(First, grab a copy of the Brand Strategy Canvas at brandstrategycanvas.com) Branding is hard for startups. News flash: It’s hard for everyone. So we built a tool to make it easier. A clear-cut path for startups toward a rock-solid foundation for their brand. It’s the Brand Strategy Canvas—a single-page, step-by-step formula that serves as a starting point for a stronger brand. Who are we? Advertising-slash-startup vets at one of the largest independent agencies around. We’ve spun years of experience into the Canvas, turning brand strategy into a process, not a philosophy.

1. THE ONE-PAGE BRAND
a strategy for startups
© 2014 archer>malmo ventures
archermalmo.com/ventures

2. GRAB A COPY OF THE CANVAS
BrandStrategyCanvas.com

3. 3

4. WHEN BRAND MATTERS FOR
STARTUPS
at product-market fit

5. 5

6. WHERE BRAND MATTERS FOR
STARTUPS
across the customer lifecycle

7. 7
ACQUISITION
ACTIVATION
RETENTION
REFERRAL
REVENUE

8. execution vs. strategy

9. 9
NAME
LOGO
SITE
CREATIVE
DIRECTION
RESEARCH &
ANALYSIS
STRATEGY
EXECUTION
ESSENCE
POSITIONING
PERSONALITY
VALUES
THE CANVAS ZONE

10. 10

11. an example

12. 12
NOTE: This is just an example. Zappos did not ask us to develop their
brand strategy canvas. Though it would be cool if they did.

13. Customer/User Insight
What do people think and feel regarding the category?
How are you relevant to those needs or desires?
What problem(s) do you solve for them?
What benefits of your company/product are most valuable to them?
What most strongly influences their decisions in this category?

14. Customer/User Insight
They are comfortable buying apparel online (and
do so often), but shoes can be a hassle because
of fit, comfort, and style variables, "trying them
on" is very important; they want quality, not just
low prices; looking for a painless shopping
experience

15. Competitive Environment
What concepts and conventions define the category?
Who are your direct and indirect competitors? What defines them?
Where is the strategic void in the market?
Are you disrupting the category in any way?

16. Competitive Environment
Limited-inventory clearance sites, high-end luxury-centric
retailers, or online versions of existing
brick-and-mortar shoe retailers; most follow a
category non-specific ecommerce approach, i.e.
the overall experience is not tailored specifically
for shoe shopping; various policies regarding
shipping and returns; customer service
experience varies greatly between online-only and
offline/online retailers

17. Company/Product Features
What is the simplest description of your product and what it does?
What aspects of that are different from everyone else?

18. Company/Product Features
Zappos is an online retailer that removes all the
problems of buying shoes on the web. Our
culture of service, web experience and shipping
policies are superior to all others in the category,
online and offline.

19. Rational Benefits
What are the tangible benefits of the product?
Which benefit is unique or most important?

20. Rational Benefits
Responsive and helpful customer service on the
website, via email, and over the phone, available 24
hours from well-trained employees; a well-designed
user experience; extensive product selection, all
with many sizes and styles available; fast, free
shipping and returns; 365-day return policy

21. Emotional Benefits
What are the intangible benefits of the product?
Which benefit is unique or most important?

22. Emotional Benefits
Confidence in the selection and purchase process ;
satisfaction in the quality of the experience;
enjoyment of the product discovery process;
trust in the depth of product offering and the
competitive (though not discount) pricing;
convenience of a one-stop shopping experience;
delight in the level and manner of service

23. this is the centerpiece of the brand strategy
it follows a specific formula designed to be
comprehensive and useful
23

24. YOUR POSITIONING STATEMENT SHOULD
MEET ALL 5 CRITERIA:
IMPORTANT
UNIQUE
BELIEVABLE
ACTIONABLE
SUSTAINABLE

25. Audience
For:
Who are they and what is their
most important psychographic
need or desire as it relates to
the brand’s category?

26. Audience
For:
Who are they and what is their
most important psychographic
need or desire as it relates to
the brand’s category?
frequent online
shoppers with high
expectations

27. Description
what is the simplest
description of the product?
or what is the broader,
more strategic frame of
reference for the product?
is

28. Description
what is the simplest
description of the product?
or what is the broader,
more strategic frame of
reference for the product?
is
Zappos
the digital shopping
service

29. Benefit
What is the unique, primary
benefit or point of
difference of the product?
that:

30. Benefit
What is the unique, primary
benefit or point of
difference of the product?
that:
delivers category-defining
customer
service

31. Proof
What are the factual,
meaningful and provable
reasons to believe the
primary benefit or point of
difference?
because:

32. Proof
What are the factual,
meaningful and provable
reasons to believe the
primary benefit or point of
difference?
because:
we hire and train for
an empathetic culture,
provide an optimal
web experience and
offer a vast selection
with fast, free
shipping & returns

33. Payoff
What is the ultimate
emotional payoff for the
customer or user?
Does it answer the need in
the audience section?
so that:

34. Payoff
What is the ultimate
emotional payoff for the
customer or user?
Does it answer the need in
the audience section?
so that:
every customer is
wowed.

35. Brand Essence
What is the core idea or
defining concept of the
brand? Is it tangible or
attitudinal?
(Unique, succinct, pithy,
and ideally 2-4 words.)
Deliver WOW

36. brand essence: Deliver WOW
For frequent online shoppers with high expectations,
Zappos is the digital shopping service
that delivers category-defining customer service
because we hire and train for an empathetic culture, provide
an optimal web experience and offer a vast selection with
fast, free shipping & returns
so that every customer is wowed.
36

37. DOES IT MEET ALL 5 CRITERIA?
IMPORTANT
UNIQUE
BELIEVABLE
ACTIONABLE
SUSTAINABLE

38. Company Values
What are the values of the company?
(Usually expressed as nouns.)
How do the values of the founders influence
company values?
How do company values influence your
product, culture, or customers?

39. Company Values
Service, frugality, flexibility, humility, fun, openness ,
personal growth, constant improvement

40. Brand Personality
What are the brand’s human characteristics?
(Usually expressed as adjectives.)

41. Brand Personality
light-hearted, quirky, positive, passionate,
empathetic

42. Key Messages
What’s your story?
What are the most important and differentiating
aspects of the brand?
How can you define them as quickly and interestingly
as possible?

43. Key Messages
We are powered by service.
We create a culture of happiness.
We’re a service company that happens to sell shoes.
Deliver WOW.

44. WHAT NOW?
• Work alone, then discuss as a team
• Test all design and messaging against
choices your made on your canvas
• Regularly check your assumptions against
the 5 positionining statement criteria

45. P. S. See our SXSW talk:
“When Bad Names Happen to Good Startups”
45
http://bit.ly/BetterNames

46. THANKS!
46
Please share with a startup in need.
BrandStrategyCanvas.com
Questions? Email pwoods@archermalmo.com and check out
archermalmo.com/ventures