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Welcome to our very first Small Business Message! Thank you all for being here. 

Let’s jump right in.

At this point in the English language, the word “brand” has taken on a meaning that we understand intuitively. You can drop the word “brand” into any conversation and people will know exactly what you are talking about.

This wasn’t always the case. The reflexive understanding of a brand and of “branding” is actually relatively new, not even 100 years old. It is definitely a by-product of about 60 - 70 years of a consumer based economic worldview. So while we may have grown up with these ideas surrounding us like a fish in water, to the point that we don’t even really notice that they are there, brands and branding deserve a little unpacking before we go any further.

This topic is broken into two parts. In today’s newsletter we’re focusing on theory. We'll discuss what brands are, where they came from and how you can start thinking about your brand: the brand that you are going to create and release into the world. In our next newsletter (you can expect it on the second Wednesday in March), we'll be talking about more material concerns like logos, design, and packaging. 

What is a Brand?

This may seem to be sort of a silly rhetorical question after we just got through talking about how the concept of branding has become culturally ubiquitous. 

But on some level, this is why we need to talk about it. Because we may be harboring some of our own assumptions and misconceptions, and in order to communicate clearly about this idea, we need to be on the same page.

So, starting at the top:

A brand is not a product, it is also not the company that makes the product, although sometimes those words and concepts get used interchangeably.

For instance: do you drink soda-pop?

Think of a fountain soda that you either enjoy drinking or used to enjoy. Well, there are probably different versions of that drink right? There is probably the standard drink, then a diet or zero sugar formula. There may be a version with a vanilla twist, or with extra caffeine. 

Each of these sub-drinks, each one of these individual flavors, is a product. 

These individual products are sorted into a conceptual umbrella that is a brand.

This brand is owned and managed by a company.

What makes this sort of confusing is that sometimes the company, the brand and the product will all have the same, or similar names.

Think about the soft drink. Can you name a soft drink that shares a name with its parent brand and then with the company that owns it? It’s not a hard exercise. But it’s illustrative of the journey that you as a small business owner are going on.

Where do Brands Come From?

Here’s a brief history lesson that you may find instructive. 

Our world economy didn’t always work the way it does now. Sure, you have probably seen things change over the course of your lifetime. It’s easier for products to be made in Latin America for sale in the United States than it used to be, for instance. 

But the real change happened in the 1700s when the world began to move away from trading the agricultural goods necessary to make things locally, and started to trend towards finished products. (We say “began” because this was a slow process. It took around two hundred years for the economies of the world to transition into what we now call consumerism.)

So in the 1700’s, ready made products or the materials necessary to manufacture into products were shipped (see that word?) across the ocean in barrels and crates for storage. When these shipping vessels arrived at port, all the barrels and crates were loaded out on the dock. 

The way that you as a business person would make sure that your barrels and crates did not get mixed up and absconded with, was that you would show up to the dock with a branding iron, and you would burn a brand, meaning a symbol of your business, into the wooden side of the crates and barrels.

This might lead you to believe that a brand is a logo.

But you’d be wrong unfortunately. While a logo is part of a brand, just as a product is part of a brand, and a company is part of a brand, a logo does not a brand make.

A Brand is a Feeling

A feeling, or an idea? Maybe it’s both! Brands are a method that companies use to create relationships with their customers, just as much as to differentiate their products from that of their competitors. 

This is done by giving you an idea of what the brand means. This idea will inform your feelings about the brand. Don't you think so? 

Pick up a product from your favorite brand. It doesn’t matter what it is. Turn it over in your hand. What qualities do you ascribe to the product? How does that product make you feel?

Is it fun, youthful, buoyant, or cheery?

Is it strong, tough, rugged, or reliable?

Is it clever, charming, sexy, or affluent?

There is no end to the words that you can use to describe your nuanced feelings about a brand. And believe it: the colors, fonts, packaging and words chosen to embody that brand surrounding a product have been carefully crafted to make you feel that way.

What’s Your Brand?

So, now let’s do some brainstorming about the brand you want to create for the world. Every part of how your company interacts with others will be part of your brand. Get out a pad of paper and get ready to do some brainstorming!

Answer the following questions in a way that is meaningful to you:

What idea is my brand communicating? - The answer to this one is not “time to make money for me” , that is a happy side-effect of your brand’s products being out in the world. Your brand could be anything from, “Skin care is fun” to “everyone has the right to feel beautiful”. Write down what your values are as a company. What is the promise that you are making to the person who uses your product?

Hint: At Skin Actives our brand is meant to communicate science and education over fads. But…that’s not all. We also believe in real people having access to our products, and you shouldn’t have to be a model to feel beautiful. These messages are woven into everything we do. It’s part of our webpage, our newsletter and of course, our packaging.

What is my brand’s identity? - Take a deep breath. Read the following questions and close your eyes, summon up a picture in your mind’s eye of your perfect customer. These are the people you want to know, these are the people you want to help with your brand. These people and their lives will shape your brand’s identity. 

• Who will use these products? 
• What do these people look like, what are their lives like? 
• Where do they get their information? 
• What do they enjoy?
• What do they dislike?

What is my customer’s experience like? - Yes, believe it or not, this is part of your brand! If your brand can only be found at boutique grocery stores in the wealthy part of your city, that’s a much different experience than a busy mom buying your product on her phone while riding the bus.

Are you going to sell online, or in stores? Are you going to do farmer’s markets and appearances at trade shows, or are you going to build your own website from the ground up?

What are my products going to cost? - While we are in the early days yet, and there are a LOT of different factors that go into pricing an individual product, it’s not too early to have a general idea about this. 

Are your products going to be exclusive, or accessible? Who will be able to afford your products, and how will your brand communicate that to them?

Finally:

What does my brand look like? - We’ll be digging deep into this one in March friends, so be patient, but now is the time to dream. 

What colors move you? What types of packaging communicate the ideals you have outlined above? What words can you use that will let people know this product is for them? 

We’ll be back to talk logos and packaging, second week of March! Dream big and take care!

Thanks for joining in! Subscribe to our Small Business Newsletter and get these messages mailed directly to your inbox every month. We hope that you learned something new and are ready to roll up your sleeves and get started! If you have any questions or comments please feel free to reach out to me here at: brendan@skinactives.com