What is a branding brief?
A branding brief defines what a new or refreshed identity must express and achieve. It follows discovery — often a branding questionnaire — and becomes the reference for judging concepts.
FREE BRIEF TEMPLATE
A branding brief.
Identity with intent.
An editable brand identity brief for designers and studios, with sample answers. No email required.
Word, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.
Last updated
BRIEFTemplate preview · Example
01
Business
What does the business do and for whom? Where is it heading in the next three years?
02
Why now
Why rebrand or create a brand now? What isn’t working with the current identity?
03
Audience
Who are the most important customers? What do they value?
04
Personality
Three words the brand should feel like? Three words it should never feel like?
The template
Details
- Client / company: [Name]
- Completed by: [Name, role]
- Date: [Date]
Business
- What does the business do and for whom? [Answer]
- Where is it heading in the next three years? [Answer]
Why now
- Why rebrand or create a brand now? [Answer]
- What isn’t working with the current identity? [Answer]
Audience
- Who are the most important customers? [Answer]
- What do they value? [Answer]
Personality
- Three words the brand should feel like? [Answer]
- Three words it should never feel like? [Answer]
Competitors
- Who are the main competitors? [Answer]
- How should we look and sound different? [Answer]
Deliverables and constraints
- Which assets are needed (logo, palette, type, guidelines)? [Answer]
- Budget, deadline and anything that must stay? [Answer]
How to fill it in
- Run a discovery session or questionnaire first.
- Summarise the business and why the brand is changing now.
- Define the audience and brand personality.
- Map competitors and how you’ll differ.
- List deliverables, budget, deadline and anything that must stay.
- Get sign-off before concepts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
- Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
- Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
- Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
- Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
- Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
- Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
Fill it in Word or Google Docs, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs.
Example: Oakmere Bakery rebrand
Sample answers from a fictional client.
Sample answers
- Why now? We’re opening two new sites and launching wholesale; the logo doesn’t work small.
- Personality? Warm, crafted, generous. Never twee or rustic.
- Competitors? Two chains in town use kraft paper and hand lettering; we want to stand apart.
- Must stay? The oak leaf, in some form.
Tips for a useful brief
- Use opposites (“confident, not loud”) to make personality words useful.
- Agree what must stay before concepts, not after.
- Judge concepts against the brief, not taste.
Collect the answers in a client portal
Angelwood turns questions like these into an onboarding plan: requests with instructions, owners and dates that clients answer in their portal, reviewed by your team before kickoff.
MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU
Useful structure.
Your way of working.
Agree the objective first.
Everything else in the brief flows from one clear objective. If you can’t agree it in a sentence, the work isn’t ready to start.
Name one approver.
A brief with three decision-makers gets three sets of feedback. Agree who signs off and how quickly.
Write down what’s fixed.
Budget, deadline and mandatory elements belong in the brief, not in an email three weeks later.
What’s the difference between a branding brief and a design brief?
A branding brief defines the identity system and what it should express. A design brief covers a specific piece of design, such as packaging or a brochure, usually within an existing brand.
What deliverables come from a branding project?
Typically a logo suite, colour palette, typography, imagery direction and brand guidelines, sometimes with key applications such as stationery or signage.
How many concepts should a branding brief ask for?
Two or three distinct directions is common. More than that usually means the brief isn’t specific enough.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.
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