Muse takes a different approach to brand discovery. Over the years it has evolved into a unique process that we call Uncover Your Greatness. UYG is an effective method of discovery that rapidly helps to identify your priorities, discover key themes and build consensus from your stakeholders.
Most branding agencies conduct some form of discovery to learn about their client and their needs. This is often done through a series of one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders. At Muse, we have learned that there are huge benefits to a group session approach where participants have the chance to hear each other’s thoughts in real time. Working together, we rapidly discover areas of convergence and divergence, and this helps build consensus. We keep the conversation positive and on track to achieve the desired outcome. We’ve learned that one focused session reduces the number of hours and travel time needed to learn important insights.
The Muse Uncover Your Greatness process begins with an online stakeholder survey. The responses are compiled and interpreted in advance. This is followed by a half-day facilitated session with stakeholders where we explore your brand personality by asking questions as if the company or organization was a person rather than an entity. We create the right conditions to ask big questions in a way that gets fast and honest responses. The session is documented in a compelling, plain-language report that serves to guide branding and marketing goals, objectives, and actions. The report includes a draft version of your organization’s “Why Statement”: your purpose, belief, and cause.
Every organization has talented and committed people who are passionate about building and improving the brand experience. Our role is to help uncover the strengths of the organization, identify your unique value proposition, and harness that power to maximum effect through branding.
For the Muse rebrand we took ourselves through the Uncover Your Greatness process. Being both the client and the facilitator required a huge mindshift, but it was worth it. We uncovered things about our brand that we hadn’t previously considered.
Muse has conducted numerous UYG sessions with clients, and during those sessions there is always at least one big “Aha” moment of understanding: that point in the conversation when everyone around the table gets that look in their eyes that says we have figured out something special, something they weren’t expecting. Thankfully it happened in our session too. It changed us for the better. Today it informs both our thinking and how we communicate.
Next: We look at the importance of telling your brand story authentically.