Each step is a balance of analytical skill, judgment and intuition—and the order is critically important.

Please download the latest version of the Adobe® Flash Player
to view all content of this page.

Download the PDF version of the graphic above.

NEXT™ is a customized approach that explores internal and external perspectives to create distinctive brand positioning and competitive advantage in the market.

Our #1 rule—get the idea right first, then worry about the poetry of it.

Do you have the idea right? Ask yourself...

• Can it have “cultural impact“?
• Is it a point-of-view you’d like to defend in a debate?
• Is it a point-of-view you could write a manifesto or a white paper on?
• Does it create a sense of “us versus them”?
• Does it actively deposition the competition?
• Does it give guidance across the organization—tell you what to do and what not to do?
• Does it suggest a direction for product or service development?
• What do the internal posters look like?
• How would it drive a brand identity overhaul?
• Can you create a must-have t-shirt for employees and brand loyalists?
• Can you see it becoming part of the internal vernacular?