Branding is crucial for every company. But, for climate startups, it's even more important. As a purpose-driven organization, large part of your success is predicated on your ability to align stakeholders towards your vision. That's what branding does.
This is the framework I use for creating brands:
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Part 1: Essence
The soul of your brand. It's defined by your Core Statements, Values and your Stakeholders.
Core statements
You should always begin with Core Statements. They are the very essence of not only your brand, but of your business as a whole. I would argue Core Statements is the most important asset of your company. They are your North Star. a
These are the three most commonly found Core Statements:
- Purpose - The Why
It’s your why. The effect that you want to have on the world. - Vision - The What
It’s your desired result. What does your ideal world look like? - Mission - The How
It’s how you’re going to get to your objective. In practice, what your company actually does.
It’s important to note that it’s not science, you may stumble upon other ways of calling them. Focus on their definition instead of their name. For example, most of the time I see brands switching “Purpose” for “Mission”.
You also don’t need all three of them, but I find it’s best to define them all as it helps build a more solid brand.
If you are not familiar with these statements or struggle to grasp their meaning, here are a few examples from some famous brands:
Note: some of these are officially stated, some are not.
1. Tesla
Purpose (The Why): To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Vision (The What): A world powered by solar energy, running on batteries and transported by electric vehicles.
Mission (The How): We design sustainable systems that are massively scalable—resulting in the greatest environmental benefit possible. Our energy generation and storage products work together with our electric vehicles to amplify their impact.
2. Patagonia
Purpose (The Why): We're in business to save our home planet.
Vision (The What): A world where people and nature coexist in harmony.
Mission (The How): Design and sell high-quality products that last for years, so you don't need to buy more; ensure that every step in the supply chain considers the impact on the planet and provides fair labor practices.
3. Beyond Meat
Purpose (The Why): To positively impact climate change and improve human health by shifting from animal to plant-based meat.
Vision (The What): A world where people don’t have to compromise between delicious, nutritious, and sustainable meals.
Mission (The How): To create delicious plant-based burgers, sausages, crumbles, and more that taste like meat but are made from plants.
4. The Ocean Cleanup
Purpose (The Why): To rid the world's oceans of plastic.
Vision (The What): Clean oceans supporting a thriving marine ecosystem.
Mission (The How): To develop advanced technologies to intercept and remove plastics from the ocean.
Often, you will use combinations of these statements as an intro for your company. For example: on your website, on your social media bios, on sales material, etc.
Here is a possible formula to describe your company in one sentence:
“We {mission}. Our goal is {vision} to {purpose}”.
Let’s see an example for GreenForges, the company I have been working on for the past few years.
“We create underground farming systems for installation beneath buildings. Our goal is to embed farms in every new real estate development to boost global agricultural capacity.”
Another common, simpler formula is:
"We {mission} to {purpose}"
Here is an example of this formula from The Ocean Cleanup’s website.
“We develop and scale technologies to the oceans of plastic”
The Ocean Cleanup uses their mission and purpose statements to introduce their company. Stakeholders
It’s time to think about the stakeholders. Each of them will have a different goal when interacting with your company. Your brand needs to be set up to empower them to reach those goals. If you only design your brand to serve your customers, you’ll overlook the needs of other stakeholders that are crucial to your company’s success.
Employees: The backbone of your operation. They need to believe in the company's mission and vision. For climate startups, this often means understanding and valuing sustainability. Their interaction with your brand will influence how they represent the company to outsiders.
Consumers/Customers: The primary recipients of your product or service. In the climate niche, they might be particularly discerning about authenticity, sustainability practices, and genuine impact.
Leadership Team: The decision-makers. Their buy-in to the brand's core statements is crucial, as their strategic choices will need to align with the brand's purpose, vision, and mission.
Investors/Shareholders: Those financially backing your venture. Especially in the climate sector, many investors aren't just looking for profits but also for sustainable, long-term impact and innovation.
Business Partners: Other organizations or individuals you collaborate with. They need to align with your brand's values, especially when it comes to sustainable practices and ethical considerations.
The Media: Reporters, influencers, and outlets that communicate your story. They can be gatekeepers to broader public perception. For climate startups, transparent communication with media about impact and goals is vital.
Suppliers/Vendors: Those who provide you with resources or services. Their practices (sustainable sourcing, ethical labor, etc.) will reflect on your brand, especially in the climate-focused market.
Competitors: Other businesses in your niche. Understanding their branding helps identify gaps in the market and opportunities for differentiation. Moreover, in the climate sector, collaborations can sometimes be more impactful than competition. I made it bold because I personally strongly believe in that principle. I will probably write something about it in the near future.
Community: This can include local communities where you operate or the broader ecosystem of climate-focused businesses, NGOs, and advocacy groups. They'll interact with your brand at grassroots levels and can offer invaluable feedback and partnerships.
Governments: Regulatory bodies that oversee business operations. For climate startups, this might also include entities that provide grants, incentives, or support for sustainable initiatives. Ensuring your brand is in sync with regulatory standards and can leverage available governmental support is crucial.
A few examples of holistic brand approaches
Here are a few examples of holistic brand approaches from some companies in climate:
BladeBUG: A startup that focuses on robotic maintenance for offshore wind turbines. Beyond their obvious stakeholder—the wind farm operators—they need to consider regulators concerned about marine life safety, investors looking into clean tech, and employees who expect safer solutions for maintenance tasks. Their branding has to communicate reliability, safety, and innovation across the board.
Patagonia: This outdoor clothing brand has built a reputation not just with customers but also with environmentalists and activists. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in their supply chain, ensuring that suppliers adhere to environmental and ethical standards. This comprehensive brand approach has earned them respect from eco-conscious consumers, industry partners, and environmental organizations alike.
Pachama: This tech startup uses satellite data and AI to verify the carbon capturing of reforestation projects. While their primary audience might be other businesses looking to offset their carbon footprints, they also need to address the communities involved in these reforestation projects, ensuring their rights and cultures are respected. Their brand has to communicate trustworthiness to both tech-savvy businesses and local communities unfamiliar with AI.
Values
Set the values and beliefs that will fuel your brand. Although you could think about them strategically and choose values you know will resonate with your stakeholders, I advise to choose them arbitrarily. Come together with your team and choose what you will stand by. There are no rules here, choose as many or as few as you like. Of course having 273 values may be a little impractical.
Part 2: Strategy
Brand strategy is the approach chosen to interact with the market.
Competition
Start by assessing the existing market. Who are the major players in your niche? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What is their target audience? This part is not about finding a gap in the market, you should have already done that before starting the company. This part is about understanding how to properly communicate it to the stakeholders.
Positioning and UVP
Positioning is about defining your unique place in the competitive landscape. The UVP (Unique Value Proposition) articulates that position, communicating the distinctive value you offer.
Creating a UVP requires a clear understanding of your product's strengths, your target audience's needs, and the market landscape.
Here are three formulas you can use to craft a compelling UVP. We will use a hypothetical solar panel company whose advantage is affordability as an example.
1. Descriptive
This formula breaks down your offering into its most basic elements, making it straightforward and easily understood.
{differentiating attribute} {product} for {target audience}.
Example: "Affordable solar panels for budget-conscious homeowners."
2. Benefit-focused
This formula highlights the primary benefit or result the customer will get from your product. It's less about the product's features and more about its outcomes or impact.
{benefit} with {product}
Example: "Power your home without breaking the bank with our cost-effective solar panels."
3. Result-focused
This formula zeroes in on the transformative or end result a user will achieve from your product or service. It's all about the final positive change, whether that's emotional, physical, financial, etc. This one is my favorite. Everybody makes decisions to achieve certain results. Don’t sell them your product, sell them the improved version of themselves.
{result} with {product}
Example: Sustainable living on a budget with our cost-effective solar panels.
Sell the transformation your product enables, not your product.These three formulas are just ideas, you should play around until you are satisfied with a strong UVP.
It’s CRUCIAL to get it right, the UVP will often be the most prominent element in your marketing collateral (website hero section, first page of your sales brochure, etc.)
Part 3: Identity
Identity is the soul that permeates every touchpoint of your brand. It's how your brand is perceived, recognized, and remembered. This goes beyond just a logo or color scheme; it encompasses the entire emotional and visual aura your brand radiates. It's about encapsulating your core beliefs, your mission, and your values into a recognizable and resonant entity.
Identity needs to be extremely well defined for the sake of consistency. Employees and freelancers need to understand it in order to successfully communicate your brand.
Brand personality
Much like people, brands have personalities. Your brand personality is the set of human characteristics attributed to your brand. It influences how people feel about your product or service. It’s crucial to determine your brand's personality early on to ensure consistent communication and resonance with stakeholders.
If your brand were a human, who would it be? A nurturing mother figure, a visionary leader, or a daring explorer?
Example: Patagonia is the eco-warrior, passionate about sustainability, and challenging others to follow suit.
Archetype
You can use archetypes to help you define your brand personality. Rooted in Carl Jung's theory of universal symbols, brand archetypes are a set of 12 universally recognized motifs or characters. These can include archetypes like the Hero, the Explorer, or the Sage. Aligning with a particular archetype can guide your brand story, voice, and imagery and make it easier to communicate it. I’m not going to dive any deeper into archetypes as there’s plenty of resources online, but I suggest you go have a look.
Voice
Your brand voice is, quite intuitively, how your brand speaks and writes.
I use this simple framework: for each value you defined, choose a trait of your voice that embodies it. For every trait, choose a few adjectives to describe the communication style and a few adjectives to avoid.
Here is an example of the voice of GreenForges.
Example of tone of voice framework I developed for GreenForgesNow you can use those traits to create consistent communication, be it through ChatGPT or copywriters.
Visual identity
Finally, the fun part. What is your brand going to look like? As a design geek, I believe in good design from day 0. It has a tremendous impact on the perception of your company. Because you look great, people will assume you are great.
There is an argument to be made for scrappy design, I admit. I myself chose an extremely scrappy design for my own website and personal brand. You can choose this path if you are VERY confident in your offer and are able to communicate it effectively with words. The advantage of scrappy design is that it can communicate confidence and straight-forwardness. Although, you need to be careful if you choose this path, as it’s not easy to pull off.
Logo
I assume you know what a logo is. I will only say don’t interfere too much with the designer, assuming you chose a good one. They know what they’re doing, it’s their job.
Palette
Colors evoke emotions. For climate startups, using earthy tones or colors associated with nature can instantly communicate the brand's focus. However, don’t feel restricted by this. The key is consistency and resonance with your brand's core messages. A good way to stand out might be to choose a bold color palette that nobody else in the industry is using.
For example, take a look at Running Tide’s color choices:
Running Tide uses a bold color paletteDefinitely not the color palette you’d think of for an ocean health company. Yet, it works wonderfully (IMO). It screams boldness, which is what’s needed to tackle important issues like ocean health.
Typography
I don’t have much to say about typography. The designer you chose to develop your visual identity will most likely select appropriate fonts to represent your brand. If you don’t have a designer, just choose a clean popular Google Font and you’ll be safe.
Visual elements
These are graphics, patterns, photos, and videos that support your brand identity. These are, in my opinion, what makes the difference between an average visual identity and a great visual identity. If you are working with a designer, make sure to ask about these.
That's it for this post. Thank you for reading!
