We’ve seen far too many times how startups often jump into visuals without clarifying their message or having a clear brand strategy to guide them. The truth is, your visuals and brand strategy are vital to your long-term success because they clarify where you are going and how people talk about your company moving forward.
A branding strategy for your startup can help you build brand loyalty, increase brand recognition, and it will give you a competitive advantage.
Let’s dive into how you can create a brand for your startup that takes your business to the next level.
How to Build a Memorable Brand for Your Startup
Get crystal clear on your visuals
Your visuals are what will help you stand out in your space, and they shouldn’t be an imitation of your competitors. This is your chance to innovate and bring something different to the table.
Unfortunately, we see this type of imitation all the time in the AI and tech space. Think, same colors, same vibes. There was once a time when all the AI sites had purple and teal gradients on a dark background to look space-esque. This did not lead to any specific startup standing out or make this particular color gradient memorable.
As a startup, one of the best ways to carve out your own space and find the customer base that is going to take your business to the next level is by creating something that people can’t resist and showing it to them in a way that they can’t forget.
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This is where these unique brand visuals come in and where you can really see the difference in successful startups.
Examples of start-ups that have created stand-out brands
Glow Social
We want to share a recent example of what it looks like to build a brand with strong visuals: our client, Glow Social.
Glow Social is a social media software (SaaS) that helps business owners create a consistent social media presence with personalized ideas, suggestions, and a built-in scheduler (all created via AI). With the software being so seamless and easy to use, their brand needed to convey the same sense of ease.
At the same time, they are in the AI space, and we wanted to be the opposite of competitors who were leaning into all dark websites, gradients, and LED light visuals, and ‘high-tech’ looking layouts. We designed the brand for Glow Social to be brighter, airier, and friendlier.
Juliet Wine
Another example of a brand that isn’t afraid to show up differently and innovate is Juliet Wine. From the packaging to the experience, their approach to boxed wine was everything their competitors weren’t.
Discover more about what it looks like to think outside the box (or bottle) in our interview with the founder of Juliet Wine here.
Because Juliet Wine was willing to take that step and do something unique, they’ve become an incredibly successful, eco-conscious, luxury brand that’s changing perceptions and empowering women entrepreneurs in the wine space.
Don’t be afraid to pivot
Startups pivot. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in the strategy and design. This means you need to design a modular identity system that can adapt as your offer expands.
This is going to give you more flexibility and allow you to do one of two things. First, you don’t feel stuck with what you have or feel like you are forcing something to work that may not work anymore. Second, you don’t have to piece together new brand elements that somewhat fit your vision but create a disorganized brand presence.
When you’re thinking about fonts, colors, and design rules, for example, use ones that allow for flexibility and iteration right from the start. These will enable you to adapt and change them as your business evolves, ensuring they continue to work for you.
A great brand is built with your future in mind and shouldn’t have to be significantly changed with every pivot you make in your business.
Avoid overly niche descriptors
You’ll want to avoid overly niche descriptors that lock you into one product. Instead, think about the end promise of what you do so it can evolve with your product or services.
Our client Dueta is an excellent example of a flexible brand for a start-up. While we included fun animations and squiggles, these can just as easily be removed without taking away from the overall brand design and function.
Furthermore, the name and core elements, even in different scenarios, still communicate what they need to: connection, links, and productivity (a perfect duet!)
Don’t leave the founders out
Your founders are your brand stewards. Your startup’s brand voice is often the founder’s personality translated into a system.
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In a world of AI and faceless brands, it is essential to bring in the founder as a key to the brand and its growth (especially for a start-up!) The creator economy demands it in a way.
Capture that energy and conviction in visuals and tone, but keep it transferable so you can step away at some point after growth.
Pro tip – document your voice early: what you say, what you never say, and how you make people feel. As the team grows, these brand principles ensure cohesion.
Brand values
Brand values are the non-negotiable principles that guide the decisions you make in your business. It’s essential to choose values that you actually believe in and that you feel authentically represent your start-up.
At Bethany Works®, this is what we believe in.
A website
Branding and a website go hand in hand. Intentional branding and a strategic website set you and your start-up for success. Your website is your digital identity, and it needs to be effectively designed to attract customers and appease investors.
Your startup website should be more than just a landing page with a signup button. Potential customers should leave your website feeling like they fully understand you, your product or service, and know precisely how you will help them. If you want to learn more about what you should include in your startup website, go here.
Ready to Design Your Brand for Your Startup?
Hopefully, this helps you as you work through designing your brand for your startup. Remember, effective branding goes far beyond a pretty logo, color palette, or copycatting another startup’s branding.
It’s the entire strategic foundation that makes customers instantly recognize your business, feel compelled to choose you over competitors, and attract investors who want to work with you.
If you are ready to take the next step and start building your startup brand, we would love to talk with you. You can learn more about our brand and web design services here or you can get in touch to talk about it 1:1 here!
