What exactly is being approved, paused, narrowed, rebuilt, or stopped?
Decision
One sentence with the surface affected: name, mark, website, message, package, route, or proposal.
Branding guide · evidence and decision
Brand decision memo template
A brand decision memo template for rebrands, logo changes, website redesigns, package updates, message rewrites, and agency proposals.
Direct answer Read this section
What to remember Read this section
Fill the memo before approval Read this section
Brand Decision Memo Template
decision · proof · use
01
Direct answer
A brand decision memo should state the decision, the evidence, the risk, the options, the owner, the deadline, and the reason a team should preserve, adjust, rebuild, or stop.
02
What to remember
- Write the decision in plain language.
- List the options rejected, not only the favorite option.
- Name the proof that would change the verdict.
- Do not approve a public change without an owner, date, and stop rule.
03
Fill the memo before approval
Use the scale below to rate each of the six checks, then add the ratings for a total from 0 to 18. These are GYB editorial review prompts and proposed decision bands, not a validated risk model or evidence that a launch will succeed. Record the evidence behind every rating and resolve missing critical evidence before approval.
A memo is done only when a skeptical reader can see the decision, evidence, risk, and owner.
- 0
- missing
- 1
- weak
- 2
- usable
- 3
- strong
What buyer, trust, recognition, category, proof, or route problem does the decision solve?
Problem
Current evidence and the cost of leaving the problem alone.
What serious alternatives were rejected?
Options
Preserve, adjust, rebuild, stop, bridge, test, or delay, with the reason each lost.
What proof would a skeptical buyer or executive accept?
Evidence
Customer behavior, public source, search result, AI answer, competitor route, case precedent, and operating proof.
What could break if the decision is wrong?
Risk
Recognition loss, trust gap, category confusion, rollout waste, legal conflict, or source-trail damage.
Who can approve, pause, and revise the decision?
Owner
Named person, deadline, next action, review date, and stop rule.
04
Memo red flags
A weak memo hides risk behind presentation polish.
No rejected option
The favorite direction appears without proof that alternatives were considered.
Add the losing options.
No buyer sentence
The decision is written for the team, not the person choosing in market.
Rewrite from the buyer's decision.
No proof trigger
Nobody knows what evidence would change the verdict.
Name the proof threshold.
No pause owner
Approval is clear, but stopping the work is politically impossible.
Assign the pause rule.
05
Memo readiness
A memo should make the decision easier to audit later.
- 0 in any field Do not approve The memo is missing one part required for accountable brand work.
- 1-8 Rewrite The memo is mostly opinion or deck summary.
- 9-13 Add evidence The decision exists, but proof and risk are still too thin.
- 14-17 Ready to review The memo can support a real approval conversation.
- 18 Decision file The memo is clear enough to preserve with the project record.
06
Memo fields
The template prevents brand work from drifting into taste.
- Decision
- What is being approved, paused, narrowed, rebuilt, or stopped.
- Evidence
- Customer behavior, public proof, source trail, search result, AI answer, case precedent, and competitor route.
- Risk
- Recognition loss, trust gap, category confusion, rollout waste, internal politics, or public misunderstanding.
- Owner
- One accountable person, one deadline, and one next action.
07
evidence in the record
- The memo should sit beside the checklist, score, and proof file.
- A proposal should be judged by evidence, not by polish alone.
08
Memos should prevent these mistakes
The wrong approval logic shows up later as public confusion.
09
Use it before approval
A brand decision memo belongs before the creative final. It forces the team to write what the change is supposed to fix and what would happen if the team is wrong.
The memo is especially useful when a founder preference, agency presentation, board request, or launch deadline is moving faster than the evidence.
10
What the memo should say
State the problem, the decision, the options, the proof, the risk, the affected public surfaces, the rollout order, and the stop rule.
Then write the plain answer a buyer, customer, employee, or partner should understand after the change. If that answer is vague, the memo is not ready.
11
Attach the right evidence
A memo should point to the next file that proves or challenges the decision.
12
Send the memo if the decision is live
If the memo exposes a high-cost decision, use protected contact with the evidence file.
13
FAQ
What should be in a brand decision memo?
It should include the decision, problem, options, proof, risk, affected surfaces, owner, deadline, stop rule, and next action.
Who should write it?
The person accountable for the decision should own it, even if an agency, strategist, or designer contributes evidence.
When is the memo useful?
It is useful before approving a rebrand, logo change, website redesign, package update, message rewrite, naming direction, or agency proposal.
14
Sources and next checks.
Source
Google Search Central helpful content self-assessment
developers.google.com
Source
Google Search Central structured data introduction
developers.google.com
Source
Schema.org FAQPage
schema.org
Source
W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
w3.org
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