Differentiate or die. That’s the mountain that all tech startups must climb. I wrote an article about it and BuiltIn.com was kind enough to publish it.
When the Product Does All the Talking, Where Does Brand Marketing Fit In?
In the article, I discuss how the cultures of an agency that builds brands and tech startups are fundamentally on separate pages.
Going to market with a minimum viable product is common practice, but it’s not good for a new brand. From a brand impression perspective, anything you do that is underwhelming is a major ding to your image. Yes, iterating rapidly is required, but in brand communications, you do not “move fast and break stuff.” You make a map of the customer journey and meet your VIPs (a.k.a. customers) at every step along the purchase consideration path.
My team moves faster than most. We are lean and we can do that. Even so, we follow a well-developed process that produces desired results, and it all takes time. And time requires trust, a financial investment, and a long-term vision.
Who has time for such things?
Companies that invest in ‘brand’ and truly care about the experiences they create for customers are the companies worth significantly more at the end of the day. This is why it’s worth it and why great brands make the time and invest the money to do it right. They’re playing the long game.