While name, logo, and tag-line are important, they're just the beginning. Product purchases are emotional decisions—a well-crafted story helps your customers achieve that connection with your brand. Learn more about how to achieve the best branding strategy for your food startup. This class will be an introduction to launching your food brand. Learn techniques and strategies to optimize your efforts and leave this class knowing how to create a unique, thorough, stand-out brand strategy with limited time and resources.

1. @BRANCHFOOD @THEFOODLOFT
#BRANDFOOD
@BENJAMINSPEAR
#BRANDHACK

2. 2AGENDA
‣ Intro, Q&A 10m
‣ Why brand? 10m
‣ Industrial vs. Information Age Brands 10m
‣ Lean Brand Development 10m
‣ Workshop 40m
‣ Discussion time 10m

3. 3INTRODUCTION
‣ BFA Graphic Design, BU College of Fine Arts
‣ Graphic design and corporate identity
‣ Brand strategy and acceleration
‣ Qualitative market research
‣ Berklee, Harvard, P&G, MassChallenge
‣ #brandhack

4. #BRANDFOOD 4
Q&A

5. INSERT CLASS
TITLE
BRAND =
RELATIONSHIP ≠
NAME, LOGO,
TAGLINE
5LESSON 1

6. #BRANDFOOD
WHY BRAND?
6

7. WHY BRAND?
CLANS
7
‣ Paleolithic
‣ 2,600,000 years ago
‣ Small egalitarian groups, dynamic leadership
‣ Information is personal, 1-to-1
Image: wikipedia.org/wiki/paleolithic

8. WHY BRAND?
NATIONS
8
‣ Neolithic
‣ 10,000 years ago
‣ Permanent settlement, pseudo-personhood
‣ Information is mediated, 1-to-100
Image:

9. WHY BRAND?
CORPORATIONS
9
‣ Industrial
‣ 250 years ago
‣ Corporate personhood
‣ Information is mass-produced, 1-to-many
Image:

10. WHY BRAND?
SINGULARITY
10
‣ Information
‣ 30 years ago
‣ Planetary consciousness
‣ Information is ubiquitous,
many-to-many
Image:

11. INSERT CLASS
TITLE
BRAND OCCURS
NATURALLY
11LESSON 2

12. #BRANDFOOD
INDUSTRIAL VS.
INFORMATION
AGE BRANDS
12

13. INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS
INDUSTRIAL BRANDING
13
‣ Focused on product
‣ Customers = conversions
‣ Generates wealth
‣ Exploitative
‣ Teaching, forcing, patriarchal
IMAGE: JAMES-PRATT.COM

14. INFORMATION AGE BRANDING
‣ Focused on experience
‣ Customers = partners
‣ Generates value
‣ Collaborative
‣ Learning, guiding, fraternal
Image: rosaliewinard.com Temple Grandin
14INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS

15. INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS
ERIC RIES
“What creates value for a startup
is learning if we are on path to a
sustainable business. [Successful
companies have to] make that
shift in perspective, from making
stuff to learning which stuff to
make.”
15

16. 16INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS

17. vs.
vs.
vs.
17INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS

18. vs.
18INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS

19. INSERT CLASS
TITLE
“INDUSTRY” IS
ENDING
19LESSON 3

20. IDEAS BUILD PRODUCT
Industry
Information
20INDUSTRIAL VS. INFORMATION AGE BRANDS
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN

21. #BRANDFOOD
WHAT IS
INFORMATION
AGE BRANDING?
21
#BRANDHACK #LEANBRAND AGILE BRAND DEV RESPONSIVE

22. ‣ “Brand genius” is a myth; brands are collaborative, holistic
‣ Brands aren’t manufactured, they’re co-created
‣ Innovation through experimentation and validated learning
‣ Build > Measure > Learn
‣ “Minimum Viable Brand Relationship” (MVB)
WHAT IS INFORMATION AGE BRANDING? 22

23. SUMMARY KEY CHALLENGE
‣ Prototype the customer
relationship for feedback
- Audience analysis
- Persona development
- Naming
- Identity design
‣ Secure funding
‣ Build beta group
Okin measures force during strength training, and transmits
data to an app that tracks performance.
OKIN
Okin measures force during
strength training and
transmits data to an app
that tracks performance.
Nick Sulham
Founder
nick@okin.co
(508) 596-6030
okin.co
Making undesirable easier:
‣ OKCupid, wing-man:
dating
‣ GlassDoor: employment
‣ Prostate exam: health
‣ Hallmark: emotion
‣ Trunk Club: wardrobe
‣ Foodie: farmer’s market
Important considerations:
‣ The gym is inconvenient
and intimidating
‣ Make the product less
techy, less faddy
23CASE STUDY

24. INSERT CLASS
TITLE
SUCCESSFUL
BRANDS NEVER
STOP
24LESSON 4

25. 25#BRANDFOOD
Q&A

26. 26#BRANDFOOD
EXERCISE

27. 1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
27EXERCISE

28. OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
28EXERCISE

29. IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
29EXERCISE

30. EXERCISE 30
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m

31. EXERCISE 31
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN

32. EXERCISE 32
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.

33. EXERCISE 33
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.
1 Understand partner’s idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m

34. 34
IDEAS
BUILD
PRODUCT
MEASURE
DATA
LEARN
1 Generate new idea 5m
2 Build brand story 5m
3 Produce final statement 5m
3 Measure 3rd party reaction 5m
4 Compile data 5m
5 Share, learn with partner 5m
EXERCISE
OWNER
BRAND
DEV.
CUST.

35. 35#BRANDFOOD
DISCUSSION