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Key Insights from My Fireside Chat with Allison Braley and Bain Capital Ventures last week. I've known Allison a long time and I knew she'd push the conversation in all the right ways, and she did. But what was even more exciting were the questions from the leaders in the room. We had a chance to dig into some real challenges for startups. From brand positioning, to category creation, product readiness, driving growth, and making the business case for brand. Nothing was left on the cutting room floor. Thank you to Allison and everyone who joined in the conversation. Here are a few key points from our discussion: 🖼 Reframes the Discussion: We talked about the importance of shifting the conversation around brand. Often, founders see brand as just a logo or a superficial element. By linking brand to product development or growth strategies, we can demonstrate its true value and impact on business performance. 🔍 You're Too Close to It: One of the crucial points we discussed is how being too close to your own company can blind you to what truly matters to the external world. Like missing typos in your own writing, an outside perspective can help you see the strengths and unique aspects of your brand. 📈 Near-term Wins: In the startup world, showing progress is key. We explored how ‘time to close’ can be a significant metric for enterprise startups, reflecting the brand’s influence without requiring extensive and costly studies. 📖 Narrative = Brand: A brand’s story is its essence. Aligning communications and brand strategy can create a powerful narrative that resonates with your audience. Asking the right questions can help uncover stories that build a strong, lasting brand. A big thank you to Allison Braley and Bain Capital Ventures for this opportunity and to everyone who participated. Let’s keep the conversation going! #Brand #Marketing #startup #growth #positioning
I help startups become known and understood at Bain Capital Ventures.
Takeaways on brand from one of the best, Tracy Lloyd... Last week I had the chance to interview Tracy, founder of Emotive Brand, and ask questions along with our marketing leaders community and friends of Bain Capital Ventures. Some takeaways from our conversation: 🖼 Reframe the discussion: Sometimes it is easier to have a conversation about brand without calling it brand. Founders can carry misconceptions about what brand is (just a logo, doesn't have impact on the company's performance, etc.) and by reframing it as a conversation about product or growth, you get better results. 🔍 You're too close to it: It often feels like the people inside a company who are closest to it are the best ones to rethink the brand on their own. But just like you miss typos the third time you edit something yourself and someone else instantly catches them, you're often too close to your own company to see what's important about it to the external world. Bringing in outside perspectives to help shape your company's story is key. 📈 Near-term wins: Startups live in quarters, and brands live in years. How do you show progress in the interim? Tracy suggests looking at ‘time to close’ as a metric for enterprise startups that is heavily impacted by brand. Big brand studies can be really pricey, so this is a great way to think about showing impact without breaking the bank. 📖 Narrative = Brand: I've long advocated for comms and brand to be more closely tied in organizations. Your narrative is effectively your brand's story. Asking great questions that elicit powerful stories is the first step in building a brand that lasts. Thanks to everyone who attended - more to come!