Creating a Brand that Resonates
Essentials for Startup Success
Anyone can throw together a name, color scheme, and website and call it a brand. But if you want to build momentum—not just a logo—you’ve got to go deeper.
At Un_Standard, we believe that the brands that resonate are relentless about clarity, empathy, and narrative.
Here’s how startups move from noise to necessity:
Know Your Audience Like Family (and Find Their Real Drivers)
Brands that resonate put customer understanding at the center—always.
- Map out not just demographics, but motivations, dreams, and pain points of your perfect customer.
- Listen for their language. What words do they use when talking about their challenges and victories?
- Hang out where they hang out—forums, social, or physical spaces.
Un_Standard Move: Interview early users, run customer clarity sprints, and act on what doesn’t get said out loud. If your message doesn’t appear in their words, rewrite it.
Build Brand DNA—Not Just a Pretty Logo
A resonant brand goes way beyond color palette or font.
- Define your core values and reason for being—make these visible everywhere (not hidden 7 clicks deep).
- Design every customer touchpoint (from your first welcome email to your founder’s LinkedIn) to echo your “why.”
- Consistency is king: every outbound message, every service interaction, every posted story unpacks the same attitude.
Movement Ritual: Host a monthly brand identity jam: Run imaginary “What would our brand do if…” scenarios to stress-test for authenticity and boldness.
Join The Movement
Make Storytelling Central (and Make the Customer the Hero)
Your brand isn’t the main character—your audience is.
- Share the stories of real customers and their journeys.
- Frame your message around a transformation, not just a product feature. How will following your brand, movement, or service change their life, mindset, or morning?
Example: Instead of “Our SaaS is the easiest way to manage projects,” try “For the founder juggling a million fires, here’s how you finally put your story on rails.”
Featured Callout:
“A magnetic brand speaks to its customer’s soul—not just their wallet. Clarity, empathy, and authenticity drive true startup success.”
Embrace Empathy and Flexibility
A brand that resonates adapts to its market, period.
- Pivot your message when your ICP tells you their pains are shifting.
- Run check-ins—stories that landed a year ago may fall flat this quarter.
- Be open to feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Proof From the Movement: An early-stage healthcare startup at Un_Standard shifted from “industry innovation” language to “life-simplifying” stories after listening sessions. Referrals jumped, and users stuck around longer.
Ritualize Authenticity—Over and Over
Move beyond “brand values” slides by showing up for your customer every day in real, humble ways.
- If your promise is transparency, publish your roadmaps and NPS data live.
- If you claim quirky creative, let your socials, newsletters, and demo videos actually make people smile.
Authenticity isn’t decoration for big meetings—it’s the standard for every interaction.
Launching a Brand That Resonates: The Un_Standard Playbook
- Monthly Brand “Pulse Checks” with customers: One open-ended conversation, one actionable insight.
- Quarterly narrative sprints: Invite team, users, even friendly competitors to critique your message for clarity and uniqueness.
- Cross-team story workshops: Sales, product, and marketing all collaborate on the story, not just messaging.
Clarity, empathy, and innovation fuel every market win—make them your brand’s foundation, not afterthought.
Your Movement Forward
If you want a magnetic, movement-worthy startup brand:
- Listen intently.
- Obsess over story.
- Keep authenticity and customer central, even as you grow.
Un_Standard will help you build resonance—and make sure your startup becomes legendary, not just another “brand” lost in the crowd.
Book a Brand Resonance Sprint With Un_Standard →
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David Garrard
Agent Provocateur & Chief Creative Officer at Un_Standard. David helps ambitious brands unearth clarity, break the rules that hold them back, and co-create movement-level growth. When not challenging the status quo, he’s in the kitchen inventing new flavors or chasing after his three cats: Hallie Tosis, Lester Een, and Jim G. Vitis. #BeUnStandard
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