Startup branding is the product's name, visual look and way of speaking. Customers look at a product's "packaging" before they try it, so branding is a separate stage of Go-To-Market.
Many developer-founders say, "we'll do branding later." The result: great technology looks untrustworthy and ads get more expensive.
In short:
- The name: short, easy to say, with the domain and social media handles available.
- The brandbook: logo, colors, typeface, tone of voice.
- Branding comes before ads.
Why should branding come before ads?
Ads bring a person to your page. If the page looks untrustworthy, they leave. And you paid for every person who left.
In the international market this matters even more. For one of our IT outsourcing clients, we first built a full brandbook, then started SMM, SEO and ads. As a result, $2,378 in ads brought 460 leads from 4 countries, and a $186,000 contract was signed in Dubai. An international customer doesn't see you. They only see your packaging.
How do you choose a name?
When choosing a name, we look at four criteria:
- Short and easy to say, in Uzbek, Russian and English.
- Points to what the product does or creates a strong association.
- The domain and social media names are available.
- It doesn't resemble competitors' names.
In the Loome case, naming was also our job: the name, brandbook and SMM for an installment-sales ERP were built from scratch.
What goes into a brandbook?
A minimal brandbook:
- the logo and its variants;
- the color palette;
- typefaces;
- photo and video style;
- tone of voice and sample phrases.
A brandbook lets designers, SMM and the ads team work in one style. Without it, every post looks like it comes from a different company.
Where do most people go wrong?
The mistake is thinking branding is just a logo. There is a logo, but the website, creatives and presentation all look different.
Another mistake is spending months on branding. To test a startup you don't need a perfect brand; you need a consistent, credible one. Then you develop it based on how the market responds.
Conclusion
In short, customers look at the packaging first, then at the product.
- Choose the name by four criteria.
- Make a minimal brandbook.
- Finish branding before ads.
- Keep one style across all channels.
We do naming and branding for your product — book a consultation.
About the author. Safarmurod Abduroziqov is the founder and CEO of AURA Digital: 6 years in marketing, 50+ IT projects, ~$1M in managed ad budget. Telegram · LinkedIn
Frequently asked questions
When does a startup need branding?
Before you start ads. A page that looks untrustworthy loses the people who came through advertising.
What is a brandbook?
A set of brand rules: logo, colors, typefaces, photo style and tone of voice. It lets the whole team work in one style.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a name?
Brevity, ease of pronunciation, a hint at the product, and available domain and social media names.
How long does branding take?
A minimal brand for testing a startup is made quickly; then it is expanded based on how the market responds. Don't delay your market launch waiting for perfection.