Much like the group of bandits getting ready to attack Rock Ridge at noon tomorrow, most entrepreneurs don’t feel the need to pay much attention to branding.
“Branding? We don’t need no stinking branding.”
Well the longer you wait to focus on brand, the harder and more costly it gets. Still the list of excuses I’ve heard over the years is long and lustrous. Lets tackle them one at a time.
1. “We already have a logo”
If only branding was as easy as getting the right logo, we could all rest much better at night. Getting consensus on a logo that everyone feels good about is an important step.
But if you haven’t also done the hard thinking on who your company is and why someone should care. Or what your company is and more importantly what it isn’t, your logo will be built on a shaky foundation that is sure to break free and shatter it into Humpty Dumpty pieces.
Will your investors pay for all the kings horses and men?
2. “We’re not advertising”
Well great. Most entrepreneurs don’t have the budget to advertise, and it probably shouldn’t be the focus of their early marketing efforts anyway.
Yet they are also not benefiting from the massive scale and reach that advertising brings to the table either. So you have to make sure that you make the most of your limited impressions and touchpoints.
So how do you make each and every one count?
By constructing a brand built on a customer centric value proposition that connects with with your audience’s pains, wants, needs and desires. One that’s compelling and different, relevant and credible. Hit the right notes and you’ll never miss the advertising you could be doing. Plus you’ll be able to invest those dollars elsewhere in your business.
3. “We’ll grow virally”
I only wish I didn’t have to address this one, but sadly I still hear it all the time. Yes it is possible to create that one amazing piece of content, that engaging video or infographic that people can’t help but to share and share and share. But guess what, it doesn’t happen very often. You’d be as well off putting your companies’ funding focus on winning the lottery. Hint – you’ll probably need a back up plan.
But additionally, even if you are lucky enough to get your content shared, if it isn’t addressing what matters most to your audience – something that they’re eager to consider and willing to buy – then all those views won’t be worth a thing.
4. “Our _________ is better”
- Our product is better.
- Our app is better.
- Our usability is better.
- Our service is better.
- Our solution is better.
If the company with the best product always won, then Microsoft wouldn’t be as big as they are. There are lots of other factors that contribute to the success of a product.
And in every category there are products that are ‘good enough’ but have that brand that garners all the attention, interest and loyalty. Hmmm – the best product or the best brand. If you can’t have both, I know which one I’d want to be.
5. “We don’t target consumers”
Well guess what, if you’re a B2B brand, your target universe of companies and decision makers is way smaller than for a consumer brand. Consumer brands can take their time and experiment until they find the right hook. They can get a second chance, and even a third one.
In B2B making the wrong impression on the early adopters and key influencers can be deadly for your business and brand. But the other side of that, if you can strike the right chord with these individuals – you can build your loyalists and champions that you power you across the chasm.
When you get the rare opportunity to make an impression with your short list of decision makers, make it the right one.
6. “We don’t have time”
I hear you. The time is short and there are only so many things to focus on.
But the thing you’re not thinking about, is if you have a clearly defined brand, you save time.
- Trying to debate between the next features and functionality of your product. The brand decides.
- Trying to find employees who will be the right fit culturally. The brand decides.
- Trying to figure out which strategies to emphasize, and which to downplay. The brand decides.
Having a clear definition of what you are, and what you aren’t, speeds decision making. And empowers all individuals in your startup, from top to bottom to take confident action.
7. “That’s for big companies”
The big companies certainly have more resources to throw against marketing and branding. But equally they are way better able to recover from waste or mistakes.
As startup you need to make sure that every resource counts:
- Every marketing dollar spent.
- Every investment in your product.
- Every hour of employees and contractors.
- Every sales call.
- Every impression with potential customers.
Customer-centric brand development ensures you’re getting the most out all of your resources. And that is more important as a startup.
In closing, every startup has a brand. It’s a matter of whether you choose to define it, or let the market define it for you. Do it well and you find yourself connecting emotionally and rationally with your customers, prospects, investors, media, partners, employees and friends and family. Ignore it behind all of those excuses at your own peril.
And then you might really need some stinking badges.
