How to: Brand Identity for Hardtech Startups
5 TIPS ON BRAND IDENTITY FOR HARDTECH STARTUPS
You've poured your heart, soul and endless hours in the development of your startup and prototypes, but at some point the critical question comes up: How do you make sure the world knows about it? These are the 5 most important tips on how to successfully develop your brand identity from our brand and design expert Gabriela Corral!
You’ve poured your heart, soul and endless hours in the development of your startup and prototypes, but at some point the critical question comes up: How do you make sure the world knows about it? These are the 5 most important tips on how to successfully develop your brand identity from our brand and design expert Gabriela Corral!
In the world of hardware and hardtech startups the journey is often marked by countless prototypes, sleepless nights, and a relentless pursuit of perfection in the development. But picture this: you’ve spent countless hours perfecting your product, meticulously crafting its design and functionality. You’ve poured your heart and soul into creating something extraordinary, but here’s the critical question: How do you make sure the world knows about it? This is where branding and brand identity comes in.
A strong brand identity acts as a compass, guiding your decisions and shaping your company culture. It helps you make consistent and coherent choices that align with your core values and resonate with your customers.
In this blog post, we’re diving deep into the importance of branding for hardware startups. We’ll explore what makes up a brand identity, unravel the do’s and don’ts of crafting a compelling business brand and provide you with special hardware specific tips that will help you in the ways of creating a successful brand for your hardware startup.
GET TO KNOW GABRIELA CORRAL
Gabriela Corral, Founder and Creative Director of Tukuna Studio, is an expert in everything around branding and design!
Gabriela Corral, Founder and Creative Director of Tukuna Studio, is an expert in everything around branding, brand identity and design!
But first, we want to introduce you to our guide through this branding journey, Gabriela Corral, the founder and Creative Director of Tukuna Studio, a remote design studio based in our vibrant and creative city of Berlin. With over 10 years of experience in design, strategy and creative direction, Gabriela is a true innovative creative focused on helping startups and companies to be present in the digital world with a professional and customized website, app, and brand design that make them feel proud of their business and helps to connect with their client.
These are her 5 most important tips for your hardware and hardtech startup to successfully design a unique brand identity:
Ready to embark on this branding adventure? Let’s dive in and discover how a strong brand can help you make your hardware startup successful and more visible.
BRAND IDENTITY
Why is brand identity important for your startup?
Why is brand identity important for your startup?
How do you differentiate yourself from competitors? How do you communicate your unique value proposition effectively? This is where branding comes in. A strong brand identity sets you apart from the crowd, allowing you to connect with your target audience on a deeper level. It builds trust, loyalty, and credibility, which are essential elements for the success and growth of your hardware startup.
WHAT IS A BRAND IDENTITY COMPOSED OF?
A brand identity is like a family of different visual elements that together visually represent your business. The logo, color palette, typography, shapes and patterns, photo, illustration, and icon style are parts of it. All of them should communicate a cohesive message, and be present in any application you do. There are constants and variables. The constants are for example the color palette, and the font that you use, this should always be the same no matter the application, and the variants are for example the composition.
DO'S AND DON'TS FOR A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP BRAND
The identity of your brand is not just a logo, it’s your connection to the world, to investors, customers, and everyone who matters. So let’s explore together the most important 5 dos and donts of startup branding and developing your own brand identity!
STRATEGY IS KEY!
“Don’t start a brand identity design without strategy.”
Developing a strategy for your brand is indispensable as it serves as a guideline, setting the path for visual design and brand communication. Without a clear strategy, achieving consistency, originality, and a deeper connection with the audience can be challenging, which is crucial for the success of a hardware startup. “A strategy gives you the guidelines and the path for any visual. Plan and do a strategy session with your designer, or even by yourself if you are in a very early stage.” says Gabriela Corral.
Here you can find a template to start working on your brand strategy: https://www.tukunastudio.com/freebies/brand-strategy-template
BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR BRAND IDENTITY AND DESIGN!
“Don’t have inconsistency in the brand identity applications of your company!” People will not be able to recognize your business if you are inconsistent in your brand and visuals. Nowadays nobody takes or even has enough time while scrolling through Social Media or the world wide web to guess whose company the content or post is about. Your brand and the elements of your branding should be easy to recognize even if the content is not consciously perceived and analyzed.
“Do have consistency following the constants and variants of your brand. And provide your team with the access to the brand identity guidelines of your hardtech startup, so everyone knows how to use the brand elements such as logos or colors correctly. It’s a good idea as well to develop some templates for presentations or social media together with a designer.”
DON'T COPY BRAND ELEMENTS OF OTHER COMPANIES!
Your startup deserves a unique identity that sets it apart in the competitive landscape. While it might be tempting to copy parts of the brand identity that seems successful in others, doing so can have negative consequences for your own brand. Every company is unique and has its own values, mission and vision. Copying another company’s brand can weaken your startup’s authenticity and prevent it from effectively communicating its unique value proposition. Moreover, it can lead to confusion among customers, who may struggle to differentiate your brand from the one you’ve imitated.
“Don’t copy others! But you can be inspired by what other brands are doing great and implement some ideas within your own brand identity.” By doing so, you can adapt and refine these ideas to align with your startup’s core values and objectives. This approach ensures that your brand remains genuine and resonates authentically with your target audience.
DON'T FEAR INVESTING INTO YOUR BRAND IDENTITY!
Investing in branding from the beginning onwards can help your startup to establish a strong market presence and grow faster. So, “don’t fear to invest once your idea is validated. Do invest in the brand design, as this is how your business will be presented to the world, investors, your customers and every other important group of people. Always have in mind that only a logo on a tshirt changes the perception and the cost of it.”
PSST...GABY'S SPECIAL TIP FOR HARDWARE STARTUPS!
“While founding your own hardware startup, you should be aware of the consistency of the brand identity, not just in the digital world, but also in the physical world. Think not just about having a great visual brand, but also about each customer touchpoint. Take also the packaging, the store aesthetic and everything around in consideration. All these touchpoints will influence the perception of your business and your own brand!”
THE BOTTOM LINE
A strong brand identity sets you apart, establishing trust, loyalty, and credibility - cornerstones of your startup's growth.
A strong brand identity sets you apart, establishing trust, loyalty, and credibility – cornerstones of your startup’s growth.
With Gabriela Corral‘s invaluable insights, you’ve learned the essence of a successful branding strategy:
- Strategy is Key: Develop a clear strategy as your brand’s foundation, providing the path for visual consistency and audience connection.
- Be Consistent: Inconsistency in brand identity can lead to unclarity. Consistency across all brand elements helps ensure recognition and brand integrity.
- Don’t Copy, Be Inspired: Instead of copying others, draw inspiration from successful brands. Design your own unique brand!
- Embrace Investment: Don’t shy away from investing in your brand. It’s an essential aspect of presenting your business to the world and can profoundly impact perception and growth.
Additionally, Gabriela shares a special tip: Beyond the digital realm, consider the physical world. The consistency of your brand identity, from packaging to store aesthetics, influences how your business is perceived.
By following these tips, you have a very good foundation to ensure that your hardware startup becomes not just visible but unforgettable!
With Gabriela Corral‘s invaluable insights, you’ve learned the essence of a successful branding strategy:
- Strategy is Key: Develop a clear strategy as your brand’s foundation, providing the path for visual consistency and audience connection.
- Be Consistent: Inconsistency in brand identity can lead to unclarity. Consistency across all brand elements helps ensure recognition and brand integrity.
- Don’t Copy, Be Inspired: Instead of copying others, draw inspiration from successful brands. Design your own unique brand!
- Embrace Investment: Don’t shy away from investing in your brand. It’s an essential aspect of presenting your business to the world and can profoundly impact perception and growth.
Additionally, Gabriela shares a special tip: Beyond the digital realm, consider the physical world. The consistency of your brand identity, from packaging to store aesthetics, influences how your business is perceived.
By following these tips, you have a very good foundation to ensure that your hardware startup becomes not just visible but unforgettable!
