How does a startup know it’s time to “brand up?”

When you talk about your brand, you might be thinking about obvious elements like your logo, design of your website, and the colors you use in your sales decks. You might think they’re totally fine, or could use some tweaking. 
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When we talk about your brand, we’re thinking bigger than that– we’re thinking about…

• the experiences a potential and current customer is having in every interaction with your product
• why and how they’ve discovered you 
• how your messaging sounds to them, and your tone and your personality. 
• all the special ingredients that make your company unique and how those ingredients come together to orchestrate a memorable, lasting impression at every touchpoint and product interaction. 
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It’s the taste that’s left in a customer’s mouth after they hang up a sales call. It’s a weird, messy, intangible and yet uniquely tangible element. 
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There are numerous key inflection points that will make you realize it’s time to pull together a cohesive brand experience. Here are a few that might resonate with you: 
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• All Hands on Deck is Getting Messy: The fun part of early stage startups is the “all hands on deck” adrenaline that has a lot of folks jumping in to do a lot of things. Without fail, you will reach a point when you will realize that your brand has become inconsistent and very messy. Your sales deck won’t match the promises on your website; your scrappy sell sheet needs a serious overhaul, and your talking points across the org aren’t matching up. When everyone is moving fast in every direction, it’s difficult to remain consistent– and your customers will notice. 

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• Change in Mission or Audience: If the mission changes or the target audience shifts, there’s likely a painful misalignment between your existing materials and your new strategy. This is a great time to iterate and update. 

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• Outdated or Confusing Brand: When the brand is perceived as old-fashioned, boring, or confusing, it’s probably time to revitalize the company’s image. You will start to notice that you aren’t quite sticking out in the sea of monotonous booths at conferences, and you’ll yearn for that differentiating pop that’ll excite prospects. 

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• Shift in Company Direction: Sometimes, the branding your company started with simply no longer fits later down the line, because you’re focused on a new product offering, new delivery method, or even a full-on pivot. It’s startup life! But you’ll need a brand ambassador to ensure everyone is on the same page about your new direction, and that you don’t lose precious time reeducating your target market. 

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Ultimately, there are many opportunities to consider branding up, and many reasons not to invest in branding up. But if you’re a trailblazing leader looking to make a mark, to differentiate from the pack, to provide a delightful experience to users, and to build a truly memorable and game-changing product, then you should consider working with expert advisors to get you on the right path. Contact us to learn more.