Branding is essential for all businesses and companies, big or small since it’s how customers will remember and recognise their products, services, and unique selling proposition. Strong brands give customers a sense of trust and loyalty, and it’s essential for long-term success. But despite its importance, many small businesses don’t invest enough time or resources into it as they are too focused on other aspects of the business. Branding is important and should be given attention alongside other important factors, such as digital marketing.
If you want to improve communication with customers, brand recognition, loyalty, and profitability, here are the branding no-nos you should stop or avoid, whether you’re a conglomerate or an SME.
The Absence of a Logo
The logo is the most important part of your company’s branding. It is also the most recognisable feature, so you must get it right. If you do not design your logo properly initially, it may be difficult to change it in the future, especially if you have not yet established your brand in the market.
It is important to keep using the same logo for your brand once it has already established itself for familiarity. In 2010, the clothing store Gap made the mistake of changing its logo, which resulted in negative feedback. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Ultimately, a logo should be immediately recognisable, create a lasting impression synonymous with the brand, and give a glimpse into its identity through the chosen colour (s) and font.
Disconnected Copy
As mentioned earlier, your brand guidelines should include tone, a factor most evident in the advertising or marketing copy used. Good copywriting aims to be clear and concise while pitching and selling the brand to the audience. You want to catch their attention, but not at the expense of sounding authentic and original. So avoid using empty words like “innovative” or “one-of-a-kind” if you know they don’t apply to your brand.
Many companies make the mistake of writing overly complicated or unclear copies. This often happens when companies try to describe themselves using buzzwords or jargon instead of personalising the content to their audience. As a result, the copy doesn’t accurately represent the company and its values. Worse still, it might talk over or under the audience!
As a business owner, take a step back and evaluate your brand. Are you offering something unique that sets you apart from your competitors? If not, you may need to rework the entire approach. Learn from Coca-Cola’s simplicity. To celebrate the brand’s centennial, Coke Australia’s simple tagline was, “Happiness in a bottle.” No truer copy has been written since Coke brought millions joy with its classic fizzy, sugary beverage.
No Brand Guidelines
When asked about the biggest negative impact of brand inconsistency, most survey participants (71 percent) said that it creates confusion in the market. Consistent branding, on the other hand, was found to result in three to four times better visibility for organisations. Moving forward, some of the guidelines you must have are the theme, tone, and values of the brand(s) in question.
In Closing
Honestly, this sounds difficult at first glance because you’re rebooting and redirecting a brand from the ground up. While doable, it’s better to collaborate with professionals who know what they’re doing, like Pure Marketing! We’re a Birmingham-based website design, and digital marketing firm focused on improving your brand and ROI. Visit our website today and receive your free, no-obligation brand audit!