5 steps in building brand image

For start-up branding often takes a backseat to all of the other considerations — such as fund raising and product development. This is unfortunate, for a company’s brand can be vital to its success. Getting your product/service noticed is one of the most essential steps in building a successful Startup. Promoting your startup isn’t the mysterious and magical process some consultants will have you think. Customers experience your brand in numerous ways: products, packaging, price, marketing, sales personnel, etc. It all starts with your unique logo that defines what you do.

Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. How you advertise your Startup & products also is a part of your branding strategy. To start with, you must try defining your brand strategy in terms of your Startup mission, USP of your products/services, qualities that you want your target customers to associate with your Startup, among others.

The Essential Steps

1. Have a brilliant logo for your startup and place it strategically everywhere.
2. Be precise and tactical in your brand messaging.
3. Get a tagline for your Startup/product, which should be meaningful capturing the e essence of your brand.
4. Design business templates for marketing material and be consistent with the basics like color scheme and logo placement.
5. Deliver what your brand promises. This is key to building the brand loyalty and converting single users into loyal customers of your product/service.

Brand goes beyond your marketing efforts. Your brand is only as good as the people behind it and the people in front of your customer. Evaluate your consistency in delivering your brand across all aspects of your business. In doing so, you will strengthen your brand equity and position your Startup for greater success.