launching a new business? start with the brand.

From business plan to bank account, launching a business is a whirlwind. It’s tempting to leave the brand until later, or knock something together yourself. But your brand is the promise you make to customers, and in a crowded market it’s what sets you apart from day one.

the foundations

There are three parts to get right before you spend money on marketing.

• Brand strategy: who you serve, what you offer, how you’re different, and why customers should choose you.
• Brand identity: your name, logo, strapline, colours and graphics. It’s what people see first, so it needs to make a good first impression.
• Brand messaging: the words you use and the personality behind them, whether that’s friendly, professional or a bit cheeky.

the essentials kit

You don’t need everything at once. For most new businesses, the essentials are:

• a logo that works large and small, in colour and black and white
• simple guidelines, so everyone uses it the same way
• a website that explains what you do in seconds
• business cards, email signatures and document templates
• social media profiles that match

it does make a difference

When we named and branded Opt HR and built its website, it won two pieces of new business in its first two months of trading. SCP International Supply Chains launched with no digital footprint at all, and its new website gave it a credible presence from day one.

get it right once

A brand built properly at the start saves you rebranding in a hurry two years later. Spend the time on the thinking first, and the design and marketing become much easier.