3.24.20 building-your-brand-presentation-for-startups-and-small-businesses

Building Your Brand: A Practical Guide
for Startups and Small Businesses
March 24, 2020
Copyright © by R Jay Olson 2020

To help small businesses build great brands
and realize their potential.
I believe in the power of:
• The entrepreneurial spirt
• Purpose-driven brands
• Unlocking the potential in every human being
My purpose
35+ Years as a brand strategist helping businesses of all sizes build brands & drive sustainable growth.
Internal Branding
& Community
Engagement
New Market
Entry
Brand
Repositioning
Brand
Acquisition
Global Brand
Integration
My experience
Startup Branding
& Marketing
Attractions
with a SPIN
Customer
Insights
Brand
Differentiation
Message
Clarity &
Resonance
My competence
Jay Olson
Copyright © by R. Jay Olson 2020

Introductions
In 30 seconds, tell us about yourself
• Your name
• Your business (idea)
• What you want to learn in this workshop

Today’s goal
• To help you unlock the power of branding so you can build a
thriving business
Benefits of a great brand:
✓ Creates trust
✓ Reduces time for sales development
✓ Prevents competing on price
✓ Reduces time to close
✓ Drives brand preference and loyalty
✓ Provides the foundation for a profitable and sustainable business

Your purpose is your brand story
Google search: reunion
Google's mission:
to organize the world's
information and make
it universally accessible
and useful.”
**Let your customers do the talking**

Debunking the myths about branding
**Ask questions anytime**

Myth 1: My brand is my logo (name, slogan, etc.)
• An iconic brand
• Freedom | Individuality |
Rebellion | Passion
Harley Davidson Rebel Brand
**Branding is rooted in a deep understanding about what your brand stands
for and a focused strategy to bring that meaning to life.**

• A visionary brand
• Achievement |mastery |
Cutting edge
• Par none user experience
**Brand Preference equates to
$182 billion in brand equity**

Myth 2: My brand is defined by my offering
The Brand Value Equation
(Original Source: Value Creation: the Power of Brand Equity, by William Neal and Ron Strauss)
Brands with a
purpose set on
improving quality
of life outperform
the stock market
by 120%.

Finding your WHY and HOWs
Simon Sinek - Start with why
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
- Simon Sinek

Passionate Mysterious Alarmist Powerful Prestigious Rebellious Trustworthy
Exuberant Curious Urgent Leader Respected Unconventional Loyal
Honest Elegant Perfectionist Control Improvement-focused Game-changer Dependable
Expressive Succinct Reliable Achiever Achiever Inventive Detail-oriented
Sensual Reserved Deadline-driven Self-assured Detail oriented Independent Stable
Intuitive Minimalist Logical Confident Discerning Entrepreneurial Steadfast
Socialable Pragmatic Predictable Authoritative Uncompromising Unpredictable Predictable
Unintimidating Complex Careful Influential Admired Edgy Methodical
Approachable Unpredictable Cautious Opinionated Guide Non-traditional Careful
Transparent Thoughtful Structured Decisive Expert Unexpected Consistent
Impulsive Deliberate Safety-focused Goal-oriented Success-driven Idea-generator Honest
Emotional Guarded Conflict avoidance Risk averse Intellectual Insightful Nurturing
Fun understated Risk averse Curious Authentic Caring
Spontaneous Inquisitive Adventurous Loving
Friendly Analytical Explorer Unpretentious
Light-hearted Philosophical Imaginative Sympathetic
Energetic Reflective Non-conformist Unselfish
Playful Irreverent Friendly
Individualist
PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Understanding your brand personality

Myth 3: My personal brand isn’t important
Richard Branson - personal brand for entrepreneurs personified
Richard Branson’s personal brand
is 100x more powerful than Virgin
**Being seen as a credible authority builds trust and reduces time
for sales development**

Myth 4: I don’t need an online brand presence
Think back 30 years ago. How did your parents select an auto repair service?

Owning the search results page
Fairfax Auto Repair: Google search and reviews

Building your reputation as a trusted authority
Fairfax Auto Repair: Blog and social media

Myth 5: I own my brand
Your brand exists in the hearts and minds of those who know you

Managing perceptions starts by understanding your
customer
Conduct 1-on-1 interviews to learn about your
customers’ goals, challenges and dreams, and
the role your brand plays in their daily lives

Creating the right perception
For freedom seekers, Harley Davidson is a passionate motorcycle maker
that provides freedom on the open road, giving customers a sense of
individuality and independence.
(target market) (company name) (company descriptor)
(primary customer benefit)
(emotional need received )
Simplicity, clarity and resonance

For athletes looking for high-quality athletic wear, Nike is an innovative
athletic apparel and shoe company that inspires athletes to perform at the
top of their game, giving customers a sense of mastery and achievement.
(target market) (company name)
(company descriptor) (primary customer benefit)
(emotional need received )

Building trust & maintaining consistency
“Take care of your employees
then your customers then
your stakeholders… in that
order.”
– Simon Sinek
• Talk the talk… walk the walk
• Build your brand from the inside out
• Carefully manage every detail of your business at every touchpoint

#1 –
UNDERSTAND
• Your brand
• Customer
• Competition
#2 –
COMMUNICATE
• Brand
positioning
• Brand style
guide
• Communication
plan
#3 – CREATE
• Brand name
• Logo, tagline,
brand identity
• Domain name
• Trademark
protection
#4 – BUILD
• Establish
credibility
• Build brand
awareness
• Build trust
• Maintain brand
consistency
#5 – MEASURE &
ADJUST
• 6 critical
metrics
Myth 6: Naming my brand is one of the first things
I should do when starting my business

Naming your brand best practices
Best Naming Practices
Naming strategies:
• Descriptive (Capitol Cleaners)
• Abbreviations (IBM, IKEA)
• Conjoined (Microsoft, Facebook)
• Founder’s name (Martha Stewart)
• Invented (Google, Accenture)
• Metaphoric (Apple, Amazon, Nike)
✓ Communicate something about what your brand
stands for or what you do
✓ Make it simple, easy to spell and remember
✓ Don’t fall in love with the a name until you
explore lots of options
✓ Make sure the name you choose is available and
not being used by someone else in your category

Myth 7: Branding is expensive and time consuming
**Showing your appreciation in unexpected ways**

Establishing your credibility
1. Your LinkedIn Profile
2. An awesome website experience
3. Build your reputation as a trusted authority
4. Create a blog and use it as the hub
5. Be active on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn,
Instagram, YouTube)
o Create company pages
o Frequent posts (quality video, articles, photos)
o Respond quickly to comments
o Drive traffic back to your website
6. Proactively encourage reviews
7. Request recommendations/testimonials
8. Post case studies and success stories

Building awareness
Online tactics
✓ Organic + paid search
✓ Content marketing
✓ Storytelling
✓ Video and podcasts
✓ Instagram and Facebook Stories
✓ Influencer marketing
✓ Affiliate marketing
✓ Amazon/other sales channels
✓ Active social media engagement
✓ Online forums/groups
✓ E-Newsletters
✓ Webinars
Offline tactics
✓ Causes (Avon Walk for Breast Cancer)
✓ Sponsorships (Valvoline-NASCAR)
✓ Expressions of unexpected appreciation
✓ Networking events
✓ News media
✓ Public relations
✓ Branded events
✓ Associations
✓ Tradeshows
✓ Speaking engagements
**12-18 touches from first touch to first purchase**

Measuring what matters most
6 key metrics:
• NPS (Net Promoter Score)
• Referrals
• Time to close
• Key customer tenure
• Customer satisfaction and
engagement
• Employee satisfaction and
engagement
What is NPS?

Source: David Thompson, Owner, ProVoices, 2018
Patience, dedication and commitment

What is the top takeaway you learned today that
you plan to implement in your business?
Post your comments and review us on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pg/SCORESEWisconsin/reviews/

Cell: 262-402-8669
ralphjolson@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjayolson/
Build Your Brand. Build Your Business.
Thank You!

Appendix

Key definitions
• WHY statement and HOWs
• Articulates why your brand fundamentally exists & your beliefs
• Brand personality
• Who your brand looks like, feels like and sounds like
• Brand positioning statement
• The single idea that people should connect with your brand
• Brand promise
• What customers can expect through experiences with your brand
• Brand voice
• The personality of your brand as it is expressed through the written word
• Brand style guide
• A document that describes, defines and presents the look and feel, tone and manner of your brand

Branding resources
• Simon Sinek - Start with Why - TED Talk
• Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team, by Simon Sinek
• Brand Archetypes, by Kaye Putnam
• The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands through the Power of Archetypes, by
Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson
• www.brandyourself.com (to enhance your visibility and social media reputation)
• Your Guide to Colors: Color Theory, The Color Wheel, & How to Choose a Color Scheme, by
Bethany Cartwright, HubSpot
• Ten Best Practices for Naming Your Organizational Brand, by Jay Olson
• Using Brand Equity to Drive Sustainable Growth, by Jay Olson
• Seven Steps for Revitalizing Your Brand, by Jay Olson
• 21 Brand Style Guides for Visual Exploration, by Karla Cook, HubSpot

Branding resources (continued)
• Logo Design Theory, Part 1: Symbols, Metaphors and the Power of Intuition, by Maggie McNab,
Smashing Magazine
• Vital Tips for Effective Logo Design, by Jacob Cass, Smashing Magazind
• Finding Your Type: Font Psychology and Typography Inspiration in Logo Design, by Stephen Pete,
Fabrik
• 5 Simple Ways to Define and Maintain Your Brand Voice, by Alex York, Sprout Social
• How to Choose a Domain Name, Machielle Thomas, June 3, 2018, Bluehost
• How to Register a Trademark for a Company Name, WSJ.com
• The Puzzle of Motivation, by Daniel Pink, TED.com, Sept 13, 2014
• Mindset – The New Psychology of Success, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
• The Ultimate Collection of Free Content Marketing Templates, Sophia Bernazzani, HubSpont
• The Best Way to Measure Your Personal Brand Success, by Pia Silva, Forbes
• What is Net Promoter Score?, Nice Satmetrix

Marketing research resources
• ReferenceUSA – A free business database accessible from home with your library card. This tool allows you to: (a) do an
advanced search by NAICS or SIC codes, Zip code, size of company and other demographic criteria, and create a target list of
your top prospects.
• American Fact Finder – A free resource for searching U.S. census data. You can filter by age, income, year, race, and location.
• County Business Patterns provides information on the areas of the country with large numbers of certain types of
businesses.
• Business Dynamics Statistics takes census data and allows you see economic data on job creation, startups and shutdowns,
business openings, expansions, and closures.
• Nielsen's MyBestSegments provides researchers with tools to understand an area's demographic information and lifestyle
habits. You can find out which areas would be most receptive to a campaign or launch, which competitors are
located nearby, and trends in the area that have shifted.
• SurveyMonkey is a tool for creating in-depth surveys that will help you understand the market and consumer preferences.
(Learn more about crafting a survey for market research here.) Free for basic.
• KW Finder is a free keyword research and analysis tool bringing hundreds of long tail keywords with low SEO difficulty.
• Social Mention is a real-time social media search engine that can help you understand what your prospective customers are
buzzing about online. Search for a keyword, and Social Mention will show you recent social posts that contain that keyword,
along with a list of related keywords and other insights.
• the Pew Research Center website has a ton of free research that you can use to better understand your target market.

3.24.20 building-your-brand-presentation-for-startups-and-small-businesses

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