Brand Evolution Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to update, evolve, or pivot an existing brand identity rather than creating something entirely new.

What This Skill Covers

• Brand identity updates and refinements
• Target audience pivots
• Visual identity refreshes
• Voice and messaging updates
• Market repositioning
• Partial rebranding

Prerequisites

Before evolving a brand:

1. Load current brand: Call load_brand(detail_level='full') to get complete current identity
2. Review all aspects: Understand what exists before changing
3. Check assets: Use list_files("assets/") to see what's been generated
4. Clarify scope: What specifically needs to change?

Evolution vs Creation

Evolution (This Skill)

• Respects established elements
• Makes targeted refinements
• Maintains brand equity
• Documents what changes and why
• Considers impact on existing materials

Creation (Use brand-identity skill)

• Starts from scratch
• Full creative freedom
• No existing constraints
• Building new identity

Types of Brand Evolution

1. Minor Refinement

Small updates that don't change core identity:

• Color adjustments (lightening, accent changes)
• Typography tweaks
• Messaging polish
• Audience clarification

2. Moderate Update

Noticeable changes while maintaining recognition:

• New tagline
• Expanded color palette
• Voice tone adjustment
• Audience expansion

3. Major Pivot

Significant direction change:

• New positioning
• Target audience shift
• Visual overhaul (while keeping brand name)
• Core values evolution

4. Full Rebrand

Complete transformation (consider brand-identity skill instead):

• New name
• New visual identity
• New positioning
• New everything

Evolution Workflow

Step 1: Understand Current State

Load the brand and review:
- What's working well? (Keep these)
- What needs improvement?
- What's the user asking to change?

Step 2: Clarify the Evolution

Ask about:

• Scope: What elements should change?
• Reason: Why is the change needed?
• Constraints: What must stay the same?
• Goals: What should the evolution achieve?

Step 3: Propose Changes

Present changes clearly:

## Proposed Evolution

### What Stays the Same
- [Elements being preserved]
- [Reason: maintains equity/recognition]

### What Changes
- [Element]: [Old] → [New]
- [Rationale for change]

### Impact on Existing Assets
- [What needs to be regenerated]
- [What can remain]

Step 4: Implement Changes

After user approval:

• Update identity.json with changes
• Document what was changed and why
• Regenerate affected assets if requested

Common Evolution Scenarios

Audience Pivot

Current: Young professionals in urban areas
Evolution: Expanding to suburban families

Changes needed:
- Audience profile update
- Possibly softer tone
- Family-friendly imagery direction
- Messaging adjustments

Visual Refresh

Current: Heavy, dark color palette
Evolution: Lighter, more modern feel

Changes needed:
- Primary colors (lighter variants)
- Typography (more contemporary)
- Imagery style update
- Logo may need update

Voice Adjustment

Current: Formal, authoritative
Evolution: More conversational, approachable

Changes needed:
- Voice personality description
- Tone attributes
- Messaging do's and don'ts
- Sample copy

Positioning Shift

Current: Premium luxury positioning
Evolution: Accessible premium

Changes needed:
- Positioning statement
- Value proposition
- Competitor set
- Possibly pricing language in messaging

Guidelines for Evolution

Preserve Brand Equity

• Keep what's working
• Don't change for change's sake
• Maintain recognizability
• Respect customer relationship

Document Everything

• Note what changed
• Explain why
• Track versions if possible
• Consider transition plan

Consider Ripple Effects

• How does this change affect other elements?
• What assets need updating?
• Is messaging still consistent?
• Does visual and verbal identity still align?

Communicate Clearly

• Present before/after comparison
• Explain the strategic rationale
• Get explicit approval before saving

Quality Checks for Evolution

Before saving evolved brand:

• Changes address the stated goal
• Core identity elements are still cohesive
• Visual and verbal identity still align
• Nothing contradicts preserved elements
• Changes are documented
• Impact on existing assets is noted
• User has approved the changes

Saving Evolved Brand

After evolution is approved:

# Update the identity file
write_file("identity.json", updated_identity_json)

# Consider saving previous version
write_file("identity_backup_[date].json", original_identity_json)

When to Recommend Full Rebrand

Suggest using brand-identity skill instead if:

• User wants to change everything
• Current identity is fundamentally broken
• Brand name is changing
• It's essentially a new brand

Be honest: "The changes you're describing are substantial enough that we might get a better result building fresh rather than constraining ourselves to the existing identity. Would you like to create a new brand identity?"

Memory and Context

When evolving:

• Reference specific existing elements by name
• Compare proposed changes to current state
• Explain how changes fit with preserved elements
• Build on what exists rather than replacing wholesale