Great question -- first thing and it MUST come first -- Story.  The Avg person spends about 30 percent of their time daydreaming (90 percent on Zoom calls :) ) but storytelling STOPS the brain from doing that and gets the attention you need to be clear—and be valuable to your customers.  As a Certified StoryBrand Guide, I help businesses of all sizes clarify their message so customers will listen and that is the foundation of any rebranding effort.  The order of operations typically goes -- Message, then Design, then Execution for a branding effort.  DO NOT do it in the wrong order (I'm talking to you designers out there) Without the right message, the design will not be worth much.