Brand and design for the new Main Street

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Brand Playbook · $250

Make the business clear. Choose a direction.

Your business, put into words. Three directions to choose from, and a Creative Brief that turns the one you choose into a clear path.

Brand Playbook · $250

How the Brand Playbook works

One Playbook, in two parts, with a choice between them.

The first part puts the business into words. Mainmade then develops three directions, each showing how the business could sound and look and what each choice would mean. You choose one; it carries forward into the Creative Brief.

  1. Deliverable

    The business, put into words

    What it is, who it is for, what it offers, the competitors around it, what it stands for and why people should choose it.

  2. Process

    Three directions

    Each direction begins with a different strategic idea. Compare what each one brings forward, the story it makes possible, and which feels most distinctive and true.

  3. Selection

    One direction chosen

    The chosen direction carries forward and becomes the foundation the Creative Brief is built on.

  4. Deliverable

    Creative Brief

    How the direction you chose should sound and look.

What you receive

Brand Playbook — example

Know what the business is, who it is for and why people should choose it.

A clear account of the business: what it is, who it is for, what it offers, the competitors around it, what it must stand for and why it is the right choice. It gives everyone one clear foundation to work from.

Always Secure Brand Playbook part cover, navy, reading: The business truth, the few decisions that matter, and the commitments that make the strategy useful.Example Brand Playbook page titled How you’re seen today, and how you want to be seen, setting what customers say about the business today beside what it wants them to say.
Always Secure · from the Brand Playbook

Creative Brief — example

Know how the business should sound and look for the creative decisions to come.

A practical guide to the brand’s personality, voice and look, with examples to guide future work and a clear test for each new creative choice. It is written so Mainmade — or another creative partner — can use it.

Always Secure Creative Brief cover, yellow, reading: The voice, the look and the first expressions that carry the direction.Example Creative Brief page titled Brand Persona, describing who the brand is when it speaks: the person handling the account, who has already walked the building.
Always Secure · the Creative Brief, from the Brand Playbook

Always Secure’s pages are examples of finished work, not words promised to every client.

Timing

The first part of the Playbook arrives within three days after Mainmade has what it needs to begin. After you choose a direction, the Creative Brief follows within three days. Total timing depends on when you respond.

Why this comes before the logo, the site and the imagery.

Most people arrive wanting the visible thing — a logo that finally fits, a site that sounds like them, imagery that feels specific. Fair. That is the point of all this.

But visible work built on an assumed foundation drifts. Every new page becomes another guess at what the business is. The Playbook names the foundation. The Creative Brief says how the business should sound and look. Then the logo, the site and the imagery have something to hold onto.

Start here

Complete your Brand Assessment first.

The Brand Playbook begins with a completed Brand Assessment. It gives the Playbook the business context it needs and keeps the work specific to you.

Use the Creative Brief with Mainmade or another creative partner.

The Creative Brief is written so your designer, copywriter or internal team can use it. Or you can ask Mainmade to continue through the Brand System. You receive the Brief either way.

FAQ

What do I actually receive?
One Brand Playbook on a private page you can return to: your business put into words, three directions, and the Creative Brief for the one you choose.
What are the three directions?
Three distinct directions for the brand, each with its own strategic thesis, North Star, pillars, promise, voice and messaging direction, visual territory with moodboard and reference material, operational implication, and explicit tradeoff. You choose one; the chosen direction carries forward into the Creative Brief.
How long does it take?
The first part of the Playbook arrives within three days after Mainmade has what it needs to begin. After you choose a direction, the Creative Brief follows within three days. Total timing depends on when you respond.
Do I need to complete the Brand Assessment first?
Yes. The Brand Playbook begins with a completed Brand Assessment so the work starts from your business context rather than a generic brief.
What if none of the three directions feel right?
We’ll ask you to tell us what we missed so we can clarify the problem before the Creative Brief is completed. Then we’ll determine the right next step—whether that means a full redo or a revised direction.
What happens after the Creative Brief?
The Brand System is a new scope and the next step after the Brand Playbook. It begins after you choose one direction and its Creative Brief is complete; start timing and project details are confirmed before work begins. You may review the Brand System scope or email hello@mainmade.co for anything beyond the Brand System.

Start with your Brand Assessment first, then decide what your next step is.

Start your Brand Assessment