how to build a social startup brand

@sambrennand @SMU_Ryerson @vapartners

Join the Conversation: #SMUGEW13

Building a Social Startup Brand

September 23rd, 2013

Why We’re Here

1 Introductions 45

Why does brand matter?

How do you do it?

3 What’s a social brand?

2 What is a brand?

6 What’s unique about building a social brand?

• Marketing Manager, Venture Accelerator

Partners• B2B marketing and sales

roles with University of Waterloo, TELUS,

Microsoft Canada, and Steelcase

Introductions

Sam Brennand

• Outsourced sales, marketing, and social media services for startups and growing companies

• Worked with dozens of companies to build brands and drive millions of dollars in revenue

VA Partners

What is a brand?

Your NameYour LogoYour SloganYour WebsiteYour ColoursYour ProductsYour Services

What it’s not…

‘The space you own in your customer’s mind’

When it comes to your customers, you can never take anything for granted.

What is a social brand?

‘‘recognize social problems and use entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage ventures to realize social change.’’

Social Entrepreneurs

A social brand is a brand that serves a conduit between a business and something more.

All over the world, social entrepreneurship is exploding.

82%30k$40B

Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They

will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.

“”

Why does brand matter?

Nothing can help you scale a business faster than a great brand.

The question isn’t how to build a social brand. It’s how to build a purpose-driven brand. How do you use your core values to solve problems?

How do you do it?

PASSION

PEOPLE

CUSTOMER

As with everything in business, a great brand starts by understanding your customers.

CUSTOMERCUSTOMER

Every brand can sell an idea. Not every brand can sell its purpose.

CUSTOMERCUSTOMERCUSTOMER

Promise: How?Personality: Who?Positioning: Why?

CUSTOMER

A brand is a summation of experiences.

CUSTOMER

Connected experiences must occur at every customer touchpoint.

It’s about the why, not only the what.

What’s unique about building a social brand?

PASSION

PEOPLE

CUSTOMER

Passion

People

It takes a village to build a brand, but it takes a founder to lead a brand.

Trust & Authenticity

Key Takeaways

1 Your brand is the space you rent in your customers mind

Social content is more about why than what Social brands differ from regular brands in the level of passion and involvement of its founders and people, and the levels of trust and authenticity required to scale to success

3 All great brands, especially social ones, integrate their marketing tactics to create interconnected experiences at every customer touchpoint

Start your brand building process by understanding two important things – your target customers and your purpose

Thank you.Questions?

how to build a social startup brand

Marketing

choosing brand elements to build brand equity · choosing...

how to build your startup team & advisors

how to build a cockroach startup

build the business or build the brand?

choosing brand elements to build brand …...choosing brand...

how to build an epic startup culture

variobrands startup idea = brand idea

how to create startup brand?

startup series: building brand identity

build your brand to build your business

tmk.edu startup + brand collaborations: october 2016

startup of product brand - hera

build your brand

how to build a startup?

building your startup brand

how to build an awesome brand - startup seminars

build your brand, build your business, build your legacy

build your own multistack js startup

build a successful startup! - day three

start, build and grow with...