Download - HSMG Presentation Branding
Better Branding for Your SoapIngredients: passion, understanding,
desire, values, and water.
“Payback time on the ranch . . . “
Hi! I’m Alison Covarrubias• Entrepreneur since 2005• Co-Founder of Hatch Network: A Business School
for Women Entrepreneurs • I work with start-ups and existing business
owners to get to their next level• My strengths are in sales, marketing, branding,
improvisation, and mixed-metaphors • I use soap daily
And you are . . . • Passionate about making soap• Extremely creative and hard working • Experimental and willing to try new ideas• Someone who lives and breathes D.I.Y. • Able to handle dangerous situations• Interested in creating a brand that reflects the
identity for your products
Two Takeaways for Today
1. Expressing your core values2. Tapping into the values of your niche– Both will allow you to begin defining your brand
for a loyal customer base
Let’s get on the same page . . . What’s a brand?
What does branding mean to you?
Marketing
Telemarketing
Public Relations
Advertising
Design
Branding
Brands used to be just for cattle
• A brand can be thought of as a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business.
• A legally protected brand name is called a Trademark.
Brand has evolved to be the overall identity – or the personality of a
product, company or service.
Branding begins with defining your core values
The core values are those values you hold that form the foundation on which you make decisions, perform work, and conduct yourself.
Core Values• Clarify your business• Articulate what you stand for• Explains why you do business the way you do• Guides your decisions• Are in essence, they are the soul of your brand
Core values influence your:
• Logos• Packaging• Materials • Customer Experience
Exercise: Core Values of your Brand
(not you personally)• See core values list• Circle 10 that resonate most • With a partner, discuss which are redundant, are
not as strong, or are more personal than professional. Cross off the weakest.
• Select 3-5 of the strongest values your company will convey to become your brand foundation.
After you know your values, you can focus on how your brand, is experienced by your audience
• The total customer experience from soup to nuts• Logo, tagline, packaging • Emotions evoked in your messaging • Product quality • Loyalty and commitment to re-purchase • Desire to tell others about it
What is the core desire of your audience?
• Cleanliness• All natural ingredients• Scent• Shape & texture• Maintain tradition• Skin effects (moisturizing, exfoliating, shaving)• Support small business• Quality & Purity • Message behind the brand
Two questions to ask yourself about your brand:
• Where do you fit in? • How will you stand out?
To do that, define your niche
• Niche is a specialized market or subset of a larger market
• A soap for “everyone,” appeals to no one• The more specific you are, the easier for
customers to find you • Know your competition, zag where they zig• Do not fear the niche, it is your friend
Questions to help define your niche
• What is it that my current clients have in common?
• How do I set myself apart from the competition?• What is different about the services or products
that I offer?• What are the "extras" that I bring to the market?• How can you segment a slice of the population
and serve it to the fullest?
Exercise: Niche Now!
• Where is your niche in this room? • Get in groups of 10• The person with the shortest hair goes first• Write ONE thing about your business that
makes it unique• Go clockwise around the circle, waterfall style,
the next person writes out one thing that makes her business/product/idea different
What did you learn?
Next Steps for the DIY
• Write your vision and mission statements• Create a mood board • Decide if you need to work with a designer
• Stop being a total DIY, find an expert to help!
You now have a head start!
• You have identified your core values• You have seen first-hand where you can niche
amongst your peers
Thank you!