Every step and phase in a brand building strategy is vital for its success. The things that you resort to when building a brand can quite often backfire and destroy your chances of succeeding.
It all boils down to doing things properly from the start, as all of your other branding efforts will be built upon the foundations you’ve set early on. We have intentionally called the mistakes that people make when building a brand catastrophic, because they doom companies to failure before they’ve even opened their doors to the public.
Make sure to study them closely so you can learn why are they so bad and how you can avoid them.
Never Clearly Defining What Makes you Different
Since a lot of the markets around the world are oversaturated, the chances are that you are going to be competing against harsh adversaries. You don’t just need to have something that makes you different – you have to clearly define it and communicate it to consumers.
The very definition of what makes you different will help you set your future goals, company culture, and branding strategy. This is exactly why it is the first step in any marketing strategy. Without it you will end up under cloudy skies in the ocean, with no compass or starts to guide your way.
It is important to establish this difference and be able to clearly communicate it, because there are similar options out there for your customers. Focus on the things that make you different and better than the competition at the same time and work your way up from there.
Spending Too Little Thought and Money on Your Logo
What is your first association when you think of the world’s most famous brands? Their logo, perhaps? This is simply because they have built their brand strategy on a strong visual. A visual that communicates important things about the brand. Every color and every line adds up to convey something unique and memorable to the viewers.
This is why logo design is a one of the most frequently outsourced business processes out there. Unless the company has graphic designers on the payroll, of course. Graphic designers with experience in logo design are able to hear you out, understand your brand philosophy and the image you are going for, and offer you several designs to pick from.
Since the logo reveals your brand’s identity, sets you aside from the competition and permeates all of your branding efforts, you shouldn’t try to cut any corners here.
Being Inconsistent With Your Brand Values and Voice
The next things on the menu are your brand values and voice. Remember that ocean and compass metaphor? Your brand values are the true north – without them, you wouldn’t be able to hold a steady course for success. If you are inconsistent with them, your course will be scattered and you won’t be able to see the shore for a long while.
If it’s easier for you, after defining the values that stand at the core of your brand, you should always keep them on display, and give your best to ensure that everyone in your team identifies with them. This will help you maintain a consistent brand voice as well.
The consequences of an inconsistent brand voice are pretty much the same. The bottom line – people will have a hard time identifying with and relating to an inconsistent brand experience. You will fail to make long-lasting connections with customers and your brand will seize to exist.
Never Finding and Acting Upon Valuable Feedback
You have probably read about how customers are the most important thing in dozens of different sources. And, we have to agree that they are, but what many business owners fail to acknowledge is the customer’s role in brand building.
With so many online platforms where people hang out and use to communicate, it is surprising how many brands fail to seize this opportunity to find valuable feedback.
Sometimes a minor and simple change in your branding strategy can mean a lot, and the feedback can be used to point you in right direction. Failing to act upon it will keep your brand on the same course, only to hit the desolate shores of the North Pole.
How can you avoid this mistake? Keep an eye out for social media mentions, popular customer forums, and use your email list to ask customers to fill in surveys. Don’t forget to include rewards to motivate them to come through.
Not Training Your Employees to be Brand Ambassadors
Remember the part about writing your brand values down and putting them on display for everyone on your staff to see? It is of vital importance for your branding strategy success. Many business owners fail to see that every employee is a brand ambassador, not only the customer support agents and sales representative, but everyone.
They all talk about their work with friends and family. How they see it and how they feel at work are all factors in the great branding strategy. In order to prevent this mistake, you should organize regular brand training for your staff and turn them into real brand ambassadors.
As far as we are concerned, you should start looking for matching core values during the employee recruitment and hiring phases. The training is an absolute must if you have to rebrand or adjust your branding strategy to penetrate new markets. It is the most reliable way to ensure consistency and success.
To sum up, defining your unique brand image and settling on a specific brand voice are crucial, along with a highly recognizable logo that fits the image you are going for. Everything else is built upon these essentials, so it pays to invest some more time, money and effort to do things right from day one.
Author Info:
Damir is an avid writer here to help you with graphic design and branding tips in order to take your business to the next level. Part of the team at DesignContest, a place that will make your every graphic design idea come to life.
The post 5 Catastrophic Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Brand appeared first on Digital Media News & Training.
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