Branding Mistakes to Avoid Part 2

In the last column we introduced a list of common branding mistakes to avoid. We ran out of real estate very fast, so we felt compelled to complete the list to help our readers avoid any branding faux pas.

Chasing Markets: You have a vision, a mission, a dream. You believe in it. But the market is slow to respond. Many lose their cool under pressure to reach critical mass or break-even point and begin second-guessing themselves, losing faith in their idea and chasing rainbows. Yes we need a sense of urgency and the ability to adapt to new realities, and yes, pivot as needed. But your brand and company are built to succeed at your vision, not somebody else’s. Do not reinvent yourself into something you are not, because you will not succeed, even if you’re chasing a booming “trend.”

Vertigo: At their best, brands grow, evolve, learn, improve and upgrade. There comes a time when you graduate into a stronger brand, maintaining the essence, vision and mission, but refining and polishing your image, messaging, perhaps even culture. When companies see their new branding, they tend to get unanimously excited about it. But when it comes to execution, vertigo creeps in and everyone starts heading back to the past. You’ve done the research, the due diligence, the analysis; move forward with confidence. Staying still is effectively falling behind.

Playing it Safe: Suffice it to say excessive safety could be your biggest risk. This does not mean you should go into shock-and-awe mode, but at the cost of turning some people off, which is often unavoidable, you’ll create a strong bond with your core audience who will be your loyal customers and brand ambassadors. You need to find the right balance and consciously assess the risks, but strong brands have personality, character and integrity, they stand for something. Do not compromise in the name of safety.

Missing the Reality Check: Everybody wants to be the next Apple. Guess what? There aren’t that many Steve Jobs around. Yet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and a list of others were often started by non-college grads out of garages. They all started small and grew larger than life. It’s not so much about the size, but about the size you can and should be. Overshooting can hurt you as much as undershooting; keep a pulse on reality and build your brand with that scale in mind. When Jeff Bezos started selling books online, he knew exactly what he was going to be selling twenty years later, which is why he named his company Amazon and from its infant days built it to grow into the behemoth it is today. He made sure he’d get much bigger and much faster than anyone else.

Misunderstanding Branding: People tend to think about branding as a logo and a tagline. These are only the tip of the iceberg. And they are important, because they allow audiences to recognize that tip and have a sense of what lies beneath. But what makes the brand is the entire iceberg. Branding is the end product of the entire customer journey, from early stages of awareness, through purchasing, consumption and customer service. Your brand experience is affected first and foremost by your employees - marketing, engineering, sales, HR, finance, everybody on your team. And thereafter by your distributors, providers, retailers and a number of third parties. Companies that understand branding properly ensure everybody’s drinking the Kool-Aid.

These lessons are easier said than done and often require thick skin. But more often than not, proper branding may require upfront sacrifices, but the long-term gain will be well worthwhile.