Many small business owners are nervous to take that next step with their brand and most of the time that fear is based on one of these 4 misconceptions. So, we’re going to take this opportunity to dispel some of these branding myths so you can move forward with confidence.
#1: Your logo is the most important part of your brand
You don’t pick up a book, look at the cover and think “Wow, that was a great book!”. There’s more to a brand than simply a logo, just like there’s more to a book than just the cover. A brand is a story, and it gets retold every time you interact with your customer or client. Whether they’re walking by your product at the store, browsing your website, or personally being handed a business card, your logo is an important part of this story, but it’s still just a part. Every detail of your brand says something to the customer. The colour choices, graphic language, typography, photo styling, and tone of voice you communicate with all contribute to building the world around your brand. The richer and more considered your brand is, the more targeted and strategic you can be with the story you’re telling. It’s no longer enough to simply slap your logo on something and call it a day. Consider every touchpoint your customer will have with your brand and then decide how you can make that interaction the richest, most cohesive and engaging experience possible. Every interaction is an opportunity to help move your brand story forward.
#2: Your brand has to appeal to everyone
If every brand appealed equally to everyone the world would be a pretty boring place. People align themselves with brands and products that appeal to their own needs and values. The deciding factor can be anything from price to design, value, convenience, functionality, or efficiency. In short, whatever makes your brand or product different than your competitors is what will help you determine who your ideal target market is. We call these your Brand Differentiators, and identifying them is an essential part of the research and analysis phase of any branding project we take on. Your brand differentiators are the foundation of your brand story and they’re the reason someone will ultimately choose you over the competition.
#3: We’re too new/small/local to need a “real brand”
Small businesses don’t usually have the luxury of huge marketing budgets, so they need to be even more strategic about their brands and invest where it will have the most impact. Professionally designed branding, even in its most basic application, shows your customers that you’re serious about what you do. Whether you’re trying to gain local exposure at markets and fairs, running a targeted Facebook ad campaign, or just trying to bring in more traffic to your online store, if your business lacks a cohesive and trustworthy brand your marketing efforts and budget might be wasted.
#4: Rebranding will confuse and upset our existing customers
It’s certainly a daunting idea to rebrand. It probably feels like you just spent hours, days and months (not to mention dollars) finding the right name, crafting the perfect message and getting the design and tone of your entire brand just right. But something isn’t right and you can feel it. Maybe you’ve evolved beyond your current brand and want to expand your market. Maybe your brand no longer speaks to the right audience. Maybe you aren’t getting the reception from customers that you’d hoped for. All of these are good reasons to consider a rebrand, and as long as you do it in a thoughtful way and keep your customers informed you might actually find the process provides a welcome injection of energy and excitement! And finally, if you can sense that your current brand isn’t a good fit you can be sure that your audience can sense it to.
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