One of our favorite shows the past few years has been “Shark Tank.” For those that have not seen it, the “Tank” is a great reality show where entrepreneurs pitch some of the most successful business people in the country to invest in their ideas. The panel of rich business folks that are being presented to varies from one show to the next, but there are 3-4 regulars including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and FuBu founder Daymond John. There have been a good number of huge success stories that have come out of the Tank, several of them retail products I’m sure you have seen in stores.
The biggest no-no in the Tank is for the entrepreneurs to tell the panelists that they have little to no sales and that they are “building a brand.” Once they say that it is usually less than a minute before they are shown the door with no deal in hand. So while this branding pathway doesn’t work in the Tank, we all have to think carefully about brand position. What does our name say? What does out logo convey? How does our name line up with what we do? There are brand experts out there that can help you with all of that. Here today however, I will share a little bit of advice I was given when we launched Huddle Up Group in our kitchen eight years ago…..
Have a Story
A very famous author/speaker told me that your company name should have a story to it. Our company name has a story behind it, all the way down to its acronym. (If you want to hear it, send us an email).
Be Intentional
While relatively simple in design, our logo has several very intentional attributes. These include the circular arrows around the outside as well as the colors we use.
Be Inclusive
When we created our company, we (meaning me, my wife, and our dog) wanted to keep our options open to whatever the organization may evolve to in the future. Thusly we used an inclusive term in our name – “Group”. We wanted to be able to add people, add business divisions, or change direction without having to alter everything from the company name to our logos and web sites. We felt the term “Group” gave us an open-ended ability to include everyone and everything that could come our way.
In the end, alignment is key in branding. Having your story, your logo, your company name, and vision all tethered together is the best way to stay true to a brand. Even if you don’t have any sales yet.
Align your brand and have a great week ahead!
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