Branding Doesn’t Start With Design - It Starts With Direction

Every strategy to boost local branding should start with one uncomfortable but critical conversation:

What exactly does your business do, and who gives a damn?

Our client was a medtech startup with a fresh take on medication shopping. Not delivery. Not a price-comparison clone. Something in between. Think of it as the “smart pharmacy assistant” your local chain store never had.

But before we could even think about visual identity, we had to get into the minds of the people who’d actually use this thing.

  • Who are they? (Hint: not startup bros.)
  • What do they care about? (Trust. Simplicity. Not being ripped off.)
  • How do they currently solve the problem? (They don't. They complain and wait.)

After user interviews and competitive research, we noticed the market was filled with sterile, over-clinical brands. Perfect. That’s exactly what not to do.

Naming That Doesn’t Sound Like a Lab Equipment Brand

A big part of the strategies to boost local branding is choosing a name that speaks your customer's language - not your investor’s.

We ditched anything that sounded like a biotech VC pitch or a prescription drug. Instead, we landed on a name that was:

  • Easy to pronounce (even after a glass of wine)
  • Warm and human (without being “cute”)
  • Memorable (in Dutch and English - because, well, Amsterdam)

That name became the heart of the brand. It tested well in focus groups, had zero conflicts with trademarks, and - this part's underrated - it looked great on a tote bag.

Style Comes From Substance (and Your Focus Group’s Brutal Opinions)

Next up in our strategies to boost local branding: visual identity. And no, that doesn’t mean “pick a blue and call it day.”

Our approach? Let the market decide. We created a few identity directions and ran them by our target users:

  • Option A: Cool and clean (aka “boring but safe”)
  • Option B: Bold and human (aka “someone finally understands me”)
  • Option C: Hyper-clinical (aka “why does this feel like a hospital brochure?”)

Option B won by a landslide. Why? Because the users didn’t want another cold tech solution. They wanted someone to care. So we designed a system that looked friendly, modern, and trustworthy - without leaning into cringe startup aesthetics.

The MVP and Promo Platform That Didn't Feel Like a "Minimum”

Now, the fun part. Actually building it.

While most MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) look like rushed hackathons in disguise, we treated our platform and website like the real product. Because guess what? That is what your users are judging you on.

We designed:

  • A sleek and intuitive MVP platform for medication shopping, built for people who don’t care how APIs work
  • A high-converting promo website that explained the product in plain language (not “synergy-enhancing healthtech AI”)
  • Print-ready promo materials for pharmacies, clinics, and co-working spaces (yes, local branding still lives offline too)

The entire front end was tested by real users, not just internally. Yes, we actually watched people click around and asked them what sucked. That’s called usability testing, and it should be required by law.

The Missing Ingredient - Marketing That Doesn’t Suck

Let’s be honest again. Design without marketing is just a good-looking ghost. So part of our strategies to boost local branding involved deep collaboration with a local marketing agency.

Here’s what worked:

  • They knew the local channels that mattered (which is never just “Instagram Ads”)
  • We kept all visuals and tone tight and consistent, from digital ads to pharmacy counter flyers
  • We tested and optimized the promo site copy and CTA (Call To Action) based on what locals actually responded to, not what looked cool in Behance mockups

And the results?

Within a year, the startup crossed €10M+ in revenue. People recognized the brand, trusted it, and used it. That’s the power of strategies to boost local branding that actually work.

So, What Can You Steal From This?

Glad you asked. Here’s what every SaaS or startup founder should take away when thinking about strategies to boost local branding:

  1. Your brand is not your logo. It's your reputation, and your reputation is built on clarity and consistency.
  2. Market research isn’t optional. If you’re guessing, you’re losing.
  3. Design + focus groups = powerful. Trust the people you’re trying to serve, even if their opinions hurt.
  4. Your MVP should look like a product, not a prototype.
  5. Collaborate with marketers like they're co-founders. Because they’re building your perception in the wild.

And finally…

If your “strategy” for local branding starts and ends with a Canva logo and an Instagram handle, you’re not branding. You’re just decorating.