A lightweight approach to branding for startups — no expensive agency necessary
In my first startup, I dreamt of building a powerful brand that would earn its place next to iconic companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook.
I decided to hire an agency to help us define our brand. We went through a number of classic exercises, like answering the question, ‘If your organisation was a car, what kind of car would it be?’ And at the end of the process, we were given a ‘brand book’ that provided guidelines on how we should use our new logo, and a list of words to include in our product messaging.
The agency also suggested a list of potential campaigns that were supposed to ‘enhance our brand’. On the list were expensive projects such as hiring a celebrity to endorse our app, or holding a launch party that served Veuve Clicquot. When I asked how we’d measure the return on these activities, I was told, ‘You probably won’t get any new customers, but this is an investment in your brand.’
The brand book sat on the shelf. We focused our energies on reaching product-market fit and investing in performance marketing. The campaign suggestions were parked for when we had some spare cash. That day never came.
So, how important is it for early-stage startups to define their brand? And what is a brand in the first place?
Continue reading . . .
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The new essay by Dave Bailey, Founder Coach to high-growth series A+ CEOs.
Photo source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-100-valuable-brands-2018/
How to Build a Strong Brand for Your Startup 🌟 was originally published in The Founder Coach on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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