When is the right time for branding?
At startup level the potential for growth is high, however with uncertainty surrounding funding and resources, branding may not always be seen as a priority for a new business. Recognising the value branding will add to your business during the early stages is vital, and might just help you in gaining an early advantage over competitors.
Define ‘Brand’
A brand is defined as the sum of many parts of your business. It is the way that you portray your services to your audience, and it is the way that you tell your story.
When a designer holds a branding workshop with you the client, they are looking for clues that will inform your brand’s personality. The opportunity will enable them to gain a unique understanding of what your company does, the services you offer, and most importantly identify the core values of what you do. This will begin to form the foundations of your brand.
Associated connections
A logo is a powerful device that unlocks facts, memories and experiences of a brand. A brand relies on us the audience to become familiar with associations, values and messages connected with the services or products on offer. Gaining an audience’s trust, ensures familiarity, growth and return.
A good logo is both distinctive and simple. The most effective branding achieves balance and a mix of maths and magic. Unique and memorable brands such as Google, Apple and Nike are represented by simple and distinct logos that provide a unique point of reference. Through simplicity and distinctiveness, each has built a strong foundation for audiences to create associations and memories with what they do.
Ultimately, branding serves to ensure that you build a strong foundation, remain relevant, and gain trust and greater belief from your audience.
Things to remember while building a start-up brand
- Consider why you are relevant to your customers
- Identify how you differentiate from others and what your distinct brand characteristics are
- Establish the reason for consumers to connect with your brand emotionally
- Define a brand identity that is simple and unique.
- Design a logo that signifies your brand
- Live a brand culture that defines everything you do. Brands are about experiences.
- Stay consistent, build trust
- Build your brand.
