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What you should know before you brand

You're excited, I get it. But first we are going to focus on some items that many new entrepreneurs tend to skip over.

Disclaimer

When we talk about T Swift’s brand, we’re not talking about her marketing—although her marketing moves have been really good.

Taylor’s marketing includes things like  jumping on relevant marketing trends, surprise album releases, collaborations, and fan engagement initiatives.

Her brand includes things like her core values, how she takes control of her narrative with lyrics and public statements, strong themes consistent throughout her work like empowerment, authenticity, and relatability.

Now…Let’s dive in further…

 

WHY IS TAYLOR SWIFT AN ICON?

  1. TAYLOR’S TRUE TO HER VALUES

Taylor embodies personally everything her brand is. Her whole life is her logo. (It’s no wonder she blew up more than ever during the most recent “Eras Tour”—her brand’s taken a lifetime to build.)

Take it, use it:

✅ Take center stage and make your brand personal. Use content that shows how your brand values match up with your personal values and opinions irl.

 

  1. TAYLOR’S A STORYTELLER

—and the story she’s telling is, women and girls can do whatever they want. You don’t have to do what others expect you to do.

Take it, use it:

✅ Whether on a deeper level or right on the surface, your brand can make a philosophical statement about how things ought to be. (E.g., women should write their own story instead of society writing it for them) People love to get behind a cause they believe in. So give them one.

 

  1. TAYLOR’S GOT HER FAN’S TRUST

Taylor has so much integrity to the core values of her brand that it doesn’t matter if we don’t love a new album, we’re going to try to give it a shot and respect it without letting it damage how we feel about the brand.

That’s the power of trust.

Take it, use it:

✅ If you’re nurturing your brand right, your fans can handle a product that flops without giving up their brand loyalty. That’s the magic of the “Taylor’s Versions.” It’s basically Taylor saying, here’s a version of that old song that’s even closer to the true brand that you love. Brilliant.

 

  1. TAYLOR LOVES HER FANS

She’s audience-centric. Taylor makes her fans a part of the brand by creating puzzles and dropping easter eggs meant to engage and entertain just them.

Take it, use it:

✅ Create inside jokes and “had-to-be-there’s” that make your audience feel special when they can participate in something only they would get. (Disclaimer: This is a brand-enhancement move that will work best once you already have a healthy, engaged following.)

 

  1. TAYLOR HAS THOUGHTS

We feel like we know who Taylor is, because she’s not shy about sharing her opinions with the world. She knows she can’t please everyone—but she engenders love from her following by being loudly authentic.

Take it, use it:

✅  Don’t avoid being opinionated because you know it won’t vibe with some people. Focus on your tribe and resonate with them. In a phrase, “have courage and be kind” when sharing your opinions online.

 

  1. TAYLOR CHALLENGES THE SYSTEM

Taylor’s a disruptor of the status quo. She makes it her job to test the boundaries of what she can do with her music. (Have you seen her music videos? “Bejeweled” is almost 6 minutes long and includes prelude and epilogue scenes with celebrity cameos.)

Take it, use it:

✅  Dream big. If something’s never been done before, but you think it would be a great value-add to your offering, just do it! Don’t let the status quo put you in a box.

 

Want to apply any of these winning strategies to your brand? I can help.

Schedule a Power Hour with me and we can brainstorm together how we can T. Swift-ify your brand.

SCHEDULE A POWER HOUR

New business owner? I get it, you’re super excited to launch your amazing business! I’m excited for you too! It’s only natural to start envisioning what your business will look like – your colors, your logo, the images on your social profile… keep all that in mind! First we are going to focus on some items that many new entrepreneurs tend to skip over, but is SO handy to have in place when we do talk about your band colors! 

Here is some helpful information to ensure you have everything that you need before you dive into the branding process. 

Did you know… ?

There are 3 “phases” of launching a business:

  1. Business Strategy
  1. Brand Strategy ( ← that’s me!)
  1. Marketing Strategy

All three phases overlap just a little bit, but this is the general flow for setting up a business for success. 

Below I will list some questions to answer (if you haven’t answered them already!). By working through each of these questions, you will build a stronger foundation for your business, and the two following phases of Brand Strategy and Marketing Strategy will be that much more effective! 

Which really means that you will be able to spring into success sooner and avoid backtracking 

Some questions to consider:

*Disclaimer* I am not an accountant nor an attorney and this should not be taken as legal advice. I highly recommend seeking out an accountant to answer any questions that you may have. 

Accounting 

  • What are my financial goals?
  • What is my plan to make sure I reach those financial goals? (be as detailed as possible)
  • What will my business name be? Is it legally registered? Can I secure a website domain and social handles under that name?
  • Do I need a business license/permit?
  • Do I need an EIN number?
  • Do I need to charge and report sales tax?
  • What is my budget for branding and marketing? (It is a good rule of thumb to budget 5-10% of your revenue goals for this)
  • Will I be managing others? Get their tax paperwork in order. Factor the cost of employees and/or outsourcing into the business budget

Other

  • What is my business model?
  • What are my sources of revenue? (Set short term and long term goals)
  • Set up a business email suite such as G-suite, to get an email that showcases your business domain name (i.e. steph@knittingpieces.com vs knittingpieces@gmail.com)
  • If applicable, what processes do I need to complete to develop my product?
  • Will I be forming any strategic partnerships? (investors, collaborators, etc)

Foundational Questions that also overlap with Brand Strategy

  • What is my motivation that will keep me running my business even when challenges arise? (Think non-monetary reasons)
  • Who do I really want to serve? Who do I not want to serve?
  • Who are my competitors?
  • Where do I sit in comparison to my competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
  • Where do I want to be with my business in the next 10 years?/ What is the end goal?

This is a basic overview of some foundational ideas that should be in place as early into the business-launching process as possible. You can always go back and change things around, but it’s much easier to get your business up and running efficiently when you start here!

Here are some really great resources that break down the different types of business strategies and how to write a business plan. Check them out!

Different Types of Business Strategies

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/business-strategy-examples

What is a business plan, why do I need one, and how do I write it?

https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan

Once you feel confident with this phase of the process, then you are ready to move forward to brand strategy! That is the phase where we will analyze what attracts your customer towards you and create a plan to make it happen.

Marketing Strategy encompasses all the details behind what you can do to get in front of your customers.

Need a recommendation?

Say no more, I’ve got you covered!

Recommendations for Marketing Specialists:

Catherine – Backpack Marketing https://www.backpackmarketing.com/

Abby – E-Studios Marketing Abby@theEstudios.com

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