METHOD
Branding constellations work from a soft sytems approach. This means thinking about branding decisions as influencing and being influenced by many different elements at the same time. These elements are constructed in the daily dialogues within the company. The branding constellation procedure covers four steps.
1. Dialogue
In a dialogue with a facilitator, you - and your fellow brand decision makers - intuitively decide on the branding elements that are intuitively most important in the branding decision you want to make; both external brand elements such as brand name, logo, slogan and products; an internal ones such as the different managers and departments involved in the decision.
2. Current situation
You intuitively choose from a present group of people - familiar with the technique - people who are prepared to stand for these elements. Next, you position them intuitively in the room. This results in a personified picture of your current brand situation. Then, the facilitator questions these 'elements' on the emotions towards the others. This has been proved to generate insights into branders' non-conscious perception of their current brand situation.
3. Simulation & vision
Then, you bring the brand decision into the current configuration. This allows you to see, feel and hear how the elements resonate on this decision. This process has proved to generate insights into branders' non-conscious expectations of branding decisions. In addition, it allows you to research under which conditions the brand decision will enhance the brand.
4. Creative application
Together with the facilitator and the people present you brainstorm on the insights generated by the branding constellation.