Overview of branding geared towards entrepreneurs/start-ups who've not yet gotten far in the process of building brands for their companies or products.

1. Bbranding
It’s more than your logo.
Monday, February 13, 12

2. cliff notes for the history of
visual branding (even though
branding is more than visuals)
Monday, February 13, 12

3. Ingrid Newkirk
President of PETA
That is SO not cool.
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5. early advertising playing on the
novel-ish idea of a brand name
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7. » A brand is not a logo.
» A brand is not your company name and tagline,
or your product.
» A brand is not the look of your business cards,
stationery and the corporate identity manual to
which they adhere.
» A brand is not a product.
» A brand is not what your company says about
itself (though that should be “on brand”).
Monday, February 13, 12

8. » A brand is all of these things — which are
important — plus one crucial element: how the
market perceives your company and products.
» Some people say that a brand is a “promise”.
That’s true too — it’s putting your name on
something.
Monday, February 13, 12

9. Handy Equation:
all of your stuff + people’s perceptions
+ consistency over time = your brand
Monday, February 13, 12

10. i stole the idea for this next
thing from my friend fred.
(fredhq.com)
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17. {visual respite}
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18. simplified version of how to get
from no brand to a dandy brand
» Start by thinking about: what are the 3 words I
want to pop into people’s heads when they see our
logo, or hear our name?
Simon Sinek
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
Monday, February 13, 12

19. more steps for going from no
brand to a splendiferous brand
» Understand your company and product inside-out
» Make sure everyone on the team, who represents
the brand in the world in any way, understands the
company and product inside-out
» Understand your story, and make sure everyone’s
telling it the same way (in-person, when they pick
up the phone, on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, other
social media, on your blog, in pitches, everywhere)
» Make sure you and the team are psyched — this
is important Tony Hseih
CEO of Zappos
I would so agree with that…
Monday, February 13, 12

20. more steps for going from no
brand to a fantabulous brand
» Work with a designer/firm to create differentiating,
compelling, appropriate visual branding — then
use it consistently and without fail.
» Work with a designer/dev/UX expert to make your
website amazing. There really is ROI to this.
Monday, February 13, 12

21. start with a great company/product
name as your foundation
marty neumeier’s
7 criteria for a good name:
1. Distinctiveness
2. Brevity
3. Appropriateness
Marty
4. Easy spelling and pronunciation Neumeier
My books are really good
5. Likeability quick reads about this stuff.
6. Extendibilty
7. Protectability
Monday, February 13, 12

22. then, using what you know about
the “why”, start getting visual
annie’s 7 criteria for a good logo:
1. Distinctive
2. Appropriate (to you and to the right paradigms)
3. Usable (technically and, of course, legally)
4. Appealing
5. Extensible
6. Not overly literal (unless that’s appropriate)
7. Timeless (not trendy)
★ Cleverness is totally optional
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23. ready, set…
IMBUE!
Monday, February 13, 12

24. more information for your perusal
Book-type things:
Fabulous, quick-read primer on branding:
The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier
Good overview of why web design decisions can make or cost your money:
Web Design for ROI by Lance Loveday and Sandra Niehaus
Why how you do it is as important as what you do for brand success:
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuck
Case studies of how branding plays out in design:
Branding From Brief to Finished Solution by Mono
Monday, February 13, 12

25. more more info
Online goodies:
http://www.uie.com/articles/design_and_branding/
http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/
best-global-brands-2011.aspx
http://simonmainwaring.com/
http://www.fastcodesign.com/
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html
http://startwithwhy.com
http://brandards.wordpress.com/
And if you have access, search the HBS cases for “branding”. There’s good
stuff in there.
Monday, February 13, 12

26. find me & this presentation
Annie Smidt
email: annie@seltzerdesign.com
twit: @anniesmidt
slides: http://www.slideshare.net/anniesmidt/
Monday, February 13, 12