TROPICAL YEAR STUDIO PRESENTS

The Brand Map

Be seen as you were intended to be seen

You built a business worth noticing. The Brand Map is how the world finally notices it—strategy, identity, and a website that does justice to the work.

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The Invisible Problem

The work is there, but alignment is missing.

You know what you've built. You can feel it in every product, every dish, every piece you make. But when someone encounters your business presence, do they feel it too?

A common assumption is that poor lead conversion is a sales issue. However, the root of the problem is often foundational. Though the internal vision of the business may be clear, the external execution hasn't been aligned to match it. This misalignment frequently manifests as what can appear to be a separate problem(s), when in reality it’s the same core issue: no alignment throughout the business.

That's the gap the Brand Map closes.

Work is there
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Positioning changes everything

Businesses with brand consistentcy see up to 23% more revenue.

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A map for foundational growth

The Brand Map is a comprehensive system designed to establish the core foundational elements essential for significant business growth in a set timeframe at an attainable price. It starts with what's true, then makes it visible: foundation first, then identity, then the digital presence that launches the brand into the world. While each component can be built independently, combining them provides the complete system for a business who needs it all.

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What is the brand map?

Three instruments. One system.

STRATEGY

The Legend

The key that unlocks everything. Your positioning, voice, and audience in one week.

Defining your brand’s positioning

Every decision your business makes-what to say, how to say it, who to say it to-is rooted in strong brand positioning. This is the core task of The Legend. A strategist conducts a deep business analysis, which a copywriter then translates into a functional, branded language. This process delivers your positioning, voice, vocabulary, and taglines, all documented within one week.

Deliverables

Brand Positioning Statement • Core Narrative • Audience Definition • Competitive Differentiation Map • Verbal Identity Guide (including messaging framework, brand vocabulary, tone expressions, and more)

Timeline: 1 week

Investment: $12,000

IDENTITY

The Mark

A precise point on the map. Your visual identity, exactly positioned.

Crafting your visual identity

Your visual identity begins not with a brief, but with a hands-on workshop. We delve into the essence of your business-exploring its actual substance, the intended feeling, and the message it must convey without words. In just two weeks, you gain a professional visual identity that truly reflects your brand.

Deliverables

Logo and variations • Color palette • Typography system • Imagery direction • Pattern or texture elements • Comprehensive Brand Guidelines • All source files

Timeline: 2 weeks

Investment: $16,500

Prerequisite: The Legend (which can be developed by us or provided by you).

DIGITAL PRESENCE

The Waypoint

Your highest point of visibility. A custom site that makes you findable.

Building your business' digital home

The Waypoint delivers your brand's core website, a completely custom solution built on the flexible Sanity CMS. You'll launch with five finished pages, leveraging a reusable section library that empowers you to add new pages post-launch without needing a developer.

What's included

Wireframes and Information Architecture (IA) • A 5-page website with reusable section library • Sanity CMS at launch, including a walkthrough and 30 days of post-launch support • JSON-LD schema, core SEO foundations, and analytics setup

Timeline: 3 weeks

Investment: $25,000

Important notes: The 3-week timeline requires all content to be finalized before the project begins. Need content support? Add our Content Package for $3,500. For businesses needing e-commerce, we build on Shopify or offer headless Shopify integrations via Sanity. Contact us to discuss the ideal solution for your needs.

They're stronger together

Each offering works on its own. But when The Legend, The Mark, and The Waypoint are built by the same team—in sequence, with the same understanding of your brand—everything holds together in a way it simply can't when you piece it together later.

  • The copywriter who defines your verbal identity writes your website copy.
  • The designer who creates your visual system is part of the team that brings the site to life.

No briefing a new team halfway through. No translating what you've already done.

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One thing worth knowing: The Legend and The Waypoint can't be purchased together without The Mark. Identity is what connects strategy to the site—without it, the pieces don't hold.

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Senior expertise

Built into the price.

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We built The Brand Map because the businesses that need high-quality brand strategy most are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. Our seniors bring experience from leading agencies and Fortune 500 brand work—and we built a process that makes that level of craft accessible without requiring an enterprise budget to match.

Every project is led by the same two principals—a Creative Director and a Technology Director—who built our process. You work directly with us, supported by a trusted network of senior collaborators, ensuring you get consistent, senior-level attention from the moment you sign.

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FAQS

I'm a funded startup. Is The Brand Map right for me?

It depends on where you are. The Brand Map is built for founders moving fast and needing a clear brand foundation. If you're further along—past early product-market fit, managing a team, scaling—our bespoke engagements go deeper. Get in touch and we'll tell you which one fits.

I'm trying to scale an existing brand. Can you help?

Yes, but The Brand Map probably isn't the right vehicle. Scaling brands have different friction—team alignment, channel consistency, a visual system that wasn't built to stretch. Those need a custom scope. Connect with us and we'll figure out what that looks like.

How long does it actually take?

The Legend takes one week. The Mark takes two. The Waypoint takes three. When bundled together as The Brand Map, we run them in sequence with intentional overlaps—six weeks from kickoff to launched site. That's fast. Most agencies take three to four months for the same scope. One important note: every timeline starts when your materials are in our hands. The clock pauses when we're waiting on you.

Can I buy just one piece?

Yes. Each component—The Legend, The Mark, and The Waypoint—is available on its own. The only combination we don't offer is The Legend and The Waypoint without The Mark. A website needs an identity to express. Without The Mark, The Waypoint is just a page.

What if I already have a strategy or an identity?

Bring it. If you have existing brand work, we'll review it before we start and tell you honestly whether it holds up. The Mark needs a real strategic foundation—ours or yours.

What happens on the call?

Thirty minutes. We ask about your business, where you are, and where you're trying to get. You ask us whatever you need to know. By the end, we'll both know if this is the right fit.

What do I need to have ready?

For The Legend: nothing beyond a willingness to dig in. We guide the discovery. For The Mark: a completed Legend—or existing brand strategy you're confident in. For The Waypoint: all website content before the clock starts. If your content isn't web-ready, add our content package (+$3,500)—our copywriters will handle it.

What about e-commerce?

The Waypoint is built for marketing and brand websites—not transactional e-commerce. If your business needs a store, we scope those as custom projects. The right approach depends on what you're selling, your catalog size, and how much flexibility you need. Get in touch and we'll figure out the fit.

How does payment work?

50% deposit to start, 50% on delivery. The deposit is non-refundable—it covers the discovery and initial creative work from day one. Each component has a defined approval stage built in, so you're never signing off blind on work you haven't seen.

What if we don't like the direction?

Each component has a structured approval checkpoint before we move forward. If the direction isn't landing, that's the moment to say so—one round of revisions is included. If we still can't get to alignment after that, we'd rather part ways cleanly than keep going. The deposit stays with us; you're not on the hook for the rest.

How involved do we need to be?

It varies by component. The Legend requires the most—we can't define your positioning without you. The Mark and Waypoint have lighter touchpoints, but you'll need to show up for key reviews and give us real feedback. The work moves fast. Gaps in your availability slow it down.

Do you work with clients outside Chicago?

Yes. We're based in Chicago but work with clients anywhere.

What happens after launch?

Every Waypoint includes 30 days of post-launch support for bugs and technical issues. Beyond that, we offer ongoing retainers for clients who want continued support, depending on availability.

Ready to be seen?

Book a 30-minute call. We'll talk about your business, where you are, and what the right first step looks like. No pitch deck. Just a conversation.

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