When you start a business, the first thing you think about is your product or service, right? The second thing? Usually a logo and some colors. And then — BOOM — you’re on social media announcing your launch.
But here’s the part most people skip: Actual branding. And that’s usually where the first mistake happens.
So… What Is Branding? Branding is not just your logo. It’s not just your colors. And it’s definitely not just your Instagram aesthetic. Branding is the strategy behind:
- What your business stands for
- How it communicates
- Who it attracts
- And how it’s remembered
Your logo and colors are tools. But what’s the thought process behind them? Do you know what message they’re sending? Do you know what emotions they trigger? Do you know who they’re attracting, or deflecting? Most people don’t. And that’s not their fault. It’s just not taught.
But let's talk about why Branding Is Important for Product & Service-Based Businesses.
I work primarily with product-based and service-based businesses. Branding for personal influencers is a different lane — and not my specialty. But when it comes to businesses selling real products and services? Branding is positioning.
Think about your favorite sneaker brand, a toothpaste brand, a local wellness brand.
Now look at their logo, colors, packaging, website, and messaging. Notice how consistent the strong ones are? Notice how the ones that feel “all over the place” struggle to feel trustworthy?
Branding builds expectations → Expectation builds trust → Trust builds sales.
Now let’s talk about logos (because everyone loves to skip strategy). When choosing a logo, you don’t just need something “cute.” You need something strategic. Yes, it needs to be original, avoid trademark conflicts, and make sense with your offer (...for the most part).
But it also needs to reflect your tone and positioning. Now, can a random mascot work? Sure. What does a gecko have to do with home and car insurance?
Nothing.
But GEICO made it work because the mascot fits their quirky tone and brand strategy. It wasn’t random. It was intentional. That’s the difference.
Next let’s touch on how color plays a role. Color Isn’t Just Aesthetic, It’s Science.
Picking your favorite color is not a strategy, on that same note, changing your colors every six months is not consistency. And using ten colors at once? Now that’s just confusing.
Most strong brands stick to 3-4 core colors and staying consistent with how you use those colors builds brand recognition wherever you show up.
Here’s the part people overlook: Color triggers emotion before people consciously process what they’re being sold.
For example- Blue can signal trust. Green can signal health or growth. Black can signal luxury or power. Colors can attract, or repel, your ideal customer. There is nuance and psychology here. But most importantly, there's strategy here.
And yes… there is science behind it. And that science helps us build messaging visibly, emotionally, and figuratively.
Messaging Is Where Trust Is Built.
Your brand tells your story which bridges a connection between you and your customer. Connection builds loyalty, and loyalty builds long-term business. When your messaging is inconsistent — tone shifts, visuals change, the audience is unclear. People don’t know what to expect. And when customers don’t know what to expect, they don’t trust you.
Branding creates consistency → Consistency creates recognition → Recognition creates trust.
(Notice a pattern?)
My Turning Point With Branding began when I started my product-based business, I did what most people do. I chose a name. I DIY’d a logo. I picked some colors. But it didn’t feel right, so I pretty quickly hired a professional, and their questionnaire asked questions I had never even considered:
Who are you selling to specifically?
What do you want customers to feel?
What’s your mission?
What’s your story?
That process changed everything. Things started falling into place in my mind around how I wanted to show up as a business owner. So, I added a brand guide to the list. A brand guide outlines all the aspects of your brand for you to follow or for contractors; it tells you how to and not to use your logo, fonts, explains your brand tone and messaging. It’s basically the bible of your brand.
After seeing the detail she created for what my brand was, it opened up a new world for me, literally. I became obsessed! I started reading books about branding, and started taking branding courses through university online. Now, I can’t look at packaging without analyzing it; the embossing, the color pairing, the texture, the tone.
My fiancé thinks I’m weird. He’s not wrong. But once you understand branding, you can’t unsee it.
The Hard Truth is most business owners don’t struggle because they lack talent, they struggle because they lack clarity. Branding is often treated as decoration. But it’s actually positioning, and it requires strategy, not guesswork.
In crowded markets — toothpaste, sneakers, skincare, tech — everyone can win. The question is: Who are you for? How are you different? And does your branding reflect that?
Why Branding Isn’t Talked About Enough
When you search “how to start a business,” most content focuses on: LLCs, Taxes, Social Media Growth, Sales Funnels, etc. Branding gets generalized, if mentioned at all. But branding is actually the foundation, and ask any builder, foundations are built before the house.
Try to start a business without considering your branding and you’ll find yourself unable to target your ideal customer, creating mistrust or skepticism around your offer, and a hard time making sales because of it.
A Question For You
How intentional is your branding right now? Is it aligned? Is it consistent? Is it strategic? Or is it evolving randomly?
I’d love to know — has focusing on branding helped your business grow? Or is it something you’ve pushed to the back burner? Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, branding isn’t fluff, it’s not a luxury, and it’s not optional. It’s how businesses become known, trusted, and beloved.
If you’re reading this thinking, “Okay… I might need help with this,” you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I created The Brand Formula™ Branding Guide — a step-by-step pre-recorded training with worksheets to help you clarify your identity, messaging, colors, and target audience.
No fluff. Just strategy.
Start building your brand intentionally.
Yours,
Lizbeth
Chief Equation Officer | The Brand Formula
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