Your brand planning checklist ✅ (you're welcome)

Brand planning season is here, and for FMCG marketers, it’s a critical time to lay the foundation for next year’s success. Whether it’s refining your messaging, launching new products, or planning promotions, every decision matters.

To help you navigate this busy period, we’ve put together a checklist of actionable tips to make your brand plan smarter and more effective. Plus, discover how quick consumer feedback from Stickybeak can give you the edge in your decision-making.

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📝 Here’s a TL;DR checklist to keep you on track::

✅ Review your past activity and SWOT analysis.

✅ Assess your brand’s performance and consumer perception (hello, Brand Health Test).

✅ Benchmark against competitors and identify those white space opportunities.

✅ Validate emerging trends like functional guilt-free treats or convenience to stay ahead.

✅ Prioritise your best ideas with a Stickybeak Idea Screener test and refine them with concept testing.

✅ Test messaging, taglines, and visuals to ensure they resonate.

✅ Plan and optimise seasonal & retail customer campaigns for key moments like Easter or back-to-school.

✅ Test offers and promotional ideas to find what drives the most excitement.

✅ Address friction points in the consumer journey to make buying effortless.

✅ Check in with the wider business, especially sales teams.

✅ Align / reset to business strategies and goal.

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📊 Pro Tip: Pair strategic insights with fast, actionable consumer feedback to make smarter decisions in less time. Stickybeak’s here to help with real consumer feedback in 48 hours or less.

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Want to dig deeper? Here’s the Detailed Brand Planning Checklist

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Lay the Groundwork

1. Revisit your brand’s positioning and performance 

Before you move forward, take a moment to reflect. What’s working? What isn’t? Use tools like internal ex factory data ,Google Trends, if available shopper data IRI or Dunnhumby, to explore shifts in consumer interest and run a Brand Health Dip to understand how your target audience sees you now. 

2. Analyse the competition

Understanding your competitors is key. Map their position in the market, their strengths, weaknesses and, most importantly, opportunities. Use a Competitor Review to compare your brand with three others, uncover what resonates with consumers, and identify white space opportunities.

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Stay Ahead of Trends

3. Validate emerging trends

Consumers are driving shifts in areas like sustainability, health, and convenience. Test consumer sentiment around these trends to ensure your brand stays relevant.

Explore trend reports from NielsenIQ, Euromonitor or Mintel to get a sense of what’s coming next. Pair this research with quick consumer feedback to see how these trends align with your brand.

4. Align with ESG and other strategic goals 

Sustainability and purpose are no longer optional. Resources like the Sustainable Brands Network offer insights on integrating ESG into your strategy, while Stickybeak can validate whether consumers care more about green packaging or ethical sourcing.

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Build a Winning Innovation Pipeline

5. Identify the right NPD

Not all ideas are created equal. With an Idea Screener, you can focus on the new product developments (NPD) with the highest potential to succeed next year.

6. Refine your top concepts

Once you’ve shortlisted your ideas, run a Rapid Concept Test to dig deeper into consumer preferences. What features, designs, or messaging will drive the most excitement?

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Fine-Tune Messaging and Campaigns

7. Test your messaging

Don’t guess when it comes to taglines or packaging updates. Use consumer feedback to validate your messaging and ensure it hits home with your audience.

8. Plan for seasonality

Seasonal campaigns are high-stakes moments. Use historical sales data or tools like Google Analytics to identify key patterns. Align to retailer customer plans / key selling periods/ Range reviews

Seasonal campaigns are a big opportunity—but only if you get them right. Test creative ideas for key moments like Easter or back-to-school to maximize their impact. Small tweaks can make a big difference in how your audience perceives your campaign.

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Optimise Promotions and Budgets

9. Test your offers

Discounts, bundles, or gifts? Find out what promotional offers will drive the most sales by testing them with your audience now.

10. Prioritise with confidence

Budgets are tight, and every dollar counts. Use consumer insights to focus on strategies and campaigns that deliver the best ROI.

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Refine the Consumer Journey

11. Uncover friction points

Identify areas where consumers drop off in their journey by leveraging data from tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg. Where are consumers dropping off in their journey? Quick feedback can identify barriers to purchase and help you improve the buyer experience.

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That's it. You're on your way to better brand planning.

Brand planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. By leveraging consumer insights at every stage—from trend validation to campaign testing—you can create a plan that’s both strategic and consumer-focused.

Stickybeak makes it easy to get actionable feedback in as little as 48 hours, giving you the tools to refine your ideas, improve your messaging, and plan smarter.

Ready to nail your brand plan? Start gathering feedback today with Stickybeak and set your brand up for success. Chat to the Stickybeak team today to see how we can help!!

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