What’s in a Brand for Your Startup? — Lessons from Tesla, Amazon, Zappos, Etsy, & More

When it comes to the words brand & branding, it’s easy to jump straight to the visual expression part — a cool logo or a creative commercial, forgetting that brand building is -at heart- a foundational exercise for any business. This is especially the case in the startup scene, where many see branding as dressing up in an elegant suit and nice pair of shoes when gaining exposure, spending more on ads & fame. In fact, true branding starts even before you step into the spotlight!

Originally published on The Brand Soup. Subscribe there for more insights in your inbox.

Take, for example, product-led startups. Building a brand begins basically with thinking about how we can make a really good product among mediocre ones. For others, it starts with making operations super fast and reliable, creating a marketplace that satisfies all of our potential buyers’ preferences, or providing the best customer service that truly listens and responds.

I’ve come to understand that value is what really holds the structure of your brand together, guiding the shape of your brand identity and voice. This relationship leads to what I call ‘brand-product fit,’ where marketing can highlight your strengths — rather than masking your flaws.

Here’s a simple way to visualize the idea:

❌ Value + ✅ Identity = Brand Disconnect or Erosion — your marketing team is throwing a party where no one knows the guest of honor.

✅ Value + ❌ Identity = Untapped Potential — you can hold for a while.

✅ Value + ✅ Identity + Fit = Market Leadership.

✅ Value + ✅ Identity + Mismatch = Brand Dilution or Declining Leader — to be discussed later.

❌ Value + ❌ Identity = Searching for a Sign???!!

Ready to get practical? I’ve brought 4 of the most common strategies that you can copy if any of them look like your product/ service. Alongside, I’ll share some high-level thoughts and references to help you think through your own brand-product fit and refine your marketing communication game plan.

Alright, let’s dive in:

1. Tesla — Brand Building via Product Innovation:

Tesla is a prime example of brand-building through product innovation. It’s a brand many aspire to own. They’ve made electric cars appear different — not slow and dull anymore, but fast, cool, and eco-friendly. They’re pioneering self-driving and internet connectivity, fast charging with V3 Superchargers, and futuristic features like Smart Summon.

• Teamed up with Panasonic, Daimler, and Toyota for better battery and electric systems.
• Made the EV market bigger with Cybertruck and Semi, and created the Tesla Bot for automatic tasks.
• Tried to make battery production cheaper for Tesla vehicles that more people can afford and are better for the environment.
• Keeps adding more Superchargers for easy, quick charging and to get more people to use EVs.

60%+ of people stay loyal to Tesla, with a 96% recommendation score and nearly 68% of Model 3 owners returning. Tesla’s customer loyalty is the best 😍 It keeps being a top choice in the luxury market, holding a big piece of the market share.

Key Tips for Building Brands Tesla-Style:

1. Encourage Creativity: Create an environment where experimenting is normal, Like when Google allowed their team to use 20% of their time on personal projects, resulting in success stories like Gmail. (But first, definitely hire innovative people 😬).
2. Make It About the User: Design every feature to solve a real problem or improve things for the user. It’s not necessary to add more features; sometimes you win with less, but the most relevant to your customers. Apple excels here, with Steve Jobs once saying, “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology. You can’t start with the technology and try to figure out where you’re going to sell it.”

Bonus Tips for Marketing People:

Coming up with a new innovation is one thing; communicating that innovation in a competitive world full of copycats is another! That’s why I consider marketing Tesla-style brands a very hard task. Not because they need complex plans, but because they rely on simple & direct ideas. These strategies are so simple, they’re often missed or undervalued. Here are 3 of them to get you started:

1. Product-Centric Marketing: Many are under the impression that ‘product-centric marketing’ = bragging about our tech specs, showcasing our USPs with flashy animated videos, upbeat music, filled with technical jargon and mentions of numerous awards. But one thing I’ve learned is that good product-centric marketing isn’t about showing off specs. It’s about demonstrating how these features are useful and make a difference in the customer’s everyday life. Have you seen Apple’s Instagram account? It’s an excellent reference of how to promote a sophisticated product — like their iPhone camera — without a single word about its features. Instead of focusing on the tech specs, Apple uses #shotoniPhone to feature a gallery of super beautiful images taken by iPhone users around the world.

— The feed is 100% user-generated content, from everyday people to professional photographers. Apple doesn’t focus on tech specs that people won’t remember or compare to other phones. Instead, they show the beautiful outcomes achievable with their product. This leaves unforgettable impression of the amazing experiences one can have with an iPhone. (In 2017, Apple launched a special OOHA campaign featuring the best pictures of the year).

Here are some cool ads that you can refer to for this strategy:

Not to mention, it’s not only the B2C brands .. Take a look at the SaaS industry, where companies create brand narratives to show how their products improve their customers’ lives, simplify their tasks, or take away their headaches. Look at Slack, Mailchimp, and ClickUp. They are pretty amazing, especially Clickup 😍

2. Direct Customer Engagement: Tesla has transformed the car buying process by replacing traditional dealerships with Tesla Stores in high-traffic shopping centers and malls. These stores aren’t sales hubs due to franchise laws, but educational centers where visitors come by out of curiosity about the hype surrounding Tesla. They don’t meet salespeople, but product specialists focused on informing rather than selling, educating the public about the benefits of electric cars and the accessibility of models like the affordable Tesla Model 3. By prioritizing customer engagement and letting them experience your brand instead of just selling to them, you build a confident brand image. You also control the narrative across all touchpoints. This strategy works for your next offline store, mall booth, or e-commerce website.

3. Build Thought-leadership: Associating your brand with thought-leaders & reliable voices for your customers positions you as a thought-leader as well. B2B SaaS companies are doing the same thing, filling our feeds and first search pages with blog posts, e-books, webinars, all to show they’re subject-matter experts in their product domains. Investing in a long-term content strategy can build this image, while occasional flashy campaigns can refresh your brand awareness and expand your reach. Just heads up, you can’t fake this!

2. Amazon — Brand Building via Operation Efficiency:

Right from the start, Amazon has been all about being obsessed with customers rather than focusing on competition. The perfect “click to delivery” process they engineered, where every step is thoughtfully arranged to ensure your package arrives at your doorstep on time, regardless of your location, was not an easy mission at all!

• 750K+ robots in Amazon warehouses increased inventory processing speed by 75%, cut order processing time by 25%, and reduced incident rates by 15%.
• Amazon Monitron, a predictive maintenance solution, transformed maintenance with real-time insights, reducing downtime and costs.
• “Just-in-time” inventory and predictive demand tools were used to decrease storage costs and improve order delivery.
• Amazon Prime, launched in 2005, provided convenient delivery options and later expanded to exclusive deals and streaming, setting Amazon apart from the competition. For instance, Walmart’s ShippingPass struggled because it entered the market late and didn’t offer as many perks as Amazon did. Now, with over 200M+ members, Amazon Prime has significantly boosted its sales. This success is evident in their Prime Day 2023 sales, which reached $12.9 billion.

Key Tips for Building Brands Amazon-Style:

1. Prioritize Customer Centricity: Obsess over refining every interaction with the customer, from order to delivery. Focus on improving convenience, speed, and reliability at every stage — including packaging, logistics, and your communications with the customers via the mobile app, WhatsApp, or Email. The micro-enhancements you make collectively will make your customers feel the effort, be content, and set your brand apart.
2. Hire Creative Doers: Bring on board creative people who don’t just come up with ideas, but actually make them happen. This helps your business stay ahead and always look for new opportunities.
3. Invest in Excellence: Every dollar you spend on improving your operations & customer experience is an investment in your brand equity. This shows your customers and the market that you’re committed for the long run, which builds trust and loyalty.

Bonus Tips for Marketing People:

Marketing Amazon-style brands involves showing the functional USPs and efficiencies your service offers, such as quick shipping and attentive support, instead of solely relying on promotional language. Using customer data to customize experiences and suggestions effectively tells to your audience that you understand and serve their specific wants and needs. Here are some other examples that I love:

Cazoo TV Campaign ~ 2020:

Amazon Lockers Activation at Coachella ~ 2019:

3. Zappos — Brand Building via Customer Service Excellence:

Zappos transformed online shoe shopping into a risk-free, highly enjoyable experience, revolutionizing it with stellar customer service. They implemented game-changing policies such as free returns for a whole year and free two-way shipping, eliminating the guesswork and hesitation often associated with buying shoes online. This customer-first approach significantly increased their repeat customer base, accounting for over 50% of their customers and contributing to 75% of their sales.

• Instead of traditional advertising, they invest in customer service, relying on satisfied customers to promote their business and facilitate organic growth.
• Zappos uses telephone interactions, while unsexy and low-tech, as a key branding tool, turning each call into an chance to reinforce its customer-centric reputation.
• No pre-written scripts or limit call durations. They encourage their CS reps to form personal connections, making every customer feel important and appreciated.
• They go the extra mile, seriously! Once, a Zappos customer was unable to return shoes on time due to a family tragedy. After hearing this, A Zappos rep sent her flowers, earning her lifelong loyalty. In another case, after a night out, a group of people wanted pizza but couldn’t order room service. They jokingly asked Zappos for help, and a CS rep found local places that were still delivering pizza!!
• Their whole company culture is built around customer delight, influenced by 10 principles that affect all aspects of operations and hiring practices.

Key Tips for Building Brands Zappos-Style:

• Champion Customer Service: Invest in a customer service team empowered to make every interaction enjoyable. I’d recommend being involved in the interviewing process to ensure you’re hiring the right people. Also, your success metrics should not only include CSAT & NPS scores, but also the positive stories shared about your service on social media and in person.
• Build a Strong Company Culture: Set with your team & create a culture that values customer happiness, employee satisfaction, and a positive atmosphere. Culture is not just about inspiring office quotes, but a guide for daily work. It has a big influence on their thoughts, the way they express themselves, and the decisions they make.
• Invest in People: Hire empathetic problem solvers who are not only good at service but also passionate about your mission and helping people. The right team with the right training can improve customer experience and brand loyalty. Every dollar spent here will be returned multiple times with every recommendation and repeat purchase.

Bonus Tips for Marketing People:

Market Zappos-style brands by highlighting real-life customer service wins. Be active on social media and encourage customer reviews on various platforms. Celebrate positive feedback and respond to negative ones with apologies and immediate solutions, demonstrating your commitment to improvement.

Establish a self-sustaining ecosystem where your audience’s experiences fuel your brand’s narrative. Integrating user-generated content into your plan creates a viral loop. Each shared story brings more stories, providing insights from your community. These stories can make highly engaging campaigns that show your brand’s human aspect, regardless of scale.

This communication strategy lets you to use the authentic voices of your community, turning them into a powerful gravitational force that attracts more people to your brand. Feel free to be bold but genuine in this effort.

Read more about Zappos’ 2017 “Friends with Benefits” activation.

4. Etsy — Brand Building via Marketplace Diversity

Etsy stands out in the online shopping world with its 93M+ users from 200 countries. It’s a top spot for handmade items, vintage treasures, and craft supplies because of its variety and focus on quality and customization.

• Etsy, with its focus on handmade goods, maintains a community vibe across its 7M+ sellers. Earnings range from under $500 to over $9K monthly, with successful sellers averaging around $45K annually.
• Listing over 100M+ items with a vast array of products worldwide. Top-sellers include personalized items like handmade jewelry, notebooks, printable items, and zero-waste products.
• With 82% of Etsy shops run solo, the platform supports solo-preneurs through tools and community, aiding in the online selling landscape.
• They even created “Etsy Success” — dedicated social media channels on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter — offering tips and growth strategies to their sellers.
• A highly intelligent search algorithm that takes into account factors like customer engagement and shipping speed, to deliver a personalized and efficient shopping experience.
• Acquiring other companies, like A Little Market in France and Elo7 in Brazil, has helped Etsy expand their reach, add more variety to its catalog, and become a leader in the handmade and vintage items market.

Key Tips for Building Brands Etsy-Style:

• Target niche markets: Find and grow a specific market in your field. Etsy’s commitment to handmade and old items has drawn a loyal group of sellers and buyers, showing the strength of a clear brand identity.
• Expand with acquisitions: Be ready for opportunities to grow strategically, such as acquiring other companies or partnerships that align with your brand’s goals, add unique products to your catalogue, and diversify your market.
• Invest in better user experience: Make technology work to enhance the customer’s e-shopping experience, making it effortless and more personal. Innovate to make your shoppers’ moments of adding to the cart a happy one.

Bonus Tips for Marketing People:

Out of many tips, I want to highlight one key strategy here: Focus on the everyday stories of your niche customers that demonstrate how your products fit into their lifestyles. Regardless of your marketplace, there’s always room for personal stories that could show how your diverse offering serves individual passions and hobbies and thus helps create the perfect demand. This approach achieves two things with the same shot: customer acquisition and creating an emotional connection (brand love in the future) with your audience.

Everyday stories like:

— A gift giver reconnecting with their distant father.

— An artist sourcing materials for a masterpiece.

— A collector adding unique items to their personal history.

— A job seeker finding a beloved role through your marketplace.

— A car enthusiast discovering a rare model.

Just keep in mind that our story crafting should align with your brand voice and resonate with your audience. This could be humorous and playful or deeply emotional and inspiring. Here are some examples that I love, each with a different voice:

Equally important is empowering your suppliers — whether they’re drivers, employers, artisans, or creators. Sharing their stories through a consistent and human narrative not only shows their important role in your marketplace but also strengthens your value proposition among competition through them.

When you give a voice to the people who provide services and goods through your website/app, you enhance their visibility and credibility. This, in turn, helps you attract more suppliers because you offer something that other marketplaces don’t.

Wow 🤩 Thank you for reading all of this! I hope it has been an enjoyable & inspiring reading experience. Have you come across any ideas to add? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments (or send me a message), or challenge any ideas shared — I would love to hear them. Also, if you’ve tried any of these strategies, let me know how they worked out for you.

Have a good day ❤️

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