One of the biggest challenges for start-ups is to overcome a mindset which perceives that they don’t need to spend time and money on branding at the outset.
Many new businesses understandably put all their effort in developing their offering but wait too long to think of themselves as a brand. They skip the most important component of building a brand – strategic foundation and positioning. Time must be taken to fully understand and communicate the meaning of the brand.
A business builds its brand from the moment it’s born, and from that moment it starts asking people for support.
Branding demonstrates your credibility
Having a clear vision is crucial to a start-up’s success. It forces a business to clearly state its goals, making it easier to follow through on its plans. Expressing your core values and business methods will give coherence and organisation to the mission.
Brand credibility is an important part of a start-up’s pursuit for success. Be consistent, be honest, and be transparent.
Storytelling is an essential element of a strong brand
A brand story is the narrative that outlines how the business began, why it exists, and what it offers its customers.
A story that resonates with your audience will help you stand out, attract a loyal following and grow your business. Within the narrative, your audience will get a feel for your brand values and your mission, even if they are not explicitly stated in the story.
Differentiation from the competition
No matter how good your offering is someone else will be doing something similar. The only way to survive is to identify differentiators that makes you stand out from the crowd. The things that make you special might not have anything to do with what you’re offering.
You might not sell the cheapest products, but you could well have a customer experience that makes up for all that. Find a way to be different.
Branding attracts talent
You might only get a few seconds before people make a judgement on your business so it’s important to make a positive first impression.
Impressing the people who will buy your products or services is important of course. But you may also need to attract a team to help turn your vision into reality.
A compelling, consistent brand helps attract and retain quality employees whose values align with yours. And these people are crucial to the success and growth of your business.
How can we help?
The biggest worry for many start-ups is that they don’t have enough time to think about their brand strategy. It often takes someone from the outside to help an early-stage business tell its story.
We help our clients speak with one distinctive voice. Integrated communications require that content and design work together to differentiate the brand. Language and communications are intrinsic to all brand expressions.
A successful brand launch will help you build trust, stand out from the competition and foster loyalty in your audience.