Branding Pitfalls: What We Wish We’d Known Sooner

We have gained heaps of real-world experience running a branding agency over the last several years. Honestly, we could probably write multiple Ted Talks at this point. I imagine many business owners can relate. But lieu of a full novel, let’s focus on the top piece of advice I wish I knew earlier as the leader of a brand strategy and marketing agency.

The TLDR? Give clients what they need, not just what they ask for.

Countless times when I jump on a call with a potential client to see if we can help, the client asks for something really specific, like:

“I need a new website!”

or “Our logo is pretty tragic and needs a facelift.”

or “I need a website and new copy for a sales funnel and…”

or “We really need to level up our SEO game.”

In this situation, we used to just give them what they were asking for.

They asked for a logo?

Create that logo!

They asked for a new website?

Build that website!

They wanted a new sales funnel?

Funnel it up!

And that was all fine and great until we realized it didn’t lead to long-term success. Sometimes, it didn’t even lead to short-term success. Why? Two main reasons:

1. It’s hard to read the label from the inside of the bottle.

It’s really hard to see the big picture (what’s working, what’s not) when you’re so close to everything. You might think you need a new logo, but is that really where you should be investing your time, effort, and money? How do you know that’s gonna help your business grow? Would you invest thousands of dollars on a hunch? Probably not. (Ahem—please don’t do this.)

2. Just because it’s trendy doesn’t always mean it’s right for YOU.

Just because Podcast Dude Bro says you should do XYZ in order to reach new levels in your business doesn’t mean that’s what you should do. Every business faces challenges that are unique to them—and That New Trendy Marketing Thing™ isn’t always gonna be what you need in this moment.

That’s how we did things in the past. We lived, we learned and we changed our process. What do we do now, you ask?

We start with strategy.

That’s where we start, every time. You cannot pass GO or collect $200 before going through our brand strategy sessions. We won’t know where we’re going or whether or not we’re successful without laying, and solidifying, a strong foundation. This includes: your monetization strategy, what you stand for, the true problems you solve, who you solve them for, your short term and long term goals, the story you’re telling your customers, and more. It takes a few focused working sessions, but then we have the directional foundation we need for long term success.

The result? A clear marketing and branding plan that will catapult your business to another level of success you didn’t even know you could reach! We love helping our clients build this strategy for their brand and business. And now, with 10+ years of experience doing just that, we know that strategy first is the magic that makes the brand fly!

Always start with strategy. It is your guiding light, your north star, your smart beginning and your successful end.

Ready to develop your brand strategy? We would love to help. Schedule a time to chat with us today and let’s get to work building your brand, your website, your marketing materials, etc. the right way!