Mapping
We walk into the building. Each floor is an area of the company: offer and goals, sales, customer service, internal and external communication. The diagnosis starts where what a company says meets what it actually does.
Stages 01 and 03
The M.A.P.A. method
M.A.P.A., our brand diagnosis method:layer by layer, from the market to action.
M.A.P.A. (Mapping, Analysis, Positioning, Action) is the brand diagnosis method created by Arantho. Four pillars define what gets analyzed. Nine stages, each with its own quality control, define when and how, all the way to a 90-day action plan.
The 4 pillars, layer by layer
From inside the buildingto the map of the city.
The acronym is the method: each letter is a pillar, and each pillar looks at the business from a different height. Scroll down to move through M.A.P.A.
Analysis
We go up to see the whole city. Competitors sorted by business model, communication territories that are taken and those still open, trends, risks and opportunities. And the real voice of your audience.
Stages 02 and 04Positioning
Once the terrain is clear, the brand defines who it is: its DNA, its archetype triad (essence, tone and differentiator), its narrative and its tone of voice. That is what sets it apart from the rest of the skyline.
Stages 05, 06 and 07Action
The map becomes a route: a 90-day plan with objectives for each workstream, a channel architecture and KPIs to track every step. The plan is yours.
Stages 08 and 09An illustrative representation of the method.
The 9 stages
From immersion to delivery,no stage moves on with loose ends.
Every stage closes with a deliverable and a quality checklist. The order changes depending on where the brand is today.
| Stage | Name | Pillar | What closes the stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Immersion and alignment | M | Immersion document and chosen track |
| 02 | External analysis | A | Business model map and competitor matrix |
| 03 | Internal analysis or offer validation | M | Communication and funnel audit, or offer validation |
| 04 | Audience research | A | The audience's values, tensions and vocabulary |
| 05 | Brand DNA and archetypes | P | Brand DNA and an evidence-based archetype triad |
| 06 | Strategic direction | P | Positioning, KPIs and the first presentation of findings |
| 07 | Identity brief | P | Verbal and visual territory for the creative work |
| 08 | 90-day action plan | A | Objectives by workstream and channel architecture |
| 09 | Final delivery and quality control | A | Final delivery reviewed against a quality checklist |
Track A
An operating brand
Social channels, customers and a sales funnel are already running, so the evidence is internal. The internal audit comes before the market.
Track B
Pre-launch or launch
A new product with no track record, so the evidence is in the market. Benchmarking comes first, and the offer is validated against it.
The engine of the method
Brand archetypes:the triad that gives your strategy a voice.
At the operational heart of M.A.P.A. is defining the brand's personality, anchored in the real voice of the audience rather than in adjectives.
Primary
The essence
It comes from what the brand can already back up today. It is what the brand is, proven by evidence.
Secondary
The tone
It comes from what the brand needs to activate. It shapes how the brand speaks to its audience.
Supporting
The differentiator
The trait that sets it apart from competitors and shows up in practice, not just in talk.
Each archetype is justified with evidence you can point to and tied to a real tension in the audience. The options we rule out are documented, so the decision stays yours.
Rigor
What protectsthe quality of the work.
Evidence
Fact, hypothesis or gap
Every statement in the diagnosis is labeled. Nothing gets filled in just because it sounds plausible.
Control
A checklist between stages
No stage moves on with an open item. That is what keeps a diagnosis from turning out shallow.
Final control
A review before delivery
The final delivery goes through a consistency checklist before it reaches the client.
The map is ready to be drawn.All it needs is you.
Start with the M.A.P.A. Diagnosis and come away with clarity and an action plan that belongs to you.
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