 "Discover the soul of your brand")
Launching a brand isn't an overnight process; however, if you follow a step-by-step brand launch strategy and know a few key tips and tricks, you can get your new brand from ideation to market within just a few months.
Here are the keys to help rock your brand launch strategy:
Discovering the soul of your brand
Establish who you are and why a consumer should care by creating your 'brand platform'. It's in this phase when you can narrow in on your target audience and really begin to formulate a brand concept that will appeal to them. Always remember, it's about them, not you. Everything about your brand from the name you will choose, the colors associated with your brand to the language you speak (a.k.a your 'brand voice') must appeal to your target audience. Your 'brand platform' should be developed into a written document, or manifesto, that you refer to religiously throughout the brand launch process.
Naming your company
Choosing a name could be one of the most challenging aspects of your brand launch strategy. A good name should be easy to pronounce, connect with your audience, tell a story, and you should own the intellectual property rights for the name. Don't be afraid to go through hundreds of names before settling on the perfect one.
It's at this early stage in the process that you should post your LaunchRock page and begin building your fan base. What if you decide to change your name? The benefit of LaunchRock is that you can always create a new splash page in minutes at your new url, and simply carry over your mailing list that you've already started building. Just make sure to send out an email campaign to your current subscribers notifying them of this exciting evolution in your brand launch process.
Designing your brand identity
Simplicity in design and depth in message are key to a successful identity. Ensure that it's something timeless: now is not the time to be hip. Save that for your one-off marketing campaigns. Your identity design should be built to last. Once your logo design is completed, add it to your LaunchRock page and email your fans with a sweepstakes alerting them of the new design. They'll be overjoyed to be a part of your brand creation process if you give them something in return. Freebies always go a long way.
Establishing your brand further online
Now that you have your great company name, brand identity, and you're already ahead of the game building your mailing list through your LaunchRock splash page, you can begin the design and development of your website. Once your full website is complete, you should have a fair amount of early adopters in your mailing list that will be excited to hear the good news of your official website launch. Two tips for your website creation journey: 1) start with interactive wireframes and 2) ensure simplicity in UI and UX.
Here are the keys to help rock your brand launch strategy:
Discovering the soul of your brand
Establish who you are and why a consumer should care by creating your 'brand platform'. It's in this phase when you can narrow in on your target audience and really begin to formulate a brand concept that will appeal to them. Always remember, it's about them, not you. Everything about your brand from the name you will choose, the colors associated with your brand to the language you speak (a.k.a your 'brand voice') must appeal to your target audience. Your 'brand platform' should be developed into a written document, or manifesto, that you refer to religiously throughout the brand launch process.
Naming your company
Choosing a name could be one of the most challenging aspects of your brand launch strategy. A good name should be easy to pronounce, connect with your audience, tell a story, and you should own the intellectual property rights for the name. Don't be afraid to go through hundreds of names before settling on the perfect one.
It's at this early stage in the process that you should post your LaunchRock page and begin building your fan base. What if you decide to change your name? The benefit of LaunchRock is that you can always create a new splash page in minutes at your new url, and simply carry over your mailing list that you've already started building. Just make sure to send out an email campaign to your current subscribers notifying them of this exciting evolution in your brand launch process.
Designing your brand identity
Simplicity in design and depth in message are key to a successful identity. Ensure that it's something timeless: now is not the time to be hip. Save that for your one-off marketing campaigns. Your identity design should be built to last. Once your logo design is completed, add it to your LaunchRock page and email your fans with a sweepstakes alerting them of the new design. They'll be overjoyed to be a part of your brand creation process if you give them something in return. Freebies always go a long way.
Establishing your brand further online
Now that you have your great company name, brand identity, and you're already ahead of the game building your mailing list through your LaunchRock splash page, you can begin the design and development of your website. Once your full website is complete, you should have a fair amount of early adopters in your mailing list that will be excited to hear the good news of your official website launch. Two tips for your website creation journey: 1) start with interactive wireframes and 2) ensure simplicity in UI and UX.
The author is Fabian Geyrhalter, principal, brand launch consultancy FINIEN. Re-printed with permission.