Start-Ups Need a Minimal Viable Brand
It may be tempting to skip brand development in the rush to get a new product to market. Most entrepreneurs are as short on cash as they are on time and they don’t think they can afford to spend either to attend to brand-building. And some people mistake product strategy for brand strategy, without realizing that a compelling brand is comprised of so much more than a product idea.
Since launches should be grounded in a brand foundation while at the same time being pursued with agility and speed, today’s entrepreneurs require an alternative to a complete, robust brand platform. Using a Minimum Viable Brand (MVB) can ensure those hypotheses are grounded in strategic intent and market insights.
Read on to learn the MVB framework and principles for using it.
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Define Your Identity
Another perspective for start-ups and small businesses can be found in my latest QSR Magazine column. In it, I describe how Brand Documentary and Brand Obituary exercises can help you establish a clear and focused brand identity -- and use it as a compass to navigate the flowing waters of opportunity and chart a course toward sustained growth and profitability. Check it out.
Great Brands Never Have to “Give Back”
I recently had the opportunity at a TEDxSanDIego salon to share a bit of What Great Brands Do. I talked about how great brands never have to “give back” because they design their businesses to create shared value for everyone involved, including customers, investors, employees, partners, and more. Here's the video (run time: 13 minutes):
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