Your client wants to go off-brand. How can you steer them back on course?

Before going any further refresh the client to the basics. Reconsider the brand core values. What was their goal initially and how they are taking them now. Let them know the beneficial out comes of staying aligned with consistent. You can help them to control the risk of being straying too far from the brand's base.

To steer your client back on brand, you can: 1. Highlight Brand Values: Remind them of the core values and mission that define their brand. 2. Show Impact: Present data or case studies illustrating the risks and consequences of going off-brand. 3. Offer Alternatives: Suggest creative ways to innovate while staying true to the brand identity. 4. Engage Stakeholders: Encourage discussions with key team members or customers to gather feedback on the importance of brand consistency. 5. Visuals and Examples: Use visuals of their current branding alongside examples of successful brands that stay true to their identity. By focusing on these aspects, you can help them see the importance of maintaining their brand integrity.

Maintaining the brand value and doing well depends on brand products and the product is created for a targeted audience. Here comes the term UX. UX design is the most valuable part of a brand's success in the marketplace. Good UX design always places the customer at the center. So if the product is useful and usable to the customer or audience, the brand never falls.

Achieving a goal can be approached in many ways, and creative compromise is a valuable tool when clients go off course from their brand identity. In my experience with a client in the entertainment industry, well-established brand guidelines were challenged by proposed changes to fonts, colors, and styles. This restricted my creative freedom, creating a difficult situation. In such cases, communication intelligence is crucial. I redirected the client's focus to the brand's core identity, using a style not far from their guide. This satisfied the client's desire for change while preserving brand integrity.

In my experience, most of the time a client wants to go off brand it is due to a lack of understanding the importance of brand consistency. I use the example of scam emails to help get them back on track. Imagine if UPS did not have a consistent logo presentation? it would be almost impossible to spot a scam in all the "holding your package" emails if you couldn't easily identify the real logo because the quality, color or even placement and size never matched u. This analogy helps me explain why it is important and how the act of printing a logo on a worker shirt without paying attention to branding guidelines, or using poor resolution logos in email can undermine the visual stability and perceived credibility of the business.

From the onset, having detailed processes and results showcased in your portfolio can be a crucial stepping stone. Demonstrating your work in this way makes the convincing process easier when similar situations arise. A well-documented portfolio helps build client trust and showcases your ability to deliver successful outcomes.

One helpful tip is to revisit the brand's core values and identity guidelines. Remind them of the strategic reasons behind the current brand direction, like a GPS recalibrating to the best route. Once, a client wanted a radical redesign that veered off brand. We presented alternative options that subtly incorporated their ideas while preserving the essence of their brand. It sparked a fruitful discussion and led to a compromise that satisfied everyone. So, navigate discussions with diplomacy and expertise, educate clients on the impact of brand consistency, and remember, guiding clients back on brand isn't about saying "no," but showing them a better way forward that honors their vision and brand identity.