Where should you begin to build your brand? Cindy Marsman, manager marketing & communication at Novel-T, explains the essential steps of building a strong brand.
There is no doubt about it: your innovation is going to change the world. You want everyone to know! How can you make that happen? In other words: where should you begin to build your brand? Cindy Marsman, manager marketing & communication at Novel-T, explains the essential steps of building a strong brand.
Step 1: Develop a strong proposition
Before you start designing a logo or have even chosen a name for your new business, it is important to have a clearly defined proposition. “It is the foundation of your brand,” Cindy says. “Your customers are looking for a solution to their problem, so it is important to incorporate that into your proposition. Your customer or end user forms the basis for everything you do. Something I often see with tech startups is that the technology behind the solution is their primary focus and they struggle to translate that toward their users. You must ask yourself: who are you as a business? What problem are you solving? What is your mission? It is essential to have clear answers to these questions. You can then base your logo and company name on that.”
Step 2: Choose your name
You now know what you stand for and what your goals are. The question remains under what name you want to operate. Cindy: “You absolutely need a name before going to market. You do not have to have a fancy brand at this stage, so also use your contact moments to determine what suits your customers. Your company name must appeal to your customers. It is therefore not a crazy idea at all to involve a potential customer in a brainstorm about your company name. Get a few creative minds and potential customers together and use your proposition as a jumping-off point. I am always up for one of those sessions myself!”
Step 3: Design your brand
Once you have thought of a name, it is time to visualize your brand with a logo. “Take your proposition and name to a designer and have them create your logo,” Cindy advises. “You can try to design one yourself, but if you are not particularly creative, it will be detrimental to the trust that potential customers will have in your business. Your logo is the first visual representation of your business that someone sees, so it is okay to invest in that.” There is no need to spend a fortune, either: for example, Nike's world-famous “swoosh” only cost around €35. A strong logo forms a solid foundation for your brand.
Step 4: Be findable
Cindy knows that having a name and a logo is not enough. “Now that you have a name and a logo, there is no need to worry about developing a corporate style and a brand book. That comes later. Your first order of business is to be findable. For that, you need a website. As with your logo, it is important to go about this in a professional manner. These days, a website does not have to cost much. You can probably find a student or someone in your network to help you with the things you struggle with yourself, such as programming or copywriting. Next, you have to make sure people can find your website. Be present on the social media channels that your customers use. After all, you want people to talk about your business - both off- and online. Frequent posts will keep your business top of mind for your customers.”
Growing your brand
With a strong proposition, a catchy name, a beautiful logo and an easily findable online presence, you are ready to start growing your brand. It is now time to start working on your customer journey, image, identity and scalability. Want to know how? Download our Marketing Roadmap infographic. If you are not quite sure where to begin, Cindy has one last tip for you. “Start small, but start well. You can go as big as you please, but there will be costs involved. It is best to keep it simple, make clear agreements with your collaborative partners and come up with a clear plan. You can have us take a look at your plan and advise you on your marketing activities. The final decision is always yours. It is your brand, after all.”
Are you ready for the next step? Download the infographic.