Branding myths; busted
We’ve all heard them, the 'brand ghost story' from hell. But beware taking to heart myths about building a brand from people who a) haven’t taken the time to examine or understand why they’ve gone through what they’ve gone through or b) they themselves have listened to the wrong advice. You’re stuck in an endless cycle of Branding He Said/She Said. Building a brand and business is full of hearsay and, honestly, at times, nonsense – and many of the branding myths out there are nothing more than that.
So have you fallen prey to any of these?
Most businesses are still built on word of mouth
Yes, some businesses work solely on this model, like the local tradesman limited by geography. Perhaps Jim the plumber isn't looking to build a striking brand identity (although, maybe he should). You are though. Becoming a recognisable brand requires going beyond the local WhatsApp group.
This requires you to invest, in a sustainable way for you and your business, in creating a unique and authentic representation of your business. It’s simple. Waiting for the word of mouth movement to do your work for you in this day and age is time well wasted. In a world with such fierce competition and saturated opportunity, you can’t just wait around for success to hit you!
It’s all about a beautiful visual brand
A common and pervasive myth in the world of brand building. Sorry to burst the bubble, but your audience wants to know what you can do for them first and foremost. The beautiful visuals, while vital, can only come after this, and will be more congruent with your message.
Without solidifying the building blocks of your brand identity first; your story, your mission, your tone of voice, then unless you are in fact a bearded-hipster-mason-jar-cold-brew-coffee, people will see straight through you super-slick branding.
Brand success is tied only to the quality of your offering
If only that were true. Many brands succeeded on a stratospheric level despite, frankly, offering very little back in return. By the same token, many innovative and quality offerings have sunk under the waves because of a lack of a solid brand identity.
Your product, be that a physical, virtual or service offering, is the cornerstone of your brand. But a product without exposure may as well not exist, regardless of potential. Put as much time and effort into making sure people can see and understand what you offer as you do into making it a worthwhile purchase in the first place! That's the difference between a great idea and a brand.
Your brand identity can never change
Absofreakinlutely not.
Brands are constantly tweaking and adapting. This doesn’t require you to be a chameleon, always changing values and finding new identities if the previous didn’t fit. You should have a mission and an a solid identity as your foundation, but you should not be glued to the first brand style you came up with. As time goes on, it's important to be open to evolving and growing. Standing still is a vicious enemy to progress.
Your brand identity is the glue that binds your values and the experience those who engage with you have. But it's fluid and ever-changing. Falling victim to stagnation and holding fast to some of the above myths gets you caught in a spiral that’s hard to climb back out of.
Is it time to take a look at where you’re at now with your brand and where you could go, minus the BS and myths? Download your free Brand Review Workbook here: https://thebrandmentor.co/workbook