Branding Your Start-Up: Talk from Barcamp Portland 2012

Speed Branding:
A DIY Branding Session
For Entrepreneurs

© 2012 Alicia Nagel Creative www.alicianagel.com

Agenda
1. What is a brand and why do I need one?
• Definition
• The importance of essence and story
2. How can I discover and define my brand?
• Brand Book Creative Work Session
3. How do I use a brand strategy?
• Brand Touchpoints
• Next Steps & Working with marketing
professionals

1. What is a brand and
why do I need one?


why do I need one?

Why should
I care?


why do I need one?

Why should
I care?

Why should I
give you my $?


why do I need one?

Why should Why should I give
I care? you my time?

Why should I
give you my $?


why do I need one?

Why should Why should I give
I care? you my time?

Why should I
give you my $? How do you
expect me to
remember you?


Definition
• A brand is who a
company is:
– What makes them
unique
– Philosophy & Beliefs
– What are they
proud of
– Reason for being
– Personality
– Reputation


The importance of
essence and story
• "Early branding of a small or emerging
company is key to business success. It is

© All rights reserved by Helen in Wales, Flickr
the quickest way for your company to
express what it is and what it can offer.”

New York Times
Small Business Section
http://www.nytimes.com/allbusiness/AB4019474_primary.html


2. How can I discover
and define my brand?
• Define your business
• Philosophy
• Artist’s Mystique
• Competitive Edge
• Personality
• Themes
• Audience
• Communicating it


Define Your Business:
Intangible Benefits
For example:
• no buyer’s remorse
• custom tailoring
• high design / trend forward
• supporting local business / fair trade
• perceived elevated social status
• increased cuteness or sex appeal
• bragging rights to friends
• cutting-edge materials or production techniques

Define Your Business:
Intangible Benefits cont’d
• What intangible benefits do you offer your customer?
• If a friend was describing your business to someone,
what would they say?
• What drives you to create / what is your company’s
mission / what do you seek to add to the world?
• Is there a special reason why you use certain
technologies or methods? What is the benefit to the
end user?


Personality
EMOTIONS PERSONALITY TRAITS
• Pride / Confident • Outspoken
• Indulgent / Lusty • Poised / sophisticated
• Wonderment / delighted • Quirky / funny
• Sexy / romantic • Individual / funky
• Satisfaction / relief • Adventurous
• Joyful / happy / optimistic • Well-mannered / thoughtful
• Surprise / anticipation • Ambitious / driven
• Relaxed / blissful / calm • Girly / Feminine
• Nostalgic / hope • Manly / gruff
• Understood / reassured • Playful / mischevious
• Empowered / envigorated • Resourceful / thrifty


Who are you talking to?
AUDIENCE • What will your customer’s
• Age buying process be?
• Gender • How do they first hear about
• Income Class Type you? What will make them
decide to make a purchase?
• Hobbies
What will lead them to make
• Industry a repeat purchase?
• Geographic Location


Identify the Competition
• Are they companies like you,
or if you are a first of this
kind, what were people
doing before you came
along?
• What are competing
companies known for?
• What advantages do you
offer that they lack?


Genius Mystique
• Hacker's genius mystique – • Why did you start doing this?
believe it or not you are a Why did you think it was a
celebrity – milk it! Tell a good idea?
story. Let your personality • Where do you find creative
come through. inspiration?
• What is the significance
behind the name of your
store / product / company?
• How has your background or
personal life influenced your
craft?


Elevator Pitch
• “... the elevator pitch—so
named because it should
last no longer than the

By robinsonsmay on Flickr, creative commons license
average elevator ride—is
far too important to take
casually. It’s one of the
most effective methods
available to reach new
buyers and clients with a
winning message.”
– Business Week, ‘The Perfect (Elevator)
Pitch‘ by Aileen Pincus


How to Use A Brand Collage
• Your brand collage
is a new member of
your team whom
you should consult
in every marketing
decision
• Keep your
customer collage
near your work area
to remind you who
your audience is


Creating a Brand
Identity (logo & graphics)
• Find a designer.
• Ask your friends
• Coroflot > Member Gallery
Search for “Portland”
www.coroflot.com
• Art Institute of Portland, Career Services
Julie Williamson
888-228-6528 x4788
jwilliamson@aii.edu


Logo Evaluation
• Simplicity


Easy to Read
• Legibility


Uniqueness
• Popular shapes & trends


Competition
• Industry trends


Icon vs. Wordmark
Only

icon

wordmark wordmark only


Color Palette
• Does it work in black & white?
Expensive to reproduce?

7 colors


Keeping Production
Costs Down
• Digital letterhead
• Print online
• Stickers & Rubber Stamps
• Print using fewer colors
• Get your proper design files
– For display & MS Office – RGB, .JPG
– For print – CMYK, .EPS

Contact
Alicia Nagel Creative
503-847-4974 cell
alicia@alicianagel.com
www.alicianagel.com


Branding Your Start-Up: Talk from Barcamp Portland 2012

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