Branding, a commonly used term throughout the business world, essentially means to create an identifiable entity that makes a promise of value. While branding is not an easy task, it’s one that should be taken very seriously. Numerous startups try, but many fail at creating a successful brand. Here’s how to avoid some common pitfalls and branding mistakes.
1. Don’t Forget to Trademark
Have you registered your brand’s trademark yet? If not, you’re not alone -- many brand owners fail to do so. However, as soon as you create a brand, it’s important to file a record of the trademark itself under your name with the right government offices.
“Deal with every single infraction of your brand use guidelines and any possible violation of your trademark. If you don’t, you may lose the chance to take any action at all. The point of your trademark is to protect your brand reputation, and keep the competition from copying your work or diluting your brand value. Make sure it does that by addressing infractions.”
2. Do Your Research
Before you choose a name, logo, look, and voice for your brand, do thorough research online. Not only will this help you make the right choices, it could also help protect you against infringing on the intellectual property rights of others.
“Use Google for your research, and when it comes to choosing names, domains, and other branding elements, also search visitcopyright.gov before you make permanent branding decisions.”
3. Choose a Good Domain Name
One of the most important elements of your branding is the right choice of domain name. You want something that reflects your company’s name, but nothing that’s too long, too confusing, or too irrelevant.
“First, make sure you get a good domain name extension. The most popular right now are “.com” and “.co” for general business. But there are many new options out there. There is nothing wrong with picking an industry-specific or even country-specific domain. In general, avoid dashes or numbers in your domain name, and make sure it’s easy to spell. You can also check for similar social media profile URLs.”
4. Pick a Unique Name
Choosing the right name for your business seems simple enough, but before you even start brainstorming names, you need figure out what your company is really about. Also, be careful not to pick a name that’s already popular or has some seriously negative online history.
“Don’t forget, a name that’s too close for comfort may be infringing. Imagine building up your business for 10 years only to find out that you are no longer able to use that name.”
5. Carefully Choose Style Features
Before choosing your brand’s colors, it’s a good idea to know the meaning of them. Have a consistent visual picture and logo that comes to represent your company. The graphics and visuals that represent your brand evoke an emotional response in clients and potential customers.
“Choosing colors, images and other visuals that just don’t work with what you’re doing can dead-end your branding strategy. For example, pink may be your favorite color, but it may work against your new software brand.”
6. Check Cultural Significance of the Name
Your name says a lot about your startup. Be sure to check every reiteration, reference, stigma, or foreign swear word that could be associated with your name, or else you could end up in hot water with another country.
“Content can go viral in hours, so don’t set yourself up for an embarrassing failure in the cultural awareness department. Make sure to review how your name is interpreted in all the major countries you will be doing business in.”
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