As though women’s health issues have not faced enough difficulties in the past, the heroines of today’s women’s health industry, namely femtech leaders and founders, are still dealing with a number of challenges in getting their products, services, and solutions out there.
With over 1,300 femtech companies, the healthcare industry is still dominated by men’s leadership. Women leaders also feel like they have to work harder to prove their worth, get funding, balance their work and personal lives, and have to be more creative in facing gender discrimination.
This is where Ari Krzyzek and her Chicago-based digital agency, Chykalophia, swoop in. Having worked on different branding and web design projects for femtech and women-led brands, Ari sees that her clients usually go through a similar awakening phase: from having their great ideas all over the place to having them nicely aligned and ready for the right target audience.
This finding shows that branding is one of the earliest barriers femtech leaders need to get through before they can market their solutions and really help reduce the huge gender health gap. In the spirit of reducing this friction, read these insights by Ari on everything you need to know about branding and how you can apply it to your femtech business.
What Is Branding, Anyway?
It’s not surprising that so many business owners don’t really understand what branding really is. To some extent, the term has been such an overused buzzword that leaves the meaning vague and obscure.
Branding is often correlated with logos, taglines, websites, and advertisements. True, these are the elements of branding, but branding itself is so much deeper than that. It’s not just about being top-of-mind, either. That is one of the end goals, but it’s not exactly what branding is.
Simply put, branding is really about figuring out who you are. It’s like self-discovery, but for your business. And once you understand who and what your business really is, everything you do will affect how audiences perceive, experience, and interact with your business.
Branding Tips for Femtech Companies
It can be challenging for femtech companies to brand their business. Branding is closely intertwined with story, value, purpose, and mission which, in femtech, are often stained with taboo stamps.
Don’t let this bring you down, though. Branding for femtech startups or companies may not be an easy task, but there are things you can do to brand your femtech company. These tips are curated from Ari’s expertise and experience as a brand and UX strategist, as well as from the discussions she had with femtech founders on the Halo Femtech podcast.
1. Stick to Your ‘Why’
There must be a reason why you built your brand in the first place – a mission you want to carry out, a problem you want to help solve. For example, your ‘why’ can be to help get rid of period poverty, normalize menopause talk, provide better treatments and support for cervical cancer, or simply ignite confidence in women.
Your ‘why’ is your value. It’s not a task or resolution that you can get bored of; it is what motivates and shapes your business. When you first had the idea of this business, unknowingly you also determined your value – which can be the same as your personal value. Your ‘why’ is the foundation of your brand, so put it front and center in everything you do with your business.
2. Have A Solid Brand Story
After discovering your ‘why’, you can elaborate it into a brand story. Since your ‘why’ comes from a problem, naturally your target audience will find your brand story relatable on practical and emotional levels. Pay attention to how you deliver the story, though. Make sure it focuses on the solutions you provide and doesn’t stray from your ‘why’.
3. Be Cohesive & Repetitive
Website, social media page, newsletter, ads – you’d want to make sure your design, choice of words, and brand story are consistent and cohesive in all these marketing channels. Don’t be afraid to repeat your brand story so, gradually, the message seeps through and your audience can subconsciously recognize your brand.
4. Create A Wholesome Brand Experience
To deliver a quality end-to-end brand experience, you may want to do ‘everything’ by yourself in the beginning. This way, you can establish a system that is on par with your standards. For instance, you can choose all the materials, pack your customer orders, and write personal notes so your customers are excited to receive your product and are more likely to share it with their friends, creating a loyal customer base that feels a personal connection with your brand.
Later on, standardize these things so you can delegate them to your team while you focus on scaling your business.
5. Don’t Shy Away from Personal Branding
Like it or not, your personal branding affects your business. This is especially important when you’re looking to pitch your business to investors. They’d want to see that you have enough vision and passion for your business. They’d also want to know you well. After all, they’re going to work with you, right?
So, when you’re ready, invest in learning and building your personal branding.
Start Branding Your Femtech Company
Many business owners make the mistake of putting marketing first and branding second or worse, creating a half-hearted branding strategy.
“Branding is the heart of marketing, so that’s where you want to start,” shares Ari. “Without a solid branding, your marketing ideas will lack direction and the efforts will leave no remark in your audience’s mind.”
Branding can be a challenging task, especially for femtech companies. Connect with Ari Krzyzek on her LinkedIn or on her agency’s website, Chykalophia to chat with Ari and learn more about femtech branding.
