Why Branding Matters for Tech Startups

For businesses just starting out, branding can seem like a challenge for later — especially when you have a great product or service to hone. However, the faster you can get your branding together, the faster you can start making an impact in your market. This leads you to more clients, more profitable investments, and the opportunity to create more amazing products that help realize your business’s vision. Arch Collective explores the importance of branding for startups and steps your company can take to stand out from the competition.

What’s in a Brand?

Think about the companies you engage with every day of your life. Your car manufacturer, your smartphone maker, and even your favorite soda all have one thing in common: Something about their brand made you choose the one you have over every other brand out there. This differentiator could be a great brand message, such as associating a drink with joy and fantasy (see Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic” campaign) or making you feel competitive about your choice of car — like the Mercedes-Benz “Best or Nothing” slogan that implies you’re better off with no car at all if you don’t choose its option.

Of course, B2B marketing is also about problem-solving. It goes beyond improving an individual's day-to-day life and into how this product or service can help another business succeed, grow, or save time and money. Great current B2B marketing campaigns include organizational tools, like Asana or Monday, that focus on hooking decision-makers in with promises of increased productivity via an easy-to-use interface.  Despite the professional nature of the product, the branding is bright, colorful, and eye-catching, and the advertisements show a diverse range of people using the products in a business environment.

Great visuals can be a fantastic differentiator for B2B marketers, such as an eye-catching logo, font, or a particular style used in social media marketing. Having something that uniquely belongs to your company creates a brand that, over time, becomes synonymous with your business. Soon, other businesses only need to see that particular branding style to know that the company behind it is yours. The more recognizable you become as a provider of services within your industry, the more difficult it is for competitors to lure your customers or potential buyers away.

Why Start Branding Now?

Knowing that a brand gains momentum over time can cause startups to fall into the trap of thinking there’s no rush to get started. The opposite is true. You want to start building that momentum right now. Doing so ensures that by the time you’re looking for Series-B funding and beyond, your brand has created a snowball effect of gaining engagements and positive feedback.

Beyond creating better investment opportunities for your company, the right branding expertise helps you become a stand-out option for the consumers or businesses who will ultimately benefit from your products or services. It’s a busy market, especially for new digital offerings. The PropTech market is heading for a value of $86.5 billion, FinTech is exploding as traditional financial institutions scramble to keep pace with progress, and there are new innovations monthly within InsurTech. It’s never been more important to find the right ways to differentiate yourself from the competition and grab investors’ and consumers’ attention right from the start.

Quick Tips for Building a Successful Brand

Bring an expert on board — A fractional CMO is a temporary addition to your C-suite that brings top-level marketing expertise to help you create a lasting and impactful brand.

Research — What are your customers really looking for from your product? Appeal to their needs, and create your brand messaging around solving their problems.

Company values — Make sure your brand is in line with company values, and really live those values. Research from Stackla shows that 88% of consumers value authenticity highly when choosing what brands they engage with, especially when it comes to visual content. Consumers expect social media stories, videos, and images to carry meaningful messages and be relevant to them — more so now than pre-pandemic.

Final Word

As a startup with a groundbreaking idea, you don’t need to go it alone regarding branding. Here at Arch Collective, we’ve developed a branding package specifically for early-stage startups, aimed at helping you cut through the noise and stand out in your industry. This unique proposition looks at all aspects of your brand, from the company name to visual assets, and helps you create a carefully articulate brand story and transform your content marketing strategy. Find out more about our exclusive branding package or book a 15-minute introductory call with our startup-focused marketing team, who will connect you to the right freelancer or solutions for your venture.

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