Brand creation and launch for a new business, product or initiative
Something new has no history to lean on, so its brand has to do the explaining. Ideate Partners creates the brand, then the launch campaign around it, from the positioning to the press pack.
The order a launch usually runs in
It follows the way we work: the thinking first, then the brand, then the launch.
Launches we have worked on include Loop for Table Tennis England, Maxell, Juju and water2business.
Three kinds of launch: We have done it for a new venture, a new product range and a national initiative.
Get clear first: We start by understanding the business, the audience and the decision you need people to make.
Build the brand: This is where the brand gets a face: an identity and a voice, built on the positioning rather than on taste.
Make the launch material: Made once the brand is settled, all of it together rather than piece by piece, and finished in time for the day.
Launch, then keep going: A launch is a start, not a finish.
What a launch can include
The logo is the part people see first. These are the other pieces we have made for the launches on this page.
- 01
A positioning
A positioning that sets it apart from its competitors, with its mission, vision, values and brand guidelines.
- 02
Toolkits
Toolkits on key messaging and tone of voice, for the people who speak for it.
- 03
Photography
Product and lifestyle photography.
- 04
A website
A website, with other languages where it needs them.
- 05
Packaging and point of sale
Packaging, sales material and point of sale.
- 06
PR, advertising and events
A PR strategy and press packs, advertising, social media and events.
Questions to answer before launch day.
Worth settling whoever you work with. If one is hard to answer, that is probably the place to start.
Who has to understand it first? The people you most need to reach, and anyone who sells it on for you, such as retailers or partners.
Why would they choose it? It has to earn a place next to what people already use. If the reason takes more than a sentence, it is not settled yet.
Can other people explain it without you? If not, they will find their own words, and those may not be the right ones.
How will you know it is working? Decide what counts before the day, whether that is enquiries, sales or sign-ups.
Questions about a brand launch
Are you a branding agency for startups?
We work with businesses large and small, and often with founders. We created the water2business brand from scratch, for what was then a new venture.
Do I need a brand creation agency, or would a designer do?
If you can already answer the questions above and only need a logo, a good designer may be all you need. If they are still open, or the website, packaging and press material all have to be ready together, it helps to have one team keeping the thinking and the doing connected.
Can you get the launch into the press?
We can plan the PR and make the press material. For Loop, we wrote the PR strategy for the launch, and the campaign was covered by the Guardian, the Daily Mail, Channel 4 and the BBC.
How long does it take to launch a brand?
It depends on how many audiences it has to reach, how much has to be ready on the day, and whether the date is fixed. The thinking takes time, so it helps to talk before the date is set.
“Ideate were incredibly strategic and able to offer real insight into the strange world of marketing which was new to our fledgling business. Always professional, flexible and not afraid to lead us into producing solutions that would benefit our brand. I would not hesitate to work with Ideate again.”
