How to built a brand? The recipe seems simple: buy a private label formula, hire a freelancer to design a logo, choose some standard packaging, set up a Shopify template for your website, and—voilà—you’re an entrepreneur!

But if your goal is to truly set your brand apart and build a loyal following, you’ll need more than just a pretty logo. It’s about creating a brand that doesn’t just sell products but inspires fans who stay with you for the long run.

Today, we’ll guide you through the entire process of brand creation, using our latest project, Rest Religion, as an example—a 2-step skincare brand that made waves in the U.S. from day one. And did we mention? They’ve already been featured in ELLE Magazine as part of their best anti-aging serum roundup.

Let’s assume that you have a product already, there is market demand for the category and your product has clear competitive advantages. What should you do next?

IN-DEPTH RESEARCH

THAT UNCOVERED KEY INSIGHTS

The first step in creating a successful brand is to think about a brand differentiation strategy!

This involves diving deep into market research to uncover insights that truly resonate with your target audience.

Understanding your audience isn’t just about knowing their demographics—it’s about understanding what’s on their minds and in their hearts. What keeps them up at night? What are their pains, desires, and aspirations?

When we were crafting the brand strategy for Rest Religion, we conducted 15 in-depth, one-on-one interviews and ran surveys on social media to gather insights directly from target customers. We also analyzed data and explored major social reports to understand broader market trends.

Consider using sources like Statista, Mintel, and The Future Laboratory to gather similar data and insights.

After two months of digging, we stumbled upon a powerful revelation from the emerging field of psychodermatology: stress and lack of sleep might be the ultimate enemies of skin health.

All-too-common struggles in our fast-paced lives, they lead to inflammation, damage the skin, and disrupt its repair mechanisms. How do you think this fact would make chronically underslept and overworked Americans feel?

This insight has become the backbone of Rest Religion—a brand with the power to counteract the effects of internal and external stressors on your skin, AND inspire you to reclaim your right to rest.

A POWERFUL CORE IDEA

THAT WORKS WONDERS

When you uncover a relevant customer insight, the next step is to ensure that you’re uniquely positioned to address it. Whatever claim you make, you must be able to deliver on it and have persuasive arguments to make your audience believe in you.

Once you’ve laid the rational foundation, let your imagination take over to craft a bold creative expression for your brand: your core idea (in the case of Rest Religion, it’s “the stress is real, we’re here to see you through it”), brand character, brand attributes, and modes of expression.

How do you know your creative idea is solid? It effortlessly scales across all brand elements—naming, visuals, messaging—and, most importantly, it’s deeply connected to your product and future launches.

The core idea behind Rest Religion? The stress is real, and we’re here to see you through it.

In a world where rest is a privilege, Rest Religion steps in to support you in those moments when you can’t hit pause as soon as you need it. The brand is here to remind you that rest is essential to well-being, while also acknowledging the challenge of getting enough of it.

The products work like chicken soup for the skin: soothing the effects of stress, restoring balance, and building resilience for the future. This isn’t just a marketing campaign—it’s the essence of the brand, influencing everything from product development to customer experience.

A BOLD BRAND NAME

THAT PROVOKES AND RESONATES

So, now, when you have your brand idea and character blueprint, think how every single element can become the expression of who your brand is. And naming is one of the most important means to make the very first statement about your brand.

When the name "Rest Religion" first came up, we knew we had something special. It's bold, memorable, and a bit edgy—exactly what we needed to stand out in the crowded skincare space. It's more than just a brand name; it's a call to action, capable of activating a community of people who senses that it’s time to reconsider our relationship with rest.

"Skincare brand that backs your restful glow" became our tagline, turning the concept of "restful glow" into a key brand attribute ripe for creative interpretation. For instance, when customers open the product packaging, they're greeted with "Enter your restful glow era," reinforcing the brand's idea at every touchpoint.

An ideal brand name doesn't just inform—it sparks a feeling. When the name's rhythm rolls off the tongue and evokes vivid imagery, you've crafted more than a name—you've created a lasting impression.

PACKAGING THAT POPS ON SHELVES

AND STOPS THE SCROLL

Design is the visual extension of a brand’s core idea, the two must be inseparable. When a brand’s identity doesn’t align with its core message, it creates confusion, weakens the impact, and makes the brand less noticeable.

At Rest Religion, we built everything around the “Holy Halo” metaphor—a gradient that radiates from the product to your skin. The color palette is soothing and calming, with muted tones of purple and pink, creating a serene yet striking look that sets it apart from typical minimalist packaging.

Always remember that the perceived value of the product should match or even slightly exceed its price tag—creating the feeling of getting more for less. That’s why the logotype is elegant, with smooth curves that evoke a sense of luxury.

We avoided black typography, as it would have disrupted the serene and restful atmosphere we aimed to create. The white text contrasts subtly against the background, ensuring readability while preserving the soft, minimalist vibe.

We experimented endlessly with palettes and gradients to capture the perfect restful vibe for the brand. Below is one of the first packaging designs we presented to the client in the renders. It's a great example of how a single idea can be transformed entirely just by playing with different color palettes.

During the brand identity phase, keep your competitors in mind to ensure you truly stand out and avoid unintentionally copying their colors or design approach. Find inspiration from other industries, as this can offer fresh perspectives and help create a unique identity that sets your brand apart in a crowded market. The goal is to be memorable, not to blend in.

A WEBSITE BUILT FOR

BEAUTY AND SALES

The thing about Shopify templates? They’re convenient, sure—but they often leave websites looking like clones of each other. That’s exactly what we wanted to avoid with Rest Religion’s site. Check it out here.

With just two products at launch, we knew our homepage couldn’t look like a typical e-commerce site crammed with endless offerings. Instead, we had to make those two products shine and, more importantly, communicate the brand's essence from the very first glance.

When you're working on your own website, the first thing to consider isn’t just how it looks, but what features you want to implement now—and what can be added down the road. Think about marketing tools like Subscriptions, Savings Offers, or even Before & After galleries. Building with these features in mind can help shape your brand’s experience right from the start.

MAXIMIZE IMPACT

WITH SMART CONTENT PLANNING

Never underestimate the power of content! Before booking photographers or planning shoots, create a detailed guide for every image you’ll need.

Do you want lifestyle or still-life shots? Which images will go where on the site? What orientation will work best? 

Test different compositions of your product at home to discover its best angles, textures, and lighting preferences. This way, you’ll know exactly how to highlight its strengths and minimize any weaknesses before the photoshoot, ensuring you get the best possible shots on set.

Careful planning not only saves time and money but also makes the process predictable. Later, when you get the shots, there won’t be any surprises.

So, there you have it—an approach to help you create a strong, memorable brand that generates loyal fans. If your brand isn’t performing the way you’d hoped, now’s the perfect time to rethink its strategy, core idea, and visual appearance. Strong brands don’t happen by chance—they’re built with purpose and vision.

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Cheers,
Orchidea team 🤍