Brand

Key research files by topic

Using Research in Work

Before any brand decision

1. Check brand-decisions.md for whether the element is already decided (✅) — cite the existing decision
2. Read the relevant research file(s) for the topic area
3. Read docs/philosophy.md when the work touches product identity or positioning
4. Cite specific data in your output — at least 2 data points per file read

Citation standard

Rule: If a claim could be made by any brand strategist without reading the file, it is not a citation.

Flagging ungrounded claims

When your output includes claims not grounded in the research corpus, flag them:

### Claims from general expertise
- {claim} — not found in brand research; based on {source/reasoning}

Capturing New Research

Where to put it

Format consistency

Every research file should include:

• Date and author
• Scope — what question it answers
• Grounded in — what existing files/decisions it builds on
• Precedent analysis (when applicable) — structured comparison, not prose
• Do NOT put raw source captures in research/ — those go in a references/ folder

After creating or updating research

1. Check if brand-decisions.md needs a new 🔲 item or an update to an existing one
2. If research changes a decided element, flag it — don't silently overwrite ✅ decisions

Maintaining Existing Research

• When a brand decision ships: Update brand-decisions.md to mark it ✅ with the rationale
• When philosophy.md changes: Check whether brand research files reference outdated philosophy claims
• When the brand spec artifact updates: Check whether reviews/ findings have been addressed
• When research is superseded: Don't delete — add a note pointing to the newer work