Introduction

That's it, you've plucked up the courage to launch your own company. Whether it's a rattan coaster, a line of cork umbrellas or an application to find out where to watch water polo matches, you're going to have to give it some style. What name, what logo, what overall look? And as much as you know about cork and water polo, communication isn't really your thing. So here are a few tips for creating your brand.

1. What is a brand

First things first. A brand is more than a logo or a color scheme. Creating a brand is about shaping the way your future customers perceive your product. Nike, for example, is more than just accessories and sportswear. The images, messages, name and logo are bound to evoke something more powerful, whether positive or negative.

"When Augustin and Marie came to us for help with Tranché! we understood that they didn't want to create just another bakery. Their idea was to break away from the traditional bakery-pastry market. The brand - in other words, the name, logo and all communication elements - had to reflect this idea," explains Théodore Mareschal of the point zip collective.

2. Know your market

To launch your brand, you need to know your market. Take the time to understand who your future customers and competitors are. Start by doing an Internet search on your product name. To go further, check out forums and Google reviews, and read what people are saying about the competition. Use social networks to discover new brands, browse the influencers associated with them and discover the themes that interest their communities. Take a stroll down the street, go shopping and observe the shop windows, the in-store experience, the packaging... The important thing is to identify the branding guidelines that are mandatory in your sector and those that you can play with to differentiate yourself.

"For Tranché! we toured the bakeries of Paris. And we realized, after a few croissants and pains aux chocolats, that most bakeries use the same branding! As a result, it's almost impossible to know whether you're going to walk into a good or a bad bakery before you taste. It's a problem... and an opportunity!" says Marion Réau, from the point zip collective. All these actions will help you understand who you're up against: what's important to your customers, and how your competitors are responding.

3. Brand vision

Once you have a good vision of the market, it's time to look at the vision for your brand. What makes your product different from others? Why you rather than someone else? In short, what's your competitive advantage?

"The question to ask yourself is to find the essential thing you're doing that others aren't. Are you the first? The simplest? The cheapest? The most complete? Obviously, the ideal is for it to be tangible, real and not a gimmick, i.e. it must address your prospects' concerns. Solve one of their problems. And then, it's up to you to formulate it in the sexiest possible way," explains Théodore Mareschal.

Marking your difference means formulating what's known as your Single Value Proposition (SVP).

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Your positioning may be acquired (it already is) or to be acquired (it isn't yet but it will be soon, fingers crossed!). In either case, your positioning must guide your actions. It's up to you to align your decisions with it in order to remain consistent.

4. Bring your brand to life

Let's get to the heart of the matter. Start by imagining your brand's personality. The easiest way to do this is to identify the adjectives you'd use to describe it if it were a real, flesh-and-blood person. Chic? Extravagant? Scruffy? Smart? 

Your brand positioning and personality, combined with your market positioning, are the elements that will guide you in creating a coherent brand and universe. The brand is the visual and editorial translation of your product. Basically, how do you explain what you do without saying that you do it? What trace do you want to leave with your customers? All this must be reflected in the name, colors, logo or font you choose. All these elements will give context to your brand. A clean, minimalist design in black and white will be perfect for a high-end product or to convey a sense of quality. Less so for a children's toy brand.

Creating a brand means ensuring that these elements of meaning, these signs, are consistent with your product.

"For Commun, the founder has created a modern unisex product made with traditional craftsmanship. It's this duality that we wanted to explore: bringing together what seems opposite with a logo that plays on the doubling of the M's, which in one instance are superimposed and in another oppose each other. Mixing masculine and feminine with a mixed color palette, giving a fresh twist to tradition with a fashionable DA and bold colors," explains Marion Réau of the point zip collective.

One last tip: remember to embody this brand wherever you can. On all points of contact with your customers, such as packaging or even sales receipts. But it's also a good idea to import this brand image internally. It's a great way to get your staff on board. And there you have it: you can now create your own brand.