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 The importance of an integrated branding campaign for start-up companies The initial lack of customers and cash flow concerns often cause start-up companies to postpone developing a professional branding program until they build a client base and generate revenues. Some firms may decide to accomplish this task in-house or as cheaply as possible. Unfortunately, designing their own marketing materials and identity when they launch their businesses instead of having them professionally created will make getting those initial clients more difficult and may result in a business that will struggle to succeed. Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses. Sometimes they will have an amateur designer, friend, or relative create the designs. There are several reasons why this is not the best idea. A poorly designed brand identity program will contribute to the decline of any new business venture. Look established and confident. It will appear to be more likely to fold or to fail. Clients will not have confidence in doing business with you. Would you do business with someone who seems to be on unstable footing and who might not be in business by the end of your project or after you have purchased an item? A properly created strategic branding program will create the powerful business image your clients are seeking. Small or big. It’s all about brand execution. Large, successful businesses would never consider doing business without professional, originally designed marketing materials. Presenting marketing materials which are not professionally designed makes your business appear even smaller and can possibly indicate that you cannot provide the quality service your customers expect. Make customers feel like your business is focused. Not having a professional brand identity will make it appear as though your business is not focused on quality and lacks direction. Customers may get the impression that you do not care about the way your business presents itself, which might indicate that you would not care about the quality of your work or the way that your work reflects upon their business. Avoid an identity crises. Unprofessional, uncoordinated marketing materials that do not follow a branding strategy can make your business appear weak. If you present a business card with one look and feel and a Web site with another, this creates an inconsistent identity for you company. This can also cause an identity crisis for any start-up. About half of all businesses fail within their first few years. One source of failure that is commonly cited by experts is a lack of a strategic marketing plan and a poorly developed identity program. If your marketing materials do not stand above those of your competitors, your sales will suffer. When you start a business, you need to create the quickest possible route to business success. A strategic branding program will help to create this by contributing to your business's visibility, and credibility-- two factors that will help your business to grow and succeed. Do it now; not later. While postponing your corporate image campaign may seem like a prudent idea from a cash-flow point of view, it could result in your business never getting off the ground. It can also lead to your business folding when it would otherwise succeed. If you think that you can't afford a unified branding program when starting your business, consider the outcomes -- how can you afford not to?
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