Lean UX Branding

Lean UX Lean UX BrandingBranding

Will Evans | Thomas WendtWill Evans | Thomas Wendt

What is a Brand?NarrativeLean Branding Methods

Will Evans | Thomas Wendt

“Simplicity is not the goal of Lean UX Branding. It is the by-product of a good

idea, modest expectations, iterative execution and ruthless cutting.”


What is the starting point for LeanUX Brand Strategy?

Ask these questions:•What is the deep seated, validated need that we satisfy? •What is our core competence? What are we really good at?•Why do we deserve to exist?•What role does branding play in our competitive strategy?


What Brand is not:

• Trade marks (these are legal properties)

• Mission statement (this is a reminder)

• Logo or tagline (these are signatures)

• Products or services (these are the tangibles)

• Advertising (they are only a vehicle to deliver the message)


Will Evans | @SemanticWill

Thomas Wendt | @thomas_wendt

The art of marketing is the art of brand The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand, you are a building. If you are not a brand, you are a

commodity. Then price is everything and the commodity. Then price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner. low-cost producer is the only winner.

- Philip Kotler, Kellogg- Philip Kotler, Kellogg

What is a Brand?• Is it the personification of an organization, product or

service?



service?• Is it the source of a promise to the customer?



service?• Is it the source of a promise to the customer?• Is it a trust mark?



service?• Is it the source of a promise to the customer?• Is it a trust mark?• Is it a set of associations that enhance or detract from the

related product or service?




related product or service?• Is it a source of emotional connections with customers?




related product or service?• Is it a source of emotional connections with customers?• Is it something that should drive the design of the total

customer experience?




related product or service?• Is it a source of emotional connections with customers?• Is it something that should drive the design of the total

customer experience?• Is it a singular concept embedded in the minds of the

customer?


“In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as

an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved

away into a representation. ” - Guy Debord


Customer Psychology


Customer Psychology

Strategic Experiments


Customer Psychology

Strategic Experiments

Crafted Messaging


Concerns with LeanUX Branding

• How do we brand a moving object?

• What if we pivot?

• Will we over-promise?

• How much should we invest in branding?

• Are we branding for our customers or our investors?


Brand Narrative

“The brand needs to be reframed as a piece of narrative. And it follows that the consumer is no longer a mere ‘receiver’ of a message. We have finally established a model that places the consumer in a pivotal role--as a reader of brand activity.” Chris Barnham


Brand Narrative

Narratives are constantly changing and open to interpretation.


Brand Narrative


There is no expectation of permanence.


Brand Narrative


There is no expectation of permanence

Authorship is irrelevant


Branding Principles

• Be relevant – you’re only as valuable as your customers think you are

• Be different – but only different where it matters (like creating value)

• Always deliver – but never over-promise

• Have a story – connect your idea emotionally with customers

• Open authorship – customers create the brand along with you


Brand matters for startups


Brand as Hypothesis

• What’s your hypothesis about how you will deliver value to customers?

• What was the source of the insight?

• Did you validate that insight?

• How did you test your hypothesis?

• Can you distill it to one core promise?


Elements of Brand


Do not make the mistake of letting your brand image taking over and become the brand identity. It's only one part of the equation - not the whole equation.


“Customers don't care about your solution. They care about their problems.”

- Dave McClure


Values

• What you believe in.

• What you care about.

• How you will make a difference.

• What guides your start-up’s decision making


Promise

You have identified a pain point in your customers’ experience

How do you plan on solving it?


Story

A narrative, told from the perspective of the customer, with a beginning, middle, and end. It starts with the customer’s problem, and ends with your solution easing their pain.


Name

• What is your name?

• Does it speak to your values?

• Does it resonate with your customers?

• Does it align with your Visual Identity– Logo– Colour Palette– Copywriting– Style Guide


“We hired a brand consultancy and developed a grand brand strategy. Our ad agency went on to create and produce an ad campaign that stepped way ahead of our capability to deliver the brand promise. We ended up with customer disappointment, internal conflicts and brand credibility erosion”

Waterfall Branding


LeanUX Branding

• State your promise as a hypothesis

• Start small

• Test your assumptions

• Iterate based on customer feedback

• Accept that you will fail

• Be comfortable with a brand pivot


Thanks!

Will Evans | @SemanticWillWill Evans | @SemanticWill

tlclabs.cotlclabs.co

Thomas Wendt | @thomas_wendtThomas Wendt | @thomas_wendt

srsg.cosrsg.co

Lean UX Branding

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