Branding is fascinating and very important for any company or project . I am no expert but its something I think about a lot. This post is reflective of my own uninformed, non-educated musings on the topic and early efforts at doing it myself for multiple projects. I look forward to returning to this idea again!  I strongly believe that branding is important to consider from the very beginning nor is it the giant monolith that it appears to be. We’ll see if my thoughts carry on out!

 

My idea of brand is the concept, image, ideas that a company or organization wants you to conjure in your mind when you think of them. So, in the beginning, simple consider what you want people to think of when they think of what you are working on and what you are creating. This will change over time but start taking notes on it from the beginning. For me, I want MirthnCo to be a source of joy and fun, of entertainment, and a place where parents can feel safe to “leave” their kids. EntreBurnor is to be a place of inspiration, education, and conversation. 

 

Using Google search and Oxford Languages, the definitions of branding show the transition of the word from its origin to its current usage. First, its “the action of marking with a branding iron.” This conjures up images of the wild west and cowboys using a branding iron to mark cattle. The second is “the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design.” Branding is about marking ownership and, then, releasing into the wild. Yes, the cattle above bore the mark of their particular ranch or owner but then they would be let wander, often over thousands of miles. The point of the brand is to let the random wayfarer who comes across the brand to know where the cattle is from. In a similar way, modern branding is about convincing the public to think about a company, etc in a particular way as the public comes across that company in the wild. Control of a brand, in may ways, ends after the initial branding and, then, its up to the public.

 

Branding done well can be very effective, at least as far as convincing us to think of certain images or ideas associated with a brand. I do not really ever eat fast food but the Burger King character is, of course, immediately associated with the fast food chain and conjures up an image in my head and, even more impressive, a personality of a goofy, crafty, and vaguely creepy king. I am not really a target audience as I do not really eat that food and yet the image is still seared into my brain. Funny enough, at least to me, is the very mixed reaction that the King receives and the brand’s approach to using him (why have him sneak when he could be portrayed as magnanimous?). I would argue that he remains effective nonetheless. If his purpose is to put their food into your head then he succeeds.

 

Geico is another great example and much broader in its application. I would hazard a guess that anyone who has watched TV in the last 20 years has an opinion on Geico’s TV spots. The familiar style of off-beat humor, the twists and puns, the caveman, and, of course, the gecko. All are part and parcel in the Geico brand. So is the overly familiar phrase “A 15 minutes call could save you fifteen percent or more” that almost definitely plays in your head associated with those ads and characters. Its great advertising. Who wouldn’t want to try that in the midst of struggling to get insurance? Chances are, if you’ve considered insurance for something, Geico has crossed your mind. That is successful branding. (No they’re not paying me to say that…yet.) 

 

People like brands. Its a simple heuristic tool in a sea of consumer goods and options. Interestingly, brand loyalty seems to be decreasing. People seem to be increasingly willing to purchase alternatives to name brands. On the other hand, people also claim that the authenticity and transparency of a brand increases their opinion of that brand. Even if loyalty to brands in general is decreasing, which I can see as a fairly ambivalent shopper myself, we still use brands an off the cuff heuristic for cutting through noise. For example, ordering craft beer at a bar, when in doubt, go with a brewery you know. Their reputation is part of their brand.  I may not deeply care what brand of cereal I purchase, but I do notice, use the brands as reference points, and, when it comes to things like watches or donuts, brands matter a great deal. Brands are reputation and snowball over time. Yet, like a rock on a mountainside, a single bump can cause a huge problem.

 

Brands work both ways, good and bad. A tarnished brand takes a lot of time and effort to overcome. I know many people who won’t shop “there” because of a news article or a history with that brand. Others won’t shop “there” because of disagreements with the owning family. The list goes on and you probably have brands you avoid just as much as brands you seek. I’m obviously avoiding calling out right now as the particular discussion around a specific brand is not the point here. The point is that brand includes all sorts of incidental or unintentional elements, which is why it can seem exhausting. 

 

With all this in mind, its important to consider your own brand as you launch a business. From the beginning, be transparent, honest, and trustworthy. Even before you have a “brand,” those traits will be associated with you and your project and business. Branding is a way to wrap up those traits and pieces of reputation into an easy to remember package.

 

When you have an idea and a decision to move forward, you do not have to consider the wrapping elements of branding right away. Give it a crazy project name (I use Marvel characters) or even some alpha-numeric code name and, then, as you work on it, if a name comes then move on with the branding. On the other hand, I find that giving something a name and a brand helps me consider it to be more real. 

 

Once you start moving on brand, you need to do a lot all at once. It may feel like you are putting the cart before the horse but it will save headaches later and head off potential thieves and squatters. I’m typically of the mindset to think bigger than you might think is reasonable. You are not likely to butt heads with international brands on day one but you should think, plan, and build like you will some day.

 

Some thoughts on a name:

 

A quick checklist for once you have name:

 

Once you have those tools, then you want to start using them, even a little, to establish usage and ownership. We’ll get into all these elements in the future but usage establishes the basis of trademark.

 

Everything remains flexible before launch and even after a light launch its still flexible – go with what works, don’t follow a sunk cost. If a name stops working for you, change it! Better to have a brand rather than no brand, but better to have a good one then a bad one.