Love Branding strategy model - what model do you work with?

I have decided to share my strategic planning model with you! This is how I organise my thiking when coming up with strategies and ideas for brands, and perhaps it can be useful for you as well. This is probably similar to how you work today, but some parts may be different. I needed to create my own ways, because the models I´ve worked with in the past have missed some aspects.

1. They are often written from above, with brand glasses, but I rather focus on the consumer and write "I think", "I dream about", and most of all I focus on what brings the two together. The product can be awesome, but not for everyone, and the consumer might need and wish for loads of stuff, but what do they need from the product? When you find a truly meaningful meeting between the two, you have built a long term relationship. To get there you need to observe, read and ask. Not guess.

2. They spend energy on the functional benefits. My focus is always on emotions, and the insight is an emotional revelation, not a piece of statistics. The product in itself and its many benefits is a hygien factor, not the true reason people will buy. I dig deeper and ask "why?" is this functional benefit good for you, until I find a core feeling. That´s where you find the key.

3.  They forget the blockages. Too many brands are dreamers and believe people when they say that they fancy the products. But what is stopping them from buying? Who is our enemy in the shape of believes, competitors, flaws? Trends may help us, but which trends are in our way? I´ve seen many strategies that are like fairy tales without the evil witch, but they just become naive and when meeting that bitch with toads and a black hat they are smashed - and they don´t know why (what!!! people said they really liked our product in our market research!!!)

And here is my way of seeing the funnel.

This work is in progress, feel free to discuss, improve and develop. What model do you use?

And if you want to have a look at my book "Love Branding - how to make people fall in love with your brand", it´s 10 dollar + shipping. Just email and we can sort it out.