The worlds most well known brands have grown to be the biggest because they mean something to people. They have core values, strong enough for people to be emotionally attached to them.

Some new start-up companies can grow so fast not only because the product or service they sell is great, but because it becomes part of peoples lives and they can’t live without it.

Take the technology company Instagram as an example, they created a series of apps for applying filters to add to photographs taken with mobile phones. After its launch only 18 months ago, its sold out to Facebook for $1bn (£630m) yet what is most incredible is that the market for this product hardly existed 2 years ago.

Most start-up companies are an improvement on an existing product or service, unless like Instagram you are creating something that didn’t exist before and therefore you have a head-start on the industry, who knows what competition this will breed – but undoubtedly Instagram won’t be too worried for a while, at the time of writing this article they have on around 55 million photos being filtered and shared everyday.

To grow a company this fast you need to have a very clear brand ideology, and I don’t just mean a recognisable logo. Branding at this level is often confused with the visual corporate identity but it’s more in-depth at the core of the company, here are few of the main elements needed for a brand to stand out from day one.

What do you stand for? Who you are?
A personality of the brand, how you want customers to see you. It should sum you up quickly, without too many words – what are you trying to do, why should people choose you. This is conveyed in YOUR language and tone that speaks and expresses who you are. For example a firm of city solicitors would never use the word ‘Dude’ within their marketing, yet its common within the multi-million pound surfing industry. So your tone of expression is important. Get this right and you start to embed your brand deeper into your customers minds, rather than just a colourful logo.

Don’t try to please everyone
Not necessarily as extreme as the Marmite brand..‘you either love it or you hate it’, but don’t expect your brand to be liked by everyone. The opposite to loving a brand in not necessary hating it, its more likely complacency, this group of potential customers are not really that bothered. Your brand will be liked by some and ignored by others, it’s the way of the world. If you fall into the trap of trying to get customers to love your brand even though they have already make up their minds, then your onto a loosing streak, it would be best that you channel your efforts into finding new customers who will like you, or converting your existing customers from liking to loving you.
The more precisely you can identify your market and cater for them then the more likely you’ll succeed. A good way to do this is to identify your perfect customer as a person, get to know their needs and everything you say and do has their interest at heart, then they will warm to your brand as it starts to speak to them.

How you behave.
This needs to be a mantra for all the members of staff, from the business owner to the shop floor staff. Think of it as a set of guidelines which all members of staff can follow – its the ‘way we do things’, left undefined then this can lead to interpretation and inevitably the brand failing in certain areas of the business. How the boss wants things done may differ from how the delivery driver may think its needs doing.

Tell your story to everyone
The most powerful start-up brands have a ‘start-up’ story, its how most of the pitches start in the Dragons Den, it makes it personal and unique, compared to a boardroom of product developers in corporate companies who’s sole purpose for a new product or service is to make more money. It helps to create an integrity for your brand, allowing people to warm to even more so.

Branding is not as simple as just creating an eye-catching logo and clever strapline, these elements are also very important but they are not stand alone. If you involve your customers on a more emotional level then you begin to drive that most important element which is customer loyalty, this is how good businesses become great.

Dean Williams

Dean Williams is a design and marketing blogger working for Print-Print Limited, promoting business and building brands through quality print marketing. If you’re interested in small business promotion then please get in touch hello@print-print.co.uk