This document provides guidance on how to brand a cleantech company to attract partners, investors, licensees and customers. It recommends aligning the brand with the vision of reducing dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gases. The brand should be focused on the customer perspective and define the specific roadblock the company removes. It also stresses the importance of educating audiences simply about the new solution and business case in order to be seen as a thought leader in the field. The branding should have clear and differentiated value propositions for different target audiences.

1. How to Brand your
Cleantech Company
to attract partners, investors,
licensees and customers
Farida Fotouhi Farida@reality2.com
© Copyright 2009 Reality2 LLC

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This is
your time
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You have a new champion. A stimulus
package. And more to come!
Reduce dependence on foreign oil
$15 billion in clean tech initiatives
“Our survival depends on finding new sources of
energy” (Address to Congress, Tuesday Feb 24)
Solar, wind, biofuels, storage, smart grid, fuel cells--
“Answers are in..our laboratories and..the
imaginations of our entrepreneurs.”..
Reduce greenhouse gases
Clean energy economy: funding, green jobs
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Water
Energy
ood
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Cleantech is the place to be today.
But, to reap the rewards you need to:
 Build a brand
 Align yourself with the big picture vision
 Define the roadblock you remove
 Educate
 Demonstrate a good business case
 Show a clear benefit for each audience
 Keep it simple
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6. Your brand = the sum of experiences
at every point of contact.

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You have a brand whether you know it or not.
Take control and make it work for you.
“What X stands
for”
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A brand is both facts and feelings.
Pain relieved? Credible?
Why is it better? Market savvy?
Market traction? Cutting edge?
$ Potential? Am I in love?
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The Reality-Based branding and
positioning triangle.
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Your customer.
 Customer POV by segment
 Greatest pain / greatest opportunity
 Change: drivers & barriers
 Why choose you
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Your competition.
 What do they say they do?
 What do they really do?
 Who knows this?
 Be sure you’re different
 Monitor competitive sites
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Your value proposition.
 Customer-focused
 Simple and clear
 Differentiated
 One brand/target segments
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How should you define and express
your brand personality?
 Helpful?
 Friendly?
 Compassionate?
 Businesslike?
 Solution-focused?
 Cutting-edge?
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14. Align yourself with the big picture
vision and be specific about the
roadblock you remove.

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ALIGN WITH
BIG PICTURE
SPECIFIC
ROADBLOCK
YOU REMOVE
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EDUCATE
(SIMPLE, CLEAR)
OLD WAY
NEW WAY
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18. Paradigm shifters: educate!
Own the solution as thought leader.
Change perceptions and behavior.

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EDUCATE: CHANGE
PERCEPTIONS
BE A THOUGHT
LEADER
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OWN THE SOLUTION
AS THOUGHT LEADER
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21. Make a good business case.
Sustainability alone isn’t sustainable.

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Businesses buy sustainability when it also
adds value and impacts the bottom line.
1) Sustainability
2) Affordability
3) Quality 22

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THE BUSINESS CASE
THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP
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THE BUSINESS CASE + GREEN BENEFIT OLD WAY - NEW WAY: QUALITY
OWNERSHIP OF SOLUTION (IP) OLD WAY - NEW WAY: SAVINGS
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25. A value proposition for each target
audience (within unified brand)

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The early stage target audience.
 High-profile customer(s)
 Strategic partners
 Licensors
 Potential buyer
 Investors
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Early Stage Branding: the key
components.
A branding strategy
Clear market-focused value
Name/logo
proposition for each target
Website
Professional startup package
(not home-made) Brochure
Presentation
See http://www.reality2.com/early_stage_branding.html 27

28. Keep it simple.

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You’ve developed a clean tech
breakthrough.
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Commercialization, branding and selling
involve an entirely different skill set.
Ours is better!
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Can you explain your product to
a six-year-old?
 Simplify
 Educate
 Show clear benefits
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32. Whatyou guys
is it
do again?

33. So
what?

34. How to Brand your
Cleantech Company
to attract partners, investors,
licensees and customers
Farida Fotouhi Farida@reality2.com
© Copyright 2009 Reality2 LLC