Why Branding is the Most Essential Essential
Our brand design can wait. Really?
This is something we’ve heard before, and it always surprises us: “We’ll design our brand later. My nephew did this logo in the meantime. Right now, we just want to focus on the essentials.”
What? Since when is branding not an essential?
Sure, you need an office space, stationary, and a website. All the nuts and bolts that make your company a company—and it can all LOOK great. But how do you design all of that and build a strong company defining a personality people remember? It’s not an “extra”. A broken brand can break your business.
How do you want the world to see you?
The most essential part of any business is its product—and the brand identity of that product. When you or your product have a clearly defined personality (brand) you LOVE, you will grow with it and continue to be inspired by it. Once that is your beacon, the design of your website, brochures, and messaging to all media is natural and easy to build on.
“Think Different” or “Because I’m Worth it”, or “Just Do It” are concepts these companies—and the world—have come to identify with, and grown to love. These seemingly simple brand messages are incredibly powerful.
Let them know you mean business
A professional, consistent brand message lets people know you mean business. Every startup needs investors, and investors won’t take you seriously unless you show you’re serious. Your brand identity sets the direction for your business, and gives it a personality. Your branding helps you and your audience know what you stand for. It can be a powerful motivator on which you can build an empire that stands the test of time. Many have, and you can too.
Doing it “later” costs you time—and more money.
Just think: what if your product takes off and you need to create an ad campaign? What’s the headline? What do want people to remember in around 3 seconds? Oops, you don’t know what your message is! All of a sudden you’re wasting valuable time trying to develop a brand message post-introduction.
It’s like showing up to a party with a great outfit but no personality. You can get through it with small talk, then try to reintroduce yourself at the next party to everyone who already met you the first time and thought you were boring. Waiting until all your materials are in place, and you need to redesign everything, think of the cost then! Putting the time and thought that goes into a brand identity FIRST will save you time and money in the long run—and—become your own inspiration.
Of course, having a great product is number one. But branding your company is NOT “fluff”, it’s not “extra”, it’s not “we’ll get to that later”. After you’ve built your super-computer in your garage, hire an experienced brand agency to craft your brand message so the rest of the world will fall in love with your product too. Have the best personality at the party – and the best outfit—and you will be unforgettable.
