There is a lot of advice regarding what we should do when developing a brand. But sometimes it’s just as important to look at what not to do. Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when creating or refreshing a brand.

Mistake 1: Mimicking your competitors

It is essential to understand your competitors. To understand what defines those brands and how they carve out their positions in the marketplace. But we need to be careful. It’s too easy to get enamored by a successful competitor. That can lead to adopting some (and even all) of what makes their brand unique.

When that happens, it creates confusion around your brand. Plus there is also the likelihood that prospects will end up viewing you as a lesser alternative. After all, if prospects see that your brand is incredibly similar to an established competitor they will opt for the brand that they already know and trust.

Mistake 2: Limiting your thinking

It’s natural to think about how your brand fits in the world today. But if you stop there, you could easily be rethinking your brand at the first shift in the market.

Great brands take a long view, thinking about how they are going to be relevant today as well as tomorrow. Brands that take this approach are better equipped to weather changes in the market. And avoid the chaos and expense of having to continuously rebrand.

Mistake 3: Ignoring those you hope to serve

I’ve seen organizations that have been absolutely sure of the direction their brand strategy needed to take. So much so that they didn’t bother to research or get feedback. Then, when the brand hit the market, it was met with exceptional indifference. Why? Because the organization thought they knew why they were relevant and meaningful to those they hope to serve. But they whiffed. And then they were faced with lost time and expensive changes

Mistake 4: Rushing the brand development process

Developing a strong brand takes careful planning. After all, it will provide the foundation for how you communicate, sell, recruit, and more. Rushing the process can lead to a decision (or decisions) that you end up having to rethink. Which leads to repositioning, reworking, and redesigning, You don’t want to put your people and your prospects through that.

Mistake 5: Being inconsistent

I’ve seen organizations make a significant investment (time and money) in creating a brand. And then do little to protect the integrity of the brand after that. The next thing you know, a division decides to alter the logo because they think it needs ‘something extra’ (that’s a true story). Or salespeople create their own templates for presentations and leave-behinds, bastardizing the logo and diminishing the power of the brand (again, a true story). 

Once the brand is established, you need a plan to ensure that it is consistently expressed. Otherwise, the branding can devolve into an unprofessional mess if not a completely laughable sh**show.

Developing a great brand creates an invaluable asset for any organization. As you can imagine, creating this invaluable asset doesn’t happen without solid effort and smart thinking. Smart thinking that’s as much about avoiding the mistakes as it is about making the right decisions.