What are the most common branding misconceptions you need to overcome?
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Branding is not just about logos, colors, and fonts. It's about creating a unique identity and value proposition for your business, product, or service that resonates with your target audience and differentiates you from your competitors. However, many people have some misconceptions about branding that can hinder their success and growth. In this article, we'll explore some of the most common branding misconceptions you need to overcome and how to avoid them.
One of the biggest myths about branding is that it requires a lot of money and resources to create and maintain. While it's true that branding can be an investment, it doesn't have to break the bank or take forever. You can start with a clear vision, mission, and values for your brand, and then use tools and strategies that fit your budget and goals. For example, you can use online platforms, templates, and guides to create your logo, website, and social media profiles, or hire freelancers or agencies to help you with specific tasks. You can also leverage user-generated content, testimonials, and referrals to build your brand awareness and credibility.
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Dev Raj Saini
|| Founder || 150,000+ Follower || Helping Jobseekers || Top Brand Development Voice || Top Personal Branding Voice || 150M+ Views ||
Branding is like giving your business a personality and a story. It's not just about having a cool logo or being a big company. It's about making people like and trust your business by telling them what you stand for and how you can help them. It's a bit like making new friends – you want them to know who you are and what you're all about. It doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't have to cost a ton of money. And it's not just for big companies; even small businesses can do it. It's not only about selling things; it's also about how you treat people and how your employees act. So, it's important for everyone to understand and believe in your business's story.
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Janky Patel
Top 3% of Growth Marketers | I Help Ecomm Brands Grow Their Revenue
Two common branding misconceptions that hinder effective brand building are the notion that branding is solely about visual design and the belief that it's a one-time endeavor. Branding encompasses the entire customer experience, from initial interactions to ongoing engagement. It's an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement to adapt to market trends and customer preferences.
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Nader Sadek
Creative and Marketing Director | Elevating Branding Strategies
Common branding misconceptions: Don't limit branding to just a logo; it's a holistic image. Small businesses benefit too. It's an ongoing journey, not a one-time effort. Authenticity matters - actions speak louder. It's not just about products but the emotional connection. Effective branding doesn't always need a big budget. It's a long-term investment, not a quick fix. Tailor it to your audience and involve your team. B2B and non-profits can brand effectively too.
Another common misconception about branding is that once you create it, you don't have to change it or update it. However, branding is not a one-time project, but a continuous process that evolves with your business, market, and customers. You need to monitor and measure your brand performance, feedback, and reputation, and make adjustments and improvements as needed. You also need to keep up with the trends and innovations in your industry and niche, and adapt your brand to the changing needs and preferences of your audience. Branding is not about being rigid and consistent, but about being relevant and flexible.
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Abinash Mishra
Chief Marketing Officer | Captain Steel India Limited | 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 | IIT Bombay & Olin Business School Alumnus | Ambassador-Management Strategy Institute USA
branding isn't static; it's an ongoing process that should adapt to your business, market, and audience. Regular monitoring, feedback, and adjustments are key to staying relevant and effective in your branding efforts.
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Sanjeev Thakkar
AVP - Marketing l storyseller l tech b2b demand gen
Branding is as much defining who you are, and who you are not too. How you look, behave and what you do amongst the stakeholders, your tribe of believers. But, despite so much discussion around brand, entrepreneurs still use brand as synonymous to logo design. The story, the narrative still is loosely align to about us section. And left to prospects to interpret. Instead your narrative should be alive as a personality, have opinion, and point of view. It evolves as the brand ages. Just like us all.
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Jo Kinner
Reputation Guide | Founding Partner at Reputation Sherpa | Create lasting value in your business through a higher reputation.
Your company's brand is constantly signalling to your market. The multiple signals it sends combine to form an image in the minds of your customers and prospects. In their perception, your brand image reflects the current state of your business. When someone encounters your brand, what signals do they receive? Do they see momentum, growth, and advancement? Or do they see fixed, static, and declining in relevance? To reflect growth and advancement, you don't need to keep changing your logo or brand palette. You do need to make sure your positioning, messages, channels, and imagery are relevant and effective. And that your brand evolves with the growth of your business and the changing preferences of your market.
Some people think that branding is only for large corporations or famous personalities, and that small businesses or individuals don't need to worry about it. However, branding is not a matter of size or fame, but of value and impact. Branding can help you stand out from the crowd, attract and retain loyal customers, and increase your visibility and credibility. Branding can also help you communicate your unique story, personality, and message, and connect with your ideal audience on an emotional level. Branding is not a luxury or a privilege, but a necessity and an opportunity.
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Brendan Whitaker
Brand Strategist & Content Marketer | Turning 'Meh' into 'Remarkable' for Impact-Driven Startups & NGOs
Branding happens, with or without your consent. Every customer interaction, every product sold, every service rendered weaves into the narrative of your brand. Small business or giant corporation, your brand is taking shape in the perceptions and conversations of your audience. So, embrace the process. By nurturing a consistent and positive brand experience, you can transform casual customers into enthusiastic advocates. Imagine a business where customers arrive excited and leave even happier, eager for more. Isn't that a narrative worth shaping?
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Ashley Whittaker
Senior Vice President, Marketing at The Sports Facilities Companies // Editor In Chief, Community Playmaker
Every company and every person has a brand. The question is whether or not that is an intentional, cultivated brand or one that has been assigned to/for them by others. If a brand is the summary impression and feeling a person has about you/your company, then silence is not an option. Either you are branding or being branded.
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Driptorshi Sarkar
Invent ET&U | Cloud Digital Leader | Capgemini E.L.I.T.E. | Cloudtail | IIML | Shapoorji | NPTI
While the brand largely remains an intangible asset, its a driver behind a lot of business metrics that we see today. Some tangible outcomes of a good branding strategy might be : 1. Decreasing cost of customer acquisition, retention and lower churn. Intangible benefits would be: 1. Increased accessibility to markets 2. Increased bargaining power with distributors(leading to Higher margins-tangible benefit) 3. Increased recall, result in ripple effect across marketing.
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Many people confuse branding with marketing, and use the terms interchangeably. However, branding and marketing are not the same thing, but rather complementary aspects of your business strategy. Branding is about who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how you do it differently from others. Marketing is about how you promote, sell, and deliver your products or services to your customers. Branding is the foundation and the core of your business, while marketing is the tool and the channel to reach your audience. Branding is the promise and the value you offer, while marketing is the proof and the benefit you deliver.
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Richard Henderson
Brand identity specialist | Leading sport brand portfolio in the world | We see what you can’t see in your brand
Here are my thoughts for consideration - 1 / A brand is centred around a Truth and the story of why a brand exists. 2 / Audiences emotionally connect with this Truth through the design of an identity and the authentic way the business engages across all audience touch points. 3 / Marketing is the strategic messages that are tailored to suit various campaign positioning objectives. The creative constantly changes. The identity does not. 4 / A "brand" is not the identity alone. 5 / The most effective Brands are made up of a distinctive identity (Truth) and compelling marketing (campaign) to create cut through and loyalty (1+1=3) Like Yin and Yang, together they deliver an emotional relationship that shifts hearts and influences minds.
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Brendan Whitaker
Brand Strategist & Content Marketer | Turning 'Meh' into 'Remarkable' for Impact-Driven Startups & NGOs
This gets marketing all wrong. Reducing marketing to just promotion and advertising is a common blunder. In reality, it's maybe the most expansive aspect of managing a business and encompasses anything related to finding, adapting to, and even creating markets. Marketing is about creating an ever more perfect fit between what you offer and the audience that will sustain your business. It’s woven into the very fabric of your operations: from the brand experience and communication to pricing strategies and supply chain logistics. If it's important to your customers, then it's integral to your marketing.
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Garry Kousoulou F.B.D.O
"Experienced digital marketer specialising in "Optical Industry 🚀 Boosting sales, Google rankings, and social media impact for success.". Author, Entrepreneur, "Advocate for our Youth. Reputation Management Opticians
Branding is who you are, and Marketing is getting new customers and keeping them" Keep it simple If you have both you ensure the business continues to grow and thrive.
Some people think that branding is only about the visual elements, such as the logo, the colors, the fonts, and the images. However, branding is much more than the external appearance, but also about the internal culture and experience. Branding is not only about how you look, but also about how you act, speak, think, and feel. Branding is not only about what you show, but also about what you say, do, and deliver. Branding is not only about the impression you make, but also about the relationship you build.
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Sohini Sen
Marketing & Communications | Intel | ex-upGrad | ex-ICICI Prudential | 30 under 30 awardee for PR and Marketing
One easy example to fathom the kind of impact internal branding has on external, is Twitter. Internal changes (at employee level), though it did not impact the user experience of consumers, led to the brand being perceived very differently now, versus before the org change. Employees and consumers - both are true brand advocates. Product experience speaks volumes, so does employee experience. So, if you want to build a loved brand, focusing on external branding only, is like having excellent food at a restaurant till you take a peek inside the kitchen and promise never to come back again.
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Amit Chand
Head Marketing & Sales | CRM | Luxury | Events | Digital | Transformation | Learner Photographer Video Editor | CMO Awardee | ORM I CX | Analytics | 1st Party Data Narrator | Assimilator | Adversity Expert | Resilient
Branding is not just the job of marketing and advertising departments. While Marketing is responsible for how the brand is portrayed, they are not the only ones. A good brand covers the whole organization.From the customer facing front line staff to salespeople , everyone is a part of branding. And it is not just about their physical appearance or grooming or uniform, It also means how they deliver the brand promise
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M. M.
E-commerce Strategy Architect | Data Analysis, Online Sales Management, PPC Expertise | I Help E-commerce Brands: PPC Revenue $13k to $165k & Conversions +1308%
Beyond the Surface: Branding’s Inner Glow If you think branding is just a splash of color and a catchy logo, it's time to dive deeper. It's the heart and soul of your business—how you solve problems, the experience you deliver, the memories you create. True branding resonates beyond the visual; it's felt in every interaction, echoing the essence of who you are.
The last misconception we'll discuss is that branding is a one-way communication, where you tell your audience what you want them to know and think about you. However, branding is not a monologue, but a dialogue, where you listen to your audience and engage with them. Branding is not about broadcasting your message, but about creating a conversation and a community. Branding is not about imposing your identity, but about inviting your audience to participate and co-create your brand. Branding is not about controlling your image, but about empowering your customers.
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M. M.
E-commerce Strategy Architect | Data Analysis, Online Sales Management, PPC Expertise | I Help E-commerce Brands: PPC Revenue $13k to $165k & Conversions +1308%
A Conversation, Not a Monologue Imagine branding as the art of conversation at a dinner party. It's not about dominating the talk but about inviting stories, listening, responding—a give-and-take that weaves a richer tapestry. Branding is about building a community where everyone has a seat at the table and a part of the story.
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Christine Ong, PharmD
🚀 Transforming Medical Careers in the Industry | Career Positioning & Brand Strategist ➡️ 20+ yrs in R&D & Med Affairs Leadership ➕Career Development | LinkedIn | Networking Strategy Coach
How you brand yourself is what defines how you will engage AND how others, your audience, will engage with you. Branding is about building and developing a community where your voice can dynamically shape the thoughts and ideas of a community. It's definitely not a one-way conversation.
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Naomi Tucker
Leadership & Marketing Enthusiast | Agile, Scrum Master, Campaign Creator | Your Brand's Storyteller
🌟 Misconception 6: Branding is a one-way communication. 🗣️ Some believe branding is a one-way street, where you dictate what your audience should think about you. But it's more than that – it's a two-way dialogue. Listen to your audience, engage, and create a community. It's not broadcasting but fostering conversations. 🤝💬 Branding isn't about imposing; it's about inviting your audience to participate and co-create your brand. It's not about control but empowerment. It's a partnership, not a monologue! 🤝🌐📢 #BrandingDialogue #EngageAndEmpower 🚀
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Robin Zucker
Business Insider CMO to Watch | Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) | Fractional CMO | Board Member | Marketing Executive | Yahoo! + SVP Playboy Alumni | IAB Service Award | robinzucker.com
Your brand is what people say when you are not in the room. It's the totality of every experience, every product, every touchpoint with a customer. A common misconception is seeing the brand as a cost, not a value driver. It's not just a static logo; it's a dynamic relationship that needs to be nurtured to keep customers loyal and turn them into advocates. CFOs seek to quantify by asking for the CAC (cost of acquisition) of the brand investment, but branding's influence is broader and more enduring than immediate metrics show. We must translate the brand's strategic importance into the language of business outcomes, showing how it drives long-term growth. It's about educating peers that a strong brand is a foundation for success.
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Benjamin S.
COO with a Focus on Strategy & Operations | Tech and Process Specialist | Proven Record in Revenue Growth
Common branding misconceptions that frequently need to be addressed include the belief that branding is simply a logo or visual identity, when in reality, it’s the entire essence of a company—its story, customer experience, and values that resonate with customers. Another misconception is that branding is just marketing’s job; however, it should permeate every aspect of a business, as every employee represents the brand. Lastly, people often assume that once established, a brand is set in stone. In contrast, the most successful brands are fluid and evolve with their customer base and market changes.
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Ivana Taylor
Small Business Marketing Expert, Online Publisher and Influencer
Branding is not a one and done exercise. Your brand is a living breathing promise of what your customers will experience when in relationship with your company. Branding is a continuous process that evolves as your business grows and changes. Your brand should be a reflection of who you are and what you stand for as a company. As such, it is essential to regularly review and update your brand messaging, visuals, and website design to ensure that they accurately reflect the current state of your business. This will help ensure that customers have a consistent experience when interacting with you across all platforms.