As noted in a previous post (Importance of Branding) we defined branding as “The process of consistently applying and maintaining the critical components of an identity to all media through which the public or a targeted demographic interacts with your company or organization.” Today, we’re going to talk about three common branding mistakes companies/organizations make when they create marketing materials. These mistakes or missteps are most frequently made by new business start-ups and small or medium-sized companies/organizations that don’t recognize the importance of branding.
(1) Poorly Designed Identity
While judgments about art/design are always subjective in nature, there are times when the design of a logo or company identity creates problems that have ramifications down the line as companies expand their presence in the marketplace. Because few businesses or organizations when founded are awash in funding, identity materials, while recognized as being something of a necessity, are often thrown together as an afterthought. Particularly now, when technology makes it possible for anyone with a computer to create or manipulate images, identities (e.g., logos) are often the product of someone with little or no training in the graphic arts. It’s not uncommon to encounter identities where the choice of fonts/typography or colors are inappropriate for the brand: frivolity is conveyed when gravitas is needed and/or vice versa. It’s also not uncommon to encounter identities where the improper usage of a font — setting a script font in all caps, for example — makes a name difficult or impossible to read.
Everyone likes color. Hence, when a company/organization seeks to have basic identity materials they’ve designed as full-color printed, they’ll often discover the cost to print their full-color design exceeds their print budget. Or, they’ll discover the logo they designed on their large computer monitor becomes illegible when shrunk down to fit on a business card. One of the more common issues occurs when a logo has been designed only in a horizontal or vertical orientation and must be modified to fit in a limited space as when printing promotional items like coffee mugs, pens, flash drives.
(2) Inconsistent Application of Branding
When scant consideration is paid to identity materials, the application of the identity can become scattered and haphazard. It’s not uncommon to see multiple versions of a logo with variations in color, typography and proportions of its components dot the landscape. While identities can evolve over time (think of Coca-Cola’s logo over the past 100 years), at any given point in time it’s crucial to maintain a consistent look across all marketing materials.
(3) Competing Brands
As companies or organizations grow, they may diversify into other areas of business or expertise that are distinctly different in nature from the original product or service offering and, in some instances, directly compete with the parent company/organization. Often, a new identity will be created for these separate entities, but little effort will be made to distinguish the new from the old. Or, all the disparate identities will be lumped under the parent brand. This can create confusion as to what product or service is being offered and by which identity/brand. It is possible to gather sub brands under a parent identity/brand, but particularly when the sub brand is a direct competitor, it’s best to keep the two brands distant.
If you have any questions about branding, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
