When and for whom is a brand workshop worthwhile?

Just go for it and see what happens or develop the brand strategically?

If in doubt, do both! Fans of agile working and development methods think a lot of starting with an offering that is not yet 100% mature in order to see how the market behaves. It’s a good idea to focus on a small part of the target groups and not to plan a big launch right away. A test among friends and acquaintances can be helpful.

At the same time, however, the identity of the brand should be developed, because there are usually five things that people want to know about a brand: “Who wants to sell me what, how or why did he make it, why does he offer it, what do I get out of it?” Not always in the same weighting, but by and large it’s about the confidence that can be derived from answering these questions reassuringly. In the workshop, we talk (among many other things) about the Who, the How, the Why, the What, and the Purpose.

At a time when it’s simply not enough to put your goods or services on the shelf or website and hope that anyone will buy them, it’s cheap to be a brand worthy of belief and trust. Its haphazard, strategic development is complex, but with the right tools it is always possible.

Systematically and intuitively at the same time, Christian Frick guided us through all the important marketing-related questions in the brand workshop. The result creates calmness, composure and clarity in us. Whenever we are in danger of losing the thread of communication, we take out these documents again and, as if by magic, clarity and calm return. The results are lasting and at the same time they inspire us to keep thinking and developing." Barbara Küchler, Owner Integral Change

So what makes a company a brand?

With archetypes and primal stories to brand self-image.

The likeable man in the picture is Mr. Wiegand, owner of “The Phoenix Wine House” and successful sommelier and delicatessen dealer. Until 2010, his store was called “Wein Wiegand” and Mr. Wiegand sold in it – wine. Then came the wine crisis year and many of Mr. Wiegand’s customers bought cheaper grape juice in the supermarket or online from then on – the store became emptier and emptier.

Rather by chance, Mr. Wiegand came across an article at the time that talked about “archetypes and primal stories.” “I was faced at the time with the decision to quit and get hired somewhere, or to scrape together my last reserves and figure out how to boost my business again,” he recalls today. “And that’s when I stumbled across this article about how brands can define themselves through archetypes. I found that totally interesting, and I thought about which of the twelve types I would be.” Mr. Wiegand concluded that he was a good mix of the Wizard, the Lover and the Fool. And from the mixture of these three archetypes, he could easily develop a vision for his future business: It was to be a place of joy and a place full of surprises. A place where customers are pampered, where their uniqueness is appreciated. So Mr. Wiegand had a picture in mind for the future of his store. To expand it so that he could live this image there was not very difficult.

What still worried him was how he was going to tell his future customers what a great business was being built. Good thing he remembered the primal stories. The best fit for his situation was “comeback,” and that’s how he went about it. He told the story of his store’s rebirth, and because it made him feel like Phoenix rising from the ashes, he gave it a new name: The Phoenix Wine House.

Since then, Mr. Wiegand is no longer a simple wine merchant. He has turned his vision into a mission, found his “Why”, i.e. the real reason why he does what he does. Out of the “Why” came the “How” – namely how he does what he does. And the “What?” That’s what his many customers, old and new, could experience every day in his store if Mr. Wiegand and the Phoenix Wine House existed. After all, this story is a made-up example of a certain kind of storytelling – but it’s based on many true stories surrounding the brand workshop and the brands that have come out of it. And that’s the plain truth.

„We booked the brand workshop to renew our brand identity and to develop a storytelling concept for our product range. Both worked wonderfully - we are happy to recommend the workshop to others!" Stefan Bachmeier, Team Leader Communication medwork

Your target groups – the unknown beings

About drives and motives.

A few years ago, I offered to write an article for the editor-in-chief of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s member magazine about the fact that most of the companies I advise surprisingly know relatively little about their target groups. His answer was that he would not publish such an article, because he was sure that the IHK members know their target groups very well. If you, dear readers, know your target groups that well, too, then you don’t need to read on now. The other two might enjoy it, so go ahead:

The most important thing I learned about target groups from the brand workshop is that my customers know their customers much better than they themselves would think. A lot of valuable knowledge is hidden deep in areas of the memory to which the day-to-day business-bound consciousness has no access without a key.

In the brand workshop I use two, sometimes three of these keys. One is called “LimbiCube” and deals with the hidden value or belief systems of the customers. With this tool we find out in which emotional world the target groups are at home and even which language/speech they prefer. Another key is to define drives on different – rational and emotional – levels, each in the context of the brand. Both tools are about people’s motivations and, as a consequence, what is relevant to them. Of course, I’m not giving away too much in this post, but I can make one promise: You don’t need expensive customer studies to understand your target groups.

"The view from outside was very helpful. We have Mr. Frick to thank for a few surprising insights and even a previously undiscovered USP. I think the workshop was very effective and am happy to recommend it." Horst Walther Owner, NATURinFORM GmbH

How meaningful, appreciative and purposeful can social media be?

How absolutely do we need to be in the insta hype?

For the past three years or so, it’s been a big topic after every brand workshop: “Do we have to play on social media?” I always sigh in agony then and roll my eyes. The social media post is the new big space, that’s for sure, and somehow we can’t get around the social madness. But nobody I know really likes the whole thing. But well, eyes open and through. Eyes open? Yes – because we need to find a good, inexpensive content manager who understands the (often complex) business of my customers, who writes easy-going, inspiring texts, who delivers the most attractive content every day, and who is always in a good mood. Cheap, sure, we already had that. If you know someone like that, please contact me immediately! Or insta-profile … And then I always ask myself one question: How socially compatible, how meaningful, empathetic or even appreciative can we promote our brand on social platforms? How can we stand out from the creepy successful tiktok posts? Can we at all? A response is requested.

„The absolutely necessary and recommendable look over the fence is easier with a ladder, held by Christian Frick & Team. The communication professionals from Fürth ensure with their know-how that the grass is greener in the future than elsewhere!" VDE Northern Bavaria