The Brand Story® process guides the launch of your small business – whether you plan to walk dogs, solicit major donations, or build a multi-million-dollar tech company. Dozens of Fortune 500 initiatives, non-profit campaigns, and shoestring startups have successfully launched using this approach.

Most startups flounder from the belief that customers and donors make rational decisions based on the features of a product or service when in reality, customer respond to emotionally-engaging, customer-aligned brands.

Bruce Miller, author and a former principal of an Atlanta creative agency, saw his younger friends and older empty-nesters starting new businesses, but without the brand positioning needed to gain traction in the marketplace. Miller reverse-engineered his high-dollar agency process into a series of simple, low-cost steps – 1) identifying the target customer, 2) building a Brand Story, and 3) telling the world – that anyone can take to create an engaging brand.

By following the steps, you will build a credible Brand Story – a love relationship with customers, prospects, and donors – that aligns your brand to their needs and desires.

Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION: The improbable path by which the author became a successful brand strategist.

IN THE MOOD FOR COFFEE? How successful brands pull you off the freeway through the power of association for a cup of java.

BRAND POSITIONING: A BRIEF HISTORY: Fifty years ago, David Ogilvy, a door-to-door stove salesman changed the advertising industry forever by introducing the art of brand positioning.

REVERSING SPACE: Learn to connect with your customers: We can still learn from Steve Jobs on how to put the customer experience first.

THE BRAND STORY WORKSHOP: The step-by-step process to successfully position your nascent brand to successfully differentiate itself in the market.

THE NAME GAME: More science than art – how to select the perfect name when every domain name is taken.

ON YOUR MARKS, TRADEMARK! When to apply for a trademark and step-by-step, how to do it without a lawyer.

CREATE A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS: Learn what a hip new food truck in LA can teach us how to connect with customers. Create a 10-step Brand Platform that makes it plug-and-play easy to go to market with a consistent brand story.

THE ELEVATOR PITCH: How a game-changing pitch in the men’s room launched a career in clean technology. Create a 3-minute pitch that will guide your Website, sales collateral, advertising, and brand messaging

LOOK AND FEEL: Let’s make a logo. Create a fail-safe creative brief to leverage overseas design talent.

POSITIONING NON-PROFITS: Pitching to major donors is no different than to consumers. How to position your non-profit brand.

TOUCHPOINTS: Build a universe of marketing touchpoints (Web, print, social, presence, advertising, etc.) that leverage your brand story for viral impact.

BRAND STORIES: Four startup stories behind the brands: We talk to the founders of Thrive Farmers, Sara Anderson, Form Yoga, and Klickly.

THE ROLLERCOASTER OF RISK: How to keep your idea moving forward amid the inevitable setbacks and risk of launching a startup.