What I learned about the importance of well-designed and executed branding by being a startup founder
It’s very possible to succeed, but… Statistically about 90% of the startups fail. Lacking financing or investors, running out of cash, lack of market demand, poor timing, people problems… the list is long. The business idea is the king, but execution comes as a very close second. It takes a crystal-clear idea, the right people, a well-thought-out product and service, and a lot of hard work.
When we founded HEI Schools in 2016, we wanted to create a global brand that resonated not only with the parents but for all from children to business owners. Quite a crowd to please. Now after 7 years, the brand has a global stand in the early education market. So how did we approach branding?
Effective branding goes beyond logos and color schemes; it encompasses the essence of the business you are in - its values, services, and products it sells. When talking about branding we usually think only of the visual assets that have been designed. Recognition is the first handshake, but a long-lasting relationship is built through emotional attachment that has been designed in various touchpoints.
The message needs to be clear.
Your story isn’t just what you tell people, it’s also what they believe about you based on the signals your brand sends. The story is a complete picture made up of facts, feelings and interpretations, which means that part of your story isn’t even told by you. It is the sense of purpose that customers, in the best case, make them fall in love for your brand. Even unconsciously. They want to be associated with a brand that gives them the opportunity to be a part of something big. Brand purpose can help brands make an impact on how their brand is viewed by customers. It can tell you what purpose you serve in society. So... what is it that your brand stand for?
The story needs to be appealing.
Your brand story, and it's narrative, is an important vehicle to communicate your purpose. The package can be delivered in different formats. With HEI Schools, the brand purpose is to be a counterstrike to the pressurised performance-based schooling methods that the Anglo-American schools use. The outcome of this outdated education method produces “robots ”and not creative human beings. Every child should first learns to learn in a stress-free environment, and be equipped with the skills they need to prosper in the future. The children should be given an agency that respect them as individuals and right to make their own decisions and direct their own learning. That I would say is an impactful start for a life long journey. ...And also a narrative for the brand. The HEI Schools story is a classic David meets the Goliath kind of a setup. The evil old pressurized system versus a new education dogma that fosters the creativity of children which gives them better agency for learning. In addition to the story, we bring the heroes, the teachers, to find alternative ways to deliver education to children. This is an impactful HEI Schools brand purpose which all the communication is designed from.
The brand needs distinguished design, branding, and consistency.
Design has been in the core of HEI Schools from the day one. The world is full of kindergarten brands that are painted with all the rainbow colors and all sorts of characters. We again went with research and proved that if the children are given all the visual noisiness, their focus is lost, and learning outcomes will suffer significantly. So, to boost learning we created together with architects and designers a learning environment that promotes calmness with natural materials, toned-down colors, acoustics, and less visual clutter. This same design has been implemented in 22 kindergartens on 5 continents with outstanding outcomes.
From the same design dogma, we created brand vehicles that stretched through out the brand executions. We designed the curriculum, teacher training modules, learning moments, products, space design... the list is long. When having a clear brand purpose, building the applications of it is easy.
Brand design is a long-term investment for your brand and is important for the future of your business. By being open, innovative, approachable and helpful - in the minds of your customers, you will become a strong, established brand which will give you more leverage in your industry.
So be brave find your unique angle to the market and make the magic happen!
