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brand color, brand identity, brand story, brand value, branding, fashion, fashion brands, Fashion Business, fashion designer, fashion industry, fashion labels, fashion startup, Fuel4Fashion, inspiration, logo, startup fashion brand, startup fashion label, value propositions
In any business, branding establishes the core identity that guides companies in making choices and sells the product or service. Often, businesses fall back on their brand values to make crucial decisions about their operations.
However, nowhere else is branding as relevant as it is in fashion. This is because simply put, your brand is an expression of what you stand for, which in turn is a form of expression for the many hundreds of people who will be buying, and wearing, your clothes.
Quick question: If someone were to cover up your brand’s name and just show the logo, how many people would be able to identify it?
Sounds silly, but this is how houses such as Louis Vuitton or even aggregators like Myntra have made their mark in the world of fashion. Without further ado, here are five branding secrets that will set you on the path to sure brand success.
Selecting a perfect brand name and logo for your fashion brand
- It is more than the logo. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In fact, logo design is the very last bit of an exercise that often takes days to complete. A good branding agency fleshes out everything about your business and then designs collaterals based on that information. Compare this to creating a logo first and then finding an explanation for it. See the problem?
- Start small. It is an excellent idea to have a grand vision. However, all grand visions start with a humble beginning, and that applies to branding as well. You do not need multiple standees, name boards, coffee mugs and backpacks right away. Indeed, producing these items can get quite expensive. Instead, consider what you need to get started- what the consumer will see. Then, expand with time.
- Be consistent. Do you have multiple different cover images and logo patterns for various social media accounts? We probably don’t need to tell you that that is a bad idea. In the beginning, you want nothing more than consistency. Consistency is what builds recall.
- Your branding is not your brand. Branding is an action, much like wearing clothes to an event. Branding in itself does not change your brand’s voice or purpose. Instead, it helps to bring out the finer details and accentuates that which you already do. Don’t ever think that your brand is limited to a style guide or a proposed Fifth Element. A person will always be more than the clothes they wear.
- What’s your story? Every good brand has a story. And not just any story, but one that’s worth investing in. Remember, everyone who interacts with you is paying you in more than currency- they’re spending their time. You need to give them a compelling reason to do so. Chumbak’s story is creating souvenirs that are distinctly Indian. Wearable eccentricity is The Quirk Box’s brand story. You can see why it might resonate with travelers, and millennial, respectively. What’s your story? Your brand name often finds resonance with your brand story.
At this point, you’re probably wondering how you should go about the daunting task of telling your brand’s story.
Experts in the industry agree that even before you start selling, you as a fashion label must have a strong brand presence.
So don’t buy swatches with your first startup sixpence, but the story of your ‘why.’
Fuel4Fashion now offers branding solutions for fashion startups. For a consultation on the way forward, please write to me at supriya@fuel4fashion.com
Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram
