Branding for Startups with General Assembly
June 28, 2018
A few weeks ago, we teamed up with General Assembly to bring a branding workshop to the Village. Far too often, entrepreneurs will worry about branding when they get their company off the ground but Melissa Brookman was here to tell us that is the first mistake. Branding is the customer perception behind the products and images that a company is putting into the world and we are here to tell you why that is so vital. Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon, says that “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” and we think that is key to the success of a startup.So onto the good stuff, why is branding important for startups? Good branding is what sets you apart from your competitors, it’s what makes people remember your name and your company. Investors are investing in founders, not just companies so the “why” behind what you do is crucial to establishing your reputation.Where do you start? Remind yourself of the purpose or mission of your company. That is a great place to build the foundation of a strong brand.Key components of a strong brand is a clear why, a clear brand strategy, a clear visual brand identity, and a clear marketing strategy. Don’t have your mission statement figured out? Start with your why. Why does your company exist? Does your company solve a problem? Why do you get out of bed every morning? Why should anyone care? Once you have your “why” figured out, build a strong set of core values to guide your brand and your company.Powerful brand stories help people open up to you, they create trust and establish lasting relationships. “The future of branding is marketing with people, not at them” - John Morgan, Brand Against the Machine. Just think about the fact that the people you are most likely to follow on Instagram, retweet or purchase from, are people you want to be friends with.
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