Sometimes it's not if you are doing the right thing, but if you are doing it with the right people. Right people can automatically make the journey fertile, result-oriented, and strategically cultivated. Brand strategy workshops are facilitated and conducted by experienced brand strategists and creative brand consultants. Now, every strategist has their own forte and comes from a different school of thought. Choosing to participate in a brand strategy workshop is a wonderful decision, but you must check on the facilitator too.
To explain in a metaphorical way, it's important to choose the right airlines while traveling, but a good flight captain also has its perks. The right agency or brand workshop conductor can put together all the dispersed pieces and bring in strategic clarity. It’s a structured and well-organized dive that you make to realign your branding operations and, of course, your whole business. Like we said, it majorly depends on one critical factor: who’s leading the room. As an entrepreneur, if you are planning to bring in external help, the decision to choose brand workshop facilitators or an agency is something you cannot take for granted. In this blog, we are going to deconstruct the components of a right facilitator or agency regarding a brand strategy workshop along with what difference it makes. Let’s get started.
Experience, it fuels expertise.
Check on the credibility. Initiate with the basics. When assessing a brand workshop facilitator, ensure that you have gone through their past work, portfolio, performance, and, most importantly, the desired and delivered results. Anyone can launch a website, make a cool UI/UX interface, add fancy adjectives, and mention a CTA, but ask them this: did they actually work with some brands, solve a problem, or contribute to value addition? Look for real answers. What types of companies have they worked with—startups, SMEs, or personal branding individuals? Do they hold the relevant experience in the industry you belong to, or are they just in their own growth stage?
Not only the how but you must know the real ROI of hiring a brand consultant. A relevant experience will also enhance the expertise. So it's a two-way treat. The facilitator who has the right experience is highly likely to have the right expertise to solve a problem and guide forward.
Process, follows a systematic approach.
Nobody likes to move with a structure. Everyone likes a framework of processes combined together to work in a clockwise manner. If a facilitator does not believe in a process, he isn’t the right guy for you. Think about this: for you to choose brand workshop facilitators itself requires a process. How can you opt for someone who just goes with the flow and deliberately keeps everything dispersed and distorted?
Do they conduct pre-work, like stakeholder interviews or audits?
Do they use structured modules to guide the conversation, covering core areas like purpose, audience, positioning, messaging, and brand voice?
Selecting the right agency or consultant is nothing but a tedious task of asking questions, questions that filter them, questions that test their credibility, and questions that help you narrow them down.
Process is essential; they must follow a clear, tested process that balances structure with flexibility. The best facilitators create space for exploration but keep the group moving toward decisions.
Fit as per culture, team bonding matters.
Think about this: you are not going for a lecture with a strict teacher. You always looked for professionals with whom you could connect on a personal level as well. This happens when both you and the facilitator shake hands to form a mutual and culturally fit bond. No one is a fan of dominance. If you are feeling frightened in their company, you will never express it but will only agree to whatever they will serve you on a platter.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it's a two-way street. Even the most experienced strategist won’t land if the team can’t connect with them. That’s why cultural fit is essential. The branding agency or the strategist needs to command the room without overpowering it, adapt to different personalities, and keep the energy flowing without turning the session into a boring lecture. Consider this as a simple exercise. You just have to observe; a quick 30-minute conversation can reveal a lot if you have the eye to notice.
Result-oriented, ability to deliver
Isn’t this obvious? We all want someone who can deliver. It is essential for a branding agency or a brand consultant to parallelly keep thinking about driving real and tangible results to your business. Without proper results, there is absolutely no use of any strategy, execution, or campaigns. In contrast, results also serve as a focal point that you can use to understand your growth and performance with all the efforts you put into work.
As per AdWeek 2023, consistent and clear messaging can improve brand perception by 70%. You’re not just choosing a brand strategy facilitator to run meetings; you’re choosing them to turn ideas into strategic output. The best branding firms and facilitators stay outcome-focused. They guide the room toward clarity to make sure that momentum continues even after the session ends.
The four R framework
These are four important elements that you must check on when choosing a branding agency or a workshop facilitator.
Reputation: Seek reputation in them; do not look for big and fancy logos. Think beyond that spot for relevant reputation of the firms in the market.
Rigor: Vibes are good, but only the right process can deliver. Rigor can help you describe the agencies’ perspective towards work and growth.
Resonance: Like we mentioned earlier, seek if they align with your teams. Is there a bond that brings in the whole team to connect with each other at a creative level?
Result: One of the most important elements to check on are results and their ability to deliver tangible outcomes.
When you are selecting a brand strategist or branding firm, make sure you tick each one of these checkboxes. Take your time; you cannot be hasty in this decision.
Before we wrap up
Choosing whom to work with is a critical choice to make; this is essential for any type of business. Do not consider this as a luxury but as a responsibility and a duty that you have towards your brand. One wrong selection can lead to a lot of complexity and complication. Choose wisely; use all your resources to identify the right individual or entity to work with.
You can always book a call with us to connect and share your concerns. Let us help you with all your branding dilemmas.
