From logo to letterhead, your branding is an essential aspect of presenting a professional image to consumers. Do you want your business to be taken seriously?
Unfortunately, several awful mistakes can be made as you “carefully design” and create your company identity. Here are some cases that demonstrate bad branding even with the best of intentions.
1. Complicated and Cluttered
Uncluttered and simple designs tend to make up the best company identity images, especially for your logo. Don’t use designs that look like they’ve been taken off a standard logo website. Sure, you’ll save some money, but the cheap look of the design warns customers to keep away from your cheap products. Remember that these cheap designs are often reused.
Many entrepreneurs believe they can DIY their branding or will hire an inexperienced student, which results in a cluttered design. A complicated design may come from good intentions, but trying to “fit it all in” loses the mission and message of your brand. Focus on what you specialize in, and let a single word (or two) speak volumes.
2. Inconsistent Designs
Consistency is king in anything you do, from customer experience to design. Always keep your designs consistent with what your business does. Make it easy for your audience to determine how you serve them.
3. “Blanding” Designs
Minimalism is trending, but does that mean it’s best for your identity? Simplicity is great, but don’t oversimplify. Your risk your audience completely missing the point.
“Blanding” is known as the oversimplification of both startup and established brand designs alike. Fashion mavericks now go for shrunken, mono weight san serifs, and reduced letter space. Minimalist styles work better for tech companies saving space on various devices for legibility sake.
When everyone does it, a brand isn’t a brand. It’s just branded with the same personality like everyone else. When it comes to rebranding, many companies “bland” down instead of elevating their identity.
4. Too Out There
While brands are individual, you don’t want your brand to look too much like your competitor. So, you focus on the unique qualities of your brand a little too much. And you end up with a design a little too out there.
Don’t make your brand the clown among the big players. It needs to hit that sweet spot between direct and unique, especially in the age of digital marketing.
5. Flat-lining Tagline
Taglines are often overlooked, but they are a good way to keep the logo in the mind of your audience. It grabs the attention of potential customers. What is a phrase you can live up to? Don’t make it catchy for the sake of being catchy!
Who is your brand, company, and its mission? Brands are like individuals with their own personalities, quirks, and qualities that make them stand out. If you make a brand too similar, too simple, or too out there, your audience won’t know how to relate to it.
Don’t Let “Carefully Crafted Branding” Sink Your Mission
Your brand goes beyond design, typeface, color, and personality. Your identity promises customers an experience. How do you want your customers to feel about your company and its promise?
Carefully crafted branding gone wrong starts with the best of intentions. You research your market and target audience. You extract bits of identity marketing tips from your competitors that you admire and toss in what makes you unique. However, you end up with a branding mad science experiment blowing up in your face.
You realize, “Something doesn’t look or feel right here.” So, trim off the excess and all that glitter, but don’t take away the essentials of what makes your company like an individual. Move from carefully crafted to tailored with the truth intrinsic to your brand individuality. Then, your brand will stand out with success!