Most people underestimate the power of branding and without a smart brand strategy, it can be all too easy to fall prey to branding mistakes. In fact, even some of the world’s most iconic brands have made poor decisions at some point or another. It can be done deliberately or mistakenly. How do you go about preventing such mistakes? For starters, you learn to identify the biggest mistakes that can make or break your brand strategy. Below are the most common mistakes that kill brands.
Mistake # 1: Underestimating the importance of the logo
A logo is far more than a cocktail of letters, shapes, and colors; it’s the symbol that conveys the personality of your brand, the values you stand for, and the goals of your business to your audience, helping you to form a connection with the people you hope to call your customers.
In other words, your logo will do a lot of heavy lifting for your business – if you know how to make one that hits the mark. Understand that a great logo is immediately recognizable but creates a lasting impression. It’s synonymous with the brand itself and a glimpse of the brand’s identity.
Mistake # 2: Inconsistent corporate identity
Using a different logo, font, color, and elements can be confusing and it damages your brand.
Consistently is the lifeblood of any brand. Your logo needs to be carried across on everything – website, emails, office signage, labels, letterheads, business cards, brochures, and adverts. Your colors, fonts, and style need to be cohesive as well. Customers need to be able to associate your logo, tag line, colors, and name without having to think too hard. This is how you establish and build your legacy.
Mistake # 3: Getting an unprofessional graphic designer
Some small businesses opt to have a logo by using free logo makers (websites) like Wix and place it, etc. and some hire cheap untrained graphic designers. Even worse, I have seen their best friend’s daughter design their logo because they are good at art. The result is that businesses usually have to rebrand after a year or two and end up paying far more than the initial investment would be. Come on! This is your business! You only have one glance to convince them. Get a properly trained professional who understands branding and show your customers just how serious you are about your business. Creating an exceptional graphics design will capture your audience with a great impression to start with you and they will remember it forever.
Mistake # 4: Untrained employees
Successful branding starts inside your company — it’s nurtured there and you can take all the credit for its success. Think of your employees as potentially walking, talking billboards. Pump them up about the name, logo, and tagline – train them to be community ambassadors in your marketing campaign.
Mistakes # 5: Neglecting customer’s experience
Know that logo designs or ad campaigns are important, but how your audience reacts to them is just as crucial. Branding is all about creating the right image of your product. But knowing how your customers feel about it should also be a big consideration. Enhancing the focus on customer experience also requires resolving customer service issues promptly. Implement a system that can prioritize the customers first, like responding to emails within 24 hours or having a live chat feature on your website.
Mistake # 6: Out-dated marketing materials
You may have had a brand strategy for the last decade, but if you have not updated your materials, you are wasting your chance to stay relevant in your consumers’ minds. Old brochures that no longer reflect your goals or vision, business cards that have not been updated since your new website was launched, ugly emails that are not user-friendly or optimized in any way, tired ads that run on radio, television, or print without inspiring anyone…even an ancient website that is slow-loading and hard to navigate. These things can all set you back in your branding efforts.
Mistake #7: Not using social media to build your brand
Social media is great news for businesses and brands and the best part is, both big and small brands can benefit. When you know the figures, it’s easy to understand why business and consumer marketers almost unanimously believe that social media is crucial to building a brand. So, when it comes to your social media branding, it’s important to invest some thought and resources into it.
There are many factors that go into starting a new business, so many in fact that some of them tend to get overlooked. While branding may be perceived as one of the lesser tasks to put money or effort into, it is crucial to invest in upfront so that you don’t make even more costly mistakes down the line. Investing in your branding will allow for better brand recognition, brand consistency, and a better overall brand experience for your consumers.
With professional strategies, our expert team of creators produces what your brand needs so that it can soar through current trends and step to the next level. Your marketing campaign is essentially our shared goal, so No Limits Media adjusts to your needs, offering, and the surrounding events and trends. If you are a business, ministry, or nonprofit, we have the right solutions for you.
No Limits Media is a full-service media agency with our headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. We are focused on making your brand stand out and get to the next level. We do not just create designs we deliver designs that demand attention and results. If you are ready for your brand to update its image and take it to the next level, contact us today.
