Last week, I was asked about how to start a new brand. I’d like to share two of the key takeaways with you. This can be applicable to anyone starting a brand. Or, if you’re trying to grow one you’ve already created.
Here’s part of my response:
#1. Create the brand as a standalone initiative, not a personal brand.
While your new brand may be a personal mission, I advise launching it as a separate entity. There are a few reasons for this. A standalone brand can be created to represent exactly what you want, and is easier for others to get behind.
For example, imagine you are Melinda Gates, the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and contacted by a brand with a request for support. Compare that to being Melinda when an individual person does the same. Can you see how one may seem like a more personal request, and the other more formal?
#2. Create compelling content.
I also walked through a few examples of brands that have had success to provide additional insight. As we reviewed these examples, it was apparent that compelling video content was a correlation to raising brand awareness. The videos were not interviews of people, but simply inspiring stories that used B-roll footage and captions to engage the audience.
You don’t have to use time, money and resources to create original footage for video content. They can bring the compelling content their brand wants to share by using existing footage available and creative editing (which can be outsourced).
You also don’t have to limit your brand to video, but make sure that the content you create is compelling and provides value to your target audience no matter what format you choose.
