The 5 branding essentials you need before your startup’s logo

When you think about how to brand your startup, chances are your mind will go to the logo, the look and feel and the colour palette. But bear in mind, this is a symbol that will have to represent you forever, so it’s worth spending some time thinking about an identity for the brand first. That way, you don’t end up with a shallow generic logo, but something that reflects the spirit of the brand and will be easier for potential customers to remember. Here are the 5 things you need to think about before you start to doodle…

1. Purpose

To be a success, your business can’t just be about what you are good at, or what you are passionate about. It also has to be something the world needs. So at its heart, every brand needs a purpose: the essential reason that your brand exists, beyond making a profit - your “why”. This doesn’t necessarily mean ‘purpose’ in terms of social or environmental change. It’s just about the problem you solve, the product you create, the things that wouldn’t happen without your brand. Then craft it into a statement that sums up your brand’s reason for being. Everything about the brand should come from this, and your logo should reflect it.

2. Vision

You need an idea of where your business is heading: an ambition for how your business will shape the world. How will your brand change people’s lives? And how will your brand behave as it grows? A business without a vision has nothing for its employees to rally behind or its customers to feel proud of.  And your logo needs to fit with the vision for the business, otherwise at some point it will be wrong for the brand.

3. Values

To get the trust of your customers, you have to establish the core values of your business. Everyone’s personality is shaped by principles they live by, and a brand is no different. Come up with 3-5 values that sit at the heart of the brand. Sticking to these values will give you a consistent and convincing voice, and can differentiate you from your competitors. This might affect how your logo is drawn - should it be human, or artificial? Precise, or dreamy?

4. A promise

Your brand exists to tell customers why you’re better than the rest. And for that, you need to promise them something. Look at your purpose and think about what that means for your customers: how are you giving them what they want, and how do you deliver it differently? Your promise is the basis for your brand’s tagline, the handshake that seals the deal. So your logo will need to sit well alongside it.

5. Verbal identity

Now you know what your brand stands for, and what you’re promising people, you’ve got an idea how the brand should sound. A distinctive voice that reflects your values makes your brand human, and gives it a character. Write down some guardrails for the way your brand speaks across every touchpoint, from social posts to commercials. Keeping your tone of voice consistent helps people feel like they are getting to know the brand, turning them into loyal customers that keep coming back, and recommend you to their friends.

Once you’ve thought about all these elements, you’re in a much better place to judge the visual identity: your logo, colours and imagery. With your brand’s identity in mind, you’ll have a much better idea about what will sit right with what it has to say. So you won’t be stuck with something clunky, generic, or just plain wrong.

If you’ve got questions about how to create an identity for your brand, or need a hand with your tone of voice, logo or messaging, get in touch to see how we can help.