Why Your Branding Isn’t Working

You have probably heard about the importance of branding (possibly from us) and when done well, a business can reap benefits like constant referrals, word of mouth marketing, brand loyalty, repeat purchases and so on. So far, we’ve talked about businesses that haven’t focused on their branding strategies.
 

However, what about businesses who have taken the effort and spent resources on their branding, but received little or no results in return? Why is it that after spending on building an image, business logo, website and other branding elements, is there little results to show?
 

In this entry, we’ll take a closer look at how branding is a well thought out strategy and not a shot in the dark, and why branding didn’t work for some businesses. We’ll be covering 3 main aspects of branding.
 

Distinct Differentiation
As a branding agency, we know it’s not just differentiating a business from the rest. It’s about how distinct the differentiation is. Can you imagine if the only difference between Apple and their competitors is that they use higher quality cables? It isn’t much to work on is it? Would you go for an IT company that brands itself for using premium quality cable coating?
 

Now, if an IT solutions company had a customer retention rate of say…80%, that would be a great trait for their branding. They can start positioning themselves as a business that focuses on customer satisfaction and excellent customer support. Then from there, the logo, tagline and other marketing platforms can be designed to reflect such qualities.
 

To find out what your distinct differentiation is, compare what you are selling to your competition. Aside from price, see what makes you different. Then see if there are aspects that you want associated with your business.
 

Image Consistency
The concept of consistency works for every aspect of a business. Do you know of a successful business that provides unpredictable quality for their products and services? The same level of consistency is therefore required of your image across all touch points with the customer.
 

Imagine if you used a different set of colours, fonts, layout or logo for your website, business card, brochure, stationery and so on. Can you imagine brands like FedEx or Coca Cola using different logos for all their touch points? How do you think prospects will react when they come across such brands? They probably wouldn’t recognise them! It doesn’t take a designer to notice that something’s not right, and the inconsistency will only convince people to try another company.
 

If you haven’t got one, try getting a brand guide done for your business. This helps ensure a consistent image across all touch points, making it easier for people to trust your brand. If you work closely with supplier and vendors who market your products, give them a copy of your brand guide as well.
 

Focused Offer
Another element that greatly affects branding, is focus. The less focused your branding is, the less your image is remembered by prospects. When you think about it, the logic is pretty simple. The more you there is to remember, the more they will forget. If it’s just one thing, one tagline or one service, then the effort needed to memorise your brand is far lesser.
 

When you take a look at some of the more established brands, you’ll see what we mean. Coca Cola portrays fun and freedom, Apple prides itself on innovation and BMW associates itself with performance and style. These brands sell more than one product, but they don’t boast about variety in their branding. They pick an aspect that best reflects their brand and go all the way.
 

The point here is not the range of products or services you sell, but the focus of your branding and knowing what your positioning is. From there, your branding efforts should focus on going in that one direction.
 

Point of the Story
The concluding point here is not about starting your branding campaign, but about getting it right. The focus, the consistency and the differentiation of branding need to work together and be projected in a confident tone for a business to succeed.
 

If you’re thinking of making your brand work faster and harder, you can reach us here.
 

This entry was brought to you by the branding specialist team at Rabbit Pte Ltd.