Whether you are a new business owner or a seasoned one, it’s fair to say branding is probably one of the most important aspects of your business.
It’s one of those things that no matter what stage of business you are in, you want to get right.
Yet so many businesses get it wrong, that’s why I’m sharing 11 branding mistakes to avoid so that you can learn what not to do!
First things first…A brand is more than just your logo and other visual elements. It’s an emotion that is evoked, an experience that is felt and it is a memory that can be made.
Branding on the other hand is the practice of effectively using your brand identity.
This includes on all forms of communications - online and offline - which are key in reinforcing trust and recognition.
So what’s the first branding mistakes businesses often make, which you can avoid?....
1 | Not defining your brand strategy
A brand strategy is essentially a long-term plan to achieve specific, predefined goals. These goals need to directly connect with your clients (or customers), their needs, and their emotions.
If you haven’t defined your brand strategy, how can you be sure to achieve your goals?
It’s essential to understand who your competitors (or other industry players) are, what your brand story is and define and shape your brand personality and tone of voice.
Remember it’s all about achieving those long term goals and aligning the business vision all at the same time.
2 | Inconsistent branding
Consistency is key. It’s the first rule of building a strong brand. Consistency creates trust, recognition, memorabilty, and it provides comfort to your clients or customers.
Think about a company that uses 2 or 3 different logos across entry points, for me, the perfect example is this restaurant down the road. On the outside of the building they use 3… yes 3!!... different logos, I can only imagine which logo they have on their actual menu….
To me, and to others, this inconsistency appears unprofessional, disorganised and makes me question the quality of what I would receive.
Now, my example is based on something I have seen offline. With so many interactions happening online, on various social media platforms, it’s super important to remain consistent with all your visual assets and tone of voice, so keep this in mind to ensure you don’t make this branding mistake.
3 | Not getting the visual identity (the logo) right
Your logo is the main visual identifier of your brand. It should “speak” to your target audience, and it should resonate with them. Colours, fonts, and shapes all having meanings behind them, so it’s important you don’t just pluck a font style out of the air and pick colours you like as an individual and put them together to create your logo.
Take the time to do your research, into your brand, business and into finding the right designer for you and your project.
A bad visual representation of your brand or business can be super costly to your business so don’t make a branding mistake and get your visual identity wrong.
4 | Failing to find your brands USP
What differentiates your brand from that of your competitor or fellow industry friend?
By knowing what differentiates you and your brand you are able to stand out to your target audience. They will notice you.
However, if you fail to find your brand USP, you will unsuccessfully share your message as it will not resonate. Going back to the first point, define your brand strategy, do your research, identify your values and use these to differentiate your brand.
5 | Not connecting with the right audience
Firstly, your brand won’t appeal to everyone. You don’t want it to appeal to everyone as not everyone is your target audience. Therefore concentrate on connecting with the right audience.
Not sure who your target audience is? Think about creating a customer or client profile (a persona). Define that persona as part of your brand strategy by thinking about who that person is:
- Are they male or female?
- What age are they?
- Where do they hang out?
- What are they interested in?
Essentially you want to find out as much as you can about your target audience so that you can build a connection with them.
6 | Not providing a memorable, positive, brand experience
How many times have you had a negative experience when interacting with a brand? It’s memorable…it’s something you don’t forget because it made you feel...sad? Or Upset? Or worse...Inadequate from a customer or client perspective. Well that’s what you don’t want when someone interacts with your brand.
You want to avoid this branding mistake so instead...Think Disney. They have absolutely nailed their brand experience, and therefore their brand expectations. Just hearing the name Disney brings a warm fuzzy feeling right? You know what to expect, what kind of experience you will feel - it’s all positive! That’s the kind of memorable, positive, brand experience, they have created.
7 | Jumping on trends
Keeping up with the latest trends is great when your brand is moving with the times, however just be sure you are jumping on board because it aligns with your business vision and goals.
No, you don’t have to start using Tik Tok just because “they” are...
The same can be said with design trends, you can modernise and present your brand in a fresh contemporary way without choosing to update your core identity. Saying that….
8 | Not realising it’s time for a rebrand or a facelift...
...Can really be a branding mistake. One of the key reasons to rebrand is if your branding is outdated. This could be down to a number of things, a change in business direction since you first started, or maybe you have outgrown your original brand.
Related:
One of the biggest branding mistakes you can make is not to change or update your brand when it visually needs it.
9 | Associating your brand with the wrong values
Your brand has a set of values. Sticking by these values is key through every interaction and action you make. For example, a brand that is eco-conscious and has sustainability in its core values probably shouldn’t associate and champion the latest plastic product to hit the market.
When you attach your brand name, visuals and voice to another brand, or product, you need to ensure the values and messages align, otherwise you risk the damaging your brand by coming across as confused, or untrustworthy.
10 | Breaking your brand promise
As an individual when you break your promise, you break someones trust. As a business, when you break your brand promise, you break your client or customers trust.
We all know how hard it is to gain trust once it’s been broken so the bottom line is… don’t break your promises.
In the business world, if you break your clients, or customers, trust, you’re opening the door to loosing your reputation, and professionalism. This also means that you’ve created a negative brand experience, which as mentioned earlier, is something you want to avoid.
11 | Not admitting, or ignoring, a blunder
The final branding mistake is when a brand or business doesn’t admit to making a mistake. Or worse, they ignore it. Owning up to something that had gone wrong - for example an order not being delivered on time when payment has been taken, or a double payment being take, has the potential to escalate into a negative, therefore it needs attention.
Similarly, how a brand deals with a negative review, or negative comment on a social media post says a lot about how they look after their clients or customers.
In my books, honesty is always the best policy and when something is quietly and silently brushed under the carpet in the hope no-one will notice is never a good thing. It will only come back to bite you in the butt later down the line so instead of making the mistake to ignore, delete, not admit to that blunder… own up to it and get those client or customers by on side. You never know, they may even become your brand advocates and champion your positive actions!
Conclusion…
Much like Rome, a brand is not built in a day. It takes time and effort to create something truely memorable, trustworthy and positive. Therefore whether a new or seasoned business owner hopefully by identifying these 11 branding mistakes I have helped you to avoid making them.
Good luck and do let me know if you have any questions or would like to have a no strings attached chat about your branding. You can get in touch here.