Startup Branding: A Comprehensive Guide

Branding is the backbone of any startup business that helps entrepreneurs build customer loyalty and gain a competitive advantage. Read this guide to know more about startup branding.

Imagine you have a business strategy with a valuable product, but you still fail to accomplish your end goal. Well, the chances of not having a proper branding strategy can be one of the key reasons. 

Here are some of the stats from Exploding Topics to reveal the same picture: 81% customers need a trusted brand, 77% prefer brands that they are connected with on social media, GenZs use Instagram to search brands, etc. 

So, the importance of branding is a lot more than one can estimate. Catering to the subject, the article will help you understand brand strategy for startups from scratch, and will lead to its implementation & other facets. Therefore, let’s begin.

Benefits of Branding for Startups

Creating the best branding strategies is important as it is the backbone of any startup's success. Let’s have a look at its benefits:

1. Brand Advocacy

A successful brand is one that has a story to tell because people are most likely to get touched by related pleasant experiences. Additionally, it increases the chances of word-of-mouth marketing, resulting in more customers. 

For a flawless user experience, you need to make sure that you are giving top-quality products or services to justify the pricing. As long as people are getting their desired products/services without compromising on the quality, they happily pay the price.

2. Better Customer Loyalty

You can bootstrap your startup marketing on a shoestring budget by offering excellent customer loyalty. Well, according to Statista, 47% of brand loyalty comes from great customer support. The more you continue to provide a positive experience, the more customers are ready to pay for your products or services. This early-stage startup branding strategy will also give you a competitive advantage. So, make your shot count. 

3. Improved Recognition

If you are branding a new business, you must focus on improving the recognition; that means, for how long your brand is going to make an impact on your targeted audience. 

Let’s take the example of “Nike”, which is proof of their consistency, innovation, and emotional touch. You might not be a regular buyer of Nike, but you must know its tagline - “Just Do It”, and that is what makes a brand successful. 

12- Step Startup Branding Process

To start branding, it is essential to learn the steps to it. These are some of the most common steps taken by the top branding companies. So, let’s analyze them:

1. Develop an Idea Early On

“Products are made in the factory but brands are created in the mind.” -Walter Landor (Pioneer of Branding and Consumer Research Techniques)

All the startups are based of an early vision. From the stage of conceiving the idea to finally executing it, there are tonnes of tweaks that are made. For instance, it needs to be checked for its modernity, scalability, and overall conception of the idea from the perspective of masses. Also, the essential idea needs to align with an existing problem, and your motivation.

The early direction paves the way towards a full-fledged product. And, if you are not aware what you could foresee, it could create real problems during development and especially branding. Have a vision board, and assign the mission, vision, and values of the business. And, think how the product branding should pan out from the perspective of your vision board.

2. Identify the Target Audience

The common sales principle is, “Don’t sell a pen to a person who is not willing to buy it.” However, this can be applied to market the products or branding in this case.

See, there are currently 8.1 billion people in the world. Each of these people belong to a particular section and strata of society. Also, each of these people have their own preference. So, it becomes important for you to consider demographics, pyschographics, and behaviors. This will help you establish your tech startup branding, or branding of any niche. 

So, start conducting thorough research, analyze competitors, and trends. And, based on all this create a customer persona to humanize the idea. These will be your ideal customers. However, make sure that you leave enough room for growth and continuous refinement.

3. Conduct Competitive Analysis

Now, once you have laid the foundations of idea and understood your customers, it is time to assess the competition. There have been several waves of entrepreneurial efforts in many parts of the world. So, it is important to find and assess your competition for identifying the gaps in their strategy. And, understand what do they fail to deliver.

Once done, it will help you shortlist your branding activities that needs to be done. Based on the information aggregated, you create a holistic plan which can help add attributes to can give you a competitive advantage.

4. Do Market Research

This is the next phase of the earlier step, and would seem like an amalgamation of the first three steps. This is the time where you need to jump the market, and understand the needs and preferences of the customers. There are plenty of ways to do it. For example:

• Online Survey Tools: SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Typeform, etc.
• Social Listening Tools: Hootsuite, Brandwatch, Mention, etc.
• Data and Analytics Tools: Google Analytics, SEMrush, Statista, etc.
• Other Valuable Resources: Google Trends, Industry Reports, and Customer Feedback Platforms.

These will help you decide what to do and how to frame the branding of your startup. 

5. Integrate Brand Personality

The personality of a brand can associated with human-like qualities and characteristics. It is how a brand expresses itself, its tone of voice, visual identity, and overall behavior. This is all necessary to create an emotional connection with the consumers, build relationships, diffrentiation from competitiors, customer loyalty, and influencing customers.

Some examples of brand personalities are:

• Nike: Athletic, determined, and inspiring
• Coca-Cola: Optimistic, friendly, and nostalgic
• Harley-Davidson: Rugged, rebellious, and independent

6. Find the Brand Positioning

Brand positioning is the strategic process that define the brand’s place in the minds of its target market. It basically stands for creating a distinct image of the brand. It is important because of factors likes differentiation, customer focus, clarity, loyalty, and premium pricing. 

It is a mental association that marketers create overtime with the brand. Also this often leads to brand loyalty because of the way it is perceived. For instance, Apple is often considered as the epitome of quality. However, there are many smartphone brands that may serve better smartphones.

7. Write the Right Brand Messaging

Brand messaging is the core message that is communicated by a company to its target audience. It is the essence of you brand, as it encapsulates things like values, promises, and a unique selling proposition (USP).

This is basically, how you position your business in the market and connect it with the customers on an emotional level. Some of the best examples of brand positioning are:

• Nike: “Just Do It” - Inspires people who are into sports and the lifestyle towards it.
• Apple: “Think Different” - Positions Apple as an innovative product and better than other offering in the market.
• Volvo: “Safety” - Works like a hallmark of safety.

8. Visual Identity of the Product

Our brain is subjected to many stimulus when it comes to collecting information such as touch, smell, taste, etc. However, a larger part of the brain is dedicated to collecting information visually, and that is where this step becomes radically important.

Creating a visual identity of a brand leads to its visual manifestation. It is the collection of design elements that represents a brand. For example, logos, typography, color palettes, imagery, and overall aesthetic.

Some of the ways to achieve a unique identity are:

• Create memorable visual identity for your customers to quickly identify and recall your brand.
• Consistent visual reinforcement with brand messaging and values.
• It should evoke a specific feelings and association with the brand.
• It create a cohesive visual identity and a consistent brand image.
• It differentiates you from the competitors.

Some of the real-life examples of a strong visual identity are:

• Coca-Cola: The iconic red color, script logo, and classic bottle presents a timeless and instantly recognizable visual identity.
• Apple: The minimalist design, clean lines, and focus on white space conveys innovation and elegance.
• Nike: The bold swoosh logo and athletic imagery represents energy, performance, and determination.

9. Base Brand Guidelines

If you are branding for tech startups or any startup in general, consistency is key. So, it is essential to establish and lay down brand guidelines for today and the future. These are comprehensive set of rules and standards that help with how a brand should be presented in the public.

They work as a style guide where everyone is involved from designers to marketers, and even other employees and external partners. Some of the reason why it is essential are: consistency, efficiency, brand protection, employee alignment, and external communication.

Examples of what brand guidelines include:

• Logo Usage: Correct versions, minimum sizes, color variations, and placement guidelines.
• Color Palette: Primary and secondary colors, and their hex codes and usage guideline
• Typography: Preferred fonts, font sizes, and usage examples.
• Imagery style: Guidelines for photography, illustration, and visual tone.
• Brand voice and tone: Writing style, messaging, and tone of voice.
• Taglines and slogans: Usage guidelines and approved taglines.
• Social media guidelines: How to represent the brand on different platforms.

10. Website and Digital Presence 

If you don’t have an in-house team, most startup branding agencies will help you with website and digital presence. This step involves the designing and deployment of a website that reflects your brand identity. Some of the ways, these services are provided to you are:

• Website design and development
• Overall digital strategy
• Content creation based on brand identity
• SEO and SEM for organic search
• Social media management 
• Analytics and reporting

11. Marketing and Communication of Products

This is the step where we finally start the implementation. Marketing and communication are two important part of branding. While marketing helps us identify target audience, and anticipate customer needs, communication refers to the understanding and sharing of information. An effective marketing and communication campaign can be vital for success and can help in several ways such as:

• Building Brand Awareness
• Generating Leads
• Increasing Sales
• Customer Retention
• Managing Reputation
• Market Expansion

Some examples of marketing and communication are:

• Advertising: Television commercials, print ads, online banners.
• Public Relations: Press releases, media coverage, crisis management.
• Sales Promotions: Discounts, contests, giveaways.
• Direct Marketing: Email campaigns, telemarketing, direct mail.
• Digital Marketing: Social media, SEO, content marketing.
• Personal Selling: Sales representatives interacting with customers.

12. Monitoring Branding and its Evaluation

Once, you have laid out everything, it is also important to judge its success. Brand monitoring is the process that helps in tracking and analyzing the mentions of your brand across platforms. 
This can include signals like social media, news articles, blogs, forums, and review sites.
By understanding what people are saying about your brand, you can gain valuable insights that will help you debunk several things. For example, consumer perception, identify potential crisis, and measurement of the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns. It is important for several things like:

• Reputation Management: Identifying and addressing negative comments or crisis to protect customers.
• Customer Insights: True understanding of the customer needs, preferences, and pain points.
• Competitive Analysis: Where does the brand stands in comparison to competitors? What are the different opportunities?
• Crisis Management: Helps in staying proactive for impending issues.
• Measuring Marketing Effectiveness: Evaluation of marketing impact through brand mentions and sentiment.
• Identify Opportunities: Discover new markets, partnerships, or product ideas based on customer feedback.

Some real Examples of Brand Monitoring

• Tech company tracking the mentions on social media to identify bugs and feature request for smartphones.
• A fashion brand monitoring online discussion about its latest collection based on consumer interest and sentiment.
• A restaurant chain tracking reviews on food delivery and identify areas to improve the menu.

Resources for Startup Branding

There are several resources online that can help you start the branding journey for startups. First thing that we would like to pitch would be our “top digital marketing courses” feed. These courses are single place to learn all about marketing, branding, and other things associated with it.

Furthermore, there are multiple resources that can help with multiple aspects of the branding. Let’s check them out one-by-one:

• For Design and Storage: Canva, Brandfolder, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Drive, etc.
• For Guides and Templates: Hubspot, Visme, Canva, Brandpad, etc.
• For Market Research and Analysis: SurveryMonkey, Typeform, Hootsuite, SEMrush, etc.
• Branding Books: Building a StoryBrand (Donald Miller), Designing Brand Identity (Alina Wheeler), The Brand Gap ( Marty Neumeier), etc.
• Branding Websites to Learn: AdAge, The Branding Journal, Brand New, etc.

Cost of Startup Branding

See, the cost incurred by startup branding agencies depends on a wide array of factors. For example, complexity of the project, size of the agency, geographic location, and the scope of the service. So, below we have provided general estimation of the prices in table. Have a look:

Additional Considerations:

• Freelancers vs. Agencies: Freelancers charge much lower but have limited resources. And, agencies do have resources and teams, but can be hired at considerable high cost.
• DIY: In-house branding efforts can reduce cost but it requires time and expertise.
• Ongoing Costs: Branding is an ongoing process so the budget for maintenance, updates, and marketing efforts are recurring and consistent.

Startup Branding - Real-Life Stories

Startup branding strategies are real, and showcase their capability to transform businesses, we have mentioned these real-life stories. Each of these stories are a living testament to how powerful branding can be. So, let’s learn:

Case Study 1: Airbnb

• Challenge: It was a new concept that could have been conceived with skepticisim as it was about staying at strangers’ homes.
• Solution: The company emphasized on trust, community building, and providing a unique experience via strong visual storytelling and user testimonials.
• Impact: It revolutionized the travel industry and became a global brand.

Case Study 2: Slack

• Challenge: To compete in the crowded messaging app market.
• Solution: The company focused on productivity, simplicity, and a fun & engaging brand personality.
• Impact: It became a leading workplace communication platform strongly known for its user-friendly interface and strong brand culture.

Case Study 3: Oatly

• Challenge: High-competion due to the saturation of plant-based milk products market.
• Solution: The company developed a quirky and humorous brand personality that emphasized on sustainability and taste.
• Impact: It became a popular choice for plant-based milk that later on expanded into other products.

Case Study 4: Warbly Parker

• Challenge: Dominance of traditional players in the eyewear retailers market with high prices.
• Solution: Created a direct-to-consumer model that offered stylish eyewear at affordable prices and strong emphasis on social responsibility.
• Impact: It disrupted the eyewear industry and built a loyal customer base.

Case Study 5: Tesla

• Challenge: Building a market for electric vehicles with limited consumer awareness.
• Solution: The company positioned the cars as high-performance and luxurious vehicle with a focus on sustainability and innovation.
• Impact: It revolutionized the automotive industry and became a global leader in electric cars.

Top Branding Tips for Startups

It is important to determine the core tips of branding solutions for startups. Here are some suggestions that can help with your startup brand strategy. 

Tip 1: Pick Your Brand’s Name Thoughtfully

To begin with, you must select a unique and easy-to-remember name for your brand because along with the logo, the name will be the face of your brand. Ensure that you are selecting a name that resonates with your services and quickly grabs your targeted audience’s attention. 

Remember, – the first impression is the last! So, make it count. Additionally, conduct thorough market research to make sure that your brand’s name doesn’t exist already and is unique. 

Tip 2: Think About Social Media Traction

A lot of marketers today often forget the power of social media. As discussed in the introduction, GenZs prefer to select their brand from Instagram, a social media platform; it is important to focus on atleast the popular platforms. For instance, if you have services or industrial products, use LinkedIn; if you provide services related to design, go for Pinterest; If you want the most number of users, Facebook is ideal, etc.

So, ensure that you tryout all the branding strategies to elevate your brand presence on social media. Also, make sure the messaging, colors, and the product’s overall identity remains intact.

Tip 3: Maintain Consistency

All successful brands have style guides that make sure the company's visual identity, mission, vision, and brand voice are successfully incorporated into every marketing touchpoint. 

Your brand's distinct identity and voice should be consistently portrayed in all aspects of its marketing, from internal and external printed materials to product packaging and design, including digital communications.

Tip 4: Visually Attractive Logo Design

As per the study, 80% of well-designed logos have the potential to become iconic and memorable symbols. A well-designed and eye-catching logo gives the impression, leaving a positive impact on customers. Along with being consistent throughout your whole branding ecosystem, your logo, graphics, and typography should also reflect your brand voice.

Tip 5: Create a Strong Brand Story

It may be an unpopular opinion but stories of the people connect, and not them. This statement might feel debatable, however, there is certainly some truth to it. 

Stating this, it is also important to understand that brand perception is everything. And, if you have a good story to tell, people will stick. Although, if they don’t that means the story didn’t resonated with target story. Here are some companies that have a great brand story for you to checkout: Apple, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, Disney, etc.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, the best branding strategies are paramount, if you want to be successful in this competitive landscape. Additionally, having a strong brand identity will help you grab new audience’s attention, resulting in higher revenue generation. 

With the help of a branding agency for startup, you can easily meet your goals as they have experienced professionals who stays updated with the latest industry trends, and much more. And, if you have an in-house team, you can start coming up with your own startup branding strategies. 

To conclude, start gaining trust of your existing customers to increase word-of-mouth marketing. And, whatever your business idea is, make sure you have prepared a full-fledged strategy to spread your brand name like fire in the forest to stand out in the crowd. 

All the best!