In this blog post, we will be discussing the different types of disconnects that cause a brand to lose relevance. A brand can become irrelevant for many reasons such as:
- Poor customer service
- Unclear messaging in branding and marketing materials
- Lack of understanding from customers about what your company does
These are all factors that can lead to a disconnect in the brand and customer understanding. We will go over each type of disconnect below, as well as some ways to remedy these issues so you develop strong company branding again.
Each element is important to consider, however it is all too easy to let some of these issues slip through the cracks.
You need to be aware of how each impacts the others and overall perception of your brand.
Poor Customer Service
Amazing customer service is the best form of marketing you’ll ever use. If customers feel supported and appreciated, they are more likely to come back and recommend your company.
The best customer service is when you go out of your way for a client, even if it’s not something that would normally be done in the course of business. You could win an entire lifetime customer with just one small act of kindness.
You can’t buy this type of loyalty with marketing tactics.
However, poor customer services can negatively impact your brand.
If you aren’t providing the level of service that is acceptable to customers, they are going to take their business elsewhere.
Poor customer service:
Customer service is the most important part of connecting with your customers. You need to make sure you have an understanding of what they are looking for and prioritize their needs in order to keep them as a customer. For example, if someone has a problem with one aspect of their experience but likes another then it’s worth spending time to understand their issue and make it right.
Being Unresponsive to Customer Complaints
It’s important that you are responsive to any potential issues a customer may have. If they contact you about something, it is your responsibility as the company to respond in some manner and do what needs to be done so they can continue using your services. It does not matter if it was their fault or not – being available will create brand loyalty and trust.
Lack of Communication with Customers
Communication is vital for any brand. You have to be able to connect with your customers and provide them the information they need as well as listen to their problems, complaints, feedbacks etc.
A Brand that Continuously Overpromises & Underdelivers
Brands can’t promise things they don’t intend on delivering – this will cause negative word of mouth reviews and complaints, distrust, and loss of business.
Unclear Brand Messaging
Inadequate brand messaging:
Brand messaging is not just about the logo or company colors, but also includes how you talk to your customers. It’s important that in addition to a clear meaning, there are strategic words used as well as buzzwords for which most of us have an emotional attachment. People make buying decisions based on emotional connections, and if you have a logo but no brand message then you are missing out.
Lack of Focus on Brand Messaging:
Sometimes marketing messages can be too diluted or unfocused in their message. Brands must focus on one goal at a time. Marketing channels should support each other.
Lack of creativity:
It’s not enough to have a good product if your brand is boring and dull. Your company needs to be marketed well in order for people to invest their time, money, or energy into it because without this investment they will quickly forget about you.
Hiding the brand:
A company should not be afraid to show off its brand. Branding is about building trust with your customers and getting them invested in what makes your business different from others. If they can’t see it or understand the unique value your company offers, then they are not going to continue with your brand.
Incorrectly communicating brand changes:
If you are going to change your branding, messaging, or even pricing it’s important to have a communication strategy so that the public is not caught off guard and understands what exactly has changed.
Lack of Brand Consistency:
It’s important that a brand has an established style and tone so the audience knows what to expect from them. It can be difficult if you have multiple people involved with content marketing or even managing social media accounts because they may.
Lack of Integrity in Marketing Strategies
When a company’s marketing doesn’t match their brand identity, it can create confusion and lead to customers being disappointed. It is important that a company be true to themselves when creating branding messages or any other type of marketing strategy.
Relying on old marketing strategies:
Marketing has changed drastically over the years and businesses need to keep up with this change or else their business will suffer as a result. For example, social media is now an essential part of any company’s branding strategy but many companies have yet to take advantage of the organic and paid social media strategies that make other companies’ marketing efforts successful.
Misleading marketing tactics:
If you are trying too hard to get the sale without providing any valuable information that will make a customer want to buy your product, you are doing it wrong. Your messaging needs to be empathetic and responsive to what the prospective customer is going through as they prepare to make a buying decision.
Marketing Messages Not Aligned to Company Values:
A company has to have a core set of values that are evident in all marketing messages. Otherwise it is likely the brand can lose its relevancy with customers, who will then go elsewhere for their needs.
Too Much Marketing:
Marketing too much without providing any value or information about what your product does and why people should care about it will not get the sale. It will only make your audience feel like you only care about the money your business can get from them.
Not Enough Marketing:
Marketing is an investment for companies and in order to see return, it needs to be done right. Not investing enough money or time means that you are more likely to undersell your products, which causes brand disconnect with customers because they don’t know about all of the awesome benefits your brand has to offer.
Lack of Understanding of the Customer
In order to serve your customer base well and have them become raving fans, bringing more customers to you, you must understand them.
If the customer is not a priority, then it becomes difficult to develop messaging that will resonate with them and generate brand loyalty.
Incorrectly assuming that you know what their customers want:
The importance of staying on top of the latest trends, technologies, and innovations is pivotal to making a brand relevant for its target audience.
Incorrectly gathering feedback from focus groups or polls:
Feedback should be gathered in person so you can get real reactions based on an individual’s personal experience. The only way to know what your customers want is to speak with them.
Mistaken assumptions:
There is no room for assumption when running a business because if you assume incorrectly and don’t take the time to research or investigate what potential customers need then there is likely going to be an issue.
Unclear Value Proposition
There is no one-size fits all when it comes to creating a brand. One of the most important things you can do is make sure that your target audience knows what they are going to get from you, and why they should choose you over someone else in your category.
Absence of Value Proposition:
A brand’s value proposition is what you offer to your customers that sets you apart from the rest of the competition. If a customer cannot find any value in your brand, they are not going to stick around for long.
The key for any successful brand management strategy is making sure that those customers without using social media channels or other non traditional marketing tactics.
Unclear Deliverables of Services:
A brand is more than just a logo. It’s the voice of your company, it dictates all aspects of how you do business along with what you offer and who you are targeting.
If there is no clear understanding or an unclear message from the brand on “what to expect” when hiring this particular service, they may not find any value in investing in your service.
Too Many Products/Brands:
Trying too hard to cover all bases will lead your brand down an unsafe path of lack of focus and brand disconnect.
It’s important to identify who you are targeting, what is the one feature that makes your product stand out from others in its category, how will it impact their life/business if they use your service?
Takeaways
Now that you know what to be mindful of when you want to ensure brand alignment, there are a few steps that can be taken in order to create the perfect brand. To learn more about how to be proactive in your branding so you can avoid these causes of disconnect in branding, you can read this article also.
