5 branding mistakes startups make (and how to avoid them)
Changing the world is hard. Ask any entrepreneur.
But not due to lack of ideas or talent. 👇👇👇
The greatest barrier to any meaningful change is that annoying little thing called “other people”.
⚠️ A game-changing product cannot change any games if nobody knows their game needs changing. ⚠️
Good branding makes people see all the good your company can do for them.
As a creative director I have seen great companies making all sorts of branding mistakes.
In this article I collected five common mistakes startups make (and ways to avoid them):
👉 A product is not a story
👉 You are not (always) the target audience
👉 The afterthought brand syndrome
👉 Simplify, simplify, simplify
👉 Invest in professional support
Let’s break it down:
A product is not a story: People don’t relate to product facts. They relate to stories about what these product facts can mean to them and to their lives (more on that here: Are facts the worst communication tool?). Think about how the greatest aspects of your product can fit into a compelling narrative.
You are not (always) the target audience: I am sure you have valid reasons to love your product. But usually they do not make the best story to connect with your target audience. A strong sense of personal vision is excellent, but remember, you are not building this brand (only) for your own enjoyment. Try to see things from your target audience’s perspective. Empathy is the name of the game.
The afterthought brand syndrome: This might be the most common one. “We’ll build our game-changing startup and the rest will fall in place”, right? Wrong. Your story, values, and the change you want to make in people’s lives are inseparable from the company you are founding and the product or service you are developing. Start early and save yourself a world of trouble (and costly amendments) down the road.
Simplify, simplify, simplify: Innovative ideas are, well, new. Their unfamiliar and sometimes technical nature makes them tricky to grasp. No matter how obvious the details of your product or service may seem to you, always aspire to simplify. People do not engage with that which they do not understand. Especially when a purchase is involved.
Invest in professional support: Quality professional support can make or break a branding effort. Startup founders tend to juggle many different roles and have a DIY attitude. While great for some tasks, it is important to know the limits of your experience and capacity. Agencies and consultancies give you another perspective and help your company make the impact you know it should.
🤙 At gravities we specialize in building brands and scaling brands. Book a free intro call with one of our experts today.