Five steps. This is the first.
Every step needs the one before it, so we can't jump ahead. Most brands come to us at step five and ask for ads, which makes sense, because the ads are the bit you can actually see.
But an ad made without the first four steps has to do all the work on its own. Every time. That gets expensive fast, and it's why last month's good post doesn't help this month.
What each step gives you, and what breaks without it
This step is the cheapest one, and it decides the rest.
It's also the one everyone wants to rush. Fair enough, because it's the only step that doesn't give you something to look at when it's done.
We'll read your numbers ourselves, so don't worry about those. But what you think, what you won't do, and the stories you've never told are only in your heads. Thin answers here means we're guessing for the next four steps. Honest answers and the whole thing moves a lot faster.
Worth doing
Write like you talk. Messy is fine.One blunt sentence beats a neat paragraph.
If you don't know, just say so. That's useful.
Send the screenshots. They tell us more than any summary.
Don't bother
Pulling reports. We'll read the accounts ourselves.Tidying it up. Nobody else is reading this.
Agreeing with each other. Two different answers helps us.
Doing it in one go. It saves as you type.
The basics
Who we're working with, and who can say yes to things. Twenty nine questions from here. It saves as you type, so stop whenever you want and come back to it.
Your site, shops, Shopee or Lazada, distributors, trade, anything else you can think of.
Name them, and tell us what each one can put a stop to. This tells us how fast we can move.
What you spend, and what comes back
We will never ask you for a password. Read access just means we can look at an account, not change anything in it.
For every dollar you put into ads, how much comes back. If it's different by channel or by product, give us each one. If you don't track it, just say so. Plenty of brands don't, and knowing that is useful to us.
Tick everything that's live today. Including the ones you think aren't working.
Screenshots from Meta Ads Manager work fine, plus anything else you run. Last 90 days and last 12 months if you can get both. The columns we care about are spend, purchases, cost per purchase and return on ad spend, with the ad thumbnails next to them if they show. Your Pixel or events screen helps too, so we can see if tracking is set up properly. Reports, decks, spreadsheets, brand files, all welcome. Just chuck them in.
You can also paste a screenshot straight in. Files upload the moment you add them, so there's no need to press send first.
Agency retainers, media you've already booked, retail commitments, launches with a date you've promised someone. We need to know what money isn't ours to move.
What you sell, and what you're allowed to say
What you can back up with paperwork, and where the legal line sits.
Test reports, certifications, trial results, lab data. List them here and drop the actual files up at question 10.
Not sure is a fine answer, just write that. We'd rather find out now than build a campaign around a line you can't legally use.
Real people, not a target market
The ones who actually handed over money.
Who were they, and what were they trying to fix? Real people you remember, not a description of your target market.
Who you lose to
And whose work you wish was yours. Be honest, nobody's keeping score.
Any industry at all. Nothing to do with air is completely fine, often better.
What you've got, and what's off limits
Last four. The final two stop us bringing you something you hate.
Drop them at question 10. If there's nothing, just write no. Genuinely fine.
Including the stuff you thought wasn't good enough to use. That's often the best material we get.
Last two. These are the big ones.
Everything above tells us where you are. These two tell us how far we can go. They change what we recommend, what it costs, and how long it takes, more than any other answer on this page. Take a minute on them.
Not who you'd like to sell to eventually. Who you'd plant your flag on and be known for, even if it meant other people looked elsewhere. Owning one group beats being a reasonable option for everyone, but it does mean saying no to some business. Pick one, or tell us you want to stay broad. Both are real answers and we'll build differently for each.
We're asking because a real repositioning takes time to land, and it's unfair to sell you one if you want to test the water first. There's no wrong answer here and it won't change how we treat you. It changes what we recommend. Tell us honestly, including anything that might get in the way, like budget, a board, or a launch you've already committed to.