Great Startups Deserve Great Brands — Build a Strong Foundation by Avoiding These Mistakes

Great Startups Deserve Great Brands — Build a Strong Foundation by Avoiding These Mistakes

After working with hundreds of startups on brand strategy, Arielle Jackson shares the most common early marketing missteps that founders make. From how to articulate your product benefit and clarify your company's purpose, to tips for infusing your brand with personality and making your launch annou

Outline

  1. MISTAKE #1: SKIPPING THE FUNDAMENTALS AND DIVING STRAIGHT INTO THE TACTICS
  2. MISTAKE #2: OVERCOMPLICATING YOUR PURPOSE
  3. MISTAKE #3: NOT CAREFULLY CONSIDERING YOUR CATEGORY
  4. MISTAKE #4: FOCUSING ON THE WRONG FOIL
  5. MISTAKE #5: EMPHASIZING EMOTIONAL INSTEAD OF FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS IN YOUR EARLY MESSAGING
  6. MISTAKE #6: FORGETTING TO GIVE YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY
  7. MISTAKE #7: NOT PUTTING IN THE PREP WORK FOR PRESS

As our Marketing Expert in Residence here at First Round, Arielle Jackson has helped shape hundreds of startup brands. If you suspect we're padding the tally for narrative effect, by her count she worked with 71 companies in 2021 alone.

Jackson has previously tapped into this deep well of experience to crystalize and share early marketing advice for founders right here on The Review, from a popular positioning framework and set of branding exercises.

In distilling lessons learned, Jackson outlines seven of the most common early marketing mistakes that she sees founders make.

MISTAKE #1: SKIPPING THE FUNDAMENTALS AND DIVING STRAIGHT INTO THE TACTICS

In the earliest days, a founder’s marketing efforts are often slapdash. A landing page gets spun up, while a hasty first iteration of the company name and logo makes its debut. Jackson states, "There’s a tendency to think, ‘I don’t have to worry about brand right now.’ But once you’ve worked out the basics like your company purpose, it becomes easier to create effective marketing."

Minimum Viable Brand Strategy Steps:

  1. Define your company purpose. Why are you here? Why should people care?
  2. Plot out your product positioning. What is your offering? What category is it in? Who’s it for?
  3. Cultivate your brand’s personality. This is how you show up in written copy—it’s the feeling customers get from your brand.

MISTAKE #2: OVERCOMPLICATING YOUR PURPOSE

Jackson suggests startups need clarity in their purpose statement, avoiding jargon. A powerful purpose should focus on the impact rather than financial gain, making it a rallying call.

Examples:

MISTAKE #3: NOT CAREFULLY CONSIDERING YOUR CATEGORY

Founders often neglect category definition, risking failure to clearly communicate their positioning. Jackson encourages outlining various options including:

MISTAKE #4: FOCUSING ON THE WRONG FOIL

Founders tend to list competitors that are fellow startups rather than the status quo. Jackson emphasizes the importance of identifying what your audience is really using today.

MISTAKE #5: EMPHASIZING EMOTIONAL INSTEAD OF FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS IN YOUR EARLY MESSAGING

Jackson warns that many startups skip functional messaging for emotional benefits too soon. Early messages should clarify what the product does before layering in emotional resonance.

Examples:

MISTAKE #6: FORGETTING TO GIVE YOUR BRAND PERSONALITY

Generated style guides inadequately cover the brand voice. Jackson advocates for capturing both visual style and tone.

MISTAKE #7: NOT PUTTING IN THE PREP WORK FOR PRESS

Jackson highlights the importance of proper timing and realistic expectations when approaching media coverage for launches. Building relationships and defining clear content goals is key to securing effective press.

This article is a lightly-edited summary of Arielle Jackson's appearance on our podcast.