Alex Marquez illustrates key branding concepts for startups and shares his experiences in building great brands. Alex encourages deep thought about what your product is and challenges entrepreneurs to consider their overall mission before attempting to forge their unique brand. This content was produced for the 2011 Singapore Spring semester of the Founder Institute by Founder Institute mentor Alex Marquez, founder of Propeller Fish and innovation strategy expert. Check out Alex's Linkedin to learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquezalex

1. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Brand Strategy 101!
(startup edition)!

2. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
A view from 50,000 feet!

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WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
(I can actually talk about whatever you like so feel free to interrupt)
01 A BIT ABOUT ME
02 A BIT OF THEORY
03 A BIT OF ACTION
03 BUTCHERING MY BRAND

4. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
A BIT ABOUT ME
The
Beach!
1997-1998
The Music
Business!
1999
Madison
Ave.!
2000-2005
Innovation
Shop!
2005-2008
Branding
Agency!
2009

5. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
STUFF I DID ALONG THE WAY
CLIENTS AT MY STARTUP
CLIENTS FROM MY PAST LIFE

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AN OBVIOUS DISCLAIMER
I’m not a naming and branding person.!

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ANOTHER DISCLAIMER

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Let’s play a game.!

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LET’S PLAY A GAME

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LET’S PLAY A GAME

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LET’S PLAY A GAME

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LET’S PLAY A GAME

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LET’S PLAY A GAME

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SO WHAT’S A BRAND?

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Alex’s oversimplified history of
commerce!
(brace yourself)!

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THE BEGINNING
I
have
tools.
I
need
tools.
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF CHOICE
I
have
tools
too.
$$
$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF THE EMPOWERED CUSTOMER
I
have
tools
too.
So?
$$
$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF COMPETITION
I
mean…
My
tools
are
be#er.
$$
$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF CONSUMER APATHY
They
look
the
same
to
me
$$
$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF COMMODITIZATION
Well
my
tools
are
cheaper
$
$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF PRICE WARS
My
tools
are
even
cheaper
$
$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF PRICE WARS
My
tools
are
even
cheaper
$
$
Deal.
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF THE BRAND
My
tools
are
for
people
who
know
how
to
use
tools.
$$$$
$
$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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THE DAWN OF THE BRAND
Ooh.
I
want
to
be
one
of
those
people.
My
tools
are
for
people
who
know
how
to
use
tools.
$$$$
Image credit: tin7_creations

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There’s a lot of misperception out there by people who say…!
…not really.
WHAT’S A BRAND?
A logo!
A user interface!
An ad!
A tag line!
A color!
A name!

27. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
There’s a lot of misperception out there by people who say…!
A logo!
A user interface!
An ad!
A tag line!
A color!
A name!
…not really.
WHAT’S A BRAND?
These are the ways brands both express and build
themselves.

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Those are just expressions of a brand
“A brand is the consumer’s idea of a
product”
- David Ogilvy
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Wise words from an ad guy…!
WHAT’S A BRAND?

29. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Those are just expressions of a brand
“(Brands) create the third, intangible
step in the adding of value. Take
water and sugar: they are
commodities. Process them into
Cola Drinks, and you have products.
Market and promote them into
Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola and you
have brands.”
- The Economist: The Year of the
Brand
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Wise words from the Economist…!
WHAT’S A BRAND?

30. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
Those are just expressions of a brand
“A brand is a living entity, it is enriched or
undermined cumulatively over time, the
product of a thousand small gestures”
Michael Eisner (Disney CEO)
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
Wise words from the guys who bring you Mickey…!
WHAT’S A BRAND?
*This is my favorite definition!

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Product
Ads
Partners
Design
Name
Events
People
Brand Idea
Space
PR
Pricing
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
The glue that hold each of these “gestures” together!
GREAT BRANDS HAVE A CENTRAL GUIDING IDEA
User Interface
Logo
Font
Users

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Brand Idea:!
Tools for the
mind that advance
humankind
In the simplest terms…!
THAT IDEA GOVERNS EACH GESTURE

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Brand Idea:
Tools for the
mind that advance
humankind
Copyright Propellerfish 2010
In the simplest terms…!
MEANWHILE, EACH GESTURE DEFINES THE BRAND

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Everything communicates.!
SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND

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What does this font choice say about
Apple?

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Think different.

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What does this style of photography say about Apple?

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What does this style of photography say about Apple?
What do the materials they use to
build their stores say about them?

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What do the people who work there communicate about the brand?
Photo credit: flickr.com/DaveMN

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Why does my startup need a brand?!

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Distance elasticity!
The distance people are
willing to drive to a…
Good will elasticity!
“I couldn’t get home to see
my family over the holidays,
but JetBlue’s a good airline.
They did what they could.”
-JetBlue Passenger
“I
couldn’t
get
home
for
the
holidays.
I
know
the
weather
was
bad,
but
Delta
are
bastards.
I
hate
them.”
-­‐JetBlue
Passenger
Passenger quotes during
the same snowstorm
Price elasticity!
$35 USD
$135 USD
Jeans are jeans?
People will part with more for a brand.!
BECAUSE BRANDS CREATE ELASTICITY

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Brands are business tools.!
SOMETHING MANY BRANDING PEOPLE FORGET

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So how do I build a great brand?!

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What’s your business up against?!
START BY ASKING YOURSELF THIS QUESTION
I’m a new player and
people might not trust
me.!
I’m creating something
entirely new and need people
to understand what I do.!
What I do will change
people’s lives but it’s
tough to understand at
first.!
What we’re selling isn’t for
everybody – we need to make
sure the people who try us
first are the right people.!
There are other businesses out there
like us and we need people to know
that we’re different.!

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Where is a brand most likely to help?!
THEN ASK YOURSELF THIS…

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LAY DOWN YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM
Startups are in a position to build
their brand from the inside out.!
Start with the people who are
founding the business, their vision
for how they plan to change the
world and what they’re most
passionate about.!
If you’re only in it to make money
you’re going to suck at this part.!

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HOW WE DID AN OKAY(ISH) JOB OF IT AT PROPELLERFISH

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LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL

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LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL

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LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL

51. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
LOOK HARD AT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL

52. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
THEN LAY DOWN YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM
Our belief system would look something like…!
1. We bring freshness of thought to organizations that feel stale!
2. We bring energy that helps accelerate thinking and ideas from
workshop to store shelf!
3. We bring a level of polish and precision that can only be delivered
by doing one project at a time.!
4. We bring a rigor that’s missing from most other agencies!
5. We operate on the belief that the best creativity is commercial
creativity.!
6. We believe in only working with clients who are comfortable
collaborating with us as partners.!

53. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
WHAT BUSINESS ARE YOU IN?
We’re technically in the innovation business but
we like to think of it as though… !
We are an opportunity development business.!

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DEFINE YOUR MISSION
We are in the business of helping the world
unleash its potential.!

55. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
SAY IT WITH MORE THAN WORDS
Credit: Maria Horn (www.mariahorn.com)

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1. What are you setting out to build?
2. What’s your mission
3. Who are you targeting?
4. What’s their key painpoint?
5. How do you address it?
6. What do you stand for?
Start by asking yourself these questions!
NOW YOU TRY…

57. Copyright Propellerfish Private Limited 2011
HOMEWORK
1. Create a brief for your business using the questions
on the previous page (this will help you describe
your brand to other people)!
2. Rewrite that brief without words using pictures,
fonts, sounds, materials, etc. (this will help you
brief designers)!
3. Generate a list of words that encapsulate that brief
in its entirety - at least 100. (this will be a helpful
start point for your naming process)!

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DISCUSSION
Let’s talk.!

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KEEP IN TOUCH.
Let’s talk more.!
alex@propellerfish.com!
@alex__marquez!
(_x2)!