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In the early stages of building a startup, founders need every competitive advantage they can bring to bear. You’re not only competing against established players, but also with other pre-launch startups gunning for the same market opportunity.

While it’s natural to focus on finding product-market fit, testing and iterating your MVP to launch-worthy status, adding brand building into the mix right out of the gate will help you build a foundation for scalable success.

Here are the first three things you need to know about building your brand: It’s critical, often overlooked and frequently misunderstood.

Yes, your brand includes visual representations, like a logo and a website, but it encompasses so much more. Brand is emotional, it’s relational, and it represents what you stand for outside of pure product functionality. It’s that certain je ne sais quoi that resonates with people and keeps them coming back.

Another way to think about brand: it’s equivalent to your personal reputation. It not only represents what your company and products stand for, it includes an aspect that people associate with you. Consider, for example, Apple’s design, Louis Vitton’s craftmanship or Pixar’s storytelling.

Your brand is an emotional mission statement that keeps you and everyone at your company consistently on point. And maintaining that kind of consistency shows up in your bottom line. Brand consistency can increase revenue by 33 percent.  

A firm grasp of what building your brand involves is essential. And although there’s a growing ecosystem of brand design firms to help early startups develop their brand, how do you know if that’s the right path for you?

This is why we’re thrilled that Hadley Wilkins, VP of brands and communications at Atomic, will share her knowledge and expertise in the session, Playbook for Startup Brand Building at TC Early Stage on April 14.

Over the past 20 years in Silicon Valley, Wilkins has helped founders build brands and tell stories that drive business outcomes. Currently, she runs branding and communications at Atomic where she works with companies like Bungalow, Found, Hims & Hers, Homebound, OpenStore and Replicant.

Wilkins has worked with some of the world’s most iconic global brands and investment firms. She’s launched dozens of startups across multiple industries and recently built and ran marketing at Redpoint Ventures.

Set yourself up for scalable success. Join Hadley Wilkins as she shares the essential building blocks of brand building. Plus, learn whether the third-party brand design route is right for your startup and, if so, how to choose the right firm.

TC Early Stage will provide you plenty of time to engage, ask questions and walk away with a deeper, working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Reserve your spot and register today before prices increase!