The Big Issue 

FOCUS is the most important word in developing effective brand communications.

But, focus can be difficult to achieve because it means giving something up. Setting priorities is hard, particularly when times are tough.

This is a simple tool to create focus and to help you identify and get agreement on which single business issue is best addressed with communications.

It's the first step in making your investment in brand communication work harder, stimulate more growth and add more value to your brand.

Identify the business issue or opportunity that marketing communication can address:

This allows you to gain consensus around the one critical obstacle or opportunity that new communication for the brand could address.

This will stop you and your team trying to chase many of the smaller issues which could lead to a lack of communication focus.

How to use it:

1. With your team, draw up a long list of issues and opportunities as defined in brand planning and plot on the Big Issue axis.

2. Gain consensus around the one critical issue or opportunity that the new communication for the brand could address. This should act as an overall context for thinking. It will become the "guiding star".

Use these examples to help you think about your own brand: