If you can build all the features in the world, why would you need a brand?

psssst, stick to the end to answer the poll 🙌

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Hello Indie Hackers,

Just a couple of days on Indie Bites (E62), Marie, the founder of Llama Life, has deconstructed what branding is and why is it important when you are building your startup (or any company really).

Branding has been mistaken with a lot of things like a logo, a color palette, marketing, design, advertising, and many others.

But the reality is that branding is really about the perception of others towards your brand.

As the famously known, Marty Neumeier, author of The Brand Grap, says "A brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what THEY say it is."

As the example Marie gave, think of Nike, they goddam sell shoes, but when you buy them (and you pay a premium on the brand) it makes you feel something: the power of overcoming your challenges.

Or even Apple, it seems like they sell computers, mobile phones, and other pieces of technology, but it's more than that. Apple makes you feel something more, or even become another person because they are for the ones who think differently. Apple believes in challenging the status quo, and that's what their audience is looking for. Otherwise, why pay 2x or 3x the price on the products.

Ultimately, brands feel like they are a person, and they kinda are right?

If you think about it, a person (or a brand) has:

• an ideology;
• a way of thinking;
• a purpose;
• feelings;
• a way of speaking;
• a way of dressing;
• a positioning, as it positions itself in the world differently from others;

This is also called, brand strategy, which when worked from the inside out, allows startups to establish a strong foundation to create a compelling identity that can influence people's perceptions and ultimately drive business results.

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As you can see, branding is much more than a logo, and it can make a lot of difference from the early ground on your startup or business. Remember, you can change your product & features, but your purpose should remain the same along the way.

PS.: If you don't know your startup's purpose, reach out to me, and I'll be able to help.

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It's time to answer the poll. After this (long) post, what are your thoughts? Comment down below 👇