8 Misconceptions About Branding
Many people either lack branding knowledge or have pre-existing inaccurate ideas that do not fully understand the value branding can bring to their business. This article highlights some of the most common misconceptions that prevent people from enjoying the benefits of branding.
Branding is the same as logo design.
“How much for a logo?” - the number one question many Branding Studios and designers get. The biggest misconception about branding is that you only need a logo to have successful branding. But branding is so much more than that. A logo cannot grasp your story, your value and everything you offer. Do you see the motivation Nike communicates every day just by looking at the swoosh? Or that Apple produces digital devices by showing an apple? While a logo is a strong element to have in your branding - it can help people recognise your brand - it needs more elements to be successful.
2. Branding is complicated.
Yes and no. Branding is as complicated as you want it to be. You can go into the nitty-gritty details or stay with the basics. Like said before and what you’ll find in my offer, a complete Branding consist of at least 3 things: your value, your story and a visual identity to back that up. Every Brand Identity should at least contain a logo, colour palette, typography and imagery. Within that package you can go as big as you want. (And let’s honest, that’s also fun right?:)
3. Branding is just for big companies
A big misconception is that getting branding is just for big companies with big audiences. But branding can also be beneficial for small businesses. When connecting with your business, the first interaction a customer has is with your brand. Branding creates an experience for your customer that has an effect on going into business with you or not. When offering a memorable experience, chances are high that they will get into business with you. Bad to no branding can lead to pushing potential customers away. Whether your business is small or big, you want your customer to have the best experience.
4. Branding is expensive
Creating branding for your business is a process that you don’t want to rush. Successful branding is well thought out and has a solid foundation that is designed for growth, so that you don’t have to rebrand every time something changes within your business. The process of creating a fitting Brand Identity is an investment. The right Brand Identity can pay that investment off year after year and it can even increase in value. Because when you create designs that are memorable, the faster they will think of your product or service when in need.
5. Branding is the same as Marketing
Although branding & marketing have a lot in common, they are not the same. With strong branding you build up recognition with your potential customers, which makes it easier for them to choose you when they need your product / services. Marketing works on that. With a well-designed marketing plan you turn that recognition into building a relationship between your brand and your target group.
6. Branding is a one-time job
While getting a new logo can be a one-time job, but outstanding branding is a continuous project. Outstanding branding does take a little more time to create from the start, but is actually capable of adapting and growing with you as your brand grows.
7. Branding can wait
In a highly saturated market and with businesses rising up left and right, waiting for the perfect moment to create your branding is like waiting for the rain in a desert. The perfect moment doesn’t exist. A lot of brands wait for the moment when business is slowing down and they need to fix that, so they hire a logo maker that will create a logo for them to bring back revenue. Branding is often the last thing on the to-do list, but should be your first. Make sure you create a branding that is fitting for your brand now, creates a memorable brand experience and is suitable to adapt when your brand grows.
8. Branding is a one-size-fits-all product
Although people won't say it, a big misconception is that branding is a one-size-fits-all product. This is confirmed by companies offering branding packages for extremely low prices with unrealistic promises. This not only shows that branding is a ready-made product; this also damages the services of businesses that offer real expertise. Branding services is custom-made to your needs and unique solutions are created to meet your specific challenges.
Are you ready to create a branding to really grow your brand? Let’s chat and find out how we can help.