What are the most effective ways to measure the success of a brand strategy brainstorming session?

To know if a brand strategy brainstorming session worked well, check if everyone understood the goals and took part in sharing ideas. Look at the number and quality of ideas generated—good sessions have lots of creative and useful ideas that fit with the brand. See if the team worked together and if the ideas match the brand's values. It's also important that different perspectives were considered. If the session led to clear and doable plans, and if people felt positive about it, that's a sign of success. Afterward, see if the ideas were actually put into action and if they had a positive impact on the brand. If all these things went well, the brainstorming session was likely successful!

Parece obvio, pero todo empieza por definir los objetivos. Es mucho más común de lo que crees empezar a dar ideas sin saber qué objetivo tiene. ¿Alcance? ¿Tráfico? ¿Leads? ¿Ventas? ¿Para qué etapa del funnel quieres construir la estrategia? ¿Qué ratio es el que quieres optimizar? Recomiendo darle esta lista de objetivos a los participantes del brainstorming antes de la reunión, para que puedan ir madurando la idea y ahorrar tiempo durante el brainstorming.

One way to measure the success of a brainstorming session is to compare the outcomes of the session with the outlined objectives from the beginning of the session. Another way is to track the progress by confirming implementation and keeping track of notable improvements.

Three things to keep in mind: 1. Before brainstorming - Does the team completely understand the brand's business, challenges, and the objectives of the strategy? This requires a strong brief, that's vetted by the client, has relevant insights of the audience and industry, and has clearly defined KPIs for the marketing activity. 2. During brainstorming - Ensure to discuss the gaps that we're solving before going to how we're solving those gaps creatively. Also, identify points that can be strengthened by more research to hone in on the direction that we're exploring. 3. View the ideas from 5 lenses - Does it sound like our brand? Is it novel in the category? Does it solve our objectives? Can we track the idea's performance? What's the ROI?

The magic of a brand strategy session lies in understanding the core essence of the brand. The stakeholders involved in the brainstorming session may be on different tangents, and it's crucial to bring them onto the same page, as several factors are involved before the brand strategy session begins. These factors include understanding the competitive landscape, envisioning the category curve, identifying tiers of the targeted customer base, and, most importantly, the founder's workshop. While it's a case-by-case basis, if done aptly, the founder's workshop sets the stage for the brand strategy session.Once participants are on the same tangent or appear to be the positioning of the brand becomes a good reflector of the success of the session

To have a successful brand strategy session, you have to start with a clear understanding of 2 main aspects: 1- The brand strengths, weaknesses and current position in the market 2- The consumers needs and the issues they are trying to fulfill and solve using the product/service the brand offers The second step is to work on ideas and thoughts for strategies and tactics to bridge the gap between what consumers need and what the brand offers. Once you have strategy ideas, you need to evaluate and prioritize according to their relevance, applicability and alignment with the business goals.

To effectively collect and organize ideas for your brand strategy: Encourage Free Idea Sharing: Foster an open and judgment-free environment during brainstorming sessions using techniques like brainwriting, mind mapping, or SCAMPER. Collect Ideas Concisely: Have participants jot down ideas individually on sticky notes or digital tools, ensuring clarity and brevity. Group and Categorize: After the session, group related ideas together using affinity diagrams or digital idea boards, identifying common themes or connections. Idea Boards or Digital Platforms: Organize ideas visually on idea boards or digital tools for easy manipulation and collaboration among team members.

Ideas are only as good as the insights that precede them. Encourage a free flow of ideas during the session but make sure that the insights you are working towards are core and central. Have a critical evaluation process - to know what to keep and what to leave. Don't form the ideas and then develop the insights. Collect and organize all ideas that work in a reserve and use at different points for your brand.

We spoke about making the space safe for everyone to share their ideas. What do you do with them? First, make sure that every idea is documented so that none is lost. It is necessary so that it can be filtered later. Then, using mood boards, mind maps, or digital idea boards, organize the thoughts to uncover common themes or connections. Analyze the number and quality of ideas generated. Look for unique, inventive ideas that connect with the target demographic, align with brand values and authenticate the brand.

O sucesso pode ser medido se: - Os integrantes da sessão conseguem propor ideias diversas, a partir da sua experiência e/ou de seus times, considerando a compreensão horizontal do objetivo da sessão (ou seja, de/para claro para todos); - Após o mapeamento das forças, fraquezas, oportunidades e ameaças, as ideias sugeridas podem ser testadas para validar aplicabilidade e escalabilidade ou ainda refutadas assim como direcionamento de KPIs relevantes; - As ideias validadas podem ter testadas e confrontadas em cenários distintos, o que implica maior exposição a outros desafios, aumento de amostragem, assim como adaptabilidade e durabilidade das soluções e potencial para inovação em novos panoramas.

Begin by defining objective criteria that align with your strategic goals, such as brand value alignment, market impact, cost-effectiveness, and innovation. For ranking ideas, use methods like SWOT Analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, offering a full perspective on each idea's potential. Conduct Feasibility Studies to check each idea's practicality, considering resources, time, and technical limits. Use Cost-Benefit Analysis to compare potential benefits with costs, aiding in ROI assessment. Lastly, implement a Scoring System, assigning points to ideas based on your criteria, facilitating objective comparison.

After gathering ideas, assess each one against your predefined criteria. This evaluation should involve a combination of qualitative and quantitative measures. Prioritize ideas based on their strategic fit, potential impact on brand image, and feasibility. Consider engaging a diverse group for evaluation to bring in different perspectives.

6 mois après le brainstorming, quelle(s) idée(s) ont été déployé(es) dans la stratégie de marque? - Pour les idées déployées : Le cas échéant, pourquoi? comprendre ce qui a fait que ces idées n'ont pas été déployées. - Pour les idées non déployées: comment ces idées ont elles émergées? documentées? décrire le processus créatif et à réutiliser pour les prochains brainstorming

After you've sorted and chosen the best ideas to begin with, it's time to test and get feedback. Conduct A/B tests and establish a feedback timeframe. For example, depending on the scope of your efforts, you can assess the effectiveness of idea execution 2-4 months after the soft test. Then hold a post-implementation analysis meeting to assess success, discard ideas that did not perform well, focus more on those that did, and test new ideas from the idea bank you kept from the initial brainstorming session. You want to demonstrate how your ideas address brand concerns, add value to your audience, and set your brand apart from the competition.

Brainstorming simply isn’t that effective as a way of harnessing collective intelligence. I can’t link to evidence here, but try searching for Adam Grant’s recent article in Time, “Why Brainstorming Doesn’t Work” (he links to some of the research). Instead, consider meeting to provide necessary background information (company strengths and weaknesses, competitor analysis, customer research) and define the objectives. Then have team members work individually. Grant’s article recommends “brainwriting,”’in which team members anonymously contribute written ideas, then individually evaluate all ideas. Different approaches will work with different teams depending on size, culture, team makeup, etc. Good luck!

Consider the quality of your guest list: Who's in the virtual room with you? Who's at the table? Who did you invite? Did you leave anyone out? Did everyone get the chance/ support to speak? The success of the session will be determined by the quality of the conversation. Take time to curate a blend of the correct people who can add value to your decision-making and implement what's dreamt up.

a. Return on Investment (ROI): Assess the impact of the selected ideas on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as revenue, brand awareness, and customer satisfaction. This provides tangible evidence of the session's success. b. Long-Term Impact: Consider the sustainability of the ideas generated. Evaluate their potential to contribute to the long-term success of the brand rather than just short-term gains. c. Adaptability: Measure how well the chosen ideas adapt to changing market conditions and evolving consumer preferences. A successful strategy should demonstrate resilience and flexibility.

One important criteria that is overlooked in early stages is channel distribution and consistency. Choose your primary distribution channels. Is it Linkedin, facebook, closed groups, etc and ensure the brainstormed ideas are adaptable across various marketing channels and touchpoints. Consistency in messaging and visuals enhances brand recognition.

In my experience, the easiest way to understand the function of brand strategy is by understanding your current normal(point A) and where you want to go, your new normal (point B). Brand Strategy is supposed to pave a path from Point A to Point B. So take a step back, review your brand strategy brainstorming sessions and reflect if it answers this simple question. How do we get from point A to point B?