Every now and then, we might do an online search about branding just to check on its current trends. Branding is a powerful tool that marketers should not take for granted. It can either make or break your company's success, which is why you need to be extra careful when it comes to developing your brand image. Below are some of the biggest mistakes that can put your work in jeopardy.

Define your brand strategy first

Start with your brand strategy first before anything else. A good brand strategy will set the tone of your entire marketing campaign and serve as a guide for future refinements. Branding is not just about coming up with catchy taglines and logos; it's about identifying your products, services, markets, and audiences first before communicating what makes you stand out from the rest. Branding is a long-term process that companies should embrace rather than run away from because it is going to play a significant role in their success or failure in the industry.

Not investing in a quality brand Identity

Your brand identity is one of the first things your customers will see and it sets the tone for what they can expect from your company. The brand identity, although it includes your logo, goes beyond this; it includes every single detail that highlights your company's unique identity. Building a brand identity is a long-term process that companies should embrace rather than run away from because it is going to play a significant role in their success or failure in connecting with customers.

Creating a brand that isn't differentiated from its competition

A mistake that is made by many companies when they are building their brand is not differentiating themselves from the competition. It's very important to make sure you build a brand that stands out from all others in your industry because if it doesn't, there's a good chance you'll be seen as just another company who offers similar products or services as everyone else. You can't afford to blend into this crowd and must stand out in some way, whether it is through the quality of your product/service or by using an effective marketing strategy.

Not knowing your audience intimately

Truly knowing your audience is the key to getting people to buy your product. You can't expect people to follow something or even pay attention if you don't know what they want.

Brent Nolan of Brand Agency, Blunt Agency says "The brand that knows their audience better than their competition ultimately wins"

Not connecting with the right audience

It isn't enough to make a product or service and assume people will find it. You must be proactive about connecting with the audience, even if means going outside your comfort zone. Making assumptions about who your audience is can be damaging to your business. It risks wasting time trying to connect with the wrong people, or worse yet, not connecting at all.

Make sure you have taken time to learn about your customers before you start making assumptions about who might fit into that audience.

Losing focus

Find your niche and remaining focused is powerful for brands. Too often we see brands diversify and expand into new markets or create new unrelated products to keep up with trends that may or may not be beneficial to the brand.

Every business wants more sales, but quality of the overall brand experience should never suffer as a result.

Brand experience is not what it should be.

Ensure your brand experience is always a priority and you are conscious of the customer journey. If your brand experience does not align with customer expectations it's the quickest way to fail.

Not defending and safeguarding oneself

Once your brand has established a marketing position defend and safeguard it. You are going to invest considerable time and money in building your brand, ensure you have the appropriate IP protection and trademarks in place. Brand infringement can have a devastating impact on businesses.

Nobody wants to head down the path of legal action, but not having any IP protection at all is always going to be detrimental to your brand.

Being inconsistent with your branding

Once you have developed your brand, ensure the marketing material is consistent across all platforms. Your print collateral should look similar to your website and social media pages. Branding elements that are inconsistent will confuse customers and they will be unsure of who you are or what you represent.

Ignoring the signs it's time to evolve, refresh or rebrand

Brands grow, age, and sometimes die. To remain relevant to your customers, you may need to refresh or rebrand your business. Knowing when it's time to evolve is sometimes difficult, which is why you need to stay up-to-date on emerging trends and changing customer preferences. So remember: just because it's always been that way doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

If you've identified areas of your branding that no longer meet your business objectives, or if your brand is feeling tired and dated, then now is probably the time to explore a new branding direction. Branding should be about bringing customers closer to the heart of your business.

Your brand promise isn't worth the paper it's written on

At the heart of your business is your brand promise. It's critical brands understand and remember this. Your Brand Promise should be evident in everything you do related to your branding efforts.

That means every advertisement, brochure, business card and website should communicate what you are promising your brand's audience.

But it doesn't stop there … your brand promise must also extend into the way employees are trained so they understand how their day-to-day activities contribute to the brand promise.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has given you some ideas on the key brand mistakes to avoid. A Brand Agency that assists marketers and companies is Blunt Agency. Visit their website for brand insights to assist your business.