Starting a business can feel like the best decision you’ve made or one that you second-guess each step of the way. The goal, of course, is that decision to start the business is the right one that the performance will meet the original intention of the start-up. Although anxiety and concern are familiar with uncertainty, don’t let emotions block your branding strategy. Branding your startup is essential to take the idea to concept. Concept to product or service. Product or service to market. The right branding strategy can help to launch your start-up in the right direction. To aid in that branding launch here are three branding strategies to consider for your start-up.
1. What reputation does the company desire? Chitchatting with small and medium-sized business owners at luncheons, airports, seminars, or symposiums this question comes up time and time again. Many entrepreneurs know it, but struggle in the communication of it. If there is a disconnect in the communication of what you do, there is the opportunity for fine-tuning. Your identity as a company is quintessential to your brand. Granted, some companies may have no desire to brand, but the desire doesn’t have to be the brand can be shaped purposefully, by experience or both. The strategy behind branding should be made with intentions that bring clarity, simplicity, and understanding of the company.
How to raise your sales & marketing IQ in 6 easy steps! – While it may seem easy to ask customers how they feel about your business, products or customer service, how can you record, organize and analyze their responses? What about the responses you get from face-to-face interactions? Are those customers being completely honest with you, or are they avoiding critical comments to spare your
feelings?
This question can be broken down even further:
• How do you want your prospective customers to perceive your business?
• How do you want your internal stakeholders to view the organization?
• What vibe do you want to send to your community about your company?
The objective of this question is to be clear on where the company stands regarding what it
does and the desired internal and external stakeholder perception of the organization. The more clarity and understanding in each of those areas, the better foundation for building a solid brand among customers, employees, communities, and market. Think of this as the Known For Strategy.
2. What is the current reputation of the company? Granted, the assumption is that the business is a start-up, and depending what phase of the start-up the reputation may be nonexistent. If it that is the case, the next step is building the reputation that you desire. Think about the responses from the first question. What actions can you do to build the reputation you desire among partners, vendors, customers, communities, and employees? What steps are needed to reach the desired state? Write down these actions. Conduct a brainstorming exercise about the actions. Dig deeper in regards to the alignment of the activities and the desired reputation. If it doesn’t make sense, ditch it. If it does evaluate why, how, when, and what needs to be done to make that action a reality and move toward shaping the brand of the firm. Think of this as the Reputation Action Strategy.
3. What is your business vibe? Think about this for a minute. The term “vibe” can mean a lot of things, but within the context of this article, it refers to how well components of the business mesh together. Take into consideration the business name, logo, domain, website, content, marketing materials, packaging, SEO, social media strategies, and related communications. Does each make sense and play a vital role in supporting the desired reputation and perception of the company image that you desire? If not, what is off? What could be improved? How can it be improved? How would improving particular aspects make a difference to the organizational brand? How do you know it would – is this a hunch or a data-driven decision? The key is that each component is complimentary and supportive to the desired reputation. If you’re unsure reach out to a branding consulting firm, get input on the perception, Think of this as the Vibe Strategy.
There isn’t a one-size fits all approach to branding an organization. However, some strategies can help individuals or teams starting out to get creative, concrete, and committed to branding a start-up. The key is to be aware and clear on the reputation the firm wants to achieve among internal and external stakeholders, understand the actual reputation, and adjust to get the right branding vibe. It will take time, preparation, resources, and patience, but it is essential for market penetration and sustainability. If branding is a weak spot, it is encouraged to seek out a team of branding advisers that can shed some light on the start-up branding situation.
by Katie Doseck, PhD MBA
Chief Visionary and Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve | Viral Solutions LLC
Copyright 2016 by Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD MBA | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, training, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
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