You got it. The idea for the perfect startup company. Maybe it’s a dream you’ve had since you were little. Maybe it’s a brand new piece of technology in uncharted territory. Either way, you’re excited about it and there’s nothing that’s going to stop you. Before you run off to the hottest AI generator for a quick logo to slap on a half-baked website, you might want to invest a little time into branding before going to market. At HatchMark Studio, we’ve run into several instances when a company would have been better off with a solid brand from the start rather than building the car while driving it. In this article, we’ll review the importance of branding for a startup company as well as some tips and things to avoid along the way.
5 Key Brand Elements for Your Startup Business
We’re not going to sugarcoat it. There aren’t any shortcuts or hacks when it comes to the branding game. However, as a startup company, you have a unique opportunity to start from square one. There are plenty of companies out there who probably wish they could say the same. Getting started on the right foot can be the difference between executing on a successful business plan or a couple of false starts. Below are some key brand elements that you should nail down as early as possible.
- Know your audience. It might go without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. Identifying your audience is a critical piece to branding your startup company. If you can identify your product and the problem it solves, you should be able to pinpoint who your customer is. If it’s a state-of-the-art wetsuit, your audience will probably be surfers and divers who live near the coast and are in an active age range. If it’s a new dog toy, the audience is adults with pets. You get the idea. It’s important to keep this in mind during the branding process because these are the people who you need to buy into your brand. Think less about what you want and more about what you think they want.
- Have a clear mission and vision. It sounds like corporate platitude, but a well-defined mission and vision for your company is what will lead your branding experience. Remember, your mission is the purpose that drives your company today. The vision is where you want to be in the future. A solid mission and vision are a key part of the foundation that you will build your brand messaging on. Everyone at your company should be able to clearly communicate this!
- Create a unique brand identity. Every good brand has an identity. It’s almost as if brand’s become living beings once they are up and running. The identity of your brand is tethered to your messaging and how you communicate your product to the public. Once established, it gives people an idea of what to expect when they see or interact with your brand. Look at a brand like Liquid Death. They’ve made something as simple as canned water and turned it into a metal-inspired brand with a ton of edge. When you see a Liquid Death ad, you expect to see something that is over the top and pushes the boundaries. Because of that, people have become avid fans of the brand. That’s what a strong brand identity can do for your business.
- Identify your brand voice. Much like your brand identity, your brand voice is all about finding a tone that you use to communicate to your target audience. If your brand was a person, how would they sound? If you’re selling custom cowboy hats, your brand voice might be something along the lines of Sam Elliott’s character in The Big Lebowski. On the other end of the spectrum, you wouldn’t want Sam Elliott’s voice trying to sell colorful planners targeted toward high school girls. That being said, it’s important to make sure you know exactly who it is your marketing to before developing that brand voice.
- Establish your visual system. This is more than just picking a logo and some colors. The visual system of your brand could potentially be as robust as a full suite of patterns and design elements that make up everything from packaging and website design to aesthetic touches in your store front and office space. Like most things, consistency is key to keeping your brand visuals in the forefront of your target audience’s mind. A consistent brand visual paired with solid messaging from the jump is how you start building brand recognition.
How to Start the Branding Process
If all of this is already sounding a little overwhelming, that’s normal. The truth is, branding is a lot of hard work when you do it the right way. Most projects for full brand systems involve hundreds of hours, including strategy, design, message development, and plenty of meetings. Believe it or not, there are agencies out there that specialize in just this sort of work. (Shameless plug: we’re one of them.) Partnering with the right agency to help you get the job done is an important part of the process. The good news is there are a ton of agencies out there that can help. The bad news is…there are a ton of agencies to choose from. Lucky for you, we already have an article that walks you through the process of choosing the perfect branding agency for you.
Final Thoughts on Branding a Startup Company
Branding your startup company can be an exciting process. It’s an opportunity to pick exactly how you want your brand to feel, look, and sound from day one. However, it’s also a lot of hard work. We like to think that it’s time well spent. The amount of effort you put into branding early on will save you countless hours of pain and frustration down the road. Remember to have fun with it, don’t take the easy route, and partner with an agency you can trust.
Let Us Help Brand Your Startup Company
We love branding startups! With years of branding experience under our belts, we know how to take your vision and bring it to life in a one-of-a-kind brand system that you can be proud of. If you’re shopping around for an agency to help you with your brand project, we’d love to make it on that list. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help!
