Planning Workbook - Fiona Humberstone

H O W TO S T Y L E YO U R B R A N D
PLANNING
WORKBOOK
brought to you by
Fiona Humberstone
Excerpt from How To Style Your Brand Fiona Humberstone (Copper Beech Press). For non-commercial use only, please do not distribute. thebrand-stylist.com.
HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK
WELCOME!
Ive created this workbook especially as a resource for you
to use alongside my new book, How to Style Your Brand. Use
the questions to find your focus, gain clarity and form the
foundations of your fabulous new brand identity.
So print out this workbook, take yourself off somewhere
inspirational with your loveliest pen and give yourself time to
dream a little.
Warmest,
Fiona
Ps. Loved this? Have a friend that would find it useful?

Please do share the link to my blog where your contacts can
download a copy for themselves. Id really appreciate it if
you didnt upload the file or distribute yourself.
Many thanks!
DEFINE YOUR INTENTION

Intention will make the difference between a
forwards. Its not about being a slave to design fads or
superficially pretty brand identity and one that has
behaving like a magpie, its about creating something
traction. One that captures the essence of your
utterly compelling.
business and wins you work.
This is a great opportunity to really examine
It costs you nothing, other than your time, to sit down
your business, warts and all, and gain a strong
and really consider how your business should be
understanding of what really makes your company
perceived. And yet in my experience, most business
unique. Lets look at your strengths, your space in the
owners just dont think hard enough or often enough
market and your clients. Finally lets think about you.
about branding basics, such as who their most
What do you bring to the table and how much of
profitable clients are or what makes their company
yourself should you put into the business?
unique. Fewer still ensure that this knowledge is

channelled through to the design of their brand
identity.
For example, if you know you want your business to
be seen as creative, inspirational and approachable,
there are fonts and colours you can use which will
communicate that. Ill show you exactly how to do this
the book, but first we need to do some groundwork.
My approach to brand styling is about pulling
So grab your notebook and spend some time

pondering your answers to the following questions.
Mind map, create spider charts, write copious notes
and deliberate as much as you can.
You may feel that some of the questions ask you very
similar things. This is because I want you to really
put your business under the microscope and be very
specific. Youll find this will help you realise your full
potential and step up your brand significantly.
together the elements that will drive your business
WH AT MOTI VATE D YOU TO

S TYLE O R R ESTYLE YOUR BRAND ?
Its important for you to identify upfront why youre
doing this. Do you want to be taken more seriously
in the market? Are you launching a new business,
product or service and therefore want to make the
right impact from the get-go?
Perhaps youve had a fabulous year and have
decided to celebrate with a look that really does you

justice? Maybe you are changing direction and need
your brand identity to reflect that? Whatever your
motivations, be clear from the outset.
WHAT S YO U R A I M
F OR T H I S P ROJE C T ?
How will you know the rebrand has been a success? What do you need it
to do for you? Are there misconceptions about your business right now?
Do people think youre cheaper than you are perhaps? Are you attracting
the wrong sorts of clients?
Perhaps youre losing business because youve changed direction, so your
communications need updating to reflect that. Maybe youre missing
opportunities or youre simply not being taken seriously. Where possible,
create a SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timed)
that you can measure your success against.
WH AT DO YOU DO?
WH AT DO YOU SPE CI ALI SE I N?
This may seem like a ludicrously obvious question. Of course you know
what you sell. You probably also know what your bestselling and most
profitable services are too. But bear with me for a moment.
You may find that your product and service range has grown out of
all control. That in your quest to grow your business youve expanded,
expanded, expanded and are now left with a literal or virtual range of
products that you just cant shift. Youve lost your unique selling point,
people are confused by what you stand for and youre struggling to see
the wood for the trees.
Take a breath and use this time to really examine where you are right
now and where you want to be headed. If you could be known for just
one thing in your business, what would it be?
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your
business, what would that be?
Are you selling what inspires you? Are you known for products and
services that have you leaping out of bed in the morning? And do they
sell? Are there product lines or services youd like to drop and others that
youd love to major in? This is your chance to gain focus or to reinvent
yourself and your business!
W H AT MAKES YOU STAND

HEAD AND SHOULDE RS
A B OVE TH E COM PE TI TI ON?
When youre in the thick of running a business it can be
easy to focus on the wrong things. The reason you didnt
win a project. The apparent success your competitors
are having right now. The client that didnt quite have
the experience you set out to create.
Whilst its important that you understand whats going
on in the market and you listen to feedback, whats even

more important is that you maintain your confidence
and belief in what youre doing.
Your entrepreneurial vision, your style and your
unswerving commitment to what you do are the greatest
assets your business has: protect and celebrate them.
And so rather than focusing again on what you could
be doing better and where you want to be headed next,
lets look at what youre doing well right now. Take a
moment or two to focus on the things that you do better
than anyone else.
What do you really excel at? What else? And what else?
W HO AR E YOUR
P R O FITABL E CLI E NTS?
W HY DO TH E Y B UY FROM YOU?
Profitable clients are the ones who value what
you do and are prepared to spend what you want

to charge. They pay on time, they are happy to
fit into the way that you work best and they love
what you do. They recommend your business to
equally wonderful people and they dont make
unreasonable demands of you or your time.
They are the people you need to attract more of. So
who are these profitable clients and what motivates
them to work with you? What do they value about
what you do?
It may sound obvious but having asked hundreds
of business owners this very question, I promise
you its one that many of us dont think about often
enough. Use this time as an opportunity to cherish
the clients that you really want and attract more like
them. Be brave.
IS TH ER E A TYPE OF
CL IENT YO URE
N OT CU R R ENTLY
ATTR ACTIN G?
You want more of your best clients,
thats a given. But is there another
group of customers who would
really benefit from your business
that youre not currently attracting?
Who would you really love as a

client? Which blogs or magazines
would you love to be associated
with or featured in?
Could you put together a list of
dream clients? Ask yourself: What
would these prospective clients
need to see on my website to be
compelled to do business with me?
WH AT DO YOU FI ND M OST
INSPIR ATIONAL ABOUT YOUR B U SINESS?
How often do you stop and think about what really inspires
you about your business? The right brand identity can help
you attract more of the clients and work that has you leaping
out of bed in the morning and less of the stuff that leaves
you with that unpleasant knot in your stomach.
Is there anything that needs to change about the way you
present your business so that you can do more of the things
that you love and less of those that you dont?
Think about the kinds of clients that inspire you. Be specific.
What, precisely, is it about that client that you admire? What
is it about the project that motivates you? How can you tap
into that energy to grow your business? Because the truth is
that when were happy, inspired and confident, we attract
more of our profitable clients.
W H AT VALUE S DRI V E YOUR BU SINESS?

This is quite possibly the most important question anyone
in business needs to answer. Why do you do what you do?
This is about the authenticity and the drive that keeps you
going when things get tough.
You might find this question very simple to answer. Some
of us are very conscious of both our personal and business
values (which often overlap) and will be able to write down
an answer in a matter of moments.
10
Some of you may find this question more of a challenge.

If you struggle to answer it, I recommend you think about
it differently and ask yourself: Whats important to you
about the way you run your business? What matters in
terms of how you treat your clients, staff and suppliers?
W HAT DO YO U WANT TO BE KNOWN F OR ?

All of the thinking youve done so far leads to one, simple question. What
do you want to be known for? Lets bring together your understanding about your
most profitable clients, your space in the market and what inspires you, to create
an utterly compelling proposition. To be truly successful you need to stand out, be
distinctive and create a business thats in a category of just one. Challenge yourself
to dig deep and be brave.
If you were to plot out what makes you different from your competitors, how would
that look? What proposition are your competitors trading on
and how is that different from what you want to be known for?
11
Take into account any insider knowledge youve gleaned from mystery shops,
feedback from clients and competitor research, as well as what they talk about on
their website and in social media. How are you doing things differently?
What is it about your product or service that your clients really value?
What makes you unique? And how can you communicate that through your new
brand identity and in your marketing literature?
Find a spot in the market that only you can own and use this focus to align all of
your communications with this one, compelling proposition. For instance, if you sell
creative services, edit your portfolio down so it only shows the work that you want to
win more of, the work of which you are overwhelmingly proud. This can be a bold
move, but will pay dividends
in the end.
You cant be all things to all people, so create a proposition so effective that it has
clients crossing continents to work with you. It takes confidence to create this amount
of focus, but by honing your product range or services to such a highly targeted style,
proposition or offer, youll make your business become irresistible.
10
WH O , EXAC TLY, SHOULD THI S

N EW BR AND I DE NTI TY BLOW AWAY ?
Be honest with yourself here. Think broadly about who you really want to impress
with your newly styled brand. Think beyond clients.
Perhaps there is a magazine editor or a blogger who you wish would take you
seriously? Perhaps its more about getting a big supplier or a retail outlet to take
a closer look at your business? Maybe you wish to attract and retain quality staff?
12
Youre also going to be thinking about your most profitable clients too, of course...
Be as specific as you can. Think precisely about who within that
list you want to wow and exactly what sort of thing is going to
blow them away.
If you find that youre coming up with conflicting answers, now is the time to
priortise, before you get yourself into a pickle trying to please everybody with your
new design.
11
H OW S H O U L D YO U R I D E AL
C L I E N T S F E E L W H E N T H E Y LO O K
AT YO U R N E W LY S T Y L E D B RA N D ?
Imagine way down the line when your beautifully
styled new brand identity is on a new website or
blog, or you hand a crisply printed business card
over to an exciting new prospect. How should they
feel? What should they think about your business?
12
H OW WILL YOUR
NEW BR AND I DE NTI TY
R EFL ECT YOUR B I G V I SI ON?
This process is as much about encouraging you
to think big and communicate your dreams and
aspirations, as it is about the design.
Give yourself the opportunity to dream a little, to
think really big. Why shouldnt your business be the
13
leading authority in the field? Why shouldnt you

create something thoroughly aspirational, something
that stakes your claim as a market leader and then
encourages you to drive onwards and upwards?
We are very good, especially in England, at being
modest. We often play down our strengths and dont
want to show off too much. Thats all very laudable,
but its unlikely to help your business grow. Give
yourself permission to shake off your own fears for a
moment and allow yourself the freedom to create a
strong vision for your business.
What would your new brand identity need to do in
order to reflect your exciting vision?
O U R D E E P E S T F E A R I S N O T T H AT W E A R E
I N A D E Q U AT E , B U T T H AT W E A R E P O W E R F U L
A QUE STI ON TO SE T YOU FR EE

Heres an emancipating thought: What would you be
doing with your business if nothing were standing in
B E Y O N D M E A S U R E .
- MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
your way? If you knew you couldnt fail? Who would

you be working with, what would you be doing (or
selling?) and how would you be doing it?
This can be an incredibly inspiring question. It
encourages you to think bigger than you ever thought
14
possible and create something that truly reflects you

and your skills. And that can be terrifying and thrilling
in equal measure!
WHAT NEXT?
Are you feeling focused? Excited? Inspired, perhaps? Excellent! I was
hoping you might say that.
These questions have been taken from my brand new book, How to Style
15
Your Brand: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Distinctive Brand Identity
which is now available to preorder on Amazon.co.uk and shortly on
Amazon.com. It will also be available for worldwide shipping before the
UK launch on 19 May.
Youll find a comprehensive process outlined in the book for how to take
this focus and translate it into a powerful brand identity. One that really
reflects what your business is all about and something that makes doing
business easier.
Throughout the year Ill be publishing more, useful guides like this one,
and so if you havent already, do make sure youre subscribed to the
newsletter to be one of the first to hear!
FI ONA HU M BER STONE
You can subscribe at thebrand-stylist.com.
Author, Speaker, Creative Director. If you

would like Fiona to speak at your next
conference or event you can get in touch
directly at speaking@fionahumberstone.com or
find out more at fionahumberstone.com.
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EV ERY THING YOU N E E D TO K N OW TO

C R EATE A D IST IN C T I VE B RAN D I D E N T I T Y
The right brand identity has the power to attract, engage
and compel people to do business with you. But for many
entrepreneurs, creating an effective brand can be a challenge.
16
Whether youre a start-up on a lemonade budget, or a seasoned

entrepreneur planning on working with a professional, an
understanding of the process is essential.
In this comprehensive workbook, branding expert Fiona
Humberstone will walk you through the process of styling your
brand. Find your focus, create an inspirational vision, unlock the
power of colour psychology and understand the design details
that will make your business irresistible. How to Style Your Brand will
ensure you get your branding right, first time.
Drawing on her experience from developing hundreds of brand
identities for companies worldwide, Fionas tried and tested
framework will give you the clarity, confidence and creative knowhow to create a brand identity that wins you business.
W O R K I N G W I T H F I O N A H A S B E E N T R A N S F O R M AT I V E T O O U R B U S I N E S S .
-HANNAH GRIFFIN, DIT TO
P R EOR D ER YOU R COPY TOD AY ON AMAZON .CO.UK

OR AT T H EBR A N D-ST YL I S T.COM
COPY R IG HT N OT I C E
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but
its not great for business - yours or mine.
17
You are free to use this workbook for branding your own
business but may not sell it, distribute it or repurpose the
content in any way.
That means that recreating this workbook - even if you
choose to change a few words or add in an extra question or
two is not ok.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic tape,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
prior permission in writing from the Publisher.
The moral right of Fiona Humberstone to be identified as
author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance
with the Copyrights, Design and Patents Act 1988.
All images Matt Pereira www.mattpereira.co.uk

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HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

Ps. Loved this? Have a friend that would find it useful?

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

DEFINE YOUR INTENTION

forwards. Its not about being a slave to design fads or

superficially pretty brand identity and one that has

behaving like a magpie, its about creating something

traction. One that captures the essence of your

business and wins you work.

This is a great opportunity to really examine

It costs you nothing, other than your time, to sit down

your business, warts and all, and gain a strong

and really consider how your business should be

understanding of what really makes your company

perceived. And yet in my experience, most business

unique. Lets look at your strengths, your space in the

owners just dont think hard enough or often enough

market and your clients. Finally lets think about you.

about branding basics, such as who their most

What do you bring to the table and how much of

profitable clients are or what makes their company

yourself should you put into the business?

unique. Fewer still ensure that this knowledge is

So grab your notebook and spend some time

together the elements that will drive your business

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

WH AT MOTI VATE D YOU TO

decided to celebrate with a look that really does you

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

W H AT MAKES YOU STAND

on in the market and you listen to feedback, whats even

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

you do and are prepared to spend what you want

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

Who would you really love as a

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

W H AT VALUE S DRI V E YOUR BU SINESS?

Some of you may find this question more of a challenge.

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

W HAT DO YO U WANT TO BE KNOWN F OR ?

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

WH O , EXAC TLY, SHOULD THI S

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

leading authority in the field? Why shouldnt you

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

A QUE STI ON TO SE T YOU FR EE

your way? If you knew you couldnt fail? Who would

possible and create something that truly reflects you

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

You can subscribe at thebrand-stylist.com.

Author, Speaker, Creative Director. If you

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

EV ERY THING YOU N E E D TO K N OW TO

Whether youre a start-up on a lemonade budget, or a seasoned

P R EOR D ER YOU R COPY TOD AY ON AMAZON .CO.UK

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

HOW TO ST YLE YOUR BR AND PLANNING WORKBOOK

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