Introducing Founder Marketing Strategies: The New Game-Changer for Startups

Starting and growing a business can be both exhilarating and exhausting. In today’s competitive landscape, startups face even more challenges, from dwindling capital to rising costs and stiff competition. That’s why it’s essential to find effective, organic marketing tools that can help your startup thrive. One such tool is a founder marketing strategy, which can be incredibly powerful in building your brand and connecting with your target audience. Surprisingly, few businesses are taking advantage of this approach. Let’s explore how a founder marketing strategy can help your startup stand out from the crowd.

Founder marketing is a strategy that features the founder of a business as a central figure in its marketing efforts. This strategy can be implemented in tandem with traditional business, product, or brand marketing to build credibility, establish trust, and create a lasting relationship with customers.

In this article, we will explore why founder marketing matters, how it works, and the two main options for implementing it. We will also take a closer look at Candeeze Co, a brand that successfully used founder marketing to launch and gain 280K followers on TikTok in just 7 days.

Are you ready to take your startup’s marketing to the next level? Discover the power of #FounderMarketing! This innovative approach features the founder of the business as a key element of marketing, building trust and authenticity with customers. Two main options for implementation are Parallel Intersection and Supplementary Embedding.

Why Does Founder Marketing Matter?

Founder marketing matters because it allows startups to leverage the personal brand of their founder to build credibility, establish trust, and create a lasting relationship with customers. According to LinkedIn research, 56% of professionals say that a business executive’s presence on social media positively influences their purchase decision, while 66% say they would be more likely to recommend a company or brand if they followed a company executive on social media. (Learn Why and How Executives Should Become Active on Social Media, LinkedIn)

In addition, company alignment with personal values is 74% more important to consumers today than it was in 2021, according to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022. By showcasing the personal values and beliefs of the founder, startups can connect with consumers on a deeper level and establish a loyal following. (Sprout Social Index™ 2022.)

Furthermore, personal brands build credibility for raising capital. By demonstrating through their personal brand that they can sell a product or service to their audience, the company is more likely to succeed.

As Dave Gerhardt, author of Founder Brand, Turn Your Story into Your Competitive Advantage , said, “Today, people want to buy from people. We want to work with people who we know, like, and trust. And this is why I believe that the clearest path to success in marketing (if your goal is to build awareness for your brand) is to start with the founder. A founder with a brand gives your marketing efforts superpowers. A founder brand builds trust, creates lasting relationships, and conveys expertise, leadership, content, and personality.”

How Does Founder Marketing Work?

Founder marketing works by leveraging the personal brand of the founder to create a stronger connection with customers. There are two main options for implementing founder marketing: parallel intersection and supplementary embedding.

Parallel Intersection is when the founder has their own marketing channels built out, and the brand has their own marketing channels built out. The founder channel and the brand channel have complimentary narratives that intersect at strategic moments. This strategy allows the founder to showcase their expertise, personality, and leadership while reinforcing the brand message and values.

Supplementary Embedding is when the founder participates in the marketing strategy the brand is implementing as a messaging framework, but they do not have their own marketing channels. This strategy allows the founder to lend their credibility and personality to the brand messaging, creating a more personal and authentic connection with customers.

Candeeze Co: A Successful Example of Founder Marketing as a launch pad for a new brand

Candeeze Co is a brand that used founder marketing to launch and gain 280K followers on TikTok in just 7 days. As of today, that video has 29M views! Check out the post that made it happen!  Jordan Pork wrote a terrific piece for Trends.co on the viral elements that made this content connect with consumers.    

What made Candeeze Co’s founder marketing strategy successful was its masterful combination of emotion, novelty, and a subtle call-to-action. By sharing the personal story of building their business (and lives together), the newlywed co-founders able created an emotional connection with their founder marketing strategy.

In conclusion, implementing a founder marketing strategy can be a game-changer for startups looking to grow and succeed in today’s competitive business landscape. By leveraging the personal brand of your founder, you can build credibility, establish trust, and create lasting relationships with your customers. Whether you choose to use Parallel Intersection or Supplementary Embedding, the key is to showcase your founder’s expertise, personality, and leadership while reinforcing your brand message and values. So, if you’re ready to take your startup’s marketing to the next level, it’s time to unleash the power of founder marketing! Join the waitlist for our upcoming Personal Branding for CPG Founders course to supercharge your growth with founder marketing strategies. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and take your business to new heights.