A strong brand is vital because it’s what customers develop a relationship with. It’s what sets you apart, and it’s what guides your direction. But branding yourself can be very difficult. Seeing the multiple facets and whittling that down into a cohesive story takes time, skill and talent.
Eight years ago, when we first started, it was difficult to whittle our brand down. We were two very different people, with different interests and approaches. We didn’t know ourselves as well, and to mesh that into one story seemed infinitely more difficult.
The first step we took was to ask ourselves:
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What are our core values?
- What is our “why” and the primary force inspiring us to start our own business?
We realized we agreed on our need for autonomy, as designers. Our desire to work in spaces that felt like a cultural fit to our identity and allowed us to be authentic in our day to day. Most of all, we valued collaboration, helping each other and our clients build something of their own.
As we reflected on these questions, we were thinking of names for the studio. We found a name that felt right: Talooka Studio. The spelling is the first part of our names: Ta-Loo-Ka (the last being our early-on third business partner). During our research, we discovered there’s another spelling: taluk (or taluka), an Indian word meaning “multiple villages come together for revenue purposes.”
It felt right.
That’s what we were, representatives of our own villages coming together to build something of our own and do it our way.
From that naming exercise, we essentially agreed that we wouldn’t try to meld ourselves into a hive mind or collective identity. With our name, we solidified our primary values around respecting individual perspectives and building together in support of those.
For us, our discovery process led us to immediately pick a name that represents our core values and motivations. For you, that foundational element may be your audience, services, or mission. Regardless of where you start, you’ll want to know what your values are and align your brand with those.
Fast forward to today, we’re standing strong in our values and beliefs. The next step is to review our vision and further develop that clarity into a cohesive voice to develop a more intentional identity.
With the new year upon us, it might be a good time for you to take stock of your defining foundational elements.
Ask yourself:
What motivates you?
What is at the core of your work?
How does that affect how you show up every day?
