Branding For Dummies®

Chapter 21. Ten Branding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

In This Chapter

• Establishing the right brand in the right way

• Doing what it takes to maintain your brand

Some brands get off to great starts. Some are wobbly from the get‐go. Others start well and then lose their way through lack of focus, discipline, and follow‐through on brand strategies, brand promises, and reliably consistent brand experiences.

This chapter describes ten branding mistakes to steer clear of and provides tips to keep your brand moving continuously in the right direction, constantly gaining esteem and equity as a result.

Thinking of Branding as a Quick Fix

The mistake: When business is down, when consumer interest ebbs, or when competition surges, the idea of branding pops up as some miracle cure for transforming product perceptions and jump‐starting success. In the heat of the moment, otherwise cool‐headed professionals begin to believe that a new logo — and maybe even a new name, a new tagline, or a new marketing message — will serve as a remedy for all that ails the bottom line.

Those who look at branding as a marketing quick fix make the mistake of thinking that a brand is just a cosmetic application. They think that a new and improved brand identity will be the formula for a new and improved brand image. It doesn't work that way, though, because a successful brand has to go all the way to the core of an organization.

The remedy: Before you create or alter the face of your brand, be sure you're creating an accurate ...