Member Article

Avoiding the pitfalls of branding

A bad brand is what Urban River would say is one of the most vital pitfalls to avoid!

Most people acknowledge that making a good first impression is vital. For most companies that first impression is made by the visual identity of the company – most often their logo.

However, one of the most common mistakes made by businesses is that they assume the logo of a company is the brand – it is not.

A strong brand can help consumers decide between two or more rival products.

It should evoke trust and instil a sense of loyalty towards the company

A logo, while it may be strong and recognisable, cannot hope to evoke such feelings alone.

By conveying a consistent impression throughout all messages (how it looks, acts, sounds and feels), a brand can communicate the beliefs and heritage of a company.

A truly strong brand is a combination of a solid identity and effective communications

Requiring a sound strategy to support it, a good brand will endure, with careful management, to carry a business through all kinds of change while maintaining a sense of customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Trusted brands…

Kellogg’s and Cadbury are two of the strongest and most well-known household brand names in the UK and beyond. Much loved by consumers, the two companies have established strong and trusted brands by maintaining a consistent message and high quality products.

Don’t undermine your heritage…

In contrast, when British Airways rebranded to establish itself as a global player, the company was hounded by both the press and its customers to reinstate the old branding.

It was felt that by changing the visual identity of the company (replacing the union flag on the tail fins of its planes with graphic art) the company had undermined its inherent British heritage, and therefore the trust established between the brand and their customers lessened.

The making of your company…

The process of branding or rebranding carries with it many potential pitfalls and must be handled carefully. However, enlist the support and dedication of all those people involved in reinforcing the brand, maintain consistentcy and strong communications with your customers and a successful brand could be the making of your company.

Check out our latest brands, learn 10 tips for branding success, or see our favourite 30 logos including animals.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hannah Mattinson .