Establishing a successful brand requires time, effort, and meticulous planning.
Branding can be a minefield, rife with challenges and common mistakes that can set back your progress.
In this guide, we’ll take you through some common branding mistakes to avoid to better your own branding techniques.
Branding mistakes to avoid include, but are not limited to:
- Not having a consistent brand identity
- Not carrying out market research
- Failing to create relevant brand visuals
- Not hiring a branding and design agency
- Imitating your competitors
1. Not Having A Consistent Brand Identity
A branding mistake to avoid is not having a consistent brand identity.
Brand identity is the ‘visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds’.
It’s the look and feel of a brand and helps to put across your brand’s values. In short, your brand identity is what sets you apart from your competitors.
A consistent brand identity is essential to building a loyal customer base, as it gives your audience something substantial to associate with your business, which subsequently leads to higher conversions.
As competition is so fierce, businesses that fail to establish a consistent brand identity will undoubtedly fade into the background.
To learn more about why a strong brand identity is important, be sure to read our blog here.
2. Not Carrying Out Market Research
The next branding mistake to avoid is not carrying out market research.
Many businesses fail to give market research the time that it requires and deserves, and considering that 81% of consumers need to a trust a brand to consider buying, this can be detrimental to your success.
Failing to research your target audience will only equate to one thing: failing to garner trust and build a connection with your audience.
If you don’t know what your audience appreciates, the connection you have to the people who are meant to be interacting with your brand the most is already at a disadvantage.
After all, there’s no point investing time and money in branding if no one resonates with it due to a lack of research.
3. Failing To Create Relevant Brand Visuals
Another branding mistake to make is failing to create relevant brand visuals.
If a shocking ‘51% of users unfollow brands on social media due to irrelevant content’, how do you think your audience will react to irrelevant brand visuals?
Let’s say you’re selling protein powder, for instance. While you might think using a puppy in your brand visuals will grab people’s attention, ask yourself: How is this relevant to your consumer? Will this elevate your brand?
You risk losing your audience if your brand visuals are inappropriate, so always ensure that they add value to make sure your brand remains relevant for years to come.
4. Not Hiring A Branding & Design Agency
A branding mistake to avoid is not hiring a branding and design agency.
Branding and design professionals have the expertise and experience to help you in numerous ways, from developing a brand strategy to helping you create a brand identity that resonates with your target audience.
We at Creadigol Design believe a brand is more than just a static logo or a website. Our graphic designers and strategists recognise that it’s a feeling that people get when they interact with your business.
Whether it’s through micro-interactions, animations, or even full-blown video content, we believe that motion can transform your brand and help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Visit our website or get in touch with a member of our team today.
5. Imitating Your Competitors
Last but not least, a branding mistake is to imitate your competitors.
While it might be tempting to use a branding strategy that has worked for others in the past, this is a mistake you should be aware of in the beginning to avoid eventually having to rebrand.
Imitating your competitors can actually have the opposite effect, weakening your own brand and reducing the impact of the successful strategy they once used.
Your branding should celebrate your uniqueness. Instead of mimicking the competition, study why these particular strategies were so effective and apply this knowledge to your own brand to set your business apart.
Hopefully this article has given you a better understanding of branding mistakes to avoid.
We are Creadigol Design – a UK-based bilingual full-service design studio designed to transform your brand and help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
From brand strategy and identity design to UX/UI and web development, our team of bilingual designers, strategists, and developers are passionate about delivering world-class branding and design services that are tailored to your unique needs.
Contact our experts today and see how we can help your business.
Written by Jemima for Creadigol Design.
