Smart creative starts with sharp clarity.

Before we sketch a character or animate a frame, we get ruthless about what your brand stands for, who you’re trying to win and what will actually move them. Strategy at Zookeeper isn’t paperwork. It’s the engine that turns brands into living assets.

What this means for you

• You stop renting attention. You start owning it.
• Your mascot isn’t a costume. It becomes IP.
• Your campaigns stop fading. Your character keeps earning.

What We Uncover

• Brand Attributes
  Your brand’s personality distilled into a few sticky words that steer design, voice and motion.
• Audience Personas
  Not cute nicknames. Real behavioral profiles with needs, fears and message levers that convert.
• Narrative Spine
  The core story your brand should tell on repeat until it sticks in culture.
• Opportunity Grid
  Where the brand should show up, what to say and the fastest paths to traction across animation, identity and campaigns.

Our Proprietary Systems

• CharacterCode™ The inside-out system for building characters that embody the brand. Archetype, emotional role, narrative function, motion personality and visual cues—calibrated to perform.
• SignalMap™ How we cut through category noise. Audience drivers, competitive tone/visuals, memory hooks and white space—mapped into a story you can actually use.
• EchoType™ A flexible voice and tone system. Pillars, do/don’ts, catchphrases and channel variants so your brand (and mascot) sound like you everywhere.
• PersonaPulse™ Behavior-first audience models with emotional triggers and messaging angles ready for scripts, spots and social.
• MotionMatrix™ Where motion creates value. From UI to video to character beats—style, tempo and timing matched to moments that matter.
• FaceFirst™ An identity sprint that treats design like strategy. Logo systems, type, color and motion-guided use cases that look right and work hard.
• TriggerKit™ The emotional levers that make people care—status, nostalgia, novelty, safety and tribe—translated into creative hooks.
• MythOS™ Your brand’s myth mapped. Arcs, rituals, running jokes and world rules that keep stories coherent across seasons and channels.
• LaunchLoom™ Rollout planning that aligns teams and channels. Message moments, dependencies and an executive-ready deck you can run with.
• Zoolab™ A live, fast, sleeves-rolled-up strategy sprint. You bring the stakeholders. We bring the firepower. You leave with decisions.

How We Work

Week 0–1 — Intake Stakeholder interviews, asset review and quick wins identified.

Week 1 — Zoolab™ A focused workshop to align on positioning, audience and direction. No fluff. Real decisions.

Week 2–3 — Build SignalMap™, PersonaPulse™ and EchoType™ assembled. CharacterCode™ drafted if we’re pursuing a mascot or hero.

Week 3–4 — Playback We present the system, pressure-test it with real scenarios and equip you to roll it out. Ready to move straight into animation or identity? We can.

Strategy Programs

Basecamp™

Clarity fast. Alignment guaranteed.
Best for: startups, refreshes or campaign prep on a tight runway.
You get:

• Condensed SignalMap™
• EchoType™ Mini
• Brand Attributes and PersonaPulse™ overview
• 90-minute workshop and two creative directions
• Shareable summary deck

Deep Character™

Where strategy meets character IP.
Best for: brands exploring a mascot, spokes-character or long-term story engine.
You get:

• Full SignalMap™ and PersonaPulse™
• EchoType™ Voice Kit
• CharacterCode™ with motion personality grid
• Three original character concepts with rationale
• Internal rollout guidance

The System™

The full stack for brand, motion and character.
Best for: enterprise brands and high-growth challengers ready to build lasting assets.
You get:

• Zoolab™ workshop
• SignalMap™, PersonaPulse™, EchoType™
• CharacterCode™ and FaceFirst™
• MotionMatrix™, TriggerKit™, MythOS™
• LaunchLoom™ executive deck and rollout plan
• Priority access to Zookeeper’s creative team

Why This Matters

Your brand can’t count on rented attention. Paid media dries up. Algorithms change. Characters don’t. Strategy is how we design assets that sell, scale, earn loyalty and stick in culture—long after the ad flight ends.

FAQs

Can we skip strategy and jump to animation? We could. You won’t like the results. Strategy is how we make work that lasts—and pays for itself.

How fast can this move? Basecamp™ lands in 2–3 weeks. Deep Character™ in 4–6. The System™ in 6–8. If NBC calls with a one-week turnaround we already know how to move.

Who needs to be in the room? A decision-maker, a brand owner and someone who talks to customers. Too many cooks slows the sprint. Too few kills the buy-in.

What do we own? Everything we deliver in your package: decks, frameworks, voice kits, identity assets and character strategy. If we create characters you’ll see clear IP pathways in the plan.

Ready to Start?

Book a Zoolab™. We’ll map your signals, shape your voice and decide where a character will do the most damage—in the best way. Email us.