Brand blunders that may be hurting your marketing!

Bringing an idea to the conversation table is the easy part, getting it to market requires hard work, maintaining consistency is difficult, and staying relevant is complicated.  But none of the stages of a brands life are impossible when you have the right tools and the right people on your team to implement them.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can do it yourself or on the cheap, because you can and WILL destroy your brand before you even get it off the ground.

It will always cost you more to fix mistakes than it would to have it done right the first time.

Obtaining a temporary identity just to launch your business with the thinking that changing it later on down-the-road, in short, is a serious financial risk which can literally destroy your business’ reputation – let me explain…

Of course you can hire that cheap overseas provider thru Fiverr or try it on your own using “free” tools such as Canva, which promise you everything imaginable but rarely deliver you something that’s original.  The chances are very high the same branded resources or identity that was sold to dozens, if not thousands, of several other business or was taken from a clip-art service.  An unknown to you until it’s too late you discover you cannot legally copyright or trademark the artwork as result.  While these options may be sufficient for a small independent bodega around the corner, it is an undesirable and highly unprofessional option to any business or service with regional, national or international aspirations.

Here are four brand sticking points to help you develop a strong(er) marketing plan: 

Brand Identity

Your logo identity doesn’t have to be an award winner or tell a story.  Keep it clean and simple. Remember that regardless of your message, this identity graphic is at the forefront of your business’ recognition. It just needs to be memorable!

You came up with a name for your business because it either has some relevance to you personally or because you have this grand idea that it will appeal to a particular group you want to market to.  Either way, why then would you put the brakes on the creative by using some cheap logo you found online for $50 or some embedded clip art your friend found for you in their favorite word processor?  It’s extremely rare for good or even great creative to just pop up at the spur of the moment.  It’s an involved process of problem solving and solution building.  

Solution building is when a creative idea which has potential, whether it came from you or from a marketing team, should be scrutinized and, if necessary, improved upon before its unveiling to the public. 

Some logos are built with shapes and lines, have plays on lettering, maybe hand crafted, others utilize a mascot.  The brand name you’ve come up with could influence how the logo will be developed.  In these situations, I’ve always found it easier to work backwards to find a solution to the design. I start by asking what colors should I avoid, are there any particular styles, like fonts, they might have issues with.  It’ll come of no surprise that it’s easier for people to tell you what they don’t like, than what they do.

Brand Flexibility

While this relates to brand identity, it warrants some independent points… 

When creating an identity, that will last, you should always consider how and where it is going to be used.  Business cards, brochures, advertisements, wearables, social media, digital ads, phone apps, etc. Depending upon your particular business model, some or all of these must be taken into consideration.  You don’t want only a vertical version, when there might be use for it horizontally on a product label for example.  But, at the same time, you don’t want to have several and inconsistent versions of your logo floating out there causing confusion of your brand, which only leads to misunderstanding and possibly devalues the overall intention of the brand.

My personal recommendation, if your brand allows, is to have horizontal and vertical flexibility along with an icon (favicon) version for all feasible purposes, print and digital, that your brand will encounter throughout its life cycle.

Brand Consistency

Another, very important, but all too often overlooked and sometimes ignored piece of brand marketing is brand consistency.  It is often presumed difficult to follow, yet is quite simple, when you hire the right people.  It is crucial to the success of your brand to stop trying to be the person that wears all the hats!  The hiring of a professional to do certain segments of your business, is not you giving up any control, but when delegated properly, will certainly give your business the boost it needs in building a strong brand image with the quality that your business deserves.

Whether it’s a business card left behind at a networking event or the billboard display on I-95, an email newsletter or a digital advert on Facebook, maintaining brand consistency across all platforms helps build your brand’s recognition.

Brand Relevance

Your target market may shift, your target market can change, your target market could be broad or be exclusive, but don’t get too comfortable with your brand just standing still.  You need to always keep your brand marketing updated and inspiring toward your target market or they will simply go to your competitor that does.  

All too often I have seen DIY’ers put out a relatively decent campaign, at the start, and then complain months into it asking why the sales are dropping or have leveled out.  In order to increase growth potential it is important to stay atop of your target market and improve or expand upon your campaign continuously.  It’s not enough to just be consistent.  It doesn’t matter if your budget is $500 or $1,000,000… map out your campaign ideas ahead and be prepared for some trending shifts from time to time, requiring some updating, to stay relevant and in the minds of your target audience.  Stay away from the “post and pray” method and seek resources that will help your business prosper.  

Understand that no campaign is perfect and there WILL be mistakes made!  How you respond to those mistakes will make the difference between a failing campaign and a successful one.

Have questions or would like a one-on-one conversation about creating or building your brand?  
Feel free to schedule a free 15 minute introductory meeting with me here.