What makes scenario planning useful for brand strategy?

Scenario planning gives leaders room to consider emerging conditions rather than rely solely on historical patterns. The Frameworks argues that data and analytics provide valuable insight, but choosing where a business should compete also requires human imagination, empathy and collaboration. For brand strategy, the practical question is not just what past performance suggests, but what different futures could mean for the direction a business takes.

The Frameworks advocates treating imagination as a collective activity and accepting that possible solutions may turn out to be wrong. Leaders therefore need to commit time and effort to exploring alternatives, rather than expect every scenario to produce a useful direction. A 2025 KPMG survey of independent directors at US private companies across sectors, sizes and ownership structures found that 60% say their company's scenario planning needs better staffing and resources. Giving scenario work adequate capacity makes room for the exploration that a forecast alone cannot provide.