This document provides guidance on early stage branding for technology companies seeking partners, investors, and licensees. It emphasizes the importance of aligning your brand with big picture visions like sustainability and food security, clearly defining the problem you solve, educating audiences on your solution, and making a strong business case showing benefits like cost savings and quality improvements. Specific tips include developing a clear value proposition for different target audiences, using blogs and LinkedIn to engage your network, keeping messaging simple, and crafting an elevator pitch that defines your product, customer pain, and unique benefit.
4. Fix the economy, fix health care, plus: The environment: preservation, remediation Health: people, livestock, & produce Reduce Ag dependence on cheap oil (quotes Michael Pollen) Sustainable Ag: environmental impact, productivity Food and water supply: safety, availability Reform of food system Alternative energy: a national security issue
33. Early Stage Branding ™ : the key components. A branding strategy A clear market-focused value proposition Professional startup package (not home-made) Name/logo Website Brochure Presentation
34. How about social media? Rule of thumb for B2B: Blog and LinkedIn.
46. The first sentence: define product, customer, and pain/need. We have a / we are a (category of product; name your space) for (type of customer; target segment) who (pain dissatisfaction: is dissatisfied with)
47. The second sentence: define benefit and uniqueness. Our product (main benefit) unlike (old or competitive way and disadvantage)
48. Third sentence: quick hook or summary for this audience. Here, your summary depends on the audience. General end user? Investor? Prospective licensor or partner?
51. October 28, 2008 Early Stage Branding The key to attracting partners, investors and licensees for USDA & NIFA CATP companies. Farida Fotouhi [email_address]