to answer some questions about what you’d hope a guide to brand strategy workshops would include. Your responses were thoughtful and illuminating. And they revealed themes which became the backbone of what I went on to create. Today, I’m going to unpack the themes and explain where and how they're addressed in the guide. Let’s dig in.
The word compelling came up a lot. You wanted to know how to produce outputs that felt distinctive, true and meaningful – content that could easily be translated into powerful strategic elements and even creative springboards.
So, in the guide you’ll find lots of ideas for setting the scene and putting people at ease so that they feel comfortable being imaginative, expressive and even emotional. And there’s a couple of worksheets that I use regularly to tease out stories and special-sauce ingredients.
Many of you were keen for ways to manage sticky situations, which is understandable given the “‘live” and unpredictable nature of a room full of people. You asked:
How do I get the client to drop any preconceived ideas they want to bring into the session?
What do I do if a team isn’t aligned on the direction to go in?
How do I ensure balanced input when there’s introverts and extroverts present?
How do I deal with the person who isn’t engaged and would rather be somewhere else?
So, while I hopefully deal with a lot of the underlying causes of these issues throughout the guide, I’ve also included a dedicated Troubleshooting section where I make suggestions for some specific scenarios.
One person wanted to know what the journey looks like from the first workshop to the resolved strategy. That’s in there. As is an explainer on the differences between workshops and meetings. Someone also asked about hybrid workshops – ones where participants are both in the room and dialled in remotely. To that person, I say “No, don’t do it”. It always ends up being a shit show and you’ll get all sweaty and stressed. It’s ok, I’ve suggested some ways to manage things before it comes to that.
Some of you were interested in pacing, and what ought to happen before and after the workshop. Which is great, because it’s the work that takes place around the session is can really set you – and your participants – up for success. The guide, therefore, includes whole sections on Prep and Facilitation, as well as suggested agendas for full day and half day sessions. I’ve even written out a draft email flow for communications before, day of, and after the workshop.
Ultimately, the guide is about brand strategy and workshops without being about frameworks and “fun” exercises. And, while it’s difficult to be totally comprehensive, the feedback I’ve got so far is that it will fundamentally change how you design, facilitate and feel about leading these sort of sessions.
So whether you’re a small design agency wanting to do a light-touch strategy before hopping into creative without investing in a freelance strategist, a mid-weight planner looking to put your Learning and Development allowance to good use, or a founder hoping to get your team aligned on your story ahead of raising your next round… the Ultimate Brand Strategy Workshop Guide is, really, for you.
And remember, subscribers get 25% off with code SYT – just add it at checkout.