Can a doughnut and a jigsaw untangle your brand?

Find your jam

Brands are all about the emotional connection between an organisation and their customers. The Brand Doughnut is my name for the framework I use to understand more about a business so that a compelling brand can be created. Why a doughnut? Because I ask questions in a specific order (starting with the vision at the top), with the final answer (the jam in the centre) sticking it all together. I’ve used the framework for over 20 years from start-ups looking for investment to national charities going through a rebrand, getting noticed in the ultra-competitive homeware market and establishing a global network of law firms. It worked for these businesses and it can work for you too.

The end use for your brand is important, but there’s plenty to do to get there. You need to ensure you have all the elements that make up a brand (name, messaging, logo, colour, typeface, imagery) and apply them consistently and memorably across all your channels and applications. There are three phases to focus on in the development of a brand; Insight (understand the market, audience and competition). Story (what you do, how you do it and why it matters). Engage (verbal identity and visual identity).