Learn the basics of branding, the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make, and how you can have an awesome brand.

1. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
Top 3 Mistakes
New Entrepreneurs make
with their Brand
(and how you can avoid them!)

2. What to expect...
Presentation should be well within the hour time limit
Please put questions in the chat box. We’re going to save
all questions until the end, but feel free to drop the
questions into chat at any time. We’ll be collecting them.
There will be a recording available for a limited time after
this so you can rewatch if you need to.
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

3. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
facebook.com/rachelralstondesign
www.rachelralston.com
Hi, I’m Rachel
Designer
Entrepreneur
Brand Identity Strategist

4. The 3 biggest problems that new entrepreneurs
make with their brand are:
1. Thinking it’s only a logo
2. Ignoring it.
3. Being inauthentic or fake.
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

5. But first...
What is a brand?
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a
brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a
combination of them intended to identify the goods and
services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate
them from those of other sellers.”
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

6. We define a brand as...
a collection of perceptions in the mind of the
people who interact with your company.
Simplified further - Your brand is how people
remember you.
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

7. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

8. - rebellious
- cool
- powerful
- freedom
- camaraderie/friendship
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

9. Branding...
is the act of intentionally curating experiences
to create a certain set of memories.
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

10. Branding vs. Marketing
Branding and marketing are two sides of the
same coin, but they aren’t the same thing.
Branding is internal
Marketing is external
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

11. The first mistake of new entrepreneurs...
Thinking your brand is just your logo
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

12. Your brand includes
every touchpoint a customer could have
- visual identity
- customer service
- marketing materials
- the tone you use in writing
- etc...
www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

13. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)

14. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
2nd Most Common Mistake
Ignoring your brand or pretending that it
isn’t important
Branding is a cornerstone of your
company

15. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
Once it’s clearly defined and articulated, your
brand should be your guiding light.
It guides your strategy and big picture
thinking: your marketing strategy, why and
how you interact with employees, customers,
and business connections, etc...
Your brand is the connective tissue of
your company.

16. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
Core components of a brand (or how to
create your own ‘guiding light’)
You want to clearly define and be aware of your:
● Identity - how you want to be perceived, the ideal you strive for
● Image - how you’re actually seen and remembered, your current
reputation
● Character - your company’s moral compass (trustworthiness,
integrity, honesty, etc)
● Personality - human characteristics- fun, serious, warmth,
sentimentality
○ this intersects with your ideal client profile
● Culture - Both internal and external
● Essence or soul - The ineffable place where all of the above points
come together. This is your guiding light. It is a long term and
strategic positioning that doesn’t change day to day, but evolves with
your growth year to year.

17. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
Last but not least
One of the biggest mistakes a new
entrepreneur can make in 2013 is
to be inauthentic or fake in their
brand.

18. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
As a bonus for attending this workshop, I’m
going to email out a questionnaire to get
you started in your own branding process.

19. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
http://rachelralston.com/diybrandingadventure/

20. www.rachelralston.com
Top 3 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs make with
their Brand (and how you can avoid them!)
Thank you!