In a world where it's never been easier to start your own business, the frequency in which brands evolve (and fall) has become remarkably fast-paced. This can happen with start-ups but also large companies that fail to maintain relevance and loyalty. Let's look at what the most common causes of failure and how to guard against it.
Lack of engaging brand story
Your story is what differentiates you from competitors, it's your reason for existing, not just to make money but the purpose of your brand, the driving force behind its inception, the problem you aimed to address, and the significance it held for you. Whether it encompasses your personal journey or that of someone else, these narratives offer insight into who you are. By sharing these stories, you allow your audience to understand you more deeply, fostering recognition, curiosity, and connection.
Unknown or confused brand personality
Understanding your brand's personality type, including its character traits and brand voice, plays a crucial role in shaping the creative decisions you make later on. Elements such as tone of voice, colour scheme, design style, and typography are all influenced by your brand's personality, making this the foundation for building you brand.
Brand psychology has long been utilised by leading brands to maintain customer loyalty, even when competing products are similar. Consistency through messaging and the services or products you provide across multiple communication channels will foster a sense of comfort and loyalty with your audience.
Ineffective communication
Communication goes hand in hand with numbers one and two, if you know who you are (personality) and what drives you (story) then you can communicate clearly, effectively and with a style and tone that reflect and reinforce the story and personality. The key message should not focus on the features of your product or service, but rather what sets you apart and the reasons people should choose you, using compelling narratives that resonate.
Failure to adapt
Part of a brand's strategy needs to be adaptability. Any business can launch, believing that they are one thing to one audience but they may end up being something entirely different to a group they never envisaged as their target market. Adaptability is essential in a world where everything moves so fast and the key to adapting is knowing and understanding your users. This can be achieved through regular user testing, competitor/trend analysis, feedback and regular market reviews.
Poor user experience
The user experience starts from the initial encounter your audience has with your brand, encompassing your visual identity, website UX design, product or service presentation, ease of selection and purchase, communication and confirmation of expectations, user engagement, and post-interaction satisfaction.
When strategising your user journey, it's important to map out the entire experience to ensure every touchpoint and channel is considered, maintaining a high level of excellence and consistency to maintain a memorable connection with your brand.
Value misalignment
Your core values are your authentic essence and what makes you special and different from competitors. These values can certainly adapt over time but should never oppose the original values that you set out with. Unethical behaviour or failure to practice the values you originally stood for can alienate your audience and damage your reputation. It's important to maintain integrity and authenticity to ensure your audience sees you as credible and trustworthy. Visit my resources page and download the brand development tool to review and align your values.
Dated visual identity
Visual identity encompasses a brand's logo, typography, colour palette, icons, graphics, and image style. While other elements on the list may be well-executed, if the visual identity does not align with the rest of the brand identity, a chance to establish a visual and psychological connection is lost. Shapes, fonts, and colours play a crucial role in conveying specific attributes of a brand's personality. When these elements are not in harmony, the visual aspect of the brand may appear disjointed. Could it be time to consider a redesign?
If you would like to discover more about the magic of branding and how it can shape your user experience or to work with me direct on your brand projects, please get in touch today.
Comments