I’m working on some branding projects with clients so I thought I’d put together an easy to follow list if you want to screw up creating a brand.
Whether you are starting from scratch or replacing a tired, out-of-date image, branding work requires clear thinking to succeed. It is like a jigsaw puzzle, where you need to put the pieces together to see the complete picture.
But if you want to fail at branding, do this.
- Ignore the idea of being different and use the imagery of the category. Blend into what everyone else is doing.
- Don’t accept that a brand allows you to leap from being a product to have secondary meaning to consumers. Focus on features, not benefits.
- Instead of keeping it simple, make it extra complicated so that no one gets it and your message is muddled. The harder it is to decipher, the better.
- Be inconsistent with color, font, and logo treatment. Don’t create any standards and let everyone do their own thing with the brand’s image. Why have a brand sheriff responsible for advising the organization?
- Never consider brand archetypes in your process. Randomly guess at what image you think might work and please, don’t talk to customers.
- Ignore your current customers as advocates for helping to spread the word about the brand. Who needs word of mouth?
- Don’t spend the extra money to develop a great tagline or qualifier statement. People will figure it out without any hints. Save money with your agency doing the work. Why think differently?
- Forget about starting with WHY. No one needs to buy into a vision for why your brand exists. Just be tactical and forget about any strategic thinking, golden rules, or inspiring directions.
See, screwing up branding is simple. Lot’s of people do it.
If you want some help doing it right, connect with me here.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com The conversation is free, and we can explore working together.
Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
