This post is part of our 6-part series on The ImageThink Method™, our unique process for leading organizational transformations, from culture shifts to strategic plans to launching a new brand. Developed by ImageThink CEO and Founder Nora Herting, this proprietary framework applies visual theory, graphic facilitation, and design thinking in strategic ways to move these major initiatives forward. The end result isn’t just a successful project, but a more engaging, collaborative, and creative process.
I’m So EXCITED, and I Just Can’t Hide It!
In this post, we’ll discuss the EXCITE Phase of The ImageThink Method™, which is the time to take your plan public. This is the pitch, the RFP, or the big keynote moment. Clear, concise, communication is critical in this, phase of a project, and as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
The EXCITE Phase is usually where marketing, advertising, and press teams get involved and finally get the word out about your plan to your core base of supporters. It’s where all the hard work of the SCAN, ENGAGE, and PLANNING Phases shines. It’s also a chance for the visuals and graphics created during those phases to shine, too. ImageThink has created great content for social media, email and direct mail campaigns, and even videos and time-lapses that can explain and introduce your vision to the world.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a firm grasp of how ImageThink leads clients through planning, a real-world client example of an ImageThink guided EXCITE Phase, and most importantly, some simple questions to help you kick off your own planning process.
What Does the EXCITE Phase Look Like in the Real World?
Continuing with our global automaker client example from our previous posts, this week’s post details their journey through the EXCITE Phase of The ImageThink Method™, and how we used visuals to help them communicate their PLAN externally, to the media partners that were the focus of the entire initiative.
Moving in to 2018, our client had a clear, narrative visual describing the benchmarks, milestones, and metrics they sought in a successful partnership following their successful PLAN Phase. Out of these documents, ImageThink developed a shareable, clean lined infographic, a series of icons, and a video that our automotive client could share with their partners as a way to set their partnership expectations. These documents, as you’ll see in next week’s post, are still in use even today, in some form or another.
How to Begin the EXCITE Phase of the ImageThink Method™
- Are you ready to sit down with your marketing, advertising, and PR people to start announcing the project? You’re in the EXCITE Phase.
- What is the need this project or initiative is solving? Who is affected? How do we reach them?
- What is the visual identity of the program? What is the best way to visually distill the project to its simplest form?
- What elements need to be in place for a successful product or service launch? Do we need a microsite? Pricing? Sales and Accounts scripts? Packaging? Protoypes? This all starts and happens throughout the EXCITE Phase.
- Who are your advocates? What clients and friends will help evangelize your big new idea, and build enthusiasm in advance of launch?
- Who are the competitors, and what are they saying? Who are you beating to market, and who are you trailing? What makes you unique?
Ready to break out the business cartography tools and map out your strategy? ImageThink is here to help! Just use the chat function or click here to schedule a discussion and demo of how we help clients in the EXCITE phase.
