Starting a New Business: The Courage of a Seed
by Maranda Mitchell
Brand Director
4 February 2025
Starting a new business requires the same courage as a seed breaking through soil—and strong brand strategy is what gives you the roots to survive. Most businesses fail because they lack clear positioning, but those with powerful brand strategies create lasting competitive advantages that drive growth and profitability.
Why We Call Our Strategy Sessions "Seed™"
We named our strategy session Seed™ because they establish the central, unifying idea around what attributes, actions and communications will directly grow your brand when starting a new business. The objective is to establish a position that's so powerful it not only deflects the competition, but it's easy to talk about whether you're the CEO or an employee.
Like a seed contains everything needed for a plant to grow, your brand strategy contains everything needed for your business to flourish. It's the DNA that guides every decision, communication, and customer interaction as you scale.
Who Should Develop Your Brand Strategy When Starting Out
People like Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs may be their own visionaries, but most of the time it takes a visionary team to define a brand strategy. Outside perspective is one of the most important contributions in the process, because as experienced creative thinkers we work to uncover problems and solutions you may not have seen.
When you're deep inside your business, it's nearly impossible to see what makes you truly different or valuable to your customers. An external brand strategist brings fresh eyes and proven frameworks to help you discover your unique positioning and communicate it clearly.
What Brand Strategists Discover for New Businesses
When starting a new business, our work as brand strategists is to discover your most enduring value. We establish who you're going to communicate that value to and prioritise the tactics to do so in the most memorable and profitable way.
This process involves deep exploration of your market landscape, competitor positioning, target audience insights, and your unique capabilities. The result is a clear roadmap that makes every marketing decision easier and more effective.
Why Brand Strategy Takes Courage for New Businesses
A Seed™ session takes courage and the willingness to make difficult decisions. But so does starting a new business. The work we put into this process will create a roadmap that guides your marketing efforts, making it much easier to sell more, provide clarity and context, and inspire your audience.
Brand strategy requires saying "no" to opportunities that don't align with your core positioning. It means choosing a specific audience over trying to appeal to everyone. For new business owners, this focus can feel limiting, but it's actually what creates breakthrough growth.
How Brand Strategy Helps New Businesses Beat the Odds
Fear of failure is one of the biggest pain points for people starting new businesses, which is no surprise when you consider that approximately 60% of new businesses in New Zealand fail within their first three years. Sounds scary, but the companies that survive and prosper have a clear brand strategy.
Companies falter because they don't have one. Without clear positioning, new businesses struggle with pricing, messaging, customer acquisition, and differentiation. They become generalists trying to serve everyone, which means they serve no one particularly well.
What Separates Surviving Businesses from Thriving Ones
The businesses that not only survive but thrive understand that brand strategy isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. They invest in understanding their market position, defining their unique value, and creating consistent communications that resonate with their target audience.
These businesses can charge premium prices, attract ideal customers more easily, and scale more efficiently because they have a clear framework guiding every decision. Their brand becomes their competitive moat.
Key Takeaways
- Brand strategy is like a seed, it contains everything needed for your business to grow and flourish
- Outside perspective is crucial for discovering your true differentiation and market position
- Strong positioning requires courage to make difficult decisions about who you serve
- Most new businesses fail due to lack of clear brand strategy and positioning
- Companies with clear brand strategies can charge premium prices and scale more efficiently
- Brand strategy creates a roadmap that makes every marketing decision easier and more profitable
Starting a new business takes the same courage as a seed breaking through soil to reach the light. Your brand strategy gives you the roots to weather storms and the direction to grow towards success.
Which one are you going to be? Another statistic or a thriving business with unshakeable positioning?
by Maranda Mitchell
Brand Director
4 February 2025
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