Fabian Geyrhalter - How to Launch a Brand (2nd Edition): Your Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Brand: From Positioning to Naming And Brand Identity

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By Fabian Geyrhalter, FINIEN

Second Edition

Copyright 2016 by Fabian Geyrhalter

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, including photocopying, recording, or other electronicor mechanical methods, without the prior written permissionof the publisher, except in the case of brief quotationsembodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercialuses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests,write to the publisher at the address below.

Brandtro Publishing
320 Pine Avenue, Suite 1010
Long Beach, CA 90802

Ordering Information:
For details, contact the publisher at the address above orsend an email to

Brand Atmospheres is a registered trademark of GeyrhalterDesign, Inc., DBA FINIEN.

ISBN 978-0-9896461-3-0

This book is dedicated to the
entrepreneurial innovators
and Fortune 500 disruptors who
believe in change by design.

This book will guide you through the steps necessary to build a brand from the ground up. Most entrepreneurs, even seasoned brand managers, launch first and then work on slowly transforming the new offering into a brand. A logical progression, I would agree. After all, how can you possibly launch as a brand if you dont have any customers or marketing outreach andobviously, since you just launched a new offeringyou have no legacy or advocates?

The simple answer is by design. Design relates to the systematic process you have to adhere to, which is likely the primary reason you are holding this book in your hands. In addition though, design truly holds the key to the success of your new brand. It will set your offering apart to look, feel, and sound like a brand at the time of launch, as opposed to something that might or might not have the power to eventually turn into a brand. This book will teach you how to launch your brand by design.

What does it even mean to be a brand today?

The word brand needs a re-brandingdue to its brand longevity the brand legacy is not brand-correct anymore. I heard myself say these words unexpectedly in an interview one day, but they had been on my mind for a while. This comes as no surprise, as I probably use the word at least one hundred times a day in the course of running a brand consultancy. The word gets tiring, especially as it leaves a bad aftertaste and I feel the need to first convince people that it is not a bad term before I use it any further. Brand is not a four-letter word.

Despite the negative connotations associated with the term, branding is more important today than it has ever been before. It is not only consumed, but also created and curated by the masses through their very own personal (public/social media) brand. Brand is alive and kicking, and though we will not be able to change the term, we can change the perception away from the logos of luxury goods (e.g., Gucci, Chanel) and larger-than-life corporations seen as evil-doers (e.g., Exxon, Walmart) to a modern necessity. If created and nurtured in an honest and authentic way, brand can be turned into the holistic aura of a product or service provider (or person) that we are allowed to have admiration for (e.g., iPhone), aspiration towards (e.g., a nonprofit organization), and sometimes draw inspiration from (e.g., TED Talks). It is time to define the word brand, specifically for new ventures: What does it mean to be an early stage brand?

1. Soulis the beating heart. It is the reason a company should exist and also the reason that your initial attraction matures into love. You put your trust in brands with a souland often your money follows soon thereafter. Not much different than with human relationships, soul is the reason why we care for each other, or a particular brand.2. Attractiveis the brand aura, the emotional connection you feel when you come into contact with the brand. It is the design and the voice that are carefully created and curated over time in a consistent and particular manner.3. Smartis its usability. How easy is it to engage with the product or service? For the tech industry, excellent user interface and user experience are essential; for consumer products, quality packaging design and superior product are vital; and for the service industry, the design of key offerings often determines whether a brand is smart.

Now that we have discussed the complex strategy that creates the beautiful simplicity that makes a brand, do you think that perhaps we should give the word another chance?

So much of the world of branding is about creating a specific perception. I wont guide you to fake itI want you to make it. Like most guidebooks, How to Launch a Brand will work only if you apply it in a truthful and consistent manner while working with your team and extended partners. On the following pages, you will learn how to oversee the brand launch process, from laying a stable foundation by creating a Brand Platform, crafting a memorable name, to building a meaningful identity design, and, finally, applying that vision to cohesive consumer touchpoints.

This book encompasses two decades of brand-building experience across all varieties of verticals, which I have distilled into 109 easily digestible pages. I can assure you that it will pay off instantly as you approach your nextor very firstbrand launch. It will be challenging at times and always educational, but most importantly, it will be a highly rewarding experience when you know the steps necessary to succeed. The next pages will teach you these steps and enable you to form a rich, inventive, unique, cohesive, and satisfying brand.

Once you launch, please send me a note. I want to learn how the book helped you and your team or where I can improve it; like a brand, this book is a focused yet ongoing work in progress. Its second edition has been guided by readers feedback and knowledge gained in the interim.

Fabian Geyrhalter

The chart above shows the five major steps you need to take to get from vision to successful brand creation. Starting with a solid Brand Platform, this process is designed to keep you focused as you develop the critical components of an extraordinary brand.

Step 1Create a Brand PlatformStep 2Devise a brand nameStep 3Design your brands identityStep 4Craft your Brand Atmosphere Touch PointsStep 5Develop your brands Web presence

*If you are a tech startup with UI/UX design at the core of your emerging business, begin website wireframing and prototyping (step 5) while you develop your Brand Platform. This will give you time to make sure your digital product aligns with your brand strategy.

**Steps 4 and 5 can be handled in tandem to save weeks of valuable speed-to-market time. Because technologies and approaches change rapidly, step 5 is not included in this edition of the book. To learn more about this subject, download our free white paper by visiting http://tinyurl.com/FourPhases.

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