A brand serves as an invisible lighthouse, guiding consumers through the vast ocean of products. More than just a logo, it represents a promise, a trust, and a special marker that effectively reduces decision-making costs. For startups with limited resources, how can they efficiently build and promote their brands, especially when trying to gain footing in competitive overseas markets?
The Essence of Branding: Trust and Differentiation
Brands occupy a central position in marketing. Broadly speaking, a brand represents consumers' recognition of specific products or services. At a deeper level, the essence of branding lies in the superior value that brand owners provide to their target audience compared to competitors. This value manifests in both functional benefits (such as product performance and quality) and emotional benefits (such as a sense of belonging and identity).
Philip Kotler, a foundational figure in marketing, defines a brand in his book Marketing Management as "a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors." This definition emphasizes the long-term nature of brand building—it's not just about products or services but the ongoing relationship between businesses and consumers.
As intangible assets, brands create premium value for their owners. This value stems from consumers' mental impressions of the brand, including its name, terminology, symbols, marks, or design. These elements collectively form the brand's identity, distinguishing it from competitors.
In essence, a brand serves as a unique identifier that differentiates products from competitors, builds trust through quality service, reduces consumer decision-making costs, and ultimately influences purchasing behavior.
The Importance of Brand Building: Compound Growth Effects
Brand building is crucial for B2B exporters, B2C e-commerce businesses, and individual entrepreneurs alike. Lacking brand awareness may cause businesses to miss significant growth opportunities.
Consider this: when consumers purchase a product with excellent performance but no brand identification, they may eventually forget where they bought it. This results in lost word-of-mouth marketing and repeat customer opportunities. Even exceptional products risk being buried in the market without proper branding.
Brand building requires long-term investment. While initial progress may seem slow, the compounding effects over time can surpass expectations. Once established, a strong brand creates competitive barriers that are difficult for rivals to overcome quickly, ensuring sustainable business growth.
Effective Brand Launch Strategies: Owned Media + Influencer Marketing
For startups entering global markets, the most cost-effective brand promotion strategy combines owned social media channels with influencer marketing. These complementary approaches create powerful synergies for brand awareness.
While brand building involves more complex systems, this combination offers the best return on investment during the initial launch phase. Compared to pure advertising campaigns that might only generate one-time conversions or inactive followers, this approach creates lasting impact and organic reach—particularly valuable for budget-constrained startups.
Some businesses mistakenly assume influencer marketing and social media management require substantial budgets. In reality, influencer collaborations offer various partnership models, not all requiring significant payments. Social media platforms provide free account registration and content publishing—the primary investment being human resources, which advertising campaigns also require.
This strategy works best for businesses committed to long-term brand building rather than short-term product testing. Through content strategies, campaign planning, and influencer collaborations, companies can create hit products that elevate their brand. Product marketing is temporary, but using products to convey brand values creates sustainable growth.
Many companies focus excessively on immediate sales conversion while neglecting content investment and long-term brand building. This approach often traps businesses in price wars. The owned media + influencer strategy boosts brand awareness while driving sales conversions.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram, often viewed as mere traffic tools, can deliver explosive results when brands gain traction. For example, one brand's Instagram campaign generated millions of views and hundreds of e-commerce orders with minimal additional investment.
TikTok's massive reach makes it essential for both B2B and B2C businesses. One brand's TikTok hashtag achieved millions of views primarily through organic growth. Content from a Korean influencer drove nearly 100 orders on Coupang within two days—up from zero daily orders previously.
Such exposure benefits both online conversions and B2B inquiries, enhancing marketing departments' strategic value. Successful global brands like Anker and SHEIN initially leveraged social media and influencer marketing—a strategy that remains effective today.
Implementation Strategies
1. Owned Social Media Channels
- Platform Selection: Choose platforms matching target markets and audience characteristics (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok). Each platform serves distinct user groups.
- Content Strategy: Develop clear plans for themes, posting frequency, and engagement methods. Content should highlight brand values and product features while being entertaining and useful.
- User Engagement: Actively respond to comments, messages, and discussions to build community. Gather feedback to optimize content and products.
- Data Analysis: Regularly review performance metrics to refine strategies.
2. Influencer Marketing
- Influencer Selection: Partner with influencers whose audience and style align with brand positioning. Evaluate their reach, follower quality, and content through analytics tools.
- Collaboration Models: Options include product reviews, content creation, live streaming, and endorsements. Choose models based on budget and goals.
- Content Review: Ensure influencer content matches brand image while respecting creative freedom.
- Performance Tracking: Measure impact on brand awareness, sales, and user growth to optimize strategies.
Case Studies
Anker
The charging accessory specialist built its brand through Amazon sales and social media promotion. Collaborating with tech influencers for product reviews and maintaining active audience engagement helped establish strong brand loyalty.
SHEIN
The fast-fashion e-commerce platform grew through Instagram and TikTok campaigns. Partnerships with fashion influencers for styling content and live sales attracted young consumers, while participation in trending topics boosted visibility.
Risk Considerations
- Cultural Adaptation: Adjust strategies for regional cultural differences to avoid conflicts.
- Legal Compliance: Adhere to local advertising and consumer protection laws.
- IP Protection: Safeguard intellectual property against infringement.
- Reputation Management: Monitor social sentiment and address negative feedback promptly.
By combining owned media development with influencer partnerships, startups can launch cost-effective global branding campaigns that enhance recognition and influence, ultimately achieving successful market entry.