My Top 5 Brand Discovery Questions

One of my favorite aspects of my job as a Brand Manager is developing a brand from scratch. Typically, we like to kick things off with a brand discovery. This is my opportunity to interview the client to obtain qualitative information. My goal is to figure out what the client wants the brand to be. Typically, the client is comprised of 4-8 individuals that have no marketing experience. The questions I ask are critical as they drive the creation of the brand. 

Here are my top five questions to ask during a brand discovery, along with a brief explanation. 

1. What are some brands that you like? Why?

The first part of this question is easy. It's the "why?" that is tricky! I’ve learned that it can take serious probing to figure out what specifically causes a particular person to like a brand. If you are facilitating a brand discovery, I’d recommend that you keep digging until you uncover what excites the client about the brands they like. Sometimes you can spot a trend or getting a better understanding of what is important to them.  

2. What are some brands that you dislike? Why?

Knowing what the client dislikes is just as important as knowing what the client likes. Sometimes, their dislikes are fickle. But they are still important to be aware of. You don’t want to find out during your brand presentation that you based your brand around the color red, only to find out that your client hates that color.

3. If your brand were a person, how would he or she look, act, and behave?

Although this question is a little abstract, it gives me tremendous insight! What usually happens is that the client will describe their target demographic. 

4. How do you want your customers to feel when they experience your brand?

It is essential to apply emotional appeal to a brand. So you will want to open that conversation up with your client from the start. It is also helpful to ask them to list the “top three” emotions they want their client to feel to add a sense of priority.

5. Is there anything else you’d like to suggest, convey, or express as it relates to the brand development?

This question is intentionally vague, and I usually ask it last. It allows the client to say anything they might have been holding on to about the brand.

Overall, marketers should be focused on listening to the responses your client gives during a brand discovery. It’s not the time to suggest solutions. It’s time for the client to convey their thoughts and ideas - and for you to absorb it all. You’ll notice that the questions I recommend are open-ended and designed to inspire conversation.

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