The world is small. Right now I'm talking to you, and you may be thousands of miles away. Yet you can leave a comment and I can reply in minutes.
Reaching people is easy these days. For all intents and purposes, we no longer have technological barriers and geographical boundaries to worry about. Brand awareness is easy to come by.
Or is it?
If you run your own business or you are tasked with improving your company's brand image, you know better than most that the barriers maybe lower and people maybe easier to reach, but life is still tough.
Brand Awareness is hard to come by.
A Modern-Day Issue
Just because you can doesn't mean you will.
We could all become the next Coca-Cola, but most of us won't. In fact, the vast majority of companies will come nowhere near such success. One of the biggest reasons is how companies approach brand awareness.
They assume being on Twitter is enough.
Or they treat people the same as we did the generations of yesteryear.
It doesn't work like that. Times have changed and the way we communicate has, too. Adapting is easy, but many people avoid doing so.
The Seven Pitfalls
The pitfalls are many, of course. Every business is different, and what works for one to avoid a pitfall won't necessarily work for another. Still, the pitfalls are apt to be the same or similar, and here are the ones I come across most often.
1. Lack of Voice
Voice is important. You may think this only applies to writers and actors, but in my opinion a brand's voice is one of the most valued things it owns.
It's the message, and the essence, of what you're doing.
A brand may have amazing ideas, but if the message is worthless... the execution will suffer. Think about Toms Shoes: Its message is what helps it stand out. Its voice is different from almost any other shoe brand's.
2. Too Much Thing, Not Enough Human
People want to deal with other people. Gone are the days of dealing with a company. We have no desire to interact with a thing... We want a real, live person.
Don't create a Pinocchio... That story's been done.
Companies that emphasize human elements see success. Think about Zappos and how its supporters look at it as more than a brand. It has personality and values and real world attributes.
3. Too Much 'Sell'
We all need to sell. A world without selling would be a world without money.
It would be a world of chaos.
However, we need more than a salesperson, we need engagement. Brands that go on Twitter and talk about nothing but their products suffer in the long term. Converse with your followers and offer them a story. Show them some love.
A great example of a brand that does so is Mint. It doesn't merely help you with your finances, it has created a community you can be apart of. The company engages with its audience, make them part of the brand's story.
4. Overcrowded
A Brand needs substance and structure. A Brand that latches on to every new idea, fad, and bandwagon will become strained.
Do what you do great... not just good.
Businesses that create their own way forward are those that leave a mark.
Coca-Cola is a good example. It is involved in many types of communication, but it wants to do it on its own terms. Its 2020 Vision is showing how it'll create its own future, and not merely be part of someone else's.
5. Low Ceiling
Brands need room to grow. Sometimes this is about products—making sure they can create new opportunities and diversify.
Other times, however, it's to do with the brand name, website, or brand identity.
Take Evernote. It has expanded a great deal in recent years by joining forces with other people, allowing third-party apps to take advantage of its platform, and staying open to new opportunities. It has ensured that there's room to grow.
6. Easy to Forget
A brand can be great in nearly every department, but it can still be easy to forget.
People say, "Oh, you know, that great Brand that sells [fill in the blank]."
Vital to brand awareness is making sure people stay aware of you. If you get in their mind, that's the first step; but if they then immediately forget who you are, the whole exercise is wasted.
The example I will use here is my own. I chose Turndog Millionaire as my name for several reasons, but standing out was one of them. Matthew Turner is easy to forget, but Turndog tends to stick in your head.
7. Trying Too Hard
Finally, you need to remember that trying too hard is never good.
Yes... be thorough and complete.
Yes... create the very best you can.
But to stay human and to have a message that resonates, you need to relax.
Consider the startup Dollar Shave Club. It's seeing the good times roll. It's very relaxed about what it does. It isn't too serious, it isn't too corporate, and although a great deal of work likely goes into its brand... it's done in a relaxed manner.
Fixing the Problem
You can go about fixing the above-listed problems in many ways, but the best way I like best is via a brand story that delves deep into your brand and discovers what it's all about:
- What's your vision?
- What makes you special?
- What color or name or logo is best for you?
- How does everything come together to make your story unique?
A brand story allows you to create something of worth, and most important, something that matters to you: It's built on your terms!
What about you?
What is the number-one issue you have with your brand?
Share your thoughts in the comments section, below, and let's see if we can answer some questions.
