What do you do if your branding fails?

If your branding fails, start by honestly assessing the damage: what went wrong, what's the feedback, and how much has it impacted your business. Revisit your company's core values, redefine your target audience if needed, and check your position within the current market. Next, determine if your brand needs small adjustments or a full rebranding. Be transparent, own up to mistakes if necessary, and always emphasize your brand's positive aspects. Execute your recovery plan carefully, test changes, monitor feedback, and keep your messaging consistent. Finally, learn from the experience and stay adaptable, as branding is a continuous process.

Your Brand Is a Ghost Town! ?? That’s right, a lack of engagement or resonance with your audience might as well have turned your brand into a ghost town. Assessing the damage isn’t about licking your wounds; it’s about understanding why the streets are empty. Dive deep into customer feedback and sales data like a detective at a crime scene. Ignoring these clues is like ignoring a gaping hole in your ship; you'll only sink faster.

If your branding fails, take these steps: → Identify why it failed. → Reassess your brand strategy. → Listen to feedback. → Consider rebranding or refreshing. → Communicate transparently. → Maintain consistency. → Monitor and adapt.

1. Assess and Understand: Take a step back to figure out what didn't work. 2. Get Feedback: Ask your audience or professionals for honest insights. 3. Revise Your Strategy: Tweak your branding based on what you've learned. 4. Re-launch with Confidence: Introduce your updated brand with a clear message. 5. Monitor Progress: Keep an eye on how your changes are being received. 6. Stay Adaptable: Be ready to make further adjustments as you go.

If your branding isn't hitting the mark, first, find out why. Ask your audience what's missing or not working. Then, tweak your strategy based on their feedback. If you're still stuck, consider getting advice from a professional agency. Stay flexible and keep tweaking until you get it right!

Your Brand Identity Is Having an Existential Crisis! ?? When your branding fails, it's a clear sign your brand identity is questioning its own existence. Revisiting and refining your brand’s core—its mission, values, and USP—isn't just an exercise; it’s a rebirth. This isn’t about navel-gazing; it’s about ensuring your brand’s essence is not just a whisper but a resonant voice that cuts through the noise. Fail to align your identity with your audience’s perception, and you're essentially dressing your brand in clothes that don't fit.

As a branding expert, I've heard many times the "our branding is failing" story... but what it was meant was rather: "Our promotion isn't spot on our target group and in line with what we suspect is our identity, but we never put it down in a structured way". So here's the question: Do you have a branding framework, and under which circumstances was it filled in? Did you ever have a strategic process based on internal and external research, qualitative and quantitative, to reveal the needs and motivations of the target group? If you never did, ask a branding expert to help you with this process. Even the best surgeon cannot operate on his own heart.

Se você está com esse problema, pode ser que a imagem projetada n?o seja a imagem percebida pelo seu público. Ent?o, que tal rever sua identidade e tudo aquilo que escolheu para comunicar ?!?! Lembre-se sempre que ajustes s?o bem-vindos. Sempre!

Start by taking a deep dive into your brand's mission, values, and USP. Reflect on whether these foundational elements truly represent what your brand stands for today and if they differentiate you in the marketplace. It’s possible that as your business has evolved, these core elements need updating to reflect your current position and future direction.

Take a page from Coca-Cola's playbook when they introduced New Coke in the 1980s—an infamous branding failure. Despite New Coke's disastrous reception, Coca-Cola didn't abandon their identity. Instead, they went back to their roots, reintroducing Coca-Cola Classic and reaffirming their commitment to their iconic brand identity. Similarly, reassess your brand's core values and identity to ensure alignment with your audience's expectations and perceptions.

Your Audience Engagement Is Like Talking to a Wall! ?? If your branding has hit a snag, chances are you’ve been talking at your audience instead of with them. Engaging your audience in the rebranding process isn’t a nicety; it’s a necessity. This isn’t about gathering 'nice-to-have' feedback; it’s about treating your audience like the co-authors of your brand story. A brand disconnected from its audience is like a lighthouse without a light; you're not guiding anyone home.

If the branding fails, it is largely because the user / audience isn’t the focus. They have either rejected to believe the message and have their own truth to shout to the world about their experience with you OR don’t trust you or know you at all OR are completely confused about what problem you solve and how you will help them specifically solve it. Branding isn’t about your logo or mottos. It is about the people you help.

When you communicate with expected clients, try to make a connection with conversations instead of pitching, you have to generate trust first and listen very carefully until they stop and take criticism as advised. They will definitely come back to see you again whether you implement their feedback or not. If you do this, your clients will be your repeat clients ever!

Look no further than Netflix for a masterclass in audience engagement following a branding misstep. When Netflix attempted to separate its DVD rental and streaming services under the Qwikster brand in 2011, customers revolted. In response, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings issued a heartfelt apology, acknowledging the mistake and listening to customer feedback. By engaging directly with their audience and making amends, Netflix was able to regain trust and loyalty.

Transparent communication is essential when addressing a branding failure. Engage with your audience openly and authentically, acknowledging the misstep and expressing your commitment to improvement. Leverage social media platforms, surveys, and focus groups to solicit feedback and involve your audience in the rebranding process. Demonstrating responsiveness and accountability can help rebuild trust and loyalty.

Start by setting SMART objectives for your branding efforts. Whether it's increasing brand awareness, improving customer perception, or boosting engagement, having clear goals will guide your strategy and help measure success. Use the insights gathered from engaging with your audience to refine or develop detailed target audience profiles. Understanding your audience's demographics, psychographics, and behaviors will enable you to tailor your branding strategy to meet their needs and preferences effectively.

Execute your rebranding strategy with precision and attention to detail. Implement changes across all touchpoints – from marketing materials and digital platforms to product packaging and customer interactions. Leverage AI-powered tools for efficient execution and optimization of marketing campaigns, ensuring consistency and coherence across channels.

Todo o processo de rebranding é sempre delicado e arriscado, por isso, um planejamento estratégico, que tenha KPIs bem definidos a partir de muita pesquisa e análise de dados, ajuda a garantir que o processo seja coerente, relevante e impactante, minimizando possíveis riscos.

Consider the case of Airbnb, which faced a branding crisis in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic brought travel to a standstill. In response, Airbnb pivoted its branding strategy to focus on local travel and remote work, launching initiatives such as Online Experiences and enhanced cleaning protocols. By adapting their strategy to meet changing consumer needs, Airbnb was able to not only survive but thrive in the face of adversity.

Craft a comprehensive rebranding strategy that addresses the root causes of the branding failure and outlines clear objectives, tactics, and timelines. Consider elements such as messaging, visual identity, product offerings, and customer experience. Collaborate with internal teams, external experts, and key stakeholders to ensure alignment and buy-in for the rebranding efforts.

Develop a detailed plan that outlines all the steps needed to roll out your new branding changes. This plan should include timelines, responsibilities, and the specific materials that need updating. Prioritize tasks based on their impact and visibility to ensure a logical rollout sequence. Begin by updating all visual brand assets, including logos, color schemes, and typography across all platforms and materials. This includes digital assets like your website and social media profiles, as well as physical materials such as signage, packaging, and business cards.

Na minha experiência com rebranding, percebi que é essencial come?ar de dentro para fora. Engajar os colaboradores e envolve-los em todos os passos do processo, além de comunica??o clara e treinamento consistente, s?o prioridades para que o projeto flua e se alcance o sucesso desejado.

Implementar o rebranding exige cuidado e planejamento. é importante comunicar claramente as raz?es para todos: clientes, colaboradores e parceiros. Isso inclui uma fase muito sensível e delicada a escolha dos canais de divulga??o e a elabora??o da mensagem adequada. A esta altura, acreditamos que você já tenha um claro entendimento sobre o que N?O ESTAVA FUNCIONANDO. N?o dá pra errar agora. Lembre-se: N?O DESPISTE O SEU PúBLICO. Sua comunica??o deve preservar elementos que ajudem as pessoas a identificar sua marca. Finalmente, monitore as rea??es e fa?a ajustes necessários. Um rebranding bem-sucedido requer tempo, investimento e dedica??o contínua. N?o esque?a: seu cliente é seu herói. No final, ele deve vencer.

Look at the example of Pepsi, which faced backlash for its 2017 ad featuring Kendall Jenner that was criticized for trivializing social justice movements. In response, Pepsi quickly pulled the ad and issued a public apology, vowing to learn from the experience. By closely monitoring the fallout from the failed ad campaign and taking swift corrective action, Pepsi was able to mitigate the damage to its brand reputation and avoid long-term consequences.

After implementation of the new strategy, you need to monitor performance. Analyze the data and KPIs to determine the progress. Be prepared to adjust the strategy as you move forward with the plan.

Continuously monitor the performance of your branding efforts and be prepared to make adjustments based on feedback and changing market dynamics.

We can use a well known model-The Brand Equity Model, often called the Keller Model, helps understand brand value through four main elements: 1. Brand Identity (like logos and personality), 2. Brand Meaning (what consumers think), 3. Brand Response (how they react), and 4. Brand Resonance (the depth of the brand-customer bond). By examining these aspects, companies can spot branding issues and devise plans to enhance brand strength.

You breathe. As a huge Nicolas Cage fan, let me quote him as Ben Gates from National Treasure: "You know, Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2,000 times to develop the carbonized cotton-thread filament for the incandescent light bulb. And when asked about it, he said, 'I didn't fail; I found out 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb.' But he only needed one way to make it work." Branding will fail; it's inevitable. You'll fail more than once, making monitoring and analytics essential. Breathe. Think of it as a learning opportunity. You reassess, develop a new strategy — hopefully with input from your audience — then you try again. If your ego is too big and you're unable to accept failure, this might not be the right space for you.

Provide training and development opportunities for your team to enhance their branding knowledge and skills. Focus on delivering a consistent and memorable customer experience across all touchpoints, from website navigation to customer service interactions. Allocate resources to marketing channels that have the potential to reach and engage your target audience effectively.

If branding efforts fail, it's essential to conduct a thorough post-mortem analysis to understand the reasons behind the failure. Identify any inconsistencies in messaging, targeting, or positioning. Gather feedback from stakeholders and customers to pinpoint areas for improvement. Then, develop a revised branding strategy based on these insights, ensuring alignment with consumer preferences and market trends. Implement targeted marketing campaigns to reposition the brand and rebuild trust with the audience. Monitor performance metrics closely and iterate strategies as needed to regain momentum and drive success.

Market research. A lot of times we think we know our customers through the personas we have created. Often branding fails to work when we have not done in-depth research. The market changes very quickly, it also depends on seasons, world news and trends. Do your research, talk to your current customers and get to know them and their needs before creating branded goods and services to suit them.