Branding, the way you define your company's identity, communicate its values and connect with your target audience, is key to any company's success. But it’s important to get it spot on. Below are five clichés about branding that you should avoid at all costs to ensure your brand stands out in the crowd in the right way.
The first cliché you should definitely avoid is the ‘one size fits all‘ approach. Your brand should reflect your company’s unique values, mission and personality. After all, copying a branding strategy that has worked for other companies may not yield the same results for you. It is essential to tailor your branding to your specific audience and industry. Conduct thorough market research to understand your customers’ preferences, pain points and desires. This allows you to create a brand that authentically resonates with your target audience.
While visual elements, including logos, colour palettes and typography, play a crucial role in branding, their overuse does not serve your business well, and can, if nothing else, cause your brand to be lost in the crowd. For instance, using clichéd symbols or stock photos can water down the uniqueness of your brand. That’s why it’s important to invest in creating a visual identity that is distinctive and authentic.
Even though it’s tempting to claim that your company is “the best” in the industry, this cliché has little, if no, impact. Instead of simply claiming to be the best, show why you are unique and how you add value to what you do. Use concrete examples and customer testimonials to prove how your products or services make a difference.
Keeping up with the latest trends is important, but it can also lead to clichéd branding. If you put too much emphasis on current trends, chances are your brand ends up looking like a copy of other trendy brands. It’s better to integrate these trends in a way that is consistent with your brand identity and values, rather than following them blindly.
The final cliché is to “fokus” your branding only on the product or service you offer. While it’s important to communicate the value of your product or service, branding is more than that. It’s about creating an emotional connection with your target audience. Focus your branding on the stories, values and lifestyle your brand represents, as this will help you build sound and lasting relationships with your customers.
Avoiding these clichés can help you develop a strong and authentic brand identity that stands out to your target audience. Originality and consistency are the keys to a successful branding strategy.
Text written by Amaryllis De Bast
