Brandtuned Course

Are you the founder of a business that’s seeking to make a difference in people’s lives? Do you want to communicate what you stand for and what people can expect if they buy from you?

Whether you’re about to start your new venture, or have already got going and want to make some adjustments, did you know that brand IS your business?

No matter how small the business may be brand is what you need to focus on when you’re turning your “IP”, that is, your ideas, knowledge and skills into a venture.

Brand is so much more than a logo and visual identity though, so it’s a mistake to assume that ‘branding’ needs to be a design led activity.

If you want to a brand that’s recognised for what you uniquely offer, then the branding support you need is not design initially, but intellectual property, marketing and business guidance.

Brandtuned provides you with the support and guidance you need to develop your brand strategy, deciding how to best develop your business idea, what your vision, mission and values will be. Most important is to understand your ideal client, the brand promise to make to them, and of course, to choose the brand name if you haven’t already chosen it. 

Only when the business has fine-tuned its brand strategy and identified the perfect name that resonates with its target market would it be appropriate to turn to a graphic designer to create the visual identity. In practice this can take a lot longer to formulate than the traditional branding process allows for.

Before then, the existing designs should remain in use or low-cost ones obtained if the business has yet to start up. A temporary name could also be used while the business gets going and tests its concept in the market and formulates its brand strategy.

The widespread misunderstanding about what brand and branding mean doesn’t help business owners take the right actions when starting up or rebranding. Many businesses struggle to manage their IP risks and opportunities, especially around protection of their IP. After years of supporting businesses with their IP, Shireen Smith realised that IP on its own does not make sense to business owners. They need help to apply it to their projects, they need a different type of branding support.

IP is not a single thing. It’s a bundle of different property rights known as copyright, trademark, patent, design, and trade secrets. A name is analogous to physical property. It is the equivalent of land on which a brand is built. Obtaining legal title to it is just as important as it is to buy the plot of land on which you erect buildings. It should not be postponed till after the business is already using that IP. Names are the single most valuable brand and IP asset businesses create yet they are often unprotected or inadequate. Names that are not ownable are a poor choice because they do not protect the business’ revenues.

Sign up for BrandTuned and you’ll get the understand your need about IP at high level in order to know how to assess the risks and opportunities it presents for your business.

BrandTuned is relevant to you wherever in the world you may be located, because international treaties between countries give IP terminology a universal meaning.

Avoid the frustrations and possible wasted costs and time by getting the holistic approach to brings branding and IP that Shireen offers in Brandtuned. The existing demarcation between branding and IP leads to frustrations for businesses which you can minimise by creating your brand strategy and identify using this course to guide your business journey.