The Five Mistakes Brand Builders Make

Brand building is hard stuff. You need to go from zero to hero pretty much out of the gate (no pressure). We’ve seen folks attempt to do it themselves, and the results often lead to them knocking on our door. And at that point, the work can become exponentially more difficult (but we kind of dig that, as I’ll get into). All the more reason to consider a partner to assist you from the get-go.

In our over ten year history as an agency, we’ve learned about the hallmarks of successful branding projects. Likewise, we’ve seen what makes projects go south in a hurry. I thought it might be helpful to share some advice on some important criteria to consider when building a brand — from selecting a partner, to deciding what to keep (or what to jettison), to how to collaborate.

Pick the Right Partner

If you’re looking to get a brand off the ground (or looking to revitalize or evolve an existing brand), finding the right agency partner is pretty much table-stakes. You’re going to spend considerable time with these folks, and that time needs to be well spent. Like any solid relationship, it has to be based on mutual respect and trust.

Client fit is hugely important to us at our agency (we even outline our ideal partner on our website). And if a potential client doesn’t align with the characteristics that help us to do our best work, we respectfully pass.

For us, our best partners:

• are passionate about their product or business.
• are hands-on and fully invested in the process.
• exhibit an appreciation of craft and expertise.
• understand a brand extends far beyond its looks.
• are empowered to make big, bold decisions.
• are good human beings.
• are thoughtful.

As you begin interviewing agencies, ask yourself, “what’s a fit for our organization?” Consider these:

• Personality fit. Do you actually like who you’re speaking with at the agency? Do you share things in common? Are their jokes funny? (Wait, do they even tell jokes in the first place?) I know this sort of feels like speed dating, but you have to go with your gut. You’re going to share your hopes and dreams with them. You’re going to ask them to challenge your best thinking. Do they get you excited about the work? Do you leave meetings energized and inspired?
• Agency size. Will your team work better with a large agency, or a boutique brand studio? Do you value frequent collaboration, or are you okay with only occasional steering and input? Are you cool with the idea you might be working with a team you’ve never met, or working with the very same people you had your first conversations with?
• Expertise. Does the agency have relevant experience in your field, or in a comparable industry? Or, is the expertise you’re seeking from an agency attractive to you because they might not work squarely in your field, and can offer a unique perspective?

We’re in new business conversations every day. I’d say we have a pretty good read on whether a prospective client is a fit for us within 10 minutes of back-and-forth. And it’s cool if we’re not. I sometimes surprise potential clients when I tell them I’m excited we didn’t win their work because they found a colleague of ours who was a much better fit.

A few other questions to ask potential partners:

• Can you walk us through your process?
• Who will be working on our project?
• Do you outsource any parts of the project?
• Can you share a few projects relevant to our brand and goals?
• Can we speak with a former or current client or two?

Understand the Costs

Not gonna lie: done correctly, brand-building is a lot of work. The time needed for discovery, strategy, voice and messaging, developing brand identity and building out the individual touch points of a brand is substantial. This groundwork will serve you for decades to come, and the upfront expense will pay dividends over time.

Understanding the intricacies of consumer behavior, how people viscerally react to something on a shelf, what entices them to want to wear something, or what makes an experience they will have unique is a science. Choosing an agency who fully understands this is crucial. Some are good at some of these things. Some are good at all of these things. Either way, you should expect it to be an investment. And it will be, one way or another — paying to go through the brand process twice, after an initial failed attempt, comes with its own financial and emotional tax. You’ve heard it before, but it’s true: you get what you pay for.

As I alluded to in the first paragraph, selfishly, we actually relish assisting folks who didn’t get it right the first time. Who doesn’t love to come in fresh and save the day? On the other hand, we know our clients in this predicament can be pretty beaten up, so we need to be sensitive to that. Those experiences not only deplete budgets, they line the pockets of organizations selling snake oil, tarnishing the industry along the way.

So, when it comes to price, it’s important to enter the conversation with full transparency. Share your expectations with potential partners upfront (like, the first conversation). It’s a quick way to rule out agencies whose offering is beyond your budget. If one agency is substantially more expensive, ask them to explain why. If the agency you feel is the best fit is beyond your resources, let them know you want to work with them but have a budget limitation — they may have an alternative approach to the project, or be able to phase in work over a longer time period as fiscal year budgets cycle over. To be honest, if we know a potential partner is a great match for us, we’ll bend over backwards to make the project happen.

Avoid “Frankenbranding”

Warning: sports analogy! Why were the ‘91–92 Chicago Bulls one of the best teams in basketball? Because they played seamlessly as a unit. Each player knew his role and embraced it, but could also lean on the others’ complimentary skills because they had a long history of collaboration. Now look NCAA basketball — specifically this year’s UNC Tarheels, a team almost composed completely of first year players and transfers. Though the players exhibit individual talent, the team doesn’t embody the collective consciousness that comes from working together over time. Even with a proven coach, they are spending the season figuring out how to play together (with lackluster results, to my dismay).

A good agency runs like the ’92 Bulls. Their strategists, writers, designers, and developers have spent years leading up to your brand building project learning how to collaborate and chart the most efficient and enjoyable paths to success. Live and learn, as they say. Assembling such roles on an ad hoc basis can greatly lower your chances of building a cohesive brand. In that scenario, you become the coach — the team member responsible for keeping everyone in sync. While it’s not impossible to do it this way, without serious coordination, it can pose significant challenges.

Preserve Your Brand Equity

We champion the existing brand equity a partner brings to the table. It’s called equity for a reason — it’s worth something. Over the years, consumers build a relationship with your brand through your logo, brand color, messaging, packaging, mascot, etc. When refreshing a brand, it’s vital to build a bridge for those folks to still be able to find the product or service they love as it is reborn bigger, better and stronger. Our goal is always for fans of the brand to feel that the refreshed brand more clearly and boldly exhibits its true personality and values.

Simply put, they’re even more themselves than they were before. We want you to be 100% you. Think Tom Waits, Bill Murray, or Betty White. We want to help you become your own spirit animal.

When would we recommend shedding existing equity? When it’s not connecting with your audience, or worse, it’s hindering or hurting your brand. If your name is impossible to pronounce, well, that’s an issue. If your logo is unintentionally racially insensitive, that’s a problem. If your packaging doesn’t make it clear what you’re selling, that’s a conundrum. If your brand color is the same as your key competitors, that’s confusing. Yep, we’ve seen all of these (and worse).

In contrast, we’ve seen brands wanting to throw away good equity simply because they’ve grown bored with it. Why do you recognize a Tiffany & Co. box, a Coca Cola, or something from McDonald’s immediately, even without the brand name attached? Consistency over time. It doesn’t mean the brand can’t evolve over the years, but boredom isn’t a strategic reason for change.

Stay Engaged

Branding projects take time, and stakeholders in your organization are busy. When a project starts, people are fresh and excited. As it progresses, they may become distracted or disengaged. It’s human nature. Don’t let lethargy derail the work at hand.

An example. We always prefer to review our work together, in person if possible, with all key stakeholders (literally) at the table. When this happens, everyone is informed, and everyone has their say. Questions are quickly answered and concerns are promptly addressed. And our work often improves as a result.

Yet, sometimes, a stakeholder may call into a presentation from the car while driving, trying to view the work on a smartphone (again, while driving). Or, even worse, they may not see the work at all, trying to imagine it in their head. Oh, it has happened. Or, a key project stakeholder (you know, the one who holds all the cards) has a last-minute conflict and can’t make the meeting, and relies on the rest of the team to absorb what they’re seeing and report back. They either do or they don’t.

The bottom line is this: the more removed or disjointed your team becomes, the less likely you are to build a successful brand. And the impact this has on your agency partner can be significant. Who likes to work with someone who seemingly doesn’t care?

Some things to keep in mind:

• Collaborate, don’t dictate. It’s your job to give feedback on what’s working, what’s not, and why. Let the creative team earn their money and solve the problem. Otherwise, you’re now the designer, and that’s not why you’re paying someone else.
• Make someone the ultimate “decider.” The buck needs to stop with someone. Remember, a camel is a horse built by committee.
• No one likes a swoop and poop. If the head decision maker isn’t looped into the scope, approach and process from the very beginning, those are big red flags. Keep these folks engaged so nothing is a surprise and months of work hang in the balance.

The point of this article isn’t to make life easier for me or my firm. This is what we signed up for, and honestly, we love it. The real point is so you can set yourself up for the best chance at success. Sure, tangentially, we’ll benefit too. There’s nothing wrong with happiness on all sides, right?

I’ll continue to share some ideas in future posts on how to minimize friction and maximize outcomes for your brand. Thanks for tuning in.