There are branding mistakes and there are unforgivable branding mistakes. There are mistakes that a great PR job cannot erase from the atmosphere so quickly. Every time you see your company trending online, you get scared because people are jumping on the blunder you and your team made which has cost the firm millions of Naira and brand loyalty.
In business, branding is everything and one mistake can ground your company real quick. People are becoming impatient and in addition, have been less tolerant to accept apologies from brands who constantly derail from promises and mission statement. Most at times, your branding mistakes might not come from a change in your mission statement but from that tiny dot you asked your graphics designer to remove from your logo or that tagline you feel that no longer makes sense.
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There are people who underestimate the power of branding, yet if you ask them the first homemade car brand or the first homemade Noodles in Nigeria that pop into mind they will tell you Innoson Vehicles and Tummy Tummy Noodles. This replies might seem like magic, but the reality is that it’s all in the power of branding. We have just exited a decade and a lot of things went away with it. Here are five branding mistakes to avoid in 2020.
1. Not Sticking to Brand Promise
What is your brand promise? Are you stating things you cannot deliver? Maybe it is time to take a hard look at that tagline and cut it down. Sugarcoating clients and leaving them with bitter taste experiences will sink your brand gradually. Don’t overpromise and deliver little. At Freshminds, our tagline is ‘Inventing the future’. We keep this in mind in everything that we do. We don’t promise to travel to the moon or wade into the USA and Iran war drums. Why? Because we know it is not in the core of what we do.
2. Branding with an Inferior Logo
The Logo of your business says a lot about your company. There are people who create brand logo’s with their smartphones which is commendable but if you’re thinking big, you’ll realize that a LOGO created with a smartphone can lose quality when printed and hence deserves to be enhanced by a good graphics designer.
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In business, learn to outsource some task or if you can afford the services of a graphics designer, hire one who understands branding. Getting a quality logo should be on the top of the list
3. Don’t be too quick to jump on trends
Trends these days are crazy. there are horrible trends that go against what your business stands for. There are trends that have undertones of violence, war, and hatred. Resist the temptation of jumping on every trend, these things come and go but your brand should keep paddling the nervy waters of branding.
4. Inability to Protect and Defend Your Brand
Protecting your brand doesn’t entail putting it under locks and keys. It simply means that you need to ensure that your trademark and domain names are protected. The competition is high out there and if you great business with poor branding, there are hungry entrepreneurs waiting to capitalize on your mistakes. Ensure you file your name with appropriate government offices.
5. Thinking that Branding is expensive
Most people think that branding is expensive so they remain with the crowd. With a budget that doesn’t eat deep into the pocket, we can create a perfect branding strategy for your business that will guarantee a return on Investment.
Image Source: Smith House Design