As you are likely well aware, one of the most important aspects to any successful business is branding. For startups this can be an especially difficult and typically ignored process because there are so many directions that you can go in. If you’re not a marketing expert, fear not!
More often than not startups need a brand identity designer, which is an individual or team that will use strategy to create your brand elements. This includes logo, colors, typography, image styles, tagline, voice, tone, and more. Without this clarity it can be difficult to grow an audience, at least consistently. While building your startup branding, focus on developing a brand board, something that can be referred to consistently and across the entire organization. With this very important tool you can scale your brand without needing to recreate your elements time and time again.
Take a look at some of your favorite brands, what makes them recognizable and memorable? What stands out about these brands amongst the rest of the competition? Branding elements are imperative for startups to understand because, while not set in stone, they are required to stand out in an often crowded market. Remember to test your branding at the early stages, hypothesize, deliver, analyze, and iterate. Brand identity for startups involves building a system for your business to efficiently and effectively create materials and messaging that will resonate with the target audience. Without understanding your audience, how can you expect to understand how to communicate with them?
While building your startup brand, it’s often that you’ll consult design innovation companies or a startup design company, especially for early stage companies that have not built the internal team or workflows necessary to deliver these elements. You can likely find a startup design company, and there are so many graphic design startups out there, which allows for opportunities for partnership relationships, and to truly bootstrap the early stages of startup brand design. Depending on the format of your business, you may also consult interior design tech companies, but that has less to do with branding and more to do with operational workflow.
Keep in mind that the most important aspect to branding is to connect with your audience on an honest and emotional level. Again, think back to your favorite brands - you’ll likely find that there is a strong emotional response to these memories. Much of your brand voice and tone will reflect how you are capable of connecting with your target audience. Without this you’ll just become another choice amongst millions, and standing out will be very difficult.
Comments