5 Most Common Branding Mistakes

Before the digital age, there were “Kodak Moments”. Kodak was one of the world’s most valuable brands for almost 40 years. The blind faith in Kodak’s ability to overcome the threat of the new technology proved fatal. Kodak failed to adapt to the new marketplace and new consumer attitudes. Their story is a classic case of an immensely successful company that can become myopic and product-oriented instead of focusing on consumers’ needs.

Hence, branding strategy is crucial for any product or service. But, it can be challenging. There are so many moving parts and stakeholders involved that it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are the most common branding mistakes:

1. Not Defining Your Brand Positioning
Your brand positioning is how you want your potential customers and prospects to perceive your brand. It’s the emotional and functional benefit you provide to them. Without a clear brand positioning and personality, your marketing efforts will be scattered and ineffective.

Even for a well-established brand, you need to reassess your brand positioning from time to time as the threat from the market competition is fierce. There will always be better, more cost-effective materials that could disrupt your supply chains that affect your market positioning.

2. Not Understanding Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach with your branding? What are their needs and wants? What motivates them? If you don’t understand your target audience, you won’t be able to create an effective brand that resonates with them.

3. Relying on Gut Feeling Instead of Doing a Research
When it comes to branding, relying on your gut feeling is a recipe for disaster. Always back up your decisions with data and user research. Otherwise, you’re just shooting in the dark and wasting valuable resources.

4. Failing to Create a Consistent Brand Experience
Your brand should be consistent across all touchpoints, from your website and social media channels to your e-store or physical storefront. If there’s inconsistency, customers will get confused and won’t know what to expect from your brand.

5. Not Measuring Your Results
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Make sure to track key metrics related to your branding efforts so you can see what’s working and what needs to be improved. Otherwise, you’re just guessing.

Conclusion

Branding is an important part of any business, but especially for startups. It’s worth the investment to get it right and make sure your brand is solidified from the beginning. By investing the time to create a strong brand, you’ll be able to set yourself apart from your competitors and better connect with your customers.