A brand is how people recognise a business and what they expect from it: its name, look, voice and promise. Kids aged 10 to 13 create a brand by starting with their customer, writing a one-line promise, then choosing a name, colours and a simple logo to match. The logo comes last.
Your 12-year-old's bike-cleaning service has three repeat customers. Tonight she's spent an hour choosing a font. "It has to look cool." But her customers never mentioned cool. They mentioned quiet chains. So you ask:
"Who would want this, and why?"
That answer is the start of a brand. Here's how to build one in an afternoon, for free.
A brand has four parts: a promise, a name, a look and a voice. The promise matters most. The other three make it easy to remember.
| Brand part | Bike-cleaning example |
|---|---|
| Promise | Your bike comes back clean, oiled and quiet |
| Name | Squeak Free Bikes |
| Look | Green and white, a hand-drawn bike chain |
| Voice | Friendly and short: "Ride quieter by Friday." |
This is an illustrative example, not a JuniorCEO Lab student case study.
A clear brand helps customers remember your child and recommend them. Every later choice can be checked against the promise.
No. A name and a consistent look are enough to start. A hand-drawn logo can come later, once your child knows what customers value.
Build it from the customer outwards. It works best once your child has a tested idea from turning a problem into a product idea.
Who they are, their problem and what they said after trying it.
Start with the value sentence, then shorten it to one line:
"This is for ___, who wants ___, and it helps by ___."
For example: friendly, reliable, quick.
Check the top three are easy to say and not already used nearby.
By hand. Simple works best.
Ask: "What do you think this business does?"
| My customer is | ___ |
| My promise is | ___ |
| My brand words are | ___, ___, ___ |
| My name and colours are | ___ |
In the classroom: students write a promise and name, then classmates guess what each business does from the name and logo alone.
Usually not for a small family project. In Australia, business.gov.au says you must register a business name if you trade under a name that isn't your own, and only a trade mark gives exclusive rights to a name. Outside Australia, check your government's small business website. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keep the brand honest and legal. The choices belong to your child. Check designs are their own, help them promise only what they can always deliver, run anything online yourself and agree before anything is printed.
The JuniorCEO Lab activities work anywhere. The rules around business names, trade marks and selling depend on where you live. Before your child uses a business name or sells anything, check three things on your government's small business or consumer website:
Building a brand is the fourth stage of the JuniorCEO Lab program, after shaping an idea and before understanding money.
It can be, such as Ava's Bike Care. In Australia, business.gov.au says a business name must be registered if you trade under a name that isn't your own, so using their own name avoids a step. Elsewhere, check your local rules.
Ask what they like about it, such as bold colours, and help them use that idea their own way. Copying another brand's logo or name can break someone else's rights.
Two is plenty, three at most. Fewer colours look tidier, cost less to print and are easier to use the same way every time.
Yes. Encourage them to keep it the same for a few weeks first, so they can see what customers actually remember.
This week, ask: "What do your customers always get from you?" That answer is the promise. If your child hasn't spoken to customers yet, start with how kids do market research.
Su Stanyer is the founder of JuniorCEO Lab, an Australian program that teaches children aged 10 to 13 how a business works, from exploring products and researching customers to branding, money, marketing and sales.
Government references are general information, not legal advice, and do not imply endorsement of JuniorCEO Lab.
In just 6 weeks, your teen will launch a real product, build their brand, and start selling.
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