Branding f0r
startups
@benmumbycroft

1. Define what we mean
by the B-word 2. Introduce you to two key concepts – Positioning & differentiation 3. Understand why branding matters 4. Introduce you to some tricks of the trade Today’s session

A little bit
About me

Enterprise
education Marketing

Will be talk about branding
for food. @oneltd

“Products are created in the
factory, but brands are created in the mind.” Walter Landor

What you stand for in
the mind of your customers (and potential customers) A brand is…

It’s NOT a logo…

“A brand is the most
valuable piece of real estate in the world: a corner of someone’s mind” John Hegarty

The process of finding a
simple idea that separates you from your competitors Branding =

For example…

Safety
For example…

Safety Luxury
For example…

Safety Luxury Performance
For example…

Reliability???
For example…

“In a world where everyone
is after your business you must supply your customers with a compelling reason to buy you instead of your competitor.” Jack Trout

What compelling reason might make
people want to buy this new sports car?

Or, to put it another
way…

You need to Make your
cow different from all the other cows in the field…

From this…

To this!

Successful brands stand for something
in the minds of target customers

At their core is A
differentiating idea that marks them out

it might be all about
speed

it might be all about
originality

it might be all about
design

it might be all about
choice

it might be all about
ethics

it might be all about
safety

It might even be all
about badass-ness

“If you don’t supply a
compelling reason, then you better have a very good price.” Jack Trout

Beware The commodity price trap!!
!

Branding is all about finding
a competitive mental angle & owning a piece of this

question

Why did BMW call the
Mini a Mini and not a BMW 1-Series?

Question… Why did NEW Coke
flop?

What stops Apple introducing a
range of no frills, budget workstations?

WHAT STOPS Disney producING a
hard-hitting, gritty drama about sexually active teenagers?

Brands go bad when they
don’t deliver what they promise…

No, it’s much worse!!!

Mind the
brand gap!!
!

Everything you do to communicate
your brand to potential customers Brand identity =

Logo Tagline Visual language Tone
of voice Name People experiencebehaviourstory

BMW High Performance, German engineering
Logo Tagline Experience People Visual style

Good design is key to
performance!

Take away lessons…

• Your brand is what
you stand for in the mind of the customer • The goal of branding is to find a simple idea, or position, that differentiates you from the competition • Being different is very important • The way you communicate this is through your brand identity Take away lessons

question

Why does being different matter
so much?

“today we live in an
over- communicated society. Every year we send out more but receive less.” Jack Trout

Circa 1979

today!

“Today’s real competition doesn’t come
from direct or even indirect competitors. It comes from the extreme clutter of the marketplace.” Marty Neumeier

What is a brand? The
human mind deals with clutter the best way it can

What is a brand? by
blocking it out!

What is a brand? To
build a brand in the mind of your customer you need to cut through the clutter…

You need A
sharp focus!

Remember: Branding is all about
finding a competitive mental angle

Be BOLD

Be specific

Why has branding become so
important ?

“In today’s world, people want
to buy the product (or service) that says the right ting about them.” John Hegarty

As consumers we use brands
to communicate & reinforce our self image…

Self image = I’m cool
I’m wealthy I’m healthy I’m a geek I’m single I’m religious I’m a rebel I’m a hippyI’m liked I’m bright I’m ethical I don’t care I’m thrifty I’m young I’m serious

And generate peer group approval!
!

“Our lives are increasingly driven
by fashion and style, not just the clothes we wear, but how our homes are styled, the food we eat, and the car we drive” John Hegarty

“How is your brand building
a bridge between who your consumers are and who they want to be?”

Take away lessons…

• We live in an
over-communicated society • Today’s real competition is the extreme clutter of the marketplace • In order to cut through, an effective branding programme needs a sharp focus and simple message • Customers buy brands to help build and reinforce their self image • And belong to the right tribe Take away lessons

creating your
own brand

Step one
name

Types of name Types For
example Playful >> Yahoo, Monster, yelp, google, FCUK Origin >> Ford, Rolls Royce, The north face Invented >> Kodak, vimto, viagra Descriptive >> Volkswagon, holiday inn, sofa.com Technical >> Panasonic, Xerox Conjoined >> Fedex, microsoft Acronym >> Bmw, bbc, nhs, ibm

• Is your first impression
of the name strong • Is it easy to read/pronounce • Is it satisfying to say • Is it short & memorable • Does it sound credible • Is it registerable and protectable Key naming criteria

Naming
inspiration…

www.panabee.com

www.leandomainsearch.com

www.domai.nr

Name
availability…

www.123-reg.co.uk

www.canva.com

www.patent.gov.uk

www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company

Here’s one I did earlier…

Step two
only…

1. CATEGORY: The ONLY motorcycle
manufacturer 2. USP: that makes big, loud motorcycles 3. CUSTOMER: for macho guys (macho “wannabees”) 4. NEED: who want to join a gang of cowboys 5. MARKET: mostly in the United States 6. TREND: in an era of decreasing personal freedom

We are the ONLY: That:
For: Who: In: In an era when: What makes you the only?

Step three
story

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to…

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story?

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment How is the customer managing to partially solve their problem

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment How is the customer managing to partially solve their problem Outline the flaws in the solutions the customer is currently using

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment How is the customer managing to partially solve their problem Outline the flaws in the solutions the customer is currently using Describe how the customer will learn about your brand

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment How is the customer managing to partially solve their problem Outline the flaws in the solutions the customer is currently using Describe how the customer will learn about your brand List some of the features that set you apart

Brand storyboard Once upon a
time… He/she always… But always had a problem… He/she tried to solve it… But he/she wished that… Until one day… Unlike his/her solution, this… His/her wish came true: to… Who is the main character in your story? Describe some of the main tasks this person regularly undertakes Describe the mainproblem stopping them from fulfillment How is the customer managing to partially solve their problem Outline the flaws in the solutions the customer is currently using Describe how the customer will learn about your brand List some of the features that set you apart Clearly define the aspiration your brand fulfills

Step four
logo

• Wordmarks • Letterforms •
Pictorial • Abstract marks • Emblems • Characters Types of logo

Image Association Technology ! !
! ! cooking conversation exploration Logo symbolism

Image Association Brand id cooking
! ! ! ! conversation exploration technology symbolism

Sector language

www.designmatic.com

www.fiverr.com

www.99designs.co.uk

Here’s one we
did earlier…

Step five
tagline

Step six
design

Picking the right colour

Think about colour

Colour communicates value

For example

Formal VS Informal SERIF TYPEFACE
SANS SERIF TYPEFACE Think about typography

Think about typography

www.dafont.com

Cool design
tools…

www.canva.com

www.piktochart.com

www.picmonkey.com

www.stockpholio.com

www.photopin.com

www.wordswag.co

• What’s your position? •
How are you different? • How obvious is this to you customers (or target customers)? • How are you making design decisions to bring your brand to life? Final comments

Questions

Thank
you!!!

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