
What Makes a Brand Truly Badass?
In today’s hyper-competitive B2B landscape, having a badass brand isn’t just nice—it’s essential for driving revenue growth and standing out from the crowd. But what exactly makes a brand “badass”?
A badass brand exudes confidence, authenticity, and a distinct personality. It’s memorable, bold, and unafraid to push boundaries. As branding expert Pia Silva puts it:
“Why am I badass? Because I do what I want, and I say what I want, and I get it, and I don’t give a shit about it.”
This unapologetic attitude is at the core of what makes a brand genuinely badass. It’s about having the courage to be different and to own your unique identity.
But building a badass brand takes more than attitude—it requires strategy, creativity, and a deep understanding of your audience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to create a badass brand that drives real business results for your B2B company.
The Business Impact of a Badass Brand
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s look at why having a badass brand matters for B2B companies:
- Increased brand recognition and recall
- Higher perceived value for products/services
- Ability to charge premium prices
- Improved customer loyalty and retention
- Easier recruitment of top talent
- Accelerated revenue growth
Research shows that consistent brand presentation across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. And companies with strong brands generate a higher EBIT margin than others.
Investing in building a badass brand pays off. Now, let’s explore how to do it.
How to Build Your Badass B2B Brand
1. Define Your Brand’s Core Identity
The foundation of any badass brand is a rock-solid core identity. This goes beyond just your logo or color scheme – it’s about defining who you are as a company and what you stand for.
Start by clearly articulating your:
- Purpose: Why does your company exist? What’s your mission?
- Values: What principles guide your decisions and actions?
- Personality: If your brand was a person, how would you describe them?
- Positioning: How do you want to be perceived in the market?
Pia Silva recommends using a “brand shrink” process to dive deep into these elements:
“We do a 2 hour deep dive interview, get to know everything about the client, and then I deliver a written brief that basically says, you’re here. You wanna go there. This is what needs to happen for you to achieve those goals.”
This process helps uncover the authentic core of your brand identity. The key is to be brutally honest and avoid generic platitudes. Your badass brand should have a distinct point of view.
2. Develop a Bold Visual Identity
Once you’ve defined your core identity, it’s time to bring it to life visually. A badass brand needs an impossible-to-ignore visual identity.
Key elements to consider:
- Logo: Create a distinctive, memorable logo that encapsulates your brand personality.
- Color palette: Choose bold, unexpected color combinations that stand out.
- Typography: Select fonts that reinforce your brand’s character.
- Imagery style: Develop a consistent visual language for photos, illustrations, etc.
Don’t be afraid to break convention here. A truly badass brand pushes boundaries visually.
For example, when Pia Silva rebranded financial services firm Stash Wealth, they chose an edgy, irreverent visual identity to appeal to millennials—a huge departure from typical financial branding.
“We put ‘catch your financial shit together’ as the headline of their brand,” Silva explains. “I remember distinctly one of her mentors from Merrill Lynch said, ‘you can’t say that in financial services firms.’ And it was a lot of me just reminding her, like, this is why you’re gonna make a splash.”
The bold approach paid off, generating tons of press and attention for Stash Wealth.
3. Craft a Distinctive Brand Voice
A badass brand needs an equally badass voice. Your brand voice is how you communicate your personality through words, whether in marketing materials, social media, or customer interactions.
To develop your brand voice:
- Define 3-5 key personality traits (e.g. bold, irreverent, expert)
- Create voice guidelines with do’s and don’ts
- Develop a list of words/phrases to use (and avoid)
- Write sample copy in your brand voice
Your voice should be consistent across all touchpoints while still flexing to different contexts and audiences.
Importantly, don’t be afraid to ruffle some feathers. As Silva notes:
“I started to completely own it. And sure enough, like I had people come up to me, I spoke at the Chamber of Commerce once. And someone came up to me after and they were like, ‘I loved your content, but, like, I really didn’t appreciate your cursing on stage.’ I was like, first of all, it’s not a curse. And second of all, okay, you’re just not my client.”
A genuinely badass brand polarizes – it’s not for everyone, and that’s okay.
4. Tell a Compelling Brand Story
Humans are wired for stories. A badass brand needs an equally badass origin story and ongoing narrative.
Your brand story should:
- Highlight your company’s purpose and values
- Showcase your unique approach/methodology
- Feature real customer success stories
- Evolve over time as your company grows
Use storytelling techniques like conflict, emotion, and vivid details to make your brand story memorable.
For example, software company Basecamp’s brand story centers on its unconventional approach to business, rejecting Silicon Valley norms in favor of sustainable growth and work-life balance. This narrative reinforces their brand identity as an alternative to the typical tech startup.
5. Create a Cohesive Brand Experience
A badass brand goes beyond marketing – it infuses every aspect of the customer experience.
Consider how to bring your brand to life across:
- Website and digital properties
- Sales process and materials
- Product/service delivery
- Customer support
- Employee experience
Consistency is key. As branding expert Denise Lee Yohn notes:
“A brand can’t just be a promise. It must be a promise delivered.”
Ensure every touchpoint reinforces your badass brand identity.
6. Embrace Authenticity and Transparency
Today’s B2B buyers crave authenticity from the brands they work with. A badass brand isn’t afraid to be real.
Ways to showcase authenticity:
- Share behind-the-scenes content
- Admit mistakes and show how you’ve learned
- Take stands on issues that matter to your audience
- Highlight real employee and customer stories
Transparency builds trust. Don’t be afraid to pull back the curtain and show the human side of your brand.
7. Continuously Evolve Your Brand
A truly badass brand doesn’t rest on its laurels. It continuously evolves to stay relevant and push boundaries.
Pia Silva emphasizes the importance of brand evolution:
“We’re repositioning. We’re remessaging. We’re taking out the in-your-face bold messaging and replacing it with a more bold approach and attitude, but with a little bit less of the contrarian sort of thing.”
Regularly audit your brand and look for opportunities to refresh and reinvent. What felt edgy a few years ago may now be mainstream. Stay ahead of the curve.
Measuring the Impact of Your Badass Brand
Building a badass brand is an investment. To justify that investment, you must measure its impact on your business.
Key metrics to track:
- Brand awareness: Surveys, social listening, search volume
- Brand sentiment: Net Promoter Score, review sentiment
- Website traffic and engagement
- Lead generation and conversion rates
- Customer acquisition cost
- Customer lifetime value
- Revenue growth
Use quantitative and qualitative data to get a holistic view of your brand’s performance.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Building a badass B2B brand isn’t easy. Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:
- Trying to appeal to everyone: A badass brand has a clear target audience.
- Inconsistency: Ensure your brand is cohesive across all touchpoints.
- Inauthenticity: Don’t adopt a persona that doesn’t align with your true identity.
- Neglecting employee buy-in: Your team needs to embody the brand.
- Failing to evolve: Regularly refresh your brand to stay relevant.
Case Study: Drift’s Badass B2B Brand
Consider a real-world example of a badass B2B brand: conversational marketing platform Drift (now part of Salesloft).
Drift has built a distinctive brand identity around being bold, authentic, and customer-obsessed. Key elements of their badass brand:
- Conversational tone: They use casual, straightforward language that stands out in the B2B tech space.
- Bold visuals: Bright colors, playful illustrations, and candid photos create an energetic vibe.
- Transparent culture: They openly share company metrics, salaries, and behind-the-scenes content.
- Thought leadership: CEO David Cancel, and the team regularly share provocative ideas about the future of marketing and sales.
- Community focus: They’ve built a passionate community around their brand through events, content, and engagement.
This badass brand approach has fueled Drift’s rapid growth. In just a few years, they’ve become a leader in their category and achieved unicorn status with a $1 billion+ valuation.
Building Your Badass Brand: Next Steps
Creating a truly badass B2B brand takes time, effort, and courage. However, the payoff regarding revenue growth and market leadership is well worth it.
To get started:
- Conduct a brand audit to assess your current state
- Define your core brand identity and positioning
- Develop your visual identity and brand voice
- Create a roadmap for rolling out your new brand
- Train your team on living the brand
- Continuously measure and optimize your brand performance
Remember, a badass brand isn’t built overnight. It’s an ongoing journey of evolution and reinvention. Stay true to your core identity while pushing boundaries and taking calculated risks.
As you embark on building your badass B2B brand, keep these words from Pia Silva in mind:
“I always try to tell them, your opinion is not really relevant here. We need to make decisions based on your goals and strategically what’s going to get you to your goals.”
Focus on what will truly move the needle for your business, not just what feels comfortable. That’s the essence of a badass brand.
With the right strategy and execution, your badass brand can become your most powerful asset for driving sustainable revenue growth. So go forth and build a brand that’s impossible to ignore.
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