How to Build a Brand from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide

Building a brand from scratch can seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach and a clear strategy, it is entirely achievable. This guide will take you through the entire process, from working through ideas to creating a brand strategy, developing a brand identity, and maintaining your brand image.

Creating a brand from scratch involves strategic planning, creative development, and consistent management. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process, ensuring your brand resonates with your target audience and stands out in the market.

What is Brand?

A brand is much more than just a logo or a catchy tagline. It encompasses the entire experience your customers have with your company. A brand is a combination of your business’s personality, values, and promises to your customers. It’s the perception that people have of your company, which includes everything from your customer service to your marketing materials.

A strong brand helps to create a memorable impression and fosters loyalty among customers. It is built over time through consistent messaging and quality of products or services. When customers think of your brand, they should immediately recall the emotions and experiences associated with it.

What is Branding and Why is it Important?

“Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”  – Jeff Bezos

Your brand identity is made up of various elements that all work together to create a unique, cohesive look and feel that is the representation of your brand’s vision and core values.

• Brand = Perception. As Jeff Bezos eludes to in his famous quote, your brand is your reputation and the perception that people have of you when you are not around.
• Brand = Emotions. Your brand identity is not only made up of visual and physical elements but also has the ability to elicit powerful emotions in your customers.
• Brand = Impression. Customers will perceive your brand in a certain way, experience certain emotions when interacting with your brand, and have an impression of your brand and what it represents.

Let’s look at a few reasons why branding is important:

• Creates Brand Recognition
• Creates Brand Trust
• Creates Brand Loyalty
• Supports Brand Communication
• Inspires Employees

For more, check out our post on What is Branding and Why is it Important?

Types of Branding

Branding is a multifaceted concept that encompasses various strategies to create a unique identity and position in the market. Different types of branding are employed by businesses to target specific audiences, convey particular values, and achieve distinct objectives. Understanding the various types of branding helps businesses choose the most effective approach to resonate with their target market and differentiate themselves from competitors.

This section explores the diverse range of branding types, from product and personal branding to corporate and cultural branding. Each type offers unique advantages and can be tailored to fit the specific needs and goals of a business. By familiarizing yourself with these different branding strategies, you can make informed decisions that enhance your brand’s identity and strengthen its market presence.

For more, check out our full article on the different types of branding.

Brand Elements

Branding is an essential part of starting and building a business, but the process and terminology can be quite overwhelming for someone new to the branding process. So I’ve compiled a list of the key brand elements to help understand what they mean and why they are important for your business to grow and succeed.

Key Brand Elements

• Brand Name: The unique name of your brand that identifies you in the market and differentiates you from other brands.
• Brand Identity: All the visual elements that make your brand identifiable, including logos, colors, and design elements.
• Brand Strategy: A long-term plan outlining how you will develop your brand to achieve specific goals and ambitions.
• Brand Positioning: How you differentiate yourself in the market through a positioning statement targeting your exact audience.
• Brand Image/Perception: The public’s perception of your brand, whether they interact with it or not.
• Brand Personality: Human characteristics and personality traits associated with your brand.
• Brand Voice: The way you convey your brand personality and connect with your audience.
• Brand Equity: The value of your brand as perceived by consumers based on their experiences and perceptions.
• Brand Experience: How your customers experience your brand through interactions and experiential marketing.
• Brand Communication: Activities related to informing, persuading, and educating your audience about your brand.
• Brand Differentiation: The unique factors that set your brand apart from competitors.
• Brand Extension: Using your established brand name to market new products or services.
• Brand Recall: The likelihood of customers recalling your brand when faced with a need or problem.
• Brand Values: The core beliefs and principles that your brand stands for.
• Brand Promise: A statement that tells customers what to expect when they interact with your brand.
• Brand Recognition: How well your brand is recognized by customers.
• Brand Loyalty: The loyalty and preference customers have for your brand over competitors.
• Brand Architecture: The system that organizes your brands within a company, showing how they fit together.
• Brand Value: The financial value of your brand, often exceeding the actual value of the company.
• Brand Awareness: The process of creating awareness about your brand to introduce it to potential customers.

Understanding these key brand elements is crucial for building a strong and successful brand. Each element plays a vital role in how your brand is perceived and interacts with its audience. By carefully developing and managing these elements, you can create a cohesive and compelling brand identity that stands out in the market.

For more, check out our list of 20 key brand elements and their definitions.

How Long Does it Take to Build a Brand?

Building a brand usually takes anywhere from approximately 2 – 5 years, depending on a wide variety of factors. Smaller, freelance-type personal brands can take as little as 2 years, in some cases even less, while bigger corporations can take anywhere from 5 to 10 years to build up and establish a successful brand.

Factors That Influence Timelines

Many factors influence the timeline of building up a brand like:

• Type of Business. The type of business you are starting, or thinking about starting, is one of the primary factors that can influence your timeline.
• Industry. The type of industry can also heavily influence your timeline.
• Resources. The type and amount of resources you have to invest in the brand-building process can also heavily influence your timeline to a successful brand
• Competition. Competition is also a very big determining factor in your brand-building timeline and path to success.
• Commitment. This might seem like a very obvious factor, but worth highlighting nonetheless.

Steps in The Brand-Building Process and How Long They Take

This particular brand-building process is one that I have personally developed from all my years of experience. I divided the process into phases, which are then further divided into various steps, that if followed correctly, should set you on your path to building a successful brand.

For more, check out our full article on how long it takes to build a brand.

Building a Brand: Where to Start

Building a brand from the ground up requires a strategic approach and a clear understanding of your business objectives. Before diving into the technical aspects of branding, it’s crucial to lay a solid foundation by thoroughly understanding your market, identifying your target audience, and defining your brand’s core values and mission. This initial phase sets the stage for all subsequent branding efforts and ensures that your brand will resonate with your audience and stand out in a competitive market.

Starting with a well-thought-out brand idea is essential. Whether you already have a specific concept in mind or are still exploring possibilities, conducting feasibility studies and competitor analysis will help you identify opportunities and gaps in the market. This foundational work not only clarifies your brand’s unique value proposition but also informs your brand strategy and positioning, guiding you through the development of a compelling and differentiated brand identity.

The process of building a brand involves several key steps, from the initial discovery and decision-making to the creation of a robust brand strategy and identity. By taking a systematic approach, you can ensure that each element of your brand aligns with your overall vision and goals, ultimately leading to a strong, cohesive brand that resonates with your target audience and drives business success.

Phase 1: Brand Idea

Just like the foundation of a house, this first phase is crucial in the success of building your brand.

You might already have an idea of the business you want to start or you don’t and are simply looking to find a need in the marketplace that hasn’t been sufficiently met yet, for which you will create the business to fulfill that need.

You will need to do the proper feasibility studies, competitor analysis, find the key differentiation that would separate you and make you stand out from your competition, craft your brand voice and personality, and create the mission and vision that will drive your business and inspire you, employees and stakeholders, to buy into and believe in your brand.

Let’s look at the steps involved in this phase and what each step entails.

Discover Your Idea

This step involves discovering and crafting your big idea.

You could already have an idea of the brand you want to create in which case you would do some market research to evaluate the feasibility of your brand while giving you certain indications on how to craft your brand to fit the needs in the marketplace.

Alternatively, you might not have an idea at all and would do the necessary brainstorming and market research to find a need that is not being met in the marketplace, then craft your brand to fulfill that specific need.

You could also have a unique idea that doesn’t exist anywhere in the marketplace yet and for which the need is not their either. You would need to not only develop your idea but also develop the strategies of how to realize or create the need for your products or services in the marketplace.

Your market research and competitor analysis should give you some sense of where the gaps are in the market where you could place your brand. At this stage, it’s important to just put all the ideas on the table and work through it one by one over a some time until the more prominent ideas begin to take shape.

Decide On Your Idea

Once you have explored various ideas and conducted thorough market research, the next step is to decide on the specific idea that you will pursue. This decision should be based on a careful analysis of the feasibility, market potential, and alignment with your personal interests and expertise.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each idea, considering factors such as market demand, competition, and your unique value proposition. It is crucial to choose an idea that not only fills a gap in the market but also resonates with your long-term vision and goals for the brand.

Making a decisive choice allows you to focus your efforts and resources on developing the chosen idea into a viable brand. This step involves committing to the concept and starting to shape it into a tangible brand identity. Begin by outlining the core aspects of your brand, including its mission, vision, and values.

This foundational work will guide all subsequent steps in the brand-building process, ensuring that your brand remains cohesive and aligned with its purpose as you move forward.

Deciding on your idea is a pivotal moment that transforms abstract concepts into a concrete plan, setting the stage for successful brand development.

Develop Your Idea Into a Brand

Once you have decided to pursue your specific idea and compiled all the data from your market research, you would spend time on developing your basic idea into a brand.

At the end of this step, you should have a basic layout and structure of your idea and where your brand would fit into the marketplace.

Phase 2: Brand Strategy

Developing a robust brand strategy is a critical step in building a successful brand. This phase involves defining how you will position your brand in the market, communicate your brand’s unique value proposition, and achieve long-term business goals.

A well-crafted brand strategy serves as a roadmap that guides all branding and marketing efforts, ensuring consistency and coherence in how your brand is perceived by your target audience.

The brand strategy phase includes several key components, such as identifying your target audience, understanding your competitive landscape, and articulating your brand’s mission, vision, and values. It also involves determining your brand positioning and creating a brand messaging framework that clearly communicates your brand’s promise and differentiators.

By carefully planning and strategizing during this phase, you lay the groundwork for a strong, cohesive brand identity that resonates with your audience and stands out in the marketplace.

What is a Brand Strategy and Why is it Important?

A brand strategy, or branding strategy, is the strategy used by a company to brand its products or services to allow for the most effective brand promise and positioning for the intended target audience of the particular products or services. The branding strategy best suited for a business will depend on the nature and scope of the brand and its products or services.

Types of Branding Strategies

Choosing the right branding strategy is essential for effectively positioning your brand in the market and resonating with your target audience. Different branding strategies can be employed based on the nature of your business, your goals, and the market environment. Understanding the various types of branding strategies helps you select the one that best aligns with your brand’s objectives and identity.

• Product Branding Strategy. Use to brand an individual product or individual products with their own unique branding, brand strategy, promise, and positioning in the market.
• Line Branding Strategy. Used by a company to brand a line of products or services, or multiple complementary lines of products or services while sharing the branding, brand strategy, promise, and positioning of the master brand.
• Range Branding Strategy. Used to brand a range of products or services that fall under the same area of competence, under their own unique brand with their own brand strategy, promise, and positioning, while also still being tied to the overall strategy and positioning of the master brand.
• Umbrella Branding Strategy. Used to brand a multitude of products or services, lines of products or services, or ranges of products or services, under one umbrella brand, all leveraging the overall brand strategy, promise, and positioning of the master or umbrella brand.
• Endorsed Branding Strategy.

For more, check out our complete guide on Brand Strategy.

Phase 3: Brand Identity

Once your foundations are solidly in place, it’s time to design and build your brand, just like you would your dream house.

This phase involves all of the creative designing as you work to create a visual representation of your brand’s personality, values and brand positioning in the marketplace.

Creating a brand identity involves the following 4 steps:

1. Defining your brand – personality, emotions, values, brand positioning statement, voice, etc
2. Designing your brand – logo, colors, fonts, etc
3. Deploying your brand – brand style guide, collaterals, etc.
4. Your digital brand – website, social media, SEO, etc.

Before we get into the finer details, let’s take a quick look at what exactly a brand identity is and why it’s important for your business.

What Makes a Brand Identity?

The various elements that make up a brand’s identity include:

• Name
• Personality
• Emotions
• Values
• Audience
• Differentiators
• Brand Positioning
• Mission Statement
• Tagline
• Brand Voice
• Brand Architecture
• Visual Identity
  • Colors
  • Typography
  • Shape
  • Icon
  • Logo (symbol)
  • Design Element (Secondary Brand Mark)
  • Imagery Style

When it comes to branding, the key lies in the word “cohesive”, and it is therefore critical to make sure your brand’s visual identity matches all of the other elements in your overall brand identity.

Define Your Brand

Defining your brand is a crucial step and forms the foundation on which your entire company will be built, along with your short and long term goals, and strategies.

Think of it as the laying of the foundation when building a house. Your entire brand identity and all your future marketing efforts will be based on how you defined your brand in this step. You should, therefore, spend the time and effort to get this part right to put your brand on the right track.

This step involves defining your audience to have a clear idea of the consumers who will most likely be engaging with your brand or the customers you want to attract to your brand.

Defining your brand involves creating/defining the following aspects of your brand:

• Name.
• Personality. A brand personality is the set of human attributes associated with your brand that your customers can relate to.
• Emotions. Knowing what kinds of emotions your brand elicits in your customer are valuable data points for you to be aware of and capitalize on.
• Values. Your brand’s core values are the things that you, as a brand and company as a whole, believe in, represent, and stand for.
• Audience. It is imperative to have a deep understanding of the specific type of customer you want to sell your products or services to and know exactly how to communicate with them
• Differentiators. The key differentiators that make your brand stand out from the competition in the marketplace.
• Brand Positioning. A brand positioning statement is a unique, 1-2 sentence statement that in the simplest, yet most comprehensive way describes the service or product that your brand delivers to your specific target audience in a way that is unique in the marketplace and thereby differentiating you from your competitors.
• Mission Statement. Your brand’s mission statement basically defines the purpose for your brand’s existence.
• Tagline. A tagline is a short, memorable phrase that encapsulates the core of what your brand represents.
• Brand Voice. Your brand voice is the way in which you communicate with your audience and the tone of that communication.
• Brand Architecture. Similar to something like a family tree, brand architecture is a system that organizes a brand family in a way to show the complete structure of a brand and how it all fits together. It also helps customers to make sense of a brand.

Design Your Brand

The design step is where your brand’s visual identity is created, which would be a visual representation of your brand’s core principles, values, personality, and positioning.

Your brand’s visual identity is one of the most important components of the overall brand identity, because it is the visual representation of your brand and the one thing that will be seen by everyone in the marketplace. It is therefore critical to get it right and be the embodiment of who are as a brand.

Your brand’s visual identity is made up of the following:

• Colors
• Typography
• Shape
• Icon
• Logo (symbol)
• Design Element (Secondary Brand Mark)
• Imagery Style

Deploy Your Brand

Once you have your brand’s visual identity designed, you need to deploy the visual concepts to all of your brand’s various collaterals that you would be using.

These collaterals include things like business cards, letterheads, envelopes, invoices, company brochures, promotional flyers, signages, email signatures, uniforms, advertisements, etc.

Build Your Digital Brand

We are living in a digital age and it is crucial for any brand to have a solid digital presence and to utilize this medium to its fullest.

Many brands would be exclusively digital, online businesses and would not need the deployment step.

This step includes the designing and development of websites, social media accounts, social media marketing campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), etc.

For more, check out our complete guide on creating a Brand Identity.

Phase 4: Brand Management

The third phase is where you have to deliver your brand to the marketplace through marketing and awareness campaigns, digital marketing campaigns, product launches, store openings, etc.

I have created the four steps in this phase as a big feedback loop from delivering your brand in the various campaigns, to driving those campaigns on the various media channels, to collecting and analyzing data to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your campaigns, directing and re-aligning the campaign elements in a way to be more effective in achieving the short and long term goals of your brand, to finally redesigning your campaigns based on the new directives and delivering your brand again.

But before that, let’s take a quick look at what brand management is and why is it important for your brand

What is Brand Management and Why is it Important?

Brand management is the process of developing and maintaining a brand so that it remains relevant, competitive, and aligned with the company’s goals. This involves overseeing all aspects of the brand, from its visual identity and messaging to customer perceptions and market positioning. Effective brand management ensures that a brand consistently delivers on its promise and stays true to its core values, fostering trust and loyalty among customers.

The importance of brand management cannot be overstated. A well-managed brand can enhance customer recognition, build credibility, and create emotional connections with the audience. It also helps in differentiating the brand from competitors, which is crucial in a crowded market. By continuously monitoring and adjusting brand strategies, businesses can adapt to changing market conditions, address challenges, and seize new opportunities, ensuring long-term success and growth.

Deliver Your Brand

This step is where you deliver your brand to the market through various campaigns and other methods.

Examples of these are traditional marketing campaigns, experiential marketing campaigns, digital marketing campaigns, search engine optimization, social media marketing campaigns, product launches, store openings, and can also include things like specific staff training on how to communicate with customers, specific promotions that communicate something about your brand, etc.

This step focusses on crafting the overall campaign strategies and designing of the campaign material and collaterals.

Drive Your Brand

Now that you have your campaign ready to be rolled out, you need to find the drive them through the right channels to achieve the goals set out for the individual campaigns.

The channel selection is set out as part of the overall campaign strategy from the previous step, but this step is about ensuring that all the relevant elements are driven through the various channels in the most effective way.

Analyzing Data

Once your campaigns and/or other initiatives have been working its magic in the marketplace, it is vital to assess the impact and effect of your efforts through various assessment methods to collect the necessary data to make your determinations.

The advantage that you would have from your digital marketing campaigns compared to more traditional methods, is the sheer volume and quality real-time data you can access to assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. You can also make fairly quick adjustments to your digital campaigns compared to more traditional marketing methods, which is why I always encourage my clients to invest in digital while it is still very inexpensive compares to traditional media.

Direct Your Marketing

Just like a director on a movie set will direct the actors until they get exactly what they are looking for from a scene, you need to re-align your marketing efforts for maximum effectiveness.

This step is all about strategizing the necessary adjustments needed to improve your marketing efforts in general or towards a specific campaign, after which you will loop back to the delivery step and start again.

For more, check out our complete guide on Brand Management.

Phase 5: Brand Image

Maintaining and enhancing your brand image requires continuous effort and strategic management. It involves monitoring how your brand is perceived, addressing any negative feedback, and consistently delivering on your brand promise. By cultivating a positive brand image, you can differentiate your brand from competitors, attract and retain customers, and drive long-term business success.

What is a Brand Image?

Brand image is the perception of your brand in the minds of consumers, shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and emotions associated with your brand. This final phase in the brand-building process focuses on ensuring that your brand is perceived positively and consistently by your target audience. A strong brand image is crucial for building trust, fostering loyalty, and creating a lasting impression in the marketplace.

Brand image is also:

• Character. It is essentially the character of a brand as seen through the eyes of its customers and the individual characteristics they associate with a brand.
• Connection. The connection that customers have with your brand and its personality.
• Emotional value. The emotional value customers derive from your brand that drives their motivations for buying your products or services and want to be associated with your brand.

Brand image goes beyond customers just buying your products or services. They also choose to buy into and associate themselves with the image that comes with that product or service.

It’s essential to keep all your brand elements, marketing, and messaging consistent because different people could perceive your brand differently.

A brand image is made up of specific or conceptual attributes that drive the reasons why customers choose to engage with your brand and buy your products or services.

The three types of benefits to these associated attributes are:

• Functional benefits – what you do better (than your competitors)
• Emotional benefits – how you make them feel better (than your competitors)
• Rational benefits/support – why they believe you (more than your competitors)

Examples of Brand Image

• Coca-cola is original with a unique taste and it’s associated with times of happiness, joy, and good experiences, shared with friends.
• Volvo is all about safety.
• Rolls-Royce is an ultra-luxury, exclusive brand enjoyed only by the wealthy and elite.

Why is Your Brand Image Important?

A strong, positive brand image can make or break a brand. Here are some benefits of having a good brand image and how it can positively impact your brand.

• Increases brand trust.
• Increases brand loyalty
• Inspires employees
• Attracts new customers
• Easily introduce new products or services.
• Provides valuable feedback
• Increases brand value

That being said, the flip side is also true in that having a bad brand image can negatively impact your brand and make it very difficult to perform well in the marketplace.

What Makes a Brand Image?

Brand image is essentially the end result of all of your branding and marketing efforts paying off once customers react to your products and services, and your brand, by engaging with your business.

There is most often a disconnect between a brand’s identity and its image, and it’s marketing efforts and messaging need to continuously recalibrated and realigned towards achieving this goal.

Similar to people and the impressions you have when first meeting them, customers’ first impression of your brand is very important for establishing a connection early on and leaving them with a positive image of your brand.

For more, check out our complete guide on Brand Image.

Conclusion

Building a brand from scratch is a comprehensive process that involves strategic planning, creative development, and consistent management. By following this step-by-step guide, you can navigate through the complexities of branding and establish a strong, cohesive brand that resonates with your target audience.

From discovering and deciding on your brand idea to developing a robust brand strategy, creating a compelling brand identity, managing your brand effectively, and cultivating a positive brand image, each phase is crucial in building a successful brand. Remember, branding is not a one-time effort but an ongoing journey that requires dedication, adaptability, and a clear vision.

By understanding and implementing the key elements and strategies discussed in this guide, you can create a brand that stands out in the marketplace, fosters trust and loyalty among customers, and drives long-term business success. Stay committed to your brand’s mission and values, and continuously strive to deliver exceptional experiences to your audience. With the right approach, your brand can achieve lasting recognition and impact.