How to Build a Strong Brand Identity for Your Early-Stage Startup

Working on your big startup idea, securing finance and finding those first core team members are all time-consuming tasks. Branding and marketing may not be the first things on your mind, but neglecting them could be devastating for a new company. On the other hand, building a strong brand identity for your early-stage startup could lay the foundations of a successful marketing strategy.

Building a brand identity from the moment a startup idea takes shape is one of the most powerful moves founders can make. Your brand identity helps you articulate your unique value proposition and translate it into highly recognizable visual and verbal elements.

A brand identity is more than your logo. Your company name, colors, fonts, messaging and tone all add to a unique identity that audiences recognize immediately. That kind of recognition is invaluable in the early stages of a business trying to make its mark in a crowded startup scene.

Every quarter, more than 300,000 businesses are founded in the United States. However, 90% of them never make it past their first five years of operations — and while a strong brand identity may not be the only factor deciding which companies fail or thrive, it will help you build brand trust and connect emotionally with your audiences.

Consequently, you carve out a unique position in a crowded market even before you have secured a substantial market share or recognition.

Related: How to Establish a Distinct Brand Identity in a Saturated Market

Understanding your brand’s core: Mission, vision and values

Building a brand authority starts with clarifying your startup’s mission, vision and values. Define clearly why your business exists, what difference you’re planning to make to your customers’ lives and which principles are guiding your actions.

From these answers, you distill your unique value proposition (UVP). Your UVP is the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else in your field. It could be a specific technology, superior customer experience or an innovative approach to solving a problem.

It’s impossible to build a successful brand without understanding the audience’s needs, pain points and aspirations. These insights should inform every decision you make.

Translating brand strategy into visual identity

Once you have defined the fundamental parts of your brand identity, it’s time to look at the details of your visual identity.

Your company’s name and tagline need to be memorable, pronounceable and distinctive. Develop your tagline based on your UVP to capture your brand’s purpose. This is an opportunity to tell your audiences what your startup is all about.

Next, consider your logo and color palette. Some of the strongest logos are simple, versatile and easily recognizable. Think of the logos of household names like Apple or Nike as examples of brands with exceedingly simple yet powerful logos. Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from brands you admire, but avoid copying competitors, as this would only confuse audiences.

Color choices are just as important because they can evoke emotions in your target audiences. For example, dark blue and gray have become favorites with banks, financial services institutions and other professional services companies.

Whether your company is looking to convey a modern and minimalist or friendly and playful image, your chosen typefaces and imagery need to reflect your brand values, too.

Related: 7 Tips for Developing a Logo That People Won’t Forget

Crafting a consistent verbal identity

Branding doesn’t stop with visual elements alone, but it shines through every piece of communication your company publishes. Your startup’s origin story or the founder’s path to the initial “aha” moment are powerful narratives that can help you make an impression with prospective customers.

Think about the kind of voice that would suit your brand’s character. A fintech brand may opt for a serious, authoritative voice whereas a kids’ clothing brand might opt for caring and approachable. Remember to adjust your tone for different channels without losing your core brand personality.

To help your team embrace your verbal identity, consider developing a set of key messages that articulate the brand’s promise and differentiators. Just like you adapt your tone to your communications channels, you need to adapt your key messages depending on where they’ll be published. Social media posts need to sound different from press releases, for example.

Ensuring consistency across touchpoints

We mentioned adapting your messages on different communication channels above. However, those adaptations should never challenge the consistency of your brand voice. Inconsistency undermines brand recognition and budding consumer trust.

Creating a brand manual or brand style guide allows you to ensure a high level of consistency across the team and touchpoints. In addition, offering training sessions and easy-to-follow guides to internal stakeholders like employees and contractors keeps everyone aligned.

Related: 5 Steps for Making Your Brand Identity More Consistent

Adapting and evolving your brand as you grow

As you’re launching your brand, start gathering customer and stakeholder feedback to understand how your brand resonates with audiences. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your brand; as your startup evolves, it is only natural that your brand changes.

Consider Apple’s initial logo, for example. The logo shows Isaac Newton reading under a tree. By today’s standards, that logo is perhaps not ideal to make connections with wide audiences. The next iteration was the version of the logo we all know today.

For most brands, thoughtful and incremental changes work better than abrupt overhauls. However, if managed well, rebranding can be highly successful. As you’re changing your brand identity, remember to remain authentic and focus on making real connections that build brand trust.

Building a strong brand identity helps your early-stage startup differentiate itself from potential competitors, gain traction and develop a loyal following. Start with a solid strategic foundation, create a cohesive identity, and ensure consistency across all platforms. As your brand develops, remain open to iteration to transform from zero to hero in your audience’s eyes. Authenticity, clear messaging and customer-centric thinking will ensure your brand continues its growth trajectory for years to come and increase its presence in the market.