Do Scientists Need a Brand? All About Building Your Brand in Science

Do scientists need a brand? What about engineers and tech founders?  The simple answer is no. We’re constantly making choices about where to focus our energy, our money, and resources. The world (and your scientific research) won’t end if you haven’t defined your brand. Building your brand in science may feel unnecessary, or even overwhelming. The longer answer is, investing in your science brand will quickly repay itself in collaborations and funding. A strong brand clarifies your goals and communicates them effectively to others. Today, we’ll walk you through what a science brand looks like, and help you develop yours with easy, manageable steps. We’ve even developed a simple worksheet to fill out (jump to worksheet download if you’re in a hurry).

Building your science brand is more than just a logo; it’s about creating a lasting impression that resonates with your audience. For science and engineering companies, effective branding communicates innovation, establishes trust, and distinguishes your solutions in a competitive market. If you run a academic lab, simple branding steps help set you apart, convey your research results more clearly, attract better lab members, and ultimately secure more grants. Read on for key steps to ensure your message reaches the right scientific audience.

1. Define Your Mission and Audience

Your mission statement is the heart of your brand. It should clearly articulate the problem you aim to solve and the unique impact of your innovation. Ask yourself:

     · What motivates our work?
     · How do we make a difference in the real world?

By crafting a concise mission statement, you provide a guiding light for your team and a compelling reason for your audience to engage with your brand. And really, this is easy, right? Your mission statement is your first statement in your grant proposals, in your funding prospectus, and is the reason you do what you do.

Know Your Audience

Identifying your target audience is critical. Your messaging should resonate with different stakeholders, such as investors, other scientists, patients, customers, and industry partners. Consider their needs, values, and what drives them. Understanding your audience allows you to tailor your branding efforts and communicate more effectively.

This step doesn’t just define what information you share, it also shapes how you share it. Once you understand your audience’s challenges, you can better serve them, and articulate how your innovation provides a solution.

2. Establish Your Values

Similar to your mission, your brand values should reflect the core principles that guide your company. However, rather than focusing solely on your technology and solutions, this is more about your gut-level-guiding principles. Your values go deeper–they shape your priorities both internally and externally. 

As you define your values, consider your goals, and what that means for your company. Are you focused on technology that will increase the speed of semiconductors, and need to prioritize speed? As such, are “efficiency” and “innovation” your guiding words? Or on the other hand, if you’re developing a cancer therapeutic, perhaps you need to focus on “trust” and “hope”. 

Words like “innovative,” “trustworthy,” and “sustainable” help shape brand identity and connect with your audience on a deeper level. These values will serve as a foundation for your messaging and visual identity.  Not only is this useful to think about for your external message, it can also strengthens company culture and guides hiring decisions. 

3. Craft Your Narrative and Visual Identity

Once you’ve defined your mission and values, it’s time to tell your story. Develop a clear narrative that connects your company’s origins to its goals. This narrative should include:

1. A mission statement that conveys your purpose.
2. An elevator pitch that succinctly describes your company.
3. A story that illustrates your journey and aspirations.

A well-crafted narrative helps you engage with your audience and gives them a reason to believe in your vision. And of course, don’t forget who you’re speaking to! Use language that respects your readers’ and listeners’ knowledge and expertise. Even better, developing this messaging early will guide the creation of cohesive visuals.

Steps to Crafting a Visual Science Identity

Your visual identity encompasses your logo, color palette, and typography. These elements should reflect your mission and values. For instance, if your brand emphasizes innovation, opt for modern colors and fonts. Simplicity is key, especially in the early stages. Here are a few simple tips you can use to help develop your brand, before you’re ready to work with a  designer:

1. Choose a consistent font that’s easy for everyone to use. Can your grad student who prepares figures easily access the font? Google fonts is a great place to start, as it’s accessible across PC and Mac platforms.
2. Logo – start simple! You can look for tips in our article on DIY logos for scientists, or just start with a nice bold, simple text.
3. Choose 2-3 main colors, and stick with them. Not only does this give your PowerPoint presentations consistency, regardless of who is presenting, it also saves time. No need to reinvent a color palette. We have more ideas about color in our blog on color intro for scientists.

When should you consider investing in professional design? That is a great question! Our article on when to invest in branding goes into some considerations. We work with scientists in small academic labs who prioritize a professionally designed website, as well as companies who are already through their second round of funding and are just considering professional design. As much as we love working with scientists and tech companies at different stages, we also want you to know there is so much you can do on your own to craft a cohesive visual identity. 

4. Launching your Science Brand

Now that you’ve taken the time to define your science brand, what’s next? Here are a few tips to help you maximize the impact of your brand and put your hard work into action.

Ensure Consistency Across Platforms

Consistency is crucial for building trust. This is a simple idea, but one that we often forget about. Integrate your branding into all materials—slide decks, websites, and print materials–and make sure that your entire team can access these materials. This includes using the same colors, fonts, and messaging across platforms. A unified presence strengthens your brand and helps establish your authority in the field.

Test, Gather Feedback, and Refine

Finally, don’t hesitate to seek feedback from both internal teams and a sample audience. When building your science brand, testing what you’ve implemented can reveal how well it communicates your mission and values. Sometimes when we’re in our own bubble, we misjudge how things are perceived. Fresh perspectives will help refine your branding, ensuring it resonates with your target audience and effectively supports your science goals.

In fact, we’ve just started offering an hour consultation to give YOU ideas on what you can do your own, because an outside perspective is always helpful. We’ve always offered free 15 minute consultations, but we’ve realized the need for more in-depth strategy and feedback. Reach out to us here if you’re interested in a brand consult, or want to start with a 15 minute consult to learn more. 

Download Our Free Branding Worksheet

By devoting time to brand building, you make it easier for others to choose to work with and support you. Whether that’s securing investor backing or attracting an amazing new lab hire. The effort you put into crafting your brand pays off in meaningful opportunities and connections. 

To help you navigate the science branding process, download our comprehensive worksheet, which offers practical tools and prompts to guide you through defining your brand effectively. At SayoStudio, we pride ourselves on being a trusted voice in the science communication space. Our mission is to make science more engaging and accessible to everyone. We understand the challenges scientists face in conveying their work, which is why we provide free resources to empower you in your branding and communication efforts. Stay tuned for more valuable tools and insights from us in the future, and let’s work together to enhance the impact of your scientific contributions.