Dear Friend, Subscriber, and Category Pirate,
Most small ‘e’ entrepreneurs (plumbers, painters, mechanics, etc.) intuitively understand branding hierarchy in category design.
For proof, look at any local sign for a dentist.
BIG FONT: DENTIST
Small font: Hannah Mills, DDS.
Or, how about your local landscaping company?
BIG FONT: LANDSCAPING
Small font: Taylor’s Landscaping Since 1991
Or how about your plumber? What does the side of their truck say?
BIG FONT: PLUMBER
Small font: O’Connor Plumbing. Call us today!
Category first, brand second.
But larger companies often struggle.
It’s shocking how many MBAs, entrepreneurs, founders, and very smart investors prioritize the brand BEFORE the category. Our name. Our logo. Our team. Our “mission statement.”
The category makes the brand, not the other way around.
People intuitively understand that category comes first.
When someone asks you out to eat, what’s the first question you ask? What kind of food is it? Mexican? Korean? Italian? You need to know what it is (the category) before you care about who makes it (the brand) or learn what problem it solves (the marketing).
Brand marketing is something we do to customers.
Category marketing is something we do for customers.
Before you even think about branding, your company needs a category to market itself within. This idea has become misunderstood over the years, so let us clarify. As we shared in our mini-book The Big Brand Lie, you DO NOT want to market within an EXISTING market. Instead, you want to create a NEW and DIFFERENT category/market, which you now have free reign to market WITHIN.
And yet, many people put the brand before the category.
Understanding the connection between category and brand is a non-negotiable for anyone designing a new and different category.
Here are the most important points to connect and map in your frontal lobe.
Think Category First: Always start by naming, framing, and claiming the category. People have to understand what category you’re in before they care about your brand.
Align Brand and Category: Your brand name and identity should reflect and reinforce your category. The category and brand have to come together in some meaningful way for the customer, consumer, or user.
Market the Problem, Not Your Brand: Your marketing has to revolve around the problem your category solves. You’re not selling a product—you’re solving a customer’s problem.
Stay Ahead with Category Science: Look for anomalies and outliers in your market data. These will give you insights into what consumers need and opportunities for new categories.
As category designers, it's our job to name, frame, and claim the problem and educate customers on the solution. By doing so, we don't just create brands—we build categories that shape markets and drive demand. When done successfully, your company’s branding creates the style guide for the category.
So, what category are you designing—and how will it define your brand?
Arrrrrr,
Category Pirates
PS: Connect your category and brand strategy.
Start creating a radically simple, differentiated strategy in just 5 days with the free Strategy Sprint email course. Here, you’ll learn what's holding you back from creating a new and different strategy, see why it's important to strip your strategy to a single page, and know what to focus on when it comes to strategy (besides your competitors).
You can learn more and enroll in the Strategy Sprint here.
PPS: Help others “think different.”
If reading this opened your mind to new and different thinking, share it with a friend or click the ❤️ button so more people can learn about Category Pirates. Have a question or pirate-y thought? Let us know in a comment.
The Category Makes the Brand: Unpacking Brand Hierarchy in Category Design