Top 7 Branding Mistakes that Cost Businesses Their Valuable Customers

One of the most important reasons why startups should invest in the expertise of a highly experienced branding agency is that pros can prevent them from committing branding mistakes that can cost them both money and customers. It usually takes just one mistake for a budding relationship with a customer to turn sour.

Here's the thing, however, most enterprises, particularly new ones, do not always understand how branding should be done. According to the Middle East's leading branding and design agency, the usual focus of a startup is on itself. This means that it pays more attention to its products and services instead of the customer, which is the root of all branding mistakes.

When you are building a brand, there are three variables to focus on:

People
Problems
Promises

Your brand should be made for people to solve their problems through promises you can deliver on. So, if you're a new business trying to get your operations off the ground, remember this principle and avoid many of the branding mistakes that can cost you your customers.

To make sure that your startup stays on the right path and goes on to cultivate strong relationships with your end-users, listed below are the seven most common branding mistakes to avoid.

1. The follow/unfollow demand

Although for most brands, the follow and unfollow demands are necessary components of their call to action (CTA), a lot of customers find these bothersome. These requests come off as placing too much importance on follower numbers as a metric for success and influence.

Such customers feel that the automatic follow demand only prevents them from connecting to the business. On a bad day, they would just ditch the effort and forget about using your business and look for an alternative.

2. The message is secondary to the design

Another typical mistake with branding is when the brand is too visually-driven that the message often gets lost in the design. A good brand is all about being able to harmoniously bring together the business' story, strategy, and symbols. This way, customers instantly get the right idea of what the business is all about in terms of products, services, and values.

3. Savings and discounts instead of excellent value

Savings and discounts are two “power words” used in branding. However, they are not as compelling as value. More and more customers these days are focusing on value instead of how much they can save. They believe that with good quality, they can save not only money but time and effort as well.

4. Being too influencer-focused

Using influencers is one of the most common brand-building tactics wealthy startups use. However, the issue that many have with this is that the choice of influencers is often the main reason why customers lose interest in the brand. The use of influencers for branding often comes off as clout-chasing.

The second reason is influencers often stand for some values that contradict the brand's own. This inconsistency is always a turn-off.

5. Not having an active portal for communication

In the digital age, there's no reason for businesses not to be able to connect more effectively with their clients or customers. However, a lot of startups fail to respond to feedback and address concerns.

Ineffective communication scores negative points for brand reputation — it indicates the business's inability to deliver top-notch services. This is quite contrary to one of the main goals of branding, which is building a connection to develop customer trust.

6. Playing it too safe
Building a brand comes with costly risks, which a lot of new businesses are so afraid of. However, playing it too safe can also mean you losing out on a lot of opportunities for success. 

Branding professionals always say that playing it safe is the biggest hindrance in making a brand stand out and grow, although it is effective in protecting the business. The thing is, it's not the only protective strategy there is. Smart branding strategies are actually better at mitigating risks, and they keep the business moving forward.

7. Scrimping on marketing
When you want to reinforce your brand, scrimping on marketing is the worst thing you can do. A top branding agency in Dubai shares that marketing makes all the difference, especially when times are hard. 

Countless studies reveal that keeping up with promotions and advertising during economically tough times not only reinvigorates trust in a brand but also nets in a much larger share of the target market.

Now that you are aware of the most common mistakes in branding, you can take the necessary measures to avoid them. And if you need help in addressing the usual risks when it comes to branding, invest in the services of experts. Not only will they help you address such risks appropriately, but they can also provide you with ideas and strategies to fortify your brand.

Author Bio
Hasan Fadlallah is a Serial Entrepreneur - Founder & CEO of Brand Lounge, the region's leading and award-winning branding consultancy, whose role is to help organizations align their business behind an idea that will deliver success time and again. Equipped with over 20 years of professional consulting experience, today he advises businesses throughout the Gulf and Africa on brand development and in 2014 was recognized by the World Brand Congress who awarded him the prestigious Brand Leadership award in Brand Excellence.