Maybe your brand strategy contains some of the most common mistakes we’ve seen in the last year without you even realizing it. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the flaws because you are in the center of the action and you are too close to the brand.
If your sock bursts or you have something between your teeth after the meal, you would definitely want someone to tell you. It is the same with brand strategy. We are those friends who will let you know there is some visible problem. We will not be silent or smile!
It’s better to be a little uncomfortable than to find out from someone you don’t know that something is not working when it comes to your brand. When you know what you’re doing wrong, it’s faster and easier to correct mistakes. So keep reading our blog and learn all about the 5 most common brand strategy mistakes we’ve seen in the last year.
1.Don’t adjust your brand strategy at key moments
Only if you’ve been living under a rock you haven’t noticed how many changes there were in the market last year. The economic and energy crisis, on the one hand, and the increasing use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) on the other, have influenced sudden changes, which need to be adapted to. It looks like the number of changes will only continue to increase this year. That’s why it’s important to look at your industry and anticipate changes in it.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to brand strategy is not changing it. You can’t observe it as something written in stone. It has to adapt to the circumstances and the brand should follow those changes.
Speaking of changes and times of crisis, feel free to read our blog post about re-evaluating the user persona, which is a central element of brand strategy. Only with a precisely defined photo robot of the ideal customer, you can expect your brand to be strong even in uncertain times.
2.Outdated elements of brand identity
Is your logo old-fashioned or difficult to adapt to different platforms? It might contain one of these 6 mistakes to avoid at all costs. You should know that the biggest trend in logo design in recent years is changing shapes, i.e., dynamic and adaptable logos.
Logos need to be more customizable than ever before to fit across all social networks and media. They, as one of the key elements of the brand identity, should fit in all formats, to be compatible with dynamic content such as animations or videos.
As a result, logos reach new standards and new limits of creativity, as you can see on the new Organico logo, which our agency created a while ago. From that example, we can see that typography has become one of the dominant trends, which is also liked by clients. Also, a tendency to simplify the logo can be observed with the intention of easily fitting in with all surfaces.
3.Lack of clearly defined brand messages
Most brands, through the book of graphic standards, clearly define the instructions when it comes to the use of the logo. The book of logo standards clearly defines typography, color palette, formats, etc.
However, when it comes to messages, things are not so clear. For most, there are no strictly defined rules regarding the tone and message of a brand. Of course, this is not the case with big brands, because they do not leave such important issues to chance.
The messages of a brand should be clear, consistent, and fit with the brand identity. Customers easily recognize an authentic brand, which has unique messages and only its own unique voice that cannot be copied. It is important that a few basic messages always run through all slogans, titles, subtitles, Call-to-Action activations, etc.
Of course, you don’t have to do any of this alone. When you work with a full-service marketing agency, a copywriter takes care of these things.
4.Ignoring market changes and trends
When you ignore market changes, trends, repositioning of competitors, and customer comments – it leads to branding that is boring and not innovative enough. In addition, brand voice and messages are usually not clear enough, so they do not lead to sales.
One way to prevent this from happening is to create mood boards. We often suggest them to clients because they are a creative and effective way to think about change. They are there to connect different brand elements into a whole, and to record inspiration that can lead to a new product, service, or direction of brand development.
5.You don’t address the weak points on a regular basis
Do you stop once a year or at least once every two years and look back at your brand? Although many brands, which have been present on the market for a long time, are legendary in many ways, they also need a brand audit.
Just as we regularly take care of our health, we should do the same with the brand. When we check from time to time how the brand stands and where its position is in the market, then we have enough time to react if something is not right.
Occasional redefining of goals, the arrival of new and departure of some old customers – all this can affect the brand. There are also constant changes in the market, dictated by newspapers whether we like it or not, which we should address.
It is important not to forget one important fact. Brand means building relationships. Although its essence remains more or less the same over the years, what will make it stronger are the constant evaluations of its success and the changes that inevitably occur. As the brand changes and constantly keeps up with the times and the needs of customers, its connection with them becomes stronger.
How will your brand become even more effective in 2023?
If we want to find one thing that connects all these mistakes, then it would be the following – brands do not notice changes in customer needs, in the market, and in modern technologies. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all that if you’re primarily dealing with brand development and increasing product sales.
However, if you cooperate with a branding agency, then you can leave that part of the work to the experts. We are here, as good friends from the beginning of the story, to point out small or big mistakes that your brand makes. Our job is to monitor changes, customer needs and much more, and then point them out to you in a discreet way.
