When you put your ideas together and your brand begins to take shape, you need to ensure it will stand the test of time. Your identity as a business is derived from the way customers perceive your brand, and once a perception exists in the marketplace, it’s tough to change. That means you need to get it right the first time. Successfully creating a timeless brand requires being aware of and avoiding some commonly made mistakes.
Not Allowing Your Logo to Evolve
Many companies make the mistake of creating logos that are too complex to deliver a message simply. When starting out, it’s wise to keep branding visuals as simple and to-the-point as possible. Looking at trends in the branding of successful companies, you’ll see a gradual simplification over the years to reflect the changing marketplace. From its beginning in 1971, Starbuck’s logo featured a twin-tailed siren with four words: Starbucks, Coffee, Tea, and Spices. Fast forward to 2011, when the company’s success had skyrocketed: the siren imagery was simplified and the words removed.
The digital world has greatly influenced logo design trends. Today, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to create a good logo using do-it-yourself (DIY) logo building tools like FlashMarks. Once completed, your logo will become the core of your business identity. Consumers should be able to identify your brand immediately, so choose a design that is easily recognizable and memorable. Timeless brands keep things simple.
Getting Caught Up in the Current Trends
It’s common to get carried away by what’s trending at the moment. But eventually, trendy becomes common and customers tire of seeing the same elements over and over. They want to be associated with something that stands out.
Your brand needs to have a longer lifespan than passing trends. The more creative and honest you are in building your brand identity, the more likely it is that you are going to create something timeless.
Failing to Understand Your Audience
Your audience is what gives your brand purpose. There is no doubt that you are skilled enough to serve anyone in your market, but your services will be worth more if directed to a specific audience that needs them. Your brand should be relevant to your audience and satisfy the needs of your customers.
Go the extra mile in knowing their challenges and aspirations and create a brand that will easily connect with them. Resonate with them and build strong relationships to create a timeless brand.
Not Investing in Your Brand
The biggest mistake a business owner can make is treating growth as a low priority. Your brand sets the standards for everything you do as a company and how customers perceive your business. Investing the time and resources to get things done the right way is worth the effort and expense. It’s certainly better than the alternative: introducing your audience to an ill-prepared and incomplete brand.
Think of your investment in creating a strong brand as an essential step in setting your business up for long-term success.
Brand Inconsistency
Sometimes companies decide to use a font or color that is outside their brand standards or usual style. It won’t often result in an immediate and dramatic decrease in sales, but it will negatively impact customer perception of the brand over time. People want to be associated with a consistent brand – not one that appears to be disorganized and unreliable.
To ensure your brand is consistent, stick to the same color scheme and font choices in your logo and marketing materials. Develop a short brand standards guide that you can refer to or share with new freelancers or employees that may act as your brand online. Keep your social feeds active with engaging stories, photos, and videos. There are many apps online that can help you do this, such as Hootsuite, Buffer, and TweetDeck.
Customer Focus
Keep your target audience in mind. You want your brand to grow, but you need to ensure your customers get the most out of their experience with your company by creating a quality customer experience. This is one of the most important elements in helping your brand stand the test of time.
Provide the best possible customer service, responding to inquiries, concerns, and complaints as soon as you can. Relate your content to your customers by covering topics that are important to them. It may even be appropriate to adjust your product offerings to ensure you’re providing the right solutions for your customer’s needs.
In a nutshell, a strong brand (a great logo, solid font choice, and compelling color palette) is a big part of creating a successful business. When you invest in your brand from the start, you’ll have an easier time stabilizing and investing in it as it grows. A brand that is in harmony with a company’s identity remains relevant over time, and every customer involved knows what the brands look like and what the company behind it offers. Base your identity on meeting your customers’ needs and you will be on your way to creating a timeless brand.
