Brand Definitions and Startups: Starting at the Beginning

Brand Definitions and Startups: Starting at the Beginning

As we have seen over the years working alongside different clients, the path of building a startup or new venture and launching a product is complex and full of ups and downs. There are certainly many important decisions to make, tight budgets to manage, unfinished products to refine, and an endless list of other items piling up on the to-do list.

 

That’s why it’s natural for many startups to put off developing solid brand definitions and identity from the start, thinking it can wait until later, without realizing that, far from being a waste of time or resources, caring about and investing in their brand and its definitions from day one can be a unique opportunity to stand out now and have a clear roadmap for the future.

 

By brand definitions, we mean knowing who we are as an organization, what we do, how we do it and, above all, why we do it. It means knowing who our offering is for and what sets us apart, differentiates us and makes us unique. In marketing terms, this translates into having a defined purpose, a clear and distinctive value proposition, commitments or pillars that express how we do business, a desired positioning (the place we want to hold in the market and in our customers’ minds), and a brand personality and voice that make us unique.

 

By identity, we mean all the verbal, visual and sensory expressions that represent the brand. It’s the name, the tone and style of communication, as well as the logo, colors, photography and illustrations, plus sound and scent.

 

Why can these brand definitions and a solid identity be key to a startup’s success?

 

They give us direction: having definitions that establish who we are and where we’re going provides a north star that keeps us on track, makes decision-making easier and, when necessary, helps us adjust course or strategy.

 

They help us stand out and compete on equal footing: as a startup, the competition is broad and there are bigger, more powerful players. Knowing your differentiation and having a strong visual identity can help you stand out where you’re different and look professional so you can compete on equal terms.

 

Business impact: building a recognizable, consistent identity across every touchpoint where your brand lives will help you run a more successful business. Customers need to see your brand 7 times before buying (Forbes, 2023). Brand consistency can increase revenue by 10–20% (Marq, 2021).

 

Attracting customers: your product or service may be professional and high quality, but if it doesn’t look the part, doesn’t connect with key audiences or isn’t attractive, it won’t be competitive. People take 7 seconds to form an impression of a company, and 60% of consumers avoid companies with unattractive logos, even if they have good reviews (crowdspring, 2024).

 

A clear example of how giving brand building the importance it deserves from the start is an advantage and an investment that pays off is NOTCO, a company that from its startup beginnings defined its scope and goals as going far beyond being just another alternative in the food industry. A brand born to “reinvent the food industry,” a purpose that has guided the development of its identity, its products and its bold way of communicating—even its name, which gives it an international profile and lends coherence to its value proposition (Not Mayo, Not Milk, Not Burger).

 

All of this is backed by a visual identity in line with its challenger purpose and its innovative, different way of developing products. An identity with its own recognizable visual codes, applied consistently across every touchpoint, making it easy to spot on supermarket shelves, in an outdoor ad or in a social media post. All of this has made it the recognized, successful benchmark brand it is today.

 

The invitation to build startups with clear definitions and a solid identity from the start is on the table. Let’s not miss the opportunity to keep developing innovative solutions that can positively impact the world, people and society.