To build a sustainable brand, start small and run experiments to either validate or invalidate the elements you’re building. Iterative brand development isn't about the "big reveal" but about the next step. If they work, preserve and prep for scale. If they don’t, keep iterating and testing until you know the value the element is creating.
One way to do this is to start with a Minimum Viable Brand (MVB). An MVB distills your brand value offering down to the essential parts needed to test with an audience – story, artifacts, and invitation. To successfully use an MVB, you have to find the minimum expressions of each of these components to get through a full turn of the Build-Measure-Learn loop as quickly as possible to test them in the market.
If an element in your MVB works, keep it and prepare it for scale. If it falls flat, iterate and test again. Validation is demonstrated by business growth. The MVB is the vehicle to discover a foundation for growth and every iteration to your MVB merits another round of experimentation.
Here's a sneak peak at the Minimum Viable Brand Canvas, one of the tools in the Lean Brand Stack. The stack will include tools you can use immediately to start diving into the development of your brand.
