Don't Blur Your Brand

When it comes to branding, the road of good intentions is paved with a lot of clunkers. It's easier than you would think to get off track and lose focus of what's important to your organization -- and more importantly -- your customers.  Here are some common pitfalls that can blur your branding efforts:  

1) Veering off course.  Branding requires a long-term investment. Do the market research. Understand what's important to those you serve. Analyze your strengths and identify what makes your company's products and services unique.  Define your pillars of brand equity and stick to them over time. Companies can get side-tracked by the latest ad campaign – confusing a new creative approach or the specific benefits of a new product with the essence of their brand – and that can be confusing or disingenuous to customers.  As consumers, we are comforted by the continuity of a trusted brand and don't want it to change precipitously or unnecessarily.  I'm sure you've had a moment while viewing an ad that caused you to say, “What were they thinking?” Don't let that happen to you. 

2) Not being genuine.  One of the fastest roads to brand failure comes from a disconnect between the promise and the reality of what a brand offers to customers. Be honest and understand accurately what you can deliver – not what you would like to deliver – and what you can truly offer.  Is that high product quality? The best price? A premium customer service experience?  There is a delicate thread that holds any customer to an organization, especially at the beginning of a relationship. Break the brand promise and you will most likely not get another chance to bond that customer to your program. 

3) Trying to be everything to everyone.  A common pitfall restaurants and foodservices make is throwing everything and the kitchen sink into their branding efforts. “We're better, faster, smarter, more efficient, the most cost effective, the highest quality….blah, blah, blah….”  When you try to position your brand as everything to everyone, it becomes nothing.  It's white noise. A brand, by its nature, is exclusive not inclusive. It comes down to the fundamentals – know thyself, thy customers and thy competition. Identify those characteristics that differentiate you from competitors and are of value to the customers you want to serve. 

4) Failing to Integrate.  Establishing a strong brand takes time, discipline and consistency.  Operators can have the most compelling message in the world, but if they aren't visible in the spaces and places where customers go to seek information when making dining decisions, then they're wasting time and resources. Often times, companies pick a communications horse to ride  – “I'm going to focus on public relations because it's not as expensive as advertising” or “I'm going to invest in our web site because everything is migrating online anyway.” The reality is that brand marketing must be integrated consistently over many marketing vehicles – web sites, advertisements, promotions, outbound marketing, social media and others – to be heard effectively. Think “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” when it comes to branding efforts.  

Ann McDonough is principal of W Marketing Communications and can be reached at ann@wmarcom.com.