This document discusses the importance of branding and communications for startups. It argues that clear positioning and consistent messaging helps companies drive awareness, create buzz, and build value. This in turn can lead to faster product development, an engaged employee culture, easier hiring, improved customer retention, viral content, and increased interest from investors. The document advises startups to define their unique value proposition and brand personality in order to connect emotionally with audiences and earn their love and advocacy over time. This is more powerful for driving sales and growth than awareness alone.

1. Why branding and comms matter
2016
Paul Naphtali, managing partner, rampersand.vc

2. What do you want out of this?

3. Why branding & comms matter
Companies build awareness, create buzz and drive value through clear market
positioning and consistent communications.
Successful companies create communications platforms that drive awareness and
understanding of their business as well as build communities that follow and support
the business.
These platforms start with defining a clear, unique and valuable positioning and
messaging for the business. Unfortunately, that positioning is not always intuitive.
Startups often work off instinct and don’t pause to consider or articulate the value
and message of the business/product

4. Get it right Leave it to chance
Product development is faster and better Product false turns
Culture lifts Employee confusion
Employment is easier Hiring challenges
Customer acquisition & retention improves Slow growth, churn
Content goes viral Content for your mum
Investors & acquirers come knocking Capital challenges
Why branding & comms matter

5. Get it right Leave it to chance
Product development is faster and better Product false turns
Culture lifts Employee confusion
Employment is easier Hiring challenges
Customer acquisition & retention improves Slow growth, churn
Content goes viral Content for your mum
Investors & acquirers come knocking Capital challenges
The (dual) goal for every startup: Drive operational objectives, build strategic value
Why branding & comms matter

6. It’s not just about being known
It’s about being loved

7. What’s love got to do with it?

9. Brand awareness is important, but alone it won't drive sales.
awareness → engagement → love → action
Unlike awareness you can’t buy brand love, you have to earn it
The power of love

10. Building brand love doesn’t just create lifelong fans – it also creates brand advocates. And
the biggest reason brand advocates are so powerful is trust
● Consumer-to-consumer word of mouth generates more than 2X the sales of paid
advertising
● Customers referred by other customers have a 37% higher retention rate
● Brand advocates spend 2x more than average customers on favorite brands
● Brand advocates are 50% more likely to influence a purchase
● A 12% increase in brand advocacy on average generates a x2 increase in revenue
and growth rate, plus boosts market share
● How to measure love? Check out Accenture’s The Love Index
With love comes advocacy

11. BRAND PROMISE: WHY WE EXIST
VALUE PROPOSITION: HOW WE DO IT
BRAND PERSONALITY: WHAT WE DO
Thanks to Simon Sinek: check him out
The golden circle

12. Three words
One sentence
One paragraph
The 3 - 1 - 1

13. Inspiration

18. ● Who for
● What problem
● Why we solve it
● How we solve it
● Value of solving it
What problem do we solve?

19. Unique
Meaningful

20. ● future looking
● aspirational
● drives talkability
● wins the minds and hearts
Your story

21. ● What makes news
● What do they cover
● Who cares
● License
● Rhythm and timing
● Scalable, repeatable
Dealing with the media

22. ● Business milestones
● Capital raising
● Thought leadership
Comms plans

23. Thank you &
Good Luck