HSMG Presentation Branding

Better Branding for Your SoapIngredients: passion, understanding,

desire, values, and water.

“Payback time on the ranch . . . “

Hi! I’m Alison Covarrubias• Entrepreneur since 2005• Co-Founder of Hatch Network: A Business School

for Women Entrepreneurs • I work with start-ups and existing business

owners to get to their next level• My strengths are in sales, marketing, branding,

improvisation, and mixed-metaphors • I use soap daily

And you are . . . • Passionate about making soap• Extremely creative and hard working • Experimental and willing to try new ideas• Someone who lives and breathes D.I.Y. • Able to handle dangerous situations• Interested in creating a brand that reflects the

identity for your products

Two Takeaways for Today

1. Expressing your core values2. Tapping into the values of your niche– Both will allow you to begin defining your brand

for a loyal customer base

Let’s get on the same page . . . What’s a brand?

What does branding mean to you?

Marketing

Telemarketing

Public Relations

Advertising

Design

Branding

Brands used to be just for cattle

• A brand can be thought of as a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business.

• A legally protected brand name is called a Trademark.

Brand has evolved to be the overall identity – or the personality of a

product, company or service.

Branding begins with defining your core values

The core values are those values you hold that form the foundation on which you make decisions, perform work, and conduct yourself.

Core Values• Clarify your business• Articulate what you stand for• Explains why you do business the way you do• Guides your decisions• Are in essence, they are the soul of your brand

Core values influence your:

• Logos• Packaging• Materials • Customer Experience

Exercise: Core Values of your Brand

(not you personally)• See core values list• Circle 10 that resonate most • With a partner, discuss which are redundant, are

not as strong, or are more personal than professional. Cross off the weakest.

• Select 3-5 of the strongest values your company will convey to become your brand foundation.

After you know your values, you can focus on how your brand, is experienced by your audience

• The total customer experience from soup to nuts• Logo, tagline, packaging • Emotions evoked in your messaging • Product quality • Loyalty and commitment to re-purchase • Desire to tell others about it

What is the core desire of your audience?

• Cleanliness• All natural ingredients• Scent• Shape & texture• Maintain tradition• Skin effects (moisturizing, exfoliating, shaving)• Support small business• Quality & Purity • Message behind the brand

Two questions to ask yourself about your brand:

• Where do you fit in? • How will you stand out?

To do that, define your niche

• Niche is a specialized market or subset of a larger market

• A soap for “everyone,” appeals to no one• The more specific you are, the easier for

customers to find you • Know your competition, zag where they zig• Do not fear the niche, it is your friend

Questions to help define your niche

• What is it that my current clients have in common?

• How do I set myself apart from the competition?• What is different about the services or products

that I offer?• What are the "extras" that I bring to the market?• How can you segment a slice of the population

and serve it to the fullest?

Exercise: Niche Now!

• Where is your niche in this room? • Get in groups of 10• The person with the shortest hair goes first• Write ONE thing about your business that

makes it unique• Go clockwise around the circle, waterfall style,

the next person writes out one thing that makes her business/product/idea different

What did you learn?

Next Steps for the DIY

• Write your vision and mission statements• Create a mood board • Decide if you need to work with a designer

• Stop being a total DIY, find an expert to help!

You now have a head start!

• You have identified your core values• You have seen first-hand where you can niche

amongst your peers

Thank you!