Your Brand Identity Checklist for New Businesses
Chosen theme: Brand Identity Checklist for New Businesses. Launch with confidence using an inspiring, practical checklist that turns fuzzy ideas into a cohesive brand people remember, recommend, and rally around. Subscribe for future checklist updates and share your progress so we can cheer you on.
Start With Purpose, Mission, and Values
Define who you serve, the value you deliver, and the outcome you promise in one crisp sentence. Keep it jargon‑free so any teammate can repeat it, and comment below with your draft for feedback from fellow founders.
Start With Purpose, Mission, and Values
Select values you will demonstrate through behaviors, not posters. If you say ‘reliability,’ set response‑time standards. If you claim ‘curiosity,’ budget for experiments. Share your top values and how you’ll bring each one to life.
Know Your Audience and Positioning
Capture goals, pains, buying triggers, and preferred channels in one page each. Add a real quote from customer interviews to keep them human. Ask readers which persona resonates most and why.
Design a Flexible Logo System
Create primary, stacked, and icon marks to fit small favicons and large signage. Test at 16 pixels and on a billboard mock. Share your smallest successful use to prove clarity under pressure.
Choose a Purposeful Color Palette
Pick one primary, one accent, and neutrals with defined HEX, RGB, and CMYK. Note psychology and usage ratios. Ensure contrast passes WCAG AA at 4.5:1. Post your palette and ask for accessibility checks.
Set Typographic Hierarchy
Select one display face and one text face with clear roles. Define line length around 45–75 characters for readability and consistent spacing. Ask readers to vote on your H1 versus H2 legibility.
Voice, Messaging, and Tagline
Define Your Tone of Voice
Place your brand on spectrums like formal to casual, playful to serious, and bold to careful. Add do‑say and don’t‑say examples. Share a before‑and‑after sentence that captures the shift.
Build a Message House
Craft one core promise, three supporting pillars, and proof points for each. Use customer quotes, data, or demos as evidence. Invite subscribers to request a free template to structure their own message house.
Test a Tagline
Brainstorm ten lines, shortlist three, and test them with target customers for clarity and feeling. Track which line gets spontaneous recall. Post your finalists and ask readers which sticks hardest and why.
Brand Touchpoints and Consistency
Define components for headers, buttons, and cards, with spacing and states. Keep copy scannable and visuals consistent. Drop your homepage link in the comments to get community feedback on clarity in five seconds.
Run Trademark and Name Searches
Check national databases, similar spellings, and related classes. Document results and consult counsel early. Post your toughest naming conflict, and we’ll brainstorm safe alternatives with the same spirit.
Secure Domains and Handles
Grab your .com or credible local TLD, plus consistent social handles. Set redirects and protect common misspellings. Share your handle ideas and ask the community which is clearest at a glance.
Governance, Launch, and Iteration
Keep them light, visual, and searchable. Include do‑don’t examples, file locations, and approval workflows. Invite teammates to sign a brand pledge, and ask readers what page helped them the most.
