A good brand is one of the most valuable assets any business can cultivate. Developing it is also an ongoing process that can be time and resource consuming for a startup–especially when a company is still finding its voice and key product focus. Here are three very simple rules that any startup should implement from the beginning to create a solid branding foundation (and no, it doesn’t involve creating the perfect logo).
As the founder of your startup, you’ve found a target market that needs your product or service. You’ve probably come to this conclusion through one or a combination of these three avenues:
- You are the target market and your startup is going to fulfill a need you personally felt.
- You’ve worked or are close to an industry that has a need for your product or service.
- Your peers or network is in need of this product or service.
This analysis of the market that drove you to start your business is the research with which you will start to implement branding guidelines in your company.
RULE #1: Color is king.
Color psychology is the study into how color affects human perception, enhances experiences, and affects behavior. Red is a great example of how it can alter human perception: It is a color associated with strength, war, fire, anger and passion. Now let’s say you are opening a spa center. Though red may catch client’s eyes rapidly, it will not evoke any sense of the service you are providing. One must also keep in mind that the different hues of a color can represent a wide array of signals. For example, green is associated with the outdoors and nature and thus tends to either evoke a feeling of safety and calm or energy, youth and growth.
Women 2.0 is building a future where gender is no longer a factor. Founded in April 2006, it’s now the leading media brand for women in tech. The for-profit, for-good company takes an action-oriented approach that directly addresses the pipeline from all sides: hiring, founding, investing, and leading.