How to Write a Branding Brief (Word Template Included)

Taking the necessary time to put together a detailed branding brief is essential to the success of your rebranding project.

A design project is only ever as good as the brief, so although it’ll be up to the branding agency you work with to extract this information from you, if you’re able to approach them with this information up-front, in the form of a Word Doc, you’ll be one step ahead.

So, whether you’re a marketing manager or a business owner gathering everything you need to create your first brand, or if you’re a well established business in need of a rebrand to reposition yourself or rejuvenate your business, this guide (along with our free Word template) will save you a heap of time!

Let’s get started by covering the basics and then we’ll dive into more of the specific detail that every branding brief must include…

What is a branding brief and why write one?

A brand brief is basically a document that outlines what your brand is, and/or what it wants to become in the future.

The brand brief defines your company’s identity, what it stands for, its values, its vision and goals for the future.

The better the brief, the easier it will be for a branding agency (or others within your business) to understand what your business is all about.

A solid brief then allows a brand designer to take this information and create a visual identity for your business that’s more than just a new logo…

Put simply, the purpose of a branding brief is to:

• Clarify your own ideas
• Bring your branding agency into your world
• Bring clarity to the branding project at hand

Who should write my branding brief?

In terms of specifically “who” should write your brand brief within your business; we’d recommend either the business owner or the marketing manager.

We do however think it’s also a good idea to get other key members of your team involved to ensure there’s solid buy-in and that they are on board with your vision for your branding project too.

What should I include in my branding brief?

Okay, so now that we’ve covered what a branding brief is and why you should write one, let’s get into exactly what needs to be included.

P.S. If you just want to download our Branding Brief (Word Template), you can do so below, but we’d recommend putting the kettle on and taking 15 minutes to read the rest of this article as we cover every section in detail.

1) Your business background, objectives and goals…

The best place to get your brand brief started is to spend some time providing as much information as you can about your business’s background and your objectives and goals for this branding project.

When it comes to background, write down how you’d explain what your business does to someone who has absolutely no knowledge of your industry, products or services.

We find common reasons for businesses wanting to rebrand themselves are usually one or a few of the following:

• Having an outdated image
• Wanting to refine or change their messaging, offering or perhaps entering a new market
• Wanting to reinvent themselves following poor performance or poor reputation
• Growth and expansion

And objectives for branding projects tend to be:

• To increase sales by X% by X date
• Increase the number of leads received each month
• Become recognised as the leading brand in your niche
• Ensure visual consistency across all marketing channels (online and offline)

If your’s is a project for a new business / startup, think about your elevator pitch and try to write down how you’d explain your business concept to someone in 1 minute.

All this information will provide a broad overview of your business, its position now and where you want to get to, which will greatly help branding agencies get a solid understanding of your project.

Let’s move on…

2) Your vision statement

Your vision statement is usually around 35-40 words in length and it sets out your plans for the next 5-10 years. It’s the statement that helps motivate your employees towards a shared goal.

So how do you even begin writing this statement?

You can start by asking yourself questions, such as;

• What is our core focus as a business?
• What makes us unique and different from our competitors?
• Who, what or where do we want to be in the next 5 years…
• Who, what or where do we want to be in the next 10 years…
• What’s our target in the next 1 year to move towards this vision?

Here are a few example statements from some of the big shots:

Apple

“To create the best products and leave the world better than they found it”

Samsung

“To inspire the world with our innovative technologies, products, and design that enrich people’s lives and contribute to social prosperity by creating a new future”

Nestle

“To create safe, high-quality products that improve the lives of consumers”

IKEA

“To create a better everyday life for the many people”

Your vision statement is different, however, from your mission statement, so let’s look at that next…

3) Your mission statement

Defining a clear mission statement is really important as it will help you to identify your target audience. Once you’ve done that, you can then link everything your brand does back to your mission.

A mission statement has three parts: defining purpose, outlining core values, and setting the company’s future direction

Both your audience and your staff should be able to identify with your mission statement. Your staff should be able to use a brand mission statement as a guide when making decisions or representing the company.

Asking yourself the following questions is a good place to start:

• How does our brand add value to our audience?
• What larger impact do we want to achieve by offering this help?
• Are these goals/objectives realistic and achievable?
• Can we as a brand fully embody this mission throughout our business/organisation?

Let’s jump back to looking at IKEA as an example.

IKEA’s vision statement was the following:

“To create a better everyday life for the many people”

And you can see their mission statement below focuses very much on the how…

“To offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them”

When creating your mission statement we’d advise that you always try to stand for something. Today, more than ever, consumers are looking to buy or work with businesses whose values align with their own.

So whilst you might fear you’re alienating some people with your mission, that’s actually a good thing, as your brand will connect much more powerfully with those who have the same values.

4) Target audience

Knowing your target audience is crucial for every business.

If you’re an existing business you may have already done some work around this. Perhaps creating user personas?

If not, here’s how you can create a simple user persona in 5 simple steps. Remember you quite possibly have more than one type of ideal customer, so you may need to create a few of these for each persona;

1. Describe your ideal customer
2. Get specific about things like; their age, income, gender, education, employment
3. What are they interested in and what brands do they follow?
4. Specify what their pain points are. What do they want and need?
5. Where is this person likely to come into contact with your brand? (E.g. Google search, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Offline Ads)

Spending time creating customer personas will ensure that your brand aligns with their wants and needs.

5) Who are your competitors?

In order to position and define your own brand successfully, you need to understand your competitors.

Here’s a list of steps to follow to help you analyse your competitors:

1. List out your competitors: Create a list and describe what they do. This list could be a mix of competitors and also brands you aspire to be like.
2. What is their unique value proposition?: What makes your competitors stand out in your market? Do they communicate this well and how do they do it?
3. What are their strengths and weaknesses?: Are they missing any opportunities?: Perhaps they offer great prices, or maybe they offer a wide range of services with broad appeal?
4. Analyse their content: What tone is their website and blog posts written in? What style are their posts on social media channels?

If you can pass on detailed information about your competitors to the branding agency you work with, a brand designer will be able to make informed decisions when it comes to your brand’s colour palette, font choices and image styles. Whilst a copywriter will be able to determine what kind of tone your written words should have to ensure your brand sounds authentic.

6) Do you aspire to be like any existing brands?

When we get approached by companies who have some idea of where they want to take their brand visually, it really helps – even if we don’t fully agree!

Looking at brands you aspire to be like is a fantastic exercise, even if they aren’t in your industry at all, so we’d definitely recommend putting your heads together as a team and brainstorming some brands you regularly buy from or interact with on a regular basis and think about why that’s the case.

In your brand brief give a few examples of aspirational brands and be specific as to why.

For example:

• Why you like their colour scheme
• Why you like the style of photography they use
• If they use icons, why you like them
• If they use illustrations, what is it about that particular style that appeals to you
• Why does their tone of voice in their written prose hit the mark for you

Feel free to go into lots of detail here – the more the better!

7) The Four “P’s”

When writing a branding brief there are four P’s you should always include: promise, proposition, premise and persona.

Let’s get into the nitty gritty…

P1: Brand promise

What can customers expect from your brand?

Your brand promise is the commitment that your brand makes to its customers about what they can consistently expect when engaging with your brand.

It should encapsulate your brand’s values, mission, and the experience you aim to deliver.

Unlike a slogan or tagline, a brand promise is not just a marketing statement—it is a guiding principle that influences customer interactions, product quality, and business decisions.

A strong brand promise should be:

1. Clear and Concise – It should communicate your brand’s core value in a simple and memorable way.
2. Authentic and Achievable – Your brand must be able to deliver on its promise consistently.
3. Emotionally Resonant – A great brand promise creates a meaningful connection with customers.

A brand promise acts as a trust-building mechanism, reinforcing customer expectations and fostering loyalty. When brands fail to uphold their promise, they risk losing credibility and customer trust.

A well-known example of a strong brand promise is Nike:

“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Nike’s brand promise goes beyond selling sportswear—it commits to inspiring athletes (which Nike famously defines as “anyone with a body”) through innovative products.

This promise is reflected in everything from its cutting-edge shoe technology to its motivational marketing campaigns featuring world-class athletes.

P2: Brand proposition

How is your brand unique?

Your brand proposition is the core promise that your brand makes to its customers. It defines what your brand stands for, the unique value it delivers, and why consumers should choose it over competitors.

This proposition is more than just a tagline though; it shapes your brand’s messaging, positioning, and overall identity.

A strong brand proposition aligns with customer needs, differentiates your brand in the market, and remains consistent across all touchpoints.

At its core, your brand proposition should answer three key questions:

1. Who is your target audience? – Understanding who your brand serves helps shape a relevant and compelling proposition.
2. What value does your brand provide? – The unique benefit your brand offers, whether functional, emotional, or both.
3. Why should customers believe in it? – Proof points, such as quality, innovation, or testimonials, help build credibility.

Here’s an example of a strong brand proposition from Airbnb:

“Belong Anywhere – Helping travelers feel at home no matter where they go by providing unique and local accommodations.”

Airbnb’s brand proposition is compelling because it highlights both an emotional benefit (belonging) and a functional advantage (access to unique accommodations). It positions the brand not just as an alternative to hotels but as a platform that enables authentic travel experiences.

P3: Brand premise

What’s your story?

Your brand premise is the foundational idea that underpins your brand’s identity, shaping its positioning, messaging, and overall direction. It is the core belief or insight that drives everything your brand does—from product or service development to marketing strategies.

Unlike a brand proposition, which is focused on the customer benefit, a brand premise is often more philosophical or purpose-driven, forming the “why” behind your brand’s existence.

A strong brand premise should:

1. Define your brand’s purpose – Why does your brand exist beyond making a profit?
2. Resonate with your target audience – It should align with the values and beliefs of your brand’s customers.
3. Be consistently reflected in all brand actions – It must influence branding, storytelling, and customer interactions.

A great example of a compelling brand premise is Patagonia:

“The planet needs saving, and business can help do it.”

Patagonia’s brand premise is rooted in environmental activism. This belief influences everything they do, from sustainable sourcing of materials to their commitment to donating 1% of sales to environmental causes. Their entire brand narrative revolves around the idea that companies have a responsibility to protect the planet.

Going back to storytelling; In The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Christopher Booker argued that every story we read or watch is a variation of an age-old narrative.

And because these narratives are engrained in us over generations of storytellers, they are also a really powerful way for brands to engage with their customers.

Here are the 7 basic plots:

1. Overcoming the Monster
   Use this if: Your brand fights against industry norms, offers a disruptive product, or solves a major problem for consumers.
2. Rags to Riches
   Use this if: Your brand has a compelling origin story of struggle and success, or if you help your customers transform their own lives.
3. The Quest
   Use this if: Your brand has a clear mission that drives everything you do, or if you encourage customers to embark on a journey with you.
4. Voyage and Return
   Use this if: Your brand is about discovery, adventure, or expanding possibilities for your customers.
5. Comedy
   Use this if: Your brand embraces humor, wit, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Perfect for engaging younger, social-media-savvy audiences.
6. Tragedy
   Use this if: Your brand learns from past failures, or if you position yourself as the antidote to an industry’s mistakes.
7. Rebirth
   Use this if: Your brand has rebranded, pivoted, or evolved to become something better and stronger.

If your brand is able to align itself with one of these 7 basic plots, it will help your communication (both written and creative) have consistency going forward.

P4: Brand persona

If your brand were a character what would it be?

Your brand persona is the human-like identity your brand adopts to communicate and connect with its audience. It shapes how a brand speaks, behaves, and expresses its values—making it more relatable, memorable, and engaging. A strong brand persona fosters emotional connections, influences purchasing decisions, and helps differentiate your brand in the marketplace.

Psychologist Carl Jung, one of the most influential voices in psychoanalysis, suggested that there are twelve archetypal characters embedded in the collective unconscious—universal personalities that transcend time and culture, and many of today’s most successful brands align with these archetypes to shape their persona and messaging.

The 12 Brand Archetypes

1. The Innocent
   Pure, optimistic, and wholesome.
   Example: Innocent Drinks – Playful, fun, and ethical, embodying transparency and goodness.
2. The Explorer
   Adventurous, freedom-seeking, and independent.
   Example: Patagonia – Encouraging discovery and environmental responsibility.
3. The Sage
   Wise, intellectual, and always seeking knowledge.
   Example: Google – A brand that empowers people with unlimited information.
4. The Hero
   Strong, courageous, and determined to make a difference.
   Example: Nike – “Just Do It” embodies the hero’s journey of overcoming challenges.
5. The Outlaw (Rebel)
   Disruptive, bold, and unafraid to challenge norms.
   Example: Harley-Davidson – A brand built on defying convention and embracing freedom.
6. The Magician
   Visionary, transformative, and inspiring.
   Example: Apple – Creating innovation that changes the world.
7. The Everyman
   Down-to-earth, relatable, and inclusive.
   Example: IKEA – Making stylish, functional design accessible to all.
8. The Lover
   Passionate, romantic, and devoted to aesthetics and experiences.
   Example: Chanel – Luxurious, seductive, and timeless.
9. The Jester
   Playful, humorous, and fun-loving.
   Example: M&Ms – Lighthearted branding that makes people smile.
10. The Caregiver
    Compassionate, nurturing, and selfless.
    Example: Johnson & Johnson – Focused on family, safety, and well-being.
11. The Ruler
    Powerful, authoritative, and commanding respect.
    Example: Rolex – The epitome of prestige, luxury, and influence.
12. The Creator
    Imaginative, expressive, and dedicated to innovation.
    Example: LEGO – Encouraging creativity and limitless possibilities.

To create a strong brand persona, these are good questions to ask yourself:

• Which archetype best represents your brand’s values and mission?
• How does your brand want customers to feel when they interact with you?
• What personality traits and tone of voice reflect your brand’s character?

8) Tone of voice

Now that you’re clear on what character your brand would be, you now need a voice…

The work you’ve just done around your promise, premise and persona will really help form the tone of your brand – you just need to imagine how your brand character would speak and engage with people if it were a real person.

We’d recommend thinking about things such as;

• Formality
• Sentence complexity
• Whether your brand would use an active or passive voice (e.g. Active: Nike inspires athletes to push their limits. / Passive: Athletes are inspired by Nike to push their limits.)
• Whether your brand would use contractions (e.g. ‘you’re’ instead of ‘you are’, or ‘we will’ instead of ‘we’ll’). Contractions make writing more conversational and approachable, which we think is great for branding and marketing copy.

Clearly defining your tone of voice will allow anyone writing for your brand to make sure they get it right first time and it makes a brand design agency’s job easier, as it gives them a steer on how they could create a visual language that compliments the personality of your brand.

9) Project Details

Wohoo! Well done for making it this far!

Now we’re into the boring but essential stuff that really helps a branding agency to deliver your branding project on time and within budget.

Timeframe

Branding projects can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on the complexity and how deep we need to go.

Rather than saying your deadline is ASAP, be more specific about dates and the reasons why. Any branding agency will need to factor in available resources and they’ll need a realistic timeframe in which to give your project the full attention that it deserves to make it a resounding success.

Budget

This is an important one and branding agencies don’t ask it in an attempt to squeeze every last penny from you!

This question gets asked because we respect your time and we don’t want to waste it (or ours), so knowing what your budget is upfront helps us to determine if we are a good fit for you.

If we know roughly what your budget is we can quickly tell you that;

• Yes, we can work together, or
• No, your budget is unrealistic and we can’t, or
• We can provide a lighter package that includes X, Y and Z which still might be appealing and get you to where you need to be.

From here we can then then put together a proposal/quotation for you to review.

If you’d like to find out more about how much a logo design costs (or more accurately a visual identity), then check out our article on that…

Deliverables

What are you looking to come away from this branding project with?

Is it:

• A brand strategy – so research, proposition and ideation arriving at a final brand visual identity?
• Visual brand guidelines and tone of voice guidelines?
• Online assets; such as a website (a whole project in itself), social media banners / avatars etc
• Offline assets; business cards, flyers, letterheads, brochures

As you can see a branding project can be relatively straight-forward in its simplest form, but if there’s also a website involved and the creation of offline assets too, it becomes a much larger beast!

Point of contact

Very often this one is overlooked, but your business will absolutely need to dedicate one person as a point of contact for your branding project – we’re telling you this from experience!

This person will need to be on hand to reply to emails and phone calls in a timely manner and be able to review ideas and documents we send over during the course of your branding project quickly.

All this ensures that your project doesn’t drag and that your deadlines are met.

What am I paying a branding agency to do?

Remember a brand isn’t just your logo… your brand is everything about your company, from the way it looks visually, to the way it talks to and interacts with your customers.

A branding agency will gather and use all this information you’ve supplied in your branding brief to research, ideate and ultimately propose several directions you could take your brand which aligns to your brand vision and values.

You’re paying to come away with a visual brand identity, strategy and style guide that your business can confidently stand behind for years to come…

Conclusion: How to Write a Branding Brief

After reading this article, you’re probably now able to see how valuable a branding brief is—not only for helping you obtain detailed, accurate proposals but also as a reference document throughout your project.

If you’ve completed your own branding brief using our Word template and would like us to create a proposal for your project, please give us a call at 01202 779577 or send the brief to [email protected].

If you have any questions or need assistance in completing the brief, we’re happy to help—so feel free to reach out.

Will Smith

Director & Founder

01202 779577 LinkedIn

Founder of Authentic Style, building websites and AI tools that make marketing teams’ lives easier.