4 Seasons Brief
Creative Brief Participants
Matt and David — December 2022
Overview
What would you like us to do for you? What is the purpose and scope of the project (heighten credibility, expand services, sell 2000 widgets, etc.)?
We want people to know what services we offer and understand how we differ from competing services. We want our audience to feel emotionally connected to our services and know we are trustworthy. We want them to know that we are a one-stop shop and that we can solve a wide variety of we problems.
Our core values are integrity, communication, personal development, excellence, and service. In short: We are experts with high standards of quality.
We need people to understand the broad scope of our services. We have recently expanded our services to include remodeling, handy services, and maintenance, and we plan to start building homes from the ground up. We are general contractors. There's not much we can't do. When people are modernizing and updating finishes, 4 Seasons is, by far, the best in our market.
Our definition of a successful campaign: We feel successful when people consider home improvement; they think about us. We want them to consider us for maintenance, restoration, remodeling, modifications, and building. We need to be one of the calls they make.
Projects include
Logo and Brand Guidelines
Business Identity and Garments
Storefront
Vehicle Signage
Ad Campaign — Yard Signs and Freeway Signs
Coming soon:
Design Website
Social Media someday
Direct Mail
TextMagic Messaging
Creative Considerations
What limitations or constraints do you have (budget, schedule, size, paper, etc.)? What elements or colors, or other personal preferences must be represented in this project? Where will additional materials that we do not create come from? (writing/photography/illustration etc.) What are examples of projects of this type you have seen that you think are effective? Can you please share some samples?
Matt likes the vibrant green color we have always used. We can adjust it slightly but must keep it vibrant and avoid forest green. Using the numeral "4" instead of "Four" in text and graphics is also essential.
Everything we do should be simple, crisp, and unique.
We are proud of our team and should consider using them in advertising. Each of them is a hero to our customers.
Who's doing it right?
Matt: Do you have any additions to this list?
Product Description
What are the products or services your business provides? What is the product or service that you want to promote? What are its features? How much does it cost? What is it made of, and how is it used? What makes it different, unusual, or unique?
We need people to understand the broad scope of our services. We have recently expanded our services to include remodeling, handy services, and maintenance, and we plan to start building homes from the ground up. We are general contractors. There's not much we can't do. When people are modernizing and updating finishes, 4 Seasons is, by far, the best in our market.
Here is a short list of services:
Interior and Exterior Painting
Handyman Service
Facility Maintenance
Construction Services — For example, framing, siding, windows, small additions, remodels, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, design, and build. The list continues: We build fences and decks. We lay floors and install cabinets. We build outdoor kitchens and pergolas. Kristi Bloom does our interior design work. We will only take a client who has a design budget.
In time, I'd like our primary business to become construction. People know we paint. I don't want to lose the painting. However, specialty contracting has fewer moving parts and, thus, the highest gross profit margins in the industry. So we will do more of that.
Matt says, "We have 2500 people in our target market. We already have 800 of them as customers. With painting as our primary business, the only way to grow is to reduce prices or expand our coverage area. I don't want to travel, and I don't want to lower prices. The best way to grow is to expand our services, and that's what we will do."
We stand out from others in our market because of our outstanding attention to detail and top-notch communication. We also have honed our process and order of operations, which gives our customers excellent results and fair pricing.
We have a very intentional approach to every project. Here are the steps:
Discovery: We ask all the questions. Why. How much. What results? What's the most important thing about this project?
Prebuild: We engineer the project into existence. Design (they own the design, which bills separately), engineering, prospectus, and material takeoffs.
Scope of work and budget: We establish expectations. We can reverse engineer to make a proposal.
Proposal
Permitting
Scheduling
Production
Daily communication: Text, email, video. In-person with documentation via video.
Finish: Formal Inspections, Formal Walk-Through, Formal Sign-Off.
Competition
What makes your business special among similar businesses? What's your value proposition? Who is your present competition? Who would you like to be competing with? What similar products or services are currently available, and how good are they?
We stand out from the competition because of our high-quality approach, expert craftsmanship, and easy and positive working style. We do the project right the first time, in-house training program, communication, and fun work culture. Communication is always excellent. Everybody speaks English well.
We deliver a unique experience. We are clean; we show up on time; we have great checklists and follow-through. Plus, we have an excellent support staff, and we always have somebody available that clients can talk to.
Our documentation process is unique and assures a top-quality finish. We document project details and client conversations with photos and videos so that we can manage unique project details according to client preferences. We also offer the most detailed contracts in our service area.
Many general contractors don't even know their schedules. They drop the ball. Their subs drop the ball. They haven't even seen the ball lately.
Specific competition:
Meticulous Touch Painting: Meticulous Touch has a similar business model and the same target client. They recently started building custom homes and doing other construction projects. Like us, they have realized that being a ONE-STOP SHOP is essential. Once you earn a client's trust, they will want you to do everything. That's important. Like us, Meticulous Touch will build a few houses in the winter to keep the guys busy.
Tino's Painting: Tino's is chasing commercial and new construction. He does do a bit of general contracting work. Tino's does residential repainting as well.
K&L Painting: K&L has been in the Walla Walla market for almost 50 years. They have old money clients. However, they are losing market share to us because their clientele is dying off, and they don't appeal to younger clients. They don't get any new construction work.
Bowen Painting: Bowen does a lot of commercial repainting. They also do minor general contracting and lots of newer construction. He does less residential and is willing to travel to nearby states.
Target Audience & Market Realities
Who is your current primary audience (gender, age, socioeconomics, employment, geographics)? How much do they know about the product? What are their attitudes toward products or businesses like yours? What motivates them? Who do you want your audience to be?
Our favorite client is Ma and Pa residential repaints. Scheduling is easy, and margins are excellent. Usually, they are 50-75 in age. They are looking at retirement. They are well-established in the community and are in their second or third home. They often hold an executive role of some sort or own a business. Their income is 150k+ combined or single. They know their time is valuable and want the project done right the first time with no BS.
Years ago, decision-makers were women married to professional men. These days, decision-makers are both men and women. They both work and contribute income and want a say in the final decision.
Our very favorite client lives out of town. They want a trustworthy partner who will handle everything. When they arrive here, they want to see perfection, and they know we will deliver.
The universe of work is changing our clients too. Remote work allows people to move to wine country. They love Wine Valley Golf and the area wineries. Walla Walla offers a gorgeous downtown and some of the best restaurants anywhere. Remote workers really care about our online presence, and they really care about our google reviews. We are seeing new customers who work in executive roles, finance, and software. Many of these clients have just purchased a house here and are getting the home ready for their move to Walla Walla.
Another favorite client is male gay couples. They often have too solid incomes and no kids. Instead, they have investments. They want things done right. Female, gay couples are usually not as easy to work with. Often one is going to be hands-on and DIY savvy. The other is into finances. We've also noticed, anecdotally, that gay women don't seem to show the same loyalty as gay men.
Geography: We generally stick within 35 to 40 miles of Walla Walla. We often accept projects in Dayton and Milton-Freewater. We don't take projects in Tri-Cities or Pendleton anymore.
What people know about 4 Seasons:
They think we're expensive.
They know we are good. We do the job right.
We are the pinnacle of the painting world.
They know that there will be no babysitting or mistakes.
How much do clients know about the process? Some know a bit, and some don't know anything. We like to ask questions, so we understand our clients better. So we ask: What do you know about the painting process? What's the most important thing? What's your biggest concern? Price or product, how long will you live in the home?
What don't clients know about the process? People don't understand oxidation and prep. They don't understand how we need to clean a surface to hold a finish. They don't know about joint compounds and sealers. They don't understand how the sun will attack ultra-deep colors like dark blue, red, and brown. Paints are getting worse because of VOC rules. New paint smells less, and it is less rigid and durable.
People often ask, "Why do you spray vs. brush and roll?" All the products are designed to be sprayed. We disrupt the cure when we brush and roll. People don't understand the chemistry of the products we use.
Our job is to educate and help customers make informed decisions.
What do people generally think of painters? Painters are not on time, and not trustworthy. Painters are at the bottom of the barrel in the trades. Painters are drunks and scatterbrained. Most painters don't show up and don't do what they say they will do.
What do we do about that? We surprise them with our timelines, cleanliness, communication, and doing what we say we will do. Clients don't need to call us five times, and they don't need to ask (even once) for a bid. We give clients a proposal before we leave the first meeting.
We ask a few questions about our competition. "Do you feel they understood what was most important to you?" "How many coats did they include with their estimate?"
We offer clients clarity. There is no question about what we do and how we serve. We keep the process simple. Simplicity is king.
User Benefits
How will the user be better off using your product or service? Will they save time, effort, or money? If so, how much? How important is this product to the consumer? Are there tradeoffs (higher quality but higher price)?
Our clients get what they really want. We can often prescribe a more economical and higher-quality solution through our analysis.
We listen. We've found that keeping clients happy is mostly about listening. So we listen and then create a plan that meets the client's budget and is efficient to execute. So we give clients a lot for their dollar, and they are supremely satisfied.
Our service is VERY important: We are improving a client's home. We are working in their home. We protect their investment and make a beautiful home for their family.
Or course, clients spend more with 4 Seasons, but we deliver more quality and value. We use the right materials. We suggest the best quality to meet your goals. We meet client wants and needs and tailor the project to their budget.
Most Important Point (MIP)
What are the top three (or more) ranked benefits of your product or service? If you could choose only one thing the audience remembers from your advertising, what would it be?
Clarity of communication.
Planning and design.
Quality execution.
Excellence in everything we do.
Cleanliness. We clean up every day.
Organization. We require no babysitting.
Clarity. Clients know what they are getting and why.
Accurate budgets. We do what we say we are going to do. We don't change-order you to death.
MIP: Clarity of communication.
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