Here is the general set of discovery questions. Please answer as many as you can, and as many as it makes sense to answer.
How would you describe your company at a cocktail party? Use three adjectives to describe how your target audience CURRENTLY perceives the company. Use three adjectives to describe how your WANT target audience to perceive the company. What are the overall goals you intend to reach with your marketing project?
Use 3 adjectives to describe your target audience overall. What are your target’s demographic attributes? Age? Income? Gender? What are his dreams, worries and wants in life? Please describe each significantly different segment. What is their stage of life or life situation? Retiree? College student? Parent of young children? Blue-collar worker? Based on answer above, what types of products/services matter to them now? In the near future? What perspective of your product do they have before noticing your organization? What are his hopes and dreams? What does he complain about? What is your value proposition that meets their needs and frustrations? How is this different from your competitors? Why does the difference matter to them? What is his fav TV show? What might be common objections from him? Where does he get information (which websites, blogs, magazines, etc.)? Who are his influencers? How do you encounter him in a way that he trusts the story you tell him about what you have to offer? What change are you trying to make in him, his life, or his story? What is your value proposition that meets his needs and frustrations? Is this different from your competitors? Is there a customer type you do want to avoid? If so, please explain.
Who are your key competitors? (please give us URLs) How are you different from them? What benefit does your company provide prospects they can’t obtain from your competitors? What is your unique selling point?
What other brands do you admire (relative to this project)? Why? Are there any styles and/or brand elements or colors that should be avoided? What themes, feelings and messages should predominate in the creative visuals of this project? What words should come to mind? Should a secondary audience be given significant consideration in the design? Who and Why? Are there any existing corporate brand standards or visual assets (photos, illustrations, colors, tagline) that must be considered? If yes, please provide these details to us. Describe the emotions you want your target market to have when encountering this marketing piece? What important events do you want the piece to accomplish? Examples: email or call sales team, etc. Please list all that apply and rank each high, medium or low priority.
How does your company create and develop leads? Do leads find you or do you find them? What are you doing now that is working and not working? What are the most important factors in a client’s decision to work with you? Are there specific partnership companies you work with to create and develop leads? Which companies? Are there companies you would like to develop as such partners? Which companies? Why?
What are the top marketing goals you’d like to accomplish within the next 12 months? What are the goals you’d like to reach with this campaign or project? What else would constitute a successful project? Do you have any hesitations or concerns about this projects? Please explain. Do you have a final deadline for this project?