Strategic Workshops
It is impossible to write a good brand strategy without knowing the company. Similarly, you cannot create effective branding, a strong trademark, a coherent visual identity system, or appealing packaging without understanding the client you are working with. Customer needs, market expectations, discovering the brand’s essence, setting long-term goals, defining the mission, and outlining the company’s vision—these are the issues addressed during strategic workshops. Why is collaborative workshop work between the agency and the client so important?
What are strategic workshops?
Strategic workshops are an extremely effective way to gain deep insights into a company. They also provide an opportunity to obtain valuable information directly from the people behind the company and understand their needs. Early understanding of the brand’s personality, strengths, weaknesses, and organizational structure lays the foundation for success in subsequent project stages.
Well-prepared strategic workshops are an excellent opportunity for a moderator with expertise in brand strategy to collect as much valuable information as possible. In highly complex workshops, this information is gathered from representatives of key departments (R&D, marketing, sales, finance, technology, or quality). The moderator does not just listen—they ask purposeful, carefully crafted questions.
Stages of strategic workshops
In the initial phase, the focus is on thoroughly understanding the other party: assessing their current position, needs, competitors, and target audience. This stage also allows for observations from the research team or consideration of anticipated trends. All of this occurs in a friendly atmosphere where participants can freely share ideas without fear of judgment. The collected information—about the product, market, competitive environment, and audience—is then organized to identify strategic areas the team will work on next. With the key areas selected, the process of creating appropriate solutions can begin.
Strategic workshops at Papajastudio
At Papajastudio, we have developed a proprietary method for conducting strategic workshops that enables us to create a comprehensive brand communication strategy. Through these workshops, we not only get to know the company but also understand its competitors, learn more about its representatives, refine needs and expectations, discuss market position, benchmarks, and desired brand image.
During the workshops, we can precisely define the company’s needs. Of course, at the strategic stage, these needs are verified, and the branding agency recommends appropriate and optimal solutions for the client. What might initially seem like a need is not always one in reality, so this open conversation is crucial.
At Papajastudio, we focus on the client during workshops. We follow a structured plan, know which information we need, and ask the questions that help us obtain it. As moderators, we divide the workshop into segments and, after completing each part, ensure that all the targeted information has been gathered. Collected information is then verified before presenting and validating it with the client during the next stage.
Outcomes of the workshops and subsequent work
Workshops require thorough preparation. Afterward, a summary report is prepared and presented with discussion. This is followed by the actual work based on the analyzed material. This work can be creative or a continuation of strategy development for the brand.
Writing a good brand strategy goes hand in hand with thoroughly understanding the company. A carefully prepared workshop plan, attention to detail, and the ability to listen are essential for success—discovering the brand’s essence and defining the goals toward which the company will successfully move.
