There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a brand, but there are certain mistakes every startup should avoid. Check out these tips (as seen on Business News Daily) from President Anthony Pappas and Strategy Director Jeremy Gilman.

1. Defining their brand too narrowly — Sometimes startups think that launching their companies on a crowdsource platform and enlisting a talented designer to make them a cool logo is an adequate way to establish their brand. But the goal of a brand is much broader: it is the promise you make to customers about what they can expect in all interactions with your people, products, services and company. When startups have a narrow view of what a brand is, it is impossible to build a genuine experience that their customers want to be a part of.

2. Trying to be everything to everyone — A startup shouldn’t try to appeal to ‘the general public.’ Instead, they should have a strong point of view that captivates the early adopters and influencers of their target audience. For example, Toms Shoes was really successful at building an army of brand advocates early on. They were able to do so because they created an experience that socially conscious Gen X consumers, and consequently their friends, wanted to be a part of.

3. Changing their brand to mimic the success of others — Startups should find inspiration from other companies and use their success as a model to grow. However, one of the worst things they can do is adapt to trends that have no relevance to their brand. The success of others should not be viewed as a brand blueprint, because what works for one company won’t necessarily work for another.

4. Letting what they’re doing in the moment define their brand — A startup’s brand should be something that will live with them forever and it doesn’t change over time. Their mission, or the means by which they deliver on their promise, can evolve but their vision should never stray. An example of a company that does this really well is Virgin. Virgin stands for, ‘value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challenge.’ No matter what sector, whether it’s travel, mobile, lifestyle or entertainment, they create the same brand experience for their customers, and it’s been that way since they began as a small record company in 1970.

5. Branding on the surface — Brands need to be built from the inside out. Startups have to make the commitment to their brand in such a deep way that it permeates their entire organization and it should feel natural. If it feels forced or contrived, they’re doing it wrong. Southwest is a great example. Their brand is dedicated to ‘the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit,’ and you can expect that from them through your entire travel experience, from booking to landing.

6. Lacking a clear vision of what they aspire to be — A question all startups should ask themselves is, ‘what do I want to be when I grow up?’ Aspirations drive decisions organizationally and help define brand architecture. If a startup can’t envision where they want to go, they can’t make smart decisions to get there.

7. Breaking their brand promise — If companies don’t deliver on their brand promise, their customers can and will hold them accountable. Case in point, the recent Path data-gate. In their mission statement, Path promises that the social network ‘should be private by default. Forever. You should always be in control of your information and experience.’ However, earlier this year they were ousted for collecting contact information from their users’ iPhones without consent. So when Path’s chief executive justified the behavior as an ‘industry best practice,’ social networks erupted with outrage. After the fact, the startup apologized for the mistake and corrected the error, but the entire ordeal could have been prevented had the company kept their brand promise.

8. Looking to their industry to help brand their company — It’s important that startups look at what their competitors are doing, but only so they can differentiate themselves. One of the worst things that a startup can do is play it safe or be generic. They should never try to fit into a mold based on what everyone else is doing. Instead, startups should be bold to get the attention of consumers and then deliver on their brand promise. Consumers value individuality and having a point of view will help startups elevate their brand.

9. Forgetting to engage their customers —We’ve worked with established and new companies alike that think they ‘get social’ because they have a Facebook and/or Twitter presence. However, in order to be truly engaging, startups have to create a personality for their brand, start conversations with their customers, and do things that are interesting to their target audience. Consumers want their favorite brands to be a natural extension of their personal interests. When they don’t see the ‘me’ in brands, they will not relate.

10. Neglecting to invest in brand development — It’s unrealistic to think that startups have a ton of money to spend on advertising and marketing. But developing a brand story and pushing it out are two different things. Startups should view the former as a priority because it extends beyond just marketing: it goes into sales, employee adoption, decision-making and more.

We’re proud to announce that Pappas Group has been selected as an Official Honoree of the 16th Annual Webby Awards for our work on The Hamilton website.

This year, the Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 US states and over 60 countries worldwide. Winners are chosen by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences and the Official Honoree distinction is awarded to the top 15% of all work entered.

The Hamilton is the latest venture from Clyde’s Restaurant Group and is DC’s new destination for music and entertainment. It provides an upscale venue to showcase the best local, national, and international talent for the city.

Pappas Group was tasked with creating the brand from the ground up, starting with identity and then moving onto the website and other communication channels. We worked with Clyde’s Restaurant Group to create the visual identity for the new establishment, the logo, the website, pens, matchbooks, envelopes, stationery, note cards and more than 5 different menus. Browse an all new The Hamilton website and check out some of the great publicity in The Huffington Post, Urban Daddy, Washington City Paper, and The Washingtonian.

Neustar recently launched the “Kickstart America” campaign created by Pappas Group to promote Neustar’s .US top-level domain. Inspired by the sole proprietors and small business owners of Main Street America, the campaign mission is twofold: emphasize the value and power of Main Street and provide small business owners with the resources to succeed online.

The Pappas Team worked with Neustar on a complete brand revamp and website redesign that was rolled out in the end of March. To create buzz around the launch of the new .US website and the “Kickstart America” campaign, Pappas created the “Small Business, Dream Big” contest. Small business owners are asked to submit a short video telling their story and how they would benefit from being on a .US domain. Two winners will receive a soup-to-nuts prize pack, including an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC for the National Small Business Week, professional consulting from an industry expert, a complete website design and a local online advertising campaign customized for their business. Contestants can submit their video via the Kickstart America website or Facebook tab by May 11, 2012.

In addition to the contest, Pappas helped Neustar create a set of “cash mob” videos. Two small business owners, ParkFlorist.us and BikeWorks.us, were surprised with a sudden influx of 20 customers who spent $500 purchasing goods in their store. The videos were completely unscripted and Pappas and MRB Films were there with hidden cameras to capture the business owners’ reactions as a slough of balloons and singing customers invaded their stores.

But the launch tactics are just a piece of the pie. Pappas recognized that for many small business owners, building your own website is a daunting task. So they created a toolkit with step-by-step instructions to ease small business owners into launching their own .US site. Pappas also helped Neustar set-up a Facebook community where they’ll share tips, news and highlight small business owners making a name for themselves with a .US address.

This is all just the beginning of how Pappas is helping Neustar Kickstart America and we’re excited to work with such a great client on the project. We’ll make sure to keep you updated as the campaign progresses and the contest winner is announced, so stay tuned for more to come!

The third annual GW Women in Business (GWWIB) Spring Conference will take place on Saturday, April 21st from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Duques and Funger Halls at The George Washington University. Gathering an impressive blend of college students and young professionals, the conference calls to “Envision. Engage. Execute. A Blueprint for Success.” Keynote speakers include:

• Princess Yasmine Pahlavi, Founder, The Foundation for the Children of Iran;
• Bobbie Lloyd, President and Chief Baking Officer, Magnolia Bakery; and
• Alexis Maybank, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Gilt Groupe.

With ten panel discussions covering multiple industries and an afternoon networking luncheon with notable DC bloggers (I’ll be hosting one myself, please join me!), attendees will participate in personal and career development workshops on topics such as mentorship, college entrepreneurship, social media, personal branding, diversity, business style, philanthropy, and more.

The conference is open to women and men of all ages. Tickets must be purchased in advance and include conference admission, breakfast, lunch, and dessert, a conference “swag” bag, and a signed copy of By Invitation Only, a new book by Gilt Groupe founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. For more details or question follow on Twitter at @GWWIBConference.

Grab your tickets fast and join me for lunch

You might be hard pressed to find a Pappasita who remembers my beloved 80′s tween shopping destination UNITS clothing boutique. I say this only because I am still feeling the sting from the face palm I did when a group of them didn’t get my Ogre Revenge of the Nerds “NEEEEEERDS” impression. Really, they’ve never seen the movie. Really?!? I began to reminisce about UNITS when one of my coworkers asked me to think about “a great retail experience.” I couldn’t really think of a “retail experience” that he could identify with or one that was worthy of talking about. In the DC area I shop at stores like Nordstrom RACK at the discount mall in the suburbs; it hasn’t quite perfected the coveted customer service model “The Nordstrom Way” that every brand aspires to have.

After discussing my concerns with him, he began to probe about what brands I like. Head Porter, Asos, House of Creed, basically all “niche” brands. He smirked and twilled a $3 pen that I had given him a few months back. It’s a pen that if he misplaces he’ll search every conference room, go from desk to desk rifling through co-workers pen cubbies, and shake down people that walk by  (okay, I’m exaggerating on that one but you get the idea). He was right though. There IS a store I visit every single time I go to New York, even if it forces my friends to trek over from their beloved Brooklyn neighborhoods to have brunch in the city. I will not leave NYC without having a quick stop in to pick up some paper supplies and a few pens. Behold Muji.

Those unfamiliar with Muji, it’s considered a lifestyle brand in Japan, offering everything from house wares to office supplies to dry groceries. I was first exposed to this in 2004 when I moved to a tiny village in Niigata, Japan, many miles away from any fluent English speaking person. What’s a girl to do when her level of Japanese is laughable? I began to indulge in one of my favorite hobbies; shopping. Train stations in Japan are duel purpose, a place to catch a train and a shopping center, it is here where I found my shopping Mecca. I lost all my inhibitions I had been feeling as a foreigner in a foreign land, and I WENT FOR IT. Purchasing kitchen tools I didn’t even know the utility for, pens of different colors and styles, some converse looking shoes, I even purchased a new futon set…with the bedding to boot. True to the Japanese customer service way, they offered to deliver the goods (at no extra charge) in three days, but I insisted on taking my goods with. With Muji goods in hand, that evening I had the longest trek from the train station to my beloved apartment, working arm muscles I did not know existed.

What is it about Muji that turns me into a girl who has to have it now? How does one tiny pen transform a seemingly reserved and mild tempered guy into Ogre dangling nerds from frat house balconies? It’s fascinating actually, because the products themselves are recognizable even though they are logo less and are quite simple in design. It’s actually the absence of branding that makes Muji so great. It’s a brand that not only has a great corporate mission; use every material, use quality materials, don’t harm the environment, but it creates products that are both aesthetically pleasing and great to use. When placed all under one roof the catalog of products translates to a brand experience that is unmatched. The environment is muted with the Muji color palette of white, black, beige, and grey. Each section of the store leads perfectly into the next with clear packaging or none at all creating a highly emotional and Zen like brand experience. Exactly what Muji president Masaaki Kanai aspires to create for the Muji retail experience, instead of relying on imagery and text to dictate the brand experience, he allows the collective of products to create an atmosphere that reflects the brand, tapping into the Japanese design concept of “ma.”

Muji’s approach to retail space, product design, and digital experiences (checkout their iPad apps) strategy is truly innovate. While it’s still very “Japanese” feeling, it’s not taking advantage of its Japanese heritage. It isn’t exploiting the old way of life in Japan, instead it exploits the idea of Kanketsu but on a much more modern way. Perhaps they’ve been so successful because they really have little to no competitors creating this same brand experience. For a few years there was a Head Porter shop in Soho, which product wise took the same approach. However retail wise it was a “clean” space, but on the top floor over a crowded Stussy store. Ikea is commonly compared to Muji, mostly because of the minimalist and Bauhaus-isque design. Yet you go into an Ikea and you feel like you’re in a warehouse with rooms and screaming kids and a test floor showroom. You go to Muji and it’s clean, the music is low, the shoppers speak in whispers, and carefully put back any product they may have pulled down from the shelves.  Muji’s brand values are simplicity, moderation, humility and self-restraint all which are felt when you walk into one of their stores. If you have yet to experience this brand, I highly encourage you to visit one of the shops in NYC or overseas. Or if you happen to pop into the office, ask Jeremy to borrow his pen, just don’t forget to give it back!

Earlier today, our very own Lisa Byrne was listed by InTheCapital as one of  DC’s Top 10 Influencers in Social Media. Quite fittingly, Lisa is the Social Strategist for Pappas Group, providing our clients with the same know-how and can-do that propelled her to social “influencer” status in our Nation’s Capital.

Catch up with Lisa on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Foursquare, Google Plus, Socialcam, LinkedIn, Instagram, or perhaps her blog.

She’s also on Yelp, YouTube, Flickr, Path, GetGlue, Tumblr, Forecast, Foodspotting, Highlight…and a dozen more but we didn’t want to overshare!

As for Pappas Group, follow us here and Like us here. Read the full article on InTheCapital.

In the last few weeks we’ve been everywhere from live TV to an Ad Age op-ed to a Washington Post feature story(and can’t forget satellite radio). Enjoy a whole slew of Pappas links below:

• Tom Heath of The Washington Post covers Anthony Pappas in his widely acclaimed column, ‘Valued Added’

• We tell Ad Age why we turned down a chance to be on an upcoming reality TV show on AMC

• FishbowlDC and K Street Kate cover the DC Addys and our Ad Age op-ed

• Anthony Pappas joins Let’s Talk Live on News Channel 8

• CNET covers .CO Internet, a company cool enough even for Brooklyn hipsters

The 2012 DC Addy Awards have come and gone with Pappas Group receiving 7 awards in total. Our efforts in branding The Hamilton provided us with a Silver Addy for the menu plus two Gold Addys, one for the website and one for The Hamilton trademark. The Hamilton was awarded a Silver Addy in the campaign category for our overall efforts in creating the brand.

Our logo created on behalf of Pure Matters was awarded a Silver Addy, the logo created for TLC’s Extreme Couponing was awarded a Silver Addy and our very own Pappas Group Newsletter received a Silver Addy.

Click here to see some photos from the awards ceremony.